Our kiss lasted over a minute or two, but it felt shorter when we separated. I wanted more than anything to attach myself back to him almost immediately. I had fallen for him, and I didn't know whether I liked that or not. I mean, we both had AIDS; we were going to die sooner than our supposed time. But, that was more of a reason to stay together. We were going to die. We should take life by the collar, and pull it until it heeled. Right now, I wanted Collins, who insisted I called him Tom, and I grabbed him. Needless to say, he didn't put up any sort of a fight. We walked, hand in hand, as slow as we could. I suppose that was nice, because he was staring at me the entire walk, and I didn't want him to trip over himself. We passed a few venders for the homeless, and I saw a nice display of coats. Tom was still freezing his ass off, and I couldn't have him freeze anymore than trip because he was staring at me. The woman behind the table smiled happily, showing me a fine fur trench coat she stole. Tom took my arm, and looked into my eyes, smirked.
"What are you doing?" He asked me softly. "These are hardly anything I'd expect you to wear." He said, and took my arm and showed the vibrant fabric to me. I didn't even look at it. I just gave him a giggle. "What?" He asked me.
"Mister Tom Collins, I am NOT buying a coat for myself. I'm perfectly warm." I told him, and grinned. "You on the other hand are freezing." I said, and he held me close.
"You're keeping me perfectly warm." He said sweetly, and I melted. He kissed me sweetly, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. I let go and looked into his eyes.
"Now, come on, let's get you something warm to wear." I said, and led him over to the table, but he stopped.
"Angel, you don't have to do this." He said, and I frowned, looking at him. I put my hand on my hip and gave him a stubborn look.
"Oh hush your mouth, it's Christmas!" I told him, and looked at the table, where the coats were.
"Angel, all you do is give. There has to be something that I can make up for it." He said, and as I picked up a leather trench coat, I looked at him, smiling.
"There is something you can do." I told him, and grinned.
"What?" He asked me.
"You try this on." I said, and he laughed, taking the coat, and putting it over his shoulders, and did a little spin for me. I giggled happily. "It looks so good on you!" I said happily. "Is it warm?" I asked.
"Yes, it is very warm." He said, the smile not leaving his face. It gave me so much satisfaction that I could do that for him, because I know he couldn't do it for himself. He was warm and happy, and that's really all I needed, sort of. He looked from himself to me, and held my face in his hands. "Anything else my Angel?" He asked, almost pleading. I grinned.
"Kiss me." I requested, and placed my hands on his chest, and he leaned down to meet my face, and give me a kiss that melted the snow around me. I didn't need a coat. I needed him. He placed his hands on my shoulders, holding me closer to him, getting a more secure grip on where I was. I let go of him slowly, and looked into his eyes. "Thank you." I whispered, and gave him one last kiss. He looked at me sincerely.
"For what?" He asked me, and caressed my cheek, which I immediately nuzzled up to, and held in my hands.
"Love." I told him softly, and kissed his hand. He smiled, and looked up over my shoulder. I wondered what he was looking at, and heard a coughing behind me. I turned around in his arms. The vender woman was standing there with her hand extended. I suppose it would be proper to pay someone for another item. Seems reasonable I think. I giggled, and opened my shoe a bit, and took a ten and a five from the bundle. "This should cover us." I told her. She snatched the money, making me jump a bit. She looked the money over, as if it were paper with crayon on it. After a moment, she smiled, and placed the money in her pocket, and walked back to her table. "Merry Christmas." I offered, and heard Tom's chuckle, and he tugged my arm.
"Come on Angel, let's get to that protest." He told me, and I walked with him, as his fingers slid to weave into mine. I stood close to him, and he picked up his pace a bit more than before, because he wasn't staring at me like before. He squeezed my hand every so often when we didn't speak.
"So…You're from Boston." I stated, swinging our arms a bit. "Is it different up there?" I asked him, looking at my feet. He chuckled, and shrugged.
"Yeah, depending where you are. Beantown is big. It's got itself a little country kind of place. Sweet campus kind of place, you know? Where all the richest WASPs live." He said, and I laughed. "But, then there are places like Chinatown, where the theatre district is, Greater Boston Area, where it's like New York. There aren't so many buildings though, or taxi's." He said, and shrugged. "But, New York has the Bronx, so nothing can compare to that." He said, and I continued to crack up.
"No slums in Boston?" I asked him, and he nodded.
"Oh yeah, just not ones where you have to where armor to be safe in." He explained, and I snorted, having to hold my nose in embarrassment. I'd like to visit Boston one day.
"So, where did you work?" I asked him.
"MIT…Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Good place to go to school, but the campus isn't in the most pleasant place. I lived on campus, and the students are…well, those kids I won't miss, let me tell you." He smiled, and looked down at me. "I miss it a bit though. Cambridge Massachusetts has been my home for a very long time now." He told me, and I stepped closer to him, and he wrapped an arm around me.
"Are you going to go back?" I asked him softly, and I felt his head lean on my head.
"I don't think so Angel. I think I'm going to stay in New York. Boston is where my past is, but New York is where my heart is…for one reason or the other." He told me, and I sighed out in relief.
"What about Santa Fe?" I asked him, and he laughed.
"Well, yes, there's my dream too." He said, and rubbed my arm. "When I get the chance, and the money, I'm out of here with you guys. Unless you all protest leaving, which is when I'll give in and stay." He told me, and I smiled warmly.
"I'm sure I'll go wherever you follow." I told him, and he laughed.
"Yes, unless you're running from me." He said, and I giggled.
"There won't be much more of that, I can assure you Tom." I said, taking his free hand in mine. He squeezed mine, and kissed the top of my head…well, wig. We continued to walk, and he made a turn. I looked up, and we walked to this lot where there were a lot of people around, and a stage set up. "Is this where the protest is?" I asked him.
"Yes, hopefully it'll start soon. Maureen's protests are never short." He told me, and smiled. "But I'll have you home at a decent hour, just like I promised your father." I couldn't help but laugh. He made me feel like a little girl in middle school, well, I think he did.
"Hey! Collins!" Shouted a voice that sounded familiar. I looked up at and saw Mark with a few people. He was waving his arms to get our attention. "Angel! Collins! Come here!" He called, and we scurried over there, minding everyone else in the crowded lot. We caught up to him, and he grinned. "I want you two to meet someone. She finally got Roger out of the house." He said, almost proudly, holding his camera to his chest. "I want you to meet Mimi Marquez." He said, and my jaw dropped. I turned to Roger, and next to him was a little Latina girl, with wild hair, sunglasses, and a leopard print jacket. We both screamed in happiness. I let go of Tom, and latched on to her.
"Mimi-chica! Oh my God, you look so good!" I told her, being reacquainted with my best friend in the world. She held me tight.
"Angie, you're looking pretty hot yourself!" She said, and let go to look at me. "Look at you, you kinky little girl. Where did you find the time to make this?" She asked, and I laughed.
"Last weekend when you weren't picking up your phone for whatever reason. It was hard to make this without a manikin you know." I told her, putting my hands on my hips, and she pouted.
"Angel, you know I didn't mean to. I wasn't feeling too hot last weekend, I had to take off of work." She said, and I frowned, and kissed her cheek.
"That's alright chica, it looks amazing on me anyway." I told her, and she laughed.
"You have no idea how hot you look." She told me and laughed, looking at the person tugging at my arm, Tom. I turned to him, and grinned.
"Mimi-chica, this is Tom Collins." I told her, taking him by the arm. "Tom, this is my best friend in the world, my Mimi-chica." I said, and leaned on Tom, looking at her. Mimi giggled, and took his hand.
"Just Mimi is fine." She said, shaking his hand, grinning.
"And you can call me Collins." He said, and chuckled. "Nice to meet you, finally." He said, and Mimi gave me a look.
"What do you mean finally?" She asked, looking at me, smirking, but asking Tom.
"Well, she's been talking a lot about you…and your relation with a former friend of mine." Tom muttered the last part, but Roger heard it, and his face dropped slightly. Uh-oh. Big mouth Angel. I tugged on his sleeve harshly to shut him up. Mark made a face, and I smile warmly at him.
"Well, now that we've all met, when does this protest start?" I asked, and Mark smiled.
"Oh any minute now. We just have to wait for Maureen to get he-…" He said, and we all heard a loud sound of a motor. It was a motorcycle, Maureen I supposed. We all hopped out of the way so she could ride by. People began to cheer for her, so we all joined in as well. She turned the bike off, and walked on to stage, taking off the helmet and throwing it off stage. She grinned at all of us, giving us the hand symbol for love. The crowd couldn't handle it. It was like she was a movie celebrity or something. She seemed like a real sweetheart, besides the whole cheating on poor Mark. But, that was none of my business, and they all seemed to love her anyway, especially Tom.
She basked in the glory for a little while longer, and put her hands up. She had magical powers, I swear, because when she lifted her hands, the audience fell into a quick hush. I couldn't help but smile. This girl was GOOD. When everyone was silent, she put her hands down, and breathed in. She stood infront of a microphone, which one already on her face. Her belt held a drumstick and a cowbell. This protest was going to be interesting I could tell. She breathed out, and looked at everyone.
"Last night, I had a dream." She said dramatically, and posed just as such. "I found myself in a desert called…Cyberland." Another pose followed. "I was hot, my canteen had sprung a leek and I was…thirsty." She almost whispered into her headset, and held her throat. "Out of the abyss walked a cow, Elsie." Someone gave a small hoot from behind me. Her name must have been Elsie too. "I asked if she had anything to drink, she said," She gave in a large breath before singing. "I-----'m forbidden to produce, milk. In Cyberlaaaaand we only drink," She stopped to hit the cowbell, and stand infront of the microphone. "Diet Coke." The microphone echoed her voice, and we all had a great laugh at that. She was great, and I was really enjoying myself. She had a great singing voice too. "She said, only thing to do is jump OVER the moon." She sang sweetly, and I got goosebumps. I'm pretty sure I knew what this was about, after seeing Benny earlier today. "They've closed everything real down, like barns, and troughs and PERFORMANCE SPACES. And replaced it aaaaall with lies and rules and," Again to the microphone and cowbell. "Virtual life, but there is a way out." She hit a sound box next to her, and it sang, 'leap of faith, leap of faith' over and over in rhythm. "Only thing to do is jump over the moon." She sang sweetly, and the recording stopped. She grabbed her throat, and gave a look of pain. "I-----'VE GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!" She shrieked, and looked at the ceiling. "IT'S LIKE I'M BEING TIED TO THE HOOD OF A YELLOW RENTAL TRUCK, BEING PACKED IN WITH FERTILIZER, AND FUEL OIL, PUSHED OVER A CLIFF BY A SUICIDAL MICKEY MOUSE!" She shouted, and people laughed, including Mimi and myself. "I----- GOT TO GOT TO GOT TO GOT TO GOT TO GOT TO GOT TO GOT TO GOT TO GET OUT FIND A WAY!" She shouted, and people laughed again, as she pretended to choke herself during her shouting. She let go of herself and calmed down instantly. "To jump over the moon, only thing to do is jump over the moon." She said, and people laughed again. "Then, a little bulldog entered. His name, we have learned, was BENNY." She said, and pointed to the audience, at who I presumed was Benny. I saw him standing with a few other men dressed nicely. Around them were a few policemen. Oh shit, what an asshole. "And although he once had principles, he abandoned them to live as a lap dog to a wealthy Daughter of the Revolution." She said, and I could see the hate in Benny's eyes. She gave him a little puppy face, with her hands out, like she was begging or something. This got a nice laugh. She hit the soundbox again, and another Acapulco sound came from it. "That's bull, he said. Ever since the cat took up the fiddle that cow's been…jumpy. The dish and the spoon were evicted from the table and eloped. She's had trouble with that moon and her milk ever since, maybe it's a…FEMALE thing." She said, and grabbed herself, getting more laughs. "'Cause who'd wanna leave Cyberland anyway! Walls ain't so bad. The dish and the spoon for instance, they're down on their luck, they come knocking on my doghouse door, and I say, 'not in my backyard utensils, go back to China!" She said, and I couldn't help but crack up. The audience loved her.
"The only way out is up! Elise whispered to me. A leaaaaaaaap oooooffffff faaaith." She sang sweetly, and Tom whistled for her, and laughed. "Still thirsty?" She said, her eyes closed. She stepped infront of the microphone. "Parched." She said softly as it echoed through the lot. "Have some milk." She said just as softly, and squatted back a bit, and looked right up. "And I lowered myself beneath her swollen utter, and sucked the sweetest milk I had ever tasted." She said, and made a sucking sound that sent the crowd into hysterics. She stood back up. "Climb on board! She said, and as a harvest moon rose over Cyberland, we reared back; we sprang into a gallop, leaping out of orbit. I awoke singing!" She shouted, and hit the soundbox one more time, the leaps of faith recording. "Only thing to do, only thing to do is jump, only thing to do is jump over the moon. Only thing to do is jump over the moon, over the moon, over the…MOO." She mooed. I laughed. She actually mooed. She did it again, and looked at the audience infront of her. "Moo with me." She said, and mooed again. Someone followed orders, and she grinned. "Yes! That's it, MOO WITH ME!" She shouted.I heard Roger and Mimi moo, and then I did, pulling on Tom's arm so he would as well. It took him a moment, but he got into it, and laughed as he did so. That's when I heard it.
There was a shout from one side of the lot and the five of us turned, Mark with his camera at attention. The cops that Benny had with him were surrounding the crowd, and had hit someone. I stood on my tiptoes to see, but couldn't manage much. I could just hear Maureen on the stage shouting at the cops.
"No! This was a peaceful protest! He wasn't doing anything wrong!" She shouted, but it didn't matter. Someone jumped the cop, and people began to run, and run into each other, the other cops got on it. I felt Tom grab my arm.
"I've gotta get you out of here." He said to me, and began to ran, and I bumped into a cop. Tom pulled me forcefully, and the cop grabbed him.
"Let go of him!" I shouted, and charged at the officer. Another one came behind me, and twisted both of my arms back. Shit, you asshole. I shouted in pain, and tried to wrestle him off of me.
"Get off of her!" Collins shouted, trying to get to me. He didn't need to do a thing. Another officer came to assist the one trying to snap my arms. I looked up at him, and just gave him a blow to the stomach with my pumps. The other officer let go of me, and Collins took me, and we hauled some serious ass out of that lot.
"What about everyone else?" I asked him, and he looked at me as we escaped.
"Honey, if you and Mimi are such good friends, after seeing that fight you gave up, I doubt they're going to need anymore help." He said, and I laughed at him, kissing his cheek.
