AN- Hiiii. Hope you like this chapter as much as you liked the first. I think I got Mimi okay. She isn't as OOC as Roger seemed to me. Uh.. yeah, that's basically all. And yes, I do know the difference between 'split' and 'slit' if you caught that in the last chapter. I just.. I don't know. I thought that if Roger was actually telling that to someone, he would say 'split', instead of 'slit'. So, you know, if that explains it any.

Disclaimer- I don't own RENT. I wish I did. That way I could make it not close.

If my mother knew the real me now, she would probably say that I'm a terrible person. But.. honestly, I don't care. Everything I've done, I've done for a reason. I became a stripped because I needed money. I knocked on the rocker's door because I needed a light for my drugs. I slept with my dealer because I needed the drugs. The last thing, well that wasn't my smartest moment. I haven't had many smart moments.

Sleeping with the dealer is what put the death sentence on me.

I was only eighteen. I'd been in the city for about a year. And I'd been on the drugs for a few months. At the time, I was living with Angel. I didn't have to worry about rent, or about any bills. Hell, she gave me clothes to wear. I'm sure that if I asked her, she would've bought the drugs for me. I couldn't do that. As much as she tried to get me to quit, I just couldn't throw that right into her face.

I shot up for the first time after leaving a party. I was with some people who I thought were my friends. If they were my friends, I'm sure they wouldn't have got me hooked in the first place. After that first hit, I was in love with the drugs. I was one of the smart ones though. I used clean needles. I had no intentions of getting a disease and ruining my life.

Intentions didn't matter though.

I remember it like it was yesterday. I didn't have any money, and I was aching for a hit. I couldn't ask Angel. I had been promising her that I would quit. I just couldn't tell her the truth. So instead of trying to borrow money from anyone else, I slept with him, the man I bought my drugs from.

It was the most stupid thing I've ever done.

I don't even remember how I convinced myself to get tested. Maybe it was God giving me a warning or something. I mean, I was already too far gone. I don't know why he would interfere. Even though I don't remember why I got tested, I do remember my reaction. As soon as I got the results, I shut down. I stayed locked in my room for at least two weeks. My life was over. I was only eighteen and I had AIDS.

The man who provided me with the ultimate high, the only thing I enjoyed, had ruined it so easily.

It took Angel's words at my door to get me out to eat finally. I remember them clearly.

"Honey, you can't stay in there for the rest of your life. You've got to forget your regrets, you know that. Live today like it's your last. It could be.. No day but today, sweetie."

That's my mantra now. No day but today.

And you know, I'm not even scared. I'm not scared that I'll waste away and I'll lose all bodily control one day. The only fear I do have.. is not living while I've got time.