A/N: Thank you all who reviewed! You rock! I hope those who read 'Dance Mark, Dance' liked that story! It's kinda of AU… So yeah, anyways this is 'April Showers Bring May Flowers' so I shouldn't even be talking about that. That chapter is kinda of different from the movie and the ending it also.
Only three more chapters left, so enjoy!
I DO NOT OWN RENT!
Please review!
April Showers Bring May Flowers
Summary: Who is April? What if she was still alive? Would Roger and Mimi still fall in love? Would Angel and Collins still meet the same way? How would the plot of the movie/play change? Would Mimi Angel Roger, and Collins still have AIDS? Read to find out.
What You Own
--
(Present Day)
February 10th 1991
7:00am E.S.T.
The last thing that she remembered was piercing her skin with a dirty needle and then passing out in an alley way. She awoke with a start as she found herself lying on a pull-out bed in a loft that looked familiar. She remembered this loft so well – where was she? She sat up and walked around and pushed open one of the doors. She found that it was Mark and Roger's loft. Well… Mark's loft now that Roger had left. She let her fingers make lazy circles on the door frame and then walked off to the kitchen. She looked at the note that was laid out there for her.
Mimi
We need to talk; I've gone to Buzzline for awhile… But I'll be back soon. Stay inside.
- Mark
Mimi sighed and knew that she should stay inside the loft, but she couldn't help herself. She had to see Angel – or April's grave… Or do something; she couldn't sit inside all day while she waited for Mark.She grabbed her coat and got out her money, she was going to buy smack again. She couldn't stop now, this was what she wanted. She just wanted her pain to go away. Angel was coming up the stairs when Mimi was exiting the building.
"Hey chica, where were you last night?"
Mimi looked around nervously. "I stayed over Mark's for a little bit."
"What… Why…?" Angel stared at Mimi and laughed. "You like him?"
"Like him? What is that suppose to mean?" Mimi tugged on her jacket sleeve so it covered her arm. "I don't like him as a boyfriend if that's what you mean."
"Where's our Markie anyways?"
"You mean your Markie?" Mimi giggled. "He's at his job. You know… Buzzline?"
"Right, so where are you headed too?"
"Nowhere, just going to walk around."
"Of course… Want me to come?"
"Nah, you shouldn't go out of your way just to keep me company." Angel was shocked when Mimi said that. Usually Mimi always wanted Angel to come wherever she went. Angel stepped towards the door to their loft.
"Well… Then…" Angel shifted nervously. "I guess I'll be inside with Collins… Come back soon chica." Angel opened the door and walked inside, closing it quickly behind her. Mimi sighed and walked down the stairs, she didn't want Angel to know that she was using again. Angel opened up the door again and walked down the stairs slowly, she was going to watch where Mimi was going. Mimi ran along the sidewalks and into the alley next to the Cat Scratch Club, Angel following quietly. The Man was waiting for Mimi there and she handed him the money as he slid the bag of powder in her hand. She turned around to see Angel standing there in the alley.
"Angel… This isn't what you think it is – I…" She couldn't finish her sentence.
"What are you doing Mimi?" Mimi shook her head.
"I don't know, I didn't plan on using again… Just that I loved him so much… What was I suppose to do?"
"How could you do this to me Mimi? I love you! You are my sister! And you're going to go and use again and kill yourself? Do you know what that does to the people that love you too much?" Angel took a couple steps forward and grabbed the powder out of her hands.
"Angel… Please, I need it."
"No you don't Mimi! I can't believe you! Don't do this." Angel threw the powder on the floor. "Don't do this to me."
"I'm sorry." Mimi said and grabbed the bag of powder and walked in the opposite direction of Angel. "I need this."
"Mimi…" Angel cried softly and walked out of the alley.
--
(Present Day)
February 10th 1991
2:19pm E.S.T.
Mark loaded up the Buzzline car and sighed, he hated this job. But it was the only thing that he could do to get money to pay for the loft. His thoughts drifted back to Mimi. Why was she using again? Was it because of Roger?
"Don't breathe too deep, don't think all day. Dive into work, drive the other way."
Mark hopped into the passenger seat of the Buzzline truck. The driver nodded to him and sped off.
"That drip of hurt, that pint of shame… Goes away, just play the game. You're living in America, at the end of the millennium. You're living in America; leave your conscience at the tone. And when you're living in America at the end of the millennium, you're what you own."
"The filmmaker cannot see."
Roger stood by the bus station, ready to leave. He just had his guitar and small bag. He looked around at everybody else waiting. He sighed as the bus rounded the corner.
"And the songwriter cannot hear."
Mark stuck his camera out of the window and filmed whatever he could. He passed a young girl that looked like Mimi walking out on the streets, her jacket clutched to her chest. He didn't think anything about it because he knew that Mimi would stay inside – wouldn't she?
"Yet I see Mimi everywhere."
Roger couldn't help but let his thoughts drift to Mark, Mimi, Joanne, Maureen, April, Angel, and Collins. He shifted and entered the bus. He sat down and put down his guitar so nobody else would sit there. He had a song in his head and he had to write it down.
"April's voice is in my ear."
Mark jumped out of the car once it came to a halt. He took the equipment out and looked around for something to film. He decided on some people in the park that were homeless. God, he hated this show… This job too.
"Just tighten those shoulders."
Roger scribbled in his notebook from the loft. It was his lyrics for all of his songs. He tapped the pen to his lips and then continued writing it down. Starting with the title 'Your Eyes'. This song would be for Mimi.
"Just clench your jaw 'till you frown."
Mark kept filming as the driver of the truck started yelling at him. "It's time to go!"
"I'm staying here; just tell Alexi that I'm doing some extra work."
The driver grunted, "Fine, but it's not gonna be my fault if you get fired." The driver sped off and Mark wiped some sweat from his brow. He had hated the driver all along. He sat down on the bench and thought about everything. Maybe he should think about his film instead of one for Buzzline.
"Just don't let go."
Roger kept writing, he couldn't stop. He knew that this was going to be one of his greatest songs. He practiced a couple of chords and shook his head. Those weren't right. He kept trying the chords as the noise on the bus continued. There were screaming children, but all Roger could think was about April and the promise he had made to her. He knew that this was going to fulfill his promise to her.
"Or you may drown; you're living in America at the end of the millennium. You're living in America, where it's like the Twilight Zone and when you're living in America at the end of the millennium you're what you own. So I own not a notion, I escape and ape content… I don't own emotion – I rent.."
Mark entered the loft and found that Mimi was missing. She was nowhere to be found. He ran down to the loft below, hoping the find that Mimi had just moved down there for a little while – seeking comfort from her best friend. He knocked on the door as Collins opened it.
"Hey Mark, what are you doing here?"
"Is Mimi here?" A cry was heard in the background.
"No… Angel found her using again and after that, she hasn't returned."
"I think she's gone missing."
"Missing?"
"Or to Benny…"
"She'll turn up Mark, don't worry about her." Collins offered and Mark nodded as Collins invited him into the loft. He walked over and sat in front of Angel who was crying harder then she ever had.
"What was it about that night?"
Mimi ran along the sidewalks, she had nowhere to go. She was a loser for ever returning to drugs. She shouldn't have and now she had lost her best friend forever. Forever… She looked towards Benny's house not even knowing that she had run here. She ran to the front steps and knocked on the door. A girl, Allison, opened the door and looked at her.
"Who are you?"
"What was it about that night?"
Roger jumped the last steps of the bus and walked towards the Life Café. Maybe Maureen or Joanne were there? Should he go back so soon and find Mimi and tell her that he loved her? He had no idea what he was doing here anymore. He felt the weight of April's voice making him promise that he would tell Mimi – weighing him down. He shook his head and headed to the Life Café, first he would go here and then he would go back to the loft.
"Connection – in an isolating age… For once the shadows gave way to light, for once I didn't disengage."
Joanne and Maureen sat at home doing nothing. After their whole thing at the engagement party, they had made up after April's death. Maureen was sprawled out on the couch reading a magazine when the phone rang. She got up and answered.
"Maureen speaking."
"Maureen, its Mark."
"Hey Markie, what's up?"
"Mimi's using again." Maureen almost dropped the phone. Joanne walked into the room and looked confused at her girlfriend.
"What – how do you know?"
"I found her last night in the alley… She was passed out with a needle and bag of powder next to her. It's just… If you see her, tell her to come back to the loft."
"Of course… We'll be right over."
"Okay." After that they hung up. Joanne was sitting on the counter.
"What is it?"
"Mimi's using again."
"April – I hear you – I hear it… I see it – I see it… My film!"
Angel always pitied herself when she was having trouble with Mimi, but now she couldn't. It was all her fault that Mimi was using again… Wasn't it? She had pushed Roger out of the apartment before he could have told her anything to make her feel better. God, it was all her fault. She hated herself for this. Collins sat next to her, just stroking her arm lightly and comforting her. Why did she do that? Now she had lost her best friend… She might be HIV positive and everything that April worked for would be gone.
"Mimi I see you, I see it – I hear it – I hear it… My song!"
Roger walked towards the loft and bolted up the stairs. He couldn't believe he was home again. Two months felt like forever and he couldn't wait to just be with Mimi again. He dropped his stuff in the loft and found it empty. He walked up the steps to the roof and found Mark standing near the edge, leaning against the railing. He had his guitar in his hands still and he put it down on the ground and looked at Mark.
"Alexi… Call me a hypocrite; I need to finish my own film. I quit!"
Mark had just quit his job and was now working on his own film. He couldn't wait to show it to the rest of the group, but he was worried about Mimi. Where was she? Was she going to get the disease that killed April? He turned around and saw Roger standing there with his guitar at his feet.
"Dying in America at the end of the millennium. We're dying in America, to come into our own and when you're dying in America… At the end of the millennium you're not alone. I'm not alone… I'm not alone!"
Mark and Roger threw their arms around each other, Mark was just glad that his best friend was home. Now he had to tell him that Mimi was using again and she had disappeared from sight. They walked down the stairs as Roger explained what it was like in Santa Fe, it was nothing like what Collins had thought it was.
"… It was really dry there and they had all these rocks and boulders-"
"SSSSPPPPEEEEAAAAAKKKK!" Roger grinned as he heard that.
"I can't believe you kept that."
"Of course, I wouldn't even think about changing it."
"Hey guys, its Benny… I was just wondering if you've heard from Mimi. It's been a couple of hours since Allison found out about Mimi and she kicked her out of the house. Mimi said that she would go back to the loft and I was just checking if she had made it… Alright well, good-bye."
"Can you believe him?" Roger questioned as anger flowed through his body. He hated that Mimi had gone over to Benny's.
"Roger… Mimi's using again."
"What?"
"Mimi's using again." Mark repeated. "I'm really worried about her, she could die."
"Why didn't you tell me that right away?"
"I was going too… But I don't know."
"I have to look for her." Roger said and grabbed his coat. He would find Mimi.
--
(Present Day)
March 1st 1991
7:34pm E.S.T.
"No sign on Mimi anywhere." Mark commented as Roger fell back into the couch. He hated himself for leaving, Mimi was gone… She probably skipped town and ran off with some guy she found in the bar. It was his entire fault.
"Stop that." Roger said as he kicked his feet up to rest on the coffee table. "I don't want to think about it."
"Sorry, I was just saying." Mark played with the projector and Roger looked up at him.
"What's that for…? Oh! You finished your film."
"Yep, I call it: Today 4 U."
"Touching."
"Right…" Mark ran his hair through his hair. "Collins and Angel are coming up to see it and I think Joanne and Maureen are on their way."
"Hmph, I don't want to watch it."
"What are you talking about?" Mark questioned – partly insulted but he knew why Roger didn't want to watch it.
"If Mimi's in it, I don't want to watch it."
"Rog, you can't just forget everything just because she-"
"Hey bitches!" Collins and Angel entered the room. Angel was still her perky self, but wasn't as 'normal' as she used to be.
"Hey Collins!" Mark said and hugged his friend. He hugged Angel also and then went back to his projector. Collins walked over to the lump on the couch – which was Roger – and sat down next to it.
"It's been a month, just act kinda of happy for us? Mark's finished his first movie! That must make you happy?" Collins questioned and Roger shook his head.
"I'm going to wait in my room." He got up and walked into his room.
"Wait for what?" Collins questioned and Angel shrugged.
"Just let him be." Angel suggested and looked around. "Where are Maureen and Joanne?"
"They're coming, just wait." Mark said and as if on cue, Maureen's voice floated into the apartment.
"Markie! We're here!" Maureen said and pushed open the door. "How are you all?" She asked as she brushed off her soaking wet hair.
"Why are you all wet?" Angel asked and Maureen laughed.
"It's raining outside, you didn't notice?"
"Huh? Oh yeah-"
"Roger!" A familiar voice yelled and everybody rushed over to the window, the voice even made Roger come out of his room. He looked down and even in the rain, her hair soaking wet and her clothing clinging to her thin body, she looked beautiful.
Mimi. Was all he thought before he rushed down the fire escape.
End of What You Own