Scott awoke with an awful headache. He didn't open his eyes, but it seemed to be daytime. He realized that he was lying on the floor.
Why?
He slowly opened his eyes. When his apartment came into focus, he recognized the ceiling of the living room.
But that wasn't what gave him a shock. Someone's arm was hanging over the edge of the couch, her hand only inches from Scott's cheek.
He sat up as quickly as he could, clutching his aching head. Closing his eyes, Scott tried to remember what had happened the night before.
He remembered Mark and Nina talking at the stage door, and Nina leaving for the party. Mark had said something about Danielle... she'd lied. Danielle hadn't been asked to return to Miss Saigon... she'd quit Les Mis to get away from Scott, and had somehow ended up as he had seen her that night outside the bar...
The bar!
After Mark left, Scott had gone back for his jacket and then wandered into the bar in hopes of finding Danielle. A man had bought him a drink.
And another.
And another.
No matter how hard he tried, Scott couldn't remember how he'd gotten home, or who was on the couch and why.
He pulled his hands away from his eyes and squinted at the couch. It looked as if his afghan had fallen atop the girl at some point in the night. He saw only her arm and several locks of brown hair.
Slowly getting to his feet, Scott pulled the afghan off of the girl.
It was Nina.
He staggered back a few paces, tripped over his coffee table and landed on the floor. The noise did not wake Nina.
Seized with a sudden wave of fear, he yanked open the door and rushed down the stairs and into the street.
Unsure of what to do, Scott began to run.
------
Nina awoke a few hours later to a similar headache and disorientation. Her blouse was unbuttoned and her skirt was twisted around her waist. She slowly climbed off of the couch and straightened her clothing.
It was then that she realized that she had no idea where she was. Looking around the strange apartment, Nina found a picture on the mantle. She picked it up.
The photograph showed a group of people posing on a stage, apparently in costume. Most of them were Asian, including two children. Nina only recognized two of the people in the photo – Danielle and Scott.
Scrawled across the bottom of the picture was "To Christopher/Scott, our favorite leading man."
Scott?
She remembered him coming to the party late... and drunk. He'd refilled her water, and immediately after drinking it she'd started feeling dizzy. Everything else was a blur.
But Nina could guess what had happened.
It all made sense – or it would were it someone else. Nina couldn't understand it.
Scott?
She left the building and found that she was only a few blocks away from her own home.
Upon reaching her apartment, Nina closed her door, locked it, and leaned against it. She fingered Mark's cell phone, still in her pocket. Should she call him?
No. If Mark knew what had happened... She already felt cheap... used... It was her fault... She could have stopped it... Mark couldn't love someone who... Could he?
Of course not. He deserved someone as sweet and pure as he was. Nina wouldn't say anything.
The cell phone in her pocket rang, and she answered it slowly.
"Nina? Is that you?"
"Yeah, Mark."
"I guess that's a given – who else would have my phone?"
Nina made a weak attempt at laughter.
"You okay?"
"I... I'm... I don't know..."
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing... it's..."
"Nina, the show's starting in half an hour. I'm coming over there, alright? I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Mark, no... nothing's wrong. I'm okay, I promise. I'll see you at the theater, okay?"
"If you say so. You've got me worried now."
"Sorry... Bye, Mark."
Nina turned off the phone, changed quickly, and set off toward the theater.
A/N- I'm listening to the OFCA right now... it's playing "Demain," which is like One Day More... except creepier. Anyway... hope that explained Scott's... choices... and Danielle's. Man, they're so messed up they deserve each other. But yeah, Elyse3's statement "They're all crazy!" will be made obvious rather soon.
elenlaurelin- I thank you. Okay... let's see if I can do something about that... somehow. I tried several summaries with "Words of Love" before my love quadrilateral thing... Your review made me feel special. -feels special- Here, have a cyber-cookie.
nebulia- Ah, that's the plan! I needed something no good. Hehe... you'll see...
Andi;;- Oh, have you never heard techno On My Own? Lucky, I say. That and Laura Kalpakian's "Cosette" are the bane of Les Mis fans everywhere... -eye twitches- I downloaded it when I had KaZaA... it totured me.
Lola Pennington- There were so many people there, we'd probably have never seen each other. But it was awesome fun. I loved the whole trip to death.
Forseti- I guess no one ever told him that. Don't worry though, he gets his.
Mlle Verity le Virago- I guess it would depend on how drunk Eponine was at the time. No, I don't think I've read that, why? Is it similar? And maybe you asked it before, but I have the memory of a goldfish, so you can say things repeatedly and I won't know it.
La Pamplemousse- No, your stuff is awesome! Really, it's greatness. Nah, Nina's mom is an insane Les Mis fan with problems... as you'll see in the threquel. She wouldn't have taken karate or taikwondo (I know I spelled that wrong) unless someone in LM did.
Elyse3- Poor Scott... he's so un-Marius-ish that everyone's hating him. As I think I said, he'll get his eventually.
Obsetress- Alcohol is the root of all problems, I tell you! Scott's problems in general are because of his mother (don't know if you remember that from the first story, but Scott's mom was a drunk), and then he goes out and causes more problems when he gets drunk. These stories are my anti-drugs/alcohol campain.