HEY ALL! Well, here's chappy eight. Most of my reviewers like to point out the fact to me that Collins is Gay; I know this, please don't tell me anymore. In my story, he's bi. Disclaimer: I do not own RENT that is the sole property of Jonathon Larson. The only characters I do own in this story are Marie, Lorana, and Jake. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter Eight
"So what are we gonna do for the fourth?" asked Marie as she cuddled with Mark on the couch at yet another get together at the loft.
"Get drunk, watch the fireworks," answered Maureen.
"Lorana coming?" Mimi asked as she handed each person a beer.
"She said she was, but she only got off work five minutes ago, and she's picking up Jake, she said that we should expect them around 8:30." Marie took a sip of her beer, "So we should really expect them around 9ish."
Joanne laughed, "Sounds like Maureen."
"No, Maureen wouldn't show up," Mark said.
"Hey," Maureen pouted, "I've gotten better about that."
"Maybe for Joanne, but not for the rest of us," Roger pointed out. Maureen stuck her tongue out at him, and he was quick to return the favor.
"They always act like children don't they," thought Angie aloud.
"Yep, pretty much," Collins replied.
"What all did we miss?" Lorana asked as she and Jake entered.
"Not much," Joanne informed, "so far the most exciting thing was Roger and Maureen's little competition of sticking their tongues out at each other."
"I don't want to know," Jake said. Lorana nodded her head in silent agreement.
"That's probably for the best," Marie told them.
"You two are on time," Roger observed.
"I'm not as bad as Maureen when it comes to punctuality," Lorana said.
"Oh come on, I'm not that bad, am I?"
"YES," the group chorused. Receiving this reply, a pout crept onto Maureen's lips.
"I still love you," Joanne reassured her lover.
"Love you too," Maureen said.
"Oh get a room," Roger said to the two lovers as they made out.
"Like you have any room to talk," Lorana pointed out.
"Yeah, I seem to recall you and Mimi having some fun while waiting for Maureen and I."
Not being able to come up with a good retort to this, Roger remained quiet.
"Wow, Roger speechless, that's gotta be a first," Marie said.
"I can't believe you're going to marry her, Cohen."
"Believe it, I'm marrying her, whether you like it or not."
"At least you aren't marrying Lorana."
"I'm stopping this argument before it starts," Mimi said as Lorana was opening her mouth to reply. "Is anyone busy on the 4th?"
"Grading papers," Collins grumbled.
"I work until 11, but after that I'm free," Jake said.
"I'll come and keep you company," Lorana said.
"Collins you aren't going to grade papers on a holiday. Is meeting here around 8ish okay for everyone but Jake and Lorana?" Mimi asked.
"No problem, who's bringing the beers?" Maureen asked.
"I can," Marie volunteered.
"July 4th, 1993, 10pm Eastern Standard Time," Mark narrated as he started to film his drunk friends.
"I may be drunk, and I may be your fiancé, but you keep that damn camera off me!" Marie said.
"Anymore beer?" Maureen asked. Roger promptly tossed her a beer and popped another one open for himself. Just then both his and Mimi's beepers went off.
"You two be sure not to take that with alcohol," Joanne reprimanded them.
"Would water be helpful?" Lorana asked; her and Jake joining the rest on the roof. She tossed both a bottle of water.
"What are you two doing here so early?" Mark asked.
"I got my boss to let me off an hour early," Jake explained. Two more beepers went off and Collins and Angie both took out their AZT.
"I don't suppose you, thanks," Angie said as she accepted two more bottled waters Lorana had fished out of her back pack.
"How many water bottled waters did you bring?" ask Maureen, somewhat amused at how Lorana kept dispersing water bottles from her back pack.
"Six. One each for Collins, Angie, Roger, and Mimi, and then one for Jake and one for me," Lorana answered.
"Oh, so those of us without AZT breaks, that is with the exception of you two, have to fend for ourselves?" asked Marie.
"Yep, that's exactly it. Jake and I aren't drinking tonight," Lorana said.
"Why not," Mark asked from behind his camera.
"When you all pass out from the alcohol, Lorana and I are going to make sure you get inside and don't remain out here on the roof all night," Jake answered, shoving his palm in front of the camera lens. "How were the fireworks?"
"Bright and loud," Marie answered, "didn't you get to watch them?"
"Nope, boss wouldn't let us. We had to prepare for the rush afterwards."
"That sucks," Mimi said.
"Holy Shit," Marie barely whispered the next morning when she woke up. How the hell did I get into bed last night? she thought, she could barely remember Lorana helping her up the stairs. Lorana, oh god, it was all returning to her now.
"Here, sip this," Lorana whispered, she handed Marie a cup of tea.
"Thanks," whispered Marie meekly. "Sorry for puking on you last night."
"It's fine. Don't sit up, lounge, here," Lorana said and adjusted the pillows behind Marie's back and head.
"Where's all this coming from?"
"All what?"
"All this motherly stuff."
"Instinct, and hung over cast mates."
"That explains it. Who's with the others?"
"I already checked on Maureen and Joanne, thankfully Joanne didn't get much of a hangover, so she's taking care on Maureen. Jake's over with Angie and Collins, and then Mimi was up to the task of watching over Roger and Mark."
Half a day later, Marie was up and moving about. "Glad to see your hangover's gone. Did you want to go over and check on Mark?" Lorana asked.
"You don't have ESP do you? Cause that's exactly what I was thinking."
"No, don't think I do. However, we might want to pick up some more tea and aspirin on our way over."
"Sounds good, I'm gonna go change."
10 minutes later they were heading out the door. After a quick stop at the drugstore, they proceeded to the loft.
"Oh, I have a key," Marie said fishing the small shiny object out of her pocket. She unlocked and opened the door. They entered the loft to the sounds of retching and the sight of Mimi asleep on the couch.
"I'll go see who was puking, and you go check Mark's room," Lorana directed. Marie went in the direction of Mark's room, and Lorana went to assist whoever was vomiting.
Marie found Mark's sleeping form in the middle of his bed. She decided that it was best to go start making the tea.
Lorana entered the bathroom to find Roger kneeling beside the toilet. As he went to puke again, Lorana tied his mop of dark blonde hair into a ponytail with the hair tie she kept around her wrist. Once she finished tying his hair back, she got a small cup of water to rinse out the taste.
When Roger had finished, she flushed the toilet and handed him the cup of water, "Sips, not guzzles," she warned. She found a towel and wiped the sides of his mouth and his chin. "Bit better?" she asked.
"Actually, yeah. How did you know all that shit, and why are you being so nice?"
"Taking care of hung over cast mates, and, well, I'd hope that you'd have done the same thing for me."
"You don't drink anywhere near enough."
"No, but you don' vomit just because you're drunk or hung over. Hell, I used to throw up after every meal, and then of course there's always the flu."
"You threw up everything you ate?"
"Yes, it's called an eating disorder. I was both anorexic and bulimic. Feel up to moving into the other room?"
"I think so." Slowly they made their way back into the living room. Mimi had awoke, and was sipping her tea.
"Thinks for taking care of him," Mimi whispered, her head pounding. Roger sat beside his wife.
"Here, take these and sip this," Lorana said returning from the kitchen. She extended a cup of tea and two aspirins to Roger.
Marie exited Mark's room. "Well, he's doing okay other than feeling like his head is about to split open. I gave him a cup of his tea and a couple aspirins."
"So when are you and Mark getting married?" Lorana asked the next day as she finished getting ready for work.
"August 24th, it's our 8 month anniversary."
"When are we going shopping for your dress?"
"Uh, dress?"
"Yes, you know, your wedding dress."
"This weekend work? It'll be just the two of us, right?"
"Can Angie or Maureen join?" Lorana added the puppy dog eyes at just the right moment.
"Awk, curses, you know I hate it when you look at me like that. I suppose," Marie finished.
"Thank you!" Lorana exclaimed. Smiling she started off for her job.
"What was all the excitement about?" asked Mark, entering the apartment.
"Lorana and I are going shopping this weekend for my wedding outfit."
"Ah, can you come with me a couple days next week?"
"I'm sure I could if I knew why."
"My parents want to meet you, so my mom planned this great family get together. Cindy and her kids will be there, and everyone can't wait to meet you."
"Sure, sounds fun."
"Fun isn't exactly the word I would choose."
"Well if it totally sucks, we can leave early."
"When am I going to meet your family?"
"Never,"
"Why not?"
"They think I betrayed them by staying in New York after I finished collage."
"I see. Well, what do you want to do tonight?"
"Um, have sex?"
"Anything else?"
"Nope, we can eat dinner here, can't we?"
"We gonna eat before or after sex?"
"Before, we'll want the energy."
Okay, so that was chappy eight. I'll try and post chappy nine soon, but I make no promises. In my defense, all I have to do is type it, I already wrote it. Please, pretty please with a cherry on top, let me know what you think. Reviews are one of my best friends.
-Diva Actress