Chapter 3:

The meeting ended after many similar stories and Angel and Collins rose from their chairs. Maggie sat in her chair with her elbows on her knees, staring at the ground, not able to move. Hearing all of those people's stories had given her it seemed a preview, maybe, of the future- her future. Mark was there, standing right behind her, waiting for her to stand. She had noticed him about half-way through the meeting and had had a mini panic attack.

"He'll know I have HIV now...he won't want anything to do with me . But still...he was at the meeting knowingly. May be he's different from the other guys..." A nagging voice in the back of her head told her.

"Maggie...?" A voice came from the back of her as a hand softly came into contact with her shoulder. She felt her shoulder tingle as he set his hand on it. "Are you okay?" asked Mark.

She quickly looked up and turned her head to meet his amazingly blue eyes staring into her green ones. "Long time no see," Maggie quietly said before Mark smiled softly and took her hand in his and helped her up. She rose slowly and returned the smile and they quietly exited the building together, never letting go of each other's hands.

Angel, Collins, Mark, and Maggie walked onto the cold streets of New York yet again. Half a block down was a homeless woman laying on the sidewalk, surrounded by cops. Mark retrieved his camera, walked ahead of the others and up to the cops greeting them, "Smile for Ted Koppel, Officer Martin!"

The police officers walk away muttering as the homeless woman rose from the ground yelling to Mark, "Who the ---- do you think you are? I don't need any ------- help from some bleeding heart camera man. My life's not, for you to make a name for yourself on!"

"Easy, sugar, easy" Angel started. "He was just trying to-"

"Just tryin' to use me to kill his guilt! It's not that kind of movie, honey! Let's go, this lot is full of mother ------- artists." The homeless woman walked away with her friend as Mark stood helplessly and Collins, Angel, and Maggie cautiously watched him. He sighed softly and continued walking to the subway station, hands in his pockets and Maggie by his side.

"New York City!" Angel exclaimed.

"Uh-huh..."

"Center of the universe!" Maggie added with a small, secret smile at Mark.

"Sing it girls-" Collins added.

"Times are shitty-"Angel started.

"But I'm pretty sure they can't get worse" Maggie ended with a smirk.

Angel walked forward and shared a small look with Maggie. "It's a comfort to now when you're singing the hit the road blues..."

"That anywhere else you could possibly go after New York would be..." Maggie sang.

She and Angel ran ahead onto the subway together and struck a pose through the window as they both said "A pleasure cruise!"

"Now you're talking!"

SO ON AND SO FORTH, THEY SING SANTE FE!!! THE END...NOT REALLY BUT...

They all walked out of the subway station onto the street and Mark told Collins and Angel, "I'll meet you at the show. I'll try and convince Roger to go. Maggie, do you want to come with? I can formally introduce you to 'Roger the emo boy'?"

He turned toward her as he asked and she nodded and said, "Sure!" They separated from Collins and Angel and starting walking till they heard a voice calling to them ahead of them on their block.

"Hey, Cohen! Wait up!"