Hi everyone. I know it has been a while. I was just in the musical Leader of the Pack and I have been at my school every night till like 10. But now it is over (and it was really good) and I can update some more.

On another note, I was kind of upset cause I thought no one was reading my story, but the other day a really cool friend of mine (ILove Amanda) told me about stats and it said I got 1,733 hits. So I was pretty excited. Thanks to all my readers. So please keep reading and reviewing.

Oh and also, I will be updating faster, because my best friend Casy is starting to read it and she has been bugging me to update, so the fire is under my butt and I am updating as fast as I can.

And one last thing….I am going to be done with the entire story in about a week. I have 124 pages on my Word Document and I have only uploaded around 35. So due to that I am going to make my chapters much longer, so I don't end up with 103 chapters or something. If you guys have any suggestions or comments, though please review. I am felxoible and can change things around to make your reading experience more exciting. So keep reading. I promise you that you won't be disappointed so enjoy!

We've Got AIDS

Maureen sat on the couch, with a wet rag and her boots. Mark was sitting next to her. He sighed and stood up.

"And where are you going Mark Cohen?" Maureen asked.

"To get a little Cap'n Crunch," he said. "We still have some and I am hungry. Do you want any?"

"No," she cried. "I am cleaning my boots and you are going to sit here with me and suffer."

"Maureen," he said. "You can't be serious."

"Sit dow-"

Maureen was cut off by a loud crash outside. The couple ran over to the window. All they could see was Benny's car parked below them, which could only mean trouble. They ran down the stairs.

Collins and Benny were pulling a large purple colored wardrobe off of Roger. He was laying on the stoop, with a puddle of blood by his head.

Mark took a step back. He felt the walls of the hallway closing in around him as he remembered a fateful day in his past.

Mark sat at the Life Café. He saw the owner walking over towards him. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a pile of change. He laid it on the table and made a quick escape to the door. The manager made it to the table, to find a pile of change that didn't equal what Mark had eaten. The manager was used to the dorky kid with the camera coming in and not paying. Mark sighed and rode off on his bike.

Mark had been coming to the Life Café more often, because being home was painful. He was always fighting with his flirty, cheating girlfriend Maureen. His roommate and best friend Roger had been doing drugs with his girlfriend April.

Mark had nothing against April, he just didn't like her. She was nice and funny, but she was also bad news and a total addict. She had gotten Roger into drugs. She spent most of her time out in the alley, at the bar, or making out with Roger. He had the feeling that April didn't really love his best friend. Mark sighed as he made his way home. He picked up his bike and walked inside. As he made his way up the stairs, he accidentally bumped into a young brown haired, Spanish girl.

"Watch it," she cried.

"Sorry," Mark said. "Hey you look new here. Did you just move in?"

"Listen I am late for work," she said grumpily walking away.

Mark sighed. No one in the world was happy anymore. He walked up to the loft, to find it empty. He went into his room. He spent the next half hour going through old movie reels. He was bored out of his mind, so he went to look for food. Of course, there was nothing.

He turned the faucet on the sink, to find that the water was back on.

He smiled. The water had been off for the last three days. He would be able to take the first shower out of everyone and probably the only decently warm one. He made his way to the bathroom. The door knob was jiggling slightly.

"Great," he said out loud. "One more thing to fix in this-"

He stopped. A skinny blonde haired girl was hanging over the side of the bathtub, covered in blood.

Mark turned April onto her back. Her wrists had deep slits in them. He gasped and stepped back. He felt his stomach churn. He felt the room begin to spin. Mark fell backwards onto the ground. He knew what was going on, but he couldn't move. He was breathing deep and his head felt extremely light.

Maureen suddenly walked in.

"Mark?" she cried. "What is wrong?" She saw April on the ground and screamed. She ran to the fire escape and called down the street.

"Collins! Roger! Benny!" she cried. "Anyone, help!"

"Why are you screaming woman?" Collins asked, walking through the door with Benny. They were both shivering.

"Damn it's cold out there," Benny said breathing heavily. "What are you looking at-" Benny stopped.

The two men saw Maureen leaning over Mark, sobbing as she stared at April. Everyone just stood there for a moment staring at her lifeless body. Collins bent down and picked up Mark and moved him onto the couch. Maureen reached out to April.

"Don't touch her," Collins warned. Maureen began to sob. She went over and sat next to Mark, who was still in a dizzy state of shock.

The door opened and Roger walked in, singing some rock song under his breath.

"Have you seen……………." Roger stopped when he saw his girlfriend on the ground. "April," he gasped. He bent down; he delicately reached out and held her cold, limp hand. A single tear fell from his eye. That was the only tear he shed for any girl he had ever loved. Reality hit him. The one girl who he loved more than life was dead.

He felt a piece of paper in her hand. He pulled it out and un-crumpled it. It was covered in blood, but he could still make out April's slanted writing.

We've Got AIDS was all it said.

Roger shoved it in his pocket and made a run for it. He ran and ran. He ran down the alley, down the street, to the bar where he first met April. Once he arrived, he managed to pick up a bottle of beer and throw it against the wall. His good friend Greg, whom was the bartender, took him to the back.

"What are you doing?" Greg yelled.

Roger didn't answer he just ran and ran. He ran away from his fear and his pain.

Maureen sat with Mark's head in her lap. The bathroom door was closed. The morgue was coming once Roger got back, so in the meantime April's body just lay on the other side of the door.

Eventually Roger came back. Collins stopped him at the door.

"What are you going to do?" Collins asked.

Roger went to shove past him, but Collins grabbed him and pinned him back against the wall.

"Roger," he said fiercely. "Wake up. This is serious. You have AIDS. Get it through your head. You need to figure out what you are doing with life."

Roger hung his head and collapsed on the ground.

"Tom," Maureen said calmly. "I think he has had enough for one day."

Roger took that as his cue to get up. He went into the bathroom and sat on the edge of the toilet. Not once did he look at April. He just kept saying, "You're so stupid April. So fucking stupid. Why would you leave me like this? Why?"

"Don't touch him Mark," Collins roared. Mark snapped out of his memories. He had advanced forward, in an attempt to lift Roger's head up.

"Do not get any blood on you," Collins said, looking from Maureen to Mark to Benny to Maya. "Go get towels and lay them on the ground upstairs in Mimi's apartment."

Mimi was still sobbing and looking in horror at Roger.

"Mimi," Collins said. "You need to be strong and help me get him up the stairs. No one else can touch him, but us."

Mimi nodded. Collins held most of his weight, while Mimi supported his head.

They laid him down on the bed, with towels all around him. Benny ran to get some bandages from the corner drug store. He came back, in record time with gauze, medical tape and bandages. Collins wrapped his head.

"Is he going to be alright?" Mimi sobbed into Collins shoulder.

While posting this story, my friend Casy has been yelling at me to post it. What a fag! Anyway, at least I have one fan. If you want to join the club, leave a comment.

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