Okay, mostly you have the procrastination fairies to thank for the quick update. Especially since two people reviewed for the last chapter. Two! Albeit, one was crzyRENThead and the other one who's definately compatition (compition? Wow I fail at spelling) for her...but still! Come on, do you want me to write or not? Geezus!
In other news, I fail at splatter paints.
Enjoy!

Mark's POV

Zoom in on Roger, the door slamming shut behind him. Seconds follow. An eternity of second. Can't take it anymore. The shot takes us into Collins' bedroom. I sit down in the corner. Breath. Simple tasks. Simple tasks to distract me from April. The girl Roger was still in love with. April, the smart, witty female I could never compete with.

Thoughts cause a pang. I couldn't think of April like that. She was the main love interest, the first martyr. Without her, there would be no show. No moments on film.

Que a light knock on the door. Joanne. Not wanting to face her-Or anyone else, really, I slipped out the window and lowered myself...Okay, so I fell...onto the fire escape's stairway. Not having my camera, I felt empty. The shops went by, and finally I realized that I didn't really know where I was. A group watched me carefully, and I retraced my steps. They seemed to follow. It took me awhile to lose them. I still could feel someone watching me, though, slipping back into our building.

Where Roger practically attacks me on the last step to the loft. "Where the fuck have you been? Do you know how God damn worried I've been?" Wry smile. Roger, my mother hen.

"Relax, I was taking--"

"Relax, Mark? Relax? I'm supposed to relax after finding out you ran away? Do you think I can relax after being told that? Do NOT tell me to relax." Roger exploded. Collins stuck his head out the door.

"Think y'all could chill on 'relax'?" Que duck as Roger whipped his shoe at Collins' head.

"Zoom in on Roger. Over reacting par usual." Despite me attempt at calmness, Roger knew something was wrong. Not saying anything, he pulls me into his arms. I know he knew what hurt me, because he didn't ask. Not able to face the truth.

Because we all know who he would have chosen.

Roger's POV

Stupid Mark.

Stupid, adorable, frucking Mark.

Sensitive Mark.

Is it too much to ask to be able to have a decent breakdown without Mark leaving for hours on end? Apparently.

Stupid Mark.

"Don't do that again!" I told him fiercely. He held up his hands in defeat.

"Okay, okay. Got it after the first ten times." Damn his sexy, weary voice. I wanted to jump him right there. But since I had just gotten a few points with Fae, I thought that might just be a bad idea. Just maybe. So I impatiently glanced out the still-light window, where Fae was sitting on the ledge with a book in her lap, her hair spilling over her shoulder. Sitting there with the light on her...That exact shade of brown-red...I felt a pang. She looked exactly like April.

There it was. The reason she had been able to calm me down before. She looked so muck like April, and acted like her, too. Or, at least, was stubborn like her. I smiled as I raised my beer to my lips.

"Thinking about what you're going to do to Mark tonight?" Maureen's voice broke through my thoughts. Fae looked at Maureen, mirroring my angry expression. I figured it wasn't so much what she said however, it was just the fact that her voice was so annoyingly high-pitched that it could break anyone's concentration, and Fae had seemed pretty into her book.

"Fuck off." I muttered. Fae had gotten the twins to take a nap, so she wasn't going to blow up at me. I shot her a wink, and she rolled her eyes, pointing first to Maureen, then to her foot, then to the door. Solemnly, I nodded in agreement. As Maureen whipped around to see what was going on, Collins, Mark, and I laughed our asses off.

"We wish shit was that easy." Collins called over to Fae.

"'If only, if only.'" She said, a faint--very, very faint--smile playing about her lips before she turned back to her book. Mark and Collins began a conversation on computers. Not interesting. Again I brought the bottle to my lips. I didn't look up as Maureen got huffily to her feet. Well, why would I? She was annoying, and she was probably just getting another beer, or going to the bathroom. Unil I heard footsteps by the window, I didn't, at least. Then I glanced up.

"What'cha reading?" She asked Fae, drawing out each word until the entire statement had mutated into the sound of a dying cow. How fitting. Fae's book snapped closed. You could practically hear her teeth grinding together.

"A book."

"What book?"

"One you wouldn't like?"

"Why not?" Maureen pouted.

"'Cause it's a book." Collins said, flicking a cigarette butt in her direction. We all laughed, except Maureen. I watched Fae as she laughed. I wanted to know if she laughed like her--She did.

"Something wrong?" For a moment, I couldn't figure it out. Fae's mouth had made the movement, yet it was Mark's voice I heard. The I realized they had spoken at the same time. Fae turned away. She must have realized Mark was speaking to me, too.

"Nope." I answered.

The rim of the bottle found my lips again.

Damn AIDS.