Hello all. I sincerely doubt any of my original readers are still around after so many years of hiatus, but if any of you have decided to return, thank you and I am very sorry. For new readers, welcome, and thanks for checking this out. Its really interesting to look back at this fic. My life was so different back when I was writing this. I was much younger, much less experienced. Now my perspective on some things have changed. I am now a social worker, I'm in grad school, I'm married and I work as a counselor. I've actually seen the effects of heroin addiction first hand. I've actually experienced emotional abuse in a relationship. These kinds of things change your perspective with writing. So, basically that's me saying that the original idea that I had for this fic and the original vision I had for the ending is likely not where it is going to end up. But I am going to try my best to actually finish this story this time around. 2011 was the year of my complete emotional break down. I had to be hospitalized, I dropped out of college. I moved back to my parents house. And after that, I started rebuilding my life. I never forgot about this story but it was beyond back burner, it was sitting on the counter collecting dust and the chef forgot the recipe after awhile. I don't know what possessed me to try to come back to it today. I just thought I'd try to finish what I started. I don't write the way I used to, so I'm hoping the style isn't terribly different or the quality isn't worse.
Due to the long hiatus (a GD decade), there may be inconsistencies with things. I skimmed through my past chapters but still might make some changes or plotholes, and I do apologize for that if it happens.
Disclaimer: I do not own RENT or any characters therein. Be glad I don't, otherwise the play would have gotten stuck at Goodbye Love and never finished.
Birthdays and Bashes
"I'm sorry, okay?" Marshall ran an exasperated hand through his long hair, golden-green eyes refusing to meet the furious brown orbs glaring at him.
"I can't believe you didn't remember! How many times do you expect me to turn 18? Its like you don't even care about me!" Reye shouted, beginning to pace in her rage.
Mark watched from the couch, unsure whether or not he should intervene. Reye had just found out that Marshall had accidentally booked a wedding on the night of Reye's birthday. It still wasn't for another two weeks but Marshall had apparently booked this wedding five months ago and he needed the income badly.
"It was an accident! I didn't realize the date when I booked it, I'll make it up to you." Marshall pleaded.
"Fuck you! Cancel it! Fucking cancel it! It's my goddamn birthday!" Reye's voice was becoming more shrill as it rose.
"Reye, I can't. We need the money, they're paying me $1,200 for this one night, Reye! I can't pass that up! We can still celebrate your birthday. We can do it the night before, or the week before. I promise I'll make it up to you."
"You don't even care." Reye continued to protest, but she was no longer yelling. Marshall reached out to hug her but she pulled away sharply, instead throwing herself down on the couch dramatically, next to Mark. "My brother is a selfish asshole. You're dating a selfish asshole." She muttered to Mark petulantly. Mark rubbed her shoulder, but frowned at her words. Reye had always had a little bit of a temper, but this kind of tantrum was unlike her. He'd never heard her talk to her brother like that before.
"Reye, it's okay. We'll still celebrate your birthday. Your brother cares about you, it was just an accident. We'll celebrate it for a whole week if you want." Mark said reassuringly to her. Reye rolled her eyes but then nodded.
"Fine. I don't want to talk about it anymore. Where's the fucking H? I need a hit."
Marshall momentarily looked as if he was going to protest but then thought better of it. He chose not to partake, however, and instead began leafing through Cujo as Mark and Reye tied off and took their hits. It was a few hours later, after they had come down, that a much more pleasant Reye came up with her idea.
"I want a party tomorrow."
Marshall raised his eyebrows at her, bemused. "You want your party two weeks before your actual birthday?"
Reye smirked at him impishly. "I want two parties. I want one tomorrow, because I know you don't have anything booked tomorrow, and then I want one the day before my birthday. That way you can be there at midnight when I actually turn 18. I figure you owe me that, at least."
Marshall thought a moment. "Do we have to get you a cake and presents tomorrow, too?"
Reye shook her head. "I don't need presents, I just want to have a party. I wouldn't say no to some cupcakes, though."
Marshall chuckled. "Fine, deal. I'll even go buy some streamers from the dollar store, okay?"
Reye nodded, jumping up from the couch and beginning to jump up and down in excitement. Mark laughed, this was the Reye he knew. "I've gotta start calling people! We never get to have parties here! They're always at someone else's house, this is going to be great! I gotta call everyone! Tank and Lillia and Lactose and Leather and Baby and Tyler and Canvas and Gina…" she continued to rattle off names as she went for the phone.
As Reye began making calls, Marshall pulled Mark aside for a quiet conversation. "Do you think that it would be safe to take some stuff to your place? I know Roger is still being a jerk, but if I came with you, do you think we could leave some stuff there?"
Mark frowned. "I don't know…maybe. Why?"
Marshall looked at him like it was a stupid question. "Because people will steal anything that's pawnable." Mark thought a moment about how bare Tank's and Canvas' apartments always were during parties, usually just bare bones furniture, some kind of music source, and alcohol. He hadn't really thought about the implications of that before. "It won't be much, just some of my photography equipment, mostly and my TV. My records and Reye's cassette collection, too. Maybe a couple other things, but we don't have too much that would be a big deal if someone stole it."
Mark thought for a moment and then nodded. "Okay, but we should bring Reye too so we can take it all in one trip. If we're lucky, maybe we can get in and out when Roger is at a gig or work or something."
Marshall shook his head. "He works at bars, which means night time. We'll get mugged for sure if we try to walk that stuff over there at night. It'll have to be during the day. You up for that?"
Mark sighed. "Yeah. I mean, I've got to face him eventually anyways. Maybe when we pick everything back up, I can just pack up my stuff too."
Marshall beamed at that suggestion, and kissed Mark reassuringly. "Great idea, babes. I'll get Reye to help us take stuff over there once she's done calling everyone…which will probably be in like an hour." He looked over, amused at Reye on the phone, talking so excitedly and rapidly that her words were running together.
LINELINELINELINE
Mark felt a hot flash run up his spine when he saw the lights in the loft on as they walked towards his building. He looked back at Marshall and Reye nervously, but they both looked reassuring and determined. He nodded to himself as he turned back, hefting the box of vinyls that he held up better, and headed into his building and up the stairs. He was surprised when the door to the loft was not locked, because they always kept it locked. He stuck his head in nervously as it opened but didn't see Roger anywhere.
Hoping that he was asleep or in the bathroom, he quickly directed Marshall and Reye to his bedroom to put down the stuff and then make a hasty escape. As they were walking out of his room, he saw Roger climbing in from the window to the fire escape. Everyone froze as they saw each other.
Suddenly, Reye yelled "Run!" and operating on instinct, she, Marshall and Mark sprinted for the still open door. Unfortunately, Roger was closer and he quickly caught Mark, wrapping his arms around his torso from behind in a tight bear hug that lifted Mark off his feet. Mark struggled, kicking with his feet as he tried to use momentum to pull himself forward and propelling both of them to the ground, Roger still holding onto Mark tightly. Reye had already made it to the door, she was so quick, but Marshall turned on his heel when he realized what happened and grabbed Mark's arm, trying to pull him from Roger's grasp.
"Let got of him! He doesn't want to stay here with you!" Marshall snapped, pulling on the skinny filmmaker.
Roger tightened his hold, ignoring the way Mark beat at his arms with his one free hand. "I'm not going to let him go off and kill himself, stay out of this you junkie fuck!"
Reye came back into the room then. Seeing her brother and Roger scuffling on the ground, a trapped Mark between them, she ran over and directed a hard kick directly to Roger's kidney. Gasping from surprise and pain, Roger's hold slackened and both Marshall and Reye pulled Mark to his feet and out of the loft.
They could hear Roger shouting at them to bring Mark back, cursing their names and calling them every name in the book as they hurried down the stairs. But Roger didn't follow them. Mark momentarily worried that Reye may have actually hurt him, but as they stood outside the building, panting from running down the stairs, Mark saw Roger come out onto the balcony and glare down at them.
Marshall waved cheekily and Reye flipped him off, but Mark just looked. Roger looked angry, but he also looked sad. And Mark didn't know how he felt about that. But when he felt Marshall hook his arm around his shoulders, he let himself be turned and directed back to their place without another backwards look.
LINELINELINE
Please review. If you were an original reader and you came back, please let me know. I'd be curious and, it'd renew my guilt which might motivate me to keep writing. Next chapter is coming up tomorrow.
