CENTER OF THE UNIVERSE
A/N: Alright, this story has been festering around on my computer for a good quantity of time. This actually is the prequel to November that a few of you were asking me to post when I brought it up in an author's note. It's not required at all that you read November to understand this story, because it will involve each and every one of our beloved RENT characters at one time or another. Yes, that means Mimi and Angel! I haven't written for Angel lately and I'm very excited about that! They both make appearances sooner than you may think. With that said, this is very pre RENT. Fresh out of high school Mark and Roger. If you do happen to enjoy this, leave me a review, because those will affect my decision in whether or not I continue with this.
Enjoy, and as the great Angel once said: New York City, center of the universe…
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AUGUST 1989"How long do you think we'll be friends?"
Eighteen-year-old Roger Davis took another drag from the cigarette he was holding and blew the smoke out. "I don't know. I never really thought about it. A long time, maybe. It depends. People change."
Mark Cohen nodded and adjusted the air conditioner vent in his best friend's car. "Yeah well. I think people change because they want to. Not because it just happens."
Roger laughed and stopped at the corner, glancing both ways before making the turn onto the street. "Okay Mark."
"Hey, I'm just saying." He glanced down briefly at the cigarette in Roger's hand. "Your mom's gonna smell that all over you."
"It doesn't matter. She knows anyway. Plus, I've been an "adult" since October. I'm legal, I do what the fuck I want to," Roger joked. Still, he did crush the cigarette out in the ashtray and opened the window to air the car out. "Do you want me to get Jen first? Or do you want to go back to your house and get the rest of your boxes?"
"Well, if we get Jen first and then get my boxes we can get onto I-95 before three. We'd be in Providence by six latest."
"We'll be there by five," Roger insisted. "Don't worry, I'll have you in your dorm and moved in by midnight."
"Let's just try to avoid getting pulled over on the highway, okay? No speeding and no crazy maneuvers, or I'm driving."
"Yeah." Roger turned down another street. He passed row after row of nearly identical houses before pulling into the driveway of a large, brown and white two-story house. "I'll be back in a second."
Mark started messing around with the radio station tuner. He passed through numerous stations full of static, news broadcasts, hip hop, classical, even country—before settling on the usual rock and top 40 station all the teenagers in Scarsdale listened to. 'Paradise City' by Guns 'N Roses floated out over the speakers, and he drummed his fingers along the car door to match the opening chords.
He still couldn't get used to the fact that he and Roger were no longer seniors. Even though they had graduated two months previously—in June, Mark still felt like he was expected to walk back into the high school in two weeks to start another long year of overbearing homework assignments and wild parties. Not the case any longer. In a few short minutes, he would be on the road to Providence, Rhode Island, to start another four tedious years of school at Brown University. Hopefully when it was all over, he'd have some great filming internship to put on his resume. One could hope, anyway.
Not even a minute later, Roger was heading back towards the car with his current girlfriend. Jennifer Walsh had graduated with them in June as well, and she and Roger had been together since January of their junior year. Jen was a petite girl, only about five foot three, and her shoulder length dark brown hair was pulled up into a loose ponytail.
"Hey," she greeted Mark as she slid into the backseat somewhat gracefully. "Ready to go, college boy?"
Mark grinned. "You both talk like I'll never see either one of you again after this summer."
Roger climbed into the driver's seat and slowly backed out of the driveway. "You probably won't. Jen's going to NYU; you're stuck in Rhode Island. You've got another thing coming if you think I'm supposed to haul my ass almost three hours every weekend to see you," he laughed. "But I will supply the beer."
"That's okay. There'll be enough of that at the frat parties I'm planning to go to," Jen winked at him.
Roger looked at her in the rear view mirror. "Not without me you're not."
"I'm just kidding. For someone that's not even going to college, you're so serious." She made a sad face back at him and he laughed again.
"Right. I told you that I'm trying to find an apartment in the city."
"Are you planning on buying it with the money you haven't saved up?" Mark asked him. "We're not in the seventeenth century anymore. The last time I checked, they don't take beer and cheese as a monthly payment."
Roger flipped him off before quickly pulling into Mark's driveway. "We'll see about that. You'll see. I'll get this great place and both of you will be begging to come live with me."
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Two hours later, they had pulled off the highway and were circling around Providence for what seemed like the fifth time.
Jen glanced at the street sign they had just passed over the map. "I don't know. We're going the right way, but I don't see any signs for the main dorms." She followed the route with her finger. "Turn left here, maybe?"
Roger did so, and Mark quickly saw a sign for the main campus, fraternity and sorority houses, and the administration building. "Slow down. We're in the right place, but we have to find the parking lot or whatever."
Jen pointed out the window at one of the tall, looming buildings. "You'll most likely need to check in there, so they can give you the key to the building. Plus for security purposes and everything." She laughed a little as she said this.
"What's so funny?" Mark turned his head and glanced at her.
She shook her head and folded up the map. "Nothing. I'm just surprised that your mother didn't beg to come with us. Seeing her little boy off and all, you know?"
Roger laughed and parked the car in a space. "The great Eva Cohen loosens her reigns. Surprising. I'm expecting pigs to fly any second now."
Mark ignored their comments and got out of the car. Roger and Jen followed suit and met him on the other side. "Her and my dad are coming up for open house next week. Remember? Do you both actually listen to anything that I say?"
"Of course we do." Jen linked her arm through Mark's. "I just wish you would have applied to NYU instead. This way we all could have lived in the city together."
He nodded. "Yeah well, if things don't work out, I could always transfer next semester."
"You should." Roger lit up another cigarette. "I'm telling you I'm getting an apartment. And then getting a job. Maybe they'll let me bartend or something."
"In your dreams maybe."
By six that evening Roger, Jen, and Mark were hauling boxes up to the third floor of one of the numerous dorm buildings lined in one row. Mark had checked in at the administration desk and gotten his building key, along with his mandatory packet that listed all the rules of the university and dorms.
Jen comfortably stretched out on Mark's new bed and leafed through the packet. "No smoking, no drinking, no members of that opposite sex after eleven…wow Roger, you wouldn't be able to survive the first week," she joked.
Roger rolled his eyes as he and Mark started unpacking various items and putting them where they could fit. The dorm room was pretty large and airy, and was already occupied by another person. The opposite bed was unmade, and a mess of dirty laundry was sitting in a basket by that mystery person's dresser. "Not a clean freak?"
"Cleaner than what your room looks like at home," Mark remarked. He was starting to put some of his clothes away in his dresser. When he made it to the closet, he realized that whoever his roommate was, that person obviously had a hint that someone else was moving in. A section of the closet was left empty with a generous amount of hangers.
Roger walked over and fingered the clothes. "Sweaters, polo shirts, dress pants, khakis, loafers, vests…holy shit, what is this guy? My dad, or a prep? He doesn't even look like he owns a pair of sneakers."
"Be nice," Jen voiced from the bed. "Maybe the guy is really great. You never know."
"Yeah well, I wouldn't be caught dead in that wardrobe."
Just then, a tall man dressed in sweatpants and a tank top walked in. He was clutching a water bottle and had the appearance of someone that had just finished working out. He looked around and grinned. "What, is there a party and I'm not invited?" He spotted Jen on the bed and smiled some more. "Hello there. I wouldn't be so lucky to have you as my new roommate, would I?"
Jen shook her head and got up to stand by Roger, who wrapped his arm protectively around her waist. "Unfortunately, no."
"That would be me," Mark muttered from the closet. "Mark Cohen."
The man walked over to Mark and shook his hand politely. "Benjamin Coffin, but you can call me Benny. Nice to meet you."
"Uh, likewise." Mark shook his head and Roger smirked. Was this guy for real?
Benny kicked off his sneakers and tossed them in the closet. "Sorry for my part of the room looking like hell, but I had classes all day and then I ended up at the gym. Senior year's a bitch."
Mark removed his head from the closet to look back at Benny. "You're a senior?"
"Yeah. Aren't you?" Benny studied his new roommate for a second. "The resident advisor told me my new roommate was an upperclassmen."
"Well I guess he told you wrong, or they fucked something up along the way, because I'm a freshman. Or I will be in two weeks."
Benny grinned and sat down on his own bed. "You don't say? Maybe it won't be so bad. Usually I can't stand the freshman or the sophomores, but you seem to have yourself pretty together. Plus, I could actually show you the ropes."
Roger laughed. "Looks like you've got yourself a new best friend Mark."
Mark shot him a look. "I guess. You're taking summer classes?"
"Yeah. Just gives me something to do. I wasn't really expecting you until next week. That's when mostly everyone else shows up. It'll probably be just you, me, and a few others for the rest of this week. There's a big end of the summer party this weekend at the frat house. You should come. I'm part of the fraternity, so basically, I could sponsor you if you wanted to pledge."
"Uh, sure. Whatever you want." Mark couldn't believe how fast this guy was taking a liking towards him. He was practically talking his ear off.
Roger cleared his throat. "Well, I'm sure it's really nice to meet you and all, but the three of us were about to go out and get something to eat."
"Oh, I'm sorry to keep you. Mark, it was great to meet you. And don't look so scared. Brown University isn't as bad as you think it is."
"Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."
Jen practically dragged Mark and Roger out of the dorm room and down the hall. "Could that guy have been anymore creepy?"
"Yeah really. I'd apply to get another room as soon as I could," Roger warned Mark.
"He doesn't seem that bad. He's pretty nice. A little talkative, but nice. I don't even know him yet."
"Exactly. Don't get to know him, this way you won't feel bad when you switch your room," Jen laughed.
Roger waited for everyone to climb into his car and put on their seatbelts before backing out of the parking lot. "He was just weird."
Mark laughed and turned up the radio again. "Why? Because he dresses nice and has some character?"
Roger took his right hand off the steering wheel and smacked Mark in the back of the head. "Shut up. I can't even picture you pledging at a fraternity, letting alone being a brother of Pi Kappa whatever."
"Marky can hold his alcohol. That's got to be able to get him somewhere," Jen added from the backseat.
"I'm really interested in this apartment you think you're capable of finding, Rog. The last time I checked, this is New York City. Things ain't cheap, even for a wannabe rock musician like yourself."
"I'm telling you guys! I'm going to start looking tomorrow and when I find it, you're gonna be sorry that you went to college in the first place."
"So instead of college and furthering my education, I'd live in a place with you, where we'd sit around, party, smoke, and drink beer all day?" Mark drummed his fingers along the window.
"Now that's only on the weekends," Roger smirked. The same Guns 'N Roses song was blaring over the radio station and he turned it up louder. "Take me down to the paradise city where the grass is green and the girls are pretty! Oh won't you please take me home!"
"Dork," Mark warbled. "Please, I'd like to not be damaged before I start the fall semester."
"I'm going to have a great song like this one day," Roger shot back at him. "Along with a great apartment. You just wait and see."
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Review please! I know it's a little short, but it's only the beginning chapter. =]