Secret Crush

Won third at speed rent! I think, though, I may have messed up the timeline, and a few other things...so, yeah Still, enjoy! I do not own Rent.

The second Joanne Jefferson walked into her apartment, she knew something was up. It was regular for her girlfriend Maureen to come to greet her, chattering wildly, usually half-way through the wild events of her day.

However, on this particular Friday afternoon, there was no Maureen in sight. Only a closed door, and loud music blaring from behind it.

"Honeybear?" Joanne asked slowly, walking towards the room she shared with her on-again, off-again lover. She could hear Maureen's voice singing loud and clear from the bedroom.

"Ooooh, baby, you know I love you like that, oooh, you know I think you're all that, woah!"

"Maureen?" Joanne asked, opening the door.

There was Maureen, spinning and dancing to some music blaring from the CD player.

"Don't cha wanna kiss, don't cha miss me woah, woah woah!"

"What are you listening to?" Joanne asked loudly, a smile coming to her face.

"Pookie!" Maureen cried in surprise. She turned off the music for a moment and jumped up to her. "Guess what I did today?"

"I'm guessing you didn't work on your protest?" Joanne asked, eyeing the CD case clutched to her girlfriend's chest.

"Is that ALL you think about? Seriously," she pushed the CD into Joanne's hands. "Look!"

"The Aliens," Joanne read, eying the cover. A group of men who, she guessed, were considered attractive, stood on the front. They were wearing cheaply made, fake space suits, standing in front of what looked like a very badly painted set of a black sky and stars.

"Uh huh! But look at that guy," she said excitedly, pointing at the man in front. He was tall, with a little goatee under his 'space helmet'. He wasn't ugly, but rather grungy looking.

"Maureen," Joanne asked, turning the CD over. "Who is he?"

"Uh…I forget his name. But that's not important.

"I Wanna Be Wit U. Rock N' Roll Par-tay. Miss You Kiss Me Miss," Joanne read the songs listed in a monotone voice. "Do you even like heavy metal?"

"Sure I do!" Maureen exclaimed, offended. "I love all types. Gotta love the Rolling Boulders!"

"Right…" Joanne sighed, putting it down.

"Look, are you gonna get all angry cuz I bought a CD for the hot guy? Look, it's not like you don't do it."

"I don't do it!"

"Uh huh, uh huh…" Maureen replied, tapping her foot. "Do you, or do you not have a Madonna CD?"

Joanne blushed a deep red "She had a few good hits…"

"Plus, she's hot," Maureen interjected, raising an eyebrow. "C'mon, even YOU have to admit that."

"But…" Joanne gestured at the CD. "He's a GUY!"

"Well…you know, I am sort of bi, pookie."

Joanne stared at her angrily. "But you're with me now."

"I think we established that a long time ago," Maureen replied, rolling her eyes. "Look, it's perfectly fine! Ask anyone, they'll tell you how hot he is. C'mon," She grabbed her CD and her coat. "We'll ask Mark. He's a perfectly straight man; he'll tell us how hot he is."

--

Roger plucked the chords almost lazily, his mind elsewhere. Mimi sat beside him, chattering mindlessly with Angel as Collins talked with Mark.

"Oh, Marky!" Maureen cried, barging in with Joanne trailing behind her. She waved flirtatiously at everyone else as her girlfriend huffed and adjusted her coat.

"Look, we need you to settle something for us," Joanne said, eyeing the CD still clutched in Maureen's hands. She watched as she shoved the CD under Mark's nose.

"Is he hot?"

The room was silent, all eyes on Mark. The filmmaker's ivory cheeks darkened considerably, and he looked away.

"Why are you asking me?" He asked, staring up at Maureen, his forehead wrinkled. "I'm not-"

"I know!" Maureen cried, waving the CD in front of him. "That's the point! She-" she jerked her thumb at Joanne. "Is mad at me for buying this for the hot lead singer guy. So, we need a straight man to admit that he is in fact a nice piece of meat, so Joanne here will realize she's being paranoid!" Her last words were said with bite, and Joanne frowned.

"The Aliens…" Mark read, adjusting his glasses.

"THE ALIENS?" Angel cried excitedly. Mimi gasped. Collins frowned a little. Roger looked up.

"You mean…you got it?" Mimi asked enviously.

"Yes!" Maureen cried, grinning wildly.

"I hate you!" Angel pouted, eyeing the CD. "That guy is muy hermoso!"

"Seriously, I may just have to um, borrow that off you forever, okay?" Mimi asked hopefully.

"Get your own!" Maureen half-snarled, half-laughed. Joanne stared at Angel and Mimi.

"You mean…you've heard of them?"

"It's all she's been talking about," Collins grumbled. Angel cooed.

"Aw, somebody getting jealous?" She asked, sitting on his lap and kissing his cheek. Joanne stared at him.

"She bought the CD just for the man!" Joanne exclaimed, pointing at the CD. "For the MAN!"

"I'm bi! It's allowed!" Maureen shot back.

"But…" Joanne shook her head. "Look, does anybody else think it's a bad reason to buy a CD for a good looking person on the cover?"

The room was silent.

"Well…" Collins sighed, rubbing his temples. "It's not that he's bad looking…"

"I KNEW you'd come around!" his lover squealed, wrapping her arms around his neck. Joanne sighed, knowing that Collins wouldn't disagree with his Angel. She turned to Mimi and Roger

"You?"

They were both silent.

"Well…" Mimi said quietly. "If the Cat Scratch weren't so cheap…"

Joanne moaned, and placed a hand on her forehead. The room was silent, each bohemian wondering whether she would go insane. Or explode. Or both.

"You mean…" Roger said quietly, taking the CD from Maureen's hands before she could protest. "They got signed? They actually got signed?"

Maureen, Angel and Mimi stared at Roger intently.

"You know them?" Mimi asked, awed. Roger nodded.

"They frequented at CBGB's. Always competing for our time slot. But they were trash!" He pointed to the lead singer and the man beside him. "I wonder if they're still going out…"

Maureen snatched her CD back, and stared sadly. "You mean…hot guy's gay?"

"Mmhm. And a dick, if it counts for anything." Roger said nonchalantly, going back to plucking random strings.

"Damn!" Mimi cried. "All the good ones are gay!" Roger looked up. "I mean, uh, most of them."

Angel and Collins stared at each other.

"So…more for us?" Angel asked, swinging her leg.

"Speak for yourself," Collins replied, kissing her gently.

Joanne turned to the still shocked performance artist, a weak smile on her face.

"So…I guess your forgiven," she sighed, holding out her arms. Maureen frowned.

"I'M forgiven?" She cried. "What about you?"

"Okay, okay," The lawyer sighed, rolling her eyes. "Sorry. Friends?"

Maureen smiled and hugged her. "More."

The two women kissed, and Maureen quickly grabbed her coat and her Pookie and ran out the door, both giggling.

"Well," Collins sighed, standing up with Angel. "That was a nice visit."

"What, you're leaving too?" Mark asked, looking up.

"Well, we have to…um…"

"Er…" They stared at each other.

"I have an, er, awful headache…" Angel faked, grabbing her forehead.

"And I have papers to grade!" Collins said, grabbing her hand. "Bye!"

As soon as the door closed, the remaining friends just stared at each other.

"I've got work," Mimi sighed, biting her lip. She kissed Roger's cheek gently, before running out the door quickly.

"So I guess your gonna take off, too?" Mark asked, eyeing Roger. The musician continued strumming his guitar.

"I gotta work on this song…" he sighed, walking into the bedroom. Mark nodded.

He was alone now…

He'd spent good money on this, the little that was left of his Buzzline salary. He felt a little weird, he thought as he put his CD into the crappy old player. But…

"Oooooh, we're havin' a ROCK N' ROLL PAAR-TAY, woo oh woo!"

It was so worth it.