1Disclaimer: I don't own RENT. "Flawless" is quoted.

The Story of a Girl

By Donna

"Come on, Lisa, let her in... she's not going to do anything. You know that."

"You know the rules. No outsiders. Especially male ones."

"You aren't serious. She's not a 'male,'" Mimi made a point to use air-quotes as she spoke, "And, because you are obviously so oblivious to the pronouns being used right now, he's gay. He could care less if he saw a naked woman."

Lisa shook her head. "We have rules here, Ms. Marquez. This may be a strip club, but we still have dignity. We're not going to allow you, a clearly new member of our crew, to break rules like this. He's not going in."

Angel rolled her eyes, leaning on the brick wall by the doorway. "Don't fight with her, Mimi..."

"I'm not fighting!" Mimi squealed, stamping her foot.

"Why do you need him to be here so bad? What could he possibly do to contribute to you getting ready and preforming."

"...she makes good clothes and she does make-up and junk."

Lisa rolled her eyes, shaking her white-blonde hair. "You aren't serious. I'm not allowing him in the back. I will make a compromise. I'll get him in, make him sit right by the stage, and maybe, maybe slip him a free cocktail. But that's it. Got it?"

Mimi looked at Angel. "Is that okay?"

"I'm just going to go home," Angel mumbled, "See ya." She pushed herself off the wall and started to leave. She turned her head and said, "It was nice meeting you, Lisa. I'm sorry we had to meet under such... bad... circumstances."

Mimi ran up to Angel and yanked at her arm. "Hey! You're not leaving without me!"

"What?" Lisa and Angel asked.

"You're not leaving without me," Mimi repeated. She turned to Lisa. "I'm taking the night off!"

"You can't do that..."

Mimi fake-sneezed. "I'm sick"

Angel groaned. "Great... now you're losing your job because of me..."

Lisa put up two fingers. "Two strikes, Mimi. One more and I fire you. I'm only letting you stay because, apparently, men like you. Have fun doing... whatever."

Mimi hooked arms with Angel and pulled her all the way to their apartment.

"What was that all about?" Angel asked.

"It wasn't fair!" Mimi fumed.

"Honey, life's not fair. We both know that. If this was a perfect world, you wouldn't be trying to smuggle me into a strip joint dressing room."

"You're right." Mimi opened the door and threw her things on their rickedly old table. "You ever wonder what it'd be like if you were a girl?"

"Sure. Doesn't everyone think about what it's like to be the opposite sex? I don't really find how weird that is..."

"Well, I'm sure everyone wonders... it's just a matter of whether or not you act upon it. And... you did. Which leaves people wondering."

"You know, Mimi... I try as much as my money allows me to look like a woman. And even though I'd love to be a girl, I can't change it. I mean... look at some of those people who got the operation. I don't feel the joy of shooting estrogen into your system and 'becoming' a woman. It's not the same. But as long as I keep in my mind that I am a girl, and no matter what anatomy I have I'm that way, I'm good, right? So... don't really bug people about it. It brings me down after awhile."

"I guess you're right... I dunno... do you think I'd make a good boy, Ang?" Mimi asked, sitting down on the couch. She raised her arms over her head and leaned back.

"You? A boy? I could see it. You like getting into fights like one."

"Hey... so you call a girl trying to be a boy a drag king?"

"If you want to. People tend to get touchy on labels. Hm. Hang on. I'll be right back." She disappeared into her bedroom. She returned with a pair of jeans and a collared shirt. "Put these on."

"What? What are those for?"

"You wanna be a boy? You get to be the boy tonight."

"Okay..." Mimi took the clothes and went to the corner to get dressed. She noticed Angel looked away. "Oh, come on, you act like you've never seen someone get dressed before."

"I have bad memories. Gym class, ninth grade. Work with that."

"Oh... right. Sorry." She took off her top and put on the collared shirt. She buttoned them and slipped off her skirt and put on the jeans. "I need a belt."

Angel uncovered one and threw it across the room. "Now all we have to do is pull up your hair." She grabbed the curls and, after using a pack of bobbypins, was able to put it up. "There. Perfect." She backed up, trying not to laugh. "Hm... well, I'll tell you this. Drag is not in your future."

Mimi ran to a mirror and began to laugh. "Got that right. At least you look like a girl."

"Ah, well... it was worth a shot."

Mimi grabbed Angel's hand and swung it. "This is kinda weird. I kinda like it. Why are you gay?"

Angel began to laugh so hard it caused her to nearly fall over. "I'm not gay, honey. I'm a woman trapped in a man's body."

"Yeah, right..." Mimi put her hands on Angel's chest. "Definitely a man's body..."

Angel shoved her off. "You're just like all the other men in the world! Total perverts."

Mimi snickered, hugging her. "Yeah, yeah... and you're like most of the women in the world. A total prude."

END