033. Too Much

Title: Forget It

Summary: Mark and Maureen fight, Mark gets shitfaced

Word Count: 1204

Characters: Maureen/Mark, Roger/Mimi, Collins/Angel

Link: "I don't think I've ever seen you drunk before, Mark Cohen."

"You're awful quiet tonight, Mo," Collins said as he took another swig of his beer. "What's wrong?"

Maureen sighed and shrugged, pulling her beer up to her lips. Collins and Angel sat across from Maureen at the table they were sharing at the Life Café. Mimi and Roger were on her right and the chair beside her was empty. Mark was nowhere in sight. Angel leaned into Collins, setting her drink back down on the table.

"Maureen, honey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," she lied, chugging more of the alcohol.

"Geez, Maureen, that's your third beer tonight," Roger commented.

Maureen shrugged again as she finished the bottle and slammed it onto the table. "Excuse me, I've gotta pee."

Mimi's eyes followed Maureen as she walked off to the bathroom. Looking beside her, she realized that Mark wasn't at the table. She nudged Roger and nodded towards the other empty chair. Roger shrugged, a confused look crossing his face.

"Collins, where's Mark?" Roger asked as he tossed an arm around his girlfriend.

"I dunno, man, I thought he told you where he was going. He got up a little while ago. Hasn't come back yet."

"Shit," Roger muttered. "That might explain the drama queen's beers."

"Rog, be nice," Mimi scolded, planting a kiss on his scratchy cheek.

"Babe, I'll be right back," Roger said as he unwrapped himself from Mimi.

She nodded, turning back to the other couple still seated at the table. She leaned over to investigate Angel's new shirt as Roger scuffed away from the table in search of the cameraman. His thick dirty boots clomped loudly as he made his way towards the front of the café. It was there that he saw Mark through the frosted window of the restaurant. Roger pushed past a crowd of drunken customers and shoved the door open, stepping out into the cold winter air.

"Mark," Roger called as he grabbed onto his friend's sleeve. "Marky, whatcha doin?"

Mark smiled happily at the musician as he spun around. A half empty brown bottle was in his right hand and his left hand reached up and ruffled through Roger's long messy hair.
"Roger, Rodgy, Rog…" he mumbled. "You are my best frienddddd."

"What are you doing out here?" Roger asked nicely. He felt like he was talking to a five year old.

"It's nice outside. Maureen likes snow." He leaned down and plunged his already freezing hand into a pile of fresh snow and formed a clump, tossing it gently at Roger. He giggled quietly to himself while Roger wiped his jacket, slightly annoyed by the cold ball of powder that had just exploded on his chest.

"Mark, let's go inside," Roger said, grabbing onto the scruff of Mark's jacket, holding him up. "You've had way too much to drink."

"Why does she yell? I try hard not to make her mad. But she yells."

"Who yells?" Roger asked the drunken cameraman.

Mark sloshed his beer against his face, missing his mouth completely as Roger waited for his answer. Roger reached out and took the bottle away from Mark.

"She's mad," Mark said, a somber look crossing his face.

"Who's mad? Maureen?"

"She's mad," Mark repeated, wiping clumsily at his face with his sleeve.

"Maureen? Mimi? Cindy? Who?"

"You always do that Mark! You love that damn camera more than you love me!" he shouted, imitating his lover.

"Maureen," Roger sighed.

"Hey guys, I'm going to go check on Maureen," Mimi told Collins and Angel.

"Alright honey," Angel nodded, cuddling against Collins.

Mimi climbed out of her chair and padded softly across the back of the café towards the bathroom. She pushed the swinging door forward, stepping inside of the dimly lit restroom. Maureen was leaned against the sink furthest from the door and she said nothing when Mimi entered. Mimi stood at the sink next to Maureen's and pretended to fix her make up while she looked at Maureen out of the corner of her eye.

"It's nice to get all of us together, huh?" Mimi asked, trying to make conversation.

Maureen nodded slightly as she leaned her head against the mirror. She pulled a hand up to her face and wiped at her bloodshot eyes. She turned towards Mimi and forced a rather pathetic looking smile.

"Oh, Maureen," Mimi said sympathetically as she held her arms open to the sad diva.

Maureen leaned into Mimi and sighed heavily. Mimi stepped back and wiped gently at Maureen's face, brushing the tears away.

"Talk to me, honey," Mimi pleaded. "What's wrong?"

"It's Mark," she said shakily. "We got into a fight. He's never home when I am and I got mad. I yelled at him, oh Mimi, I yelled. I told him he loved his camera more than he loved me. He told me that I should stop fooling around. I admit, I haven't been the most faithful lover, but I haven't cheated on Mark in months. I love him."

Mimi hugged Maureen tightly as Maureen cried on her shoulder. "Baby, it's gonna be okay. You guys will be okay."

"I'm afraid we won't. He won't talk to me. I was upset that he accused me of cheating but he won't speak to me. What have I done?"

Mimi pulled out some paper towels and ran them under the faucet. She ran them across Maureen's face, cleaning her up a bit. She kissed her on the forehead and grabbed her hand.

"Come on, honey," Mimi said, gently tugging on her arm. "It's okay. Roger went to get Mark."

"I need another beer," Maureen whined as she left the bathroom with Mimi.

"She yelled at me. She yelled and she yelled and she yelled," Mark slurred, stabbing at the air with his finger. "She says I don't pay attention to her. I told her I know that she's been fooling around."

"She's been fooling around?" Roger asked as Mark stood still.

"I don't know," Mark said, looking helplessly at Roger. "But I said it. And now she won't talk to me. It's too much. She's going to dump me."

"Mark, it's a fight. All couples get into fights. Mimi and I fight all the time. I know Maureen used to be a little flirty with other guys but she's been seeing you and only you for the past couple of months. She loves you."

"No, she's going to dump me. I lost her," he cried.

"Let's go back inside," Roger suggested once again as Mark fell into him. "You've had too much to drink. I don't think I've ever seen you drunk before, Mark Cohen."

Mark leaned against the guitarist's shoulder as Roger helped him inside. Maureen and Mimi were already back at the table once the boys returned. Mark sat on the other side of Roger, leaving the chair beside Maureen empty. He wasn't ready to face her, especially when he was this shitfaced. Maureen sighed angrily as she opened another beer. Collins and Angel looked back and forth between Mark and Maureen and then Mimi and Roger. Maureen tipped her head back and downed the fourth beer, refusing to look at Mark. She'd deal with it in the morning. Right now, all she wanted to do was forget.