Chapter Three

Maureen grinned as Benny jumped onto the table. Mark was right, it was the same table they had been at after her protest. Her smile grew wider as she remembered that night, and she quickly jumped up onto the table next to Benny. "Another round of wine and beer over here, waiter!"

Mark had managed to bring things on lighter ground! He jumped up on the table, and cleared his throat, getting a few strange glances from the people in the tables around them. Ever the narrator, he began.
"Good people of New York!" he said loudly and clearly, attracting even more attention. Truth be told, he had no idea what we was going to say, but he just started making it up.
"Today is a GLORIOUS day in this fine city! It is a day of rejoicing, a day of partying, a day of breaking-up and making-up, a day of love and loss, and happiness and sadness. Today is 'No day but today!' Today, I ask you people, if you will stand with us! Stand with us for unity and diversity---to color and colorless---to tall and short and skinny and not skinny! To everything and to nothing! People, who will stand with us!
"And where is our waiter!" he added as an afterthought.

Maureen giggled, "Yeah, we need our drinks, damn it!" Maureen looked around the room and other than the fact that they were being stared at by every patron in the restaurant, nothing else was happening. "Oh c'mon people! One of you has to have something you want to celebrate! Stand with us!"

Benny laughed, loudly and happily, something he needed to get out because it surely hadn't happened in a long time. This is what he'd missed! Random fun times with his true friends. He looked at the people sitting in their seats.
"You know, I was once like all of you. I thought that I was too good to make myself stand on a table. I thought that I couldn't have fun, couldn't break away from the seriousness that this city brings upon us. But today, I have given all of that up. Today is a day of CHANGE! Today is a revolution! Today," he said, hopping down off the table and walking to random people, pulling them to their feet, "today is the day when all inhibitions are forgotten! Today is the day we just have FUN!"
He hopped behind the bar, seeing as how no one else was around to serve them... and no one could really tell him and his wallet full of his father-in-law's money otherwise.
"Drinks are on me tonight!"
He started making random drinks and sitting them out on the counter as people slowly began to liven up... or at least entertain the notion of having free drinks all night long.

"Well damn," Mark said, watching Benny. He (for the hell of it--and old time's sake) took Maureen's hand in his own. "Who'd have thought that Benny would be trying just as hard as we were to get people to party?" he said. He looked around as some teenage-girl, bright red in the face from embarrassment stood on her chair.
"YES!" Mark did this running leap of the table and landed cleanly on theirs (just missing someone's dinner). "C'mon honey, c'mon," he said offering her his hand. She took it and with faltering steps, stepped up on the table.
"What's your name, sweetheart?" Mark asked. She mumbled something and turned redder in the face. "What was that?"
"Rachel," She said again. Mark put an arm around her and turned the rest of the restaurant.
"Young Rachel here has made a stand!" he said. She started giggling. "Will any of you?" He gave her a kiss on the cheek and went back to his table. She was giggling, trying to get her friends to join her on the table. Ah--corrupting the minds of the youth; didn't Socrates get put to death for that? Tonight, who cared? Mark came back on his table and laid down it as the waiter (the poor guy) was trying to do his job. He looked disgruntled.

Benny cheered for Rachel as he fumbled around behind the bar. He clearly had NO idea what he was doing. So he just decided to pull out bottles and cans. More and more people were coming up, causing him to smile. He watched the waitor walk by the bar, mumbling something under his breath. Benny laughed. Poor guy never gets a break.
"Hey Mark," Benny yelled to his old friend. "Why don't you tell these people about the Bohemian way of life? I think they could use a little direction in their own lives!"

Mark was, at the moment, trying to kiss Maureen.
"Eh?" He said. Tell them about the Bohemian way of life? What about? You've got to have a dream, and you've got to be willing to give up everything for it, including food, heat, and personal comfort. You've got to be willing to face your worst fears, but at the same time see things that nobody else has ever seen before: that friendship that only bonds out of hard times, and the love that is deeper than anything.
"It totally rocks guys!" Mark said. "You've got to be willing to let go--let your hair down!" He said, pointing to a woman who literally had her hair up.

Benny laughed before walking over to the woman Mark was pointing to. She had her hair up in a clip, and Benny simply unclipped it, allowing it to fall over her shoulders. He tossed the clip on the table, before jumping up on it himself.
"And you gotta be willing to let the moment take you where it wants to!"
Benny pulled the woman up onto the table, laying a kiss on her lips and hoping against hope that none of the Greys decided to make a visit to the Alphabet City that night.

Maureen was a little taken aback by Mark trying to kiss her, especially with Joanne sitting right below them. Marky had never been quite that...aggressive when they were dating. She winked at him and sent one of her dazzling smiles in his direction. "You have to ask questions and go against the system!" She took it upon herself to say what she knew Collins would have said, had he been there. She reached down and grabbed Joanne's hand, momentarily forgetting the fight they had earlier. "C'mon Pookie, stand with us!"

Maureen-ian for "Back off." So, naturally, Mark managed to get his kiss before quickly jumping back over to Rachel, who was really starting to look embarrassed.
"Hello again," Mark said brightly.
"Hi," She said nervously.
"So tell me, what are you standing for today?" Mark, (again, always the narrator) spun his camera around the face the girl, who again started giggling.
"Hope," She said quietly. Her friends next to her started giggling now that she was and that Mark was standing amidst their food.
"HOPE!" Mark announced to the rest of the watching patrons. She turned scarlet. "That's a beautiful thing, hope. And it's worth standing for. And it's quite bohemian," he added. This whole "hope" business meant more to Mark than he cared to admit. And where were Roger and Mimi? Mimi would love this.

Mimi had shouldered the door to the bathroom open, relieved when she found no one else in there. She put her back to the wall and slid down it. Everything seemed so hectic lately. She had been working practically every night, and when she wasn't working she was off in this world of false bliss with Roger. She put on a smile and her positive attitude. "No day but today!" she'd always remind him. But she slowly began to realize just what a joke it had become when you didn't know what tomorrow would bring and you were scared of what yesterday had already brought. One coughing fit was enough to send either of them over the edge, and talking about Angel and her dreams, the dreams she shared with Collins, the dreams that never got realized because her life ended too soon, made her sick. She knew that sooner rather than later, she'd be going through the same thing with Roger or he'd have to go through it with her. And this time there wouldn't be any miracles, no songs to bring her back. It would be over forever.
Mimi gripped her hair between her fingers as she rested her forehead on her knees, her breathing becoming labored with anxiety.
She wasn't quite sure why this was hitting her so hard, it really had no reason to. She had realized Angel's death before. Perhaps it was just the thought of losing another member of their haphazard family that hurt her. He would visit about as often as Angel did in her dreams, but this time Collins would be tangible. But it still hurt her.
She broke into a coughing fit, gasping for air. She gripped onto the sink and pulled herself up. She turned the water on and splashed some on her face, but she just kept coughing and gasping. She fell back to the floor and leaned against the wall, desperately trying to get over this annoyance.

Roger reached the ladies' bathroom as soon as Mimi entered and the door shut. He had decided to wait there until she came out. He could hear the others trying to get the crowd going.
Then Mimi started her coughing fit...
She wouldn't - no - couldn't stop and was gasping for air.
"Mimi?" he called, pounding on the door. There was clear concern, mixed with a slight bit of fear in his voice.

Mimi barely heard Roger over her coughing, but heard him nonetheless. She was a little shocked that he had followed her to the bathroom. What did he think she'd be doing? She knew well enough to know what he thought she'd be doing, and she was a little let down that he thought she would steal away to the bathroom to snort some coke. She hadn't since her near-death experience, and promised Roger that she wouldn't anymore. Did he not trust her?
Mimi's coughing fit finally stopped and after a few minutes of collecting herself, she brought herself to her feet and stood against the wall until she was able to regain her strength. She did a quick check in the mirror and plastered on a fake smile before opening the door to see Roger, a look of concern etched on his face.
"Don't look so worried, I was only coughing," Mimi said, brushing her hand against his cheek. Her ears perked up to hear all the commotion going on in the dining room. "What's going on out there?"
Mimi's smiled became wider and truer as she brushed past Roger and down the hall to see a number of people up on tables and craziness ensuing everywhere.
"Well how did the party manage to start with out me?" she said, sauntering towards Mark.

"MIMI!" Mark yelled, vaulting the table and landing a few feet next to her. He was more nimble and quicker than a lot of people thought he was. Her face looked a little flushed. Mark threw an arm around her shoulder in such a way that it looked to everyone else he was leading her back toward the party. Mimi, who had a natural instinct for parties, didn't need leading. At the same time, he took the opportunity to lean in and asked her quietly: "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Mimi said with a smile. "Never been better! I mean look at this place! Look at him!" Mimi pointed to Benny, who was mindlessly making out with some girl on a table. "How'd you manage to pull this off?"

Mark smiled. "Ah, well, you know--a little of this, a little of that. We're missing a little of you, though." he said. "We can't have a party without'cha. Welcome back." He walked her back to the table. The waiter, with great difficulty had managed to bring back their drinks.

Mimi smirked and took a look around. People were standing up on tables, random people were making out. It was just like her first night with her new group of friends all over again. She smiled at Mark before picking up one of the glasses and clinking a spoon against it, getting everyone's attention.
"So y'all want to be bohemians? You gotta start living like today's your last! You have to start living with no regret! You have to trust your soul and just LIVE. And believe that fate will take its course. It will take loved ones from you and it will bring you closer and make you love people more than you thought could ever be possible. You have to believe in life. You have to know that whatever happens, it happens for a reason." Mimi stood on a chair. "You have to forget about money and know that that's not important. You have to let yourself go! You have to stand up for yourself every once in a while! You have to moo!" Mimi grinned at Maureen. "You just enjoy this gift that you're given, and realize that life's too damn short to sit around and worry about your past or your future. Just worry about this moment, right here, right now."

Maureen grinned back at Mimi. She had managed to sum up the bohemian way of life perfectly. And there was only one way to respond to that. "All of you here, if you believe in what we're saying, I want you to moo. Moo with me!" Maureen began mooing loudly, trying to coax the rest of the restaurant's patrons to join in.

Mimi laughed as she joined in with Maureen's mooing. Slowly but surely, some people even began to join in, not a lot, but enough.

She sure seems chummy with Mark... Benny thought to himself, looking at Mimi, before what can only be described as a Grinch-like smile crept onto his face.
"Excuse me for a minute," he said, giving his current fling a quick kiss before hopping down off the table.
He hadn't exactly forgiven Mimi for making him look like a fool. She tried to toy with him, but she should know that when you mess with the bull, you get the horns.
He went down the hallway towards the bathrooms to find Roger leaning against the wall, a worried look on his face.
"Hey buddy, you're missing out on the party!" Benny said casually, slapping his chum on the back. Roger barely so much as even acknowledged his presence. Benny leaned in a little and brought his voice to a whisper. "If I were you though, I'd join right back in. I wouldn't want to be leaving Mark and Mimi alone. They seem awfully close, if you get my drift. I'd keep my eye on those two if I was dating Mimi. You never know with her. Just think about it... your girl fucking your best friend, and next thing you know, your best friend is dead pretty much because of your girlfriend. That'd be one hell of a vicious cycle."
Benny gave Roger a light pat on the back before turning on his heel and walking back out into the dining room, a smirk on his face. As much as he did want Roger and Mark to work at Cyberland, sometimes they were just more fun to mess around with than to actually be companions with.

Roger had blinked. What Benny said couldn't have been true...could it? Nah!
However, there was that little nagging feeling...
Roger made his way back to the dining area.

Mimi saw Roger coming back into the dining room, and so did Benny. He smirked as he went back to his make-out date, but made sure he was facing the drama that would soon be unfolding.
She smiled as Roger walked over towards her before she jumped down and wrapped her legs around him, giving him a kiss.
"Isn't this awesome!" she asked. "I can't believe Mark got everybody to do this again!"

Roger returned the kiss, but there was something different about it.
Mimi pulled away from Roger, giving him a suspicious look.
"What's wrong? You were all worried and concerned about me before and now you can't even give me a decent kiss?" Mimi raised her eyebrows suspiciously. "Do you think I did something in the bathroom?" Mimi let herself drop back down to the floor and placed her hands on her hips. "I didn't do anything in there Roger. You heard the highlight of the trip."
"No," Roger replied. "I mean, it was my first thought when you went in but that suspicion left so after." 'Easy Rog...' he thought to himself. 'You have no proof of anything happening 'tween your girlfriend and your best bud...'
Mimi moved her head back slightly and a look of sheer attitude crossed her face.
"That suspicion," she repeated with an attitude. "What the hell's that supposed to mean? What other suspicions do you have, Roger? What, do you not trust me now or something?"
Benny noticed Mimi's stance. It was the one she took when she was just about ready for a fight. The head moved every time she talked, her right knee bent slightly and her hands never left her hips, as if to keep her grounded. He was in for a good one...
Roger raised a brow.
"And why would you say that, Mimi? Have you given me reason not to trust you?"
Mimi tilted her head to the side and let out a frustrated laugh.
"I don't know Roger, why don't you tell me because apparently I did something that's just inexcusable in your eyes and I'd like to know what that would be."
She bit down on her tongue, allowing her to keep her mouth shut. Mimi hated when Roger got like this, it had happened many times before when he thought she was cheating on him with Benny.
"You're cheating on me with Mark! And I thought you couldn't hit any lower!" he spat.
If eyes could bulge out of one's head, Mimi's surely would have at this moment, but they certainly did come pretty close.
"What! That is--" Mimi looked around and then took Roger's arm and dragged him into the hallway to the bathroom. "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard! I'm NOT cheating on you, and I'm definitely not cheating on you with Mark! We're FRIENDS, Roger! I can't even believe you would think that!"
Benny saw that Mimi had taken Roger out of the dining room, figuring the drama was just beginning. He excused himself from the girl once again, who was now growing tired of his behavior, and went over towards the hallway, again busying himself with drinks while he listened.
"Yeah, friends with BENEFITS!" Roger shot back angrily. "Don't think I haven't noticed chummy you two have been getting lately. Yes, he had seen Mark and Mimi up there on that table even before Mimi had seen him.
Mimi looked at Roger and had to laugh.
"You can't be serious." She searched Roger's eyes for some sign of playfulness, but didn't find anything. "You are serious. Where the hell did this even come from anyway!"
"I, like Mark," Roger spat, "observe things as well!" His eyes narrowed.
"Observe what?" Mimi spat back. "Ever since we started going out, all you were worried about was staying friends with Mark and giving me enough time and you were always worried we'd get jealous of each other. So now when we start to hit it off, you start assuming we're sleeping together? Is it so hard to believe that I can have a guy friend that I don't fuck? Because believe it or not, I do."

Roger came back out of the bathroom, looking furious. Mark sighed. He had mooed a few times, just for old time's sake, and then jumped down off the table to see what was going on. As soon as he turned around, though, Mimi and Roger were gone. It didn't take long for him to find them, however. He felt awkward, though. He sensed they had just had a fight and he was (almost literally) walking in the middle of it. Out of respect for them (and also to not to make them any more mad) he lowered his camera.
"Hey guys," he said in a voice that he hoped was light and conversational. "You know, the party's this way." He pretended that he just NOW noticed something was wrong. "Are you two okay?" He said. "What happened?"

Roger turned around. "We're just peachy," he responded back quite sarcastically.
A tone that was supposed to hint to Mark that it wasn't his business just now.
Roger would get around to him later.

"Okay..." Mark said. He didn't know if liked the tone in Roger's voice. It said, quite clearly, that he was very angry about something and that Mark had some how been the cause of it. He stood there for a moment in the forced silence wracking his brains out trying to think of what he could have possibly done...and the only thing he could think of was:
"This isn't about me leaving with Maureen and Joanne is it?" He said. He then plundered on. "I invited you guys to come with, but I figured you two wanted some time."

Roger's furious eyes didn't leave Mark. "Yeah, 'buddy,' that's just what the problem is!" he shot in that same sarcastic tone.
Ouch. Roger was not very friendly. The best thing to do at the moment was back off. "Alright, well, sorry," He said in a slightly offended tone. "I'm heading over here now--catch you later...I guess."
"No. Roger, grow some balls and tell him what your deal is. I shouldn't have to be the only one getting heat for this little problem of yours," Mimi snapped.
Mark stopped in his tracks. Ah-ha, Mimi and Roger were fighting. Mark didn't want to be dragged into the middle of it.
"Right now it's none of his business Mimi!" Roger spat. "Right now it's between you and me!"
Can we leave it that way? Mark thought to himself. Instead, he said: "Look, I have no business---"
"No, I think it is his business, Roger. After all, the two of us are apparently sleeping together so why shouldn't he know."
Mimi's sentence stopped him from finishing his thought. He looked from one to the other. He then burst out laughing, and received a look that could kill from Roger.
Mark stopped laughing long enough to look from one to the other "Tell me you're joking," he said.
"He's not," Mimi said coldly.
Mark continued to chuckle and shook his head. "That's ridiculous." He looked up at Roger. "Don't tell me you seriously think that."
"I told him that I wasn't, but apparently I can't have any guy friends that I don't sleep with."
"Well, I would hope you do," Mark said.
"Sluts don't usually have guy friends!" Roger responded.
Yikes. "C'mon, Rog, be sensible. I'm your best friend--you know I wouldn't do that to you. I mean, Mimi's pretty, don't get me wrong, but I don't sleep with your girl, you know that." At least I hope you do.
Mimi looked at Roger, a look of shock coming across her face, before SLAPPING him hard across his. "A slut? I'm a fucking SLUT now!" Mimi could hardly believe her ears.
Benny, meanwhile, was trying to subdue his laughter.
There was a loud SMACK as Mimi's hand found Roger's face. His hand went to his cheek automatically.

"Mimi!" Mark said. "Easy, woman!" he grabbed her wrist as she tried to slap Roger again. "Take it easy."
"Well who the fuck does he think he is calling me a slut!"
Mark looked at Roger. "And just where did you get this idea that we're sleeping together?"
"He observes things," Mimi said mockingly.
Roger growled at Mimi's jibe and would have gone for her if Mark hadn't spoken up.
"I don't know---but I'd like to know who he thinks he is that he would question our friendship."
"Observes things?" Mark said sarcastically. "Well, you're looking the wrong angle, buddy." He said. He was getting heated now that he knew that his friend SERIOUSLY thought he was sleeping with his girlfriend.
Mark was watching Roger. "Well?" He demanded. "Do you think we're sleeping together?"
"Yeah, I think you're fucking around with her!" he spat. There! It was out.
Mark looked offended. "Well, I see how much my loyalty has meant to you--" He was shaking mad now, and could see that Mimi was too. He grabbed her by her arm. "Let's go--what was that? 'fuck around?'"
"More like 'get the hell out of here, if this is what it's going to be.'"
"Yeah, I'm with you," Mimi said, giving Roger a cold stare. "You are so pathetic sometimes, you really, really are."
And with that Mark turned to leave, but before he did, he turned around to face Roger and said "You know? I thought you had more faith in me than that." And with that, he walked through the cafe and out the door. Mimi just glared at him for a moment longer before following Mark out the door.
Benny had to laugh, he just had to. And he did. For a while. But then he composed himself and wandered back in the hallway, acting like he had no idea what was going on.
"What's the deal with Mark and Mimi leaving together? You did see that, right?" Benny asked, verbally poking and prodding at all of Roger's angry spots. "You look mad, dude. You okay?"