A/N: Sorry for the long wait. Writer's block is evil…that's all I'll say. Bad ending I know.
Disclaimer: I don't own Rent
Chapter 2: I Think I'm In Love
Priscilla hummed a happy tune as she walked into her apartment. Suddenly, she wasn't so stressed out about how mom somehow finding out about what she was really doing. Somehow when she saw Melissa for that one moment…she was happier. She couldn't really explain it. She never felt like this when she was with….
Priscilla stopped in her tracks mid-hum. "Oh crap." she muttered and opened the apartment to her house very quickly. She smiled to see that her mom was nowhere in sight.
She ran though the small little kitchen they had to her room right across from it in a flash of panic. How could she have forgotten Jessica? She had forgotten her own girlfriend because of some stupid girl she had only seen once. She felt kind of guilty…flirting with another girl. She KNEW that was wrong. She already had an awesome girlfriend. Or did she…
No, Priscilla thought, Of course I love Jessica. She's the only one whose ever been there for me in my godforsaken life.
Although Jessica could be a mean person…well, she was there for her. She had shown her that magic little drug that made all her problems disappear. Jessica loved her…she knew it. She might scream at her sometimes…yell at her, but it was really her own fault for making her mad.
She closed the door to her room and quickly ran to the window and opened it, loudly whispering, "Jessica! Jess-"
"I'm down here!" a voice from below shouted. And there, out of the bushes, came Jessica. Her eyes were baggy and red, her voice was slurred, and she was walking very wobbly.
Great, Priscilla thought in annoyance and covered her hands in her head, She's high…tonight of all nights…when I'm late, when she has reason to be mad at me.
"Oh, shit Jessica," she said as Jessica walked up the fire escape, almost tripping on one of the steps, "I'm so sorry, I-"
"Where the hell were you!?" Jessica screamed as she ungracefully wobbled into Priscilla's room, "Do you know how long I was waiting!? I was almost freezing, damn it!"
Priscilla winced and jumped as she was slapped in the face. Great…she really did it now. She shouldn't of stopped to flirt with some stupid girl!
"Well," Jessica slurred, "Where the hell where you!?"
"Someone bumped into me," said Priscilla, staying as calm as possible, "She-"
"You met someone else!?" Jessica shouted angrily and pushed Priscilla against the wall, "Who was she!"
"I'm not seeing anyone!" said Priscilla, a bit angry. Really, didn't she trust her! "I just said sorry for bumping into her! That's all!"
"Don't yell at me!" Jessica and slapped Priscilla again in the face. Priscilla winched. Well, at least she knew Jessica would never do anything worse to her. It was either pushing or slapping, nothing worse. Priscilla knew Jessica would never really hurt her like that…just a few slaps that really didn't hurt at all and small pushes.
"I'm sorry," Priscilla said. She frowned a bit as Jessica turned away from her and crossed her arms, obviously upset.
"Sometimes it's like you don't even love me at all!" Jessica said angrily, "You've been so distant lately."
Priscilla frowned. Jessica seemed really upset. She really hated it when she upset her. She slowly game up from behind her and put her arms around her waist.
"Honey," Priscilla said, "Trust me, I am so sorry….and…" she grinned, remembering what she had in her pockets, "I have a way to make it up to you," she said.
"Oh really?" said Jessica sarcastically, rolling her eyes, "Somehow I really doubt-" she angrily turned around then smiled a bit once she saw what Priscilla had in her hands.
"You got it?" she asked with an almost crazed look in her eyes.
Priscilla nodded and smiled as she held the heroin in her hands out to Jessica. This always worked. Somehow, if a bag of smack was waved in Jessica's face…she'd forgive and forget. Well, mainly forgot…well, mostly forget…Jessica wasn't one who really forgave people that much. But, despite that, she still loved her…she had been the only one who'd truly listen to her problems while her mom was too busy sleeping on the couch.
"You remembered the stuff," said Jessica, her eyes lighting up like a little child.
Priscilla giggled a bit at her girlfriend's excitement…she was always so cute when she did that. "Yep," she said with a smile and tossed the bag to Jessica and got a needle from out of her pocket.
And then, all was forgotten, just like that. Just like it was always was. Priscilla smiled…she loved how that's how it always work…no drama, no fighting…just hold up a little bag that solved all their problems.
Soon, they were shooting up and making out with each other on the bed. Priscilla frowned slightly as she kissed Jessica passionately. Why didn't she feel anything by kissing her anymore. The only thing that would stay her mind it seemed was a girl with curly, dirty blonde hair, green eyes and a laugh that made her smile. Yes, she was in love…but in love with the wrong girl.
"There you see her," Michelle sung as she happily bounced into her apartment door, "Looking there across the way…she don't got a lot to say, but there's something about her…"
For some reason she felt happy…well, she normally did feel happy, but, this was a different kind of happy. She couldn't really explain it. It was like the feeling after eating a whole bowl of sugar without the side-effect of a tummy ache. She had so much energy she didn't know what to do with it. High as if she was on drugs.
She didn't know what it was when she looked into Rob's eyes. She wanted to laugh, smile…sing every cliché romantic Disney song under the sea. Right now she was going with singing every romantic Disney song under the sea.
"Well," her brother, Bill, said with a chuckle, though, with a bit of suspicion in his voice, "You seem happy."
"You bet," she said in a sing song voice as she twirled to her room, "That trip to the park was just what I needed!"
"A little too much, if you ask me," Bill muttered looking up at her from his spot on the couch.
"What do you mean?" Michelle asked innocently, still humming happily.
"I mean," said Bill, "I know you're usually a very happy person…but, I've never seen you come in here, basically dancing around singing Disney songs."
"Fresh air can do you good," Michelle said with a big grin, "You should try it."
She knew her brother would be silly If she told him why she was so happy. She giggled lightly. Her brother was always so silly about being all overprotective if she even mentioned maybe having feelings for a guy.
"Hey," said Bill, chuckling, "I get out plenty of times to get fresh air."
"Sitting on your butt all day watching TV is NOT getting fresh air," she said, sticking her tongue out at her brother and giggled as she walked inside her room.
She laughed as she heard Bill say something about him not being a lazy butt as she flung onto her bed. She felt just…awesome. She had to ask Polly for Rob's number tomorrow since he was in her algebra class. She smiled and soon closed her eyes and feel asleep, her own hyperness wearing her out a bit. She always hated that her hyperness ended usually with tiredness…but, she had practically danced all the way home and now she was just plain tired.
"Listen, Morgan, I'm-" said Melissa, as she walked up the loft steps, following her steps.
"Sorry?" said Morgan, turning around to face her sister. She made a weak smile at her…she really did seem sorry. "It's fine," she said.
"Really?" said Melissa, "Because, I wasn't really trying to embarrass you, well," she said with a giggle, "Maybe I was with the nacho cheese thing…but, I really do think you should get to know that Polly girl."
Morgan shook her head and laughed a bit. That was just like Melissa and her friends…always saying she should get to know everyone she came in contact with. Polly did seem nice, she was pretty…but, love simply didn't work out for her. She was simply to…well, off putting. She'd rather dive into a book than get to know someone. She couldn't explain it…reading made her feel safe. It made her forget for the moment that her dad, Collins, even herself or her sister, could die of AIDS at anytime. She really didn't understand how Melissa wasn't even the least bit afraid of this…she was outgoing, funny…not like her at all.
"Maybe…" said Morgan with a half smile.
"I mean it this time, Morgan," said Melissa, crossing her arms, "I really have good feelings about this girl."
Morgan just smiled and shrugged and went into the loft. Really, she didn't want to talk about this anymore. She didn't want to think about this…didn't her friends understand the fact she had AIDS? Did her own sister even realize if she feel in love she might risk spreading it to someone else…that, even if it turned out Polly did have AIDS, their time would be short. It just wasn't worth the drama.
Melissa sighed and followed her sister into the loft. She didn't understand how they were so discreetly different. Morgan was just so…cynical. Well…maybe not cynical…love just wasn't part of her agenda. She felt that AIDS stopped her from somehow from falling it love…she was convinced that it only caused pain when one or the other lover died way to soon. Mom…that's what Morgan was thinking of, Melissa knew. Mom had died way too young, way too soon…she had seen how Dad had handled it and didn't wont to put anyone in that kind of pain.
Melissa frowned…when would her sister learn to just be happy? Their parents had a good life together from what they had seen…short, but good.
"Guess I'll just have to set them up myself," she muttered to herself with a small, mischievous grin.
"What was that?" Morgan asked.
"Oh nothing," Melissa said innocently.
Later That Night
"Time for dinner!" Maureen said with a huge grin. Everyone had decided to get together in the loft for dinner and Maureen volunteered to cook…well, more like whined her way into it.
"I'm scared," Rob shuttered from his spot on the couch, "Last night, Mom made a surprise casserole…it was a surprise all right to my poor tummy. Sick for a week."
"So that's why you were sick," said Melissa obliviously.
Joanne, who was sitting next to Rob, and Rob sighed. Obviously, Melissa had gotten her attention span from Roger.
"I like food," little Zach said, happily bouncing on the chair, "Aunt Maureen…are we having hamburgers?"
"Zach," said Maureen in surprise, "You like eating a poor, defenseless cow?"
Zach looked confused and said, "I like hamburgers, not cows."
"Mark," said Maureen, shaking her head, "You've gotta teach this boy what poor, defenseless animals go into that burger. Just because he's 6 doesn't mean he should be misinformed. He's eating Elsie!"
"Burgers aren't good, Daddy?" Zach asked, looking at Mark in surprise, "They're made from cows? I'm eating Elise?" he asked, his big, blue eyes looking at Mark in worry.
"Afraid so, buddy," said Mark softly with a small nod.
Zach gasped, "I've been eating Elise this whole time?"
"'Fraid so," said Mark, looking a tad guilty.
"I'm not eating hamburgers again," said Zach, with a small pout.
"Good," said Maureen with a smile and brought out from the small kitchen area a plate of a UFO…unidentified food object.
Everyone shuddered when they saw the mushy, brown stuff on the plate.
"Maureen," said Roger, "What the hell is that?"
Maureen glared at Roger and stuck her tongue out at him. "It's a bean casserole, for your information," she said, "I spent hours making it."
"Maureen," said Collins, searching for a nice way to say her food looked disgusting, "Are you sure you made it right? I don't see any beans."
"That's because their inside the casserole!" said Maureen happily, and put the plate on the table, "I'll get more plates and silverware!"
She hoped merrily to the kitchen and was about to get the silverware when the power blew. For once, no one was to upset about the power blowing…just meant more time to stall from eating the casserole.
"Shit!" said Maureen with a pout, the angriest of them all, "Stupid Benny! He did it again!"
She looked desperately for a match and a candle and pouted when she found a candle…but not matches. The others soon joined in helping, but, sadly came out with nothing.
"Ok," said Joanne, "Who wants to go ask someone for a match?"
"I did last time," Maureen complained with a small pout.
"I did it the time before last," Mark said.
"I wanna help!" Zach piped up, causing the others to giggle lightly.
"I'm afraid you're too little for that," said Mark
Zach pouted, "No fair," he whined, "I can't do anything…I'm always too little."
"Hey," said Mark, "How 'bout when it's my turn, I promise to take you with me. Is that cool?"
"Ok," said Zach, with a small pout.
"It's my turn," said Melissa, "Someone give me a candle…I can't see anything," she said with a giggle.
"Of course," said Maureen and held out the candle, "I'm holding it out."
Melissa nodded and felt for the candle and soon found it and toke it from Maureen's hand and was out the door.
30 minutes later, she sighed as she realized no one would light her candle…some just slammed the door in her face showing natural New York 'curtsey' by telling her to leave them the hell alone and some just didn't have any matches.
She went downstairs, ready to take another shot and knocked on the first door she saw…unknown to her, it was the door of the girl she had just met.