Okay, here's chappy two. THANK YOU JONATHAN LARSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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"Emily, do you have a jacket?" Roger asked.
"No, I didn't have time to grab one. Why, are we going somewhere?"
"Yeah, I'll get you one of Mimi's." Roger left the room, as Mimi entered.
"Hey," Mimi said.
"Hey," Emily replied. She pulled her sleeves down again and crossed her arms in attempt to warm up.
"Sorry it's so cold; Benny's a prick, so we don't get heat very often. Roger getting you a coat?"
"Yeah, do you know where we're going?"
"Yes," Mimi said with a smile, "but I can't tell you. That's up to Roger." Emily sighed.
"Figures, why can't he just..."
"Here you go," Roger said returning with a jacket. Emily pulled on the jacket, and followed Mimi and Roger out the door.
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After 15 minutes of dodging traffic, street vendors, and homeless people, the trio arrived at the community center.
Emily witnessed for the first time in her life, a Life Support meeting.
After the meeting, when they had returned to the loft, Emily approached her brother about the question that had been eating away at her since the start of the meeting. "Roger, you and Mimi have AIDs, don't you?" Roger nodded solemnly. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you get it?" She didn't seem upset or angry, not even disappointed. She just seemed to want to know more.
Mimi rubbed Roger's back reassuringly. "There's a lot about my past I'm not proud of." Roger paused. "My last girlfriend and I, we had unprotected sex; I got it from her, and she got it from a contaminated needle our dealer gave her."
"What drug did you guys use?"
"Smack, heroin." Emily nodded.
"Same shit as dad,"
"Wait, dad uses now?!"
"Yeah; Mimi how,"
"You're getting tested tomorrow," Roger said, sounding final.
"Tested for AIDs? I couldn't have it,"
"Yes, you could. I was seventeen when I got AIDs," Mimi said. "I didn't think I could get it either. And now, I've been living with it for the past four or five years."
"If dad got AIDs, he could have easily given it to you. If you did get it, I want you to know, so that you can take AZT," Roger said in a firm yet loving way. Emily knew, that while she was stubborn, Roger was even more so. Emily nodded and went into her bedroom.
Once she was gone, Roger sank onto the couch.
"Roger, baby, she'll be okay," Mimi said in attempt to comfort him.
"If that bastard destroyed her life like that,"
"Roger, we don't even know if she has it yet. Don't think like that." Roger sighed and nodded. "Now, what are we going to do with the situation at hand? Obviously we can't let her return to your old house; do you want her to live here with us now, even considering our lifestyles?"
"Yeah," Roger said softly. Mimi had rarely seen this side of him before. She was used to seeing the strong 'don't mess with me' side.
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The next day, around noon, Roger, Mimi, and Emily made their way to the free clinic. She was wearing some of Mimi's clothes. Emily, Roger, and Mimi walked in silence. They approached the circulation desk.
"Can I help you?" asked the irritated secretary.
"Um, she needs an HIV/AIDs test," Mimi said. The secretary handed Emily a clipboard with forms to fill out.
"What's her name?"
"Emily Davis." The trio sat in the cold, plastic chairs. Emily read over the form.
Name: Emily Davis
Age: 16Birth date: June 5th, 1979
Have you had unprotected sex in the last 6 months: not by choice
Does your partner have AIDs: Unknown
Form of Birth Control: I was a virgin until I was raped!
Medications you are taking: Amitriptyline
Blood Type: Unknown
"Emily Davis?" called a nurse. Emily stood.
"Do you want us with you?" Roger asked.
"I'm a big girl, Roger. I think I can handle it on my own," Emily said. She followed the nurse through the double glass doors, and down the hall. They entered one of the rooms.
"Okay Emily," the nurse said, going over some the forms. "Oh, honey, do you know who it was that raped you?"
"Yeah,"
"Did you file for rape charges?"
"It was my father, and I couldn't. Look can I just take the test," Emily answered and questioned. The nurse nodded, and took some of Emily's blood.
"You should get the results within the week. And, you're free to go."
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The return journey to the loft was very similar to the journey to the clinic. When they reached the loft, Mark was continuing the work on his film.
"Oh, hey guys. Where did you all go?"
"I'll be in my room," Emily said before disappearing behind the door. Roger sank onto the couch, and Mimi sat beside him.
"I get the feeling something is wrong," Mark said.
"Emily has informed me, well us, that our fucking father uses smack now."
"Oh, Rog, I'm sorry man."
"Why do you two always think so goddamned negatively all the time? Emily was just tested; we don't know anything for sure yet!" Mimi was on her feet now.
"Whoa, watch out for Mimi's aggressive side!" Mark said putting up his hands in defense.
"Now, we don't know if she has HIV, but we, well at least I, know that we have a sixteen year old living with us who is going to need to register for school. We can't let her not finish high school; I refuse to let anyone I know make the same mistake I made." Mimi sat back down, crossing her arms and her legs.
"You dropped out of high school?" Emily asked. No one noticed when she had come out of her room.
"Yeah, I dropped out as soon as I was sixteen. I really screwed up my life by doing so."
"So come back, come to high school with me," Emily said.
"I don't know," Mimi said, sounding doubtful.
"If we go together, maybe it won't be so bad."
"And what about your New Year's resolution from three years ago?" added Mark.
"Okay! I'll think about it! Happy?"
"No, but it'll do," Emily said. "So, what do you-all normally do for Christmas?"
"Nothing special; we usually go over to the Life Café and party there," Roger replied.
"Unless the manager refuses us entrance, but that rarely works," Mark added. Emily nodded.
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The next day, Emily, Roger, Mimi, and Mark all took the subway to go register Emily and Mimi for high school.
"I hate being back in High School," Mimi complained as they trudged through the halls on their way to the main office.
"High School isn't that bad, as long as you have a friend to share the experience with," Emily reassured her.
"You know, for a sixteen year old, you sure do know what to say to lift a person's morale," Mimi responded.
"Guys, you've passed the main office," Mark informed. The foursome entered the office.
"I'll be with you in a moment," the secretary said. "Okay," she said, hanging up the phone. "How can I help you?"
"Um, we need registration papers," Mimi said.
"What's your name, honey?" the secretary asked, looking past Mimi to Emily.
"Emily Davis and she needs the papers also."
"Oh," the secretary said taken aback. "And your name?"
"Mimi Marquez" The secretary handed them each a stack of paperwork.
"Please fill these out, there's and office over there if you want to go in there." Emily and Mimi took the packets of registration forms offered them, and entered the small office, Roger and Mark with them. They all took a seat around the table, and Mimi and Emily began filling out the forms.
A half hour later, the paper work was complete. They handed the secretary the packets of forms, and breathed a sigh of relief.
"What day will you be starting?"
"Next Tuesday," Mimi answered. The secretary smiled.
"Okay; here's a bell schedule, be here by 8:05 am. Oh, and here's our dress code guidelines. I suggest that you bring a backpack, some pencils, and notebooks. I'll see you Tuesday." They left the office just as the bell for lunch rang.
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The next day was Thursday, and yet no word had come on Emily's test. Roger was starting to get annoyed, and Emily started spending more and more time away from the group. Finally, the letter arrived.
"Emily, Roger!" Mimi screamed.
"What? What's going on?" Roger asked as both he and Emily appeared from their rooms.
"It came! Emily's test results came."
Emily took the envelope and sat on the couch. Slowly Emily Emily withdrew the folded papers.
Name: Emily Davis
Age: 16Birth date: June 5th, 1979
HIV/AIDs: Negative
The smile on Emily's face reassured Roger for Emily's health and future.
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Okay, I have very little of chappy 3 written, and I'm planning on writing more of Significant Others before I write more of this. Also, I've been putting off writing more of Life of Friends, so I should work on that as well. Lovies! Diva