CHAPTER 4: Best Birthday Ever (part two)
Mark's birthday came just a couple weeks after Roger's. They both continued to study hard, and train for the war. Roger hadn't been drafted yet, although they both constantly checked the list that was put up each week of the people being drafted.
Sadly, when Mark's birthday did come, Roger came down with the flu. It wasn't deadly or anything, he just didn't have enough energy to make Mark's birthday as extravagant as his was. Mark was ok with this of course.
"Markkkkkk my head hurts." Roger complains to his roommate. "I can go to the infirmary and get-"
"NO! They'll make me go stay there and I like it here." Roger says, rolling onto his side. "Okay, I'll go to the convenience store and get some aspirin ok?" Mark suggests. Roger smiles. "Okay." Mark grabs his jacket and his wallet before walking out the dorm room door. Roger springs from his bed and runs to the closet where he had stashed all his decorations.
He put up blue and red (Mark's favorite colors) streamers and hung a HAPPY BIRTHDAY sign in between their beds. He puts on a Queen record, because he knows how much Mark loves Freddie Mercury. He also puts his card that he had made for Mark on top of the dresser. It was written in Roger's messy cursive handwriting in a green colored pencil, and certainly wasn't as pretty as Mark's was...but it was the thought.
Little did Mark know that his present was a song.
Roger hadn't told Mark that he played the guitar, or sang for that matter, because he wanted to surprise him. Roger looked under his bed to make sure his prized possession was still there, and pulled the guitar out of the black case, covered in stickers.
The guitar was a dark brown, that faded into black around the edges. He had spent a while working on the lyrics for the song, but only came up with a chord progression and tune two days ago, when he stayed home sick and Mark was at school.
Roger gently places the guitar on his bed and waits patiently for Mark to arrive home. When he hears Mark starting to open the door, he dashes into the closet and gets ready to jump out and yell SURPRISE as Mark had done for him.
The door opens and Roger jumps out of the closet to see Mark's vibrant blue eyes dashing around the now colorful room. "SURPRISE!" Roger yells.
"Roger! You didn't have to do this!" Mark says, putting down the plastic bag he held in his hand and smiling brightly at Roger. "I know! But I wanted to!" Roger says.
"Aw thanks Rog." Mark says, hugging Roger. "It's no problem." Roger says.
"Open your card!" He says expectantly. Mark beams and grabs the card that was lying on the wooden dresser.
"Mark, Happy Bir-"
"Don't read it out loud!" Roger says. Mark laughs at this and continues to read the note (now in his head), which was full of heartfelt messages about Mark and their friendship. Mark felt like crying it was so beautiful.
"Roger..." Mark starts, putting the card down. "That was the best card ever." He says, smiling sweetly at Roger. "I'm glad you liked it." Roger said.
"I loved it."
This is when Mark notices the guitar sitting on Roger's bed. His eyebrows furrow in confusion, and he just points to the bed. Roger smiles.
"Yeah about that...I can't really afford to buy you an engraved watch for $200 so I wrote you a song." He says, giggling.
Mark's eyes light up. "Really?!" He asks. Roger nods. "I didn't even know you played." Mark says.
"Yeah...I wanted it to be a surprise." Roger says, strumming the first chord of his song. Mark sits on his bed and looks at Roger intently.
This is when Roger hands Mark a small book, obviously handmade. "Whats this?" Mark asks.
"Open it." Roger says. And Mark does. The first page is written in the same green colored pencil as his card. It says COUNT ON ME By Roger Davis.
"Follow along." Roger says. Mark is confused but then Roger starts playing. Mark flips to the next page. On it is a cartoon picture of Mark, sitting on what looks like a little island in the middle of the sea, his face looks worried and at the bottom of the page in the green colored pencil it says If you ever find yourself stuck in the middle of the sea...
As Mark reads these words, Roger sings them...and Roger's voice is something Mark didn't expect. It was beautiful. He was playing an arrangement of major chords, and Mark's eyes widened as he flipped to the next page.
It showed Mark still standing on the island, but he didn't look worried anymore, and Roger was standing right beside him, with a boat next to him. The words at the bottom of the page read: I'll sail the world...to find you.
Mark was shocked. This was fantastic. Mark continued flipping the pages to find other hilarious cartoon drawings of the two of them, while Roger's fantastic voice rang through the dorm room, singing things like "If you ever find yourself lost in the dark and you can't see, I'll be the light to guide you." Mark almost starts laughing at the hilarious picture of himself holding a teddy bear and crying in a dark room, until the next page shows Mark smiling with Roger holding a flashlight beside him.
Mark was beyond touched. The chorus was his favorite part though.
You can count on me like 1..2..3.. I'll be there. And I know when I need it I can count on you like 4..3..2.. you'll be there, cause that's what friends are supposed to do oh yeahh.
Roger's voice fits the song perfectly, and Mark finds himself on the verge of tears. Thats when the bridge comes.
You'll always have my shoulder when you cry
Roger's voice echoes off the walls and Mark stares at the cute little cartoon drawing of him crying into Roger's shoulder, and Roger crying with him.
Ill never let go, never say goodbye...
Mark loses it. Tears start falling down his face. Roger continues into the final chorus.
Cause thats what friends are supposed to do oh yeahh
You can count on me because I can count on you. He strums one last major chord and Mark jumps into his arms.
"Roger that was amazing." Mark tells him wholeheartedly. Roger smiles the biggest he ever had. "Thank you Marky." He says, gripping Mark tightly.
"The drawings were hilarious." Mark says, laughing and wiping the tears from his face. Roger laughs with him. "I'm so glad you liked it." Roger says. "I freakin loved it." Mark says, and now they're both sitting on Roger's bed.
"I do have one last present for you." Roger says, smiling deviously. "Roger! That song was way more than enough!" Mark says giggling. Roger shakes his head and laughs, reaching under his bed and pulling out a cardboard box. Mark eyes the box suspiciously and opens it.
Inside was a scarf, it was blue and white striped. Mark immediately pulls it out and puts it on. It was a little big, but Mark though it was perfect. "Roger this is awesome!" He says, hugging Roger for what seemed like the tenth time that day. Roger just beams and hugs him back.
Mark and Roger hung out for the rest of the day. Looking through the book of cartoon drawings and laughing, playing cards and listening to queen. It seemed like the perfect birthday. Mark didn't take the scarf off once, and continued to hum Roger's song softly to himself. Roger's headache even magically disappeared.
Finally they both decided it was time for bed. "Thanks for the best birthday ever." Mark says to Roger that night.
"Thanks for being the best friend ever." Roger says back. This makes Mark's heart flutter. "You too." he says back to Roger. Roger smiles, and they both get into their beds.
Roger turns off the little light in between them like he usually does.
"Goodnight Mark"
"Goodnight Roger"
They both say goodnight at the same time, and end up laughing, before falling into a deep sleep.
Author's Note: All credit to Jonathan Larson and also Bruno Mars for the song Count On Me!