Disclaimer: I do not own Rent or any of the characters or ideas associated with it.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.


2:00-3:00 pm

The buzz of the vodka had worn off for Collins by the time they reached their first destination. Mark however was still feeling the effects.

"Why are we going to the Life Café? I mean, again? I've been here for a week and this is the only place we have ever gone. I think I have the menu memorized." Mark drunkenly swerved to avoid walking into a homeless woman.

"Because as fun as it would be to watch you walk around drunk in New York City, I'd hate to see you break your neck and wind up in the hospital. And I think Roger would kill me. I mean I'm a big guy and everything; I can hold my own…But damn, he's protective of you. Eating will help soak up some of that alcohol" Collins reached out and grabbed Mark's upper arm before he fell off the edge of the sidewalk and right into a taxi, "Jesus, you're clumsy when you're drunk."

"Can't blame the booze for that Collins. I'm a natural klutz."

"Wonderful." Collins opened the door of the Life Café and beckoned Mark inside. The lunch rush had thinned out and for the most part, the restaurant was fairly empty. Mark couldn't help but be relieved; he didn't exactly enjoy being drunk in front of strangers, especially sober strangers. Then again, Mark had lost most of his ability to be embarrassed in college. Benny lived for practical jokes, mainly around midterm and finals time. Most of the time, however, it was Mark's own forgetfulness that brought about most of the embarrassing moments he'd ever lived through. Mark decided to share said moments with his new friend as they waited for their food.

"Since I'm feeling particularly honest and open today, want to hear about life in a dorm with Benny?"

"I was actually going to ask you about Benny. He's a conundrum isn't he? Likes the strippers at the Cat Scratch Club, but as soon as one hits on the guy he clams up and acts like he doesn't even care. I mean, I can see the appeal physically, but personality-wise…I can't quite figure him out."

Mark, who was finally coming down from his buzz, laughed, "It took me awhile to figure out why he is the way he is. I actually made it my own personal project during my second semester at Brown. I was living with this guy, who in my opinion needed some serious anti-psychotics, so I put in for a room exchange in December. The only available option was with a junior whose roommate had just graduated. I figured anything had to be better than Mr. I-like-to-talk-to-my-socks-and-they-like-to-talk-back, so I agreed and met Benjamin Coffin the III in January. I can truthfully say that we made good roommates. He wasn't pompous or arrogant; he greeted me and then asked me if I preferred, in my free time, to run around naked. So, I figured he'd also had a real doozy of a roommate. After spending time hiding from Josh, the sock-puppet master, living with Benny was great. Until I learned about his deep infatuation with practical jokes. That comes later in the story though. After I met Benny's parents I understood why he's so…as Roger put it this morning, "overly ambitious". His dad works in a factory and his mother works at a dry cleaners. I didn't mean to, but I overheard Benny and his dad fighting. Benny was telling him about his music management class and how much he loved it; hell, that was all he ever talked about so I was glad it wasn't me for once who was hearing about it. Benny's dad told him to keep his head in the game. He wasn't there for music or art; he was there for property management. I mean, my dad didn't exactly like the fact that I was a film student, but he never would have said some of the things Benny's dad said to him that day. He called him an "ungrateful little bastard", who didn't care how much it was costing his "hard-working parents" to put him through school. After that fight, Benny took only classes that were required and his electives were all business and property related. That fight changed him. I saw his parents at graduation and they looked so proud, but to tell you the truth, Collins, Benny isn't really happy. He doesn't want to look for a job in real estate. He wants to work in the music business."

"That's unfortunate, man. I was lucky enough to have very supportive parents. They supported me when I told them I was gay, they were my first call after I learned I was HIV positive and they fully supported my choice to study philosophy in school. No matter what they were proud of me and I took that for granted when I was younger. Now, I don't because of hearing stories about other people's parents. That does explain a lot about Benny though. And it also changed a few negative judgments I might have been harboring." Collins shook his head as he twirled spaghetti around his fork.

"Hey, even I changed some of my opinions about him. I can't seem to change Roger's mind though. I think it's because Roger didn't have the ideal childhood either. His dad ran out on him and his mom and sister when he was young, but I'm not going to talk about that because I know it's a sore spot and it's not my place. Roger doesn't like to talk about it, so I'm not going to for him." Mark dipped his spoon into his Miso soup.

"But you're perfectly willing to tell all about Benny."

"Hey, Benny isn't my best friend. Plus, Roger's problems are a little deeper than Benny's."

"Well, there's one thing left I want to know. I want to hear about these practical jokes."

"Oh yeah. Well, most were of the standard variety. Shaving cream in the hand, hand in warm water, which never worked by the way, the basics. He said that it helped relieve the stress of major exams. I think I lost the ability to be embarrassed though the day I was late for one of my classes and I came back in the afternoon to see a giant white sheet hanging from our windows advertising that "Mark Cohen is no longer a virgin. Sorry girls, you missed your chance." The joke was on him though. I hadn't been a virgin since my junior year of high school."

"Damn, now that is something I never would have expected from you. No offense." Collins laughed.

"None taken. I look like a geek, so it's to be expected. It was my junior prom and it was the worst experience I've ever had. She was the rabbi's daughter and it was…it was bad."

"Deflowering the rabbi's daughter! I'm looking at you in a whole different light Mark Cohen."

"Yeah, yeah. So did Roger. Who, coincidentally, lost his virginity after me. I've never seen him so jealous. The bad-ass rock star wannabe can't get any, but his nerdy friend can. And as his best friend and a guy, I didn't let him live it down for months." Mark placed a small tip on the table and followed Collins out of the café.

"So, you're not as innocent as I thought you were."

"Nope, and I'm not drunk anymore. Since lunch was your idea, I say we go somewhere where I can film. I dropped out of school for this." Mark hefted the camera in his hands. It felt so natural to be holding it instead of a textbook.

"Well, it's almost three o'clock. Let's head over to Tompkins Square Park. I'm sure there's something of interest to film over there. Are you the type of filmmaker who watches people or are you more abstract? Do you like to film five minutes of a park bench set to some sad classical music?"

"I watch everything. I'm an observer. But I don't think I'm in the mood for park benches unless they have people on them."

"Good. Then let us go observe." Collins and Mark walked side-by-side down the street toward the park. A casual observer would notice the body language directed towards each other. They both acted as if they'd known each other for years, instead of days.