ECPM Ch. 03: Same Clothes

Chapter 3: Same clothes as yesterday

"Um, Mark? Right?" A random poke in the face awakes Mark. He sits up and yawns, then looks around and notices this isn't his room or bed. Last night was a blur to him; the last memory he remembers was leaving the party with

"Oh," Mark says, looking over at the naked Asian girl next to him. "Hi?"

"Hello, uh, last night is a blur to me," Rin says, brushing her hair, noticing she is fully naked, and grabbing the covers to shield her body. Mark also feels his bare skin touching her comforter and realizes what must have happened last night.

"I don't even remember drinking that much; I mean, I know I lost weight, but."

"You do not remember either?"

"No, I remember leaving the party, but after that, I just remember patches?"

"I see; okay, I don't even know what to do right now," Mark says, placing his hand on his head. Rin grimaces at his motion.

"Are you not happy to be in bed with me?"

"No! You're no. It's not that. It's." Mark sighs, trying to formulate his thoughts carefully. "Did you consent? Did I consent?"

"I remember patches of what happened last. I have never been that."

"Me either; it was like I got lost in myself," Mark says, looking at her as she adverts her eyes from him. "But if I hurt you in any way."

"No, no, I." Rin looks at the clock at 8 A.M. "Oh, I have to be at work in 90 minutes. She says, changing the subject. Mark looks behind her at the clock and remembers he has class at 9.

"Shit. I have to go. Uh, do you mind if I?"

"No, not at all. Please go ahead. I have a clean towel in the closet in the bathroom."

"Thank you," Mark says, getting up from the bed and walking into the bathroom. He takes a shower and cannot help but look around her bathroom. Outside of Emma, he has never been in another female bathroom before and smells the bath and body work plug-in. Then walks over to the counter and looks in the mirror.

"Well, Mark is getting laid a second time, and I don't even know what to say about this time. I barely even remember the experience." Mark sighs and then looks down at the counter at the heart-shaped bottle.

"What am I doing? I gotta get to school." Mark, he says, leaving the bathroom. He looks over at Rin, who looks at him up and down in the burrowed bath towel. "Hey, uh, thank you for letting me."

"No problem at all. I uh hope it was hot and ready." Rin says, smiling.

"Like the piz? Right." Mark says, getting dressed from last night and walking out of the room. As he opens the door, the same group of girls are in the living room, conversing once more in blankets, two on an air mattress and the other on the couch.

"Oh, well, look who it is, girls." The girl on the couch says, smiling at Mark.

"Uh, hello," Mark says, waving at them. "Sorry, I'm kind of in a hurry."

"No problem, stud. See ya soon."

"Yeah, okay. Uh, have a good day." Mark says, walking out the front door. Rin walks out of her room, and the girls applaud her like she won an award at the Oscars.

"Why are you all clapping," Rin says, looking at them confused. "Wait, you heard us last night, didn't you."

"Everyone did, girl! It was like you had Pornhub on the big screen with the speakers attached on full blast." Rin covers her face and shakes her head.

"You ain't got nothing to be embarrassed about, Rinny. That sounded like the best sex I have ever heard in my life." The girl with the polka dot sweater on the air mattress says.

"I think I'm going to die now," Rin says, walking back towards her room.

Mark speed walks the couple blocks to the train station in record time.

"Fuck ME!" Mark screams as a mother with her young son covers his eyes and looks in his direction. "Sorry," Mark says, looking at the mother, then back at the digital signposted for the train delay due to cleaning.

"There was a couple on the train doing some not safe for work type shit on the train last night." A man with a suitcase says to another traingoer with a Spider-man hoodie.

"Damn, I couldn't wait to get home, huh. I hope it was good for those freaks."

"I think it is disgusting." Mark grabs his head for a second as visions play in his mind. He thinks to himself, was that me and.

"Wait, what the hell was her name? I can't remember her name." Mark says to himself in a low voice

"The train cleaning is complete; the train will depart in 10 minutes. " The train intercom says as the train doors open. Mark enters and finds a seat. His phone buzzes from a notification, and it's from Rosalind.

EBFH {Are you ditching class without telling me?}

Loser {No, I'm just running late, and there was a train cleaning.}

EBFH {Likely excuse. I didn't see you at the bus stop, only your weird, hobo-looking roommate.}

Loser {He does not look like a hobo, and I ended up staying at someone's house.} ""Why am I telling this."" Mark says to himself, looking over his right at the person beside him. "SorryI'm a little crazy. "

"Aren't we all, honey." The woman says, looking back into her phone.

EBFH {Sure you did, I don't think you're the one-night stand type of guy.}

Loser {What does that even mean?}

EBFH {Exactly what it sounds like your favorite teacher is looking for you; she keeps glancing at your desk.}

Loser {Fuck me}

EBFH {You wish}

"I'm not responding to that. Evil Bitch from Hell." Mark says, putting his headphones in his ears.

After an hour of travel, Mark makes it to school. He runs up the stairs and quickly walks inside to get to class. He looks at his watch and sees it is 1015L.

"45 mins of class left," he says as he walks inside the classroom. Miss Zenith looks up from her desk as the rest of the class reads. Mark looks at the board for instruction and then walks over to his desk with his head down. He looks to his Right at Rosalind, who looks at him as if her long-lost puppy just returned from running away. Mark then thinks to himself, why does he know that look?

"Well, look who it is," Rosa says, flicking through her Art history book.

"Is Ms. Zenith still staring a hole in me?" Mark says to her, keeping his head down at his book.

"You know it's funny looking at another woman sorn and disappointed. It's like I finally understand her, like she knows you have been out hoeing about."

"you like dr. Seuss, and jealous." Mark says, turning to Rosa.

"M.E., no, I am not that easy. I require at least a month of courtship."

"Courtship? Are you a Latinx royal princess now."

"Please do not use the word Latinx."

"It's politically correct."

"And you are a dumb ass."

"I can't win."

"You never will," Rosa says, looking back into her book. The two share awkward glances as time passes and class concludes. Mark gets up briskly to walk, but before he can leave.

"Mr. Morgan, I would like to speak with you."

"Fuck Me," Mark says in a low voice.

"Again, wishful thinking and good luck, lover boy."

"Yup," Mark says as they split, and he walks toward Ms. Zenith's desk.

"Hey, Miss Zenith, I'm sorry about today."

"You know I will have to count this as an absence, correct." Miss Zenith says, getting up from her desk to stand before Mark. He notices her wearing another green attire, a green top with a black belt and a black shirt. She catches his wondering eyes, and he shoots them back up to her face.

"I just wanted to at least attempt to make it here, and I won't let it happen again. At least I don't hope it happens again."

"I talked with one of your former teachers in the lounge, Mrs. Ozark."

"Science of Light."

"She said you failed to attend many of her classes, and when you did, you did show up. You didn't seem focused on learning."

"I was going through a lot last year, last semester. I am better now."

"I hope so. Is there a chance I can get a rundown on why you were late today?"

"Uh,"

"I am assuming that means no."

"Sorry, Miss Zenith, I'm guessing this means the afternoon session won't be happening," Mark says, putting his right hand on the back of his head.

"I am afraid not, and I have a teacher's meeting that occurs in 30 minutes. They usually last rather long; at least it comes with lunch."

"Oh, well, yeah, there is that."

"Are you perhaps free tomorrow?"

"No, I have to work."

"Oh, you work?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Please don't call me Ma'am; when we talk like this, call me Zelda."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I am sure, I would rather not feel too old."

"Right; you don't look old to me."

"Flattery, Mr. Morgan."

"Call me Mark when it's just the two of us," Mark says, smiling, but inside, he wonders where the courage came from to say those words.

"Okay, Mark." Miss Zenith says, smirking at him. "Where do you work at?"

"Everyday Earth by the apartments the school set up for us."

"I see; I am sure you are the hardest worker there unless you also show up late for that."

"No, of course not," Mark says, laughing nervously.

"It was a joke, Mark. Well, better make my way over to the meeting before Karen eats all the sandwiches." Miss Zenith says she and Mark walk towards the exit.

"Okay, I will see you Thursday."

"On time." Miss Zenith says, turning towards the conference room, pointing at her watch, and smiling at Mark. Mark smiles, waves at her, and sees an annoyed Rosalind leaning on the wall on her phone.

"Finally, I thought you would never leave that damn class."

"Oh, you waited for me. How kind of you."

"I'm just killing time," Rosalind says, looking up from her phone.

"Yeah, I got like an hour and a half before I got to design systems. How is Fashion Design class?"

"Nightmare, that woman women know fashion if it bit her on her fat ass."

"Ah, Emma liked her as a teacher."

"Of course, she did. How is Emmalyn in Japan."

"I guess she is good," Mark says, staring off.

"You guess? Oh my, are you two having a tiff," Rosalind says, looking back at him with a smirk.

"No. I don't know."

"Oh my god!" Rosalind says, getting into his face. "You too had." She pauses and looks left and right. "Nerd Sex." Mark looks at her with a grimace on his face. "Oh, your face says it all."

"Can you not," Mark says to her, shaking his head.

"If she is ghosting you, it must have been some bad sex," Rosalind says, shrugging her shoulders and walking back to the right of Mark.

"I don't think it was. Wait, what am I doing.":

"It's okay, Marcus,"

"Not my name."

"If you have bad sex with the goth girl and possibly ruined her hope and dreams. It happens." Rosalind says with a smile forming on her face." It also happens to be hilariously funny."

"Jajajajajaja," Mark says, mocking her.

"That's racist," Rosalind says, flicking her right middle finger at him.

"Uh-huh, I'm going to the library. Bye, crazy lady."

"Library for what?" Rosalind says, following to the library. They both sat in the library as the time passed for their class. While at the library, Mark grabs him a copy of Sandman while Rosalind sits in front of him on the phone. She bumps his leg to get his attention, pointing her phone at his face. It was Emma's profile on Twitter, where she is showing her experiences in Japan. Mark looks at the phone but meekly shrugs his shoulders and looks back into his book.

Rosalind takes it upon herself to DM Emmalyn about the issue. She thinks to herself at first, why is she doing this, but then plays it off as wanting to know the tea.

Queen of Roses {Hello, friend. I have a sad sack in front of me, wondering why you are ghosting him.}

Ems&Ems {Why the fuck are you texting me, Rosa, let alone at 2 A.M.}

Queen of Roses {Well, good morning; I thought vampires were out lurking during the night hours.}

Ems&Ems {What do you want?}

Queen of Roses {Was the sex bad?}

Ems&Ems {What are you talking about?} Rosalind points her phone camera at Mark and takes a picture. A loud shutter sound echoes through the library. Mark looks up at her, wondering what she is doing; Rosalind waves her hands at him.

Queen of Roses {Exhibit A.} Rosalind texts, sending a picture of Mark deep in thought, his face not even looking at the graphic novel before him.

Ems&Ems {Why are you sitting next to Mark?}

Queen of Roses {He makes good company, like a nice labradoodle or chihuahua.}

Ems&Ems {Did he tell you?}

Queen of Roses {No, he didn't, but you sure did. So, answer the question, was it bad, was his penis small. The world wants to know!}

Ems&Ems {Leave him alone, leave me alone.}

Queen of Roses {How about you wear your big girl panties and talk to your supposed friend?}

Ems&Ems {.........}

Queens of Roses {He is worried about you. Just tell the loser it was bad and move on with your life.}

Ems&Ems {Stay out of our business.}

Queen of Roses {Or not.}

Ems&Ems {Marks has been through too much these past couple of years. He doesn't need to deal with your bullshit, and neither do I.}

Queen of Roses {Sure, he has. He didn't just miss half of the class because he was banging some random chick.}

Ems&Ems {What?}

Queen of Roses {Are you sure you are his best friend because right now...}

Ems&Ems {Fuck you, Rosa!}

Rosalind puts her phone down and looks over at Mark. Mark looks up at her, and he gives her a painful grimace.

It was dark in her room on the other side of the world. Emmalyn looks at pictures on her phone of her and Mark. The bright light from her cell phone illuminated her section of the shared room. She reaches her hands down into her panties and feels the wetness of her vagina.

"Mark, what did you do to me? I can't even think about you without getting this way. I can't even focus when you're on my mind." Emma says as she closes her eyes, trying to get the sleep she needs for tomorrow's classes. "All I can think about is that and nothing else." She shakes her head and turns to put her face in her pillow, trying to will herself to sleep. "I can't get that smell out of my nose, my head, my..heart."

It was noon in America; Mark and Rosalind were leaving the library.

"Well, Mark," Rosalind says to him as they leave the library.

"What's up," Mark says to her, taking his headphones off.

"I may have made things worse."

"What are you talking about?"

"You can't get mad."

"Get Mad?"

"I mean, I was trying to do you a favor."

"What?"

"How was I supposed to know she would get mad at you banging another chick? I didn't know your nerd love went so deep."

"What the fuck, why would you?" Mark shakes his head and quickly walks away from her as he enters class. Rosalind shrugs her shoulders and walks to her class.

After class, Rosalind catches up with him at the train station.

"There you are," Rosalind says, making it to the train stop before it pulls up. Mark doesn't look at her. He closes his eyes and takes a breath.

"Yup," Mark says as the train stops before them.

"I need your help with this project. I have got it coming up."

"My help? Why would you want that?" Mark says, getting on the train as Rosalind follows behind him. They stand on the busy train.

"You helped Emma out, So..."

"So what? Rosa, what the." Mark stopped himself and looked around, then moved in closer to her. "What the fuck are we, Rosa, like are we friends? Because my existence just seems like a fucking inconvenience for you sometimes. "Mark says lowly but sternly to her face.

"Can we not do this here?" Rosalind says, looking at the other passengers.

"Sure?" Mark says, turning to stare out the window of the train. Frustration was growing on his face, not from Rosalind but from himself. He was confused, angry, and deeply sad about Emma and wanted his friend back. The train stops at their stop, and they both get off and wait for the bus to arrive to drop them off at the apartments.

"Okay, look, Mark," Rosalind says. "I'm sorry." Mark sighs and closes his eyes.

"You don't have to apologize, Rosa."

"You want the truth?"

"Please enlighten me."

"I..hate your face."

"Well, join the club," Mark says, looking back at her with a sideward glance.

"I'm serious," Rosalind says

"Okay, me too."

"Listen to me. Every day I see your face, it reminds me of all those people I thought were my friends. It reminds me of all the bad shit I did, especially to you."

"So, you sneak dis me and treat me like shit?"

"I never said I was a saint."

"No." Mark sighs. "I guess you didn't."

"Mark, I do. Like you. You're a good person." Rosalind says, walking in front of him. "No one has ever been there for me as much as you have these past few days. Besides, my family and I honestly don't know why you would."

"I don't either."

"I can't help but feel you are just biding your time plotting your revenge against me."

"Dude, do you really think I got time for that between my existential crisis, work, and school? I'm over it, Rosa."

"Well, it's hard for me to be."

"Really?"

"Mark, I'm a horrible person. I don't even have any real friends. All the people around me were there for the money and gifts. I don't even know how to make real friends."

"Wow, money has crippled you."

"Very funny."

"Hey," Mark says, putting his hand on her shoulder. Rosalind looks at his hand. "I guess whether you like it or not, I'm your friend." Rosalind smiles back at him briefly but then turns her head. "Hell, I was trying to be your friend back then, too."

"You were trying to get in my pants," Rosalind says, rolling her eyes.

"Sure," Mark says to her as the bus arrives. "So, what time do you want me to come over?" Mark says, boarding the bus behind Rosalind. They find their seats, and she looks over at him.

"First of all, you will not come over to my apartment. I would much rather go to your place."

"Jesus, don't want your roommate to see me with you?"

"No, that's not. I do not like my roommate. I would rather get away from them."

"I see."

"If that means going to your bad-smelling apartment, I have no choice."

"My apartment does not smell bad; it smells. Okay, if my other roommate is around, he has an odor about him. But I mean, his girl digs it, guess."

"Wow, even your roommate with body odor has a girlfriend."

"I know, I know," Mark says, leaning back in the chair. "Alright, just let me know when you want to come over."

"Sure."

"Or not."

"I said sure."

"Okay," Mark says as the bus stops at the apartment location. They both get off the bus and walk to the apartment complex. "God, it feels good to be home, today was too fucking long."

"Maybe next time, don't spend the night at some random girl's house."

"Is it bad? I don't even remember her name."

"Wow, you have changed, haven't you," Rosalind says, shaking her head. "Bye, Loser." She says as she stops in front of her door.

"Still gonna call me that," Mark says as he watches her walk inside her apartment.

"Why does she have to be so fucking hot," Mark says, shaking head and turning to walk to his apartment. "Okay, I'm going to eat some food and go to bed. I'm starting to get a fucking headache." Mark says to himself, walking in the door and doing just that in his apartment again. Mark lays down in bed after eating and smells the sheets again. "I'm washing this first thing in the morning." He says as he fades to sleep.

The next day, Mark was awakened by music from the living room. He looks at the clock and says it is 650 am. He walks out to see Dave in his workout clothes, drinking with an empty shaker bottle of pre-workout.

"Ahh, I knew it would wake you?" Dave says, bopping back and forth with music.

"Why?"

"Why not? Come on, box with me, and let's go to the gym."

"Ughh, give me a minute," Mark says, reaching into the dishwasher to grab his shaker bottle.

"Yeah, get a good scoop, and let's get this shit."

"Please don't kill me today."