Chapter 6
Mimi walked down the street, feeling good. She was headed for the park, there she would sit and read. So, she sat for an hour and read, feeling the cool breeze, and the kids laughing. Her dad walked up, and sat down next to her. "How did you know I was here?" she asked him. He looked at her and smiled for at least 5 seconds, and took hold of her hand. "You have big hands," she said, studying them.
"Remember when you were 11?" he asked her. He sighed. "We'd come here all the time. That's how I knew you'd be here. Lucky guess." Mimi nodded, smiling to herself. She closed her book, and looked up at her father, who had his arm around her shoulder. She rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes. She remembered being 11, sitting on the bench, her father reading a story to her. Her favorite was Sleeping Beauty.
After a while, they walked home together. Mimi thought about when she was 11, and all the things her and her parents did. So careless, so free. She had no worries. No AIDS. She had her cat, Angel, and would pet her every morning, feed her. She did everything for that cat. Until the day it died, and she cried so hard. That was when she started acting bad. She had decided since nothing started to go her way anymore, she'd just act bad.
Her parents left, and Mimi was left alone again, until Jessica came over. "Here," she said, handing her a CD. "It's the music you'll need for your work tomorrow." Mimi smiled and said thanks to Jessica. "Have you even started practicing the dance?" she asked her. Mimi set the CD down and turned around to face Jessica, who took off her coat.
"Nah," she said. "I haven't really thought about work lately."
"Why don't you get a different job? Working as a dancer isn't to cool," Jessica replied.
"It pays good!" Mimi exclaimed, sipping her hot tea she had made.
"I heard Benny is going to be…the land lord…" Jessica looked down and everything got quiet.
"Shit," said Mimi. "What if he like kicks me out?" Mimi asked her.
"He wouldn't do that!" she said quickly. Mimi shrugged, and set her tea down.
"I guess he isn't like that…" Mimi wasn't too sure what to think of Benny now.
Jessica grabbed her coat. "I'm sorry, but, dinner calls," she said. She flew out the door, closing it silently. Mimi thought about what Jessica had said and wondered if it was true that Benny was going to be the land lord. She decided not to think about it and decided to dump the rest of the tea out of the cup and call it a night. She was so tired from her parents visit.