To Be
DISCLAIMER: I do not own RENT or anything affiliated with it.
Mark pulled open the door of the fridge and pulled out the bottle of milk. He poured himself a glass before putting it back. "You going to eat something with that?" Roger asked.
"I'm not that hungry," Mark told him. He went and sat down on the couch as Roger started rummaging around in the kitchen for some food. Mark closed his eyes and leaned his head back against the back of the couch. Roger made a box of macaroni and cheese, putting some into bowls for him and Mark. He picked the bowls up and carried them over to the couch.
"Here," he said, handing one to Mark. The smaller man took the bowl and started to eat.
"Thanks," he muttered.
"The girls said they would come over tonight, bring something decent for dinner," Roger told him.
"Sounds good," Mark said. Roger watched as he finished off the bowl and set it down on the table. "I'm going to go lay down for a while."
"Take your medicine first," Roger reminded him. Mark nodded and got up, walking into the kitchen. He took the antibiotics and started to make his way back to his room. "What about the Prozac?" Roger asked.
"I don't need another one yet," Mark replied. "I'm only supposed to take it twice a day."
"Right." Roger waited until he heard Mark's door close before he went and checked the instructions on the pill bottle.
"Checking up on me?" Mark asked from his doorway. Roger turned around to face him.
"No… I was just… I was going to…"
"Can it, Roger. I didn't lie to you, if you can't tell," Mark said, going back into his room and closing the door.
LINELINELINELINE
Roger opened the door of the loft to let Maureen and Joanne in. "Hey Roger!" Maureen yelled, pulling him into a hug. She walked into the room past him. "Where's Mark?"
"Sleeping," he said, taking a bag of food from Joanne. "Thanks," He said, motioning to it.
"No problem. How is he?" Joanne asked.
"Wouldn't know. He won't talk to me," Roger said, closing the loft door and taking the bag into the kitchen.
"Why not?" Joanne asked. She helped him pull the food out of the bag.
"He caught me checking the Prozac bottle," Roger admitted. "He doesn't want to take it."
"Is he taking it?" Joanne asked.
"I have to practically beg him, but he is at least taking it," Roger said. He glanced down at his beeper and sighed before swallowing one of his own pills. "Now I understand what a pain in the ass I was at first."
"He'll get over it once he realizes it's helping," Joanne said. Roger just nodded.
"I better go wake him up," Roger said, picking up the two pill bottles. He knocked on Mark's door before going into the room. He sat down on the edge of the bed and woke him up.
"Hey," Mark said, rolling over and opening his eyes.
"Hey. The girls are here. They brought food," Roger told him. He opened the pill bottles and got out one of each, handing them to Mark. He swallowed them quickly. "Listen, about earlier…"
"Forget about it," Mark said. He pushed back the blankets and got up. "Let's just go eat."
LINELINELINELINE
"I think someone fell asleep," Joanne said, motioning towards Mark. Maureen looked down at the small man leaning against her. "We should probably go. Do you need help getting him in bed?"
"No, I've got it," Roger said, getting up and picking his friend up so Maureen could move. He carried the man into his room and covered him up before going out to say goodbye to the girls.
"Tell him we said goodbye, okay?" Maureen said.
"Yeah, I will. Thanks, guys," he said, seeing them out. He started to clean up the mess they'd all made.
"Damn, I missed the party," Collins said, coming in. "You bitches have fun tonight?"
"Yeah. Where were you?" he asked.
"Wouldn't you like to know," Collins replied, smiling and picking up some of the mess to help Roger. "Mark's asleep?"
"It was the only way to get Maureen to leave," Roger told him. Collins smiled.
"Y'know, it's almost cute the way she tries to take care of him…" Collins said. "Until you remember the shit she used to put him through when they were together."
"Yeah."
"So, do you think he was really asleep, or just pretending to get rid of them?" Collins asked.
"He was pretending. He'll be coming back out here any second," Roger told him. "Even though he's really not supposed to join in with the real party."
"Has that ever stopped any of us?" Collins asked, opening the cabinet below the sink and recovering a half-full bottle of Stoli. "Hey, get your scrawny albino ass out here so we can have a real party," he called to Mark. Mark walked out of the bedroom and collapsed back onto the couch. "What's up man?"
"Not much. Where were you earlier?" Mark asked him.
"Out and about. You know, the usual," Collins replied.
"You didn't get beat up again did you?" Roger asked, half-joking.
"No, jackass, I didn't get beat up. Keep on insulting me and see if I let you have any of this," he said, pulling a bottle of Jack Daniels out of his jacket.
"You were going to hold out on us!" Roger accused.
"Just drink," Collins told him, pouring out a generous amount of the amber liquid.