I'M BACK! I worked on this while I was in Montana… and I did Over The Moon for the talent show there! That was fun. Everyone moo'd.

Mid-term report cards came two days later. Mimi looked at hers, and her heart dropped. She had 2 C's, 3 D's, and 2 F's… she was failing. Miserably.

A pit formed in her stomach when she looked at Angel. What's she gonna say…? Mimi watched her drag queen sister as she read the younger girl's report card. She hung her wigged head.

"Chica…" Angel began

"Lo siento, Angel." (I'm sorry, Angel)

"Por que?" (Why). Why was she sorry…?

"I'm failins out of school…"

"No," Angel interrupted. "Why are you failing?"

Mimi stared. What was she failinf? How should she know? Was she just not smart?

"No se…" (I don't know) she replied. "I honestly am trying, but…" she trailed off

"… but it's too hard?" Angel finished for her.

"Si." Mimi sighed.

"I will talk with the school-"

"NO!" Mimi exclaimed. She didn't want any kind of special treatment, or to be held back a year. Angel paused and looked at her.

"- I will tell them that you are to be homeschooled."

Mimi was confused.

"But- who-?"

"Me, of course. But there are other complications."

"Like what?"

"Like the GED. And as long as you are not in school, you should get a job." Angel looked very serious, She looked more like a 'legal guardian' than ever. Mimi had no clue what a GED was, but if it meant that much to Angel… she wanted her carefree sister back.

"I'll do it." Mimi nodded. Angel smiled a genuine smile. It warmed Mimi's heart, and suddenly they were sisters again. Angel leaned forward and held Mimi tight.

"Manana," (pronounced MAHN-yahn-ah; tomorrow) she said firmly. "Manana I will talk to the school."

-

Manana came and went. Mimi was allowed to drop out of sophomore year due to "old family hardships," and she got a job as a backup dancer for a start-up pop boy band. Her talent was quickly discovered and she soon replaced Christine, the old lead, who left to work at a strip club.

For a while thing worked out well. Mimi would go to practice with the band every day, then come home and Angel would make copies of the homework and do it with Mimi, explaining what she didn't understand. Street slowly dropped out of Mimi's life, as did Gaby. Soon, Angel was the only thing left from her 'old' life, and even then. Mike was gone. Michelle was gone, too. The timid little 15-year-old schoolgirl named Michelle had been replaced with a sexy dancing high school dropout. Things were stable with one and a half incomes…

… then all hell broke loose.

It started with a simple phone call. The answering machine picked it up.

Beep

"If Mimi Marquez is at the number, Please call Dr. Bennick at 338-4322. Your bloodwork is in and it's vital you talk to the doctor. If Mimi is not at this number… uh… have a nice day!"

Mimi's fingers trembled as she punched in the number.

"This is Dr. Bennick, how may I help you?"

"Hi, uh... this is Mimi Marquez. I uh-"

"Yes, Mimi… You were tested for HIV, correct?"

"Yes… uhmm…"

"Would you like to come pick up your results or shall I tell you over the phone?" he asked kindly.

"Just… tell me now, por favor." (please)

"Mimi Marquez, you tested… positive for HIV. The good news is that it's not full-blown AIDS yet, so you can take AZT to keep it under control. Mimi… Mimi are you there?"

Mimi had dropped the phone, but she heard every word. She clamored to pick it up again

"Yes…. Yes I'm here." She listened to the doctor explain everything, and then ask her to go to the clinic to pick up. She said that she would go as soon as she could.

Then came the cost.

"Mimi, we barely have enough. I think we both need to get better jobs…"

"How, Angel? I'm just a dancer. The only places I could go would be strip clubs."

"We need to get it Mimi. Just try… okay?"

Then came the work.

"The band… it's just not working." Joey announced one day.

She had to get a new job. Didn't Christine get somewhere? A strip club. Oh boy.

The neon sign loomed over her "CATSCRATCH CLUB" she walked in unemployed, and walked out with a source of income that just might work.

And that's where the trouble began.

Sorry it's short… but hey I forgot to mention

I re-wrote my chapter Dance in the Flames (the drug one) for a writing contest, so that Angel wasn't in it, instead she lived with Mama, and I called it Mimi's Little Secret. I entered it into a class writing contest and I WON! This was a while back, but I still am proud of it.

I got a 95/100 on it, and I asked the teacher what 5 points I missed and she said "it's a matter of pride, no one can be perfect"

And… don't expect too many updates in the close future. I'm going to an acting camp for a month… sorry all. I love you!

Oh, yea, and I have a story up on Fiction Press… same pen name. Go see?