Author's Note: Welcome to the next installment of this story. I'm dedicating this chapter to my friend Amandals2007 who I recently introduced to the wonderful and addicting world of fan fiction.

Chapter Four:

0o0o0o0o0o0

I grew up with my parents teaching me good morals. They taught me that the best thing I could do was to be honest with someone. I knew that I was breaking that moral with every lie and false truth I spread to this group of friends. I knew they would hurt once they discovered the truth, but I never realized that someone could hurt people and not even care enough to realize it. I learned that the day I saw him crumble when facing his past. Who knew one person could be hurt so much due to a single act? Who knew it would hurt even more by trying to deny it? And who knew it would slowly destroy their hope the more it happened? I didn't, but I do now.

0o0o0o0o0o0

The weeks passed and before long it was arriving into the middle of February. Roger had been spending a lot of time down at Mimi's the past few months. Collins and Angel hadn't been heard from for a while. The past month's get together had been missed. No one called to get together so it didn't happen. Mark spent a lot of time at work, but when he didn't work he had Robyn's company. She was working on her book a lot so sometimes even her company was lacking. Maureen and Joanne were working on another protest… and fighting.

Mark was in the loft working on his film. He wasn't getting very far but it was something. Robyn sat by the window writing like she normally did. The loft door flew open. The first reaction was that Roger and Mimi had had another fight and Roger had returned to vent. This had happened almost daily over the past few weeks. Both Mark and Robyn learned to stay quiet and allow Roger to vent. He would vent and then leave to return to Mimi.

"I can't believe her!" It wasn't Roger. Maureen stood in the doorway with her hair a mess and a bag beside her. Mark looked at her with a shocked yet semi-concerned look. It had been a while since Maureen had showed up at the loft with a bag. Robyn just sat by the window watching.

"What happened this time?" Mark asked returning to the small amount of editing he had been doing.

"She kicked me out. Permanently!" Maureen yelled as she flopped down on the couch.

"For what?" Mark asked once again. This wasn't the first time Maureen had come crying into the loft about being permanently kicked out. It would only last a day or so before the two made up and she left once again.

"Her ivy league shit is too much for me. She won't let me do my protest my way. She won't let me have any fun." Maureen cried.

"Like what?" Mark asked unconcerned. It was better to let her think the world revolved around her and then move on. It ended better and faster that way.

"I haven't done anything fun. She didn't like the idea of me piercing my nipples, so I didn't. She wouldn't let me say at the Clit Club to dance because she wanted to go home. She claimed I was flirting with a woman in rubber! When have I not flirted with a woman in rubber?" Maureen exclaimed.

Robyn snorted in the background while Mark looked at Maureen with raised eyebrows. He knew it was better not to comment. Wasn't that half of the reason they broke up? Maureen's obsession with being the center of attention? It didn't matter that she had a boyfriend (or girlfriend) who loved her and gave her the attention she needed, but did she have to have everyone else's as well? That and her constant cheating certainly had something to do with her and Mark's failed relationship.

"Maybe you should show her more commitment?" Mark asked while not looking at Maureen. He hated being involved in their fights. He had a tendency to agree with Joanne ninety-nine percent of the time anyway.

"Commitment? All she wants is commitment?" Maureen asked looking shocked. Was it hard to believe that people actually needed some reassurance that their partner was faithful and loyal to them? Was it so hard to believe that one could indeed be happy with just one person for the rest of their life? Apparently it was hard for Maureen to grasp. Yet again, another reason for her and Mark's failed relationship.

"Yes, Maureen, people do like to know that they aren't being cheated on and that they are the only person for their partner." Mark commented dryly. He didn't want to have this conversation.

"Is that what you wanted, Marky?" she asked looking at him.

Mark couldn't help but groan. He didn't need this conversation. Where was Roger when he was needed? 'Barge through the door needing my attention any time now, Rog.' He thought, but it didn't happen. He had to respond. "Yes, Maureen, it would have helped." He said not looking at her.

"I don't understand. I thought you were fine with our relationship." Maureen stated. She was hopeless in the case of relationships.

"I was, until I found out you were cheating on me. Roger told me daily to leave you, but I couldn't bring myself to see the truth. I didn't want to see the truth. I knew, Maureen, I knew about every single other person you slept with. I'm not dumb. I knew, and it hurt, but I stayed with you because part of me had the ridiculous hope that if I showed you I cared enough, you'd stop and realize that I was all you needed. Amazing how well I can fool myself." Mark stated dryly. It hurt to bring up his failed relationship. Every relationship he had ever been in, a grand total of two, lead to cheating and failed relationships. He had realized he was nothing more than a place holder until someone better came along to fill the spot.

"Pookie, I never realized." Maureen said moving over toward him, but he stopped her.

"Because you didn't want to. You are hopeless in relationships, Maureen. You don't know how to care for anyone else but yourself. Until you learn to care for someone else more than yourself, then you won't have a successful relationship." Mark said looking at her. "Now, do me a favor and go crash at Mimi's. I can't deal with this shit that you always bring with you." With that he turned and headed into his room, closing the door behind him.

Mark fell onto his bed and stared at the ceiling. He couldn't believe he had just said those things. He hadn't realized he was still bitter about being cheated on. Apparently, considering what he just said, he was indeed very bitter.

---

Roger was down in Mimi's apartment like he had been for a while. It was the first time that they hadn't fought over stupid stuff. It helped that Mimi was currently asleep and would be for a while. She had to work again tonight.

He sat on the couch contently strumming his guitar. He was hoping for a song, but it wasn't coming. There was a knock on the door. Sighing he placed the guitar on the couch and walked over to the door. He opened it to come face to face with Maureen.

"I can't believe them!" she screamed and pushed past him.

"Not that I'm not happy to see you, but Mimi is sleeping. Would you mind not using your normally loud voice and tone it down a bit?" Roger asked closing the door.

"What the fuck? Is it bash Maureen day?" she cried sitting down on the couch. She had almost sat on his guitar. Roger glared at her while he picked it up off the couch so it wouldn't get destroyed.

"I'm not following." Roger said as he went to go place his guitar by the window so it was out of the way.

"First Joanne kicks me out and then Mark kicks me out." Maureen said.

"For what?" Roger asked. He had Mark's motto when it came to Maureen. Let her think the world revolved around her and then move on.

"Joanne claimed I was flirting with a woman in rubber. When has that not happened?" she said repeating the same thing she had just said to Mark. "And then Mark kicked me out because according to him I bring too much shit that he doesn't want to deal with. What is he talking about?"

"How'd this get brought up" Roger asked while sitting down in one of the other chairs in Mimi's apartment.

"We were at the Clit Club the other night and—" Maureen started.

"Not the thing with Joanne, the thing with Mark." Roger said cutting her off.

"I was telling him why Joanne decided to kick me out. He told me that I should show her commitment. I asked if that was all it took and if that's what he had wanted. He then got all defensive and told me to leave. Robyn wasn't of any help either. After Mark had locked himself in his room she just shrugged and suggested I do what he said. I don't understand what he's so upset about." Maureen said.

"How many times did you cheat on him?" Roger asked. He knew exactly why Mark would get defensive, but he didn't think he would throw Maureen out; at least not in the terms that she was using. Ask her to leave, sure; throw her out, he seriously doubted Mark would do that.

"I don't remember." Maureen said looking at him.

"Did you sleep with more than one person while you were with Mark?" Roger asked again. He was either going to get her to understand or he was going to kill her for being so stupid on the concept of relationships.

"Yes."

"Did it ever bother you that those other people weren't Mark?" Roger hoped for an answer of 'yes' but he wasn't expecting it.

"Not really. Sex is just sex right? It doesn't matter who it's with." Maureen said. Roger wanted to hit her.

"It does if you've made a commitment to be in a relationship with someone. When you are in a relationship with someone, you are with them, and only them. This is probably why Mark got defensive." Roger said.

"But why? It never bothered my parents when the other would show up with someone else." Maureen said. That explained so much. Maureen had been raised in a family where cheating was the norm. Roger would never have guess that even after all this time, Maureen wouldn't have picked up on the fact that cheating was, indeed, bad.

"Honestly, Maureen, I don't know what to tell you. What you think of relationships is different than what everyone else in this world thinks. Until you realize that, there is nothing any of us can do to help you in your relationships."Roger said standing up. "Talk to Mimi about staying here when she gets up. I'm going up to talk to Mark." With that, he left the apartment.

---

Roger slid open the loft door and looked around. Apparently Mark had been working on editing some of his film, but he was nowhere to be found. Robyn sat by the window writing like she did a lot of the time. No one really knew what she wrote about. No one really asked.

"Where's Mark?" Roger asked as she closed the loft door.

"In his room. Has been since Maureen left. Is she always that dense with relationships?" Robyn said looking up at him.

"As far as I can tell, yes. And apparently it doesn't even bother her in the slightest that she's hurting other people." Roger said heading toward Mark's room. "Do you know if he's okay?"

"No idea. I didn't know what to say so I just left him alone. I don't know his as well as you do." She said.

Roger just nodded his head before knocking on the door. There was no response so he opened the door slowly. Mark was lying on the bed facing away from the door. He was either asleep or he didn't want to be bothered. "Mark?" Roger asked quietly as he closed the door.

"Yes?" Mark replied quietly.

"You okay?" Roger asked sitting on the edge of the bed and turned to look at his best friend.

"I suppose." Mark said. It was apparent that he didn't want to talk.

"I chewed Maureen a new one for you." Roger said. It wasn't entirely true, but he had been short with her and he was pretty sure he had left her with many questions.

"It's okay, Rog. I'm over it." Mark replied.

"But you aren't. I live with you, Mark. I know I haven't recently, but I did when all this happened with her. I saw you hurt, Mark. These walls are thin. I heard the tears. What she did to you, and is doing to Joanne, isn't right, but she doesn't see that. The fact that she keeps coming back to you when things go wrong isn't helping you. She's not with both of you. She's with Joanne, but even her concept of 'with' is different than Joanne's…" he trailed off. He didn't know what else to say.

"It's fine Rog. I know she's a piece of work, but I'm the one who could never say 'no' to her. I finally did that today. I can't deal with her shit anymore. I'll help her when she needs it, but her relationship problems stay far away from this loft." Mark said finally sitting up to look at Roger.

"We can do that." Roger said placing his hand on Mark's lower leg since it was the closest part to him. "It will all work out in the long run. I promise."

"I hope so, Roger, I really hope so."

---

Mark had remained in his room after his talk with Roger. Roger had decided it was best to not return to Mimi's since he did not feel like dealing with Maureen. Robyn was still writing contently by the window. Roger decided to take this opportunity to find out what it was she was working on. She had been living with them for around a month and still no one knew what it was she was doing.

"What is it with you and writing?" Roger asked looking over at her.

"What is it with you and playing the same song over and over again?" Robyn asked without looking up at him.

"Touché" Roger replied. He was just about to question her some more when the loft door opened and in walked a slightly annoyed Joanne.

"Where is she?" Joanne growled out to Roger who was contently sitting on the couch.

"Last I knew, she was down at Mimi's but that was at least an hour ago." Roger replied.

"She's not here?" Joanne asked slightly shocked.

"No, apparently she and Mark got into a fight and he told her to leave." Roger said. Robyn nodded her head from the window where she was still sitting.

"Mark kicked her out?" Joanne asked with a hint of shock in her voice.

"I didn't believe it either." Roger said.

"Where is he?" Joanne asked looking around the loft but saw nothing other than the lonely editing equipment in the corner.

"His room. Has been since Maureen left." Robyn commented quietly. Joanne stood there looking between Roger and Robyn and Mark's bedroom door.

"I take it as you want to talk to him?" Roger asked coyly from his position on the couch. He loved making people feel uncomfortable, which is why he always vocalized his 'get Mark laid' plan. Mark was his favorite victim.

"If he wouldn't mind." Joanne said finally taking a seat in the open chair next to the couch.

"I'll go get him." He said getting up. He looked over at Robyn who took the hint to pack up what she was doing and get ready to leave. It still amazed Roger that after a month she was able to pick up on his hints when it had taken Mark months is not years to do that.

Roger knocked on Mark's door before entering. Mark was spread out on his bed sleeping contently. Roger hated to wake him. He always hated to wake Mark. The filmmaker never slept much so when he did Roger would rather leave him alone than wake him on pain of death. However it appeared to him that Mark could benefit from having a conversation with Joanne.

"Mark, wake up you lazy ass." Roger said shoving the sleeping man on the bed.

"Go away, Rog." Mark replied attempting to get Roger to not only leave him alone, but go away.

"I would, but Joanne is in the loft wanting to talk to you. I personally think you two should talk." Roger replied.

"Maybe later." Mark commented as he rolled onto his side and faced away from Roger.

"No, now. Robyn and I are leaving. Go talk to her." Roger said once more before leaving Mark's room. He told Joanne Mark would be out in a while once he woke up fully. After that he and Robyn both exited the loft just as Mark was coming out of his room.

---

Mark saw Roger close the loft door before he sagged into the couch. He was still tired and he was currently trying to wake up. He really just wanted to be back in bed but Roger thought he would benefit from this conversation. He wasn't sure how, but anything to humor Roger.

"I didn't mean for Roger to wake you. I can go if you want." Joanne said starting to stand.

"No, I'm up now. What did you want to talk about?" Mark said making himself comfortable on the couch.

"Maureen." Joanne said quietly.

"Why does she always come back to haunt me?" he asked himself.

"Mark" Joanne started but she didn't know how to ask the question she wanted to. She figured being direct was the best option. "When did you first discover that Maureen was cheating on you?"

"When did I first know or when did I first decide to acknowledge it?" Mark asked.

"Both?" Joanne asked unsure she wanted to know.

"Maureen and I were together for almost a year, give or take. She first started cheating about a month into our relationship. I didn't acknowledge it until about five months into our relationship. Roger kept bring up to me daily. He mentioned it every time she came home really early in the morning. I refuse to listen to him. I didn't want to admit that he was right and that it was happening again. So, I didn't. I knew she came home around dawn because that's when she'd crawl into bed and want to cuddle in my arms. I allowed her to. I never admitted it to myself because I didn't want to acknowledge that it was occurring once again. Finally I had to." Mark said.

"What do you mean it was happening again?" Joanne asked.

"My first girlfriend did the same thing. She cheated on me and then broke up with me for another guy that she had been with for at least two months by then. At least she had been discrete about it. Maureen basically flaunted the fact that she was cheating." Mark said.

"When did you finally realize that it was true?" Joanne asked.

"When she stopped coming home in general. She would be gone for days on end. I couldn't avoid the truth anymore. Unfortunately that's when Roger was in withdrawal so I couldn't do much to deal with it. I just accepted it. I spent all my time trying to get him clean that I think she used that as a reason to never come home. Once Roger was finally on the road to recovery she broke up with me. I was working on editing some film while Roger sat by the window just staring out at the world. She just came in here and told me it was over. She had found someone else and that she'd be back for her stuff later. It was the first time in months that Roger laughed."

"I'm sorry Mark. She never told me she was with someone else. I never would have done anything with her had I known she was with someone." Joanne said quietly.

"It doesn't matter now, does it? It's over." Mark said quietly.

"Yeah…It's over…"