Disclaimer- I'm renting these characters from Jonathan Larson. Only Maddie is mine.
Thanks to all the readers who've been following along! I think I may have to use the two-review rule- no updates until I receive at least two reviews.
December 24th, 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
Maddie stands in the chilly evening around the corner from the Life Café. She beams at me and I can't help smiling back.
"You ready to meet the rest of Bohemia?"
"Of course. Especially Maureen," she grins. I, of course, am not looking forward to that at all.
"You sure you can handle her? She's a bit overpowering…"
"Mark, I'm not sick enough that she can huff and puff and knock me over." I smile ruefully, quietly observing that Maddie is even scrawnier than me, despite what she said the day we met- a seemingly impossible feat.
"Let's go fatten you up, Mads," I smile affectionately at her, poking her ribs that are obvious even through a big, bulky winter coat. She stares at me, obviously frightened that I can see her weight loss. I reassure her with a kiss, then take her hand in mine and pull her around the corner.
My friends are all huddling just outside the door, as I expected them to be. Collins spots us first, then the others follow his gaze. I note each smiling, familiar face, somehow still searching for the face I have come to dread.
"Maureen's not here yet," Roger grins, reading me like a book.
"No doubt she's trying to come 'fashionably late.' She's the only person I know who actually believes in that," sighs Joanne. She notices Maddie and, in typical Joanne fashion, thrusts her hand forward. "Joanne Jefferson."
"Pleased to meet you," Maddie comes right back with a firm handshake of her own. "Madeleine Parker. But no one's called me that since I graduated high school. I go by Maddie."
"And I go by Joanne." Maddie does her best to swallow a giggle, but miserably fails. Joanne smiles after a few moments too. "Fine, Jo." The two smartest girls I know go into hysterics together over possibly one of the stupidest jokes ever.
"MARKY!" I suddenly get barreled over by none other than Maureen Johnson, who, in typical Maureen fashion, gives me a big kiss. Both Maddie and Joanne instantly stop laughing. Maureen turns around to tease Joanne, but she sees Maddie instead. "Who the hell are you?"
Maddie doesn't answer; she simply walks over to me and laces her tiny hand in mine. Maureen stares openmouthed at our hands, and looks up into my eyes with a mix of shock and hurt. Joanne raises an eyebrow at Maddie, then cracks up.
"Maureen," I say a bit more sternly than I normally would have, "This is Maddie Parker. She's my new girlfriend."
Now, Maureen is an amazing actress. She made me believe that there was no one else in her life when she was sleeping with half the Village. However, she doesn't even try to cover up the pain on her face. It quickly bubbles over into anger and she storms away. Being the whipped ex that I am, I follow her out into the hallway, as does everyone else. That was a mistake.
"Pookie, how could you?" she rails at me.
"Mo, in case you haven't noticed, we're not dating anymore. You broke up with me over two years ago. Did you forget that, or did you think I would just wait here for you?" She doesn't answer my question. Maddie appears by my side again.
"So, what's her dilemma?" Maureen says quietly, glaring past me at Maddie.
"Excuse me?" Maddie and I say together as Joanne scolds her with a "Honeybear!" Even Roger and Collins have stopped laughing.
"Every one in this little family has fucking problems, Mark. There's AIDS, drugs, bad breakups, suicide, homosexuality. What's hers?" Maureen struts over to Maddie, mocking her to her face, poking her visible ribs. "Drug habit? AIDS? Eating disorder?"
"Leukemia," Maddie says simply, and removes her hat.
Maureen's look of shock tops even the one she had been wearing before. She isn't the only shocked one- everyone's a little stunned to see the stark, pale scalp just appear from where her hat had been. Joanne lurches awkwardly forward, and takes Maddie's hand.
"How long?" she croaks.
"A couple of years," Maddie wears a sad smile eerily like my own. "My prognosis is pretty good, though." She gives Mimi a little squeeze. "Still, no day but today. Let's go get wasted!"
This shakes the rest of us out of our daze. We give a little cheer and meander into the café. Before I could go in, Collins grabs me.
"She is so fucking like Angel, Mark," Collins has tears in his eyes and is beaming like a parent who's just watched their kid stand up to a longtime bully. "Ang wouldn't take any shit either."
"I know, I remember the stories." I'm beaming too. "Didn't she knock out someone with her shoe once?"
"Indeed she did," Collins laughs. "Ya know, I bet Ang has one of her sparkly, manicured hands in you two meeting. She always liked you, Mark."
"I know," I smile back at him. "Come on. The craziest girls I know are inside the Life Café together. We gotta keep them from wrecking the place."
Collins laughs, lights his joint and follows me in.
My friends are in the process of moving the tables together. Once again, the maitre d is almost foaming at the mouth with anger.
"Relax, man," Collins tells him. "We've got money, AIDS, and a kid with cancer." The maitre d shoots Maddie a terrified look, while she gives him a pinky wave.
"Oh what the hell, it's Christmas," he mutters and adjourns to the front of the room. We all cheer, and the bartender brings us our customary round of beers. Maddie and I both refuse our drinks.
"Eating for two, Marky?" Maureen sniggered at me. I notice that she doesn't bother with teasing Maddie, who laughs along with the rest of us.
"No, I asked him not to drink. We're meeting my parents tomorrow, and they're crazy enough without nursing a hangover." Another burst of laughter follows Maddie's comment, which makes her beam. I don't know anyone who gets so happy over people laughing at their jokes.
"So, Maddie, what do you do in your spare time? Collins told me you're one of his students," Joanne starts up a conversation, loosened up by the alcohol.
"Yeah, I'm a music education major at NYU. I write and sing in my spare time," Maddie replied.
"Jo, she's really good," Mimi butts in.
"Oooh, sing something for us!" Maureen seems to have forgiven Maddie- she's childlike in her glee. But knowing her as I do, I can tell she's just trying to size Maddie as a competitor- Mo's the only female singer among us, and she loves it. I wonder if there's room enough in Bohemia for two divas.
Maddie smiles, stretches for a moment, then opens her mouth to sing.
There were bells on the hill,
But I never heard them ringing.
No, I never heard them at all,
'Til there was you.
She keeps her eyes on me, which, of course, everyone notices. Collins smiles at me and winks, while Roger elbows me in the ribs. Mimi manages to hush them both.
There were birds in the sky,
But I never saw them winging.
No, I never saw them at all,
'Til there was you.
And there was music,
And there were wonderful roses,
They tell me,
In sweet fragrant meadows of dawn and dew.
There was love all around,
But I never heard it singing!
No, I never heard it at all,
Till there was you!
All of the Bohemians start applauding. I look over at Maureen, who's totally blown away by Maddie's voice. Joanne's in tears, yelling, "Brava!"
I walk up to Maddie and give her a hug and a kiss. "Mads, that was wonderful."
"Thank you, Mark," she beams.
"I think even Maureen's impressed," I say softly into her ear. "I'd say you just kicked her ass." Maddie giggles, and then stops. I turn around, and Maureen is standing behind me.
"Excuse me, Marky," she blows right past me and practically dive bombs Maddie. "Sweetie, you were wonderful!"
"Thanks, Maureen," I hear Maddie say, muffled under my ex's squeals. I chuckle and walk over to see my other friends. Joanne, of course, has one eye on Maureen, but she's more relaxed about it because it seems like she trusts Maddie.
"Nice vocal cords on your girlfriend, Mark," Roger smiles at me, raising his beer in my direction.
"Thanks."
"No, seriously, Mark, she's REALLY good," Joanne tells me in her usual deadpan, wiping her eyes. "She seems like she's got a lot to say."
"Yes, she definitely does," I say, watching Maddie with no small amount of pride. The food arrives, and everyone gets swept up towards the table. Maddie is in the mix like she's been here all of her life, cracking jokes, starting conversations, passing food and smiling like it's her job.
"You really do like her, don't you?" Mimi says, almost amazed at how I can just sit and watch her.
"Yeah, yeah I do." I don't think I realize yet how much I care about her. I can't really put it into words quite yet. Instead, I just sip my tea and eat some of the feast now spread along the table.
Around me, everyone is talking loudly, the alcohol and excitement heightening the volume. Maddie's as giddy as everyone else without even touching the beer. When my friends get really drunk and start jumping around and singing, Maddie laughs and sings right along with them.
Finally the party grinds to a halt when Joanne runs to the bathroom, the alcohol finally having caught up to her. When she returns, we congratulate for holding out longer than last Christmas Eve, then stumble away, loudly singing.
Maddie and I are the last to leave the Life, so we end up paying for the meal.
"Thanks for letting us in again this year," I say to the maitre 'd on our way out.
"Oh, it just wouldn't be Christmas if you guys didn't come in for the night," he smiles benignly at me. "At least there wasn't another riot."
"Merry Christmas," I tell him as I take Maddie under my arm and lead her back to her apartment.
"Mark, thank you for taking me with you tonight," Maddie smiles at me.
"You're welcome. I'm glad you came, too," I smile at her. Maddie grins and kisses me softly.
"Mark, I've never felt this way about a person before. I… I think I love you," Maddie whispers in my ear. The words shock and thrill me through. The whole time I was with Maureen, I was always the initiator. I was the first to say I love you, I was the one who wanted Maureen to love me. To have Maddie make the first move was refreshing and really made me feel good.
"I love you too," I say back without hesitation, looking Maddie in the eye.
"We haven't known each other very long, but somehow I know that much. And I don't want you to meet my parents without knowing why it's so important to me that you see where I'm from. Mark, if my life is gonna be as short as everyone seems to think, I'd like to spend it with you, because you would make me happy. And I hope I can make you close to how happy you make me feel."
"I'm glad I make you so happy," I say, holding her close for a long time. After a moment, my hand falls to her ass. Maddie looks up at me and gestures towards her apartment.
"Do you…?"
"Not tonight, Mads. Tomorrow would be a nightmare for both of us. It'd be even more awkward than it would be under the best of circumstances. But soon, I promise."
"Sure, Mark." she kisses me goodbye. "I'll see you tomorrow." With that she went inside and shut the door, giving me no choice but to turn around and go back to the loft.