RENT: a year in the life

Chapter Two: Maureen's Screening

Mark's setup was cut off from the rest of the loft by a bed sheet pinned to opposite walls. Roger rubbed his eyes and walked into the loft living room, where Joanne, Maureen, and Mimi were sitting on the cough laughing and talking.

"Maureen, you're up," he said, taking a seat by Mimi and giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

Maureen rubbed Joanne's thigh and stood up, making her way towards the screening area. She gave a kind smile to Mark, whose heart was beating anxiously as soon as his eyes met hers.

"Just… sit there." He pointed at the stool weakly, acting as if he were more interested in the camera than Maureen.

"What's up, pookie?" she asked innocently. As if Maureen could be innocent.

"I'm just going to ask you a question or two, you know, to get some background information." Mark began to crank the camera. He made sure Maureen didn't see him look at her from time to time.

Maureen smiled, thinking this operation dull. She crossed her legs and sighed. Mark had definitely changed, though the change might not have been drastic. When she was with him, he was meek, afraid, shy. She guessed after she left him for Joanne was when he started to come out of his shell. He became more outspoken, more daring. He became the man she always wanted him to be.

"We're ready." Mark's voice snapped Maureen out of her thoughts. "Christmas Eve, 1992. 4:24 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Second Subject: Maureen." Mark lowered his head so that he was watching Maureen through the lens. "Maureen, when did you realize that you needed to change?"

"What do you mean?" Maureen asked meekly. She knew what he meant, though she didn't want him to know that. She knew how she used to be… flirting with anyone and everyone who flirted with her, whether she was taken or not.

"I think you know what I mean."

And there it was. Maureen knew Mark knew her a lot better than most people, maybe even more than Joanne, but yet, she underestimated him sometimes. She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. "Yeah, I do know what you mean. I guess when I realized I needed to change was when I saw Joanne crying after Angel's funeral because of the things I had done to her. I guess I never realized how much she loved me, and how much she wanted me to love her like that."

Didn't give an inch when I gave a mile…
I'd be happy to die for a taste of what Angel had.
Someone to live for, unafraid to say "I love you."

Mark cleared his throat when Maureen had obviously zoned out. She jumped a little and let out an embarrassed chuckle. "Sorry." She shifted on the stool. "Sometimes I wonder why I was the way I was. I had a good life growing up, got all the attention I ever wanted, plus more. I guess I wanted more than that. I wouldn't settle for the limelight. I had to be the star of whatever was going on, whenever it was going on.

"I'm just glad I'm different now. I know I hurt a lot of people, and I'm sorry, Mark."

Maureen's eyes grew wide when she realized what she had said; she noticed Mark's eyes had done the same as he stopped looking through the lens.

"Maureen…"

"No, no, I-" She knew this might be a mistake, but she'd been meaning to tell him this for a while. "I'm so sorry for what I did to you. You didn't deserve it, Mark."

"I know I didn't."

"I don't know why I did it, so I can't give you an explanation. But I'm asking to be forgiven."

Mark sighed as the camera's crank came to a stop. He looked at Maureen. "Come on, let's go see an old friend."