Disclaimer: I do not own any of the original RENT characters.

AN: Thank you to those of you who reviewed! Here is the next installment. Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Hooked

Two months later, Mimi had a nice apartment and enough money to live comfortably. But she couldn't bring herself to quit. She soon found that it was easy to learn the dances. She learned to detach when she was on stage. She performed the dances without thinking, her mind blank.

Once or twice she considered quitting, but Mimi couldn't leave Gretchen, who quickly became like an older sister.

One day after work, Gretchen came up to her, "You want to come back to my place and have some fun?"

Eager to find out what went on at the dancer parties, Mimi agreed.

Upon arriving at Gretchen's apartment, she found it in not much better condition than her own. Surely Gretchen could afford better than this!

"Okay girls, did you bring the dough?" Gretchen grinned. "I got the goods."

All of the girls forked over a fistful of dollars to the redhead. Everyone except Candy was there. Mimi soon found out that she never came.

"What's going on?" Mimi asked.

"Since it's your first time, I'll waive your fee," Gretchen winked.

Frowning, Mimi followed the others and sat in a big circle. Placing herself on Gretchen's left, she watched as Gretchen filled a needle and injected it into her arm. A small smile crossed Gretchen's face as she passed the supplies to the girl on her right. The needle made its way around the circle, being refilled by every person. Finally, it reached Mimi.

She stared at the needle in her hand. She was scared of needles, ever since she had seen her best friend Rosa full of them when she was in the hospital at eight years old…

Gulping, Mimi did what she had seen the other girls do. Not wanting to be the only one sitting out, she put the needle to her arm winced inwardly as the point bit into her arm. She closed her eyes as the drugs started to take effect.

Mimi sent a portion of every paycheck home to her mother with a simple note that always read, "For Jose's school."

Every week after that, the girls rotated the hosting house. Gretchen always supplied "the goods" as long as you paid her for it. Mimi was nervous about having it at her place. About two weeks before it was her turn, Mimi began to watch Gretchen closely. She was looking pale, sweating all the time. Her eyes, once full of life, now were glazed over all the time. Gretchen brought gloves that past her elbows to hide her track marks. But whenever she took them off backstage, Mimi saw that they were getting worse.

"Are you okay?" Mimi finally asked her.

Gretchen smiled halfheartedly, "Don't you worry about me. I'll be fine, you take care of yourself Kitty-Cat."

"Kitty-Cat?" Mimi smiled.

"I figure you been here long enough to get a promotion, soon enough you'll be up to Catty."

Mimi watched Gretchen slip her gloves back on and make her way back to the stage.

The next day, they were working on a new dance when Gretchen excused herself to go to the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, she still hadn't returned. "Has anyone seen Gr-Bella?" Mimi frowned.

"No," Candy shrugged.

They spread out in search of Gretchen. It was Mimi who found her first. She was just outside the door, lying on the asphalt. "I found her!" she called. Quieter, she said, "Come on Gretchen, let's get you to a chair." She tried to lift Gretchen up. Gretchen remained still. Mimi lowered her to the ground again and started to shake her. "Come on. Wake up. Come on!"

Candy knelt behind Mimi. She put her fingers to Gretchen's throat. A low sigh escaped her, "She's gone."

"What? How?"

Candy showed Mimi the track marks on the redhead's arms. "Most of the girls are social shooters, they only shoot up at the parties. Gretchen shot up at least three times a day, never using a clean needle. I'll be willing to bet you she was HIV positive, and that any of the other girls could have it."

Tears gathered in Mimi's eyes as she looked down at her friend.

Candy put her hand on Mimi's shoulder, "She wasn't the first, she won't be the last. That's why I don't go to the parties."

Mimi looked at Candy questioningly. The older girl smiled sadly, "Traci, or Hope as she was the last before…" she looked down at Gretchen. "That's the reason you got to audition here."

"What do we do now?" Mimi whispered.

"We call the police. They take over from here. I'd better tell the girls we're done for the day."

Mimi went home and collapsed on her bed, she finally let herself weep for Gretchen. She had been Mimi's only true friend at the Catscratch. Candy's words rung in her ears. HIV? Could I be sick? I don't feel any different… But still, maybe…Don't be ridiculous Mimi, you're fine.

Over the next few weeks, Mimi returned to her job, adopted Catty as her official stage name and tried to go without her "goods". She soon found the last part impossible. She was hooked. And there was nothing she could do about it.

One night, Mimi called in sick. It wasn't necessarily a lie, she was feeling sick. Only, she was going through withdrawal, not the stomach flu. She made her way to a nearby park. She was on a mission, she needed her goods. She couldn't do with out them for any longer.

The cool night wind forced Mimi to pull her jacket closer around her. Even though it was a warm night, Mimi felt cold everywhere she went. It was the worst when she was half naked on stage.

Arriving at the park, Mimi bit her lip and looked around. She had found out about this man from someone at work, Laurie, stage name, Ginger. Finally, Mimi saw the man she was looking for. He was busy with another transaction. Mimi watched his current customers. One of them was a female who dressed on the punk-rock side. The other was a man. Not just any man, but the most attractive man Mimi had ever seen. He had blonde, spiked hair and wore clothes that could only belong to a rock and roller. Mimi longed to talk to him…

No. She would stay where she was. This man obviously had already found what he was looking for, based on the fact that after receiving his goods, he gave the girl next to him a big kiss on the lips. Besides, what would a guy like that want with a girl like Mimi?

After watching him walk away, Mimi approached the drug dealer. And thus began her own, addiction, the one not just of using, but of buying.