Note: Thanks all for the wonderful feedback as always. Once again I don't own RENT or the movie Garden State. Ok the references are odd but some people might catch it. Happy reading! Oh and I am oh so aware how cartoony the beginning is.
Roger, Mark, and Collins found themselves in front of a large Victorian house, the wonderful 26 Zilch Avenue. If they were to judge by the noise coming from inside, World War Three was currently taking place. Roger ran to the doorbell and pushed it. World War Three suddenly got much louder in response to it. Mark just smiled his hands in his pockets.
"This is where Angel lives?" Collins asked nervous and excited at the same time. They hadn't seen each other since the café that night and he was looking forward to seeing her again. Especially after the whole Robbie fiasco, he had to remember that there was someone out there…who…well could be a possibility. His face became flushed at the thought.
Mark laughed at Collins statement and looked back at his friend, "Just wait til you get inside. Then you'll know what real fear is." Roger just smirked as a little African American boy only about five years old opened the door. His eyes dark eyes went wide as he looked up at Roger.
"Hey there Nick. Angel home?" The young boy nodded sticking his thumb in his mouth. He disappeared from the door for a minute. Now a young girl just a few years older than Nick popped her head through the door. She was a blonde haired, blue eyed girl who was wearing a tiara on her head. The girl waved to Mark and Roger.
"Hi Tia." Mark said grinning, "Nice crown." She put her hands on it and smiled. Angel finally showed up half out of breath and adjusting her black bobbed wig on her head. She looked down at Tia and gasped.
"Tia Anne Banks what are you doing with my tiara on your head?" Tia just smiled and ran off waving at Mark and Roger again. Angel shook her head, "Sisters. They can't be trusted. C'mon in my boys. I hear you got suspended. I'm real proud." She said opening the door for them. Inside the house looked like World War Three. A pot of spaghetti sat on the living room coffee table. Laundry was set to dry on the railing leading to the second floor of the house. The colors on the wall were painted a burnt orange color but it was augmented by crayon scribblings that looked quite old. A pair of sneakers hung from the chandelier, and a pair of socks were draped on a cabinet that was displaying blue and white china. With a closer look Collins could see that most of the china was broken. Although he was never a neat freak, Collins wondered what would happen if a neat freak entered this house…probably die of a heart attack.
"Crazy isn't it?" Roger whispered into Collins' ear. The teen was only able to nod, "But it's beautiful." The colors everywhere were so warm. There was not a blue or white hue in the whole household. It was only reds, oranges, and yellows. There were groups of children sitting down in the living room coloring in books that were both meant for coloring and other books such as "War and Peace." There was a group of pre-teens watching a movie in the back of the living room pretending to swoon whenever a certain movie star came on screen. Collins quickly counted all of the kids in the living room, he came up with 25. Even though there were so many kids, not one looked out of place, or sad, or lonesome. There were only smiling faces and laughter. Collins smiled understanding how Angel was raised in this house.
"C'mon boys stop gaping!" She said grabbing one of Mark's hands and one of Roger's. "We have work to be done." Angel pulled the two boys up the stairs, "Watch the laundry. My momma will kill any of you if you get it dirty. That's the one thing guests aren't immune to. You coming Collins?" She asked seeing that he was still trying to take the whole place in.
Collins looked up, "Oh yeah sorry." He started to walk until a duck scurried in front of him quacking along the way. "Uhhh…" He watched it walk into the kitchen shaking its tail feathers, "Was that a duck?"
"Sir Ducksworth." Angel explained motioning to Collins for him to follow, "He's a good and noble bird. C'mon hun times a waistin!" She said as if the duck was just another family member.
"Yeah Angel about that…what are we doing here?" Mark asked as Angel guided them to her room.
"Be patient Markie." Angel said smiling at him.
Collins slammed himself against the wall as two young boys ran past him in Indian and cowboy garb shooting at each other with their water pistols. He noticed that they made sure to steer clear of the laundry on the railing.
"Whoa be careful guys…Uh Angel…how many siblings do you have?" Collins asked as two kids ran past in ninja costumes.
"Ten or tweleve?" Angel said patting one of the ninjas on the head as they reached the top of the grand staircase.
"You're not sure?" Collins asked.
"People come and go so quickly here." She said with a smirk.
Collins recognized Angel's room before she even turned to the door. The whole door had been painted pink, at least half of it was pink and the other half was navy blue. The pink side was covered in post cards and pictures of women applying make-up or slipping on nylons.
Angel pushed open the door and the boys came in. Her room was just like the pink side of the door but multiplied. Collins smiled at the collage she had made up of pictures of herself in drag and snippets of Roger and Mark. Her friend Mimi was also in it with a few family members. Her bed had a big pink puffy comforter on it with small butterflies. Mark sat on it with no hesitation moving a large white teddy bear towards the other numerous stuffed animals Angel had on her bed.
The other side of the room held another bed which had a football bedspread almost identical to the one Collins had when he was growing up. Posters of different athletes adorned the walls. Collins had to wonder if Angel had split personality disorder or something.
"Where's Dawson?" Mark asked moving a porcupine, holding a heart that said "be my valentine", off his lap where it had fallen. Angel shrugged looking over to the navy part of the room.
"Probably with Nancy. Those two are attached at the hip. Ok, Markie, now you stay here. We'll be back in a bit." Angel picked up her purse, a small black clutch with a small pink poodle on it.
"What already? Where are you going?" Mark asked looking abandoned.
"We're going shopping for your birthday, silly." Angel said taking his face into her hands and shaking it gently. Collins smiled, he looked like a two year old being harassed by his crazy aunt.
"What? Why can't I come? Why do I have to stay here!" Mark asked with Angel's hand still on his face.
Roger raised his eyebrow as he headed for the door, "Remember what happened last time? You followed us around the whole time trying to see what we were buying you."
Mark pouted and whined, "But I had to pee and I didn't know where the bathroom was."
"Mark, you were stalking us the whole time!" Roger said shaking his head, "Really Cohen this is for your own good." Angel laughed and opened the door slowly to reveal a fourteen year old girl who squealed at the sight of Mark.
"Oh God no!" Mark mumbled under his breath as the girl launched herself at him.
"MARK!" She screamed hugging him. Collins raised his eyebrow at the girl, apparently she had a crush on him. When the girl kissed him straight on the lips Collins broke out laughing. Mark winced and stuck his tongue out making a sound of disgust.
"I think she'll keep him busy." Collins said to Angel and Roger as they all congregated at the door. Angel nodded and whispered in his ear, "Believe me she will. Whether or not Mark will survive is the question." Collins smiled ignoring the shiver that was rushing down his back.
"Bye-bye Laila. Thanks for baby sitting Markie!" Angel called out before closing the door, "Run!" She said to them rushing down the stairs in her heels with grace. Roger and Collins nodded to each other before running after Angel the sound of Mark's screams following them.
At the shopping mall Roger had wandered off by himself as usual. Collins and Angel headed to a department store.
"Why does he always do that?" Collins asked Angel as he brushed his hands along the shrubs that had been planted around the benches.
"He's a wandering soul…and I think he spotted a pretty girl over yonder." Angel explained pointing to Roger leaning on a trash can and talking to a girl in a miniskirt. She was chewing on gum and twirling her hair in her finger. Collins shook his head saying inwardly, Oh, Roger, why do you always have to go for the intellectual girls?
"So much for April." Collins said with a sigh looking around at the entrance of the department store. Angel looked at him for a moment and nodded.
"Roger has always had issues with…commitment. Kinda scares him. I did meet April though…she's a sweet girl. I remember her from freshman year. She walked me to the nurse one day." Angel said without any hint of sadness.
"Angel, I-"
"Would you like to try our new scent?" A woman asked pushing a piece of paper with the perfume on it towards them. Collins was about to say no thank you when Angel walked right up to her, "Sure. What is it called?" The woman explained it was called "La Mer."
"Oh like the ocean?" Angel asked cheerfully, she took the sample and smelled it. Her nose wrinkled and she handed it back, "Sorry honey, that smells like La Garbage." Collins laughed out loud as Angel went back to him amazed at her honesty.
"That was great." He said to her. Angel shrugged but looked proud, "It was the truth!" She said walking through the men's clothing.
Collins let his smile fade and took a deep breath pushing his hands into his pockets, "So…April helped you back then?" Collins asked quietly. He couldn't help but wonder what it was like for Angel in Scarsdale High. It was a life that Collins could have had if he wasn't labeled a golden boy in the beginning. At the same time he just wanted to hear anything about this amazing person.
Angel stopped to take a look at the wallets for a moment and then shook her head moving on, "Yup. The boys weren't there to defend me. So I had to deal. I fought back though." Collins felt sick to his stomach when he realized…
"Robbie…did you ever meet him?" Collins asked watching Angel closely. She looked up at him with nothing but understanding.
"Yeah I did. I knew him…quite well." She put her hand on his back, "Mark told me…about everything. You and him."
Collins sighed trying to ignore the hand on his back. And who it belonged to. Robbie…Collins just knew it. He was one of them who used to go after Angel. Hurt her in the hallways. If Collins didn't dislike his ex before, he really disliked him now. But something else was on his mind.
"Mark told you?" Angel smiled deeply rubbing his back and then putting it behind her own.
"He did. He was worried about you. Real worried. He still is…even though that's all Mark does…I understand why this time. Robbie was a real jerk." Angel said having no qualms with being truthful. "I don't know what you saw in him but…I just hope you make better choices in the future. Find guys who actually can admit that they're gay or at least don't beat up others to remind themselves that they have all the machismo even though they yearn for other guys." Angel stopped for a moment to look at purses avoiding Collins' eyes. Collins thought about what she said for a moment. He would choose better…this time.
Collins cleared his throat eager to change the subject, "I don't think we're gonna find something for Mark here." Angel just smiled and continued to look for herself. "I don't even know what to get him." Collins said with a sigh. He didn't know how corny he could go. Although he wanted to get him a meaningful present he didn't know if Roger would ridicule Mark or something for what he intended to hive him.
Angel shrugged moving on to the female accessories, "Neither do I. Last year I got him this camera carrying case…it was for the wrong type of camera. His camera was too big, but he tried. Tried to convince me it would work. He's a cute thing." Angel said taking a look at some jewelry. Collins couldn't help but think, 'You're kinda cute yourself.' He rubbed the back of his neck trying to think of something to say.
"So you're adopted huh?"
"How'd you guess?" Angel turned back with a smile now on her painted face, " The fact that may brothers and sisters are all different races? It's a big hint huh? Yeah, I'm adopted. I'm happy about it though. I'm so lucky to have parents that accept me in this get up." She said pointing to her tied dyed halter dress and now looking at the earrings. Collins shrugged about to say that it was beautiful, but he held his tongue. Angel was thinking, he noticed that much. She seemed to be looking through the same earring sections over and over again. Collins came closer and stopped her from turning the earring carousel.
"What's on your mind?" He asked assuming it would be more information dealing with Robbie bashing Angel in their freshman year.
"My birth parents." Angel said with a sigh putting her hands down and moving on to another display. Collins followed her close, concern on his face, "They gave me up for adoption because…well they were addicts and wanted the best for me. They knew that they couldn't provide for me. But I have a picture of my mother. And a painting that my dad did. He's a painter. Or was."
"Was?" Collins asked with a frown.
"He died. My mom too. They got AIDS. After I was born. They died when I was real young." Angel said quietly looking at a few hats and then looking at the gloves and scarfs. She grinned through her sadness, looking at the long evening gloves. Her fingertips touched them gently.
"I'm so sorry Angel." Collins whispered to her. He couldn't imagine what it was like. To never know the ones who brought you into the world. Sometimes Collins wished he didn't know they, but he knew that even through all of the lies, he did love them.
Angel didn't look up from the gloves and just continued, "Sometimes…I pretend that their still alive and that they are gonna come visit me one day. That my dad will have painted a painting just for me. And that my mom would explain how she got off drugs just for me. And how they wouldn't take me away from my adoptive parents but they would just want to be with me. Just be with me." Angel picked up a pair of the white satin gloves but put them back quickly, "Kinda stupid huh?"
Collins picked up the gloves she had put down, "No. Not at all." Angel looked up at him tears in her eyes with so much hope and wanting. He reached for one of her hands but pulled back when Roger came up to them.
"So I met this girl…ummm…guys I doubt Mark wants Cinderella gloves." Collins glared at him, which just made Roger shrug. Angel quickly wiped away a few tears.
"Did you find anything for Mark other than a nice young lady?" Angel asked quickly regaining her composure.
Roger shook his head, "But I found a nice guitar pic." He said pulling out a neon green guitar pick. Collins rolled his eyes his hands still on the gloves.
"Mark'll love it." Collins groaned. Somehow he wasn't surprised that the rocker went shopping for himself instead.
Roger shrugged again sticking it in his pocket, "So this trip was a total bust huh? Well, at least Mark got to get terrorized by your sister, Angel. That's enough to keep me amused for weeks." Roger said heading for the door.
Collins put down the gloves finally and followed Roger as Angel fell into step with him.
"I wouldn't say it was a total waste." Angel said quietly.
Collins winced as the front door of the Collins' residence squeaked.
"I really have to get that thing oiled." He mumbled to himself. With a sigh he started to head for the stairs but he had to stop. On the couch his father was sitting an iron grip on their cordless phone. His mother was sitting next to him. Her head in her hands.
"Mom…Dad?" Collins asked, "Is everything ok?" He asked his mind going immediately to his elderly grandparents. It was a miracle they had made it to their 90's as it was, but that wasn't what was wrong. Collins noticed his father was shaking. Shaking with anger. He didn't get up from the couch or take his gaze from the middle of the room.
"I just got off the phone with Neal Kinsman. Robbie's father." Collins' heart stopped for a moment.
"Dad, we're not friends anymore so whatever he said-" His mother ran up to him and slapped him in the face.
"Queer." She hissed.
Post: Evil ending…I know! Bah haha…yeah the next chapter will come real soon it's all written up I just need to proofread it. So no worries it will come soon. Please review, I'd like some feedback on this chapter cause I'm not too crazy about the way I wrote it maybe you could help me figure out why. Oh yeah I didn't own the Alice in Wonderland quote either!