Chapter 12
"Brooke, we need a new TV." Leah exclaimed, pointing the remote at the TV, pressing the on button to show her girlfriend it didn't work, "I'm not going to sit home alone all night with no TV."
"Leah, we just got a new apartment not even two weeks ago, with what money do you want me to buy a TV with?" Brooke asked, slightly annoyed.
Leah crossed her arms, giving Brooke her upset look, "I don't know, but what am I supposed to do all night? You should stay home tonight."
"I'd love to, but you know if I don't we won't make rent by the end of this month." Brooke stated, pulling her coat on, "Call Mimi or Angel, or that girl you work with she seems cool. I'm leaving have a good night." Brooke waved, leaving the apartment for work causing Leah to huff.
"Will please!" Brooke begged, following him around the bar, "I need the money to buy a new TV. Leah is driving me nuts."
Will laughed as he grabbed some empty glasses, replacing them with full once for his costumers at the bar, "Brooke, you told me you wouldn't sell anymore."
"I know, but I really need the money again." Brooke begged, following him into the back of the bar so they could talk privately, "Look I found more pills." She reached into her pocket, pulling out another bottle.
"Okay, fine!" Will said, "Final time okay? After you buy this TV for your girlfriend, you find a new way to make more money, deal?"
Brooke triumphantly smiled, shaking Will's hand.
"You are totally whipped by the way." Will laughed, heading back out to do his job.
"I am not." Brooke frowned, following him to get back to work.
The next day, Leah came home from work, surprised to find Will and Brooke setting up something in the living room.
"Hey." Leah smiled,
"Leah, I'm happy you're home." Brooke grinned, "Say hello to your new TV." She showed it off with a wave of her hands.
"Brooke! I thought you said-" Leah beamed, excitement pushing her question aside as she wrapped her girlfriend in a tight embrace, kissing her cheek.
"I guess I'll just leave…" Will smirked, grabbing the broken TV to take downstairs.
"Oh Will stay." Leah suggested, "We can order out and watch something on my new TV."
"Thanks, but my girl is waiting back home." Will said, "See you tomorrow Brooke see ya Leah."
"Bye." Leah waved, opening the door for him so he could carry the old TV out. She turned around quickly draping her arms over Brooke's shoulder's, "Rescuing me again, first the new apartment now this. You are such a sweetheart."
Brooke didn't deny it as they connected their lips together and steered their way towards the bedroom.
"Joanne please!?" Maureen begged, following Joanne around the house, "I need to get out of this house. I've been cooped up for a month. You can't trap me in here forever. You can even come to make sure I don't do anything stupid."
"I have a case to work on." Joanne said, "A big one. I fell behind when you…" She didn't want to say it out loud, "well you know."
"Can I just go then please?" Maureen persisted.
Joanne sighed, finally stopping to look at Maureen, "I don't know Maureen, there are just so many temptations out there…"
"Come on, I'm not a baby." Maureen said, "All I want to do is visit Collins, I miss him. I haven't seen him since everyone yelled at me." She pouted.
Joanne gave her a look, crossing her arms, "We didn't yell." Maureen gave her the same look, "Okay well I yelled and Collins, but I had a reason…you know what scratch that, we all had a reason to yell at you, you were out of control."
"Okay, okay…" Maureen said raising her hands in defense, "Settle down. But please Joanne, let me out." She got down on her knees, "Pleaasssssssseeeeeeeee."
"Fine!" Joanne finally caved in, not happy with her choice, but she had the feeling Maureen wouldn't stop begging her. "But I'm calling Collins to tell him you're coming. You go straight there and come straight home, do you understand?"
"Yes mom." Maureen rolled hers as she climbed to her feet, a smile appearing on her lips. "I'm going to go get ready."
"Can I come too!?" Tessa asked, running in from the living room, eavesdropping in on the whole thing. "Please Mama; please can I go with Mom?"
Joanne eyed Tessa thinking it over. If she went maybe it would mean Maureen would want to behave even more responsibly, knowing Maureen would never let anything happen to Tessa, the two were so close. As Tessa liked to proudly state, they were best friends.
"Yeah, okay." Joanne said, "Maureen, Tess wants to come with you."
"For sure." Maureen brightly smiled, pulling her coat on, "It'll be our best friend's day out."
"Cool!" Tessa beamed with excitement as she ran over to put her shoes on.
"Please be careful Maureen." Joanne stated, still a little hesitant about letting her go, especially to the East Village, where she used to get wasted all the time. "I'm trusting you."
"I know, I know." Maureen said, grabbing her car keys, "Besides, I'm going to see Collins, you think he'd let me drink? He'd spank the shit out of me if he found out."
A little bit of ease slipped into Joanne's mind, calming her down a bit. That was true; Collins was always looking out for Maureen. Plus the boho's all knew about Maureen's problem so she was sure they wouldn't let Maureen do anything stupid either.
Forty-five minutes later Maureen pulled up in front of the loft, where Collins and Angel were visiting. She helped Tessa out of the backseat, and the two headed on up.
"Hey guys." Maureen brightly said, greeting everyone with a hug, Tessa doing the same. Once everyone was seated she stood before them, taking in a shaky breath, "I just wanted to apologize for the way I acted that one night."
"It's cool Mo, as long as you're getting better." Collins smiled,
"Yeah honey, it's good to see you out." Angel smirked, patting her knee.
"So…" Roger smirked, "You want a beer?" He teased,
"Shut up." Mimi smiled, playfully smacking the back of his head,
"Hey, someone has to lighten the mood, its weird seeing Maureen all serious." Roger said.
Collins chuckled, and then nodded towards Tessa, "So I see you brought your mini-me. What are you two doing today?"
Instead of Maureen answering the question Tessa proudly spoke up, "Mom and I are having a best friend day."
"Oh you are?" Collins grinned, raising an eyebrow, "You do know that your Mom already has a best friend right? It's me."
Tessa crossed her arms, shaking her head, "No, Mom is my best friend."
"Is that right?" Collins said, standing up, "I guess I'll just have to…tickle you from her!" he said and before Tessa could react he began tickling her.
"Okay, okay…" Tessa said through giggles, "We'll share her!"
A while later, after spending some time with the boho's, Maureen decided it was time to go. The two of them climbed in the car and Maureen drove off.
Maureen only drove about five minutes before coming to a stop.
"You hungry babe?" She asked, looking at Tessa through the rearview mirror, watching as she nodded. "Okay, let's go grab something to eat and then we'll go home, okay?"
"Kay." Tessa excitedly agreed.
Soon after the two were sitting in The Life Cafe, menu's opened in front of them. Maureen however paid no attention to the menu, her eyes wandering around, landing on the beer taps behind the bar.
"No Maureen, no, you don't need one." She watched as the bartender poured a glass of the cold refreshing beverage, licking her lips with want. "Just one won't hurt." She shook her head clear, "But you've come so far."
"Mom!"
Maureen's head snapped in Tessa's direction.
"The waitress asked your order." Tessa said, pointing to the woman standing next to her.
"Sorry." Maureen said, "I'll have the cheeseburger with fries."
"Me too!" Tessa said folding her menu, "With a root beer."
Maureen's mouth watered at the word, her will power going straight out the door, "I'll take a beer."
The waitress wrote everything down and smiled, "I'll be back with your drinks."
Maureen felt guilty after ordering the forbidden drink. If Joanne found out she knew for sure she'd get an earful. But it was just one, that's all she was going to have, one beer and that's all.
Soon enough her beer arrived. She eyed the golden liquid, licking her lips once again. She reached out bringing the glass to her lips, the smell sending chills down her spine, "Oh God I missed you." She brought it to her lips, the sweet taste pleasantly splashing on her tongue. She moaned as she washed some of it down, savoring it as she placed her glass back on the table.
"Good?" The waitress giggled, watching Maureen's reaction.
"You have no idea." Maureen replied with a smile, but soon a frown replaced that smile when Joanne entered her thoughts, the guilt settling back in. Beer, alcohol in general caused her to hurt Joanne.
She brought the beer back up to her lips, this time not enjoying it as much as the first sip "Was it even worth it?"
"What?" Tessa asked.
Maureen shook her head, "I'm just talking to myself, sorry Tess."
After they ate their meal, Maureen finished off her beer, ordering another one, but not to drink it. She paid the bill, then sat Tessa at the bar where Dave the bar owner was. He used to hate when the boho's partied in his restaurant, but now that they all could pay for their food, he became good friends with the group.
"Hey, Maureen." Dave said,
"Could you watch Tess for a second, I'll be right back." Maureen said, setting Tessa on a barstool.
"Sure." Dave said smiling.
Tessa smiled in his direction, "You have a belly like Santa's."
In the bathroom Maureen stood in front of the sink, clutching the glass of beer, looking at herself in the mirror. "No more alcohol for good." Maureen said, slightly trembling, trying to push the craving to drink the beverage out from her. She held the beer over the sink, and very slowly began tipping her hand, "This is for Joanne," She whispered as the beer splashed into the sink, washing away down the drain, "For our family." She quietly said, letting the rest of the liquid waste away.
She smiled to herself, satisfied when the glass was empty, the beer long gone down the drain. She set it down on the sink, and smiled to herself, "Goodbye, love."
With that she proudly walked out of the bathroom, thanked Dave and her and Tessa walked out of the restaurant and headed on home.
They were almost out of the city when Maureen was stopped at a red light, using that time to search the car for gum, or anything to hide the scent of her breath, which that one beer was responsible for leaving behind. When the light turned green, Maureen automatically began to go, having the right away, failing to see the car that had zoomed through a red light crashing into her, the force causing the car to roll over several times.
Maureen blanked out for a moment, shocked and shaking when she awoke in her seat, hanging upside down. She looked around her vision blurry; glass shattered everywhere, pain shooting through her wrist, people screaming outside. But none of that seemed to worry her, the only thing on her mind was, "Tessa!?" she shouted, calling out for her daughter, wanting to know if she was okay, but she didn't answer, "Tessa!?" She cried out, but there was no response. "Tessa? Answer me!" Maureen demanded, the blood dripping from her forehead going unnoticed as panic started to seep in when there was no little voice answering her back.
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Dun, dun, dun! I'll try and update Tuesday... ;)
