The Things That Matter

Chapter 1

"God Angela will you just stop?" the angry blond young man exploded. "I don't give a fuck about your stupid benefit or those damn kids. So leave me alone!" He strode down the stairs, jumping the last two and grabbing his leather jacket on the way out.

"Roger where are you going?" his mother cried. "You can't just walk out like this."

"Watch me." the young man retorted and stormed out. He stood on the porch for a minute and then his feet took over, automatically leading him towards his best friend's house.

As he walked, he contemplated his fate. All he ever wanted was to do was start a band and have friends like normal guys his age. That was hard to do when no one took him seriously. They had one look at his huge house and wealthy family and either laughed in his face, or tried to glom onto him to get things. And the last thing Roger Davis needed was people leeching off of him. That's why he only had two friends in the world. In fact he was now standing outside the house of one of them.

Roger knocked on the door for a few seconds and then it was opened by a smiling blond woman. "Hello Roger dear, she greeted him with a smile and let him in.

"Hey Mrs. Cohen." Roger said back. "Mark's here right?"

"Of course he is dear. Up in his room fiddling with his camera as always. Maureen was here too last time I checked, but she could be gone by now. I never know with that girl."

Roger grinned. He knew only too well the extent of Maureen's psychosis. "Thanks Mrs. Cohen." he said and headed up the stairs. Mark's house was nice, but nothing compared to his. No one's was.

Mark's bedroom was empty, so Roger flung himself on the bed. It was neatly made, just like everything else in the room, and in fact Mark himself. He had closed his eyes and was thinking of a song in his head, when his best friend came barging in.

"Parents tick you off again?" Mark asked with a grin. He was not surprised to see Roger on his bed. It was an everyday thing. "And get your feet off my bed."

Roger ignored the last part of that and sighed, "Angela's off on an uber tangent about her dumbass benefit that she's having tonight and Robert could care less. He's just off enjoying his booze." Roger always called his parents by their first names. "They suck."

Mark tutted. "You really should let me do a movie on you. All this angry rich teen angst is wasted up here in my room."

"Whatever." Roger said. "Only six more months till graduation and then I'm out of here."

"Yeah off to whatever school your Mommy buys your way into." Maureen said as she came into the room and sat on the bed with Roger.

"No way." he retorted. "No way. I'm moving to Manhattan and starting a band or something. And once I'm gone, they can kiss my ass, because I'm gone for good."

"Yeah yeah." Mark said jokingly. "You keep saying that. Anyway you want to crash here tonight? My mom won't care."

Roger grinned at his best friend. "Thanks man. If one of you guys comes with me I can sneak home and get some clothes and stuff."

"Ooh I will." Maureen volunteered. "Then you can walk me home before my father goes ballistic on me. He hates the fact that my two best friends in the world are guys. Cute guys at that."

Mark snorted. "So what, he thinks we're like taking turns doing you or something? That's ridiculous."

"What's so ridiculous about it?" Maureen demanded. "I'm hot."

"Yes you are." Roger interrupted before she and Mark could get into their weekly argument. "You are so hot. Can we go now? The quicker we get to my house, the shorter your grounding will be for this month."

Maureen smirked at Mark and got to her feet pulling Roger up as well. "Okay let's go."

Roger got his stuff from his house with no trouble and then took Maureen home. "I'll see you tomorrow at school, okay?" he said as she got ready to go inside her house.

"You mean you're not skipping tomorrow?" she asked back with a smile.

"Mark would never let me." Roger replied and smiled back. Even though he thought of Maureen like a sister, her couldn't help but watch the curve of her ass as she turned and went in the house with a wave. Then he started the walk back to Mark's house.

Mark's older sister Cindy came to the door when he knocked this time. "Hi Roger." she practically purred when she saw it was him. She took in his duffel bag and guitar. "Staying the night?"

"Uh yeah." Roger replied and moved past her into the house. "Mark and I have some work to do so I'll just go on up to his room." he said and hurried up the stairs.

"Well if you need any help, you know where to find me." Cindy said suggestively.

Roger shuddered and ran the rest of the way. When he got to Mark's room he slammed the door shut behind him. Mark didn't even look up from his work. "Mark your sister is a slut." Roger said and sat on the floor.

"No shit." Mark replied. "She's always been that way. Now that you've grown up she's all warm for your form."

"Dude that's gross." Roger answered and threw a pillow at his best friend. "And it's a lie."

"Gross yes. But a lie it is not." Mark replied as he dodged the pillow and joined Roger on the floor. "These walls are thin."

"So?"

"So, I hear Cindy at night when she dreams about you." Mark put on a high voice. She'll be all 'Oh Roger. Roger I love you so much. You're so hot, you freaking sexy rock god you!'"

"You know what's sad?" Roger asked after he had punched Mark in the shoulder to make him shut up. "I'm still in high school and she's a sophomore in college. Can't she find some one her own age to lust after?"

"Oh she does, trust me. When she brings home a new boyfriend…" Mark trailed off. "Like I said, these walls are thin." he moved to his desk and grabbed a notebook from it. "You know what we have to do right?"

"Don't say it." Roger begged. "I really don't want to work on that paper tonight."

"Well that's dumb considering it's due tomorrow." Mark said back. "But you could always go downstairs and let Cindy make goo-goo eyes at you for a while. Hopefully you won't get raped when my parents go to bed."

"Alright, you don't have to get graphic." Roger stopped him. "I'll write the damn paper."

Mark grinned at him and the two friends got started on their work.