A/N: The only good thing about sick days is the fact that you have hours of free time before all the good TV shows come on, in which you can write fanfiction. Not exactly sure how long this piece is going to be... Anyway...
Mark woke before everyone else, and set his camera on a tripod. He panned across the loft, and whispered, "I'm gonna miss this place. September seventeenth, five AM, Eastern Standard Time... Today, Roger, Mimi, Collins, and I leave the loft in favor of hitting the open road. I thought I'd shoot some film before we left. Y'see, Roger's sick again. He's only got a few months left, the doctors say. Maybe a year. But they always say that. Anyway, the other day, he told me that he's never left New York. So we put our heads together. Time for a roadtrip across America. We think we can cover most of the Eastern half of the country by May. Then, it's on to the West. And after that, if there is an after that, who knows. Maybe Canada. Smile!"
With that, he turned off the camera, detached it from the tripod, and but both in an old backpack, which he slung over one shoulder.
"Come on, guys! Rise and shine!" There was a collective 'Shut up, Mark!' from the group. He tried again a few hours later. At precisely eight-thirty, Maureen and Joanne showed up at the front door with suitcases. Maureen gave Mark a hug goodbye, and tousled his spiky blond hair.
"Thanks for letting us watch the place for you, Marky. We'll take good care of it. Now you gotta take good care of Roger, hear?" she paused. "Aww, Pookie, I'm gonna miss you so much!"
"Maureen, would you- would you pull yourself together? I'm coming back! Sheesh!" He pulled free from her grip, and came face to face with Joanne, who extended a hand for him to shake.
"Goodbye, Mark."
"Bye, Joanne. Thanks," he called again to Mimi, Roger and Collins, "Guys, we're leaving now! I swear, these people move like a herd of turtles!" Slowly, suitcases in hand, Roger and Collins arrived in the main room. "Where's Mimi?" asked Mark.
"Don't know. She woke up around four, and said something about cars, and she'd be back later." Roger yawned, and ran a hand through his messy hair.
"That's right, I put Mimi in charge of finding transportation. Why did I do that?"
Not a minute later, Mimi came bounding up the stairs.
"Hey, guys! I hot wired a van, and it's waiting outside! Let's go, already!" Mark gaped at her; Collins chuckled.
"Alright Mimi! I like the way you think."
"Thank you," she smiled. One by one, Mimi, Collins, and Roger said their goodbyes to Maureen and Joanne, and headed out the door with their suitcases, until only Mark, Maureen, and Joanne were left.
"I guess this is goodbye..."
"Yeah." Mark grabbed his bag and stepped out into the hall.
"Marky, have a nice trip! See you next fall!" Maureen called. Too late, he was already gone.
Mark woke before everyone else, and set his camera on a tripod. He panned across the loft, and whispered, "I'm gonna miss this place. September seventeenth, five AM, Eastern Standard Time... Today, Roger, Mimi, Collins, and I leave the loft in favor of hitting the open road. I thought I'd shoot some film before we left. Y'see, Roger's sick again. He's only got a few months left, the doctors say. Maybe a year. But they always say that. Anyway, the other day, he told me that he's never left New York. So we put our heads together. Time for a roadtrip across America. We think we can cover most of the Eastern half of the country by May. Then, it's on to the West. And after that, if there is an after that, who knows. Maybe Canada. Smile!"
With that, he turned off the camera, detached it from the tripod, and but both in an old backpack, which he slung over one shoulder.
"Come on, guys! Rise and shine!" There was a collective 'Shut up, Mark!' from the group. He tried again a few hours later. At precisely eight-thirty, Maureen and Joanne showed up at the front door with suitcases. Maureen gave Mark a hug goodbye, and tousled his spiky blond hair.
"Thanks for letting us watch the place for you, Marky. We'll take good care of it. Now you gotta take good care of Roger, hear?" she paused. "Aww, Pookie, I'm gonna miss you so much!"
"Maureen, would you- would you pull yourself together? I'm coming back! Sheesh!" He pulled free from her grip, and came face to face with Joanne, who extended a hand for him to shake.
"Goodbye, Mark."
"Bye, Joanne. Thanks," he called again to Mimi, Roger and Collins, "Guys, we're leaving now! I swear, these people move like a herd of turtles!" Slowly, suitcases in hand, Roger and Collins arrived in the main room. "Where's Mimi?" asked Mark.
"Don't know. She woke up around four, and said something about cars, and she'd be back later." Roger yawned, and ran a hand through his messy hair.
"That's right, I put Mimi in charge of finding transportation. Why did I do that?"
Not a minute later, Mimi came bounding up the stairs.
"Hey, guys! I hot wired a van, and it's waiting outside! Let's go, already!" Mark gaped at her; Collins chuckled.
"Alright Mimi! I like the way you think."
"Thank you," she smiled. One by one, Mimi, Collins, and Roger said their goodbyes to Maureen and Joanne, and headed out the door with their suitcases, until only Mark, Maureen, and Joanne were left.
"I guess this is goodbye..."
"Yeah." Mark grabbed his bag and stepped out into the hall.
"Marky, have a nice trip! See you next fall!" Maureen called. Too late, he was already gone.