This is for Challenge #7 of Challenge Central.

CHALLENGE 7: has to be about Mark and Roger, friendship or slash. This one is very specific. Fic HAS to start out this way: Mark entered the loft, not at all surprised to find it empty after what had happened. He was however a tad surprised to find a note sitting on the table. Picking it up, he read: 'Mark, I am so sorry--- ---Okay, that's where we leave you, you have to fill in the rest of the fic yourself however you want. TRIPLE POINTS for the most creative fic. Points will be deducted if you have Roger go to Santa Fe!

So here goes nothing…

Mark entered the loft, not at all surprised to find it empty after what had happened. He was however a tad surprised to find a note sitting on the table. Picking it up, he read:

Mark, I am so sorry.

That's all it said. 'Mark, I am so sorry'.

"Is this some kind of joke?" Mark asked nobody in particular.

Nothing much had happened at all. Roger had just forgotten to pick up some coffee at the grocery story (Roger had gotten back into playing gigs at various clubs, so they could afford a few luxuries now). Mark, a little disappointed, had commented on it and gone out to get more. Heck, he didn't even like coffee, but he knew Roger did and Mark didn't want have to put up with his grumbling later in the week.

It wouldn't have been much, but Roger decided to come with him. Everything was fine until Roger threw a fit in the store. Like, a full-fledged temper tantrum. Well, not really a full-fledged one, but lets just say Mark didn't know Roger was such a good actor.

And why did he do it? To get the attention of the cute girl putting cans of soup on the shelves so Mark wouldn't be alone anymore.

"I didn't want a date with a complete stranger, that's all," Mark said to himself, putting the few groceries on the metal table.

After he said that, something small came flying out of Roger's room and hit Mark in the head.

"What the…?" he grumbled, picking the object off of the floor. It was another note.

Mark, that's not it.

"Not what?" Mark asked, "Roger, what's going on?"

There was no answer, but another piece of paper came shooting out. Mark picked it up and unfolded it.

How do you not know?

"Know what?" Mark questioned, "And what are you, the one-sentence guru?"

Mark chuckled at his own joke and went to go unpack the groceries. He was almost done when a little piece of paper landed on a can of soup. Sighing, Mark picked it up.

Not funny. I can write in more than one sentence. Anyway, we're all sorry.

"Sorry for what?" Mark nearly yelled, "Roger, this is getting really annoying! I'm coming in there!"

"No!" someone said, and it definitely wasn't Roger. It sounded feminine, almost like…Maureen?

"Maureen?" Mark questioned, cautiously approaching his roommate's room, "Roger, what's going on?"

Mark shielded his face as little pieces of paper were viciously thrown at him from Roger's room. "Roger! Stop!"

"Read them!" Mark heard Roger instruct, "AND DON'T COME IN!"

As Mark began to read the notes, he realized that they were written in different handwriting. Some were barely legible while others were in loopy, elegant cursive.

"Roger, I'm coming in," Mark said, opening the door quickly.

Mark watched in awe as his best friends- Roger, Collins, Mimi, Maureen, Angel and Joanne- threw confetti in his face and yelled, "SURPRISE! HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY MARK!"

"W…w…what's going on?" Mark asked, clearly surprised.

"We threw you a surprise birthday party," Roger said.

"A surprise, belated birthday party," Mimi corrected.

"Pookie, why didn't you tell us yesterday was your birthday?" Maureen asked.

"Yeah, we wouldn't have known if your Mom didn't call and leave a message for the birthday boy," Angel said.

"Oh…" Mark's face turned bright red, "Well, actually, I kinda forgot yesterday was my birthday."