So, I got only 2 reviews for my last chapter...I mean, I know it was short, but still made me cry a little inside sniffle. But I did promise a fast update, and I am done with this chapter so I decided to upload it today, for Thanksgiving. More reviews would be nice, I do like to know how I'm doing/what you guys think. Once again, this chapter is rather short...but once again, I'm going to make up for it by having an update out relatively soon.
Do not own RENT or any characters therein. I do own Reye, Lactose, Leather, Marshall, this plot, and a stomach crammed with turkey, mashed potatoes and apple pie yum...owww...yum...
To Leather and…Chocolate Milk
"I'm going to go get groceries. Do you want anything in particular?" Mark asked as he put his shoes on.
Roger grunted. "Food."
Mark couldn't help rolling his eyes. "Oh damn, I was going to get soccer balls. Seriously, Rog, what do you want?"
Roger turned to glare at him. "Where the fuck did you get money anyways?"
Mark shrugged, picking at his shoelace absently. "Still had a bit left over from the ATM, added to what was in the floor stash. Almost sixty dollars altogether, so we can afford to splurge just a bit."
"Splurge? Oh that's real responsible. Its bad enough you're spending so much every day when you go out, do you really have to waste our fucking money on junk?" Roger demanded. He was looking for a fight, Mark could tell by the way he was challenging him to respond. He still took the bait.
"What the hell are you talking about? I don't waste a fucking dime. And forgive me for trying to think of something you'd like instead of living on ramen and dry cereal all the time." He argued.
Roger started yelling at him some more, something about being a liar and a mooch, but Mark didn't pay attention as he finished tying his shoes and walked out. As he was walking out of the building and down the street he heard Roger scream his name and turned to see him standing on the fire escape.
"Chocolate milk!" he yelled.
"What?" Mark called up.
"Get me some damn chocolate milk!"
Mark stared at him a moment before rolling his eyes, muttering a soft, 'Asshole' and turning to go back on his way to the store.
An hour later, he showed back up at the loft with the cheap groceries he could afford. There were quite a few for having less than sixty dollars, but Mark was quite good at finding cheap food and bargain buying. The only items that he actually splurged on were a box of name brand Cap'n Crunch, a jar of strawberry jam and a half gallon of chocolate milk.
LINELINE
Mark walked down into the café to find Reye already sitting up on the counter, talking to a very young girl who looked, to be quite frank, like a hooker. She was Asian with long, sleek black hair with bright blue streaks and too much make up for her naturally pretty face. She was wearing a metallic purple bustier small enough that it only covered her breasts under a black denim jacket, a short black skirt, black tattered fishnets, purple, scuffed up cowboy boots and a large assortment of colorful plastic and silver bracelets and rings. She had a rather small bust that made Mark guess she was younger than she looked, but she was endowed with the hips of a woman.
"Oh hey Sweettooth!" Reye called upon seeing him.
He smiled. "Hey Miss Reye…whose your friend?" he asked, motioning to the aforementioned girl.
"This is Janet, otherwise known as Leather. Janet, this is my friend Mark, otherwise known as Sweettooth." She introduced them.
Mark stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you." Janet smiled and shook it after a second.
"Charmed." She responded, and Mark was surprised to hear a slight New England accent.
"Leather was just telling me about her trick last night."
Janet laughed. "Oh yeah, a real creeper, he was. I mean, I've had some weird jobs before, guys who wanted to be beat with riding crops or wanted me to step on their backs in my heels, or act like I'm one of their family members, or the occasional guy who wants the old finger up the ass…that one's actually rather common but still strange if you ask me, but this one…sicko." She forced a shudder.
"What'd he want?" Mark asked, quickly used to the fact that he'd been right in his evaluation of this girl.
"Creeper wanted to fucking pee on me!"
Mark stared with wide eyes while Reye laughed in disbelief.
"No fucking way!" she exclaimed.
"Oh yeah, like I said, creeper."
"That's disgusting." Mark said.
"Fuck yeah its disgusting. I mean…who the hell gets off on pissing on someone?" Janet laughed again.
There was a slight silence before Mark asked, "Did you do it?"
Both Reye and Janet stared at him. "Are you fucking kidding me? Of course I didn't do it! I told him straight out that he couldn't pay me enough to even consider it."
"Oh. Sorry." Mark mumbled.
Janet chuckled. "Honey, I may need money…but I don't need it that badly. Well, Reye darling, I should probably be getting home. I need to go to the Laundromat before my shift tonight."
"Alright. I'll see you Thursday, then." Reye leaned across the table and gave Janet a quick hug.
"'Twas nice meeting you, Mark." Janet said with a wink before striding out of the shop.
Reye fixed Mark with a smile. "Sorry bout Leather…she can come off a bit harsh sometimes, but she's a sweetie, really."
Mark nodded slowly. "How old is she anyways?"
Reye bit her lip. "Not exactly legal…" she looked at Mark again and shrugged, deciding that she could trust him. "Somewhere around sixteen. She said she came up here when she was fourteen, with her boyfriend. Poor child was a fool. He deserted her within a month, and with no money, and no real home to go back to, she just kind of fell into the life of a streetwalker. Told me once that she tried working as a stripper, because it was more respectable…but that didn't last long because authorities don't crack down on the clubs real hard when the dancer's just a little too young, but she was way too young for anyone to ignore or not notice, so they had to fire her. She's okay though, I mean, she's surviving the best way she knows how, and she doesn't mind the work too much. She said once that its just work, like flipping burgers, that's how much it affects her anymore." Reye shrugged.
"I guess."
There was a silence before Reye smirked at him. "So Marshall left you a note."
LINELINELINE
Okay, really short, and left off abruptly, I know...but that's where it felt right to end it. After this, time jumps forward a little bit. I think, 2 maybe 3 more chapters of filler, at most, before the plot really picks up. The next update should be within the next week.
Much Love
