Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait! Better late than never though lol

"So, how's your music coming?"

"Good."

"That's good."

"Yeah."

Mark sighed and moved his food around his plate with his fork to distract himself from the awkwardness of the conversation. He was having lunch with Roger at the Life Café. The original plan was to invite Roger to lunch so he could talk to him about what was going on, but Mark was having trouble working up the courage to ask him if he was using again. Though, Mark wasn't sure if he was more afraid of asking or hearing the answer.

"Mark, come one, we both know why we're here," Roger said. "We should just talk about it now; get it out in the open."

Mark furrowed his eyebrows. "You know what I want to talk about?"

Roger nodded. "Yeah, of course, about how Mimi slept at your place last night. Are you here to give me some excuse as to what really happened? I don't know if Mimi came crying on your shoulder about this yet, but I didn't by any of hers."

"Are you kidding?" Mark asked, not able to believe what he was hearing. Mark would never do that to a friend, and he knew Mimi would never do that to her boyfriend. It hurt him that Roger didn't seem to know that.

"Do I look like I'm kidding?" Roger asked. "I can't believe you did this."

"I didn't do anything," Mark said. "Mimi came over because she was mad at you—"

"And then you slept together."

"What? No! We talked, that's all. Besides, I'm sure you remember she has this thing called AIDS. Sleeping with her would be suicide." Mark regretted saying that almost immediately after he said it. But, one thought kept running through his mind…suicide. If he slept with anyone who was HIV positive, he'd die. But, it could take a while, and it would probably just amount to even more pain.

Mark was grateful when Roger interrupted his thoughts, because he was starting to scare himself. "Thanks for reminding me that I'm going to die soon."

"Roger, you know that's—"

"I don't want to hear it. I hope you did get AIDS from Mimi, maybe then you'd know what I'm going through." Roger stood up and turned around to leave, but Mark grabbed the back of his coat.

"I am not letting you leave after what you just said," Mark said once Roger turned around. "Nice to know you want your best friend to get AIDS."

"Best friend?" Roger repeated, laughing. "A best friend doesn't sleep with his best friend's girlfriend."

"That's exactly why I didn't!"

"Oh, so you wanted to?"

"Roger, please. We're fighting about something that didn't even happen."

Roger paused. "If you didn't bring me here to talk about Mimi, then why did you? I know it wasn't just catching up between two friends."

"Because you're using again," Mark answered. "And don't deny it, because you would not have just blown up at me like you did if you weren't coming off a high."

Roger's hand clenched into a fist. "I am not using again."

Mark looked down at Roger's fist. "I know you're angry. I know that after this you're going to go get high so you don't feel that angry anymore. So, punch me. Get your anger out right now….anything so you don't just go get high."

Mark didn't think Roger would actually punch him. He was wrong.

"Shit man, you look horrible," Collins said when Mark went home. "What happened?"

"Roger listened to me for once," Mark said. "Figures the first time he does that is when I tell him to punch me."

"Oh my God Mark," Mimi said, coming out of the bathroom. "I am so sorry. I wanted to tell you that Roger thought, you know, before you met up with him but I couldn't get a hold if you and—"

"It's ok," Mark said. "Really. I assume you told Collins everything that we think?"

"She did," Collins answered. "I can't believe we're going through this again."

"I hate him," Mark said. "I fucking hate him for doing this to us. We can't lose him and he just goes and does whatever the hell he wants because it makes him feel good for about a minute."

"I should go," Mimi said. "I should talk to him."

"Are you ok to go alone?" Collins asked.

"Yeah," Mimi said. "I think I have to."

Mimi quietly entered her apartment to find Roger on the couch, strumming his guitar. He turned around and Mimi noticed his pupils were dilated, she shuddered. Something wasn't right about this. She wasn't supposed to be scared of her boyfriend.

"Hey Roger," she said gently.

"Hey," he said, a smile appearing on his face. He got up and kissed her, but Mimi pulled away quickly. She could barely stand to look at him. "I haven't seen you all day."

"That's because you blew up at me for something that didn't even happen, remember?" Mimi asked.

Roger sighed. "I know, but that's all in the past now. Come on, that wasn't much of a kiss." Roger leaned in but this time Mimi actually pushed him. "What the hell?"

"I'm sorry Roger but I just can't do this now," Mimi said. After she spoke, she noticed a needle sitting in the corner of the room, and started to cry.