Author's Notes: Huge thanks to everyone who reviewed! I have to apologize for the length of this chapter. I thought it would be longer, but I said everything I wanted to say in this chapter in fewer words than I'd thought. Hopefully you'll enjoy it.
Disclaimer: I don't own RENT, or the song How to Save a Life by The Fray
"I think I may have ruined Christmas for everyone," Mimi said quietly to Roger, as they stood off to the side together, watching their friends interact with each other half-heartedly. No one was celebrating like they should've been. "I wish I'd never found it."
"Yeah, me too," Roger mumbled.
"I shouldn't have made such a big deal out of it," Mimi said, "I should've just showed everyone that I found it, asked if anyone wanted to admit to owning it, and offered to talk to whoever owned it. I never should've accused people...especially not you. I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
The phone ringing cut off their conversation. Mark and Collins screened their calls, so they let it go to the answering machine.
"Speeeak!" Mark and Collin's answering machine said. Roger wouldn't admit it, but he missed having his voice on their answering machine. It sounded empty without him.
Roger missed a lot of stuff about his old home. Little things, like listening to Mark's mom ramble on the answering machine, which was happening now. But, the thing he missed the most was his relationship with Mark.
They'd been best friends, and it wasn't just a label to them. They really were best friends, and no matter what the circumstances, they were always there for each other. But once Roger moved out, their friendship slowly started to fall apart. Sure, they were still friends, but it wasn't the same as it used to be. If what had happened today, Mimi finding the stash, had happened a year ago, Roger would come clean to Mark the first chance he got. Now, he was afraid that Mark would judge him.
Roger didn't want to move back in, he really did love living with Mimi. All he wanted was his friendship with Mark back. But, he had a feeling they could never go back to the way they were.
"I'm not giving you any more for free."
"Come on," Roger pleaded, "I need it."
"You can have it," the man said, shrugging, "I just want full price."
Roger sighed and pulled out a bill from his pocket. "There, now just give me the smack."
The man handed over the small bag filled with powder. "I thought you didn't have the money."
"I didn't," Roger said, "Mimi did."
Roger did feel guilty for using Mimi's money on smack, especially since the reason he wanted to get high in the first place was because she was still stuck working at the Cat Scratch to support them. But, the guilt he was feeling just made him want to get high even more.
Mark hated being alone.
When he was alone, and had nothing to do, he only had his thoughts to distract him. He'd go out and film, but it was too for late, unless he wanted to get mugged. He'd tried to fall asleep, but his thoughts were keeping him awake.
Collins had managed to fall asleep, while everyone else had gone to their respective homes. Mark started to think about what his friends were doing. Maureen and Joanne were probably…doing something he didn't want to think about. Mimi was probably asleep and Roger…was probably out buying drugs.
Mark knew that the stash Mimi found was Roger's. It was so obvious to him. The way Roger overreacted when he was accused was a dead giveaway. But, Mark had figured it out long before that. He knew when Mimi first pulled out the stash from the couch, hell, he knew before that. Roger had been acting weird ever since he returned from his walk. He was distant from everyone, and whenever Mimi was brought up he made up some excuse to get him out of the conversation. Mark had a feeling that Mimi was a huge part of why Roger decided to go back, and at the same time she was the one person who he didn't want to know he was using again for fear of hurting her.
Mark was starting to get really mad at himself. He knew that Roger was on the verge of ruining his life and he couldn't bring himself to say anything. He wanted to talk to Roger, find a way to show him everything wrong with what he was doing, and pray that he'd actually listen. But it wasn't his place to do that, or at least, not anymore.