Yay!! Another update! This was a fun chapter to write and it gives you more info about Jo. Hope you enjoy it

Disclaimer: I don't own RENT or its characters, I just own my characters and my plotline.

Sleepovers and Shared Secrets

It was one month after Jo returned into Mark's life. She was becoming well liked by the Bohemians even after her confession. In fact, the girls, in order to get to know Mark's best friend better, had called for a sleepover party at Mimi's flat; girls only.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Mark asked nervously. Jo was in her pajamas getting ready to go downstairs to meet the girls. She had a pillow in one hand and a stuffed cow in the other. She was wearing warn flannel pajama pants that had pirate skulls scattered on them and a black tank top.

"I'm sure," Jo confirmed smiling at Mark, "I want to get to know your friends better."

Just then, Roger walked into the loft. "Everything's all set." He told Jo, "They're giddy and waiting."

"Thanks Rog," Jo said, taking her pillow and cow and getting ready to leave.

"Y'know Maureen's going to steal your cow." Roger said, pointing to the stuffed cow in Jo's hand.

"Really?"

"Yeah, she has a cow fetish. I'd be careful if I were you." Warned Roger; Jo laughed.

"I'll be sure to be." She replied heartily, "See you tomorrow!" She gave both Mark and Roger hugs before heading out the door.

She went down 1 flight of stairs and knocked on Mimi's door. The small Latina answered.

"Josie-chica! C'mon in! Joanne and Maureen are already here." Mimi lead the way into her apartment. The furniture had been rearranged to accompany the four girls' needs. Maureen and Joanne were already sitting on the dilapidated couch.

"Hey guys," Mimi greeted her guests, "Look who's here!"

When she looked up, Maureen immediately saw Jo's plush cow. She squealed, "Oh my gosh I LOVE your cow!!"

Jo started to laugh, "Roger was right. You do like cows."

"Not just like, Honey, love, cows." Maureen corrected. "Cows are so cute!!"

"Honey-bear, calm down; you don't want to scare her." Joanne warned her lover.

"I won't scare her." Maureen protested, tossing her hair.

Joanne sighed, "Of course, Honey-bear."

Jo got settled in and the girls started talking about various things. It turned out that Jo had a lot in common with the girls. She was occasionally loud like Maureen, Motherly like Joanne and playful like Mimi.

They talked for a couple of hours until they decided to play a few games . . . drinking games . . .

"I've never . . ." Maureen slurred, "Ate anything on a dare." Joanne took a shot, "Ew, Pookie what did you eat?"

"Mud pie," Joanne replied, also drunk. "Nine years old."

"Okay! My turn!" Mimi cried out, "I've never . . . cheated on anyone."

"Really?" Joanne asked. Mimi nodded and Maureen took a shot.

"Jo's turn!" Maureen called out loudly.

Jo giggled, "I've never . . . had a boyfriend." She declared.

"WHAT?!" Maureen screeched, utterly surprised at this confession. "You've never had a boyfriend?! Holy shit Baby, we need to get you a man . . . or a girl . . . are you a dyke?"

"I'm bi." Jo corrected, "Take your shot. I know you used to date Mark."

Maureen took the shot along with Mimi but she still stared at Jo. "Seriously, you've never had a boyfriend? Maureen still couldn't comprehend it.

"Nope, never,"

"Then what's Mark?"

"My best friend,"

Maureen wasn't convinced, "Nothing more?"

"Nope," Jo answered simply, "Mark's been my best friend for years. It would be a bit strange to all of the sudden start liking him."

"Do you like him that way?" Joanne jumped into the conversation.

Jo didn't respond. Instead she took a swig of her glass of vodka.

"Oh shit, you do like him don't you?" Mimi realized.

"No!" Jo tried to cover up her blush, "Maybe . . ." She changed her answer. "I don't know . . ."

Maureen squealed in delight, "You do like him! Oh my gosh you two would make such a cute couple!"

"Don't say that, please. Mark and I . . . it would never work out. I'd prefer to just stay friends with him."

"Why?' Mimi asked, "You two know everything about each other. Hell, you already act like an old married couple. What's the problem?"

"I'm the problem!" Jo cried out, "I don't do commitment. I can't stay in one place very long. I'm committed to friends, but lovers? I can't. It's like a disease, I get bored easily. I don't do one thing for very long unless it's something I truly love."

"Do you truly love Mark?" Joanne interjected.

"I . . ." This question caught Jo by surprise, "I don't know."

"If you truly love him, then there shouldn't be a problem." Joanne said smartly through her buzzed haze. "Besides, you just got back in his life. Give it a while."

Relieved, Jo nodded. "Okay,"

"Okay, back to the game!" Mimi declared.

"I'm bored with this game." Maureen whined.

"Fine, let's play truth or dare."

"Ooh! I LOVE that game!"

"Okay, but nothing too risqué."

"Aww!"

"Honey-bear . . ."

"Okay Pookie . . ." Maureen turned to Jo, "Jo, truth or dare?"

"Dare," Jo was feeling adventurous.

"I dare you to tell Mark about how you feel in a year or less."

"What?!" the room chorused.

"Yup, you have to do it." Maureen said triumphantly.

"Honey-bear how did you . . . ? Y'know what, I don't want to know." Joanne sighed.

Jo gaped at Maureen. "Really?"

"Really,"

Jo thought for a moment before seal-grey met olive-green. "You're on."

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At 12:30pm the next day, four very tired, very hung-over girls trudged into the lift looking less than decent.

"Well, well, well," Roger giggled. "Good morning star-shine, the earth says hello!"

"Fuck you." Jo flipped Roger off before plopping down on the couch with the girls. "I've got a headache that rivals my 21st birthday."

"Ooh, not very friendly this morning." Mark chuckled, turning on his camera. "November 29th, 12:34pm, eastern standard time." He narrated, "The girls and Jo had a sleepover last nigh with unpleasant results. Tell the folks at home how you're feeling Josie!"

Jo flipped off the camera. Mark and Roger laughed and the girls groaned at the noise.

"Oh, just shut up!" Maureen quietly exclaimed, "My head hurts . . ."

Mark laughed and poured four cups of coffee for the girls. Sighs of relief and gratitude were heard as he distributed the cups.

"Mmm, coffee good . . ." Jo sighed in relief as she sipped the warm confection.

"Okay Pookie," Maureen said as he nursed her own coffee, "Go."

Joanne groaned and stood up, walked over to Mark, and yelled, "I LOVE YOU MARK!" before promptly kissing the blonde square on the lips and walking away. The girls were falling out of their chairs, laughing.

"That was perfect!" Mimi giggled hysterically, slapping her knee.

Mark, who was stunned, stood frozen in his spot.

"Oh god and that was on camera!" Jo laughed almost spilling her coffee.

"Never let me do that again." Joanne declared, sipping her coffee.

Mark, whose face had yet to change, finally regained some posture. "What the fuck was that?" he asked.

"That, my bespectacled friend, was Joanne's dare." Maureen giggled through her hangover.

"She was supposed to tell one boy of her choice that she loved them and then lay a big one on them." Mimi explained, "She just happened to choose Marky here."

Because if I kissed Roger, Mimi would have my ass," Joanne explained.

"Yeah, I would. But Jo still has to do her dare." Mimi replied.

"Hey, I've got one year to do my dare. Don't rush it." Jo warned.

"What're you supposed to do?" Roger asked, pulling Mimi onto his lap.

"That's for us to know and you to find out." Maureen grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"Oh, c'mon Reen," Mark whined, finally getting over the initial shock of Joanne kissing him. "Five bucks says you made up the dare. It's bound to be something bad."

"It's not." Maureen assured, "But you're just going to have to wait."

Mark groaned and Jo shot Maureen a thankful look; not wanting nor ready for her secret to be known.

"So, what else did you girls do?" Roger asked. The girls looked at each other and silently agreed with each other.

"Girls' night rule," Jo said, "Nothing leaves the room."

Mark was confused. "What?"

"We can't tell you anything." Mimi explained from Roger's lap, "Whatever happened is between us only. No one else can know what went on."

"Ugh, fine be that way." Mark threw up his hands and walked to the kitchen to make lunch for everyone. "Jo, could you help me in here?"

Jo's eyes got wide. "Umm . . ." She wanted to help Mark. She honestly did; but she couldn't. "I can't cook." She confessed. "I'll ruin whatever you're trying to make unless it's ramen, pasta or cereal. And even then, I'll make a mess." She looked down, ashamed.

"Seriously?" Joanne inquired, "How did you manage on your own for nine years?"

"I didn't. I always had help or someone to cook for me." Jo explained, "For four years I lived off ramen, pasta, cereal and protein bars."

Everyone looked stunned. "How are you still skinny?" Maureen asked, being one who craved to be thin.

"High metabolism and exercise," Jo explained.

"Didn't you get tired of the same food everyday?" Joanne asked.

"That's what fast food is for." The petite girl replied smartly. "Speaking of which . . . Mark, don't cook! We need real hangover food: Chinese food!"

" . . . What?"

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"Mm . . . rice good," Jo said as she ate her bowl of white rice.

"How is this hangover food?" Mark asked Jo.

"Makes me feel better," Jo said through a mouth full of white grain.

"I agree," Mimi said after swallowing her food, "Chinese helps."

"Orange chicken is good too." Maureen pointed out before shoving another piece into her mouth.

"How did you know Chinese was hangover food?" Joanne asked before taking a bite of an egg roll.

"Figured it out after a night of drinking," Jo replied simply.

"Well, good discovery," Mimi complimented, "I'm feeling much better."

"Good, then Mimi will be up to showing me more of the city today." Mimi giggled at Jo.

"Sure Jo, just give me a couple of hours then we'll go." She replied.

"Well, this has been awesomely fun," Joanne said, getting up. "But Maureen and I need to get home."

Jo immediately got up as well and hugged her new friends goodbye. :Thanks for the fabulous time," She said.

"You're welcome; we should do this again sometime." Joanne said before pulling Maureen with her out the door.

"Hey, we'll come with you girls in the city if that's okay." Mark said, winding up his camera.

"Sure, the more the merrier," Jo said before settling on the couch for a nap.

A/N: I don't know if Chinese food is really hangover food. I've never had a hangover . . . but let's just pretend it is. PLEASE REVIEW!!!!