Chapter 6- How Is The Drama Queen?
Thanks again to my fans! Again, special shoutout goes to..
Goddess of Ivy: Thank you SO SO SO much for being the only one to constantly review me!! I'm glad you like the plot so far, and I can assure you that this next chapter will keep you loving it!
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I must have been at the library longer than I thought, because in the midst of searching for a performance piece, I noticed that my watch said six forty-five.
"Shit! Roger's going to be at my apartment in fifteen minutes!" I muttered aloud.
I quickly went to the circulation desk, checked out three monologue books, and then sprinted back to my apartment. I had just finished brushing my hair and applying my makeup when there was a knock at the door.
"Come in!" I shouted from the bathroom.
The door opened and I could hear footsteps in the other room. When I came out of the bathroom, however, it was not Roger sitting on my bed- it was my landlord, Henry Wakefield. I shuddered inwardly. I had never liked him; he had hit on me the first day I moved into the apartment, and he had a hard time with the word "no".
"Mr. Wakefield," I said with poorly disguised loathing, "To what do I owe this honor?"
Henry smiled greasily, and replied, "We need to have a discussion about your rent, Maureen."
I nearly let this shock register on my face, but I remained aloof.
"My rent?" I asked coolly.
"Yes, or should I say, lack thereof." Henry said with a smirk. This time, I gasped.
"What the hell do you mean, 'lack thereof'?" I cried. "My rent has always been paid and on time!"
"Not for the past three months. I know Rick pays your bills, but lately, he hasn't been." Henry said calmly.
Now I was pissed-and, for once, not at Henry. Rick hadn't been paying the rent? I had been under the distinct impression that he had been.
Henry continued, "You might want to inform him of this, otherwise, I'll have to evict you both."
Not wanting him to know about my personal life, but knowing I needed to give out enough information, as he was my landlord, I said stiffly, "Rick no longer lives here."
Henry laughed and replied, "So he finally told you, did he? I wondered when he'd have the balls to tell you about Cary!"
"You.knew?" I stammered.
"Of course I knew-Cary is my cousin!"
"You fucking KNEW?" I fumed.
"Not just knew, I introduced them. I wasn't trying to mess things up between you guys but," he smirked, "I guess he liked her better."
"Get the hell out of my apartment!" I raged.
"Technically, my apartment if you don't pay the rent." Henry said icily.
I stormed to the door and opened it.
"Here's the door, don't let it hit you on the ass on the way out."
Henry froze for a moment, and then started toward me. I back way until I was against the doorjamb.
"You know, Maureen, I came up here tonight not only to inform you about the rent, but also to apologize for us getting off on the wrong foot. I was going to ask you on a proper date and maybe even forgo the past three- month's rent in light of the situation. But, as always, you have royally pissed me off."
He stepped closer, and for a brief, terrifying moment, I thought he was going to hit me. Instead, he closed the space between us and put his face close to mine.
"Maureen." he murmured, "Maureen, you know what I want. I want you. You know you want to be able to pay your rent. I think maybe we could work out.an arrangement if you will."
I slapped him hard across the face.
You bastard!" I spat angrily.
Henry's face got hard, and then he shoved me hard against the wall.
"Let me put it like this, Maureen," he hissed, "Either I see you tonight at twelve thirty in my apartment, ready to play the part of the little whore I know you are, or I'll evict you-tonight!"
With that, he walked out. I collapsed against the wall, shaking. There was no way I would whore myself to my landlord. I couldn't! I wouldn't! I could never look at myself in the mirror again; never respect myself again. No one else would either if they ever found out. Suddenly, another knock at the door made me remember that Roger was supposed to be coming over. I jumped up and opened the door. Roger was standing on the other side, looking nervous.
"Hey Roger." I said half-heartedly.
"Maureen, I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed.
"For.what?" I asked weakly.
Roger looked surprised, then said, "For being a half an hour late."
I glanced at my watch-it said seven thirty-two. Henry had been here for half an hour. Of course, Roger didn't need to know any of this, so I smiled brightly.
"Oh, don't be silly, Roger! I didn't even notice! I was so busy looking over my monologue books, I didn't even remember you were coming!"
Roger looked crestfallen, so I quickly added, "Not that I don't want to see you."
Roger's smile returned, and he asked, "Ready to go?"
"Yeah, give me a minute." I replied.
I sprinted back to the bathroom, took a quick look in the mirror, and was satisfied to see I no longer looked distressed. I walked back to the door to see Roger studying my monologue books.
"What are these for?" he asked.
"I'm going to an audition tomorrow for a troupe of community players." I said eagerly.
Roger's face broke into an excited grin. "That's kickass!" he exclaimed.
"Thanks," I replied.
"Now are you ready to go?" he asked again.
"Patience is a virtue." I teased.
"Not when I'm with you," he returned.
And so we left for the Life Café.
Coming up: Will Maureen sacrifice the rest of her pride to gain her rent? Will she make the audition? And what about Roger-will she end up falling for him? Find out soon as more secrets and scandals are revealed!
Thanks again to my fans! Again, special shoutout goes to..
Goddess of Ivy: Thank you SO SO SO much for being the only one to constantly review me!! I'm glad you like the plot so far, and I can assure you that this next chapter will keep you loving it!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I must have been at the library longer than I thought, because in the midst of searching for a performance piece, I noticed that my watch said six forty-five.
"Shit! Roger's going to be at my apartment in fifteen minutes!" I muttered aloud.
I quickly went to the circulation desk, checked out three monologue books, and then sprinted back to my apartment. I had just finished brushing my hair and applying my makeup when there was a knock at the door.
"Come in!" I shouted from the bathroom.
The door opened and I could hear footsteps in the other room. When I came out of the bathroom, however, it was not Roger sitting on my bed- it was my landlord, Henry Wakefield. I shuddered inwardly. I had never liked him; he had hit on me the first day I moved into the apartment, and he had a hard time with the word "no".
"Mr. Wakefield," I said with poorly disguised loathing, "To what do I owe this honor?"
Henry smiled greasily, and replied, "We need to have a discussion about your rent, Maureen."
I nearly let this shock register on my face, but I remained aloof.
"My rent?" I asked coolly.
"Yes, or should I say, lack thereof." Henry said with a smirk. This time, I gasped.
"What the hell do you mean, 'lack thereof'?" I cried. "My rent has always been paid and on time!"
"Not for the past three months. I know Rick pays your bills, but lately, he hasn't been." Henry said calmly.
Now I was pissed-and, for once, not at Henry. Rick hadn't been paying the rent? I had been under the distinct impression that he had been.
Henry continued, "You might want to inform him of this, otherwise, I'll have to evict you both."
Not wanting him to know about my personal life, but knowing I needed to give out enough information, as he was my landlord, I said stiffly, "Rick no longer lives here."
Henry laughed and replied, "So he finally told you, did he? I wondered when he'd have the balls to tell you about Cary!"
"You.knew?" I stammered.
"Of course I knew-Cary is my cousin!"
"You fucking KNEW?" I fumed.
"Not just knew, I introduced them. I wasn't trying to mess things up between you guys but," he smirked, "I guess he liked her better."
"Get the hell out of my apartment!" I raged.
"Technically, my apartment if you don't pay the rent." Henry said icily.
I stormed to the door and opened it.
"Here's the door, don't let it hit you on the ass on the way out."
Henry froze for a moment, and then started toward me. I back way until I was against the doorjamb.
"You know, Maureen, I came up here tonight not only to inform you about the rent, but also to apologize for us getting off on the wrong foot. I was going to ask you on a proper date and maybe even forgo the past three- month's rent in light of the situation. But, as always, you have royally pissed me off."
He stepped closer, and for a brief, terrifying moment, I thought he was going to hit me. Instead, he closed the space between us and put his face close to mine.
"Maureen." he murmured, "Maureen, you know what I want. I want you. You know you want to be able to pay your rent. I think maybe we could work out.an arrangement if you will."
I slapped him hard across the face.
You bastard!" I spat angrily.
Henry's face got hard, and then he shoved me hard against the wall.
"Let me put it like this, Maureen," he hissed, "Either I see you tonight at twelve thirty in my apartment, ready to play the part of the little whore I know you are, or I'll evict you-tonight!"
With that, he walked out. I collapsed against the wall, shaking. There was no way I would whore myself to my landlord. I couldn't! I wouldn't! I could never look at myself in the mirror again; never respect myself again. No one else would either if they ever found out. Suddenly, another knock at the door made me remember that Roger was supposed to be coming over. I jumped up and opened the door. Roger was standing on the other side, looking nervous.
"Hey Roger." I said half-heartedly.
"Maureen, I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed.
"For.what?" I asked weakly.
Roger looked surprised, then said, "For being a half an hour late."
I glanced at my watch-it said seven thirty-two. Henry had been here for half an hour. Of course, Roger didn't need to know any of this, so I smiled brightly.
"Oh, don't be silly, Roger! I didn't even notice! I was so busy looking over my monologue books, I didn't even remember you were coming!"
Roger looked crestfallen, so I quickly added, "Not that I don't want to see you."
Roger's smile returned, and he asked, "Ready to go?"
"Yeah, give me a minute." I replied.
I sprinted back to the bathroom, took a quick look in the mirror, and was satisfied to see I no longer looked distressed. I walked back to the door to see Roger studying my monologue books.
"What are these for?" he asked.
"I'm going to an audition tomorrow for a troupe of community players." I said eagerly.
Roger's face broke into an excited grin. "That's kickass!" he exclaimed.
"Thanks," I replied.
"Now are you ready to go?" he asked again.
"Patience is a virtue." I teased.
"Not when I'm with you," he returned.
And so we left for the Life Café.
Coming up: Will Maureen sacrifice the rest of her pride to gain her rent? Will she make the audition? And what about Roger-will she end up falling for him? Find out soon as more secrets and scandals are revealed!