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Big Mistakes

(Narrator's POV)

November 30, 1991

And maybe they did make it after all! Or maybe not. 5 months had passed since Erika and Benny had their closure. Not a lot had changed. Then again, so much had changed over the year, what else was there to change?

Erika and Mark were still together. She tried to keep her confrontation with Benny a secret, but soon he discovered it, making things awkward. The couple spent most of their time at work. Alexi Darling loved the idea of a dating couple working together on a news team. Mark loved the fact that Erika was so much easier to work with, than any of his old partners. He wasn't getting yelled at constantly anymore. Erika loved that Mark was there to tell her what to do and coach her, so she did not look like an idiot at her job.

As for our rocker, he has just been floating through life. His band at the Life Café was doing really well and Roger was coming out with more new songs that ever. He wasn't really Roger, though. He was just a man residing in his once living body. He was barely alive, showing no emotion. He would laugh, smile, and interact. True, he was in much better shape than when he was in withdrawal, but Mark knew inside, the pain felt the same for his best friend. Roger was trying though. He had gone out with a few girls, but nothing seemed to be going his way. They would all break up with him, saying that everything reminded Roger of Mimi and they were sick of it.

Maureen told Joanne she was HIV positive. Much to Joanne's frustration, Maureen would not reveal how she got it. Joanne really came through, though and promised she would stand by Maureen for the time being. They were more like intimate friends now, then lovers. Things were getting harder for the two. It really was.

Collins had not heard from Angel since she left. He kept telling everyone she would come back, but he even doubted it. He was strong, though. He was prepared for the worst and praying for the best. In the meantime, he busied himself with work.

Angel was still working for the gang, not revealing her drag queen lifestyle. She hated every minute of it and found all the men and killing repulsive. She knew she could not leave……………for now, at least.

And finally, Mimi. What is there to say about the young Latina? Despite her first instincts, Mike was not as bad as she thought. She was falling in love with him, in a way. The two were happy together. Mimi felt as if she was starting over. There was no more talk of pain or past, just future and love.

o o o o o

(Angel's POV)

November 30, 1991 12:00 p.m. eastern standard time

I walked over to the bar with the rest of the guys from the gang. I overheard Michael laughing and speaking with Papa Roo. "I almost got her," he was saying. I rolled my eyes and sat on the stool.

"Hey Rufus," I said.

"Angelo," Rufus said quickly. "We need to talk." He turned to his brother and finished the conversation he was immersed in. "I'll be right back, but I say you just drop the question."

"Oh there she is!" Michael exclaimed. "Hey baby! Over here!" He pointed in the direction of a crowd. In the middle, I saw a tall blonde haired girl walking towards him. If that was her, she was very pretty. Before I could see anymore, Rufus led me out of the bar.

Rufus sighed and stared at me for a long time, before speaking. "Angelo? What is going on with us?"

"What do you mean?"

"When you first left for the East side, we were a thing. And-"

"Darling," I grinned. "We were everything, but-"

"Angelo! Stop! I thought we were still together and I come to find you and you are so distant from me. You are acting as if we never happened."

"I know," I sighed. "A lot changed on the East, though. I met new people and I got a new style and-"

"ANGELO! Do you still love me? Can you honestly say you still love me?"

"We have been so far away for so long. How can I still-"

"This is a business you are born into. You need to leave loved ones. But that is why we are a faithful group! So what happened?"

"I met someone else," I said. "You know, in Alphabet City. Rufus, you need to understand that I can't wait around forever. I don't have that much time, remember?"

"Angelo, you cheated on me?"

"RUFUS! How can I stand here and say I love you when I don't? You betrayed me! You betrayed my family! You killed my brother! You gave me AIDS! True, I loved you once, but then you hurt me in ways you cannot even imagine. I needed someone I could trust and I found him."

"Who is he?" Rufus said in a cold voice.

"He is…………………not important," I whispered.

"Oh no," Rufus yelled. "Who is he?"

"Why?" I cried. "Why do you want to know?"

"Who is he?" replied an angry Rufus.

"The love of my life!" I screamed. "I am sorry Rufus, but I am not a killer! I never was and never will be. I was forced into this business, not born into it. You and Michael and everyone else are true killers. I cannot be. If you knew who I really was, you would see! If I could act like I used to everyday of my life, you would see I am the farthest thing from a killer. I don't want this. I don't want it at all."

There was a long and awkward silence after my explosion. I didn't mean to say any of that. I knew it was a mistake. I was panting heavily and put a hand on the side of the building to balance myself.

Rufus gave me a death stare before running his fingers through his hair. Then he sighed and turned around, looking for something, anything that would help him make sense of all this. He then turned to me and glared.

"Big mistake Angelo," he snarled. "Big mistake."

"Actually," I smirked. "In the Lower East Village, they call me Angel. Angel the drag queen, that is."

Rufus turned around, opened the door, and said over his shoulder, "You're done." The door to the bar slammed and I took a deep breath, leaning against the wall and sliding to the ground. I was free. My killing days were over.

I waited a few minutes and walked back into the bar. The blonde girl was sitting at the bar where all of the guys I came in with originally were. I sat down next to her. She glanced at me and smiled.

"Hi," I said, sticking out my hand. "I am Angel."

"Oh," she said, taking a sip of her wine. She stuck out her hand and swallowed the beverage. "Hi, I am Amanda."

"So how are you and Michael?"

"I beg your pardon?" she asked. Suddenly a man with a tight white muscle shirt came and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hey baby," he said. "Sorry I am late."

"Oh," I said. "You aren't dating Michael?"

"Who is Michael?" the man asked.

Amanda held up a skinny finger at the man. "Hold on Keith!" She turned to me and said, "Maybe you have the wrong person."

"I think I do too," I said. I was so embarrassed. "My friend Michael pointed at you and said 'there she is,' so I thought it was you, but he must have been pointing at someone else. Sorry about that."

"No big deal Angel," she grinned. She turned back to Keith and left me to order a drink and re-organize my thoughts.

I would go home and pack. I needed to say goodbye to Mama. That was going to be hard. I could promise to come back with Collins. Oh Collins! I missed him so much. I could not wait to go home.

My drink arrived and I took a big swig of the beer. It felt so good having the alcohol run down my throat. I took a cleansing breath and finished my drink.

o o o o o

(Mark's POV)

November 30, 1991 4:00 p.m. eastern standard time

"One egg roll, one California roll, two pints of chicken and broccoli, and…………………what else do you guys want? Hello?" Collins was screaming at all of us as he placed an order for Chinese food.

"Vegetable Lo Mein," Erika said. She was standing at the sink, washing the dishes. She had really turned her life around. She had been cleaning the loft like crazy and she even became a vegetarian. She had also been painting every chance she got. I came up from behind, wrapping my arms around her small waist. "Hey Mark," she smiled.

"How are you?" I asked, leaning against the counter and staring at the couch, where Maureen sat in Joanne's arms.

"Fine," she grinned. Her voice suddenly dropped. "Is Roger coming tonight?"

"Yes after band practice," I whispered. "Why?"

"I don't know. I have just been worried about him. You know how things have been around here. Everything has been really awkward with Joanne and Maureen and Ben………"

Erika trailed off, not finishing her sentence and avoiding my gaze. She was going to say Benny. I didn't care if she said it either. That was 5 months ago. And when it happened we were all pissed, but it was over now. I sighed as I remembered that day.

Roger and I stood in front of the building where Benny resided. I didn't think this was necessary at all. I turned to him and gave a small smile.

"Should we just go home?"

"After what he did to Maureen?" Roger shouted. "Fuck no!"

The two of us walked up to the door, where a doorman stood, who asked us where we were going. Roger just ignored him, shoving past him. It didn't seem like the old man was going to do anything about it either. We hit the elevator. Roger seemed to know where he was going as he hit the 23rd floor button. I was starting to feel like this was unnecessary. What were we going to say? What were we going to do?

The elevator opened and Roger strode up to a door and knocked on it roughly. There was a voice inside and it was definitely Benny's. The door opened and Roger shoved the man, who used to be our best friend backwards. I prayed Allison wasn't home.

"What the hell?" Benny yelled.

"You prick," Roger said, continuing to push him backwards. "You knock up Maureen and leave her a fucking note that says 'shit happens'? What is wrong with you? I am fucking done with you."

"You are just still sore that Mimi and I used to be together," Benny yelled. "Get out of my house!"

Big mistake! Roger decked him in the right eye. Benny clutched his eye, which was slowly beginning to swell.

"Sucks for you now," Benny grunted. "Sucks for you, because she doesn't love you anymore and she is gone. She left you."

Mistake number two! Roger grabbed his shoulder and punched him in the gut, bringing him to his knees. Benny groaned and held his stomach.

"Roger!" I said loudly. "Just stop!"

"How the hell did you know that?" Roger asked, ignoring me.

"Erika told me," he panted. At that moment, a nerve was struck. What was she doing here? Erika and Benny know each other?

"You are a liar!" Roger yelled. "She wouldn't hang out with scum like you. She is the only pure one."

I almost had the urge to thank Roger for standing up for my girlfriend. I swallowed it down though.

"Well she is actually the liar," Benny said, backing away from Roger, so as he wouldn't get hit again. "She is Allison's cousin. She used to live here. We used to date………sort of."

"So you cheated on Allison with her too?" Roger asked his tone dropping to one of confusion.

Benny didn't respond. He just stared at us. I turned and left the room. Right as I reached the door, I heard Roger deck him one more time. He moaned and hit the floor.

"You are a fucking jerk. Stay the hell away from Maureen and Erika!"

"And Mimi?" Benny asked, through a bloody nose. "Oh wait, you cannot tell me to do that, because she is no longer yours."

The rock star shoved the toe of his boot into our landlord's stomach. "She does not belong to anyone! You of all people should know that."

The two of us walked out of the building, with me booking it to get home. I didn't want to face my best friend. I was too embarrassed. I thought Erika was perfect. But she was just like everyone else. She had slept with Benny. She was with Benny!

We made it to the loft and I slid open the door. Erika came forward, grinning. "Where were you guys?" she asked.

"You are a fucking whore," Roger snarled, pointing a finger at my girlfriend. "You are a whore."

"What the hell Roger?" she squealed.

I couldn't even back her up. She looked to me for help. I was disgusted with her. The image of Benny and her together made me want to vomit. She was just like every other whore I had ever met. That special spark she had was gone.

"I don't know what to say Erika," I whispered. "We went to see Benny today. And he told us…………he told us………well he told us what you obviously didn't!"

"Mark? Mark? Hello?"

I looked up to see Erika smiling at me. Her voice had jolted me out of that memory. Needless to say, we made up a week later. Roger still never seemed to forgive her, but he needed to get over it. I remember Erika one night yelling at him and screaming 'you're one to talk! You have no right to call me a whore. Did you forget who your ex-girlfriend is?' The reference to Mimi put Roger into a solemn state. True, it was harsh and perhaps unnecessary, but it seemed to be just the thing that ended the quarrel.

"ROGER!" Maureen and Collins screamed at the same time.

Roger walked in and smiled at everyone, before disappearing into his bedroom. We heard him open his guitar case and begin strumming on it. He had been working on the same song for what seemed like forever.

I sighed as he began singing the sad and tired lyrics, "Give me one last chance for one last dance. I need you, I love you………………………"

"That boy needs a girl," Collins whispered.

"No," I spoke up. "That would never work."

"Why not?" replied Maureen.

"He loved her too much. And he still does."

o o o o o

(Mimi's POV)

December 1, 1991 8:00 a.m. eastern standard time

"Name?"

"I am actually meeting someone," I said. "Michael-"

"Oh yes!" the host of the restaurant said rapidly. "Right this way."

I was impressed by the host, who seemed to know Michael all too well. He led me up stairs to a private table overlooking the restaurant. The man pulled my chair out, left me with a menu, and bowed before hurrying off. I looked around at the dim room and smiled. It was such a relaxing atmosphere. There was a small dance floor, where a few couples were holding each other, and swaying to the live band's music. I wanted to get out there and show off my new dress. It was possibly the nicest thing I had ever bought. Michael gave me some money and I went into town today. I saw it in a window of a small dress store and it was perfect. It was a short little red dress that hugged my torso and ruffled at the bottom, stopping a few inches above my knees. I treated myself to little red stilettos to finish the outfit.

"Where is he?" I mumbled. I pulled a small mirror out of my purse and checked my makeup and hair in it. My usual curly rat nest was pinned up. I never really cared about looks or anything, but a lot seemed to be changing.

"Miss Marquez?" a waiter whispered. I smiled up at him and my gay-dar went off immediately. "Would you like to order?"

"I will just wait for my date," I replied.

"Of course," he said before walking away. After a while, I grew impatient. Where could he be? I felt so awkward sitting here. I felt as if I was on display or something. It was driving me crazy. I stood up, to go to the restroom and just get out of there, when Michael walked up the steps.

"You look amazing," he grinned, giving me a kiss. He looked amazing too. His hair was smooth and silky and his suit was pressed neatly. He pulled my chair out for me and called over the waiter. I gazed at him as he ordered our food and seemed to know that I wanted the Oriental Chicken Salad.

"This is so sweet," I said. "What is the occasion?"

"Can I not take my girlfriend out for dinner without a reason?"

"I guess you can. It is just that no one has ever done this all for me."

"Well I am not just a regular guy," he whispered.

"I guess you aren't!" I giggled as he took my hand in his and kissed it.

"So what did you do today?" he questioned. "Well, besides buying that stunning outfit."

Aw! He noticed. I wanted to melt! "That is about all I did. And then you called me to meet you here. Well, you were late and I had to sit here all by myself." I exaggerated the late part, adding a lot of sighs into my speech to make him feel guilty. And it seemed to work.

"I was a little busy Mira," he said, cutting me off.

"With what?" I prodded.

"I was talking to your parents."

I practically spit out my drink. Why would he do that? Is he an idiot? Of course he is! "Why would you talk to them?"

"I needed to work some things out. But I think I cleared everything up. Mira, they wanted me to give this to you." Michael handed me a small envelope.

I opened it and out feel a small gold charm bracelet from when I was a baby. It had four charms. One was the moon, one was the sun, one was a star, and one was heart. I fingered it for a moment and then I pulled out a small letter. It was plain, short, and to the point.

We are not sorry. But we found a way for you to regain connection to your Spanish roots and a way for you to regain our loyalty and love.

"This is what you went to get from them? This is bullshit. I told you already, I am done with them. I never want to speak to them again."

"Don't you even want to know what they want you to do?"

"Not really," I said quickly. I was slightly angry that he would have the nerve to go back to my parents. The same parents that cause me to cry my eyes out and run away, straight into his arms.

"Well I feel obligated to tell you," he said. He still had that stupid grin on his face. I wanted to slap it off of him.

"If you must," I sighed.

"I wanted to wait to do this until after we ate, but you just look so stunning, I need to do it now. Mira, Miriam, we have been through so much. We grew up together, we cried together, we laughed together, and now we are living together. We have always used each other as a shoulder to lean on. It has all been great, but I feel we need to step it up. And in order to do that, I need to step down. Well, kneel down."

Suddenly, Michael got down on one knee. I once again almost spit out my drink. I began breathing heavily. "Michael, what are you doing?" I asked slowly. He just grinned at me. No! No, this cannot be happening! I wanted him to stop. "Stand up Michael." I placed a hand on his shoulder. "Please just stand back up babe."

"Call me crazy, but I have never fallen in love with someone this fast. Call me crazy, but I am in love with you Mira," he replied, pulling a little black velvet box out of his pocket. I watched his open it and inside was a dazzling diamond ring. It had all the works, with a silver band and a huge diamond in the middle, surrounded by smaller ones.

"I…I………I……don't know what to say and-"

"Say you will marry me!" he beamed. "I am not getting any younger and I want to settle down. Come on Mira! You can get your life back together. It is going to work. Just say you will marry me!"

The last part felt forced. True, we weren't getting any younger, but it wasn't like we were that old. I wanted to spend more time on my own, you know? I just couldn't say yes! But then I looked at his hopeful face. He loved me! And I said I loved him. He was probably the only man, who would treat me like a princess. I couldn't say no. He was right, though. This would get my life back in order.

"Okay," I said. "Okay!"

"Okay?" he jumped up, placing the extravagant ring on my left ring finger.

"Okay," I squealed. I threw my arms around him and I let him pick me up and twirl me around. He was mine! Michael was mine, my fiancé, my future husband! The whole restaurant cheered on the new couple that was on display. And that couple was us!

Poll

A. Yes! That are engaged! I am so happy!

B. Cool. It really doesn't matter to me.

C. What were you thinking? Roger is the only man for her! You are crazzzyyyy!

D. I hate marriage.

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