A/N:  General Disclaimer stuff – Not mine.. .Jonathan Larson… etc.

Inspiration struck for this story the last time I saw Rent on bwy, so Matt Caplan inspired this, though I still think of Jim Poulos when I write Mark.  Anyway, the part post Happy New Year when The Man comes out and talks to Mimi, I always knew that Mark stands there, but Matt actually had a reaction to it, and it was not a pleasant one.  So this entire thing is based off of Matt's facial expression.  I have three chapters (though they are short) of this written already, so go me!       

Add It Up – Chapter One

Mimi made me nervous.  I understood the lure of her, but I privately wondered if it would be too much for Roger. I've seen nothing but smiles and heard nothing but laughter from him for the past week, despite the fact we've been homeless.  That was, until a few minutes ago.  His temper flew at the mere mention of Benny's name.

          That was the Roger I was used to dealing with.  Irrational, angry, and jealous.  I used to be the only one that could handle him after April would disappear with another guy, or at least that is where he always assumed she was going.  I was used to being the one to pull him and Benny apart, of calming Roger down with nothing but rational words.  I was the only one he would listen to and actually hear what I was saying. 

          This week, something in him changed, almost melted.  I would guess it was his heart, though I had never seen him fall so quickly for someone.  In the old days, Roger would fall in love with any girl who batted her eyes, but it wasn't real love.  The only one I saw him feel that way towards was April, and now Mimi.

          Which is why she made me nervous.  April consistently broke his heart by sleeping with other people, men and women.   She would lie as to where she was, who she was with and Roger would fume and throw things and scream.  He would then retreat to his room, to a party, to a bar, to wherever he went to shoot up and forget what she was doing to him.

          I understood why Roger got so upset when Benny announced Mimi had been to see him.  Why didn't she mention it to us?  What other secrets was she hiding?  I decided that I had to talk to her, explain to her about Roger's past with April.  About how he needed honesty or else he would… no I couldn't allow myself to think about that.

          I followed everyone upstairs and realized Mimi wasn't with us.  I made and excuse and bolted down the four flights, hoping to catch up with her.  She had already made it about a block ahead of me and didn't realize I was following her. She stopped at a bus stop bench and sat down. She looked around a few times, but she didn't notice me approach her.  Her attention was toward the hooded figure crossing the street.

          She turned away from slightly as he squatted in front of her.  I hid myself behind the corner and watched her snatch something from his fingers.  He leaned in and whispered something to her and she held her head down, in what seemed like shame. 

          Her dealer.  I recognized him from St Marks last week.  She told Roger she was done with drugs.  She told him that she was giving it up.  If she was still using… I couldn't let him go back.  I had to warn him.  Yet I knew, if he loved her as much as I thought he did, it would be too late.