Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my love for Rent (and Adam Pascal
who was Roger in the original cast). It all belongs to Jonathan Larson,
whom I wish I had the chance to meet, but I will one day and I will be in
my bliss. At the risk of sounding terribly clichéd: No day but today!
*
Mark and Roger entered the loft where Collins, Maureen, and Joanne were still sitting around the table that Mimi was lying on. Benny had joined them and wiped his eyes quickly when he saw Mark and Roger. "Hey guys."
Mark nodded. "Hey Benny."
Roger was staring at Mimi's lifeless body. "Benny."
Joanne took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes before grabbing Roger's shirttails and pulling him closer. "Hey Roger?"
"Yes Joanne?"
"Roger, did you start smoking pot again?" Collins asked breathing Roger in.
Roger shrugged and pulled the baggie full of weed from his pocket.
Benny shook his head. "You can't just start smoking again, Roger. Mimi wouldn't want you to start again because of her."
Roger rolled his eyes. "Why are you even here, Benny?"
"We called him," Collins started.
"He was the only person who could pay for everything we would need for Mimi," Maureen finished.
Roger slumped onto the floor, defeated, pulled his legs to his chest, and rested his head on his knees. Collins walked over to him and snatched the bag of weed from his fingertips. Roger's head shot up. "What do you think you're doing, Collins?"
Collins sat next to him. "You haven't smoked pot for a year and a half. Don't start now."
Mark walked over to them, took the baggie from Collins, and tossed it back to Roger. "Let him have it. It's not a bigger drug, like crystal meth, and there are no new needle marks on his arms. It's okay for now."
Roger clung to the marijuana and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Mark."
"Mark, why would you give it back to him?" Maureen asked.
Mark looked at Roger. "Should I tell them what you were about to do?"
Roger studied the ground and Collins looked between Mark and Roger. "Tell us what, Mark?"
"Should I, Roger?" Mark asked Roger again, ignoring Collins.
Roger shrugged and stood. He walked to Mimi's lifeless body, kissed her cold forehead, then her lips, and murmured the last few lines to his song, adding a bit. "I should tell you, I should tell you, I have always loved you. You can see it in my eyes. You will always be able to see it in my eyes, Mimi." He kissed her forehead one last time and began walking to the door. "Tell them if you want to, Mark. I'm sure as hell not going to be here when you do, though."
He opened the door and slammed it shut. Collins stood up and mere inches away from Mark. "Mark, what did Roger try to do?"
Mark pulled the razor blade out of his pocket and tossed it on the empty chair that was next to them. "Think about April and do the math."
Collins' eyes got wide and he shot out of the door, after Roger. "Roger!"
Roger stopped and turned. He was on his way to Mimi's. "What do you want, Collins?"
Collins slammed the door shut and caught up with Roger. "Why would you think about doing something so stupid?"
Roger sighed. "Don't try to act all innocent."
"What are you talking about?"
Roger almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. "Like you didn't try something similar when Angel died. Let's look at YOUR wrists, Collins."
"I only did it twice, Roger, and not with the intent to kill myself."
"I guess that's what makes us so different, eh Collins?"
"Come on, Roger. Mimi wouldn't want you to do this."
"Maybe, but we'll never find out, now will we?"
Collins was silent as Roger whirled around and continued on his way to Mimi's.
*
A/N: I wrote another chapter!! YaY! I hope you like this one. R/R please to prove that I should keep adding. It's hard for me to update, so bear with me. Kay? Danke!
*
Mark and Roger entered the loft where Collins, Maureen, and Joanne were still sitting around the table that Mimi was lying on. Benny had joined them and wiped his eyes quickly when he saw Mark and Roger. "Hey guys."
Mark nodded. "Hey Benny."
Roger was staring at Mimi's lifeless body. "Benny."
Joanne took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes before grabbing Roger's shirttails and pulling him closer. "Hey Roger?"
"Yes Joanne?"
"Roger, did you start smoking pot again?" Collins asked breathing Roger in.
Roger shrugged and pulled the baggie full of weed from his pocket.
Benny shook his head. "You can't just start smoking again, Roger. Mimi wouldn't want you to start again because of her."
Roger rolled his eyes. "Why are you even here, Benny?"
"We called him," Collins started.
"He was the only person who could pay for everything we would need for Mimi," Maureen finished.
Roger slumped onto the floor, defeated, pulled his legs to his chest, and rested his head on his knees. Collins walked over to him and snatched the bag of weed from his fingertips. Roger's head shot up. "What do you think you're doing, Collins?"
Collins sat next to him. "You haven't smoked pot for a year and a half. Don't start now."
Mark walked over to them, took the baggie from Collins, and tossed it back to Roger. "Let him have it. It's not a bigger drug, like crystal meth, and there are no new needle marks on his arms. It's okay for now."
Roger clung to the marijuana and smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Mark."
"Mark, why would you give it back to him?" Maureen asked.
Mark looked at Roger. "Should I tell them what you were about to do?"
Roger studied the ground and Collins looked between Mark and Roger. "Tell us what, Mark?"
"Should I, Roger?" Mark asked Roger again, ignoring Collins.
Roger shrugged and stood. He walked to Mimi's lifeless body, kissed her cold forehead, then her lips, and murmured the last few lines to his song, adding a bit. "I should tell you, I should tell you, I have always loved you. You can see it in my eyes. You will always be able to see it in my eyes, Mimi." He kissed her forehead one last time and began walking to the door. "Tell them if you want to, Mark. I'm sure as hell not going to be here when you do, though."
He opened the door and slammed it shut. Collins stood up and mere inches away from Mark. "Mark, what did Roger try to do?"
Mark pulled the razor blade out of his pocket and tossed it on the empty chair that was next to them. "Think about April and do the math."
Collins' eyes got wide and he shot out of the door, after Roger. "Roger!"
Roger stopped and turned. He was on his way to Mimi's. "What do you want, Collins?"
Collins slammed the door shut and caught up with Roger. "Why would you think about doing something so stupid?"
Roger sighed. "Don't try to act all innocent."
"What are you talking about?"
Roger almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. "Like you didn't try something similar when Angel died. Let's look at YOUR wrists, Collins."
"I only did it twice, Roger, and not with the intent to kill myself."
"I guess that's what makes us so different, eh Collins?"
"Come on, Roger. Mimi wouldn't want you to do this."
"Maybe, but we'll never find out, now will we?"
Collins was silent as Roger whirled around and continued on his way to Mimi's.
*
A/N: I wrote another chapter!! YaY! I hope you like this one. R/R please to prove that I should keep adding. It's hard for me to update, so bear with me. Kay? Danke!