Mimi and Maureen were the only two in the loft that evening. The guys had
left when they noticed an argument heating up, and no one could blame them.
Even Mark, the usual peacemaker, had suddenly realized that he had
forgotten to buy more film and left immediately.
Mimi let out an exasperated sigh. "How many times am I going to have to do this? How many times are you going to go out and get yourself hurt and then I have to come running and make everything all better?"
Maureen didn't answer.
"Maureen!"
"Don't even say it, Mimi!" she burst out. "Don't even tell me that I brought this upon myself, because I already figured that out!"
"Good."
Maureen walked back and forth in front of the couch. "I love Joanne. She's worth getting hurt for."
Mimi crossed her arms. "Then don't come running to me when it happens again!"
"I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself!" Maureen shouted. She realized how many times she doubted her own words.
Mimi lost her temper. "Then why do you do this to yourself? Why do you put yourself through this?"
"I love her!"
"She abandoned you!" Mimi shot back.
"You still love Roger."
"That's different."
Maureen took a step back. "You don't even know what I'm going through right now. Yelling at me makes it worse."
"Getting people to feel sorry for you isn't too great either, is it?"
"I AM NOT!" Maureen shouted. "I just want someone to listen to me!"
Mimi lost control of her frustration. "I've been listening, Maureen! I've been listening ever since this whole thing started. I listened to you cry and I tried to make it better. I let you whine. I let you bitch. You did this to yourself, so why should I even try to make it better any more?!"
"I'm human! I make mistakes! You have too, you know!"
"Well at least I didn't go out and get myself knocked up by my agent like some whore!"
They stood breathing heavily and glaring at each other. Maureen's eyes slowly filled with tears. Mimi realized what she had just said and clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Mo. . .I didn't mean that," she whispered. "Oh my God. . .I'm sorry. . .Maureen, I'm so sorry. . ." She felt hot tears rolling down her face. "Let me take it back. . ." She took a step forward and Maureen backed away.
"No," she said quietly. "I think I heard enough to know what everybody thinks of me. Thanks for the reality check."
She fled for the door just as Collins was entering with Kelly. "Maureen, I want you to meet. . ." but he stopped when Maureen kept walking. He and Kelly looked from the door to Mimi and back again. "I guess this isn't a good time. . ."
Mimi ignored him and ran to the door. "Maureen! Please. . .I didn't mean it!" They all heard the door to the apartment building slam.
Collins glanced nervously at Kelly. "Uh. . .welcome."
--------------------------------------------------
Collins, Mark, Roger, Mimi, and Kelly all sat around the living room after dinner. Kelly was beginning to explain how she had ended up there.
"So I lived with my boyfriend in Manhattan for a while. He was a lawyer. I really don't know what happened. One night we had a fight and next I was on the street with nowhere to go. So I ended up here." She smiled warmly at Collins and then realized that Roger was staring at her. "What?"
"It's nothing. You just look so familiar. . ." Roger trailed off.
"I thought so too," Collins added. "But I can't put my finger on it."
"Same here," muttered Mark.
Kelly shrugged and fiddled with her bracelet.
Mimi spoke up. "It's after ten. Maureen should be back by now." She glanced outside at the pouring down rain. "I hope she's ok. . ."
"You know Maureen," Mark said. "She probably wants to freak you out anyway. She'll be back."
"No, you don't get it. She was really upset this time, Mark."
The men rolled their eyes and Roger pulled Mimi into his lap. "Does that make you feel better?" He kissed her neck.
"Rog, stop it!" she giggled.
"Fine then." Roger stood and went over to the sink, but Mimi decided to sneak up behind him. She leaped onto him wrapping her legs around his waist and gave him an incredibly long kiss.
"Now that's better," Mimi grinned
Mark leaned over to Kelly. "Sometimes we wonder how they can breath like that." She giggled.
"Please! Not in front of company!" Collins groaned.
Mark smiled. "Come on Collins, just let em' go at it. It makes things feel normal."
Normal. That single word allowed realization to settle over the room that Roger and Mimi were together again. Nothing could have made them happier.
"Normal? Are you including Maureen?" Roger snorted.
Mimi jumped as a clap of thunder seemed to shake the apartment. "Obviously not."
-------------------------------------------------------
Maureen ran down the street past a line of clubs. She went by a doorway and stepped in. She'd do anything to get out of the downpour, even if it meant entering one of these buildings filled with drunks and junkies.
Smoke filled her lungs and Maureen practically choked. She found herself in a packed dance club with women dancing seductively in glow-in-the-dark bikinis in front of the bar. It was obvious that the place smelled like pot. She tried not to breathe too deeply.
"Holy shit."
A man with his shirt half unbuttoned swaggered over to her with a beer in his hand. Who knows how many he had previously downed.
"Hey baby," he grinned and a line of drool ran down his chin. Maureen could smell his breath. She tried to get away to avoid another run-in with a drunk. "Not so fast, sweet thing." He grabbed her shoulder. "Stay around for some smokes."
She could feel his uncut nails piercing her skin through her drenched shirt. Maureen shivered violently.
Now a group of men were around her. Maureen could see them closing in on her. The air felt heavier and they lit their cigarettes. "I have to go." Maureen tried to push past them, but they stood their ground. "Damnit, just let me go, ok? What would you want with a pregnant woman anyway?"
A strong hand slipped onto her shoulder. "Well look at this. The chick has a baby." They laughed. "So who knocked you up?" He slid a hand around her waist. Maureen kicked him as hard as she could, but the big man didn't even budge.
"Hey look! The pregnant woman is trying to hurt you, Danny!"
"Let's see if the lady wants a smoke. How about that?" The man who appeared to be Danny held a cigarette to her lips. Maureen clenched her teeth shut.
"Stop. . .it's bad for the baby." The smell was making her dizzy. She struggled to stay on her feet.
Danny slid his hand across her stomach. "One isn't going to hurt." He blew smoke in her face.
"STOP!" Maureen screamed, but no one could hear her above the music. She was completely helpless. Time seemed to be at a standstill. Their hands were caressing her. They wouldn't stop touching her. Visions of Jeff flashed before her eyes and Maureen choked back sobs. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not again. But this time she was trying to fight back. . .and couldn't.
She felt a cigarette being forced between her lips. Maureen held her breath, but soon she was forced to inhale the foul smelling weed. Slowly her body began to relax.
"Don't. . ." Soon her punches turned into hopeless nudges against the buff bodies of the men around her. They grabbed at her clothes like animals. The clouds of smoke grew thicker and the ground seemed to sway violently beneath her feet. Maureen projected herself someplace else. She was back at the loft with Joanne. She was smiling at her and saying something.
Maureen didn't stay conscious long enough to hear it.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Her head was throbbing. Maureen slowly opened her eyes. She could hear music pulsing from behind the walls of the room. But what room?
"You ok?" A voice surprised her. She looked up into the face of a man she couldn't recognize.
"I don't know. . .what happened?" Maureen glanced out the window at a flash of lightning.
The man shrugged. "You fainted I guess."
"Did they. . .was I. . ." She couldn't finish for fear of the answer.
"No. And it's a damn good thing I was around to get 'em away from you before they did anything like that. I'm Bal. I work as a bartender here at the club."
Maureen shook his outstretched hand from her place on the floor, still in shock. "I'm Maureen." She touched her stomach gently and wondered how much more harm she could possibly do to the baby inside her. She managed to choke back her sobs.
"I saw those guys messing with you. They're like animals when they get drunk. I kicked 'em out so they won't cause any more trouble. I'm real sorry I wasn't there sooner. There's just so many people and only a few working here."
"Yeah. . ." Maureen tried to sit up. Waves of pain shot through her body. "Ow. . .damnit."
"How about you rest up a while and I'll come back later to make sure you're ok?" The man's kindness surprised Maureen. She was almost uncertain of his honesty. After all, she hadn't had good experiences with men in the past few months.
"I really have to get home." She wanted nothing more than to be back at the loft even though she was still burning with anger from Mimi's words. "By the way, where are we?"
"It's just the back room. There's an exit door right over there." Bal pointed. "But I wouldn't recommend you leaving just yet. I don't want you passing out on me again. . ."
"I'm fine!" Maureen cut in. "Thanks, Bal. Really. But I have to go." She pulled herself to her feet. An awful, dizzy sensation came over her, but she kept running and didn't stop until she got back to the loft.
--------------------------------------------------
[A/N: Those of you asking for more Jeff and/or Joanne interaction- don't worry. There's more coming up. Also, I promise you'll learn more about Kelly later on, and Mark is going to have a larger part in the story.]
Mimi let out an exasperated sigh. "How many times am I going to have to do this? How many times are you going to go out and get yourself hurt and then I have to come running and make everything all better?"
Maureen didn't answer.
"Maureen!"
"Don't even say it, Mimi!" she burst out. "Don't even tell me that I brought this upon myself, because I already figured that out!"
"Good."
Maureen walked back and forth in front of the couch. "I love Joanne. She's worth getting hurt for."
Mimi crossed her arms. "Then don't come running to me when it happens again!"
"I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself!" Maureen shouted. She realized how many times she doubted her own words.
Mimi lost her temper. "Then why do you do this to yourself? Why do you put yourself through this?"
"I love her!"
"She abandoned you!" Mimi shot back.
"You still love Roger."
"That's different."
Maureen took a step back. "You don't even know what I'm going through right now. Yelling at me makes it worse."
"Getting people to feel sorry for you isn't too great either, is it?"
"I AM NOT!" Maureen shouted. "I just want someone to listen to me!"
Mimi lost control of her frustration. "I've been listening, Maureen! I've been listening ever since this whole thing started. I listened to you cry and I tried to make it better. I let you whine. I let you bitch. You did this to yourself, so why should I even try to make it better any more?!"
"I'm human! I make mistakes! You have too, you know!"
"Well at least I didn't go out and get myself knocked up by my agent like some whore!"
They stood breathing heavily and glaring at each other. Maureen's eyes slowly filled with tears. Mimi realized what she had just said and clapped a hand over her mouth.
"Mo. . .I didn't mean that," she whispered. "Oh my God. . .I'm sorry. . .Maureen, I'm so sorry. . ." She felt hot tears rolling down her face. "Let me take it back. . ." She took a step forward and Maureen backed away.
"No," she said quietly. "I think I heard enough to know what everybody thinks of me. Thanks for the reality check."
She fled for the door just as Collins was entering with Kelly. "Maureen, I want you to meet. . ." but he stopped when Maureen kept walking. He and Kelly looked from the door to Mimi and back again. "I guess this isn't a good time. . ."
Mimi ignored him and ran to the door. "Maureen! Please. . .I didn't mean it!" They all heard the door to the apartment building slam.
Collins glanced nervously at Kelly. "Uh. . .welcome."
--------------------------------------------------
Collins, Mark, Roger, Mimi, and Kelly all sat around the living room after dinner. Kelly was beginning to explain how she had ended up there.
"So I lived with my boyfriend in Manhattan for a while. He was a lawyer. I really don't know what happened. One night we had a fight and next I was on the street with nowhere to go. So I ended up here." She smiled warmly at Collins and then realized that Roger was staring at her. "What?"
"It's nothing. You just look so familiar. . ." Roger trailed off.
"I thought so too," Collins added. "But I can't put my finger on it."
"Same here," muttered Mark.
Kelly shrugged and fiddled with her bracelet.
Mimi spoke up. "It's after ten. Maureen should be back by now." She glanced outside at the pouring down rain. "I hope she's ok. . ."
"You know Maureen," Mark said. "She probably wants to freak you out anyway. She'll be back."
"No, you don't get it. She was really upset this time, Mark."
The men rolled their eyes and Roger pulled Mimi into his lap. "Does that make you feel better?" He kissed her neck.
"Rog, stop it!" she giggled.
"Fine then." Roger stood and went over to the sink, but Mimi decided to sneak up behind him. She leaped onto him wrapping her legs around his waist and gave him an incredibly long kiss.
"Now that's better," Mimi grinned
Mark leaned over to Kelly. "Sometimes we wonder how they can breath like that." She giggled.
"Please! Not in front of company!" Collins groaned.
Mark smiled. "Come on Collins, just let em' go at it. It makes things feel normal."
Normal. That single word allowed realization to settle over the room that Roger and Mimi were together again. Nothing could have made them happier.
"Normal? Are you including Maureen?" Roger snorted.
Mimi jumped as a clap of thunder seemed to shake the apartment. "Obviously not."
-------------------------------------------------------
Maureen ran down the street past a line of clubs. She went by a doorway and stepped in. She'd do anything to get out of the downpour, even if it meant entering one of these buildings filled with drunks and junkies.
Smoke filled her lungs and Maureen practically choked. She found herself in a packed dance club with women dancing seductively in glow-in-the-dark bikinis in front of the bar. It was obvious that the place smelled like pot. She tried not to breathe too deeply.
"Holy shit."
A man with his shirt half unbuttoned swaggered over to her with a beer in his hand. Who knows how many he had previously downed.
"Hey baby," he grinned and a line of drool ran down his chin. Maureen could smell his breath. She tried to get away to avoid another run-in with a drunk. "Not so fast, sweet thing." He grabbed her shoulder. "Stay around for some smokes."
She could feel his uncut nails piercing her skin through her drenched shirt. Maureen shivered violently.
Now a group of men were around her. Maureen could see them closing in on her. The air felt heavier and they lit their cigarettes. "I have to go." Maureen tried to push past them, but they stood their ground. "Damnit, just let me go, ok? What would you want with a pregnant woman anyway?"
A strong hand slipped onto her shoulder. "Well look at this. The chick has a baby." They laughed. "So who knocked you up?" He slid a hand around her waist. Maureen kicked him as hard as she could, but the big man didn't even budge.
"Hey look! The pregnant woman is trying to hurt you, Danny!"
"Let's see if the lady wants a smoke. How about that?" The man who appeared to be Danny held a cigarette to her lips. Maureen clenched her teeth shut.
"Stop. . .it's bad for the baby." The smell was making her dizzy. She struggled to stay on her feet.
Danny slid his hand across her stomach. "One isn't going to hurt." He blew smoke in her face.
"STOP!" Maureen screamed, but no one could hear her above the music. She was completely helpless. Time seemed to be at a standstill. Their hands were caressing her. They wouldn't stop touching her. Visions of Jeff flashed before her eyes and Maureen choked back sobs. This wasn't supposed to happen. Not again. But this time she was trying to fight back. . .and couldn't.
She felt a cigarette being forced between her lips. Maureen held her breath, but soon she was forced to inhale the foul smelling weed. Slowly her body began to relax.
"Don't. . ." Soon her punches turned into hopeless nudges against the buff bodies of the men around her. They grabbed at her clothes like animals. The clouds of smoke grew thicker and the ground seemed to sway violently beneath her feet. Maureen projected herself someplace else. She was back at the loft with Joanne. She was smiling at her and saying something.
Maureen didn't stay conscious long enough to hear it.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Her head was throbbing. Maureen slowly opened her eyes. She could hear music pulsing from behind the walls of the room. But what room?
"You ok?" A voice surprised her. She looked up into the face of a man she couldn't recognize.
"I don't know. . .what happened?" Maureen glanced out the window at a flash of lightning.
The man shrugged. "You fainted I guess."
"Did they. . .was I. . ." She couldn't finish for fear of the answer.
"No. And it's a damn good thing I was around to get 'em away from you before they did anything like that. I'm Bal. I work as a bartender here at the club."
Maureen shook his outstretched hand from her place on the floor, still in shock. "I'm Maureen." She touched her stomach gently and wondered how much more harm she could possibly do to the baby inside her. She managed to choke back her sobs.
"I saw those guys messing with you. They're like animals when they get drunk. I kicked 'em out so they won't cause any more trouble. I'm real sorry I wasn't there sooner. There's just so many people and only a few working here."
"Yeah. . ." Maureen tried to sit up. Waves of pain shot through her body. "Ow. . .damnit."
"How about you rest up a while and I'll come back later to make sure you're ok?" The man's kindness surprised Maureen. She was almost uncertain of his honesty. After all, she hadn't had good experiences with men in the past few months.
"I really have to get home." She wanted nothing more than to be back at the loft even though she was still burning with anger from Mimi's words. "By the way, where are we?"
"It's just the back room. There's an exit door right over there." Bal pointed. "But I wouldn't recommend you leaving just yet. I don't want you passing out on me again. . ."
"I'm fine!" Maureen cut in. "Thanks, Bal. Really. But I have to go." She pulled herself to her feet. An awful, dizzy sensation came over her, but she kept running and didn't stop until she got back to the loft.
--------------------------------------------------
[A/N: Those of you asking for more Jeff and/or Joanne interaction- don't worry. There's more coming up. Also, I promise you'll learn more about Kelly later on, and Mark is going to have a larger part in the story.]