Author's Note: I've been wanting to write this for a while. I hope you enjoy. Let's see how many twists you can find. I know, my twists, my twists. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I surrender everything to Jonathan Larson.

The Feline of Cat Scratch

"What's her name?"

"April."

"And you like her?"

"She's not bad." Actually, I really did like her. I liked her a lot. Even though I just met her today, it felt as if we'd been going out forever. Okay… we didn't know each other all too well, but there was something about her that drove me absolutely crazy. Her smile, her eyes. The way she looked at me when we performed tonight at 8BC. It was an amazing feeling.

"You going to see her again?" asked Mark as he pointed his camera at me. I grinned.

"Maybe." A clicking noise shuttered from his camera, and he observed it for a moment. He groaned.

"Out already. Fuck." He ran out of the room and into his bedroom. I sighed, and plucked a few chords from my guitar. April…

"COLLINS!" the door burst open and Alex ran in. He shut the door behind him, and it looked as if he ran a thousand miles. He was breathing hard, and he was sweating, but his eyes were lit up like Christmas lights.

"He's not here," I answered. "He's with Benny."

"Benny?" asked Alex.

"Yeah. Benny's girl wanted to meet his friends."

"Really… This new girl who will eventually be next week's ex, right?"

I shrugged. "It's that Allison chick. My theory is that Benny took Collins to impress her since he teaches and does that entire intellectual stuff that we never grasped."

"Mark's intellectual."

"Mark would piss his pants in front of any girl."

"He needs to stop masturbating."

I laughed and shook my head. "He wasn't really up for the date anyway."

"Where is he, by the way?"

"In his bedroom."

"Oh, I should have known!" He walked over to the counter and grabbed the last apple, which we were hoping was going to last us the week. Hmm… maybe I can convince Collins to pick up some Cap'n Crunch along the way.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. It was kind of awkward that he was here. He was the drummer for our band and we had just left each other a couple of hours ago. Knowing Alex, I thought he would have had a date or something right after the show, especially at this time of night. Bursting in here out of the blue was something I wasn't expecting.

"Cat Scratch Club. You have to come with me."

"Why?" I asked. It was just another strip club, and although the offer was tempting, I wasn't really interested. All I could think about was April.

"There's this girl- oh, you know her, I've shown her to you before! That Marquez chick, the tiny one."

I raised my eyebrow. I had no clue what he was talking about.

"She did that cat number a while ago, remember? She had the leopard spots and everything?" asked Alex impatiently. I gave him a blank expression. I really didn't remember anyone dressing up as a cat, so I continued to stare at him blankly. It was amusing to see his frustration boil underneath his skin.

"Fine, since you don't remember, come down to the club with me, she has a new number, and if we don't get there early, we'll have to fight all the middle-aged drunks, and I'd rather watch some pure authentic American stripping."

"Marquez, isn't that Hispanic?" I asked, grinning. I was just trying to push his buttons. I knew eventually I would have to go with him, but I was also praying for some miracle that Collins would walk in to save the day. Unfortunately he didn't and Alex was still pleading on to his every whim. I didn't know why he'd just go alone; then again, you wouldn't want Alex Meyers to be alone at these sorts of things.

"What will make you say yes?" he asked desperately.

Suddenly, footsteps were heard coming toward them and Mark entered the room. He flopped over to the couch and scribbled on his notepad with fierce concentration. I grinned. This could be fun. I leaned over to Alex and whispered, "Get him to go."

Alex grinned back, and gave me a reassuring look. He got up nonchalantly and sat on the arm of the sofa, twiddling his thumbs patiently.

"Hey Mark, how're you feeling today?" asked Alex.

"Frustrated," he said, chewing on his pencil.

"Is that so? Well I know exactly how to ease your tension."

Mark looked up and peered over his glasses. He gave him a strange look then looked back at his notepad. I stifled a laugh and continued strumming a chord.

"Say Mark, do you like music?" Roger looked up. He's heard this one before. He wondered how many questions it would take him to have Mark realize he's describing the strip club. Let's count, shall we?

"Depends." Mark continued to gaze at the paper in front of him.

"How about alcohol, drinks?"

"Hate the stuff."

"What about cats?"

"I'm allergic."

"Girls, Mark, do you like girls?"

This made his head jolt. "Why?" he asked reluctantly.

"Ugh!" Alex threw his hands back, forgetting he'd been sitting on the armrest, and fell backwards on the floor with a big thwack. I laughed, standing to put my guitar back in its case. It was funny to see Alex always dancing around the question, and Mark answering with short-handed responses.

"Mark, we were wondering if you would like to accompany us to the Cat Scratch Club," I said plainly.

"You can't say it that way, Roger. We're going to a strip bar, not a country club," said Alex rubbing the back of his head.

"That place is so degrading," said Mark quietly.

"You're not the one stripping!" exclaimed Alex, getting on his knees. I pushed him back down, and he fell on his side. I took a seat next to Mark.

"Have you ever been to a strip club?" I asked straightforwardly.

He looked at him, uncertain at first, contemplating whether he should trust me, but then found the better of that judgment. He shook his head.

"Marky's a virgin...?" asked Alex, resting his chin on the armrest. I shot him a look. "To strip clubs, a virgin to strip clubs! Okay, I'll go back down..." He reeled back and disappeared behind the couch.

"Why don't you let loose for one night, just one night?" I asked. "It'll just be me, you, and Alex, and the gang doesn't have to know. You'll have fun. You see, here, the girls won't slap you for any reason."

"Unless you don't tip properly," Alex said from behind the couch.

"Or unless your name is Alex Meyers," I said. "So what do you say Mark?"

"Eh..." Mark looked down bashfully. "Do I have to do anything?"

"Only if you get lucky," said Alex plopping beside him from behind.

"Do I need to bring any... any... money?" he asked tentatively.

Alex and I laughed. This was going to be priceless. I patted Mark's leg and got up from my seat to avoid the pitiful look that formed on his face. Walking to the closet, I could hear Alex reassuring him after a long groan.

"I'll take care of the cash, Mark," said Alex. "But you can't spoil the fun, now. You have to relax. Just watch and enjoy. Come on, get up."

Alex pulled him up and dragged him to the door. I tossed him his black trench coat and slipped into my leather one. It would have been funny if he brought his camera, but I knew he wouldn't. Alex ushered him out the door, and I grinned gleefully, heaving the door of the loft close.

As we walked the way to Cat Scratch, I noticed Alex getting more excited by the minute, which got my blood flowing as well. But, I also knew that Mark was a nervous wreck and had to stuff his hands in his pockets to keep from shivering so much. I told him to chill a few times, but the closer we got to the club, the more uneasy he became. I knew it was a horrible thing to think about, but I hoped Mark would meet someone while we were there. Maybe then he wouldn't have to bury his nose in his scripts all the time.

We approached the club as people began to file in. This Marquez chick seemed to have been a favorite with everyone. We entered the club, music blasting from the speakers. The natural smell of alcohol floated in the air, and a few less-than-modest employees walked passed up, offering some service. Alex told them perhaps in a few, and as soon as they left, he leaned over to Mark and whispered,

"Their service can have more than one meaning."

We made our way through the crowd, all of whom were either drunk, sex-crazed, or married, and found a nice front row table on the left side of the stage. Alex pulled up a seat and propped his legs on the side of the stage, lighting a cigarette. Mark sat on the other side, as I sat between them. I glanced over at Mark. He was looking around in trepidation, slouching as much as he could, sweating bullets.

"Maybe you should take off your coat," I said over the music. He shook his head vigorously and crossed his arms like a little kid. Boy, was he going to get the shock of a life time. I tried to suppress a laugh and asked Alex for a cigarette.

Suddenly the lights began to dim, and several spotlights appeared. A loud boom came at the same time, and the music ceased. Cheering came soon after.

"What's happening, what?" asked Mark suddenly. I laughed.

"Mark, relax. Mimi is coming out," said Alex, letting his feet down. "Of course, we like to call her the Foxy Feline."

"Aren't foxes related to dogs?" I joked, grinning at Alex, who gave me an incredulous look.

"Do you have to analyze everything about this chick?" he demanded, although I knew his temper was short-lived.

"Actually, they're related to both cats and dogs," Mark said suddenly, "but are more related to-"

"Shut up, Mark!" he hissed.

"I was kidding Mark," I said laughing. The club darkened and silence ensued except for a few hooting from the full house crowd. I browsed for anyone onstage, but it remained empty. I followed the spotlight roaming around the set. It flashed over a white lawn chair. It was then I noticed that the stage was cluttered with black and white petals.

The spotlight suddenly came to a halt center stage then climbed up to the banister where a little catwalk was placed above the stage. A girl was leaning over the railing. She was wearing a long black, thin furred skirt, a slit running along the side of her leg. She was covered with a huge white fur coat with black tiger stripes. Her brown curly hair was tied up; a black feathered mask hid her face.

"What's the time?" Her voice echoed through the silence. I wasn't sure who she was addressing, but for a moment, I would hope she was looking at me. "Don't be shy. It's gotta be close to midnight."

No one answered her appropriately, but instead cheered and whooped. Suddenly her voice rang through the air. She was singing slowly, gently, softly. I smiled. She was a gorgeous singer.

"My body's talking to me, it says...

Time for DANGER!"

At once, the lights burst on, and the music emerged back from the speakers. A loud roar from the crowd came about, and applause broke through. An instinctive smile surfaced on my face as she began to dance around the bars. I bit my lip and glanced over at Mark to see how he was doing. He was holding his breath, cowering a bit. I kicked him and gestured over to her, going back to the show myself. She slid down one of the poles and waltzed toward the front of the stage.

"It says I wanna commit a crime

Wanna be the cause of a fight!

I wanna put on a tight skirt and FLIRT with a stranger."

On the word "flirt" she tugged her skirt off and swung it into the crowd. A short, black miniskirt took its place. Alex leaned forward, tossing a few bills onto the stage. She continued to sing and winked toward our way when Alex slipped a twenty into her skirt. While everyone was gaping and staring, and Mark was recoiling and scooting away, I couldn't help but get into her voice. It was a husky tone, dark and sexy. I wished she would take off her mask so I could see what she looked like.

The crowd got louder as she ripped off her white coat and tossed it to the back of the stage. A white brassiere with the same black tiger stripes pressed against her breasts, a scarf dangling over them. Take off the mask, I thought urgently.

She started to dance near us. My heart began to race, and I couldn't think of anything else, but her. She crawled on the floor, and spotted Alex again, who was holding another bill. I almost forgot about Mark before she noticed him and crawled toward him. I exchanged excited looks with Alex and pushed Mark's chair with my foot, scooting him closer to the stage. She met him face to face.

"You wanna prowl? Be my night owl..." She wrapped the black and white scarf around his neck a few times and pulled him up. "Well take my hand, we're gonna...howl tonight!" She hauled him onstage. "Come on, tiger."

He looked back at us, helplessly. We did the only sincere thing we could for our poor friend.

"Go on, tiger," I said encouragingly.

"Roger, you insensitive jerk," said Alex. He grabbed Mark's hand and passed him a twenty. "Just slip it into her bra. Easy."

We motioned him away, refusing to help him in any shape or form. He looked at us, horrified, a light red creeping up his neck. Alex snorted in laughter, burying his face on my shoulder. We were both embarrassed for him, but how he must have felt? Oh, this was great.

The music commenced, but she stopped singing. She was holding Mark's hand, which looked like Jello. I heard a few snickering from behind, but ignored it. I had to capture every single minute, and engrave it to memory.

"Are you ready for some fun?" she asked Mark. And although it was to him, every guy in the bar cried yes. Even Alex and I applauded loudly. She pushed him gently into the white lawn chair and told him to wait there. By this time, Alex couldn't stop giggling like a girl. I hopped over the table onto Mark's chair to get a better view. He shot us another terrified look, and I just shrugged. Come on, Mark, just relax, I thought.

She came back onstage, twirling around a pair of black handcuffs. "Who-oah!" I heard Alex exclaim. She slipped the chain on the cuffs in her mouth and bit into it. She trapped him into the chair by holding the arms of the chair down. She waited patiently, her eyes gesturing at the bill he was holding to the slot in her bra.

"Do you think he'll do it?" I asked Alex, my eyes focused on the scene. He didn't respond. I looked back and laughed. Alex was pantomiming how to slip it in her bra. I gazed back at Mark who was observing Alex then turning back to the girl, figuring out where to put the green. He would fidget, try to figure out where to put it then look back at Alex. This went on for a minute or so, but the crowd was enjoying it. Alex groaned.

"Really, is it that hard?" asked Alex. The Feline suddenly clasped the cuffs open. Mark's eyes bulged like a frog, and he got up from the seat.

"Wha-? What's he doing?" asked Alex frantically. Mark began to back away, frightened, as Mimi just drew closer and closer to him, a mischievous grin curled on her lips. She patted the cuffs on her palm.

"Mark Cohen, you get back on that lawn chair, right NOW!" ordered Alex furiously. He tried to step offstage, but didn't want to fall. I grabbed his ankle.

"Mark, you're making a fool of yourself-" I started, but then was caught off guard. She had slapped the cuffs on my wrist. Her face was half an inch away from mine, the feathers of her mask tickled my skin, and she had this exotic perfume on her. As Mark scrambled down, Alex gave me an encouraging look. I sighed and climbed up with her.

She grabbed my hand. Hers were soft and warm. She led me to the front of the chair.

"I think I'll charge for the seat," she said, jerking on the cuff a bit.

With my free hand, I took out a bill from my back pocket. I used my teeth to help fold it into a square, and I leered at her playfully. I slipped the bill into her bra and tugged her close. She looked down, surprised, then grinned. She placed her hand on my chest and pushed me into the chair. Bringing my arms behind my back, she locked the cuffs to the chair. An unbelievable sensation ran though my body as she bit down on the collar of my jacket. She snuck up in front of me and leaned close. Her lips touched mine, and I wanted to pull her closer, but remembered I was tied down. Crap. She pulled away.

"Meow," she whispered. The music became louder. "So let's find a bar, so dark we forget who are... and all the scars from the nevers and maybes die... let's go... out tonight!" She danced around me, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get out of the seat. I tried to be discreet, not wanting to look like an idiot squirming around. As her song ended, she pushed the chair and me upstage.

"Hang on," she whispered. My heart jumped when I found on that we were elevating down. She had placed us on a trap door, which was sliding us downward. Soon the set disappeared, the applause became quieter, and darkness filled my vision. My heart raced like crazy. The lights flickered on, and I found myself in a small dressing room, clothes cluttered everywhere, and a bed set on the side.

"Sorry, I haven't had time clean up," she said, unclasping the cuffs. I rubbed my wrists, but I couldn't get out of my seat.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"Where do you think?" she asked, letting her hair down. "I'm so tired." She put on a thin black robe. "Who was your friend, by the way?"

"Who?" I asked.

"The nerdy one. The one that ran away. I never had anyone run away before. It was kind of funny."

I laughed. "He doesn't get out much."

"I could tell," she said. "The door is that way." She pointed to her right, and I frowned, disappointed. That was it? I got up hesitantly, and headed towards her and the door. She was putting her hair up again, looking away. I just wanted to see her face. I bent over to her ear and whispered, "Goodbye," touching her shoulder. She nodded and I was about to take hold of her mask when she grabbed my arm.

"Nice try," she said.

"Is that how you treat your customers?" I asked.

She turned around. "I'm sorry. I'm just worn out."

"We can just talk," I offered, but she laughed.

"You want to talk?" she asked. She laughed again, walking over to her side table near the bed. She shook her head and took a sip of her bottled water.

"No, but I'm trying to be polite," I said. I walked over to her and took her hands, kissing it softly. I pulled her close, nibbling her neck. Pushing her slightly to the bed, I managed to take off my jacket. My eyes trailed to a small bottle of pills.

"Is this yours?" I asked picking it up.

"Yes," she said quickly, snatching it and throwing it across the room.

"It's okay, I do 'em too," I said.

"You do? For how long?"

"Since high school. But I do all sorts of stuff, X, smack."

"Oh," she said kind of upset. "That's not what I meant, but-" I didn't let her go any further, and caressed her softly. She lifted my shirt off, and reached into her desk drawer. She pulled out a condom.

"Let's not," I said, snatching it and tossing it over my shoulder.

"No, you don't understand, I have-"

But I wouldn't even listen. I kissed her, savoring the sweet taste on her lips. She wouldn't let me take off her mask, but we had one night together. One night I would never forget. And the awful yet grand thing was that I would probably never see her again, and I would have to go back to wondering what April was doing.