A/N: This was just a little idea I had suddenly when trying to work on my other RENT fic "Here Goes". Please correct me if this is wrong or if they covered this issue in the play because I never saw it, just the movie. This is just another thought on the whole Mark/Maureen breakup. Please review and tell me what you think in the end:D
Disclaimer: I do NOT own RENT or any of its characters.
"Wow Mark…" Roger muttered, obviously in shock. "Wow… are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, looking up to meet his best friend's eyes. The young man with the square glasses nodded firmly, meeting Roger's eyes full on. The rock star ran a hand nervously through his blonde hair.
"I'm sure that this is the absolute right thing to do Roger… me and Maureen have been together for a long time and we need to make a change," Mark said, voice not even trembling from nervousness. He saw hurt spread across Roger's face and Mark felt a pang of guilt. He had almost forgotten about April amongst his own musings. He could only imagine how much it hurt for Roger right now.
"Well as long as you think it's the right thing to do Mark…" Roger muttered softly. Mark smiled at his hurting friend kindly. Things had certainly changed since April had taken her life… letting go before she even had a chance to get a hold on the world. Roger had become a bit of a hermit, hiding away in the loft and Mark had spent most of his time making sure Roger didn't follow after April. Although it had also brought Mark and Maureen closer than they ever had been before… and it made Mark sick it took something like this to do that.
"I'm gonna go over to her house now… to do it," Mark responded, now fighting to keep the fear from his voice. Roger looked at him knowingly and gave him a strong pat on the back.
"Be strong Mark, just remember why you're doing this," Roger added encouragingly, allowing a ghost of a smile across his face. Mark nodded as bravely as he could, also smiling at Roger. He walked quickly over to the coat rack and snatched his scarf from one of the pegs. Just as he was about to walk out the door a raspy voice halted him. "I'll make my own dinner tonight," Roger called with a faint laugh in his voice. Mark chucked one of Roger's shoes at its owner and left the loft with a smile on his face. He quickly found his bike and hopped on, feeling a little more confident in himself.
……………….
"Are you sure he's not coming over tonight Maureen?" Joann asked nervously, peeling off her professional looking coat and draping it across a nearby chair. The diva, Maureen, poked her head around from the hallway, adjusting an earring.
"I'm sure," she simply stated and then went back down the hallway. "He always schedules dates ahead… poor Mark is never spontaneous," she called from her bedroom. In a moment a click of a heel could be heard coming to the living room, finally. Of course, the classic Maureen leather pants were on as well as another classic tight fitting tank top.
"Well you look like… usual Maureen," Joann stated with a slight eye roll. Maureen smirked cattily after looking Joann up and down.
"So do you." Joann sighed but gave Maureen a big hug.
"It's been a while Maureen… things get hectic with your boyfriend then?" Joann asked in a slightly hurt tone.
"I'm so sorry baby… you know just sometimes I feel so bad about this…" Maureen apologized with a simper. Joann smiled gently and took Maureen's hand.
"How am I supposed to be mad at a face like that?" Joann laughed, giving Maureen a light kiss. Maureen just grinned and shrugged before going into the kitchen.
"Do you want something to drink?" Maureen called from the kitchen following a loud crash. Joann winced and shook her head.
"No, I'm okay!" Joann replied, taking a seat. Really Joann felt guilty… she didn't even know Mark but she was sure he was a pretty nice guy. It just felt so wrong to be involved in an affair… but she loved Maureen. Yes, she had since she had first seen her that was for sure. Why, you would ask, would an uptight fall for such a diva? Because Maureen was everything that Joann wasn't… and what she secretly wanted to be.
"Are you SURE that Mark isn't coming over tonight? He almost caught us the last time you thought he wasn't coming," Joann asked again, growing a little anxious. Something told her that things were going to change in a really big way. Maureen gave an overly dramatic sigh and staggered back to the living room.
"Honestly… I'm sure this time Joann! I even checked the calendar and all of my phone messages…" Maureen explained, taking another large swig of wine. Joann just clucked and carefully examined the bottle Maureen had just brought out.
"Oh look… you saved a little swallow for me," she stated sarcastically before pouring herself what was left of the wine. Maureen just giggled, a little drunk, and took another sip.
"So what did you come here for?" Maureen asked suggestively, arching her eyebrows seductively.
………………….
Mark rubbed his frigid hands together, hoping for warmth. It had to be below freezing outside… and he had just rode his bike through it for about twenty minutes.
"This had better be worth it," Mark muttered, reaching a hand into his left coat pocket. He just needed to know that it was still there… if he knew that then he would ignore the cold and not be afraid. And it was there… right where he left it. Mark grinned and walked inside the building where he would then take a right to the elevator. The dark and run down elevator that Mark was so paranoid about.
"I'm so afraid that thing is gonna break down with me still in it in between floors!" Mark exclaimed when Maureen opened the door.
"Well if it does you let me know and I'll be sure to punish it," Maureen laughed, opening the door wider for Mark to get in. "Nothing is going to keep me from my pookie bear!"
Mark grinned at the memory and he happily punched in the floor he wanted. Floor number three… anything past that and Mark wouldn't have rode the rickety old elevator. But three was okay… it really wasn't that far when you thought about it. About a two or three minute ride… smooth sailing.
"Somewhere beyond the sea…" Mark sang under his breath, grinning at his little pun. As bad as it was it described the situation. "Somewhere waiting for me," he continued cockily as the doors slowly opened. "My lover stands on golden sands and watches the ships that go sailing!" Mark finished with gusto, nearly dancing out of the doors. Grinning and distantly humming the old Frank Sinatra tune, Mark waltzed down to Maureen's door and knocked in rhythm. No response… not even a distant,
"Just a minute!" which mean that Maureen was either on the toilet or was too busy applying her tenth coat of eyeliner. Frowning and suddenly serious Mark knocked again harder. Still no response and that worried Mark. Giving an exasperated sigh, Mark reached under the mat that was in front of the door (Maureen said it gave the apartment a more homey touch) and found the key that Maureen always left there. Usually Mark was uneasy about this but in this case he was too relieved to care.
"Maureen…" he muttered as Mark went to put the key into the lock. To his surprise though, Mark found the door to already be unlocked… another habit of Maureen's the irked Mark. "Must have fallen asleep with the door unlocked," Mark reasoned, mainly trying to reassure himself.
"Maureen!" he called when he opened the door. The lights were all off and things seemed to be scattered across the floor.
"Mark?" came a hesitant voice that sounded like it was Maureen. Mark sighed in relief and instantly began to nag at her.
"Maureen you can't just leave the door unlocked like that… anyone could…" Mark trailed off as he flicked the light on and was met by a shocking scene. There was another woman there… and she was partially undressed. Maureen was there too looking very guilty.
"Mark I can explain," Maureen began but stopped when she saw how deathly pale her boyfriend looked.
"How long Maureen?" he whispered… not trusting himself to speak any louder. Maureen just averted her gaze to stare at the ground. "How long Maureen?" Mark demanded, voice rising in anger. Maureen made a pleading noise and she desperately tried to stand back up.
"Mark…" she began, hoping to sweet talk her way out of this. When she saw the stony and betrayed look in Mark's eyes though she quickly dropped the act. "A couple months," Maureen muttered, once more finding the floor very interesting. Mark stood there in silence for a moment as though hoping that Maureen would explain more. But the diva was stoically silent.
"Well…" Mark began but this time it was he who was cut off.
"Mark I want to break up with you," Maureen blurted out. Mark stared at her… anger once more growing and blossoming.
"You want to break up with me?" Mark asked obviously dumbstruck. Maureen's seemed to blaze in determination and was that… embarrassment? "If anyone should be breaking up with someone it should be me!" Mark exclaimed, nearly screaming.
"Well I said the words first Mark!" Maureen protested childishly. Mark gaped at her, not believing that Maureen would try to save her dignity by doing something like this.
"You made me believe that you still loved me Maureen! And I believed it!" Mark cried. Angrily, he reached into his left coat pocket and threw a small velvet box at Maureen. With that, he turned and left… a little satisfied that he had gotten the last word in. Mark once more asked for the elevator… the same one that he had just been singing merrily in. Only once the doors closed did Mark finally sink down in defeat and let the reality sink in… Maureen was over… and he was alone.
………….
"What the hell did that prick throw at me?" Maureen screeched, reaching down and picking up the small box.
"Maureen maybe you should explain to him…" Joann suggested calmly. Maureen just fiercely shook her head, curls flying wildly.
"Mark is so stupid that he wouldn't be able to comprehend!" Maureen hissed. Joann stared at Maureen in shock.
"Maureen… your boyfriend just walked in on something that no boyfriend deserves! I don't think he should be the one called stupid right now!" Joann protested, buttoning her shirt.
"Oh whatever," Maureen muttered sulkily, still fiddling with the box. There was a moment of tense silence while Maureen continued to mess with the box before exasperatedly throwing it at Joann. "Here, you mess with the damn thing," she cried, throwing her hands in the air. Joann scowled but proceeded to open the box. When she did Joann gasped in surprise and awe.
"Maureen," she whispered, and with teary eyes she handed the small box to her girlfriend.
"Oh what now?" Maureen snapped. Once her gaze fell on the box she froze… shock and regret filling her brown eyes. "Oh my god…" she murmured, reaching out and taking the box herself. Inside was a beautiful ring… with a small diamond and little sprinkling of some kind of gem. Tears filled Maureen's vision as the realization hit her.
"He came here to ask you to marry him…" Joann whispered, hardly daring to take her eyes away from the ring. Maureen just stood in a reserved silence.., trying to soak in this new information.
"That's why he took that part time job… I had teased him about it because it was just collecting bottles and sweeping floors…" Maureen choked, fighting back tears. "Oh god… what have I done to poor Mark… he spent all that time getting money for my engagement ring when he could have spent it on the rent…" Maureen brushed a few stray drops of water and tried to steel herself.
"Oh what have we done?" Joann asked, plopping down on the couch.
………….
"How'd it go man?" Roger asked when Mark came back through the door. He looked up from his guitar only to see that his friend's face was tear stained. "Oh my god… she said no?" Roger asked, rushing over to Mark's side. Mark just shook his head… squeezing back even more tears.
"I got dumped…" Mark said… hardly believing it himself. "I got dumped because I caught Maureen with another woman," he choked, waiting for Roger's bark of laughter or painful sympathy. Instead Roger just clapped Mark's shoulder and waited in silence… not even betraying the fact that he had understood this statement.
"Life sucks," was all he stated, thinking of his own romantic mishap. Mark looked up at his best friend through slightly fogged glasses.
"Does it ever get better?" Mark asked miserably. Roger was momentarily silent… as though thinking of an appropriate response.
"My friend… it doesn't get any better…" he said with a dark tone to his voice. The two just stood there… just wallowing in their own heartache… and loneliness.
A/N: Well what did you think? Be sure to leave me a review and tell me what I did well… what I need to work on… if you thought the story was good… anything:D