As the cab driver stopped at the red light, Cory quietly inched her way to the door. With her knapsack slung over her shoulder, she slowly began to open the door. At the sound of the opening door, the cab driver turned around. In a flash, Cory was gone, running down the street as fast as her grey converse could go, with only the sounds of angry Spanish curse words in her ear. She always felt bad when she had to ditch the cab driver. It wasn't her fault she was poor.

About four blocks before, Cory realized that she only had a fraction of the money she needed to pay the cab driver. So for four blocks, she contemplated her scheme. As soon as the balcony of her lofty apartment was in sight, she'd wait for the cab to stop. She'd quietly ease her way over to the door, leave what little money she had on the seat, and make a run for it.

So now here she was, running down the sidewalk of the busy New York streets. Her bag was jiggling on her back because it was so heavy—filled with bread, fruit, and other things she charmed her way out of paying for.

At that moment, Cory looked back, checking to see if anyone was chasing her. When she turned around, she ran right into someone. She didn't look up, but she knew it was a guy in jeans and a plaid shirt was carrying coffee—scalding hot coffee that poured all over Cory's hands.

"Dammit!" She yelled, but kept running. She didn't have time.

"Wait!" Called the young man behind her. "I'm sorry!" Cory didn't turn back. She kept running, holding her left hand with the other.

She finally made her way to her apartment building. Out of breath, she stood on the side in the alley and waited until she saw the cab pass by her building and drive off. She then pulled the ladder down and began to climb the fire escape up to the third story. She made her way to Mimi's balcony and tapped on the window hoping she'd be there so she wouldn't have to make the extra effort to climb and swing her way up two more stories to her apartment. The lights were off so she figured she was either working, upstairs with Roger or at The Space. So she reluctantly climbed the escape like she'd done so many times before, and landed on her balcony. The frozen air of early December was pinching her cheeks. She wiped the window with the scarf—rainbow, her favorite color—that Mark had given her last Christmas. She put her face up to the glass, and suddenly, she was interrupted by a familiar voice.

"Hey sugar!" Cory turned around with a huge grin on her face.

"Tommy!" She screamed at her old friend Tom Collins, also known as Collins. Cory was the only one allowed to call him Tommy.

"What are you up to girl?"

"Same old stuff. Trying to get in."

"Why don't you use the door like everyone else?"

"Cause, this is much more fun. Plus . . . I don't have a key."

"No key?"

"Naw. I lost it."

"Again?"

"Yeah. It's like, the third or fourth rime I've lost it. Mark and Roger think it would be dumb to get another copy, therefore, I resort to this."

"Anyone in there?" He yelled back up to her.

"I don't know." She put her face back up to the window and said, "the lights are out. They're probably at 'The Life Cafe', or 'The Space'." Cory said turning back to Collins. When she turned back to the window, she was startled by a pale face in the window.

"Holy damn!" The pale face opened the window and came out. "Shit Mark! You scared the hell out of me!" Mark just laughed and tossed the keys to Collins who was laughing hysterically.

"Come on in Cor. You're frozen!" Mark put his hands on her cheeks. They weren't much warmer, which meant that the heat had been turned off. As well as the power. Cory went over to the couch and sat down. Mark gave her his jacket. He sat next to her on the couch and put his hand over hers. Cory loved it when Mark would touch her. Just simple little things, like holding her hand on the subway when she gets cloister phobic, or wiping the hair out of her eyes. Cory's known for about two and a half years that she loved Mark. This past two years was the year she actually thought something good could happen with them, but she was too terrified of losing the friendship they had to do anything about it. She'd wait for him to make the first move. But it seemed like she would be waiting forever.

"How was your day?" She asked.

"Fine I guess. How was your audition?"

"It went pretty well. If I get the part in the play, I'm going to suggest to the director to rent The Space and have the play there." The Space is the Performance Space down the street that she, Mark, Mimi, Maureen, Collins, Joanne, and Roger all chipped in and bought. Collins was a silent partner since he was gone all the time. Mark and Cory ran the place. Joanne was the business consultant. Maureen was only in on it because she was "the only reason anyone would ever show up". Mimi and Roger were both silent partners as well. Occasionally, Roger would play there. Between the seven of them, it wasn't as expensive as it would have been if just Cory and Mark went in on the business—it was mainly their dream than anyone else's. Mark would show his films there, Maureen would hold protests, and Roger would play his guitar. There was also Life Support Meetings held there everyday and sometimes a theater company would rent it out and hold their plays there, which was exactly what Cory wanted to do.

"That would be awesome! We need the publicity," Mark said with enthusiasm.

"Yeah, and it sure does beat traveling to The Village all the time for rehearsals."

"The Village? Is that where auditions were today?"

"Yeah." Uh oh. Cory knew she'd have to end up telling Mark what she did. He hated it when she did stuff like that.

"How'd you get there?" He wandered curiously, "you never travel the subway alone," Mark said reminding Cory of her fear of the Subway, and her cloister phobia.

"Well, Mimi and I took the Subway there, she had to visit her mother or something."

"Oh. I see. So how'd you get back? She's been back for hours. You didn't walk did you? That's a long walk from there to here. No wonder you seem so cold and out of breath! Oh Cory, do you need something? I'd offer you coffee, but the power's turned off again . . . thanks to Benny." Mark was rambling.

"No. I didn't walk. I took a cab."

"A cab? You have money for a cab?"

"Well . . . not exactly."

"Cory..."

"Mark. Please. You know I hate doing that. But there's no other way! " In an attempt to change the subject, Cory added, "where's Collins?"

As if on cue, Collins bounded through the door.

"Hey bitches!"

"Tommy!" Cory ran over and hugged her friend.

"Hey Collins," Mark said.

"Woah! What's wrong?" Collins asked, obviously noticing the tension in his voice.

"Cory stole a cab ride over here."

"What?"

"I didn't steal! I gave him some money!"

"How much?"

"Three dollars and twenty-eight cents."

"Cory!"

"You rather I leave him nothing?" She looked at him with her huge violet eyes.

Mark heaved a huge sigh of frustration. "What's in your knapsack?" He tried to change the subject. He couldn't argue with Cory when she was giving him the puppy dog look.

"Food!" Cory squealed. She totally forgot about the fruit and bread. She got off the couch and went to the counter. She tossed a loaf to Mark.

"Food? Oh God Cory did you steal this too?" Mark asked, with a half laugh, half annoyed expression.

"No. Of course not! I only steal cab rides!"

Collins chuckled and dug out a knife from the kitchen drawers and began cutting the cheese. "Lemme guess," he began, "you 'cha-med' your way out of paying for it."

Cory giggled sweetly. "Only if you call a dazzling smile, and adorable dimples 'cha-ming', then . . . yeah!"

"Don't you forget your captivating personality," Collins added.

"And your amazingly enchanting purple eyes," Mark said under his breath. He thought Cory couldn't hear him, but she defiantly did and she couldn't help hiding the huge grin on her face. It was then that Mark was reminded of the first time he saw Cory and her piercing eyes.