I hope I'm not spitting these out too quickly for you. Please tell me if you think I should slow down a bit. I'm just really really obsessed with Rent right now and I can't stop writing… the ideas never stop pouring out of my brain. Please review if you get the chance.
The clock had just struck the last tone of one at the Life Café. Maureen and Joanne were beginning to wonder what the heck was up. No one bothered to call, no one bothered to write, no one bothered to leave a message or even send someone down to tell them what was up! It wasn't like those four just to leave friends hanging high and dry. Especially Mark! Of all people Mark would've been the one to say "Hey guys let's give em a call back and tell them we can't go." What was going on?
Joanne could tell something was up, and she thought Maureen could to. She was more slouched over then normal, just stirring her hot tea over and over and over again. Maureen wasn't even talking very much. Although Joanne should've been treasuring this moment of peace and quiet, when Maureen wasn't speaking to anyone you knew something pretty damn bad had to have gone wrong somewhere in the world.
"Maureen? Are you ok? You've been stirring that tea for the past 5 minutes."
"Oh I don't know. I think it's just one of those days… or maybe it's the headache and the hangover. Yea…That's probably it."
"Are you sure? You look like something's bothering you. Want to talk about it?"
"No no, it's nothing like that." Maureen tried to keep the aggravation out of her voice, but it was so damn hard with such a bad hangover! There really wasn't anything bothering her right now at all. She was at least telling the truth. The situation was beginning to get a little uncomfortable, for she too was wondering why no one had called them. The two of them had been sitting with their drinks for more than a half an hour. Their friends should've had plenty of time between eleven and one to make up their damn minds. Maureen just had this weird feeling something was wrong. She finally took a sip of her tea. Bleah. Not enough sugar. She was busy pouring more in when Joanne's Cell phone rang.
"Hello. Well bout damn time you… Oh. WHAT? Is he going to be Ok?"
"What's going on Joanne?" Joanne held up a finger to silence her without even looking at her. She was very intent on listening to whatever it was that whoever it was had to say. Maureen hated being left in the dark.
"We'll be right there."
"You going to tell me what all THAT was about yet?" Maureen spat.
"Grow up Maureen! It was Mark, he said that they couldn't come today because…"
"Well he'd better have a good reason." Maureen cut Joanne off. That did it. Joanne was going to try to lay it on Maureen easily. After all, she had known Collins for a much longer time period, but that threw her over the edge.
"Maureen Roger, Mimi and Mark are at the hospital right now praying for Collins' life. They still have no idea what happened, they just found him this morning not breathing. The doctors won't tell them anything yet but it doesn't look good. If you could shut your mouth for one SECOND maybe I could speak and tell you what's wrong. You're always so worried about yourself and not others. It almost didn't even matter why they weren't here did it? If it were even a really good reason you would still hold a grudge against them for making you wait here until they called. Get over yourself Maureen!. Other people in this world exist believe it or not!" Those words stung Maureen to the core. She knew every single one of those statements was correct.. At first she thought maybe her friends were just teasing her, but how she just reacted made her realize that side of her actually existed.. She was being selfish. It became a completely new revelation for her. Collins? Dieing? No… it couldn't be happening, he would make it through, he had to!
Maureen didn't even argue with Joanne as they sped off toward the hospital. She simply continued to gaze blankly out the window. She felt extremely ashamed of the way she had just acted. Almost like a child. Maureen grew angrier and angrier with herself every passing moment. She had acted like a two-year-old back in that Café! That wasn't like her! Or was it? Her friends always had called her a drama queen. Could it be because of how she presented herself? Sadness and self pity flew over her like a hurricane, and she began to sob quietly into the seatbelt.
Joanne drove faster and faster and faster. The anger had been building up for so long, but she still didn't mean for it to come out like that. She hated having to convince herself almost every day that she was dating an adult and not a child. But maybe it was just Maureen being herself. If that was the case, then what was screaming at her in public going to do for her? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Even so, there were still going to have to be some major changes in their relationship if they ever hoped to be together. She opened her mouth once, then twice to apologize, but nothing came out so she eventually just gave up.
The two reached the Hospital about 10 minutes later to discover Mark and Roger talking to one of the Doctors. They rushed forward and joined the discussion. It appeared that Collins had contracted alcohol poisoning from his over the top festivities. His condition had stabilized through much vomiting and such. They were busy pumping fluids back into him and they mentioned he'd have to spend the night, but other than that, he was going to be OK. They all ran back over to tell Mimi the good news and ended up saying it all at once with a jumbled slur. Mimi still got the general idea, and the 5 friends embraced in the hallway as if no one else in the world would ever be able to stop them. It was a very close call, but Collins was still alive, and that was all that mattered to any of them at this moment.
