Chapter 11

"Wow Maureen, you look different." Mimi smiled looking up at her as she entered the loft.

Maureen softly smirked, raising a brow, "Different good or different bad?"

Mimi stood up and walking over, giving her a hug, "Different good." She said squeezing her, "You look healthy and feel healthy."

"She feels healthy?" Roger questioned.

"I think what Mimi is trying to say is, she feels fuller." Angel clarified, her and Collins walking in the loft behind her. "She put back on a healthy amount of weight."

"Oh, right." Roger nodded, studying Maureen for a moment, "I agree."

Maureen smiled, "Well thank you. I feel better."

"Does it have to do with the play you're staring in tomorrow night?" Mark asked,

Maureen nodded talking a seat on the couch beside Roger, "It's been two months. I'm ready to perform this already."

"I'm kind of excited to see you do Shakespeare." Collins smirked, taking a seat in one of chairs.

Maureen shrugged, "It's tough, but I'm pretty sure I have it down."

"I guess we'll find out tomorrow night." Mark said.

"I'll bring the tomatoes." Roger teased, earning a light slap from Maureen.

...

The next night, Maureen successfully performed in A Midsummer Night's Dream, the entire cast was awarded with a standing ovation and after they were out in the lobby greeting their friends and family, Maureen spotted the Boho's right away.

She greeted everyone with hugs, and then eyed Mimi who was looking a little nervous.

"What's up Meems?" Maureen asked.

Mimi shook her head, biting the edge of her thumb nail.

"Mimi." Maureen sternly asked.

"I may have... invited Joanne." She stated.

"You may have?" She questioned

Mimi nodded, sighing, "Come on Maureen, she clearly still cares about you! And when I told her you were doing this play she was all proud and wanted to come see it." She said her eyes quickly glancing over Maureen's shoulder, and then back to Maureen.

Maureen ran her fingers through her hair, looking over her shoulder, making eye contact with Joanne. She sighed looking back at Mimi.

"What do I do?" Maureen asked.

"You could...go say hi?" Mark suggested.

"If you're comfortable with that." Collins quickly added.

Maureen sighed, biting her lip. She slowly turned back around Joanne was still standing there. Maureen nodded, squaring her shoulders, and finally walked over towards her ex-lover.

"Hey." Maureen said.

Joanne smiled, "Hey, Mimi told me...and I, well, you just, you were great, Maureen."

Maureen shyly smiled, "Thanks, Joanne."

Joanne nodded, "So, I was just wondering, I know things are weird, but I don't want them to be weird anymore and I think we should, or if you would like too, we should go out for coffee or something sometime?"

Maureen slowly looked up, nodding, "I...yeah okay."

Joanne smirked, "Great, tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow." Maureen nodded.

...

The next day Maureen and Joanne were awkwardly sitting across from each other, both of them trying to think of something to say.

"So why Hermia?" Joanne suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Maureen asked caught off guard by the sudden question, but then it finally registered, "Oh, I was just feeling in tune with the character or something. Self-conscious because the person she loved didn't love her in return." She answered, biting her lip, not meaning for it to be a zing towards Joanne, but it was the truth.

Joanne's face faltered, but she nodded, "But it had nothing to do with the way she looked, it was because of the love potion."

"I know." Maureen said, shrugging.

"Well you were amazing. A true actress." Joanne said.

"Thank you." Maureen said again, "So how have you been?"

"I've been well." Joanne answered, her eyes glancing to the cup of coffee sitting in front of her, "Besides one thing." She paused, "I miss you, like crazy."

Maureen looked up, her eyes however were dark, "Welcome to the past year of my life."

"I know, I know." Joanne quickly stated, "I'm sorry."

Maureen sighed letting out a breath, "Why now?"

"Things would happen and I'd be like, oh I can't wait to tell Maureen about this, she'll love it, or just old memories would pop up in my head, and I'd want to recreate them, and not just with anyone, but with you." Joanne said. "Things aren't the same without you. I know it took me way too long to realize it, but I do realize it now. And I feel like such an idiot for letting you go."

"Well who says I haven't let you go?" Maureen asked sitting straight up in her chair crossing her arms over her chest, "It took me so long to finally become strong again and now you're sitting across from me, telling me you miss me? After breaking my heart, shattering it into pieces, you expect me to just take you back?"

"Yes, well... no. I don't know." Joanne said, her hands starting to shake. "I'd do anything to make it up to you."

Maureen let out a breath her head spinning, "This is too much." She said putting her head in her hands.

"What? Sorry. I'm sorry." Joanne said,

"Just shhh." Maureen said shaking her head, taking a moment to pull herself together, "First you don't want me for no reason at all, and you go and fuck that Fiona bitch, and then after all this depressing shit I've been through, you all of a sudden want me back."

"I know it sounds bad, Maureen." Joanne sighed, "Ugh, this didn't turn out at all like how I planned."

Maureen let out a bitter laugh, "I've been waiting for you to come back to me the day you left." She said shaking her head, "a few months ago I would have taken you back in an instant and now I don't know what to do."

Joanne's face fell, but she knew she deserved this.

"I just need too...I need to think." Maureen said standing up.

Joanne nodded, "Yeah okay."

"I'll talk to you later, okay." Maureen said putting money down on the table, grabbing her things and leaving.

...

Later that night Maureen was pacing in front of Mimi, Angel and Collins.

"She just can't do that!" Maureen said, and then stopped eyeing the three of them, "Can she do that?" She asked, but didn't give them time to answer, "I went through hell after she left and now she just walks back into my life telling me that she misses me?"

"She can do that." Mimi said,

"No she can't." Collins countered.

"She did do that." Angel said, "She loves you."

"Yeah, but it's not fair." Maureen said, "I went through all of that and now...she just walks back in so easily." She said tears in her eyes, flopping down in a chair, "And I want to let her back in so easily. But what if she hurts me again?"

"I don't think she would." Angel said.

"She doesn't deserve to get you back so easily though." Collins said.

"I know, Collins." Maureen said, "But when she's the one thing I wish for every night before I go to bed, I want to give it to her that easily." She sighed, putting her head in her hands, "I hate this. I'm just so confused."

"I know." Collins said rubbing her back, "You'll figure it out." He whispered.

XXXXXX

Sorry. I don't like how it takes me so long to update this story. I'm just finding it hard now that it's almost coming to an end.