Summary: Post-Rent. It's New Years Eve.
Disclaimer: Je ne possède rien (I own nothing).
A/N: Just a warning- it's New Years Eve. And there's a little game being played. Therefore, there's going to be something slashy. So if you don't like it, skip that part. Well that might be sort of hard. But don't worry; I'm not turning this into a full-blown slash fic. And besides, it's like one-sided slash. Also, I like reviews. They make me want to write. If you're reading this, review s'il vous plait (please). Especially after this chapter. I would really like to know what everyone thinks. Now onto the story.
Chapter 6- New Year's Rocking Eve!
Four (well technically three) days had passed since Mimi had been kicked out of the loft. And things were actually going well. Maureen was staying at the loft, Roger's and Mark's relationship was doing better, and Collins seemed to be moving on with his life. Everything was back to normal. Or as normal as it could get.
Mark walked into the loft with two large bags full of New Years Eve supplies. "I'm back!" He yelled. Roger, Collins and Maureen ran towards Mark excitedly.
"Ooooo booze!" Maureen pulled three 6-packs of beer out.
"And chips." Collins said, pulling out two bags of ruffled potato chips. "And dip."
"And...Mark, what else did you get?" Roger asked.
"Stuff. I don't know. Whatever the store had. There was practically nothing." Mark pulled out 2 packs of cookies, and a bottle of soda.
"Cookies" Roger questioned.
"Why not? Cookies are good!" Mark shrugged.
"Yeah, Roger. Cookies are good. Right cookie?" Maureen said to Mark, hugging him.
"And this is Maureen on a normal day. I can only imagine what drunk Maureen is going to be like!" Roger laughed.
"Hey! Who says I'm getting drunk?"
"I do!" Collins said. "We need some levity in this place. And you being drunk is the trick."
"Maureen always has a trick." Roger raised his eyebrows suggestively.
"EW! ROGER!" Maureen screamed, and then threw a cookie at him. "I'm not a prostitute!"
"Ow!"
"Oh, like that hurt!"
"Ok, shut up!" Mark yelled.
"Jeez...who sodomized you?" Maureen asked, giggling.
"SO didn't need that visual, Maureen." Roger said, disgusted.
"Oooo, Roger, why are you visualizing that?" Maureen asked.
"Oh, go eat a cookie!"
"I just might!"
"All right, as fun as the bickering is, I think we should get the festivities started. It's 11:30." Mark stated. He opened the chips, took out some cups he bought and opened the soda. "Soda, anyone?"
"Nah, I've got beer." Roger said.
"Me too!" Collins yelled.
"Me...three!" Maureen chimed.
"Ok then. So what do you guys want to do?" Mark asked.
"We could play spin the bottle!" Maureen squealed. "I've always loved that game."
"You would." Roger said. He felt Maureen's fist punch his stomach.
"Meanie."
"I know."
"How about truth or dare?" Collins suggested, wanting to stop Maureen and Roger's displeasing bickering. Everyone agreed and they all sat in a circle on the floor. "I'll ask first. Maureen, truth or dare?"
"Hm....truth."
"Ok, this has been bugging me for a few days now. Since you've been living here, I was wondering, what happened between you and Joanne?"
"Collins, I don't think..." Roger began to protest.
"No, its ok, Rog. I'll tell." Maureen closed her eyes and sighed. "I'll tell you what I told Roger. The morning that I came here, it wasn't just because of the snow. Joanne-Joanne....cheated on me...." She stopped and looked at Mark and Collins. They both looked shocked. She looked at Roger, who was sitting next to her, and he gently squeezed her hand in support. "I came home from work, yes I have a job. Roger can attest to that. Well, it was about 2 in the morning, and I tip-toed into our room and I....I found them....naked, in our bed." She closed her eyes, willing the tears away. "So I-I threw a fit. I yelled and cursed, took some of my stuff, slapped the whore that slept with Joanne and left. I walked around and then came here." She sighed.
After a minute of silence, Collins said, "Maureen, I'm so, so sorry." He scooted next to her and gave her a hug.
"Thank you, Collins." She broke the hug and said, "Ok, my turn to choose...Mark! Truth or dare?"
"Uh...truth." He answered squeamishly. He never liked this game. There was always something to be embarrassed about.
"Oh, I have a good one! Have you ever been attracted to someone of the same sex? And if so, who?"
"That's two! That doesn't count!" Mark yelled.
"Oh stop being a baby and fess up!"
"Fine....I....n-no.....I've never...never been attracted to...you know." Mark stuttered out.
Roger examined his friend. He was looking down at his hands, playing with his thumb. He was blushing lightly and had a nervous smile. He was SO lying.
"Yes you have!" Roger said suspiciously.
"W-what?" Mark asked.
"I can tell by your behavior. I know you better than I know myself, Mark. I can tell when you're lying. And you're definitely lying." Although he hoped otherwise. Mark was supposed to tell Roger everything.
"Marky, you can't lie!" Maureen cried. "Now tell the truth!"
"Fine! I've been attracted to another man. Ok?" Mark yelled.
"I knew it! Now, spill. Who was it?" Maureen asked, suddenly VERY interested in Mark. But not in a romantic way. In a "you have a secret and I am SO finding out and torturing you with it" way.
"It-it was nobody. Nobody you guys would know."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Roger protested. This was all wrong. He's supposed to know everything about Mark. Why didn't he know this? Mark told him everything. Was he scared or something? He knew Roger wasn't like that. He would understand.
"W-what?" Mark asked.
"You're telling me that you wanted some dude and I never knew. I mean you never pointed him out?"
"R-Roger...I didn't want to-to make you scared of me....or something." He answered quietly.
"Mark! Seriously. How long have you known me? I'm not like that. Now, can't you just tell us who this guy was?"
"I told you...you wouldn't know him."
"How do you know?"
"I-I just do, ok?"
"Mark, come on, just tell us. We won't tell anyone."
"I-I...no. I can't."
"Why not? Is this guy gonna somehow magically appear and hurt you? I doubt it, Mark. Now tell us..."
"Fine! You wanna know so badly? I'll tell you! It's you, Roger! It's fuckin' you! And there's no past tense. It's a present tense. Because I still feel it! I'm still in-never mind. Are you fuckin' happy now?" Mark got up, ran to his room and slammed the door. The loft was silent for a good ten minutes. Maureen and Collins sat on the couch drinking beer.
Roger was outside on the fire escape talking to himself. "He's attracted to....me? It doesn't make sense. Why didn't I pick up on it? Because I'm too self-absorbed to notice, that's why." He paced back and forth, trying to figure out how to approach Mark. "What do I say? Should I act like that never happened? No that's too apathetic." There were a million thoughts racing in his head. All of a sudden, he heard people in their apartments counting down. "10....9....8....7....6....5....4....3....2....1! Happy New Year!" After listening to drunk people singing, Roger decided to confront Mark. He just hoped that it didn't end in catastrophe. Because that wasn't what he needed right now. That wasn't what anyone needed.
Disclaimer: Je ne possède rien (I own nothing).
A/N: Just a warning- it's New Years Eve. And there's a little game being played. Therefore, there's going to be something slashy. So if you don't like it, skip that part. Well that might be sort of hard. But don't worry; I'm not turning this into a full-blown slash fic. And besides, it's like one-sided slash. Also, I like reviews. They make me want to write. If you're reading this, review s'il vous plait (please). Especially after this chapter. I would really like to know what everyone thinks. Now onto the story.
Chapter 6- New Year's Rocking Eve!
Four (well technically three) days had passed since Mimi had been kicked out of the loft. And things were actually going well. Maureen was staying at the loft, Roger's and Mark's relationship was doing better, and Collins seemed to be moving on with his life. Everything was back to normal. Or as normal as it could get.
Mark walked into the loft with two large bags full of New Years Eve supplies. "I'm back!" He yelled. Roger, Collins and Maureen ran towards Mark excitedly.
"Ooooo booze!" Maureen pulled three 6-packs of beer out.
"And chips." Collins said, pulling out two bags of ruffled potato chips. "And dip."
"And...Mark, what else did you get?" Roger asked.
"Stuff. I don't know. Whatever the store had. There was practically nothing." Mark pulled out 2 packs of cookies, and a bottle of soda.
"Cookies" Roger questioned.
"Why not? Cookies are good!" Mark shrugged.
"Yeah, Roger. Cookies are good. Right cookie?" Maureen said to Mark, hugging him.
"And this is Maureen on a normal day. I can only imagine what drunk Maureen is going to be like!" Roger laughed.
"Hey! Who says I'm getting drunk?"
"I do!" Collins said. "We need some levity in this place. And you being drunk is the trick."
"Maureen always has a trick." Roger raised his eyebrows suggestively.
"EW! ROGER!" Maureen screamed, and then threw a cookie at him. "I'm not a prostitute!"
"Ow!"
"Oh, like that hurt!"
"Ok, shut up!" Mark yelled.
"Jeez...who sodomized you?" Maureen asked, giggling.
"SO didn't need that visual, Maureen." Roger said, disgusted.
"Oooo, Roger, why are you visualizing that?" Maureen asked.
"Oh, go eat a cookie!"
"I just might!"
"All right, as fun as the bickering is, I think we should get the festivities started. It's 11:30." Mark stated. He opened the chips, took out some cups he bought and opened the soda. "Soda, anyone?"
"Nah, I've got beer." Roger said.
"Me too!" Collins yelled.
"Me...three!" Maureen chimed.
"Ok then. So what do you guys want to do?" Mark asked.
"We could play spin the bottle!" Maureen squealed. "I've always loved that game."
"You would." Roger said. He felt Maureen's fist punch his stomach.
"Meanie."
"I know."
"How about truth or dare?" Collins suggested, wanting to stop Maureen and Roger's displeasing bickering. Everyone agreed and they all sat in a circle on the floor. "I'll ask first. Maureen, truth or dare?"
"Hm....truth."
"Ok, this has been bugging me for a few days now. Since you've been living here, I was wondering, what happened between you and Joanne?"
"Collins, I don't think..." Roger began to protest.
"No, its ok, Rog. I'll tell." Maureen closed her eyes and sighed. "I'll tell you what I told Roger. The morning that I came here, it wasn't just because of the snow. Joanne-Joanne....cheated on me...." She stopped and looked at Mark and Collins. They both looked shocked. She looked at Roger, who was sitting next to her, and he gently squeezed her hand in support. "I came home from work, yes I have a job. Roger can attest to that. Well, it was about 2 in the morning, and I tip-toed into our room and I....I found them....naked, in our bed." She closed her eyes, willing the tears away. "So I-I threw a fit. I yelled and cursed, took some of my stuff, slapped the whore that slept with Joanne and left. I walked around and then came here." She sighed.
After a minute of silence, Collins said, "Maureen, I'm so, so sorry." He scooted next to her and gave her a hug.
"Thank you, Collins." She broke the hug and said, "Ok, my turn to choose...Mark! Truth or dare?"
"Uh...truth." He answered squeamishly. He never liked this game. There was always something to be embarrassed about.
"Oh, I have a good one! Have you ever been attracted to someone of the same sex? And if so, who?"
"That's two! That doesn't count!" Mark yelled.
"Oh stop being a baby and fess up!"
"Fine....I....n-no.....I've never...never been attracted to...you know." Mark stuttered out.
Roger examined his friend. He was looking down at his hands, playing with his thumb. He was blushing lightly and had a nervous smile. He was SO lying.
"Yes you have!" Roger said suspiciously.
"W-what?" Mark asked.
"I can tell by your behavior. I know you better than I know myself, Mark. I can tell when you're lying. And you're definitely lying." Although he hoped otherwise. Mark was supposed to tell Roger everything.
"Marky, you can't lie!" Maureen cried. "Now tell the truth!"
"Fine! I've been attracted to another man. Ok?" Mark yelled.
"I knew it! Now, spill. Who was it?" Maureen asked, suddenly VERY interested in Mark. But not in a romantic way. In a "you have a secret and I am SO finding out and torturing you with it" way.
"It-it was nobody. Nobody you guys would know."
"Wait, wait, wait!" Roger protested. This was all wrong. He's supposed to know everything about Mark. Why didn't he know this? Mark told him everything. Was he scared or something? He knew Roger wasn't like that. He would understand.
"W-what?" Mark asked.
"You're telling me that you wanted some dude and I never knew. I mean you never pointed him out?"
"R-Roger...I didn't want to-to make you scared of me....or something." He answered quietly.
"Mark! Seriously. How long have you known me? I'm not like that. Now, can't you just tell us who this guy was?"
"I told you...you wouldn't know him."
"How do you know?"
"I-I just do, ok?"
"Mark, come on, just tell us. We won't tell anyone."
"I-I...no. I can't."
"Why not? Is this guy gonna somehow magically appear and hurt you? I doubt it, Mark. Now tell us..."
"Fine! You wanna know so badly? I'll tell you! It's you, Roger! It's fuckin' you! And there's no past tense. It's a present tense. Because I still feel it! I'm still in-never mind. Are you fuckin' happy now?" Mark got up, ran to his room and slammed the door. The loft was silent for a good ten minutes. Maureen and Collins sat on the couch drinking beer.
Roger was outside on the fire escape talking to himself. "He's attracted to....me? It doesn't make sense. Why didn't I pick up on it? Because I'm too self-absorbed to notice, that's why." He paced back and forth, trying to figure out how to approach Mark. "What do I say? Should I act like that never happened? No that's too apathetic." There were a million thoughts racing in his head. All of a sudden, he heard people in their apartments counting down. "10....9....8....7....6....5....4....3....2....1! Happy New Year!" After listening to drunk people singing, Roger decided to confront Mark. He just hoped that it didn't end in catastrophe. Because that wasn't what he needed right now. That wasn't what anyone needed.