[A/N: Sorry for the wait...yet again...]
Roger jammed his fists in his pockets and shuddered. The snow had turned to an icy drizzle. He had no idea what to do, where to go. He was still trying to comprehend his previous actions.
"Fuck," Roger muttered. "FUCK!" He swore as loudly as he could. Not many people were out in this weather, so there was no one to hear the incredibly frustrated man pacing down the sidewalk. The hail grew worse, and he ducked under the nearest awning and looked up at the address. It appeared familiar to him. This apartment building was occupied by Scott, the bass player for his band. Without pausing to think, Roger tried the door, which swung open easily. He had only been here once before, and struggled to remember the apartment number.
When he thought he had it right, he knocked loudly on the door. Scott appeared in nothing but a pair of sweat pants. "Rog?" he half-yawned. "What are you doing here?"
"I. . .I dunno. . .I just did something really bad. . ." Roger seemed lost in his thoughts.
Scott opened the door wider and allowed Roger to enter the apartment that was about as sloppy as Scott looked. A slew of beer cans covered the floor, and clothes hung haphazardly on the meager pieces of furniture. "What's going on?"
"Scott, I just hit Mimi. I. . .I hit her. . .why the hell did I do that?" He sat on the sofa and out his head in his hands struggling not to let tears fall.
Scott gaped at him. "You what?"
"And I hit Maureen. . .I must have hurt her real bad. She wasn't moving when I left. Oh my God. . .she's pregnant, Scott. I just fuckin' hurt a pregnant woman and hit my girlfriend. Why did I do it?! Just one thing got me mad. . .I had only had a few beers. . ."
Scott gave him a nervous glance. "Rog. . ." He paused and struggled with his words. "Was this after the party?"
Roger nodded.
"Did you drink from the cans of from the keg?"
"It was the same thing. What does that matter? I didn't have that much anyway! I told you! And the rest of the time I was drinking Coke."
Scott's eyes bulged unnaturally. "You drank the Coke?!"
"Yeah. . .why?" Roger gave him a puzzled look.
"Rog, look, I'm really, really sorry. . ." Scott began to back away slowly.
Roger stood. "What the fuck did you do?!"
"Roger. . .just calm down. Well, you see. . .Matt and I spiked the Coke."
"You-you-with what?"
"I dunno."
"What do you mean you don't know?! You did it!" Roger exploded.
Scott shifted from foot to foot. "Matt gave it to me. Some drug. . .I don't know. My vision was blurry. I only did it because I was drunk as hell. I never thought. . ."
"Right. You didn't think." Roger was surprisingly quiet. No matter how hard he tried, the tears kept rolling down his cheeks. "You didn't think and I didn't think. What the fuck was that stuff? I let it go to my head. . .and now LOOK WHAT HAPPENED!" He lost control of his emotions. "HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?!"
Scott was still disbelieving that he had actually caused this. "I. . .I. . ."
"If I wasn't high I never would have reacted like that. I JUST HIT MY GIRLFRIEND! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?!" Roger grabbed Scott by shoulders and shook him with fury.
"Whoa. . ." Scott, the stronger one, removed Roger's hands from his neck. "Rog, I'm sorry, ok? I can't change what happened. Just go back and tell them that-"
Roger cut him off. "Go back?! How the hell am I supposed to go back there, Scott? I hurt Mimi. She's never gonna believe me. . .and what if they ended up in the hospital?! I told you. . .Maureen wasn't moving. And she has a baby. . ."
Scott watched him cry and felt a pang of guilt. "Listen, you can stay here. I'll go talk to them in a few days, ok?"
Roger nodded. "You got me into this. You better get me out."
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"Home sweet home," Mark said a little too brightly as he, Mimi, and Maureen entered the loft. Collins was there waiting for them.
"Hi."
Mark was the only one to acknowledge his greeting. Maureen limped over to the couch and sat down.
"You two ok?"
Maureen nodded and glanced over at Mimi who didn't answer. "Meems, you haven't said anything all day . . ." she began.
"I'm fine," Mimi said quickly and left for the bedroom.
Collins examined Maureen's badly bruised knee and bandaged wrist. "I don't believe this."
"Yeah. Neither do I."
Silence.
Mark cleared his throat. "So. . .any news from Roger?" Collins shook his head.
"Could we please not talk about him?" Maureen appeared to be close to tears. "I'm sick of hearing about the man who tried to kill my baby." She left abruptly.
Collins and Mark glanced at each other uncomfortably. "There has to be an explanation. . ." Collins muttered to himself.
Mark shook his head. "I hope you're right."
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"Mimi, can I come in?"
Maureen opened the door to find Mimi sprawled across her bed sniffling. "Oh honey. . ." She sat down beside Mimi. "Talk," she commanded.
Mimi lifted her face from the covers. Make-up was smeared under her eyes. "I love Roger, Mo. I really love him. But I just don't understand why he did it. I never thought this would happen."
She cried for a few minutes while Maureen fiddled with her curls. "I'm sorry," Mimi said after a while. "I'm still just a little shaken up I guess." She propped herself up on her elbow.
"Yeah. Me too."
Mimi stared at her for a moment. "Oh my God."
"What?"
"Maureen! You're showing!"
Maureen turned away. "Am not!"
"Yes you are! Lemme see!" Mimi giggled and tried to pull Maureen's arm away.
"No! Mimi! Stop. . .I'm ticklish!" Maureen laughed and pulled away, but she was handicapped by her bandaged wrist and Mimi won.
A defiant smile spread across Mimi's face. "There. See?"
Maureen blushed. "Yeah. I know." A tear rolled down her cheek.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. I'm happy about the baby, really I am. I just. . .I miss Joanne. I really want to talk to her right now. . ." She sniffled and Mimi wrapped her arms around her. "Have you heard from her?"
"Mo. . ." Mimi sighed. "We weren't gonna tell you this right now but. . ." She could feel Maureen's muscles tense.
"What happened?"
"Collins heard from the guy next door to him that Joanne moved out."
"WHAT?!"
"I'm so sorry. . ."
"Oh my God. . ." Maureen began sobbing for what felt like that millionth time that week. "Ugh, will it ever stop?! Is the universe trying to punish me or something?!"
Mimi grabbed her hand. "I know how you feel, Mo."
"No you don't," Maureen snapped and pulled away.
"Yeah, actually I do. Except my lover tried to hurt me and I still don't know why." There was pain in her voice that Maureen had never heard before. "I have to go to work." She grabbed her bag and made her way to the door.
"Meems. . ."
"Yeah?"
"I wish I could change it."
Mimi smiled sadly. "I know. Me too."
[I told ya his actions would be explained, didn't I? Yes, I did. ::grin::]
Roger jammed his fists in his pockets and shuddered. The snow had turned to an icy drizzle. He had no idea what to do, where to go. He was still trying to comprehend his previous actions.
"Fuck," Roger muttered. "FUCK!" He swore as loudly as he could. Not many people were out in this weather, so there was no one to hear the incredibly frustrated man pacing down the sidewalk. The hail grew worse, and he ducked under the nearest awning and looked up at the address. It appeared familiar to him. This apartment building was occupied by Scott, the bass player for his band. Without pausing to think, Roger tried the door, which swung open easily. He had only been here once before, and struggled to remember the apartment number.
When he thought he had it right, he knocked loudly on the door. Scott appeared in nothing but a pair of sweat pants. "Rog?" he half-yawned. "What are you doing here?"
"I. . .I dunno. . .I just did something really bad. . ." Roger seemed lost in his thoughts.
Scott opened the door wider and allowed Roger to enter the apartment that was about as sloppy as Scott looked. A slew of beer cans covered the floor, and clothes hung haphazardly on the meager pieces of furniture. "What's going on?"
"Scott, I just hit Mimi. I. . .I hit her. . .why the hell did I do that?" He sat on the sofa and out his head in his hands struggling not to let tears fall.
Scott gaped at him. "You what?"
"And I hit Maureen. . .I must have hurt her real bad. She wasn't moving when I left. Oh my God. . .she's pregnant, Scott. I just fuckin' hurt a pregnant woman and hit my girlfriend. Why did I do it?! Just one thing got me mad. . .I had only had a few beers. . ."
Scott gave him a nervous glance. "Rog. . ." He paused and struggled with his words. "Was this after the party?"
Roger nodded.
"Did you drink from the cans of from the keg?"
"It was the same thing. What does that matter? I didn't have that much anyway! I told you! And the rest of the time I was drinking Coke."
Scott's eyes bulged unnaturally. "You drank the Coke?!"
"Yeah. . .why?" Roger gave him a puzzled look.
"Rog, look, I'm really, really sorry. . ." Scott began to back away slowly.
Roger stood. "What the fuck did you do?!"
"Roger. . .just calm down. Well, you see. . .Matt and I spiked the Coke."
"You-you-with what?"
"I dunno."
"What do you mean you don't know?! You did it!" Roger exploded.
Scott shifted from foot to foot. "Matt gave it to me. Some drug. . .I don't know. My vision was blurry. I only did it because I was drunk as hell. I never thought. . ."
"Right. You didn't think." Roger was surprisingly quiet. No matter how hard he tried, the tears kept rolling down his cheeks. "You didn't think and I didn't think. What the fuck was that stuff? I let it go to my head. . .and now LOOK WHAT HAPPENED!" He lost control of his emotions. "HOW COULD YOU LET THIS HAPPEN?!"
Scott was still disbelieving that he had actually caused this. "I. . .I. . ."
"If I wasn't high I never would have reacted like that. I JUST HIT MY GIRLFRIEND! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT?!" Roger grabbed Scott by shoulders and shook him with fury.
"Whoa. . ." Scott, the stronger one, removed Roger's hands from his neck. "Rog, I'm sorry, ok? I can't change what happened. Just go back and tell them that-"
Roger cut him off. "Go back?! How the hell am I supposed to go back there, Scott? I hurt Mimi. She's never gonna believe me. . .and what if they ended up in the hospital?! I told you. . .Maureen wasn't moving. And she has a baby. . ."
Scott watched him cry and felt a pang of guilt. "Listen, you can stay here. I'll go talk to them in a few days, ok?"
Roger nodded. "You got me into this. You better get me out."
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"Home sweet home," Mark said a little too brightly as he, Mimi, and Maureen entered the loft. Collins was there waiting for them.
"Hi."
Mark was the only one to acknowledge his greeting. Maureen limped over to the couch and sat down.
"You two ok?"
Maureen nodded and glanced over at Mimi who didn't answer. "Meems, you haven't said anything all day . . ." she began.
"I'm fine," Mimi said quickly and left for the bedroom.
Collins examined Maureen's badly bruised knee and bandaged wrist. "I don't believe this."
"Yeah. Neither do I."
Silence.
Mark cleared his throat. "So. . .any news from Roger?" Collins shook his head.
"Could we please not talk about him?" Maureen appeared to be close to tears. "I'm sick of hearing about the man who tried to kill my baby." She left abruptly.
Collins and Mark glanced at each other uncomfortably. "There has to be an explanation. . ." Collins muttered to himself.
Mark shook his head. "I hope you're right."
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"Mimi, can I come in?"
Maureen opened the door to find Mimi sprawled across her bed sniffling. "Oh honey. . ." She sat down beside Mimi. "Talk," she commanded.
Mimi lifted her face from the covers. Make-up was smeared under her eyes. "I love Roger, Mo. I really love him. But I just don't understand why he did it. I never thought this would happen."
She cried for a few minutes while Maureen fiddled with her curls. "I'm sorry," Mimi said after a while. "I'm still just a little shaken up I guess." She propped herself up on her elbow.
"Yeah. Me too."
Mimi stared at her for a moment. "Oh my God."
"What?"
"Maureen! You're showing!"
Maureen turned away. "Am not!"
"Yes you are! Lemme see!" Mimi giggled and tried to pull Maureen's arm away.
"No! Mimi! Stop. . .I'm ticklish!" Maureen laughed and pulled away, but she was handicapped by her bandaged wrist and Mimi won.
A defiant smile spread across Mimi's face. "There. See?"
Maureen blushed. "Yeah. I know." A tear rolled down her cheek.
"What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. I'm happy about the baby, really I am. I just. . .I miss Joanne. I really want to talk to her right now. . ." She sniffled and Mimi wrapped her arms around her. "Have you heard from her?"
"Mo. . ." Mimi sighed. "We weren't gonna tell you this right now but. . ." She could feel Maureen's muscles tense.
"What happened?"
"Collins heard from the guy next door to him that Joanne moved out."
"WHAT?!"
"I'm so sorry. . ."
"Oh my God. . ." Maureen began sobbing for what felt like that millionth time that week. "Ugh, will it ever stop?! Is the universe trying to punish me or something?!"
Mimi grabbed her hand. "I know how you feel, Mo."
"No you don't," Maureen snapped and pulled away.
"Yeah, actually I do. Except my lover tried to hurt me and I still don't know why." There was pain in her voice that Maureen had never heard before. "I have to go to work." She grabbed her bag and made her way to the door.
"Meems. . ."
"Yeah?"
"I wish I could change it."
Mimi smiled sadly. "I know. Me too."
[I told ya his actions would be explained, didn't I? Yes, I did. ::grin::]