I DO NOT OWN RENT (MR. LARSON DOES, REST HIS SOUL). I ONLY OWN DAVID, MISS ABRAM, SUNDAY AND SOME OTHER ADD ON CHARACTERS TO COME.
ITALICS ARE THOUGHTS AND MEMORIES
REVIEW PLEASE AND ENJOY!
Chapter Five
With Joanne
"Joanne, Joanne dear are you alright?" Miss Abram, a humble older african-american woman who thought highly of Joanne tried to get Joanne's attention. But she wouldn't come back, she had been completely humiliated and hurt by someone that she thought loved her.
"How could she?" Joanne whispered.
"What? Did you say something dear?"
"How could she? How could she do this to me?" Joanne shook her head slowly.
"Darlin' maybe you should sit down." the older woman sat the lawyer on a bench that was used for the play but now was the only thing that kept Joanne from collapsing straight to the floor. Miss Abram sat next to Joanne and tried to get in contact with her once again "Joanne, it's Miss Abram please answer me honey."
Oh Lord help her! The poor girl's cracked!
"I, I'm sorry Miss Abram. I'm alright, I'll be alright I just need to get water and air...water and air." Joanne said, her eyes filled to the brim with tears. She got up and as dignified as she could walked over to a water cooler that a parent brought and took a small child's size water bottle, drank from it and went outside.
Joanne took a deep breath of the crisp New York air wondering about how she'd let her life spin from out of her control so quickly, in a matter of minutes. She was stripped of her dignity, torn to the bone and exposed. Someone that loved her wouldn't treat her this way. She glanced down at her watch thinking she had a few minutes to collect herself before meeting with the kids again, but her eyes shot wide open when she saw the time, it was five. "Oh shit! The kids! The show starts in an hour!" Joanne finished her water and walked back into the theatre.
The theatre bustled with children running and laughing everywhere. It was extremely refreshing for the lawyer who rarely got a chance to relax, even at home. Being around children reminded Joanne of why she took this project in the first place. Not just because Maureen had begged her, but because Joanne loved children. Even as a teen when she had to babysit a friend of her parent's children she loved to be around them, to hear their laughter. They gave her a reason to smile, a way to let go of all of her problems, worries and a chance to breathe.
As she walked through the theatre she spotted Miss Abram who was speaking with a security guard. Joanne finally picked her head up and walked toward them "What is the problem here?"
"Well my dear, this young man thinks that there are some problems here involving our little Broadway show. He thinks that the show has been cancelled." Miss Abram winked at Joanne. "Never that." Joanne said courageously, she was back. "We're not cancelling our production, this is after all Broadway! The show must go on!" Miss Abram smiled at the security guard who walked away completely confused. "Theatre people." he muttered as he shook his head. Little did he know that Joanne was never a theatre person until she met Maureen, never had she ever thought that she would be directing and writing a show. Things sure have changed for her.
Joanne and Miss Abram giggled at this and hugged one another. "Thanks Miss Abram, for everything." The older woman smiled at her, but it quickly faded when she thought of that young woman that collapsed about an hour ago. "I wonder what happend to that young woman, I sure hope she's alright." It dawned on Joanne that she was talking about Angel. Quickly the laywer went from relaxed to panic in a matter of seconds.
"Holy Shit! Angel!"
With Maureen
As she sipped her cocoa Maureen was trying to figure out what she was going to do with her newly found friend.
Maybe Mark would like her? She's cute, seems smart...I should set them up on a date! How cute would that be! They could come here and have a good meal...
Maureen's thoughts we're broken when she looked at the young woman who was staring outside the window. She hadn't even touched her cocoa. "Don't want your cocoa?"
"Huh? Oh yeah I'm sorry." Sunday took a small sip trying not to burn herself "Oh wow, this is great. Thanks." Her smiled faded as she looked out the window once again.
Maureen could tell that there was something very wrong with this young woman, something that disturbed her "Hey, I know we don't know each other well, but I just want you to know-"
"Hey Maureen, I'm going to run to the ladies room really quick okay?" The young woman said as she began to run towards the back of the restaurant.
"Well that was interesting." Maureen muttered. Her thoughts were preoccupied with something else for only a minute, but Joanne came right back.
I better call her.
Just then Sunday came back and sat down in the booth across from Maureen. "Sorry about that, what were you going to say?"
"Wow that was quick. What? Oh nothing, it's cool. Stay here, I'm gonna make a couple of phone calls okay? You're good?"
"Yeah, thank you." Sunday said as cheery as she could. She took another sip of her cocoa, "Take you time."
Maureen got up from the booth and walked toward the phone booth at the back of the restaurant. She fumbled around in her jeans pocket for some spare change and came up with a dollar in chance. "Awesome, just enough to call Joanne and the loft."
First she dialed Joanne's cell phone number...
'Hi, you've reached Joanne Jefferson at legal aid. Sorry I couldn't answer the phone but please leave your name, number and a detailed message and I'll get back to you as soon I can. Have a great day.' BEEP!
"Pookie, it's me. Look, I'm really sorry about earlier, you know that I love you. I was just talking out of my ass, you and I both know that. We've fought a million times, please don't take what I said seriously. I really want to take back what I said, I'm just, really sorry. I'm at the Life right now with some girl I found on the street." BEEP!
"Shit!" Maureen knew that Joanne was going to freak out even more because of that message but she only had enough money for one more call and Sunday and her's cocoa. "Dammit!" So she hung up the phone, picked it up again and placed the money in the phone. She dialed the number and waited until she heard:
SPEEEAAAKKK!
"Hello? Roger? Somebody please pick up!"
"Hello?" a familiar voice came on the phone, the one time rock-star Roger Davis. "Maureen? What's up? Where are you?"
"Hey we're at the Life right now and I was wondering if I could come over with a...a friend?"
"Woah Maureen, don't think that I'm gonna let you have your little escapades here. You're outta your fucking mind." Roger was never very nice with his words.
"Oh my God Davis shut the fuck up for a minute and listen to me!" Maureen was clearly agitated and not ready to put up with Roger's shit today. Not right now at least.
There was silence at the other end.
"Look, I got into a huge fight with Joanne at the theatre and we broke up. I left the theatre and then this girl came up to me and she looked like she needed some help so we walked to the Life and that's it."
"Wow, you actually volunteered to help someone Maureen? Now we're making some real progress. What did you guys fight about now? The show's still on right?"
"Shut up Davis. It's a long story and yes as far as I know it's still going on. I didn't stick around long enough to find out for sure though. But could we come over and hang there until Joanne and them come back?"
"Well Mimi and I were gonna head up there to watch so you'll just come with us. But yeah sure come on over, you know you don't have to ask me that." Roger Davis was actually nice for once.
"Thanks Davis, see you soon."
"Bye."
"Bye!"
Maureen hung up the phone and ran over to the booth "Sunday come on girl, we're gonna go to my friend's loft about two or three blocks from here. Come on! Get up!" Maureen giggled at the young woman who was startled at how quickly her personality had changed.
"Um, sure." Sunday smiled back. Quickly she finished her cocoa and got up from the booth. Maureen slammed the money down on the table and grabbed Sunday's hand as they ran out of the restaurant. Maureen pointed "It's right down this street!"
With Joanne
Joanne walked through the theatre making sure everything was in place and ready for the show, all the while thinking of Angel. Miss Abram was right behind her never missing a thing as Joanne told her about what needed to be looked after. Joanne and Miss Abram went to the theatre box office to call the loft.
I knew I should have brought my phone, how could I have forgotten it?
SPEEEAAAKKK!
"Hello? Roger? Mimi? Is someone there? Pick up!"
"Who the hell is this?" Roger obviously was awaken from his daily nap that was commenced as soon as he got off of the phone with Maureen.
"It's Joanne. Roger, something has happend to Angel and Maureen is God knows where."
"What the hell is going on man! I just talked to Maureen, she's on her way over here with some girl."
"What do you mean some girl?"
"Nevermind that, what the hell happend to Angel? Where's Collins and Mark?" Roger was really concerned now, Angel was his buddy.
"They took my car and went to the hospital."
"You didn't go with them?"
"I, I couldn't move." Joanne answered sheepishly.
"I don't even want to know why you couldn't move, what hospital are they at?"
"I don't know! I don't know anything! I just wanted to let you know. I'm gonna call the one down the street and see if they're there."
"Okay I'm gonna wait for Maureen and Mimi to get here. But call me right back when you know something."
"Will do. Bye."
"Bye."
Joanne sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Dear, I think you should go and see about your friend. I've watched you and I know what to do. Don't worry, the show will be great!" Miss Abram smiled at the lawyer. "Really? Oh my goodness Miss Abram, you're a saint!" Joanne kissed the elderly woman on the cheek and ran towards the shelf where a phonebook was laying. Miss Abram grabbed the book trying to be as helpful as possible and quickly looked through it. Finally she found the number "This is the one, I get my medication from there all the time." Trying to hurry she read off the numbers which Joanne dialed.
"Hello? Yes. Do you have an Angel Dumott Schunard that you've just admitted?"