NEIGHBORS.MARK

six

Mark and Lucas sat at their kitchen counter and drowsily ate their cereal breakfast. They both had a rough night. Actually, not a rough night, a wild night. They were invited to a party a few blocks away and had spent the majority of the early morning hours trying to find their way back to their apartment.

Lucas spooned fruity cereal into his mouth and Mark's head laid flatly on the counter, "Bro, you have to eat."

Mark groggily rubbed his eyes and fed himself some cereal, "Lucas, I'm gonna puke."

Lucas' eyes went wide as he heard his roommate's exclamation, "Only pussies throw up, Mark. Are you a pussy?"

"No."

A few seconds later Mark got up and ran to the bathroom, "Yes!"

Lucas remained sitting and listened to his roommate throw up while making faces, "Damn Mark, what the fuck did you drink?!"

"EVERYTHING!" He quickly exclaimed in between barfs.

Lucas gave a light chuckle and turned his attention to Mark's ringing phone, looking at the caller idea, he decided to pick it up.

"Oh no, this isn't Mark. I'm Lucas, his hotter, more attractive roommate." Lucas explained as he walked to the bathroom and stood at the doorway, watching his roommate throw up.

"He's actually puking his brains out right now but I can take a message for him." Lucas suggested as Mark sat on the floor, gripping his stomach.

"Okay, I'll tell him right now. See ya soon!" Lucas exclaimed.

"Some girl named Ava said she's gonna be over in a few minutes so you should probably like uhm stop throwing up." Lucas explained nonchalantly as he tossed Mark his phone and walked back to the kitchen.

Mark began to brush his teeth and quickly got in the shower to rinse himself off. He was certain he smelled of alcohol as many, many drinks had spilled on him last night. After drying himself off, Mark wrapped the towel around his waist and made his way to his loft. He held an extra towel in his hand and attempted to dry his hair. As he walked past their small living room, Mark did a double take and saw Lucas and Ava on the couch, trying to hold in their laughter.

"Oh, this is awkward." Mark blatantly stated as he held onto his bottom towel and walked up the small stairs to his loft.

"Just give me a minute." He explained as he changed into a sweatshirt and some sweatpants. He quickly patted his hair in an effort to dry it, then joined his friends downstairs where he saw them talking.

"What's up, Ava - Neighbor?" Mark questioned as he sat across from her on the floor.

"You worried me last night." Ava laughed as Mark furrowed his eyebrows.

"Huh?"

"You called me in the middle of the night and told me that your shirt was sticky and that you couldn't find your phone." She explained as Mark looked at her in disbelief.

"I called you on my phone and told you I couldn't find it?!"

"Yes."

"Oh my god. I was so gone last night. I literally don't understand how I made it home like, alive." Mark explained as Ava nodded her head and agreed.

"Yeah no, me neither." Ava giggled as Lucas looked at Mark and have a small smirk.

"You go to the same university as Mark and I?" Lucas questioned as Ava nodded her, "What are you studying?"

"Astronomy."

"Oh so like you wanna be an astronaut?" Lucas figured as Mark rolled his eyes.

"No dumbass, an astronomer, not an astronaut. She wants to study the stars and the physics behind our universe and like how the stars twinkle and shit." Mark explained a teeny tiny bit defensive.