Disclaimer:

Yea, I don't own "Rent" or Anthony Rapp, sadly. But the character of Julia Marek is all mine, whoopiee! This is my first fanfic to be published on here, so please... be gentle. I may post it's cousin, A New Beginning, if you guys love me enough.

Plot Synopsis:

This is just me being all Mary-Sue. I gave Mark a girlfriend, prior to his relationship with Maureen. So there you have it. This is the story of Mark's OTHER girlfriend... in a nutshell. D Reviews please. Criticism IS appreciated but I don't want anyone being a jerkface. Thanks bunches!

"That'll be $38.52," the young woman's chipper voice said to the pallid man at her check out stand.

His snow-white complexion paled, if that was even possible, and his ears turned a burning red. "Um, I don't have any money. But I really, REALLY need this."

The cashier smiled softly, pulling money out of her own wallet and slipping it into the cash register. "It's on me. My name's Julia." She extended her hand to our redheaded hero.

He smiled, "Thank you so much, Julia. You didn't have to. God, how could I ever repay you?"

She smiled wider, showing off two rows of white teeth, "Well, you could tell me your name, cutie."

He grinned sheepishly, "Oh, hehe. I'm Mark Co- cutie!? Did you- You just said that I-?"

She waved to him, "Bye Mark."

And so a whirlwind romance began between budding filmmaker Mark Cohen and Al's Market cashier Julia Marek. All of Mark's friends- his roommates- accepted Julia as one of their own. Roger and April were overjoyed that their single buddy had found companionship. Their political activist friend Maureen as well as Mark and Roger's roommate Thomas Collins were both elated by the fact that now the Jewish virgin could get laid.

"Mark?" Julia called out as she sneaked into the loft. "I'm on the couch", he replied, not bothering to get up.

She smiled, laying on top of him and kissing his lips. "I got a present for you." She pulled a silver chain out of her pocket. On the chain dangled a Star of David.

Mark smirked, "What's this? This how they're supposed to spot the Jew?" All in jest, of course. But how he despised religious icons. Even his own.

Months passed and Julia came to Mark in the darkness one night. "Mark?" She had been crying. "Mark? Please?"

He woke up and held her against his bare chest, "What? What's wrong Jules?"

Julia sobbed, "I'm sick, Mark. I have leukemia. I didn't want to have to tell you. But I love you too much to hurt you like that."

He felt himself slipping into a blackness. His next memories were flashes. A hospital bed. A goodbye kiss.

The Last Rites of a Catholic. She was Catholic? He did not remember that.

An open casket. He walked towards her body and tore the Star of David from its chain. He placed it in her cold grasp. Burial. "Julia Marek 1967-1988" 525,600 minutes. That was all they shared.

Mark dated Maureen for a while. They broke it off when Maureen grew jealous of Julia, whose chain still hung on Mark's neck. "You're still in love with her, Marky! I can't be with you if you're still with her."

And you know, Maureen was right. I do still love her. I always will.