Roger inspected the footprint in the snow. He had concluded that it most definitely came from a boot, and Collins always wore boots in this weather. It seemed about the right size as well.
"Did you find him?"
Roger whipped around. Mimi was standing there, a puzzled look on her face. "What are you looking at?" She stepped around him and peered down at the snow. Her eyes got wide when she saw the prints. "Are those -?"
"Yeah, their his," he said gravely.
"Why would he ditch us?" she asked.
"I have an idea." She turned back to him. "I think he was mad because he was the only single person here. He got jealous, so he left. He's probably back home by now, we should call him."
She shook her head. "Let's give him time. He'll want to apologize for leaving. We shouldn't have been so rude, making out in front of him all the time. He hasn't been the same since Angel…." She trailed off, and a tear rolled down her cheek.
Roger comforted her. "Come here." He held her and she cried into his shoulder. "We'll find him. He's gonna be fine, we're all gonna be fine." Mimi looked into his eyes. He smiled. "Let's tell them what happened. We can split up and start looking right away."
Mimi half-smiled and nodded. They walked back into the restaurant, hand in hand.
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Benny was walking down Avenue B, hands in his pockets, headed toward the Life Café. They'll surely be there, he thought.
He jumped when he saw a dark figure running towards him from the opposite direction. This was not a safe neighborhood. He had always dreaded coming here. Now that a strange man was running at him, he felt his fears were very rational.
"Stop!" he shouted, fumbling for the knife in his back pocket. "I'm warning you, I am a very important man!" Benny froze on the spot when he recognized him. The man stopped in his tracks and looked at him. "Collins?" asked Benny. He couldn't believe it.
"Benjamin Coffin III," Collins said, out of breath. He smiled. "What in the hell are you doing here?"
Benny was glad they had found each other. "I came looking for Mark and Roger. I wanted to ask them --"
"For the rent?" said Collins, still smiling and shaking his head. "Benny, you're not even their landlord anymore. Don't you give up?"
"It's not about rent, Collins. I want to ask them a question. Do you know where they are?"
He hesitated. "No I don't. I haven't seen them all day. But m-maybe you should try the café." His eyes darted and he went red.
Benny nodded skeptically. "Right…. Well, I'll see you later, Collins."
He pushed him aside and walked on.
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Mark looked down at Miranda, stretched across his lap. This was so unlike him. He was dating someone he had nothing in common with. She was a complete ditz, Mark was an intellectual. In his heart he knew it wouldn't work. But he liked, for once, to not be the fifth wheel.
Mimi and Roger walked back in from the small hallway. The other four stood up. Mimi and Roger both said in unison, "He's gone."
Their mouths fell open. "He ditched us?" said Maureen, who had just woken up. "That's not like him at all."
"It's no big deal," said Mimi. "He just got a little uncomfortable with all these couples around."
"So what now?" asked Miranda airily.
"We look," Roger answered. "Mimi and I will check his apartment. Maureen and Joanne can look around the neighborhood. Mark, go back to our place in case he shows up."
They all agreed. "All right, let's go Maureen," said Joanne. Roger, Mimi, Maureen, and Joanne left and went in different directions.
"Okay," Mark said to Miranda. "We ought to get looking."
"Or…" she said, leaning in towards Mark and kissing him gently.
"No, no," he said, pushing her away. "My best friend is missing. We don't have time for this."
"Whatever, then I'm going home. Bye." She walked away with a flip of her flowing red hair.
Mark scowled and walked out the front door in the direction of his apartment.
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Collins was about to enter through Mark and Roger's front door when he heard heavy footsteps. Three or four sets, headed in his direction.
He whipped around and saw four muscular thugs, three with wooden baseball bats, one with a small blade. They jumped on him and sent him to the ground.
"No-!" was all he could utter before one of the muggers sent a blow with one of the bats to his left cheek. Another one tore open his pockets and grabbed his wallet. The others continued to kick and beat him until the attacker with the knife had pulled off Collins' brand new boots.
"Thanks for that, moron. Let's get outta here." They ran off into the night.
"Oh, God…" Collins moaned. "Not this again." He remembered that he had been in this situation a little over a year ago. But this time, no Angel would come to his rescue.
The taste of his blood, the cold concrete, and the aching pain of his ribs and legs was what Collins felt as he closed his eyes and drifted off…
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REVIEWS PLEASE!
AN: i am sorry about the cliffhanger. I have already written most of the story, so the rest should be up very very soon.