Chapter 9

"Pookie, I'm cold." Maureen murmured, curling into Joanne's side, nuzzling her nose into Joanne's neck. "Why do you have to sleep with the window open?"

"It's nice out. The cool breeze soothes me to sleep." Joanne quietly answered wrapping an arm around Maureen's shoulders, tugging her closer.

Maureen pulled the blanket more tightly around herself and then rested her hand on Joanne's flat stomach. "I just think it's an excuse to get me to snuggle closer to you." she said with a playfully smirk.

Joanne smiled, running her fingers through Maureen's hair, "Maybe."

"As long as you keep me warm then you can keep it open." Maureen said through a yawn, her eyes fluttering shut.

"I think I can handle that." Joanne replied, kissing the top of her head.

Joanne's eyes snapped open, the breeze from outside blowing through her open window and over her body, making her shiver. She groaned, getting out of bed, shutting the window. She sighed heading back over to bed and climbing under the covers. Sleeping with the window open just wasn't the same to Joanne since she didn't have Maureen to cuddle with. She didn't realize that without Maureen, she was actually freezing.

Joanne squeezed her eyes shut, trying to force Maureen out of her head, why was she thinking about her so much lately. She shook her head, grabbing a pillow and pulling it over her. She then turned on her side and forced herself to sleep.

Xxx

A few weeks later Maureen was out for a walk when the flyer she had showed Collins a few weeks ago caught her attention. She looked at it for a few seconds and then made her way over to the performance space, wanting to see what was going on. When she walked in the building she found a young woman on the stage setting up some equipment.

Maureen softly smiled, walking a little closer to the stage, "You need to get people to do that for you."

The girl on stage jolted upright, cocking an eyebrow and turning towards Maureen. "Pardon?"

"You're supposed to have people set up for you." Maureen lightly teased, remembering when she talked Mark and Joanne into setting up all her equipment for her. She was the star of the show after all, she shouldn't of had to do any of that stuff...not like she would know how to anyway.

"Oh I don't hav-" The girl paused midsentence, squinting her eyes, and then in seconds they went wide again, "Maureen...Maureen Johnson?"

"The one and only." She smirked, coming closer.

The girl quickly hopped off the stage, making it over to Maureen in just seconds, "Hi, my name is Ella. I'm a huge fan." She quickly said.

Maureen lightly laughed, shaking her hand, seeing the spark in her eyes, and energy she seemed to be bouncing with, she missed having that. "Nice to meet you."

"May I ask why you aren't throwing another protest? Your first one was amazing...your riot made it on TV." She said, "Not only that, but you were able to save this place...well at least for a little while."

Maureen shrugged looking around, "I don't need to. You seem to have it covered."

"But you...I mean...it's you!" She said.

"I get it." Maureen said, walking over and leaning against the stage, "I just...don't have it in me right now."

"But why?" Ella asked, turning around and following Maureen.

"Personal." Maureen said turning to look at her, "But it looks like you have a great set up here."

"I guess." Ella said, "If I could only get the mic to work."

Maureen smirked, "I may know a guy." She said pushing off the stage and into an upright position.

"Really? Thanks." She said, watching Maureen curiously. "You seem different from when you were up here."

Maureen's face fell a little, "How so?"

"You were practically radiating with energy during the protest. Now you just seem...like something is missing." She answered.

Maureen sighed, "I had something to fight for back then."

"You don't now?" Ella asked.

"I don't." Maureen honestly answered, her eyes finding the ground. "I had it. I feel like I had everything, but I guess nothing lasts forever."

"You're giving up?" She asked

"I'm not-"Maureen's head shot up to finish her sentence, "I'm not giving up."

"But that's what it sounds like and looks like." She said turning back to the stage and climbing on up. "If you have nothing to fight for right now...then find something to fight for. It doesn't seem like you have anything to lose other than your mind."

"Excuse me?"

"To me, a fellow protester, you're a legend." Ella said turning around her hands on her hips, "But right now you don't seem very legendary."

"I'm still legendary." Maureen practically pouted.

"Well the date to my protest is coming quick and I need a few more ideas. If you're so legendary, help me?" She asked.

Maureen sighed, running her fingers through her hair, not sure if she should be offended or not. Finally she nodded and agreed, "Fine. Okay. I'll come by here tomorrow. I'll bring Mark so he can fix your stupid microphone."

"Great." Ella smiled. "See you tomorrow." She said.

Over the next few days, while Mark was sucked into helping with the technical stuff, Maureen helped Ella out with the creative stuff.

"So, what's his story?" Ella asked Maureen quietly nodding to Mark.

Maureen quickly looked up from the paper she was writing idea's on and back down, "My ex. He films everything, nice guy."

"Oh, your ex, so he's off limits then?"

Maureen couldn't help but lightly laugh, looking up at her, "He is definitely not off limits. In fact I encourage you to pursue him."

"Thanks." Ella smiled looking back over at Mark, waving brightly causing Mark to blush and dive back into his work. "So he's not the reason for your..." She waved a hand in front of Maureen's face, "Whatever this is...gloominess."

Maureen swatted her hand away, "What? No, my ex-girlfriend is the cause of this."

"What happened?" Ella asked

Maureen let out a breath, "I don't even know or want to talk about it. I'm trying to push it in the past."

"Okay. I understand." Ella said nodding. "It'll take time."

"So I've been told." Maureen mumbled. "I feel like I've been waiting for forever." She said letting out a breath, "I want to be...I just I want to be like how I used to be...like how you are, carefree, my heart still in once piece."

"Well sitting around and moping isn't going to help, is it?" She said.

Maureen studied her for a second, "You're really blunt...I'm not sure I like it." She said playfully nudging her and then closed the notebook that was in her lap. "Okay, this is pretty much all the idea's I have, just put it all together and you have a show."

Ella smiled, "Thanks, Maureen."

Maureen nodded, standing up and pulling her coat on, "Thank you..." she added.

Ella raised a brow, "For what?"

"This...has been the first entire day where I haven't thought about Joanne once." She said, "Well until just a few minutes ago, but that's a new record for me."

Ella shrugged, "Oh well you're welcome then." She smiled, turning to look back at Mark wiggling her eyebrows, "Now wish me luck."

Maureen shook her head, smirking, "Good luck." She said watching as Ella made her way over to her ex-boyfriend. She then turned and headed back to the apartment.

"Hey, Mo." Collins said looking up from the stack of papers he was grading, "How goes the protest?"

"It goes well." Maureen said, grabbing a beer from the fridge and sitting down across from the professor. "I...I...went almost all day without thinking about Joanne."

"Oh?" Collins said his brows shooting up with surprise. "And?"

"I didn't feel so ...sad." Maureen stated, "Well until Ella started asking why I was so gloomy or whatever, but before all that I was helping her with her protest and I felt... okay."

"That's good." Collins said, "That's really good."

"I know." Maureen said standing up, "I think I need to find something, something to keep my mind off of things."

"You'll figure it out." Collins said.

Maureen nodded letting out a breath, "I'll figure it out." She repeated.