I don't own (emotion, I) RENT.

Mimi barely heard Mike's cry above the din of the cafeteria. She picked her way among the tables to the empty hall outside, to find Mike on the floor, his usually proud head hung and his shoulders limp.

"Mike!" she cried, and scampered over to him. Mike wasn't answering. He just sat there, looking catatonic. Mimi started slapping Mike's face lightly.

"Mike, Mike c'mon. Mike, despierte, por favor (please wake up)… Mike, please." His eyelids fluttered the tiniest bit.

"Mike… Mike please. C'mon, mike." The bell rang somewhere above them

"Mike, the bell just rang, people are going to see you. You have chemistry next, Mike. C'mon, let's go."

"No."

"Mike?"

"No, he's there."

"He's in chemistry?"

"He's in there."

"Well, then you don't have to go… you can come to study hall with me?"

"No. I don't want to be here, Mimi! I don't want to be…" he spread his arms out. "… here." Mimi was scared at this point. Mike was wilting away in front of her, and now he wanted to be taken away from the world.

"No, Mike. No, You can't just leave... Mike… let's just go home."

"Bien." The two of them quietly walked out the door. Their loud footsteps followed them home, filling the silence the neither of them was attempting to fill with words.

--

Shutting the door behind them, Mike slowly trudged to the room they shared. Mike just stood in the middle of the room, looking around.

"Mike…?" Mimi asked cautiously. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Mike made an apathetic little grunt.

"Por favor, Mike?" (Please, Mike?)

"Okay." Mike told the whole story to his sister. Mimi was in tears by the end.

"Mike… Oh, Mike. I can't believe he said that! You are a great drag queen, Mike…"

"Ho do you know? I've only done it once, and with your help!"

"We're just going to have to do it again, won't we?"

"I couldn't… not at school!"

"Yes, you can. C'mon. Let's get you some practice with makeup."

--

The next day, Angel walked into history class, and took Mike's usual seat next to Mimi. Angel was getting stares from everyone in the class. She didn't have chemistry yet today, so she hadn't seen Bret, but she could not wait to see the look on his face.

Right before Will and Mimi's study hall, Gaby's Art class, Street's math, and Angel's chemistry, they all gave Angel a hug, wishing her luck. They got a few hisses and whispers of "faggots," as people walked by, but then they saw Will and backed away. And so, with a brave face, Angel entered chemistry.

Of course, Mimi watched from the doorway. Study hall never takes attendance, and she wasn't about to miss her sister's big moment.

Angel walked into the room; calm as anything She took her seat in the middle of the room. She had usually regretted getting this seat, because it was two seats away in both directions from Bret. Now she head her head high, not looking back at Bret's empty seat or to the door he was walking through now. His eye shot straight to Mike's seat… but he found Angel.

Angel looked up, and was faced with a gruesome surprise. Bret shaved his head. Angel was half-glad. It was one of the things she loved about him. His hair was always fantastic… but now it was gone. Well, good riddance. Angel thought. Now I have less reason to miss him.

He leered over her desk.

"Hey. How you doing without me?"

"Better than ever, thank you for asking."

"You make a horrible woman, you know?"

Angel just smiled at him. A sweet smile, but Mimi could see the pain under it. What she said next shocked everyone.

"Honey, I'm more of a man then you'll ever be… and more of a woman then you'll ever get."

The teacher walked into the classroom just then, thank goodness. Bret looked like he was about to punch Angel.

Mimi looked at the clock, and then ran off to join Will at… uhmm… study hall….

I rather like the end to this one, even if it is a little short.