I own not a notion…I rent…

When Maureen woke up that morning, she was alive, fully clothed (the biggest surprise), and wrapped in someone's arms. As she tried to clear the fog from her mind, she suddenly grew aware of her surroundings. She was in Roger and Mark's loft, lying on their ripped up (yet incredibly comfortable) couch and was being held by Mark. Maureen looked at him and smiled. Her little nerd.

The night was coming back to her now. She, Mark, Roger, and Collins had stayed up talking, laughing, and drinking large amounts of liquor like old friends, even though she had only just met this group of friends. Maureen supposed that she had been sitting with Mark and had fallen asleep in his arms. Maureen smiled again as she thought back to what they had all talked about. April would have loved these gu-April. Shit!

Maureen gently unwound herself from Mark's sleeping embrace, trying hard not to wake him. He was so adorable when he slept. Maureen got up from the couch, giggling softly at Collins and Roger. Roger had fallen asleep with his head on Collins' shoulder and Collins in turn had placed his head upon Roger's. If only she had a camera.

Maureen silently walked over to the phone. She picked it up, base and all, and carried it outside onto the loft's balcony. She dialed her and April's number and held her breath. She heard the phone ring once…twice…thr-

"Hello?" A very sleepy voice answered.

"Hi April!"

"Reen. Are you dead?"

"No, stupid."

"Are you in the hospital?"

"Nope.

"A ditch?"

"Negative."

"Then why the hell are you calling?"

"In case you were searching the alleyways for my horribly mangled body."

"Nope."

"Thanks for your concern."

"You're welcome." Maureen paused, hoping April would continue. She was not disappointed.

"So where are you? While this isn't the first time you've left for the bar and not come home until the next morning, this is the first time you've called."

"What time is it?"

"About…" Maureen could hear shuffling in the background.

"…9."

"Oh. Well, I met a couple of guys."

"No surprise there. Do tell."

"Well, there's-"

"Maureen?" Maureen's head shot up. Roger was standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Roger. Sorry, babe, gotta go. I'll see you in a little while."

"Fine. Call when you get work."

"Hang by your thumbs." Maureen hung up the phone and looked at Roger.

"Sorry about that. I needed to call my roommate and let her know I was alive."

"Ah. That makes sense. Why are you being considerate outside? The rest of us would like to see that side of you." Maureen smacked him on the arm.

"I didn't want to wake you three up. Though I've apparently failed."

"Well, thank you. No, you didn't wake us up. Mark can sleep through a Soviet invasion and Collins woke me up."

"Oh, okay." Maureen walked back into the loft.

"April, right?"

"What?"

"Your roommate."

"Oh yeah. Good memory." Roger bowed. Maureen giggled and put the phone back on the table. Suddenly, Maureen heard a yell and jumped nearly three feet into the air. She turned around, clutching her chest, and saw that Roger was sitting on Mark while Mark thrashed and struggled underneath him.

"Dammit, Roger! Get your ass off me!"

"Are you awake?"

"YES, YOU BLIND IDIOT! GET OFF!"

"Okay." Roger pulled himself off of him. Mark gasped for air. Maureen and Collins, who had been searching for food, had dissolved into a fit of giggles. Well, Maureen giggled. Collins laughed directly from his gut.

"Was that a battle cry I heard?" Maureen asked. Roger nodded proudly.

"Nice."

"Okay, ladies, breakfast consists of one egg and two pieces of toast," Collins announced. Mark and Roger looked at each other and both took off for the kitchen, trying to be the first for the egg. Collins held up his hand and they stopped in their tracks before directly colliding with him.

"Hey! Be nice, you two. Our pretty guest, who managed to put up with you idiots last night, gets the egg."

Maureen smiled and shook her head. "Thanks, Collins, but I need to get going. I have rehearsal at 11." Mark and Roger pouted.

"You're leaving so soon?" Mark asked. Maureen smiled even larger.

"I need to go home, get showered, get to rehearsal, which will probably last until about 5, then I should probably actually talk to my roommate, but I'll call you guys tonight. Maybe we can go out again." Mark immediately lit up at the last remark.

"Hey, yeah! You haven't even met Benny. Where is that douchebag, anyway?" Roger asked Collins. Collins shrugged his shoulders.

"Probably seducing some wealthy maid into giving him fifty bucks so that we can buy food."

"Or getting laid."

"Same thing."

"So, Benny's a prostitute?" Maureen asked. Collins choked on his coffee and Mark and Roger both burst out laughing.

"No, Maureen. Benny's not a prostitute." Roger choked out.

"So what is he?"

"Worse." Mark said, as Roger nodded.

"Worse than a prostitute?"

"Yep. He's in…real estate."

"Yeah. That's definitely worse." Maureen grabbed her purse.

"Thanks so much for letting me into your loft and entertaining me all night."

"You're welcome." Mark said. As Maureen was about to open the loft door, Mark grabbed her arm.

"Wait! I forgot to give you our number."

"Oh, yeah. Can't forget that." Mark grabbed a piece of paper and ripped part of it off. He scribbled the number down and handed it to her. Maureen smiled, took the piece of paper and walked out of the loft. As she closed the door, she heard Roger say to Mark, "Okay…I'll play you for it. Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" and Mark groan and say, "Best two out of three…" Maureen giggled and shut the door completely.

As she exited the warehouse and began walking in the direction of her apartment, Maureen's mind was abuzz with the events of last night. Friends…that had to be what this was. She couldn't think of anything else to call it. Honest to God friends. Maureen had heard of friend, but never friends. She wasn't sure how to react. All she knew was that she didn't want them to go away.

Maureen finally reached her apartment. She put her key in the lock, but before she could turn it and open the door, it was flung open.

"Reen! I heard a hot guy on the other end of the phone. Spill, now!"

"Hi April. How in the world do you know it was a hot guy?"

"Because his voice was all deep and melodic. He had to be hot." Maureen laughed.

"Can I at least get in the door, first?" April looked at the door and how she had positioned herself directly between the apartment and Maureen.

"Oh, yeah. Sure." Maureen giggled and walked in. She walked to their couch (not as ripped as Mark and Roger's, but definitely not chic) and sat down. April bounced onto the couch next to her, moving aside her yards of notes and scratch work.

"Okay. Start with the hot one."

"That would be Roger."

"Ooh, Roger. I like it."

"I just told you his name!"

"Well, stop stalling and tell me more!"

"He's a musician. He lives with Mark, Collins, and Benny. I haven't met Benny, yet, but Mark and Collins are amazing. Mark's a filmmaker and Collins is a professor." April waved her hand.

"Pish posh. Tell me more about the musician. Is he a rocker?"

"Yep. Short, spiky, bleached hair. Amazing green eyes. Very nice arms. I'm telling you, he's got "April's hottie" written all over him." April giggled.

"Tell me more now!"

"I have to get ready!"

"I will follow you into the shower if I have to!" Maureen rolled her eyes.

"Fine. Here's what happened." Maureen began to fill April in with all the details. How she had met Mark and Roger, how she met Collins, what they had talked about. Roger's arms. Roger's eyes. Roger this, Roger that. April couldn't get enough. When Maureen was finished, April's eyes were wide with exhilaration.

"I want to meet them now!"

"I'm going to call them when I get home from rehearsal tonight. Don't worry. Now may I please go take a shower now?"

"Fine. Take your shower. Leave me here to lie in my wantings and waitings."

"If you're going to be a writer, you better work on that grammar, hon." April threw a pillow at her friend.

"Just a suggestion."

"Go take a shower, hot pants. You smell."

"I do not, mini-skirt. I do, however, need to wash my hair."

"Yes, but you also smell like cigarettes. I might die from smoke inhalation."

"Stop being such a drama queen."

"As if you can talk!"

"I'm a horrible influence on you."

"Yes. Yes you are." Maureen threw the pillow back at April and got up and walked into the bathroom.

There, the third chapter! Sorry that took so long. Don't expect speedy updates from me. A lot of that was written in Chemistry class when I was ignoring her rantings at us. Our Chemistry teacher is psychotic. Anyway, click the pretty review button! I hope you enjoyed. And if you can catch the April and Maureen end of phone conversation reference, you'll be my hero. It's not that hard.