A/N: Good morning, starshine. The Earth says hello! Thanks for all of the positive feedback on "Worthwhile." It kind of made me excited to post another one. So here it is. Just a little Mark/Roger thing for y'all to check out. Nothin' major. As always, reviews are mucho appreciated. Enjoy! -The Fish
My Best Friend's Girl
RENT. Mark reflects on April and Mimi and just how much impact they have had on Roger. POV.
The loft is quiet. There's no one here but me. I'm not gonna say I mind it, because I don't. But all the same, it'd be nice to have someone around. Someone to talk to. Roger's guitar sits in the corner, silent. For a second, I contemplate trying it out. But I decide against it, knowing he'd kill me if I screwed it up. He values that guitar more then anything else in the world. I don't get it, but that's just Roger being…well, Roger.
We've been friends for a long time, Roger and I. And we've been through a lot of shit. Good, bad, ugly…we've seen it all. But I don't think I've ever seen him quite like this. Actually, I take it back. I have seen him this way before: Smiling all the time, writing schmaltzy songs, not letting anything get him too far down. Being in love. Yeah, he was like that once before…a long time ago.
April made him feel that way. April. Who the hell could've guessed that a down-and-out musician and a fiery redhead girl would make such a good couple? But then, the unthinkable happened.
April died. And a piece of Roger died with her.
It was a hard time for all of us. Roger had just been diagnosed and he'd spent most of the days completely inconsolable. I swore that I would be strong for him, but late at night, I'd cry, too. I would cry because I was essentially powerless. Roger was my best friend, and I couldn't help him. I couldn't bring his girlfriend back. I couldn't take the HIV away. I could do nothing but watch him suffer. Between his all-consuming grief and the heroin withdrawals, I honestly didn't think that he'd ever again end up being the guy I'd once known.
But along came Mimi. Mimi. The ever-determined Latina S&M dancer. Who the hell could've guessed that these two would be so good for each other? Certainly not me. But Roge has got this thing for bad girls. And they are good for each other. Mimi has her problems. She has a past that she does not like to revisit. So does he. Disease has taught them the value of time…time spent with friends, as well as with each other. Roger is her foundation. He was the one that got her through her addiction, who led the fight to find her once again. I really believe he saved her life. And that she, in turn, saved his. Mimi is his inspiration. Because of her, he's himself again. He invites her over to hear his latest sappy love song. He talks about her non-stop. And he's constantly smiling. The bastard even smiles in his sleep! But only when he dreams of her.
It's been two years since they discovered each other one cold, winter evening. There's talk of marriage proposals and shared space. But in this moment, there's no sound at all. Once again, I find my eyes drifting to the guitar. I've always wondered what it'd be like to play one.
"Why not?" I say, and go over to it. No sooner do I finger the guitar pick, I hear voices. Oh, shit…they're back! I make a mad dash back to the couch and pretend like nothing's up. In they come, laughing at some joke.
"Hey," Roger says, "what's going on?"
"Nothing." I catch Mimi's eye and wave. "Hi, Mimi."
"Hey, Mark." Roger crashes next to me on the couch and Mimi is soon seated on his lap. The look they share tells me that I'd be excluded for the remainder of the night, so I decide to leave.
Before I close the door, I look their way one more time.
Why the hell can't I be that lucky?