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find_rightbrainTitle: In the Eyes of a Young Girl
Chapter: Five - Live in My House, I'll Be Your Shelter
Feedback: Will make me love you muchly.
Characters/Pairing: April, Maureen/Roger, Mark, Benny, Collins
Word Count: 1553
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Rent, and I'm extremely unlikely ever to. Shiny?
Chapter Index
Chapter Four
The era, in retrospect, was very kind to dumb ideas. - No Plot? No Problem!, Chris Baty
"Should he be sitting on the table like that?" April asked Mark quietly, frowning at Roger. The two of them sat on the windowsill in the loft, each with a notebook—April attempting to write something, anything, and Mark apparently working on a screenplay. Maureen lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling and thinking God knew what, while Roger sat on the table, cross-legged, playing with melodies on his guitar. She watched him a moment longer, and then added quietly to Mark, "It doesn't look very stable."
Mark glanced up. "Huh?" He followed her gaze to Roger, and caught on. "Oh, no, it's fine. He does that all the time, and it's never collapsed before. Although," he said, just barely concealing an amused smile, "I kind of wish it would, just once, so I could laugh at him."
For a second, Roger stopped playing and shot him a glare. "I heard that." Mark didn't answer, just affected a look of complete innocence—it suited him well. April tried to remain straight-faced, but couldn't help herself. She burst into giggles and ducked her head, focusing intently on her notebook so that she could pretend not to notice Roger glaring at her as well.
Maureen watched them all from the couch with an expression of utter bemusement. "You're all insane," she announced after a few seconds. "And I'm bored."
Still grinning, April looked up at her roommate. "Sweetheart, that's because you have all day to do absolutely nothing. You need to find something to do."
"There's nothing to do," Maureen protested.
April smirked at her. "You could get a job, you know. There's an opening at the diner as a waitress…"
Maureen just gave her a blank look, and somehow April had the feeling that her suggestion hadn't gone over well. "Why would I want to do that?"
Well, of course she would react that way, April thought. She wasn't the one who paid the bills. April let out an exasperated sigh. "Maureen."
"What?"
April watched her for a second. Was she serious, or just trying to frustrate her? She wouldn't put it past Maureen. "Because if you don't get a job soon, then before long we're going to have to start choosing between buying food and paying the rent."
"Oh." Maureen sat up and crossed one leg over the other, bouncing one foot gently. "But… 'Ril, if I get a job I won't be able to work on my performances!"
April rolled her eyes. "As if you do that anyway. You haven't had a performance in half a year."
Glancing at Roger, Maureen muttered, "Only thanks to someone…" She and Roger had made up several days ago, but Maureen could hold a grudge like no one else, and April well knew that complete forgiveness from her could be slow in coming.
Roger ignored the slight, barely even batting an eye. He did watch Maureen for a moment, and at last said slowly, "You know… if the two of you are having trouble paying your rent, then—"
"Don't," April said quickly, before he could offer. "I don't want you to—"
He ignored her protests and kept on talking. "—you could move into the loft."
April stared at him. Even Maureen had apparently been struck speechless for the moment. At last, April recovered her wits enough to ask, "What?"
Roger shrugged. "If it would make things easier for you, I don’t see why not."
Wondering if Roger had simply lost his mind temporarily, April glanced at Mark, who gave her a bit of a smile in response. "It wouldn't be that big of a problem. I mean, we'd have to rearrange some things, maybe, but it could work…" He paused a moment, seeing the utterly baffled look on April's face, and smiled. "This sort of thing is kind of normal with us. We all kind of came into the loft sort of randomly. The two of you moving in wouldn't be any different, really."
April sighed. Maybe they should… It would certainly be easier, but…
Awkward when Maureen and Roger break up. And they will… Maureen always does.
She sighed and glanced at Maureen. "You and I need to talk. Later. And…" Her gaze swept back to Mark and Roger. "I'm not agreeing to anything until I ask Benny and Collins if it's okay with them."
Roger shrugged again and turned back to his guitar. "They won't mind. Well, Benny might argue just to be annoying, but—"
"No, Roger," Mark said pointedly, "that’s you who argues with people just to be annoying." He turned back to April and assured her, "They won't mind. I promise."
*
April had doubted Mark and Roger when they told her the others wouldn’t mind if she and Maureen moved into the loft, but in actuality, when she asked them Collins and Benny agreed to the idea, and Collins even offered to help them bring their things in. And since Maureen apparently had no intentions of getting a job and helping to pay the rent… A couple days later found the girls transferring their possessions into the loft.
"I miss my bed," Maureen sighed, frowning as April carried yet another box full of books through the door of the loft. While everyone else actually went to the effort of moving things, Maureen simply sat perched on the back of the couch, observing the entire process like a queen on her throne. April sighed and set the box down in a corner, near where they had put her bookshelf. She'd have to unpack all of that later… for now, she turned her attention back to Maureen.
"Well, there was nowhere to put your bed, Maur. We're improvising. Look on the bright side—we got to sell it, so now we have some extra money."
Maureen stuck her tongue out. "I still miss my bed," she said stubbornly.
April rolled her eyes and started out the door again to go get another box. "My roommate is a five-year-old, apparently," she muttered under her breath. Mark heard as he passed by, and grinned.
"So is Roger most of the time. They can keep each other occupied."
"Shut up, Mark!" Roger called as he walked up the stairs, carrying a box full of Maureen's clothes. Those outnumbered the boxes full of April's books by far.
"He always knows when I'm talking about him," Mark said, perplexed. "It's not fair."
From the living room, Benny asked, "So… where are the girls sleeping, exactly? We've only got two bedrooms, and I think those are pretty much occupied…"
Roger dropped the box he carried about two steps into the loft, and gently kicked it to one side with his foot. "Out here," he said, gesturing around the room with one hand.
"Here?" Benny raised his eyebrows. "On the couch or something?"
"Collins said he'd take care of it," Mark said. "Speaking of… where is he?"
"Right here," Collins called from the stairwell, his deep voice clearly audible. Mark jumped, startled, and glanced to April.
"How do they…" he began.
Collins grinned as he reached the top of the stairs. "Mark, your voice echoes down the stairs when you stand there."
"Oh," Mark said softly.
April glanced past Mark and saw that Collins was carrying what looked like a futon cushion. He caught her eye as he passed by her and Mark, into the loft. "There's a frame for this too—I'll bring it up. You and Maureen should both fit on this, right?"
April bit her lower lip. "Tom, you didn't have to buy that for us. I could have—"
Benny's laugh cut her off. "I guarantee you, he didn't buy it."
"What?"
Her alarm made Benny chuckle a little. "I'll bet you anything Tom stole that. God only knows how he manages it."
"You stole it?" April demanded, whirling on Collins. He seemed unperturbed.
"Liberated, April Shower," Collins said with that charmingly open smile of his. "The word is liberated."
"April Shower?" she asked.
Mark shrugged. "It's a pretty nickname."
April stood there for a moment or two, then shook her head with a smile as she stepped out of the loft. "Liberated," she muttered under her breath.
*
Late that night, April sat on her and Maureen's new, "liberated" futon… with Mark.
"I don't think you're getting your room back tonight," she commented.
"No, I don't either."
"Maureen's not going to come out any time soon, is she?"
"Nope."
April's eyes shifted from the bedroom door to Mark. Roger and Maureen had gone into Roger's bedroom hours ago, and no one thought it prudent to bother them even now. The problem was, Mark shared that room with Roger, and that now left him without a bed.
"So. You want to spend the night out here?"
"I don't think I have a choice. I can sleep on the couch…"
"No, you can stay here. It's more comfortable. Just as long as you can keep your hands to yourself."
"I don't think that'll be a problem."
"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, I didn't mean… I just… You're very pretty, April, really, it's just that you're like… my sister. Well, not my sister. My sister's bossier than you are. A sister… I should shut up now, shouldn't I?"
"Yes, I think so."
Chapter Six
Chapter: Five - Live in My House, I'll Be Your Shelter
Feedback: Will make me love you muchly.
Characters/Pairing: April, Maureen/Roger, Mark, Benny, Collins
Word Count: 1553
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Rent, and I'm extremely unlikely ever to. Shiny?
Chapter Index
Chapter Four
The era, in retrospect, was very kind to dumb ideas. - No Plot? No Problem!, Chris Baty
"Should he be sitting on the table like that?" April asked Mark quietly, frowning at Roger. The two of them sat on the windowsill in the loft, each with a notebook—April attempting to write something, anything, and Mark apparently working on a screenplay. Maureen lay on the couch, staring at the ceiling and thinking God knew what, while Roger sat on the table, cross-legged, playing with melodies on his guitar. She watched him a moment longer, and then added quietly to Mark, "It doesn't look very stable."
Mark glanced up. "Huh?" He followed her gaze to Roger, and caught on. "Oh, no, it's fine. He does that all the time, and it's never collapsed before. Although," he said, just barely concealing an amused smile, "I kind of wish it would, just once, so I could laugh at him."
For a second, Roger stopped playing and shot him a glare. "I heard that." Mark didn't answer, just affected a look of complete innocence—it suited him well. April tried to remain straight-faced, but couldn't help herself. She burst into giggles and ducked her head, focusing intently on her notebook so that she could pretend not to notice Roger glaring at her as well.
Maureen watched them all from the couch with an expression of utter bemusement. "You're all insane," she announced after a few seconds. "And I'm bored."
Still grinning, April looked up at her roommate. "Sweetheart, that's because you have all day to do absolutely nothing. You need to find something to do."
"There's nothing to do," Maureen protested.
April smirked at her. "You could get a job, you know. There's an opening at the diner as a waitress…"
Maureen just gave her a blank look, and somehow April had the feeling that her suggestion hadn't gone over well. "Why would I want to do that?"
Well, of course she would react that way, April thought. She wasn't the one who paid the bills. April let out an exasperated sigh. "Maureen."
"What?"
April watched her for a second. Was she serious, or just trying to frustrate her? She wouldn't put it past Maureen. "Because if you don't get a job soon, then before long we're going to have to start choosing between buying food and paying the rent."
"Oh." Maureen sat up and crossed one leg over the other, bouncing one foot gently. "But… 'Ril, if I get a job I won't be able to work on my performances!"
April rolled her eyes. "As if you do that anyway. You haven't had a performance in half a year."
Glancing at Roger, Maureen muttered, "Only thanks to someone…" She and Roger had made up several days ago, but Maureen could hold a grudge like no one else, and April well knew that complete forgiveness from her could be slow in coming.
Roger ignored the slight, barely even batting an eye. He did watch Maureen for a moment, and at last said slowly, "You know… if the two of you are having trouble paying your rent, then—"
"Don't," April said quickly, before he could offer. "I don't want you to—"
He ignored her protests and kept on talking. "—you could move into the loft."
April stared at him. Even Maureen had apparently been struck speechless for the moment. At last, April recovered her wits enough to ask, "What?"
Roger shrugged. "If it would make things easier for you, I don’t see why not."
Wondering if Roger had simply lost his mind temporarily, April glanced at Mark, who gave her a bit of a smile in response. "It wouldn't be that big of a problem. I mean, we'd have to rearrange some things, maybe, but it could work…" He paused a moment, seeing the utterly baffled look on April's face, and smiled. "This sort of thing is kind of normal with us. We all kind of came into the loft sort of randomly. The two of you moving in wouldn't be any different, really."
April sighed. Maybe they should… It would certainly be easier, but…
Awkward when Maureen and Roger break up. And they will… Maureen always does.
She sighed and glanced at Maureen. "You and I need to talk. Later. And…" Her gaze swept back to Mark and Roger. "I'm not agreeing to anything until I ask Benny and Collins if it's okay with them."
Roger shrugged again and turned back to his guitar. "They won't mind. Well, Benny might argue just to be annoying, but—"
"No, Roger," Mark said pointedly, "that’s you who argues with people just to be annoying." He turned back to April and assured her, "They won't mind. I promise."
April had doubted Mark and Roger when they told her the others wouldn’t mind if she and Maureen moved into the loft, but in actuality, when she asked them Collins and Benny agreed to the idea, and Collins even offered to help them bring their things in. And since Maureen apparently had no intentions of getting a job and helping to pay the rent… A couple days later found the girls transferring their possessions into the loft.
"I miss my bed," Maureen sighed, frowning as April carried yet another box full of books through the door of the loft. While everyone else actually went to the effort of moving things, Maureen simply sat perched on the back of the couch, observing the entire process like a queen on her throne. April sighed and set the box down in a corner, near where they had put her bookshelf. She'd have to unpack all of that later… for now, she turned her attention back to Maureen.
"Well, there was nowhere to put your bed, Maur. We're improvising. Look on the bright side—we got to sell it, so now we have some extra money."
Maureen stuck her tongue out. "I still miss my bed," she said stubbornly.
April rolled her eyes and started out the door again to go get another box. "My roommate is a five-year-old, apparently," she muttered under her breath. Mark heard as he passed by, and grinned.
"So is Roger most of the time. They can keep each other occupied."
"Shut up, Mark!" Roger called as he walked up the stairs, carrying a box full of Maureen's clothes. Those outnumbered the boxes full of April's books by far.
"He always knows when I'm talking about him," Mark said, perplexed. "It's not fair."
From the living room, Benny asked, "So… where are the girls sleeping, exactly? We've only got two bedrooms, and I think those are pretty much occupied…"
Roger dropped the box he carried about two steps into the loft, and gently kicked it to one side with his foot. "Out here," he said, gesturing around the room with one hand.
"Here?" Benny raised his eyebrows. "On the couch or something?"
"Collins said he'd take care of it," Mark said. "Speaking of… where is he?"
"Right here," Collins called from the stairwell, his deep voice clearly audible. Mark jumped, startled, and glanced to April.
"How do they…" he began.
Collins grinned as he reached the top of the stairs. "Mark, your voice echoes down the stairs when you stand there."
"Oh," Mark said softly.
April glanced past Mark and saw that Collins was carrying what looked like a futon cushion. He caught her eye as he passed by her and Mark, into the loft. "There's a frame for this too—I'll bring it up. You and Maureen should both fit on this, right?"
April bit her lower lip. "Tom, you didn't have to buy that for us. I could have—"
Benny's laugh cut her off. "I guarantee you, he didn't buy it."
"What?"
Her alarm made Benny chuckle a little. "I'll bet you anything Tom stole that. God only knows how he manages it."
"You stole it?" April demanded, whirling on Collins. He seemed unperturbed.
"Liberated, April Shower," Collins said with that charmingly open smile of his. "The word is liberated."
"April Shower?" she asked.
Mark shrugged. "It's a pretty nickname."
April stood there for a moment or two, then shook her head with a smile as she stepped out of the loft. "Liberated," she muttered under her breath.
Late that night, April sat on her and Maureen's new, "liberated" futon… with Mark.
"I don't think you're getting your room back tonight," she commented.
"No, I don't either."
"Maureen's not going to come out any time soon, is she?"
"Nope."
April's eyes shifted from the bedroom door to Mark. Roger and Maureen had gone into Roger's bedroom hours ago, and no one thought it prudent to bother them even now. The problem was, Mark shared that room with Roger, and that now left him without a bed.
"So. You want to spend the night out here?"
"I don't think I have a choice. I can sleep on the couch…"
"No, you can stay here. It's more comfortable. Just as long as you can keep your hands to yourself."
"I don't think that'll be a problem."
"Hey! What is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, I didn't mean… I just… You're very pretty, April, really, it's just that you're like… my sister. Well, not my sister. My sister's bossier than you are. A sister… I should shut up now, shouldn't I?"
"Yes, I think so."
Chapter Six