Standard disclaimers apply. I only own the movie soundtrack, the Original Broadway Cast Recording, and my own imagination!!

As usual, I can't seem to think up a good title. But I looked up 'deviant' online and it means 'markedly different from an accepted norm', so I guess that would fit the Bohemians and their families, eh? Markedly different from the accepted norm... society... yeah, it works. I'm keeping it.

"Mimi, I'm leaving, chica," Shay Milano said, poking her head into Mimi's dressing room. "Can you tell Adam?"

Mimi turned around in her chair and looked over at Shay. "OK, chica," she said, smiling at Shay. "I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, you will," Shay said. She noticed the look on Mimi's face. "Hey, are you OK?"

"No," Mimi said, "it's Roger. I… we… we had a fight."

"Aw," Shay said, and she went into the room and sat down in a chair next to the pretty Latina and put her hand on Mimi's. "But you two have spats like this all the time, don't you?"

"No, you don't understand," Mimi said, closing her eyes and standing up. She walked away and crossed her arms over her chest. "This was a big fight. We… we broke up."

"What?" Shay asked, looking over at her, surprised. "You did? Why?"

"He wanted to get me off the smack, and since I wouldn't, he left me. He said that he couldn't protect me from it anymore, and that we were over."

"Oh, chica, I'm sorry," Shay said. "Can I do anything?"

"No, but thanks," Mimi said. "He also found out about Benny and me."

Shay was surprised. "Oh, boy," she said nervously. "That can't have gone over well with him."

"No, it didn't," Mimi said, shaking her head. "But it was before I met him. Why should he be mad at me for that?"

Shay considered that for a moment. "Well," she began, "look at all the shit Benny's done to them in the past couple of years. You can't blame Roger for being mad at you for getting together with the one man he hates. OK, not the only man he hates," Shay changed her mind mid-thought, "but Mimi, chica, he's married."

"I know he's married!" Mimi exclaimed, glaring at Shay. "I thought you were leaving?"

Shay was surprised at Mimi's abruptness. "I was," she said. "Mimi, don't yell at me, please. I'm just trying to help."

Mimi sighed and put her head in her hands. "I know," she said. "I'm sorry. I'm just so stressed about this. But you're young, chica." She looked up at Shay. "You shouldn't have to worry about me so much."

"I'm only six months younger than you!" Shay protested, laughing.

Mimi laughed, too. "I'll see you tomorrow, OK?"

"Yeah, all right," Shay said, and she forced Mimi to accept one of her bone-crushing hugs.

"If Roger's out there, tell him I don't want to see him," Mimi said, looking over at Shay, who was at the door.

Shay sighed inaudibly. "OK, I will," she said. "Bye, Mimi."

Shay waved to Mimi as she went out the door, closing it behind herself. She had only walked a few feet when she saw Roger walk in. He saw her and went over to her.

"Hi," he said, "I'm Roger."

Shay crossed her arms over her chest and frowned at him. "I know who you are," she said firmly. "Mimi doesn't want to see you."

"Why not?" Roger asked, confused and annoyed.

"Because you broke up with her, that's why," Shay snapped, glaring at him through her forest green eyes. "Roger, what are you doing here? Why are you coming around after you broke up with her?"

"What are you, twelve?" Roger snapped, looking down at her. "The reason I'm here is none of your concern."

"But it is my concern, Roger," Shay said. "Mimi's my friend, my partner, and you hurt her. And I'm 18, for your information. Now get out of here, before I call the cops on you for stalking her." She gave him a fierce look, daring him to argue.

"I live, like, three blocks away!" Roger exclaimed angrily. "Just because I come by to visit— and maybe apologize— doesn't mean I'm stalking her! God, did she put her up to this?"

"Yes," Shay said, looking over his shoulder as she saw a black Range Rover pull up. "You'd better go, Roger, before Benny thinks about kicking your ass, too."

Roger turned around just as Benny walked into the club. Shay watched as the two men locked eyes, hatred etched in their faces. Before any action could break out, Shay walked away. As Benny knocked and went in to Mimi's dressing room, after saying a few words to her, Shay heard Roger following her. She picked up her speed once she got outside, hearing him yell after her, and she soon had lost him the maze of Alphabet City.

Benny knocked on the dressing room door and waited. A second later, he heard Mimi yell.

"Roger, I don't want to see you!"

Benny leaned against the door and sighed. "Mimi, it's Benny," he said. "Can I come in?"

He waited again and the door opened. "Hi," he said, looking down at her. "Can I come in?"

Mimi shrugged. "Sure," she said, and he followed her into the room. She went over to the chair and sat down in it again. She wiped her eyes, trying to fight back tears. Benny put a hand on her shoulder.

"Mimi, I'm sorry," he said. "What we did… it shouldn't have happened. I'm sorry I came between you and Roger. That was wrong of me."

Mimi nodded and pulled her legs up to her chest. "Yeah, it was," she said. "But it was my fault, too. I knew better, just as you did. We both screwed up."

Benny looked down at her, concerned. "So we can just be friends and pretend it never happened?"

Mimi glared at him. "No, Benny, we can't just pretend it never happened," she said angrily. "Because of you and what you did, and partly because of what I did, I lost the love of my life. I don't know when I'll see him again."

Benny nodded. "Well, I'm still sorry. I can't say anything else to make up for it. Do you want me to talk to him?"

"No," Mimi said. "You two can't seem to be in the same room together without starting a fight, verbal or physical. You two hate each other. Nothing can change that, because of all the shit you put them through in the past couple of years. Just leave me alone from now on, OK?"

Benny sighed. "OK," he said, and he turned to leave. "Bye, Mimi."

Mimi didn't say anything in reply and Benny left.

Adam is their manager. Sorry, I couldn't resist, LOL. Don't forget to review. I'll put up chapter 2 soon, probably by tomorrow.

Until next time, lots of love,

Renthead07