Chapter 9- What You Are Is Beautiful
Hey all! I am so so so so SORRY that my updates on this most glorious fanfiction have been delayed majorly. I've been doing two plays, rehearsals, school, work, and everything else under the sun. Summer is coming though, and I will be updating a LOT more frequently. I would give a summary of what's happened so far for those of you who have forgotten, but to save space, just go back and reread chapters 1-8 to refresh your memories. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!! Song for this chapter is Slide, by the Goo Goo Dolls.
(April's POV)
Could you whisper in my ear
The things you wanna feel
I'll give you anything to feel it coming...
I woke up the next morning to find Roger's arm draped across my side. I smiled as I remembered the tearful reunion of the night before. I just hoped that the good times would last for a little while.
"Hey, baby." Roger said to me, making me jump.
"I didn't know you were awake." I said, smiling.
"I was watching you sleep. You looked so. . .innocent." He made a face. "If only you could fool people that easily when you were awake!"
I smacked his wrist playfully.
"You're hilarious, Davis."
"I know!" Roger grinned.
"And you're just so modest too!" I exclaimed.
"Well, when you're perfect. . ."
Mark entered the room bleary-eyed at that moment and heard what Roger said.
"And if you decide you're going to believe him, your wits are clearly addled." Mark stated.
I giggled. "Addled?"
"It's a real word. You can look it up in Webster's dictionary." Mark declared.
"Shut up, Einstein." Roger mumbled.
"Hey, don't blame me for letting you flunk the vocabulary portion of Ms. Baker's ninth grade English class."
"I had better things to do in ninth grade then learn some dumb words." Roger stated.
I rolled over on top of him. "Like what?" I purred.
Roger grinned. "Well, you weren't one of them! But you can be now, if you want."
He tugged me downward and captured my lips in his. I was thoroughly enjoying myself when Mark decided to interrupt the moment.
"Can we save the headboard banging sex for later on? I don't need to watch you guys." Mark complained.
"Don't get upset because you haven't been laid in years." I teased.
"See, Mark needs to get his priorities straight. He needs a woman." Roger declared.
"This is the mindset that almost flunked you out of high school, Roger." Mark reminded him.
"As opposed to your mindset which made you graduate in the top ten percent but also succeeded in having you get laid a total of twice? Besides, we're not in high school anymore!" Roger replied cheerfully.
"Amen to that," I agreed.
"So," Roger said, stretching luxuriously, "What is on the plate for today?"
"Nada. I considered walking around the park filming for a bit, but other than that, I've got nothing." Mark said.
"I wasn't planning on anything special." I added in.
Mark and I stared at Roger, waiting for him to say something about a band rehearsal.
"I've got nothing to do either. How about we all go see a movie, then later hit a club?" Roger said with painstaking casualness.
Mark's jaw dropped to the floor with I hid a triumphant grin. Finally, things were going to change.
"Do my ears deceive me? You're not going to be too busy practicing with the band?" Mark asked. "And how come April doesn't seem to surprised at this revelation?"
"Because I'm not in the band anymore. The Well Hungarians and I are through." Roger announced.
"He's talking crazy talk! Quick, see if he has a fever!" Mark said in a panicked voice and went to feel Roger's forehead.
"I'm serious," Roger said, brushing Mark's hand away. "And stop that Mark, I'm not quite ready to let April know about our homosexual tendencies."
"Fuck you."
"Mark! I don't need her knowing right now!" Roger said, his voice rising in mock fright.
"Someday, I'm going to get you good. And you won't see it coming, but when I do, you'll be totally speechless." Mark said, grinning.
"And you're really that sure of yourself?" I asked him.
"About as sure as I am that Roger has too much love for the cock!"
"Yup," Roger said, nodding sagely, "About as sure as I am that Mark had NO love with the vagina."
Mark looked crestfallen.
"What? Roger asked while laughing, "You honestly thought I wouldn't be able to think of a comeback for that one? You set yourself right up! However, I can help your love come back, Mark!"
"How?" Mark asked, trying not to seem too interested.
"We'll go to the Pyramid Club tonight, and I'll show you this woman I met there the other night. Dean tried to pick her up. Maybe you can get a piece of ass."
"But. . ."
"Oh please, Mark, like you can honestly tell us that if a woman offered to take you home tonight that you wouldn't go? Don't be such a prude." I said.
"Oh fine, I'll go!" Mark said, throwing up his hands.
"Good man." Roger said. "Go buy a newspaper and decide on a movie time."
"Why me?" Mark groaned. "It's early! Why can't you do it?"
"Because you set foot out of bed, but I have not yet gotten up. Besides, you don't have a beautiful woman in bed beside you. Now go get the damned paper."
Do you wake up on your own
And wonder where you are
You live with all your faults...
"Whatever." Mark replied irritably, and then stalked out of the room to go get the paper.
Once Mark was gone, Roger turned to me and said, "Do you know of any movies that are playing?"
I thought for a moment. "Well, we could go see Romeo and Juliet. That just came out, didn't it?"
Roger wrinkled his nose. "Isn't that the movie where the dude loves the girl and the girl loves the dude. . .and then they all kill themselves?"
I laughed and ruffled his blond hair. "There's a bit more of a plotline then that."
"Who's in it?"
"Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes."
"Oh, I remember her! She used to be on that show 'My So-Called Life'! She was hot!"
"Anyway," I said meaningfully as a sign for him to shut up, "Do you want to go see that?"
"Uh. . .is there romance?"
"Yes. Wow, you really did fail English class, didn't you? Shakespeare was a strict part of the state curriculum!"
Roger shrugged, and then asked, "Will you start crying at one or more parts of this movie?"
"Maybe. Romeo and Juliet is a relatively sad story." I pointed out.
"Oh, I don't know, April. It seems a little too much like a chick flick to me."
"There's lot of gun fighting and dying in it." I said quickly.
"Then I'm there!" Roger grinned like a schoolboy.
I rolled my eyes. "You are such a guy!"
"Last time I checked. Want to check for me now?" he asked as he rolled over and ducked under the covers with me in tow.
I wanna wake up where you are
I won't say anything at all
So why don't you slide
Yeah, we're gonna let it slide...
(Mark's POV)
I strolled along the streets, hands shoved in my pockets to keep out the chill. The city was alive, even at nine in the morning. Vendors were trying to get people to buy their goods at ridiculous prices, businesspeople chatted on cell phones, and homeless people roamed everywhere. There was a man selling newspapers right next to the Life Café, and I handed him a crumpled dollar bill before taking the paper.
"Gracias, senor!" the vendor said cheerily.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure. Regular papers don't cost a fucking dollar in most normal places." I muttered under my breath.
I sat down on the curb and spread the paper across my knees and looked for the movie listings. There wasn't much playing. There was Romeo and Juliet, some campy horror flick, and couple of other movies I didn't recognize. Romeo and Juliet was playing at two in the afternoon. I checked my watch. It was just after nine. We'd have plenty of time to get up and shower before leaving. . . that was, depending on how many times Roger and April decided they needed to fuck before then.
I arrived home about twenty minutes later to see April lounging on the couch with a cup of tea in hand.
"Get the paper?" she asked me lazily, while taking a sip of her tea.
"Right here," I replied as I spread the newspaper out on the floor and read the comics.
"What's playing?"
"Romeo and Juliet is playing at two. Wanna go see that?" I asked.
"Sure. Roger already knows that I want to see that." April replied.
There was a silence. We hadn't talked since our confrontation the night before. . . since the moment she had almost pressed her lips to mine. . . I shook my head and tried to rid myself of any thoughts of the night before. It was a love that existed only in that time; inside of my fantasy. . .nowhere else.
Don't you love the life you killed
The priest is on the phone
Your father hit the wall; your ma disowned you...
"April?" I asked suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry about last night. . ." I started, taking a deep breath. "It wasn't fair, the things I said to you. It's just. . . I told you that I love you. And I meant it, more than you could ever comprehend. Those few moments where my lips had the privilege to brush against yours, I felt something wake up inside of me that hasn't come alive in years. . . and I wish I could share that feeling with you. I know that I can't, and that you're happy with Roger- and I respect that. I just wanted to tell you the honest truth- that my world suddenly had color when you came into my life, and yesterday was just. . .a dream come true, so to speak."
I stopped suddenly as I noticed the strange look April was giving me. I wasn't quite sure which emotions were flitting across her gorgeous face, but she wasn't screaming at me for being a jerk- that much, I was grateful for. She had set her tea down on the little table next to the couch. Then, she rose from the couch and sat down next to me.
"Mark," she began, "Sometimes I swear I could kill you for doing this to me. . . for making me feel things about you that never existed before. Sometimes I want to find some sort of blame to place on you that way I don't have to put any of this on me. You made me feel. . .just feel. Every time I got hurt, you were there to be my crutch. Like I said yesterday, I'm not sure how much longer I can go ignoring you. I love Roger, more than life, but Mark. . ."
Don't suppose I'll ever know
What it means to be a man
Something I can't change; I'll live around it...
"Hey guys! Mark did you get the paper?" Roger shouted as he came out of the shower.
April backed away and grabbed her cup of tea. I got up, stuffed my hands in my pockets, and mumbled something about wanting breakfast. Roger came out in an old T-shirt and sweats while rubbing his hair with a towel.
"Yeah," I replied in answer to Roger, "Romeo and Juliet at two. Want some breakfast?"
Roger tossed the towel in the small, broken hamper leaning against the wall in the hallway, then plopped down next to April.
"You mean we have food?" April asked incredulously.
"I think it's more along the lines of, 'Mark can cook?'" Roger interjected.
I opened up the refrigerator and tried to ignore the foul stench coming from a suspiciously green-looking Tupperware container of. . .something.
"Obviously, neither of you have been blessed to have Chef Cohen cook for your eating pleasures." I declared importantly.
Roger guffawed and April choked on her tea.
"Mark, the only time you've ever cooked for me was the time you tried to make soup when I was sick," Roger said, "And all you ended up accomplishing was a pot of limp, overcooked noodles and broth that had had the flavor boiled out of it."
"That was my first time ever cooking with a hotplate!" I said defensively. "Besides, now we have a toaster oven too! There's a lot you can do with a hot plate and a toaster oven!"
"Such as?" April asked.
"Such as. . .toast. . .toast!" I said triumphantly.
"Is there even anything edible in the fridge?" Roger wanted to know.
"Actually," I said as I found what I was looking for, "There are five jumbo- sized eggs."
April and Roger both bolted to the kitchenette and gaped at my find.
"Eggs. . ." April breathed.
"Like, real eggs. . ." Roger added.
"As opposed to fake ones."
"Shut up."
"What do you plan on doing with those eggs?" April asked.
"Uh. . .cook them?" I replied uncertainly.
April grinned and then suddenly hugged me.
"Mark, you're a genius! Who would have thought to cook the eggs?"
I blushed and gingerly removed April's arms from around my neck.
"It's not hard," I said, as I searched the cupboards for a pan of some sort. "All you need is eggs, butter, and a pan."
"And maybe a spatula?" Roger suggested.
"And some salt and pepper!" April added.
"Maybe some bacon or cheese. . ." I said longingly.
"Ok, now you're getting ahead of yourself" Roger joked.
I found a small frying pan. I stuck it on the hot plate, turned the hot plate on, and said
"Now all I need to do is melt the butter, then crack open the eggs, cook em' a bit, and voila! Breakfast!"
Roger and April laughed as a made some elaborate gesture with the carton of eggs that I had pulled out of the fridge.
"Shit, gotta piss." I announced as I dug some butter out of the cupboard.
"Thanks, Mark." April grimaced.
"We'll watch the stov- I mean, hot plate." Roger snickered.
I marched off to the bathroom, hoping that the little breakfast food we had wouldn't go to waste because Roger and April were too busy making out to notice that the food was burning. Sure enough, I hadn't been in the bathroom for more than two minutes when I suddenly heard a yell from the kitchen.
"Fuck," I moaned as I willed my body to hurry up.
I practically ran back to the hot plate to find Roger and April trying to put out a small fire.
"What did you guys do?" I cried out as I rushed over to them. "I was gone for three minutes and you start a goddamn fire?"
"Roger burned the butter and then we overcooked the eggs. They were all greasy from the butter, so I tried to use a towel to soak up some grease from the pan. Then the towel caught fire!" April explained breathlessly as I ran over and turned off the hot plate.
"I so did not burn the butter!" Roger said hotly. "You weren't paying attention!"
"I bet it's kinda hard to pay attention to the hot plate when you've got your hands down her pants and your tongue down her throat." I commented as I sprinkled water on the greasy, now-smoking mush in the pan.
When the smoke had mostly died down, we all peered into the pan. The towel was black and charred. The eggs were a sickly gray color and had soaked up all the grease. We all glanced at each other.
"Suddenly, I'm really not hungry!" Roger declared.
"Me neither!" I said.
"How about we go to the Life Café?" April suggested. "How much money we got?"
Roger and I emptied our pockets and came to a total of seven dollars and twenty-eight cents.
"Let's go!" I said as I grabbed my camera and headed toward the door.
(Roger's POV)
I wanna wake up where you are
I won't say anything at all
So why don't you slide...
April, Mark, and I arrived at the Life a few minutes later. It was busy with the morning rush. We seated ourselves at a corner booth and waited for a waitress to come take our order. April and I were on one side and Mark sat on the other. I took April's hand and squeezed it, thrilled that the ring I had given her was back on her finger. Mark fiddled with his camera. We were quiet for no reason, and the silence was. . . profound. It made me notice things I hadn't seen before. I didn't know that April chewed on the ends of her hair when she was impatient. Mark looked like he was on another planet. And me. . . I was just there. For once, I felt like I was the observer, not Mark. Suddenly, a waitress came heading our way. To my shock, it was the woman I had met at the bar the other day. . .what was her name. . .
And I'll do anything you ever dreamed to be complete
Little pieces of the nothing that fall
May, put your arms around me...
"Hey guys, I'm Maureen, and I'll be your waitress this morning. What can I start you. . ." she stopped mid-sentence when she saw me sitting there. "Hey! Don't I know you?"
"Uh, yeah. . . I'm a friend of Dean's- the bartender at the Pyramid Club." I replied.
"Oh. Yeah! So then this must be. . ." Maureen indicated April with a tilt of her head.
"Yes. This is my fiancée, April Watson." I said while grinning.
Maureen set our menus down in front of us, and then stuck out her hand.
"I met your boyfriend at the Pyramid Club the other night. I'm Maureen."
April smiled in amusement and shook her hand quickly. "So you said. Nice to meet you."
Maureen turned her attention to Mark, who was still playing with his camera.
"And you are?"
"Huh?" Mark looked up in bewilderment. "Someone say something?"
"Yeah, the waitress was talking to you." April stated pointedly.
"What's your name?" Maureen wanted to know.
"Me? I'm. . .uh. . ." Mark stumbled, and blushed.
"Mark." I supplied. "His name is Mark Cohen."
"Yeah, I knew that." Mark grumbled under his breath. "I'm Mark." He then directed at Maureen.
Maureen's laugh tinkled throughout the restaurant. "So I heard. Anyway, what can I get you guys this morning? We have a special on scrambled eggs today, if you're interested."
We all exchanged looks and shook our heads.
"We're set." I stated, "But I'll have a glass of orange juice and then the waffle meal."
"I'll have a decaf coffee and the pancake meal." April said.
"Sounds great. And what do you want, Mark?" Maureen said, writing our orders down on her little pad.
"I'm fine, thanks." Mark said quickly.
What you feel is what you are and what you are is beautiful
May, do you wanna get married or run away...
"But, Mark," April protested, "Aren't you hungry?"
"Nah, I'm set." Mark said, still fiddling with the camera.
"Mark, put the damned camera down for a second and look at me!" I ordered. "Have something to eat!"
Mark looked stunned for a moment, and then said, "OJ and then a corn muffin. Happy now?"
"Yes. Oh, and Mr. Cohen," Maureen started.
"Mark, please," he said.
"Mark, then. It's against our policy to allow cameras and other recording equipment inside the restaurant without authorization. I'm afraid I have to ask you to put that away." Maureen said while flashing a movie-star smile.
Mark blinked a few times, obviously flabbergasted by her smile. Maureen was attractive, to be sure. She had nothing on April in my eyes, but Maureen obviously had attracted Mark like a moth to a flame. She also knew the right way to piss him off- take away the camera. I knew damn well that cameras were allowed in the Life, but I also sensed that Maureen was trying to pry some sort of personality out of Mark. It was working.
I wanna wake up where you are
I won't say anything
Just slide...
"I can't use my camera in here? But that's never been the policy before. . ." Mark started.
"Manager's rules. Sorry, nothing I can do." Maureen interrupted smoothly.
"I know the manager. I'm in here all the time. Come on, this is bullshit!" Mark complained. "I'm not even filming!"
"Mark, I'm going to have to ask you not to use that language in here." Maureen said slyly.
"What?" Mark fairly exploded. "I'm sorry, but since when am I not allowed to use my camera in here! Let me speak to the manager!"
"Please calm down. The manager is unavailable at the moment. Would you like to try our omelet breakfast special? It's three eggs with. . ." Maureen recited, ignoring Mark's request.
"I don't give a shit what the specials are! I don't want eggs! I just want to sit and film and talk with my friends in peace! Is that so hard for a blond bimbo to handle? For fuck's sake you're only a waitress, I'm sure this concept isn't incredibly hard to understand!" Mark shouted.]
And I'll do anything you ever dreamed to be complete
Little pieces of the nothing that fall
Oh, May, put your arms around me...
There was a stunned silence all around until I grabbed Mark by his shirt out of his seat, said,
"Just cancel our orders, Maureen. Have a good day, and don't mind this asshole. However, if you ever want to stop by and force him to apologize, we all live in the old loft on Avenue B, off of 14th street."
Then April and I, with Mark in tow, marched out of the restaurant. The minute we were out of earshot, I sat Mark down on the curb, and then burst out laughing. Mark and April stared at me like I had grown a second head.
"What the hell is so funny?" Mark demanded.
"You didn't catch on? Jesus, she was baiting you, buddy! You were overreacting so badly!" I gasped, shaking with laughter.
There was a silence, and then April started to laugh.
"It's true!" she said, "You were such a pompous ass in there, Mark! She was just trying to get a rise out of you, and it worked."
"And you wanna know what's really funny?" I asked Mark, who was giving me a death look.
"What?" he asked.
"That's the woman from the bar that I met the other night that I wanted to introduce you to! Her name's Maureen Johnson. I didn't know she was a waitress at the Life, but I had planned on going back to the Pyramid Club tonight. If she was there, I was going to try to hook you two up."
"But," April added, "I think you made enough of a lasting impression on her without even trying!"
Mark sat on the curb speechless.
"Guys. . . she was hot!" he said finally.
"Yeah, she was!" I agreed.
"Roger!" April exclaimed.
"I mean, um, yeah, she was alright, for a girl. Nothing like my April!" I said quickly.
"Do you think she'll. . ." Mark started.
"What?" April asked, and slithered an arm around my waist.
"Go on a date with me?" Mark finished quickly.
April cracked a smile and I choked back laughter.
"Sure," I said, "But you'd have to go back to the Life and admit that you're an idiot."
"I guess. . . maybe tomorrow. I'm off, guys. I'll meet you at the movies later on. See ya." Mark said, and walked away.
April and I exchanged glances.
"Do you think that. . .?" April started.
"Upset? Angry? Feeling stupid? Yes." I stated.
"Should we go after him?"
"Nah, I'll talk to him later. Wanna go back in and grab a bite to eat?" I suggested.
"Sure. Oh, and Roger?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you really think I'm prettier than Maureen?" April asked, a touch of insecurity lighting up her eyes.
I stopped walking, took April's hands in mine, kissed them, and said,
"Of course I do! You're. . . beautiful! You're gorgeous! Everything about you just so amazingly perfect, that I don't know where to begin."
What you feel is what you are and what you are is beautiful
Oh May, do you wanna get married or run away...
I took a deep breath.
"I love you, April. The day we truly start our life together is the day you make me the happiest man in the world short of the day I first met you. I wouldn't have it any other way."
April said nothing, but threw her arms around me and held me tightly. I don't know how long we stood there, but for the time we did, I couldn't imagine any other better place to be.
Hey all! I am so so so so SORRY that my updates on this most glorious fanfiction have been delayed majorly. I've been doing two plays, rehearsals, school, work, and everything else under the sun. Summer is coming though, and I will be updating a LOT more frequently. I would give a summary of what's happened so far for those of you who have forgotten, but to save space, just go back and reread chapters 1-8 to refresh your memories. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!! Song for this chapter is Slide, by the Goo Goo Dolls.
(April's POV)
Could you whisper in my ear
The things you wanna feel
I'll give you anything to feel it coming...
I woke up the next morning to find Roger's arm draped across my side. I smiled as I remembered the tearful reunion of the night before. I just hoped that the good times would last for a little while.
"Hey, baby." Roger said to me, making me jump.
"I didn't know you were awake." I said, smiling.
"I was watching you sleep. You looked so. . .innocent." He made a face. "If only you could fool people that easily when you were awake!"
I smacked his wrist playfully.
"You're hilarious, Davis."
"I know!" Roger grinned.
"And you're just so modest too!" I exclaimed.
"Well, when you're perfect. . ."
Mark entered the room bleary-eyed at that moment and heard what Roger said.
"And if you decide you're going to believe him, your wits are clearly addled." Mark stated.
I giggled. "Addled?"
"It's a real word. You can look it up in Webster's dictionary." Mark declared.
"Shut up, Einstein." Roger mumbled.
"Hey, don't blame me for letting you flunk the vocabulary portion of Ms. Baker's ninth grade English class."
"I had better things to do in ninth grade then learn some dumb words." Roger stated.
I rolled over on top of him. "Like what?" I purred.
Roger grinned. "Well, you weren't one of them! But you can be now, if you want."
He tugged me downward and captured my lips in his. I was thoroughly enjoying myself when Mark decided to interrupt the moment.
"Can we save the headboard banging sex for later on? I don't need to watch you guys." Mark complained.
"Don't get upset because you haven't been laid in years." I teased.
"See, Mark needs to get his priorities straight. He needs a woman." Roger declared.
"This is the mindset that almost flunked you out of high school, Roger." Mark reminded him.
"As opposed to your mindset which made you graduate in the top ten percent but also succeeded in having you get laid a total of twice? Besides, we're not in high school anymore!" Roger replied cheerfully.
"Amen to that," I agreed.
"So," Roger said, stretching luxuriously, "What is on the plate for today?"
"Nada. I considered walking around the park filming for a bit, but other than that, I've got nothing." Mark said.
"I wasn't planning on anything special." I added in.
Mark and I stared at Roger, waiting for him to say something about a band rehearsal.
"I've got nothing to do either. How about we all go see a movie, then later hit a club?" Roger said with painstaking casualness.
Mark's jaw dropped to the floor with I hid a triumphant grin. Finally, things were going to change.
"Do my ears deceive me? You're not going to be too busy practicing with the band?" Mark asked. "And how come April doesn't seem to surprised at this revelation?"
"Because I'm not in the band anymore. The Well Hungarians and I are through." Roger announced.
"He's talking crazy talk! Quick, see if he has a fever!" Mark said in a panicked voice and went to feel Roger's forehead.
"I'm serious," Roger said, brushing Mark's hand away. "And stop that Mark, I'm not quite ready to let April know about our homosexual tendencies."
"Fuck you."
"Mark! I don't need her knowing right now!" Roger said, his voice rising in mock fright.
"Someday, I'm going to get you good. And you won't see it coming, but when I do, you'll be totally speechless." Mark said, grinning.
"And you're really that sure of yourself?" I asked him.
"About as sure as I am that Roger has too much love for the cock!"
"Yup," Roger said, nodding sagely, "About as sure as I am that Mark had NO love with the vagina."
Mark looked crestfallen.
"What? Roger asked while laughing, "You honestly thought I wouldn't be able to think of a comeback for that one? You set yourself right up! However, I can help your love come back, Mark!"
"How?" Mark asked, trying not to seem too interested.
"We'll go to the Pyramid Club tonight, and I'll show you this woman I met there the other night. Dean tried to pick her up. Maybe you can get a piece of ass."
"But. . ."
"Oh please, Mark, like you can honestly tell us that if a woman offered to take you home tonight that you wouldn't go? Don't be such a prude." I said.
"Oh fine, I'll go!" Mark said, throwing up his hands.
"Good man." Roger said. "Go buy a newspaper and decide on a movie time."
"Why me?" Mark groaned. "It's early! Why can't you do it?"
"Because you set foot out of bed, but I have not yet gotten up. Besides, you don't have a beautiful woman in bed beside you. Now go get the damned paper."
Do you wake up on your own
And wonder where you are
You live with all your faults...
"Whatever." Mark replied irritably, and then stalked out of the room to go get the paper.
Once Mark was gone, Roger turned to me and said, "Do you know of any movies that are playing?"
I thought for a moment. "Well, we could go see Romeo and Juliet. That just came out, didn't it?"
Roger wrinkled his nose. "Isn't that the movie where the dude loves the girl and the girl loves the dude. . .and then they all kill themselves?"
I laughed and ruffled his blond hair. "There's a bit more of a plotline then that."
"Who's in it?"
"Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes."
"Oh, I remember her! She used to be on that show 'My So-Called Life'! She was hot!"
"Anyway," I said meaningfully as a sign for him to shut up, "Do you want to go see that?"
"Uh. . .is there romance?"
"Yes. Wow, you really did fail English class, didn't you? Shakespeare was a strict part of the state curriculum!"
Roger shrugged, and then asked, "Will you start crying at one or more parts of this movie?"
"Maybe. Romeo and Juliet is a relatively sad story." I pointed out.
"Oh, I don't know, April. It seems a little too much like a chick flick to me."
"There's lot of gun fighting and dying in it." I said quickly.
"Then I'm there!" Roger grinned like a schoolboy.
I rolled my eyes. "You are such a guy!"
"Last time I checked. Want to check for me now?" he asked as he rolled over and ducked under the covers with me in tow.
I wanna wake up where you are
I won't say anything at all
So why don't you slide
Yeah, we're gonna let it slide...
(Mark's POV)
I strolled along the streets, hands shoved in my pockets to keep out the chill. The city was alive, even at nine in the morning. Vendors were trying to get people to buy their goods at ridiculous prices, businesspeople chatted on cell phones, and homeless people roamed everywhere. There was a man selling newspapers right next to the Life Café, and I handed him a crumpled dollar bill before taking the paper.
"Gracias, senor!" the vendor said cheerily.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm sure. Regular papers don't cost a fucking dollar in most normal places." I muttered under my breath.
I sat down on the curb and spread the paper across my knees and looked for the movie listings. There wasn't much playing. There was Romeo and Juliet, some campy horror flick, and couple of other movies I didn't recognize. Romeo and Juliet was playing at two in the afternoon. I checked my watch. It was just after nine. We'd have plenty of time to get up and shower before leaving. . . that was, depending on how many times Roger and April decided they needed to fuck before then.
I arrived home about twenty minutes later to see April lounging on the couch with a cup of tea in hand.
"Get the paper?" she asked me lazily, while taking a sip of her tea.
"Right here," I replied as I spread the newspaper out on the floor and read the comics.
"What's playing?"
"Romeo and Juliet is playing at two. Wanna go see that?" I asked.
"Sure. Roger already knows that I want to see that." April replied.
There was a silence. We hadn't talked since our confrontation the night before. . . since the moment she had almost pressed her lips to mine. . . I shook my head and tried to rid myself of any thoughts of the night before. It was a love that existed only in that time; inside of my fantasy. . .nowhere else.
Don't you love the life you killed
The priest is on the phone
Your father hit the wall; your ma disowned you...
"April?" I asked suddenly.
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry about last night. . ." I started, taking a deep breath. "It wasn't fair, the things I said to you. It's just. . . I told you that I love you. And I meant it, more than you could ever comprehend. Those few moments where my lips had the privilege to brush against yours, I felt something wake up inside of me that hasn't come alive in years. . . and I wish I could share that feeling with you. I know that I can't, and that you're happy with Roger- and I respect that. I just wanted to tell you the honest truth- that my world suddenly had color when you came into my life, and yesterday was just. . .a dream come true, so to speak."
I stopped suddenly as I noticed the strange look April was giving me. I wasn't quite sure which emotions were flitting across her gorgeous face, but she wasn't screaming at me for being a jerk- that much, I was grateful for. She had set her tea down on the little table next to the couch. Then, she rose from the couch and sat down next to me.
"Mark," she began, "Sometimes I swear I could kill you for doing this to me. . . for making me feel things about you that never existed before. Sometimes I want to find some sort of blame to place on you that way I don't have to put any of this on me. You made me feel. . .just feel. Every time I got hurt, you were there to be my crutch. Like I said yesterday, I'm not sure how much longer I can go ignoring you. I love Roger, more than life, but Mark. . ."
Don't suppose I'll ever know
What it means to be a man
Something I can't change; I'll live around it...
"Hey guys! Mark did you get the paper?" Roger shouted as he came out of the shower.
April backed away and grabbed her cup of tea. I got up, stuffed my hands in my pockets, and mumbled something about wanting breakfast. Roger came out in an old T-shirt and sweats while rubbing his hair with a towel.
"Yeah," I replied in answer to Roger, "Romeo and Juliet at two. Want some breakfast?"
Roger tossed the towel in the small, broken hamper leaning against the wall in the hallway, then plopped down next to April.
"You mean we have food?" April asked incredulously.
"I think it's more along the lines of, 'Mark can cook?'" Roger interjected.
I opened up the refrigerator and tried to ignore the foul stench coming from a suspiciously green-looking Tupperware container of. . .something.
"Obviously, neither of you have been blessed to have Chef Cohen cook for your eating pleasures." I declared importantly.
Roger guffawed and April choked on her tea.
"Mark, the only time you've ever cooked for me was the time you tried to make soup when I was sick," Roger said, "And all you ended up accomplishing was a pot of limp, overcooked noodles and broth that had had the flavor boiled out of it."
"That was my first time ever cooking with a hotplate!" I said defensively. "Besides, now we have a toaster oven too! There's a lot you can do with a hot plate and a toaster oven!"
"Such as?" April asked.
"Such as. . .toast. . .toast!" I said triumphantly.
"Is there even anything edible in the fridge?" Roger wanted to know.
"Actually," I said as I found what I was looking for, "There are five jumbo- sized eggs."
April and Roger both bolted to the kitchenette and gaped at my find.
"Eggs. . ." April breathed.
"Like, real eggs. . ." Roger added.
"As opposed to fake ones."
"Shut up."
"What do you plan on doing with those eggs?" April asked.
"Uh. . .cook them?" I replied uncertainly.
April grinned and then suddenly hugged me.
"Mark, you're a genius! Who would have thought to cook the eggs?"
I blushed and gingerly removed April's arms from around my neck.
"It's not hard," I said, as I searched the cupboards for a pan of some sort. "All you need is eggs, butter, and a pan."
"And maybe a spatula?" Roger suggested.
"And some salt and pepper!" April added.
"Maybe some bacon or cheese. . ." I said longingly.
"Ok, now you're getting ahead of yourself" Roger joked.
I found a small frying pan. I stuck it on the hot plate, turned the hot plate on, and said
"Now all I need to do is melt the butter, then crack open the eggs, cook em' a bit, and voila! Breakfast!"
Roger and April laughed as a made some elaborate gesture with the carton of eggs that I had pulled out of the fridge.
"Shit, gotta piss." I announced as I dug some butter out of the cupboard.
"Thanks, Mark." April grimaced.
"We'll watch the stov- I mean, hot plate." Roger snickered.
I marched off to the bathroom, hoping that the little breakfast food we had wouldn't go to waste because Roger and April were too busy making out to notice that the food was burning. Sure enough, I hadn't been in the bathroom for more than two minutes when I suddenly heard a yell from the kitchen.
"Fuck," I moaned as I willed my body to hurry up.
I practically ran back to the hot plate to find Roger and April trying to put out a small fire.
"What did you guys do?" I cried out as I rushed over to them. "I was gone for three minutes and you start a goddamn fire?"
"Roger burned the butter and then we overcooked the eggs. They were all greasy from the butter, so I tried to use a towel to soak up some grease from the pan. Then the towel caught fire!" April explained breathlessly as I ran over and turned off the hot plate.
"I so did not burn the butter!" Roger said hotly. "You weren't paying attention!"
"I bet it's kinda hard to pay attention to the hot plate when you've got your hands down her pants and your tongue down her throat." I commented as I sprinkled water on the greasy, now-smoking mush in the pan.
When the smoke had mostly died down, we all peered into the pan. The towel was black and charred. The eggs were a sickly gray color and had soaked up all the grease. We all glanced at each other.
"Suddenly, I'm really not hungry!" Roger declared.
"Me neither!" I said.
"How about we go to the Life Café?" April suggested. "How much money we got?"
Roger and I emptied our pockets and came to a total of seven dollars and twenty-eight cents.
"Let's go!" I said as I grabbed my camera and headed toward the door.
(Roger's POV)
I wanna wake up where you are
I won't say anything at all
So why don't you slide...
April, Mark, and I arrived at the Life a few minutes later. It was busy with the morning rush. We seated ourselves at a corner booth and waited for a waitress to come take our order. April and I were on one side and Mark sat on the other. I took April's hand and squeezed it, thrilled that the ring I had given her was back on her finger. Mark fiddled with his camera. We were quiet for no reason, and the silence was. . . profound. It made me notice things I hadn't seen before. I didn't know that April chewed on the ends of her hair when she was impatient. Mark looked like he was on another planet. And me. . . I was just there. For once, I felt like I was the observer, not Mark. Suddenly, a waitress came heading our way. To my shock, it was the woman I had met at the bar the other day. . .what was her name. . .
And I'll do anything you ever dreamed to be complete
Little pieces of the nothing that fall
May, put your arms around me...
"Hey guys, I'm Maureen, and I'll be your waitress this morning. What can I start you. . ." she stopped mid-sentence when she saw me sitting there. "Hey! Don't I know you?"
"Uh, yeah. . . I'm a friend of Dean's- the bartender at the Pyramid Club." I replied.
"Oh. Yeah! So then this must be. . ." Maureen indicated April with a tilt of her head.
"Yes. This is my fiancée, April Watson." I said while grinning.
Maureen set our menus down in front of us, and then stuck out her hand.
"I met your boyfriend at the Pyramid Club the other night. I'm Maureen."
April smiled in amusement and shook her hand quickly. "So you said. Nice to meet you."
Maureen turned her attention to Mark, who was still playing with his camera.
"And you are?"
"Huh?" Mark looked up in bewilderment. "Someone say something?"
"Yeah, the waitress was talking to you." April stated pointedly.
"What's your name?" Maureen wanted to know.
"Me? I'm. . .uh. . ." Mark stumbled, and blushed.
"Mark." I supplied. "His name is Mark Cohen."
"Yeah, I knew that." Mark grumbled under his breath. "I'm Mark." He then directed at Maureen.
Maureen's laugh tinkled throughout the restaurant. "So I heard. Anyway, what can I get you guys this morning? We have a special on scrambled eggs today, if you're interested."
We all exchanged looks and shook our heads.
"We're set." I stated, "But I'll have a glass of orange juice and then the waffle meal."
"I'll have a decaf coffee and the pancake meal." April said.
"Sounds great. And what do you want, Mark?" Maureen said, writing our orders down on her little pad.
"I'm fine, thanks." Mark said quickly.
What you feel is what you are and what you are is beautiful
May, do you wanna get married or run away...
"But, Mark," April protested, "Aren't you hungry?"
"Nah, I'm set." Mark said, still fiddling with the camera.
"Mark, put the damned camera down for a second and look at me!" I ordered. "Have something to eat!"
Mark looked stunned for a moment, and then said, "OJ and then a corn muffin. Happy now?"
"Yes. Oh, and Mr. Cohen," Maureen started.
"Mark, please," he said.
"Mark, then. It's against our policy to allow cameras and other recording equipment inside the restaurant without authorization. I'm afraid I have to ask you to put that away." Maureen said while flashing a movie-star smile.
Mark blinked a few times, obviously flabbergasted by her smile. Maureen was attractive, to be sure. She had nothing on April in my eyes, but Maureen obviously had attracted Mark like a moth to a flame. She also knew the right way to piss him off- take away the camera. I knew damn well that cameras were allowed in the Life, but I also sensed that Maureen was trying to pry some sort of personality out of Mark. It was working.
I wanna wake up where you are
I won't say anything
Just slide...
"I can't use my camera in here? But that's never been the policy before. . ." Mark started.
"Manager's rules. Sorry, nothing I can do." Maureen interrupted smoothly.
"I know the manager. I'm in here all the time. Come on, this is bullshit!" Mark complained. "I'm not even filming!"
"Mark, I'm going to have to ask you not to use that language in here." Maureen said slyly.
"What?" Mark fairly exploded. "I'm sorry, but since when am I not allowed to use my camera in here! Let me speak to the manager!"
"Please calm down. The manager is unavailable at the moment. Would you like to try our omelet breakfast special? It's three eggs with. . ." Maureen recited, ignoring Mark's request.
"I don't give a shit what the specials are! I don't want eggs! I just want to sit and film and talk with my friends in peace! Is that so hard for a blond bimbo to handle? For fuck's sake you're only a waitress, I'm sure this concept isn't incredibly hard to understand!" Mark shouted.]
And I'll do anything you ever dreamed to be complete
Little pieces of the nothing that fall
Oh, May, put your arms around me...
There was a stunned silence all around until I grabbed Mark by his shirt out of his seat, said,
"Just cancel our orders, Maureen. Have a good day, and don't mind this asshole. However, if you ever want to stop by and force him to apologize, we all live in the old loft on Avenue B, off of 14th street."
Then April and I, with Mark in tow, marched out of the restaurant. The minute we were out of earshot, I sat Mark down on the curb, and then burst out laughing. Mark and April stared at me like I had grown a second head.
"What the hell is so funny?" Mark demanded.
"You didn't catch on? Jesus, she was baiting you, buddy! You were overreacting so badly!" I gasped, shaking with laughter.
There was a silence, and then April started to laugh.
"It's true!" she said, "You were such a pompous ass in there, Mark! She was just trying to get a rise out of you, and it worked."
"And you wanna know what's really funny?" I asked Mark, who was giving me a death look.
"What?" he asked.
"That's the woman from the bar that I met the other night that I wanted to introduce you to! Her name's Maureen Johnson. I didn't know she was a waitress at the Life, but I had planned on going back to the Pyramid Club tonight. If she was there, I was going to try to hook you two up."
"But," April added, "I think you made enough of a lasting impression on her without even trying!"
Mark sat on the curb speechless.
"Guys. . . she was hot!" he said finally.
"Yeah, she was!" I agreed.
"Roger!" April exclaimed.
"I mean, um, yeah, she was alright, for a girl. Nothing like my April!" I said quickly.
"Do you think she'll. . ." Mark started.
"What?" April asked, and slithered an arm around my waist.
"Go on a date with me?" Mark finished quickly.
April cracked a smile and I choked back laughter.
"Sure," I said, "But you'd have to go back to the Life and admit that you're an idiot."
"I guess. . . maybe tomorrow. I'm off, guys. I'll meet you at the movies later on. See ya." Mark said, and walked away.
April and I exchanged glances.
"Do you think that. . .?" April started.
"Upset? Angry? Feeling stupid? Yes." I stated.
"Should we go after him?"
"Nah, I'll talk to him later. Wanna go back in and grab a bite to eat?" I suggested.
"Sure. Oh, and Roger?"
"Yeah?"
"Do you really think I'm prettier than Maureen?" April asked, a touch of insecurity lighting up her eyes.
I stopped walking, took April's hands in mine, kissed them, and said,
"Of course I do! You're. . . beautiful! You're gorgeous! Everything about you just so amazingly perfect, that I don't know where to begin."
What you feel is what you are and what you are is beautiful
Oh May, do you wanna get married or run away...
I took a deep breath.
"I love you, April. The day we truly start our life together is the day you make me the happiest man in the world short of the day I first met you. I wouldn't have it any other way."
April said nothing, but threw her arms around me and held me tightly. I don't know how long we stood there, but for the time we did, I couldn't imagine any other better place to be.