New Year's Eve. The scene opens on the street outside the apartment. Roger, Mimi and Mark are standing outside the building. There is a padlock on the door, which Roger and Mimi try to open to no avail.
"How long til next year?" Mimi asks looking up at Roger.
"Three and a half minutes." he answers looking down at his watch as he walks away from the door.
"I'm giving up my vices and going back to school." she tells him sitting on the stoop of the building. "Eviction or not, this week's been so hot. That long as I've got you, I know I'll be cool. I couldn't crack the love code, dear til you made the lock on my heart explode. It's gonna be a happy new year." she smiled looking up at him before taking a swig from a bottle of champagne.
"Coast is clear. You're supposed to be working. That's for midnight. Where are they? There isn't much time." Mark ranted taking the bottle of champagne away from Mimi before looking up and down the block for Maureen, Joanne, Collins and Angel.
"Maybe they're dressing. I mean, what does one wear that;s apropos for a party that's also a crime?" Mimi asked looking up at him as Roger wrapped his arms around her.
"Chips anyone?" Maureen asked as she waltzed down the street. She was wearing a skin tight cat burglar suit and a bag of chips.
"You can take the girl out of Hicksville, but you can't take the Hicksville out of the girl." Mark laughed looking over at her.
"My riot got you on TV. I deserve a royalty." she said digging into the bag for a chip.
"Be nice you two. Or no God awful champagne." Mimi warned taking the bottle back from Mark.
"Don't mind if I do. No luck?" she asked holding a cellular phone.
"Bolted plywood, padlocked with a chain. A total dead end." Roger answered looking over at the door.
"Just like my ex girlfriend.Honey...? I know you're there... Please pick up the phone. Are you OK? It's not funny, it's not fair. How can I atone? Are you OK? I lose control. But I can learn to behave. Give me one more chance. Let me be your slave. I'll kiss your Doc Martens. Let me kiss your Doc Martens. Your every wish I will obey." she pleaded into the phone as Roger, Mark and Mimi watched amused.
"That might be OK. Down girl. Heel... stay. I did a bit of research with my friends at legal aid. Technically your squatters. Therw's hope. But just in case..." she started before taking a bunch of rope out from behind her back.
"Rope." she and Mark smiled looking down at the rope.
"We can hoist a line..." Mark started when Joanne interrupted him.
"To the fire escape." she said looking up at the fire escape.
"And tie off at..." he said as she cut in.
"That bench." they said in unison.
"I can't take them as chums." Maureen compained looking over at Mark and Joanne.
"Start hoisting wench." Joanne smirked tossing the rope to Maureen. As she, Mark and Joanne attempt to throw the length of the rope over a plank, Roger and Mimi laugh holding each other.
"I think I should be laughing, yet I forget... forget how to begin. I'm feeling something inside and yet I still can't decide if I should hide or make a wide open grin, last week I wanted just to disappear. My life was dust but now it just may be a happy new year." Roger smiled looking down at Mimi as Collins and Angel walked up the block.
"Bond. James Bond." Collins smiled looking over at them with his arm slung over Angel's shoulder.
And Pussy Galore. In person." Angel smiled dressed to the nines in a blond wig, a coat made out of a shower curtain, complete with rings hanging from the bottoms and hi heeled knee high boots. She was carrying a small blow torch.
"Pussy, you came prepared." Mimi smiled looking over at Angel.
"I was a Boy Scout once. And a Brownie. But some brat got scared." Angel announced to everyone's amusement.
"Aha! Moneypenny, my martini." Collins smiled reaching out for the champagne bottle from Mimi.
"Will bad champagne do?" she asked handing it to him.
"That's shake, not stirred." Roger laughed in his worst English accent.
"Pussy, the bolts." Collins smiled before taking a long swig from the champagne bottle looking over at Angel as he grabbed the blowtorch.
"Just say the word." she smiled turning the blowtorch on.
"Two minutes left to execute our plan." Mimi smiled looking at Roger's watch.
"Where's everyone else?" Collins asked looking down at the tiny latina woman.
"Playing Spiderman." Roger answered pointing to Mark, Joanne and Maureen who were attempting to gain access into the loft.
"Ironic close-up, tight on the phone machine's red light. Once the Boho boys are gone, the power mysteriously comes on." Mark smiled looking over at the answering machine upon gaining access to the loft.
Mark pressed play and listened to the messages that were on the machine. One was from his mother wishing him and Happy New Year and the other was from an Alexi Darling of the television news show Buzzline. She left her numbers and her email address.
"I think we need an agent!" Maureen called out as she and Joanne entered the loft.
"We?" Mark asked looking over at her confused.
"That's selling out." Joanne said with her hands on her hips.
"But it's nice to dream." Mark said walking away from the answering machine.
"Yeah, it's network tv. And it's all thanks to me." Maureen boasted looking over at them.
"Somehow I think I smell the whiff of a scheme." Mark said looking at Joanne as she nodded.
"Me too." Joanne said looking over at him.
"We can plan another protest." Maureen said looking over at them.
"We?!" Joanne smirked looking over at Mark.
"This time you can shoot from the start." she said looking over at Mark. "You'll direct." she smiled looking over at Joanne. "Starring me." she smiled pointing at herself.
Back downstairs, Roger, Mimi, Collins and Angel counted down to midnight. "5, 4, 3... open sesame. Happy New Year." they called out welcoming in the new year. The door opens with Mark, Joanne and Maureen standing on the other side.
"Happy New Year!" they called out looking down at the others.
"I see you've beaten me to the punch." Benny said coming around the block.
"How did you know we'd be here?" Roger asked looking over at him as Mimi stood behind him.
"I had a hunch." he smiled looking over at the others.
"You're not mad?" Mark asked looking over at Benny.
"I'm here to put an end to this war. It's a shame you went and destroyed the door." he said noticing the door.
"Why all of a sudden the big about face?" Mimi asked stepping out from behind Roger.
"The credit is yours. You made a good case." he said looking over at her.
"What case?" Roger asked looking down at Mimi, hurt.
"Mimi came to see me. And she had much to say." Benny taunted noticing Roger's reaction.
"That's not how you put it all yesterday." Mimi argued stepping towards Benny.
"I couldn't stop thinking about the whole mess. Mark, you might want to get this on film." Benny smiled looking over at Mark as he got his camera out of his bag.
"I guess." he said winding his camera and pointing it at Benny.
"I regret the unlucky circumstances of the past seven days." Benny started as Roger interrupted him.
"Circumstance? You padlocked our door." he argued obviously angry at his former friend.
"And it's with great pleasure on behalf of Cyberarts that I hand you this key." Benny said handing Roger the key.
"Golf claps." Angel smiled sarcastically as he lightly clapped his hands.
"I had no juice in my battery." Mark announces looking down at his camera.
"Reshoot." Benny calls out fixing his tie.
"I see, this is a photo opportunity." Roger snarled at him before looking down at Mimi who was clearly uncomfortable.
"The benevolent God ushers the poor artists back to their flat. Were you planning to take down the barbed wire from the lot too?" Maureen asked looking over at him.
"Anything but that!" Roger answered glaring at Benny.
"Clearing the lot was a safety concern. We break ground this month. But you can return." he smiled looking over at her.
"That's why you're here with people you hate instead of with Muffy at Muffy's estate." Maureen asked sarcastically.
"I'd honestly rather be with you tonight, then in Westport." he said looking over at them.
"Spare us, old sporet, the soundbyte." Roger snapped walking away.
"Mimi, since your ways were so seductive." he started when Mimi cut him off.
"You came on to me!" she argued defensively.
"Persuade him not to be counterproductive." he requested pointing at Roger.
"Liar!" he yelled at Benny.
"Why not tell them what you wore to my place?" he suggested looking down at Mimi.
"I was on my way to work." Mimi defended looking up at Roger, who was clearly upset.
"Black leather and lace!" Benny announced looking over at Mimi. "My desk was a mess. I think I'm still sore." he continued to taunt.
"'Cause I kicked him and told him I wasn't his whore." she yelled.
"Does your boyfriend know who your last boyfriend was?" he asked looking down at Mimi.
"I'm not her boyfriend. I don't care what she does." Roger yelled clearly hurting Mimi.
"People! Is this any way to start a new year? Have compassion. Benny just lost his cat." Angel intervened trying to calm the situation.
"My dog, but I appreciate that." Benny said looking over at Angel.
"My cat had a fall and I went through hell." Angel said looking over at Benny.
"It's like losing a... how did you know she fell?" he asked confused looking over at Angel.
"Champagne?" Collins offered handing a glass to Benny, taking the heat off of Angel.
"Don't mind if I do. To dogs." he toasted as the others rolled their eyes.
"No Benny to you." they said raising their own glasses.
"Let's make resolution." Angel suggested.
"I'll drink to that." Mimi agreed bitterly before downing her glass of champagne.
"Let's always stay friends." Collins offered looking around at his friends.
"Tho' we may have our disputes." Joanne said looking over at Mimi and Roger.
"This family tree's got deep roots." Maureen said looking over at Joanne.
"Friendship is thicker than blood." Mark said looking over at Roger.
"That depends." Roger snapped looking down at Mimi.
"Depends on trust." Mimi said looking up at Roger.
"Depends on true devotion." Roger countered looking down at her.
"Depends on love." Joanne said wrapping her arms around Maureen.
"Depends on not denying emotion." Mark said looking up at Roger.
"Perhaps." he reluctantly agreed.
"It's gonna be a happy new year." everyone smiled looking around at one another.
"I guess." Roger agreed.
"It's gonna be a happy new year." everyone repeated.
"You're right." Roger said smiling down at Mimi.
"It's gonna be a happy new year." Angel said bringing Roger and Mimi together.
"I'm sorry." they said in unison.
"Coming?" he asked as everyone started inside the building.
"In a minute." she said as he gave her a look. "I'm fine. Go." she said wrapping her arm around his waist. Roger leans down and kisses Mimi before going into the building. She walks around the block where the friendly neighborhood drug dealer is waiting.
A/N: OK, I know I've been gone a while and I should be brought out and shot for leaving this story so long. I'm hoping to get the Rent chapters done by the end of the week, so I can start posting my many chapters of the post Rent that I have. I've been really busy with work and I've been really tired from that. A lot's been going on and I'm sorry for neglecting this. I really am. But I'm all alone this week, since my daughter is in Florida with her grandmother, aunt and cousins, so I have plenty of time to myself. I hope this chapter has me forgiven for now. Hope you like it.
Renthead621