squeefit!
Mental Health is Overrated
Mark’s been thinking he needed a mental health day for a while now - that rich bitch in his one philosophy class is driving him up a wall - but he wasn’t planning on taking it today. Not until he woke up too late to get to class on time, anyway. Angel suggested he make the best of that, and so here they are, getting lunch after watching a click (Mark hesitates to call anything with that many bad shots a film).
It looks like it’s going to be a quiet day, on the whole, but then... “Oh, damn.”
Angel looks up from her menu, and raises an eyebrow. “What is it?”
“You see that girl a couple tables over? The blonde who’s acting like she owns the place? That’s the one from my class.”
“Figures. Let’s hope she doesn’t notice, and if she does, we can deal with her.”
And she doesn’t - at least, not until Mark and Angel are nearly done with their lunch. Or possibly she noticed earlier and was waiting for an opportune moment. Either way, she heads over eventually, attempting to smile; at least, that’s what Mark thinks she’s doing. It doesn’t suit her.
“Yeah, you’re really sick. What’d you cut class for, Cohen? Developing film? For all the good that’ll do you once you graduate.”
“Haven’t you ever heard of a mental health day?”
“Please. If you need to take a day off to keep your sanity, you’re never going to get anywhere.”
“And you’re never going to get anywhere with that attitude.” Except she will, piggybacking off her father’s money, but Mark’s not going to ruin a good point with a little thing like reality.
“Certainly not into his pants,” Angel comments, and Mark grins.
Only now Angel’s got her attention. “How do you even know about that?”
“Mark told me. And really, if you’re so sure he’s doomed to failure, why do you even want to sleep with him?”
“He has so much potential he’s not doing anything with. I could help him with that.”
Mark eyes her, taking Angel’s hand. “And you would have me do that how?”
“First off, sex doesn’t cure all ills,” Angel says, “assuming there was a problem in the first place. Second, even if it did, you’d have to get past me first, and that won’t be happening.”
“What makes you think you’re doing him any good? You certainly don’t seem to have helped him any.”
“The hell I haven’t.”
“Well, I don’t know how long you two have known each other, but he certainly hasn’t improved himself.”
“I’m sorry, but you didn’t go to high school with us. You don’t have a leg to stand on in this conversation.”
It’s a good thing Angel’s been keeping up the argument, since Mark hasn’t been able to find any words until now. “Why do you care so much? You barely know me. I don’t even want to talk to you, let alone sleep with you. The whole world isn’t going to meet your standards, you know.”
She ignores him, though, in favor of eyeing Angel some more. “Who are you, anyway? What do you do?”
“Why the hell should I tell you?”
“If you don’t, I’ll just think you’ve got something to hide.”
“You’re not worth my time. You’re trying to steal my boyfriend even though you’re convinced he’s going nowhere in a hurry - hell, even his first roommate had more justification. Mark would be wasted on someone like you. You don’t even give a rat’s ass for half of what makes him so special.”
Mark doesn’t think he’s ever loved Angel more than he does right now.
“...Well. That shows how much you know.”
Angel rolls her eyes. “I know quite a bit, thank you very much.”
“Hardly.”
Mark sighs. “Please just leave before I have to get you thrown out?”
“I have to go anyway. And I’ll be sure to tell the prof I saw you, Mark. I doubt she’ll be very happy about that.”
“You’re kidding, right? She’s friends with Professor Collins.”
“What difference does that make?”
Angel giggles, and Mark just smirks. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”
She storms off in a huff - nothing out of the ordinary, from what Mark’s seen - and he takes the opportunity to curse her out under his breath. And in Spanish. Foreign languages are so useful sometimes.
“I always wanted to meet the girl who was behind the door when the redeeming qualities were handed out,” Angel says.
Mark snorts. “That would definitely be Alison. I don’t know why the hell she wants to get into my pants. Think she thinks she can make me into whatever she wants. Just because her dad’s got all kinds of money...”
“All money and no concept of how people actually work makes Jane a raving bitch.”
“That would seem to cover it. Hell, they live in Westport. I think she’s only going to school here to make herself feel smarter.”
“If I’d known something like that was coming, I’d’ve told you to dress up. She probably wouldn’t even have noticed us.”
Mark shrugs. “Well, we know for next time, at least. How about we get back to the mental health portion of the day?”
“Sounds good to me.”
They pay for their lunch and head back to the loft, and a few hours later, Collins comes home.
“Oh, so that’s where you are.”
It takes Mark a few seconds to register that he’s being addressed, but when he does, he raises an eyebrow. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Heard you cut class today.”
Angel grins. “Word travels fast up there, doesn’t it?”
“You’re the rumor mill veteran here. You tell me.”
Mark shakes his head. “I needed a mental health day.”
“Kinda figured as much. Maybe I should declare one of those for my classes. Can’t get anywhere with philosophy if you can’t think properly, after all.”
“Nice to know I’m such a good influence on you.”
“I wouldn’t let just anyone move in here. Hear you’ve picked up quite the admirer, though.”
Angel rolls her eyes. “I don’t think you can call her that. She just wants in his pants, for some damn reason.”
“Couldn’t tell you, really. I think she’s avoiding my classes, and I’ve heard enough to hope she continues doing so. You two had dinner yet?”
“Hey, if you want to cook, we’re not about to stop you.”
Mark grins. Collins cooking practically guarantees a good meal, and more often than not a fun night besides. After the afternoon he and Angel had, it’ll be a more than welcome change of pace.