A/N: I'm so so sorry for not updating, I've been busy with school and various recitals and haven't had time to work on this. I get out of school in about 2 weeks and than I promise more updates. Since I haven't gotten much of a new chapter (any thing worth people reading any ways) I'd figure I'd give you guys a suprise! So here is the paragraph format of the first chapter (I originally posted it as script), so enjoy!
Only four of us survived. Collins was the first to go after Angel; he died just over eleven years ago. Mimi was the next to go only three years ago. Maureen and Joanne are together, Joanne still gets jealous easily but Maureen's learned to tone down her flirting; they adopted a baby girl, Leah, who's know 17. Roger's coping; when Mimi died he was left with their fifteen year old son Brad who was miraculously born without aids. Than there's me I stopped hiding behind my camera, when I did I saw everything that I had been missing. That's also when I met my wife Lauren; we've been married for 16 years now and have a daughter, Christi, who's also fourteen. I still live in loft just like I did 20 years ago, although now it's legal and we have power, Roger lives the floor below in Mimi's loft.
December 24, 2010
7pm eastern standard time
(No specific point of view)
Maureen and Joanne's house
"Come on Maureen honey we have to get to Mark's," Joanne pleaded at the bedroom door.
"I'm coming, you can't rush perfection you know," Maureen replied from inside the bedroom.
Leah their 17 year old walked over to where Joanne was standing.
"What's taking so long? I thought we had to be there by now," Leah questioned Joanne.
"Your mother, that's what's taking so long," Joanne replied very irked.
"Mom! You said we'd leave an hour ago now please hurry up," Leah yelled at the bedroom door much to Joanne's dismay.
Maureen at that point casually strolled out of the bedroom.
"Fine, I guess I'm ready since you two couldn't stand to wait," Maureen said irritably.
The camera than goes to Mark's loft where Mark, Lauren and Roger are all squished onto a blue upholstered couch. Brad had taken up residence on the matching chair while Christi sat on the floor.
"Where are they, we've been waiting for over an hour," Roger asked very annoyed.
"You know Maureen, she's a diva," Mark replied flatly.
An awkward silence fell over the group.
"Why do we have to wait for them, they are the one's who're late, can't we eat already?" Brad whined.
"They're our dinner guests so we'll wait for them," Lauren replied calmly.
"Fine, whatever you say," Brad said.
Suddenly the large door is heaved open by Maureen and Joanne and Leah walk into the silent loft.
"I told you they'd be waiting for us!" Joanne told Maureen matter-of-factly.
"Pookie, we're only an hour late," Maureen pleaded.
"Can we eat now that they're here?" Brad asked.
"Sure. Why don't we all go sit down." Lauren said gesturing to the metal table that 21 years ago had Angel dancing on it and 20 years ago Mimi almost dieing on it.
Everyone walked over to the table and sat down on the mismatched chairs. Things were going well for a while the adults recounted years past while the teens compared their Christmas lists. They all had plates full of food that Lauren had made earlier in the day.
"So Maureen, tell me have you finally given up the dream of actually making a change in the world?" Roger asked mockingly.
"Roger, behave," Mark replied.
"No, it's fine; and no I haven't given up on my dreams like some people," Maureen retorted.
"I thought we agreed this was going to be a nice civilized dinner where we would behave like adults," Joanne pleaded.
Christi POV
I could feel a fight coming on between the adults so I thought it would be best for me to leave.
"I'm just going to go eat over there, some where," I tell them randomly pointing at a corner.
Almost immediately Brad tells them that he's going with me, I guess he could sense a fight coming on as well.
"Oh what the hell, I'm not going to be the only one here. I'll go as well," Leah said.
We all started to get up when suddenly my Mom decides to try to stop us.
"Not so fast. This is a family dinner so we'll all sit here and enjoy each others company," My mom practically barked at us.
"But Dad!" I whined.
He shrugged giving me his sorry face. "Listen to your mother."
"But daddy!" I whined even louder giving him puppy dog eyes.
He sat there for a while contemplating, "Fine, just remember that won't always work on me."
I said thank-you to him and Brad, Leah and I got up from the table and walked out onto the terrace.
Mark POV
I knew I was in for it now. Lauren always hates how I let Christi do whatever she wants. What can I say she's my little princess, she always will be. I was bracing myself for the storm ahead,
"Mark!" Lauren yelled at me.
I try to defend myself with a simple what.
"You completely undermined me with her!" Lauren yelled at me.
"She gave me that pouty little girl face of hers. What was I supposed to do?" I asked.
"Let's not get into this with guests here," Lauren said thru her fake smile.
"Hey, at least she talks to you. I don't think Brad even acknowledges me," Roger chipped in.
At this point Joanne proposes as toast to all that couldn't be with us tonight, Angel, Collins and Mimi. As soon as she said Mimi I saw Roger wince, the wound was still very much open for him. We all clink our glasses while saying cheers. Memories play thru my head as if it was just yesterday that Angel first came into our lives and Rogers's song brought Mimi back to life.
Christi POV
We all went out onto the small terrace to escape the war inside.
"Have you ever thought about how much your dad hate Maureen. I've never even seen them say more than hello without getting at each others necks. I wonder why," Leah said to Brad.
Leah has this weird way of referring to her Moms' by their names; I guess because she's adopted they feel that she shouldn't have to call them Mom.
"Leave it to my dad to hold a grunge longer than previously thought humanly possible," Brad replied.
"Probably has something to do with her dating my dad than dumping him for Aunt Jo," I say adding in my two cents.
"Probably," Leah replied not completely convinced.
"So what are your grand plans for after graduation?" I ask her.
"I don't know!" She whined, "Joanne's trying to force all these different colleges on me but I'm not even sure what I want to do!"
Brad just snorted in response, such a typical guy reply.
"At least neither of your moms walk around all day in their sweats trying to find their "song"," Brad retorted.
"Be nice Brad, he's still coping with his loss. Everyone knows people grieve differently," I say in response.
"And I'm not," Brad said really hurt, "I can't deal with this anymore all this sympathy and people saying they understand and shit. No one can truly understand this. I can't deal anymore I'm out of here."
As soon as he said that he started to climb down the flights of stairs that lead to various apartments. Curiosity got the best of me and I had to follow him. After jumping down about three flights to catch up I land with a thud next to him.
"You ok?" He flatly asked me.
"Yeah I'm fine I just wanted to," I was abruptly cut off.
"What? I just want to be left alone," He snapped at me.
"I just wanted to see if you're ok," I replied harshly.
"Do I look ok?" Brad asked.
"Fine I get the message I'll leave you alone," I said.
"I'm sorry," I don't think I had heard Brad ever utter those words before! "It's just hard for me ok." He said.
"I'm here if you need me," I say.
"Thanks I just need someone who can listen," He responded.
At that point Leah leaned over the terrace railing to make sure we were ok and not about to go all suicidal. I turn to Brad to make sure that things are ok now and than we head back up with Brad behind me the whole time to make sure I didn't fall.
Mark POV
It had been 2 hours and the fighting hadn't ceased.
"Well maybe if you didn't always give her whatever she wanted you wouldn't be blind to what she does!" Lauren exclaimed.
"Oh now I'm blind!" I yelled.
"She's failing half her classes! But you just care if she's doing what she wants so you won't be like your mother!" Lauren pointed out.
That was a low blow even for her.
"Don't bring my mother into this!" I responded.
"It's not my fault you gave up on your music when Mimi died," Maureen shot at Roger.
I saw him cringe and try not to pounce and kill her.
"I'm trying to raise my son all by myself and I didn't just give up on it. I still play occasionally," Roger retorted.
"You don't appear to be doing that great of a job," Maureen replied.
"I'd like to see you try to do better," Joanne added in.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Maureen questioned.
"You act like your Leah's friend not her Mom," Joanne answered.
"Ouch!" Roger laughed.
"EVERYONE STOP!" I exclaimed.
This had to stop now it wasn't getting us anywhere.
"Its 9 now why don't we get the kids in," Roger somberly replied to my sudden outburst.
"I'll go do that," Lauren offered.
Once all the teens were inside Maureen and Joanne decided it was time to go. They left but before so agreed to meet us tomorrow for dinner at the Life Café. Soon after Roger left with Brad saying something about responsibilities. After they left Christi went back out onto the terrace.
"I'm sorry honey. I was being immature," Lauren said to me.
"It's ok it was a tense evening," I replied.
All I know is that the make-up sex will be amazing.
A/N: I know I don't diserve reviews and they're really not needed but if you want to they are welcome! I'm working on the next chapter as we speak and hope to have it up before I get out of school (that's fairly unlikely to warn you though).
