"Mark, you in there? You alive?" Roger rapped on Mark's bedroom door, Mimi
stood beside him, curiously.
"You think Candace is in there?" she asked him.
"I highly doubt that," he told her. "But if those two ARE in there, I've GOT to see it!"
"Pervert," laughed Mimi.
"But you love me for it, right?"
"Right."
Roger opened Mark's door quietly, and stepped in, with Mimi trailing behind him. He crept over to the bed, and yanked the blanket from Mark. "Ta-dah!" his face fell with disappointment. Mark was alone.
"Oh, poo," Roger sighed. "Well, we might as well wake him up."
"You're evil," Mimi said, shaking her head.
"But you still love me, right?" he asked, tickling her. She giggled.
"Right."
"Marky," he whispered, nudging Mark's shoulder roughly. Then, "MARK!"
He bent down and pulled at Mark's eyelid. "Ugh," he said, stepping back.
"What is it?" Mimi asked, stepping up behind them.
"He's got alcohol on his breath."
"MARK does?" Mimi exclaimed.
"Yup. Smelt it myself."
Mimi's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow," she said, staring at him.
"He's hung over," Roger sighed. "Poor bastard."
"Rodge, he's waking up."
Mark groaned and sat up, rubbing his head.
"Why, good morning, sunshine," Roger greeted him.
If looks could kill, Roger would have been six feet under at that moment.
"So, how was your date?" asked Roger. "Was she here?" he asked, looking around.
Mark shook his head and put the pillow back over his head. Roger snatched it away. "TELL me, Mark," he whined.
"We didn't go to the Life," Mark groaned, "We went to The Cat's Meow."
"What were you doing THERE?" asked Mimi, startled.
"Ask her," he grimaced. "I think I had a bit too much to drink. She brought me back over here and I went to sleep. NOTHING happened," he growled, seeing the look on Roger's face. Roger put his hands up in defeat. "Alright, you win. Go back to sleep. You're gonna feel like shit for the rest of the morning."
"Super," Mark groaned, collapsing back onto the mattress. Mimi and Roger left the room.
"I never thought I'd live to see the day," said Mimi, shaking her head.
"Get used to it," Roger laughed. "Our Marky may be turning over a new leaf."
***
Collins woke up in his bed, and stretched. His right arm bumped up against Frankie's sleeping one. She stirred, and awoke. She smiled when she saw him. "Hi," she whispered. "Hey," he whispered back.
Frankie stretched and moaned. "What time is it?" she asked, pulling an old robe of Collins's on.
Collins glanced at his watch. "Eleven thirty. I told Roger and Mimi to come at twelve. They wanna meet you."
"Okay," she said peacefully, sitting on the end of the bed. Collins sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"C'mon, get up," Frankie urged him. She stood up. "I'll go make some pancakes or something."
Collins raised his eyebrows. "You cook?"
"I cook."
Collins smiled. "I can work with that."
"With what? Me or pancakes?"
"Both." He slid out of bed. "I gotta pee."
"In that case, I'll see you in about half an hour," Frankie joked.
"Yup," he nodded. He disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
Frankie went into the kitchen to search for a sack of flour.
***
"You ready to go?" Mimi asked, tugging on Roger's sleeve.
"Yup, I just gave Mark some Tylenol. He should be feeling better by the time the gig starts."
"Shit, I almost forgot," exclaimed Mimi.
"You'll be fine," he assured her. "You saw how you blew away Chad. Just wait until the others hear you sing."
"Yeah," Mimi's voice trailed off, as a small smile lit up her face.
"Alright, let's go."
"It's gonna be weird seeing Collins without . . . well, you know, without a guy."
"I know. He seems to like Frankie a lot, though."
"I'm happy for him then," she said, smiling. "I hope she's good to him." She paused. "Does she know about Angel?"
"I don't think so," Roger admitted.
"He's going to have to tell her sooner or later."
"Yep. That's going to be quite a shock to her," Roger sighed. "Collins told me when she saw that Maureen and Joanne were a couple, she became a little uncomfortable."
Mimi frowned. "That's gonna be pretty awkward, then."
"Well, you know Collins. He'll figure something out."
***
"That's them," Collins spoke up, as a few sharp knocks on the door were suddenly heard. "Hey, guys," he greeted, letting the two of them in. "Hi, Collins," said Roger, patting him on the back. Frankie stood behind Collins, shyly.
"Oh, hey, guys, this is Frankie." He put his arm around her and gently guided her in front of him.
"Hi," she said, shyly.
"This is Roger, and this is Mimi," Collins pointed.
Mimi smiled. "Nice to meet you, Frankie."
"Nice to meet you," Frankie repeated.
"So, has Collins been treating you good?" Roger joked.
"Oh, don't worry, he has," Frankie turned to Collins, smiling. He smiled back at her. "Anyone want leftover pancakes?"
Frankie saw the confused looks on Mimi and Roger's faces, so she quickly explained. "I had a little trouble making the pancakes," she said, sheepishly. "It's sort of a mess in there now."
"It's the thought that counts," Collins piped up, rubbing her shoulders.
"We can help clean. Can't we, Roger?" Mimi nudged him, walking into the kitchen. Roger, who was not a fan of cleaning, sighed and followed Mimi into the kitchen.
"Wow, are you sure you were only making pancakes?" he exclaimed, looking at the flour-covered floor.
"Just pancakes," Frankie blushed.
Mimi frowned. "Well, we're going to need a broom."
"I'll get one," Frankie offered, before Collins could say anything. "Where are the brooms, Collins?"
"There's probably one in my bedroom closet," he said.
"Alright, I'll be back in one second." She turned and headed for the bedroom.
"She seems nice," Roger said, when she'd left.
"She is," Collins agreed.
"Does it feel weird having a relationship with a girl again?" Roger asked.
"It does," Collins admitted. "But I'm going to work hard to make this work out."
"Whatever makes you happy, Collins,' Mimi spoke up, giving him a tight hug.
Frankie returned shortly.
"Hey, Frankie, could you give me a hand over here? You got a piece of egg shell stuck in the drain," he said, laughing.
Frankie wasn't listening. She was staring at a framed photograph in her hand. The frame was carved from a reddish-wood, and carved into it were the letters, "Dearly Beloved." But Frankie wasn't paying attention to the frame. She was looking at the picture.
"Collins," she said slowly, turning the frame over to look at the inscription on the back, "Who's Angel?"
"You think Candace is in there?" she asked him.
"I highly doubt that," he told her. "But if those two ARE in there, I've GOT to see it!"
"Pervert," laughed Mimi.
"But you love me for it, right?"
"Right."
Roger opened Mark's door quietly, and stepped in, with Mimi trailing behind him. He crept over to the bed, and yanked the blanket from Mark. "Ta-dah!" his face fell with disappointment. Mark was alone.
"Oh, poo," Roger sighed. "Well, we might as well wake him up."
"You're evil," Mimi said, shaking her head.
"But you still love me, right?" he asked, tickling her. She giggled.
"Right."
"Marky," he whispered, nudging Mark's shoulder roughly. Then, "MARK!"
He bent down and pulled at Mark's eyelid. "Ugh," he said, stepping back.
"What is it?" Mimi asked, stepping up behind them.
"He's got alcohol on his breath."
"MARK does?" Mimi exclaimed.
"Yup. Smelt it myself."
Mimi's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow," she said, staring at him.
"He's hung over," Roger sighed. "Poor bastard."
"Rodge, he's waking up."
Mark groaned and sat up, rubbing his head.
"Why, good morning, sunshine," Roger greeted him.
If looks could kill, Roger would have been six feet under at that moment.
"So, how was your date?" asked Roger. "Was she here?" he asked, looking around.
Mark shook his head and put the pillow back over his head. Roger snatched it away. "TELL me, Mark," he whined.
"We didn't go to the Life," Mark groaned, "We went to The Cat's Meow."
"What were you doing THERE?" asked Mimi, startled.
"Ask her," he grimaced. "I think I had a bit too much to drink. She brought me back over here and I went to sleep. NOTHING happened," he growled, seeing the look on Roger's face. Roger put his hands up in defeat. "Alright, you win. Go back to sleep. You're gonna feel like shit for the rest of the morning."
"Super," Mark groaned, collapsing back onto the mattress. Mimi and Roger left the room.
"I never thought I'd live to see the day," said Mimi, shaking her head.
"Get used to it," Roger laughed. "Our Marky may be turning over a new leaf."
***
Collins woke up in his bed, and stretched. His right arm bumped up against Frankie's sleeping one. She stirred, and awoke. She smiled when she saw him. "Hi," she whispered. "Hey," he whispered back.
Frankie stretched and moaned. "What time is it?" she asked, pulling an old robe of Collins's on.
Collins glanced at his watch. "Eleven thirty. I told Roger and Mimi to come at twelve. They wanna meet you."
"Okay," she said peacefully, sitting on the end of the bed. Collins sat up and rubbed his eyes.
"C'mon, get up," Frankie urged him. She stood up. "I'll go make some pancakes or something."
Collins raised his eyebrows. "You cook?"
"I cook."
Collins smiled. "I can work with that."
"With what? Me or pancakes?"
"Both." He slid out of bed. "I gotta pee."
"In that case, I'll see you in about half an hour," Frankie joked.
"Yup," he nodded. He disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.
Frankie went into the kitchen to search for a sack of flour.
***
"You ready to go?" Mimi asked, tugging on Roger's sleeve.
"Yup, I just gave Mark some Tylenol. He should be feeling better by the time the gig starts."
"Shit, I almost forgot," exclaimed Mimi.
"You'll be fine," he assured her. "You saw how you blew away Chad. Just wait until the others hear you sing."
"Yeah," Mimi's voice trailed off, as a small smile lit up her face.
"Alright, let's go."
"It's gonna be weird seeing Collins without . . . well, you know, without a guy."
"I know. He seems to like Frankie a lot, though."
"I'm happy for him then," she said, smiling. "I hope she's good to him." She paused. "Does she know about Angel?"
"I don't think so," Roger admitted.
"He's going to have to tell her sooner or later."
"Yep. That's going to be quite a shock to her," Roger sighed. "Collins told me when she saw that Maureen and Joanne were a couple, she became a little uncomfortable."
Mimi frowned. "That's gonna be pretty awkward, then."
"Well, you know Collins. He'll figure something out."
***
"That's them," Collins spoke up, as a few sharp knocks on the door were suddenly heard. "Hey, guys," he greeted, letting the two of them in. "Hi, Collins," said Roger, patting him on the back. Frankie stood behind Collins, shyly.
"Oh, hey, guys, this is Frankie." He put his arm around her and gently guided her in front of him.
"Hi," she said, shyly.
"This is Roger, and this is Mimi," Collins pointed.
Mimi smiled. "Nice to meet you, Frankie."
"Nice to meet you," Frankie repeated.
"So, has Collins been treating you good?" Roger joked.
"Oh, don't worry, he has," Frankie turned to Collins, smiling. He smiled back at her. "Anyone want leftover pancakes?"
Frankie saw the confused looks on Mimi and Roger's faces, so she quickly explained. "I had a little trouble making the pancakes," she said, sheepishly. "It's sort of a mess in there now."
"It's the thought that counts," Collins piped up, rubbing her shoulders.
"We can help clean. Can't we, Roger?" Mimi nudged him, walking into the kitchen. Roger, who was not a fan of cleaning, sighed and followed Mimi into the kitchen.
"Wow, are you sure you were only making pancakes?" he exclaimed, looking at the flour-covered floor.
"Just pancakes," Frankie blushed.
Mimi frowned. "Well, we're going to need a broom."
"I'll get one," Frankie offered, before Collins could say anything. "Where are the brooms, Collins?"
"There's probably one in my bedroom closet," he said.
"Alright, I'll be back in one second." She turned and headed for the bedroom.
"She seems nice," Roger said, when she'd left.
"She is," Collins agreed.
"Does it feel weird having a relationship with a girl again?" Roger asked.
"It does," Collins admitted. "But I'm going to work hard to make this work out."
"Whatever makes you happy, Collins,' Mimi spoke up, giving him a tight hug.
Frankie returned shortly.
"Hey, Frankie, could you give me a hand over here? You got a piece of egg shell stuck in the drain," he said, laughing.
Frankie wasn't listening. She was staring at a framed photograph in her hand. The frame was carved from a reddish-wood, and carved into it were the letters, "Dearly Beloved." But Frankie wasn't paying attention to the frame. She was looking at the picture.
"Collins," she said slowly, turning the frame over to look at the inscription on the back, "Who's Angel?"