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Disclaimer- I don't own Rent
Here Goes- Chapter 2
"Can you believ'er!" Roger shouted in slurred speech after drowning the failure of his performance in about 6 beers. "She, she…" "She what?" Mark prodded after Roger's inability to finish his sentence.
Collins had promised to bring April home about an hour ago because Mark had known that Roger would've hated for her to see him like this. He hated showing any signs of weakness. Roger walked down the street away from the club, rather sure-footed for a man who had just packed down quite a few. "It's like, you know, that, thing, that people have, where they love themselves." Roger glanced over at Mark walking next to him. "You mean she was conceited?" he suggested as he slide his arm around Rogers shoulders to direct him around a pothole, that he surly would've fallen into had Mark not noticed. "Well, no…wait, yeah. She was so happy about herself that no one else mattered…not even me." Mark could sense that although it was part of Rogers drunken ramblings, that he was actually hurt, something that would never have been made evident had he been sober.
Mark pulled his scarf tighter around his neck to cut the chill that the winter night provided. So what Roger had bombed probably his only chance at what he truly wanted? So what that sense of dread he had been feeling was rightly placed? And so what Monica, or Maureen, or whatever her name was had just felt the need to add insult to injury. So what! 'Thursday night at the 11th street lot' he thought as he and the slightly unstable Roger made their way up apartment building stairs to the loft.
The next day, Mark awoke to the sound of a loud thud that seemed to echo throughout the loft. "What the hell?" he muttered out loud to himself as he climbed out of the small mattress he called a bed. With a yawn he made his way to the door of Roger's room, through which strange moaning noises could be heard. "Roger! Are you alright in there?" he asked as he opened the door.
Roger was sprawled out on the ground next to the bed tangled in a mess of thin sheets. "Ughhh, I fell" he moaned as he massaged his temples with both hands, though still on the floor. "From where? Your bed?" Mark managed to ask through stifled laughter. The setting was hilarious, so he ran to grab his camera before the scene was ruined. "And here we have Roger, falling out of the drunken state of last night….literally. It appears that he may have rolled out of bed, and will now-" "Shut up Mark! Turn the damn camera off" he protested from his spot on the floor. "Alright, alright, don't get yourself worked up over it. Here, stand up, I'll get you some Advil." Mark made an effort to help Roger to a standing position, then made his way to the small bathroom they shared to start the search of an Advil. 'I thought we had the money to buy some last week, how can we be out already?' he thought to himself as he rummaged through the medicine cabinet.
The rest of the morning consisted of Mark acting as a mother would. Tucking Roger back into bed with an Advil and an extra blanket, it was starting to get colder after all. Suddenly it occurred to him that Collins had never come home after bringing April to her apartment the night before. 'I'll swing by there now, Roger'll be fine alone for awhile.'
Mark left a few post-it's around the loft letting Roger know where he'd be, and telling him to get some more sleep, then he made his way over to Aprils apartment. "April? Collins?" he called their names through the door as he knocked. "It's me, Mark." The door unlocked with a click, and Collins greeted him with a tired smile. "Sorry, I should've called, but April was really upset last night. She wouldn't tell me why, only told me that she wanted someone to stay with her. She didn't want to be alone" he said as he motioned for Mark to enter the apartment. "She alright now?" he asked out of genuine concern. Even if he wasn't that fond of April, Roger was, and she needed to be looked after by someone. "Yeah she's fine, she's asleep in the back room" he said as he pointed toward the only open door on the small apartment.
Collins and Mark went on to talk about Roger's performance, quietly though, so that April wouldn't over hear. About a half hour later April was calling for Collins, and Mark decided to leave. He didn't want to intrude. "See you back at the loft tonight?" he asked as Collins made his way toward April's room. "Sure, if she's still upset I'll bring her along, she needs to be with Roger." Mark nodded in approval, turned to leave, and switched on his camera, so as to document his walk to the 11th street lot.
He had decided. Mark was curious about this woman who had used Roger's failure to promote herself. 'Maybe some good film'll come from the show' he suggested to himself as he made his way through the streets toward the address she had given.
By now it was growing dark and the wind had kicked up a bit, so Mark drew his light jacket tighter around himself. "Here we are, off to see Maureen, the woman from Roger's show" he narrated to his camera. As he stepped into the lot, he caught sight of a small stage with an array of different colored lights, several stools, and a plastic replica of a small horse. 'What the hell am I doing here?' he thought as he started to turn around, regretting his decision to come, when someone tapped his shoulder from behind. "Hey, you're the guy with the camera from last night. Know anything about audio cables? I'm having a break-down here trying to fix this before the show." It was her. Maureen. Asking him for help! 'As if, not a chance she's getting any help from me.' "Uh sure what's wrong?" he asked lowering the camera to his side. 'What the hell! Why am I helping her? Yeah so she's attractive, she was a bitch last night remember!' That was the last thought he had against her the entire night, as she grabbed his hand and led him onstage towards the equipment.