A/N: Well that was quite a long wait. I got busy with school and had no inspiration at all to write, but it's all good now! I was hoping to finish this by November, but I doubt that's going to happen. Anywho, please keep reading and I'll try to update a LOT faster. Sorry for the shortness!

"Mark!" Kelly bounded down the hall like a happy puppy. She opened the door to Mark's bedroom to find him napping on his bed. Kelly flopped onto his chest, instantly waking him up.

"What the . . .?" Mark pretended to be irritated, but he couldn't help but smile after waking up with Kelly on top of him.

"I'm going to an audition!" She bounced on him, causing Mark to gasp for air.

"Whoa, whoa, you're more hyper than Maureen on caffeine. So what's this all about?"

Kelly gave him the short version of the story, talking a mile a minute. Open auditions were being held for the national tour of Cats and they were looking for people with lots of dance experience and vocal training in her age range.

"So I need an audition song by next week . . .Maureen will have sheet music . . .oh God, Mark this is my chance! I know Cats like the back of my hand. I must have watched the movie a million times during high school and I know more than half the choreography." Kelly let out a sound that could be loosely identified as a squeal.

Mark hugged her tightly and kissed her on the forehead. "You're going to be great."

Kelly meowed and nuzzled his shoulder.

"Good kitty."

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Kelly explained about her audition to Maureen who pulled out a box of music books. "Soprano or alto?" she asked, sounding professional.

"Soprano."

Maureen shuffled through the pile. "Damnit, where is it?" She walked over to the closet. "Ow . . .I think my feet swelled. Ugh, I can't deal with my feet now. I have another rehearsal."

"You guys have been working hard lately."

"Yeah. Band Wars. I wanted to do it but not when I feel like this." She groaned as she tried to lean over and reach a box in the closet. "Pain ruins the essence of my vocal quality. I sound like a dying cow."

"Oh, let me help you with that . . ." Kelly picked up the box and carried it back to the couch. "You sit down and rest."

"You sound like my mother."

"You'll sound like one soon enough." Kelly flipped through the pages of Broadway Ballads Volume II. She paused. "A dying cow?"

Maureen laughed at her delayed reaction. "Nevermind."

Kelly circled a few bars of music. "You've always had a thing for cows."

"How would you know?"

"You've mooed in your sleep. On many occasions."

Maureen blushed slightly. "At least I don't moan like Mark does. I'm just always dreaming about the protest . . .probably because that's when Joanne and I were still together." She sighed heavily.

Kelly looked up from her music book. "You still miss her?"

"A lot."

"Honey, sometime you're going to have to get over Joanne."

"But she still loves me! I know she does! She tried to protect me when we found Jeff in the Loft . . .Joanne didn't want me to get hurt." Maureen sniffled. "And that time she found me at the park . . .she put her arms around me and it felt so right. Joanne felt it too. I know she did."

"Joanne has Shannan right now. You'll find someone eventually."

"But I need someone now! And I don't need just anyone. I need Joanne. She used to always chase after me . . .now I'm the one chasing after her and it hurts so much."

Kelly hugged her and stroked her hair. There was no way she could convince Maureen to give up on Joanne, and she didn't plan on trying. She could let Maureen have her fantasy or she could hurt her even more. Kelly couldn't bear to do either, so she remained silent.

"The baby's kicking," Maureen whispered. Kelly didn't known whether she was trying to change the subject or just put an end to the silence.

"Have you come up with any names yet?"

"No . . .you know how I procrastinate. But I have two months to think about that. God, it doesn't seem very long, does it? Everything is going to be so different now."

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"How's the article coming, Honey Bear?" Joanne leaned over Shannan's shoulder and examined the notebook she had been scribbling in for over two hours.

Shannan sighed and glanced over her opening paragraph critically. "Hmm . . .well this was definitely a good idea for a story. But it needs something more. I've covered Roger's band and talked about Mark's films and the girl across the hall helped me out with visual arts. There's just a piece of the puzzle missing. It doesn't capture the essence of art in the East Village."

"What about performance art?" Joanne suggested. "Maureen would be more than happy to tell you about it. And you could write a bit about the protest, you know, the one I told you about. It would really give the readers a feel for the life of a starving artist."

"You know how I feel about you and that woman, Joanne. I'm not interviewing her. She's a bitch, and that's why you broke up with her."

Joanne tried to reason with her girlfriend. "We're just friends! And you can't blame her for the mood swings . . ."

"That wasn't a mood swing. That was bitchiness. Why have you started spending so much time with her anyway?" Shannan started twirling her hair around a finger. This was a definite sign of irritation.

"Because she's my friend and she needs me. Please don't be jealous, Honey Bear. I don't have feelings for Maureen anymore."

Shannan sniffed. "Well you certainly act like you do."

"She cheated on me with her agent! How could I love a woman who did that?"

Shannan ignored her and wrote some more in her notebook. "Sometimes I feel like you love her more than me."

"Don't say that, baby, of course I love you." Joanne kissed her on the cheek. Shannan finally gave in and rested her head on her lover's shoulder.

I don't love Maureen, Joanne told herself. Or do I?

As Michelle says . . .the plot thickens!