Chapter 21: Third Times A Charm
as told by Roger
a.k.a. Roger wants to put in his two cents while Mark goes off to sort his thoughts
3 August

"Shit, Ow."

I had just discovered that we actually had a working toaster, so I had decided to make toast. Altough when you think about it, dry bread is just cereal without the milk. Unfourtunately I underestimated the actual working condition of the toaster, the bread didn't pop up high enough and stupidly I stuck my finger in to retrieve it...and burnt myself.

...With Noah and Benny for a audience.

"Shit!"

"Noah. Don't say that."

"You did."

He smiles back at me, like he is the most innocent snot in the world. Benny is trying to hide his amusement behind the newspaper.

"Don't worry, Roger, it's just a phase. Kenna did it, too." Ella informs me as she comes out of the bedroom and makes a beeline for the bathroom.

Noah looks at the bathroom door, "Eww."

I hear it, too.

"Are you okay?" Benny asks as Ella reappears grabbing one of the many mismatched chairs that occupy the kitchen area.

"Yeah. Fine."

"Is Mark up yet?" Benny agian.

She nods, "He's dwelling on last night again."

"Toast?" I offer.

She shakes her head, like I just offered her a rotten apple.

My watch goes off, and I'm met with three variations of "Roger, take your pills." and one "Daddy, 'ake pill."

"This is why they need to have silent alarms." I grumble. Every day they remind me like I don't know myself.

"Don't you think that might defeat the purpose?" Mark as emerging from the hall.

I glare from where I stand opening the bottle, "Shut up, smart..."

"Roger." Benny nods in Noah's direction.

"Noah...go get dressed."

He smiles like I just gave him keys to a car and runs off.

Mark takes the chair Noah was sitting in next to Ella, "Can we talk, now?"

She nods.

A few moments go by before he looks at Benny and I, "In private?"

"You have a room." I point out as Benny gets up and leaves the loft saying he has something he needs to do.

"Roger, you sent your two year old to get dressed by himself." Mark tries.

"So?"

"He's two, your thirty and still need help. Maybe the two of you can learn together." Ella spits out frustrated.

"Alright smart asses, when you guys end up telling me, I'll just act surprised 'cos it's not like I can't hear it through the walls."

I get to what now seems to be Noah and Kenna's room. Kenna is still out, but sure enough Noah has gotten a little...er, carried away with getting dressed. He's managed to put his pants on backwards and is trying to shove his head through the sleeve of the shirt.

"Hey, little man...let's get this fixed."

I finally get his head unstuck, when we can hear a crash coming from the kitchen signaling the number of coffee cups in the loft is down to five.

"Shit." Noah whispers and gives me a cocky grin when I glare at him.

"You're what?" We can hear Mark.

Damnit, they're whispering again.

Oh God, I sound like Maureen.
After another fifteen minutes I hear Ella come to the door, "Roger, you can come out now. Kenna, I've got to go to work, behave for Mark okay? I love you."

"Love you too." The now awake five year old chirps.

I wait until I hear the front door shut, before coming out to find a semi-dazed looking Mark, which really isn't anything new. I sit down across from him.

He mumbles something.

"Mark. English. Speak."

"She's pregnant."

"Oh." I didn't hear that part.

"She wants to get married before the baby is born. Like by October."

"Getting cold feet?"

"No, No, it's not that it's just...I don't know...I mean...the baby...what if I screw it up?"

"How could you screw it up, Mark?"

"Come on, I mean...Cade..."

"You were fifteen, you did the best you could. Look, now you're older, you found Cade..."

"Who hates me now."

"Minor detail, Cohen, she'll get over it. And there's Kenna who thinks you're actually cool. Plus, now you have Ella, who is really gonna marrying you. You've got nothing to worry about."

"It's my job to worry." He whispers.

"Yeah, well, don't."

He nods and we ge into a few moments of silence. We can hear Noah and Kenna in the room "Where are we going to put everyone?"

"Here? You aren't going to move into Ella's apartment?"

"Nah, we want to stay here."

I look away, I know why. It's my fualt, damnit Cohen, always thinking he has to take care of me.

"Um...maybe we can finally clear the back room out?" He tries cautiously.

"You don't need my permisson."

"It's just that it has alot of...stuff in it."

Stuff...that what the back room holds. April's stuff. Mimi's stuff. Angel's stuff. Collin's stuff. Along with numerous broken pieces of junk. Stuff our parents have sent that we have no use for. Stuff Joanne wouldn't let Maureen bring with her, which was a lot of junk. Stuff Benny left when he first moved out. Stuff.

"Yeah, it's about time we clean that out. Better now than never. How about we do that this Saturday?"

Mark nods. "So, you want to drag those two out, yet?"

"Nah."

He laughs, "Good."

Beeny comes back in, "What'd I miss?"

"Looks like Mark gave Ella a little more than just an engagement ring."

Author's Notes:

Okay here we go:

1) the plan for the next two chapters is this:

A) Mark and Cade...er, talk
B) We finally find out who called Benny

2) I'd like to take this moment to remind everyone to where sunscreen and if you don't want to invest in that, please invest in Aloe Vera and moisterizer.

3) I'm planning on winding this story down a bit. Keyword: planning, but then again this story was never really suppossed to go more than 10 chapters in the first place.

Lils: More Drama to come, as always...and Now you know! Thanks as always.

carsonheir: I wish I would have thought about that, but be warned you gave me an idea...thanks.

rentjunkie6688: Thank you so much.

L.M.Ward: Thank you. Glad you're enjoying it. Oh...can I ask? Do I get to start a collection of pom poms?

BwayDiva: I tried to write Cindy in a better light...it just wasn't working. Soon. Fun? You have a semi-warped sense of fun, but I think I might actually agree...ih.

4) If this chapter really stinks...I have about ten alternates...that's why it took so long, but I'm roughly satisfied with this chapter.

well, ugh...

only roughly 121 days left, give or take a few. until the RENT movie. Yeah!

until next time, this is me...signing out.