Mark's Roommate

Hectic

Chapter 70-

I check my grocery list on my phone and walk up and down the aisles. Mark keeps texting me new things to get. I've been here two hours and the original list isn't even completed. 

[MARK]

<<can we get cookies too?>>

I sigh loudly and go to the bakery area. I look at all the options while I think about what I want too. A tap on my shoulder startles me. I whip around and face the stranger. But it's not a stranger.

"Oh! Charlotte!" I exclaim.

"Hey! I thought it was you but I was like 'oh but what if it isnt...'"

"Well it's me," I laugh, "It's good to see you."

"Yeah you too. Is Mark doing okay?" She asks, looking a little nervous.

"Um..well yeah, he's alive if that's what you mean. He actually has been hoping you'd call..."

"Oh god I feel awful. I haven't had the time. I know it sounds really cliche but work got hectic and my cat got sick and then I never had time to do stuff for myself and I didn't want to call and have something happen so I'd have to let him down. God I feel so bad, but at least I ran into you!" 

"Yes! You should come by sometime soon," I offer her. Her eyes light up and she blushes.

"I'd love that actually. What day would work best for you?"

"Tomorrow?" I ask, knowing Mark would be so angry if I didn't try.

"That actually sounds do able!" She grins and so do I.

"Fantastic! We'll see you tomorrow, do you have any like food allergies or restrictions? I don't want to feed you something you can't have..." I say.

"Oh, none at all. I'm not that picky, I'll eat most stuff."

"Okay, can do. I'll figure something out," I smile. We say goodbye and I whip out my phone and start to text Mark, but I decide to just wait until I get home. 

I quickly finish Mark's demand list of snacks and food then pile everything into my car and speed home. I struggle at first to get everything into my arms and in the house in one trip but I do it. So far, today's been successful.

"I'm home!" I shout, stepping into the house.

"Did you get everything?" Mark asks from the couch.

"Yes I did. And there's something else..." I say setting everything down and then walking over to him. He looks like he's doing alright, but I know this will make him shoot up into a sky high happy zone.

"What?" He asks, a deep concern and worry dropping over his face.

"Nothing bad, but I saw someone at the store today..."

"Who?" Mark asks, not getting it.

"Charlotte."

His face lights up. A grin appears and his eyes become vibrant. He gains colour in his face and he jumps up.

"You did?! Did she say anything? Did she say why she never called? Is she doing alright?"

"Yes she's doing fine. She said she felt awful for not calling but that work got insanely crazy and her cat got sick for a while and she felt like if she'd call something bad would happen and she didn't want to let you down or something." 

"Did she say she'd call?" He asks, his hopeful face appearing.

"Better. She's coming over for dinner tomorrow," I smile. 

"Wait..what? Really?! Oh my god we need to clean and have something nice and we need to fix some things around here and should we look nice does she want you to stay with us or does she think it will be a date or what should I wear or what will we do once we've eaten oh god Kiera help," he rambles and stutters. I can't help but laugh.

"Deep breaths bud. Deep breaths. We can clean today and tomorrow. I told her I'd make something nice, I'm sure some kind of chicken or fish something or other or a nice pasta. That's the least of our issue. Our main thing that needs attention is you and this house. It's a mess and you look like a social hermit. Go shower and I'll do your laundry. You're re-wearing sweatpants and old t-shirts that's how bad this is. C'mon Markimoo you can do this," I say like a comedic drill sergeant and he marches off to his room and then goes to shower. I slide into his pit of a room and snatch up all his dirty clothes and run to throw them into the laundry. 

As that runs I go to the closet with the vacuum and start to work on the living room. It's been neglected for months, not because of this specifically, we're both busy with gaming and adulting to the best of our abilities. Cleaning our living space is last on our priorities list. I decide the couch needs to be sprayed, since I can't throw that into the laundry too. I finish the floor and then get the spray and use it on the couch and some of our other things that could use it. I flip the cushions and floof the pillows a bit. By now Mark is out of the shower and changed and joins me to clean. 

"Will you do the dishes? Your laundry will be done soon so when that's finished, go to get that out and fold," I order and he nods. I put away movies that are strewn about and pick up abandoned chip bags and empty soda cans and bring them to the garbage. Mark's progress in the kitchen is satisfactory, as he's loading the dishwasher nicely and some of our plates are put away now. I figure I'll do the floors which isn't that big of a deal. I leave him without a word and go back to the living room. I figure it's good for now, we can't look too perfect and it's nice to show a natural but clean space. I look at the dining area with is a total disaster too. 

There's papers all over the table, newspapers, old scripts for comedy sketches for my channel, junk mail, everything under the sun. I shove everything into one pile and then start to separate by type of mail. Three piles, junk, maybe important things for work, and then newpapers and things to ask Mark if he wants to keep. I'm half way through the big pile when Mark passes by to do his laundry. 

"Good job," I say as if he's a child and he makes a derpy child face. 

"The living room looks nice..." He says noticing it.

"Thanks," I say, busy with my current task. He gets his clothes and brings them to his room where he disappears for a while to fold and organize. I figure he should maybe like...clean that area too because you know...lady friend and all. I finish the main pile and then throw out the junk pile. I take the work things and bring them to the office and set them aside on my desk. I take the newspapers and put them away in the office too and bring Mark's papers to his room.

"Take care of these when you can. I think you should clean up in here big time cause of said lady friend." 

"Already on it," he grins. He's almost done with his laundry already, which shocks me. I go to my room and look at it and decide to straighten up a bit, since she might as for a house tour and I can't risk looking like a mess. I mean I am, most of the time, but first impressions are good and my room could use the attention. I pick up a few clothes that are on the floor and go to work on clearing my desk a bit. Lots of papers and pens and doodles, but most things can be filed away or thrown away. I separate the important papers and want to keep doodles and shove them in piles while I throw out all the extra ones. I put the doodles in my desk in a draw that is literally just doodles that I find quality enough to keep. I take the papers and bring them to my area in Mark's room that I keep important things and slide them in their folder and close the cabinet drawer. 

Back to my room and I make my bed and set my pillows up the way I like them. I organize my closet, setting sweatshirts and nicer clothes that have slipped off the hangers, putting shoes in pairs on the little floor shelf, and fix anything else that I think needs to be. I take a look around my room when I'm done and decide that it's good enough. I go to peek in Mark's room and it's really cleaned. 

"Should we vacuum in yours and mine?" he asks, peeking around his closet door.

"Yeah, can't hurt," I shrug and retrieve the vacuum. We do our rooms then hunker down in our living room. 

"I can't wait," he smiles, blushing and his face getting all happy. I'm so happy for him, I just hope that all works out.