Chapter 8

The light of the rising sun crept through the open window onto Joanne's sleeping face. She was sleeping on the couch in the loft, her head leaning against the rhythmic rising and falling of Mark's chest. Her eyelids fluttered open, then closed tightly against the brightness. She groaned and stretched. My head!

"Mmm. G'morning," Mark murmured. She smiled. Then, the realization that this was not Maureen and this was not her apartment hit her like a slap in the face. She threw herself off the couch, and shrieked. Mark was yelling at her, trying to calm her down, but she kept screaming.

"Would you shut up? I have the worst hangover!" Roger bellowed from his room.

"Mark! What am I doing here?"

"Well, you were really drunk---"

"I think I've figured that out from the headache I have now!" she snapped.

"Yeah, well," he said sheepishly. He could feel a blush creeping up his neck. "Um, anyway, you said you took your stuff from your apartment, and didn't have a place to stay, so I offered for you to stay here." Joanne rubbed her eyes with her thumb and forefinger. This headache was killer. She slid down the wall and put her head between her knees. She thought for a moment, and her head shot up.

"Mark, we didn't…" His blush deepened. "Mark." Her tone was threatening.

"Well…"

"Mark! Did we or didn't we?"

"No. But you were really hinting on it."

"Hinting? She was all over you!" Collins called from the kitchen.

"Oh, God," Joanne moaned.

"Remember you were really drunk," Mark told her, trying to make it sound better than it was.

"What are you doing here?" she shot at Collins.

"Neither you nor Roger could stand up straight on your own, so I took Roger, and Mark too you."

"What I wouldn't give for a tranquilizer right now," she groaned. The front door opened and in came Mimi.

"TGIS," she said tiredly.

"You mean, TGIF," Joanne corrected her. Even with the worst hangover she ever knew, she had to have things right.

"No I don't. Its Saturday."

"You'll want to go somewhere else today. Roger got drunk last night," Mark told her.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Nope." Roger's bedroom door slammed open, making Joanne's head feel like it had been split in two. He shuffled to the kitchen to make some coffee, but realized Joanne's presence.

"What are you doing here?" he shouted. Roger was an angry drunk, and even angrier the next morning.

"She's staying with us for a while, remember?" Mark told him.

"Do you really expect me to remember anything that went on last night?" he bellowed. Apparently, he was angry and deaf. He got his coffee and went back to his room.

"I'll go talk to him," Mimi sighed. "Welcome to bohemia, Jo." She took a look at her surroundings and shook her head.

"One good thing coming from my stay is you'll have some decent furniture," she snorted. "I swear, I've got a hole in my butt from a spring in your 'couch'" she said, adding air quotes. Collins laughed.

"Well, that's what we get for not having jobs, I guess," Mark shrugged. Joanne made an annoyed sound through her nose. She opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted by the ringing phone.

"Speak!"

"Mark, its your mother. You can't avoid me forever, you know! How sad is this? A woman's only son won't talk to the very person who gave him life! Feh! I'll call you next Saturday. Love Mom!"

"You know, you wouldn't get these constant and obnoxious phone calls if you'd talk to the woman," Collins said, chewing on Cap'n Cruch. Mark rolled his eyes.

"Oh, speaking of parents, I ought to call mine," Joanne said. Mark laughed at her.

"How old are you? 10?" he said holding out the receiver toward her. Joanne dialed the number and waited, listening to the monotonous ring tome.

"Hello?"

"Hi, daddy.
"Kitten! How are you?"

"I'm fine. Uh, actually, me and Maureen broke up."

"Honey! Joanne and Maureen broke up!"

"Give me that phone! Joanne, really? You broke up? Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Joanne could hear the glee in her mother's voice. "Are you keeping the apartment?"

"No, I'm staying with Mark for a while until---"

"Mark? Dear, Joanne's living with a boy named Mark!" Joanne could imagine her mother jumping up and down with joy. She had never liked that Joanne had turned out a lesbian.

"Kitten! Really? What's this Mark like?"

"To tell you the truth, he's sort of nerdy---"

"They're talking about you," Collins nudged him.

"Oh, but he's nice, isn't he?"

"Dad, he's not my boyfriend!" Her father sounded disbelieving.

"Hm. Well, keep us posted. We have to go, Mummy's got another hearing coming up. We love you dear."

"Love you too, Dad. Bye." She set the receiver down and stood up. "Well, I think I'll drop in on dear Maureen for my furniture. If you would please clear the living room? Thank you. I'll be back soon."

"Okay," Mark said, and started to pull the couch to the window.

"You are such a doorman," Collins shook his head and set to helping him.

The bedroom door opened and out stumbled Roger, hair and clothes disheveled, eyes bright, and a satisfied look on his face. Mimi followed after, straightening her top, and fixing her mussed hair, seemingly pleased with herself. She flopped onto Roger's lap.

"Why is all the furniture weird?"

"Joanne said she'd bring new stuff, and to clear the room so she could bring hers," Mark replied, fiddling with his camera. Roger gave a disgusted sound with his throat and said:

"You are such a pushover! You're taking orders from a chick!" Mimi glared at him and he looked away.

"Hm! That's what I told him." Collins added.

"But I'm not!" Mark protested.

"Yeah, you are Marky, but that's why we love you," Mimi said, patting his hand in a motherly sort of way. Roger poked her and she stood up so he could get some painkillers.

"Where's all the Tylenol?" mark shrugged, and went back to the camera. "So. When are you and Joanne gonna hook up?" Roger asked, leaning against the pantry.

"Roger!" Mark's head shot up, shocked.

"Well, you two are totally into each other!"

"But, she's a lesbian!"

"Well then, maybe she's not into you, but you're sure into her!"

"I'm not!"

"Please! God, Mark, you've had the hots for her since you met her at the lot!" Mark was shocked. Was he really that transparent?

"But--- I--- we--- I mean---" Mark stuttered.

"You're afraid she'll end up like Maureen and take her back, aren't you?" Mimi asked softly. Mark bit his lower lip.

"Well… yeah."

"And that's totally understandable, but you've got to take a chance! You'll never know unless you find out!" Why did Maureen's equipment break down? Mark sighed, then chuckled.

"I wonder how she and Maureen are getting on." Roger laughed, not noticing Mimi's sneeze in the corner.

a/n: Just to let you know, Maureen is not a major factor in this story. Yeah.