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find_rightbrainTitle: In the Eyes of a Young Girl
Chapter: Sixteen - The Only Way Out is Up
Feedback: Will make me love you muchly.
Characters/Pairing: Roger/April, Michelle (OC), Gabrielle (OC), Chris (OC), Mrs. Cornwell (OC), Jessica, Josh, Michael
Word Count: 1294
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Rent, and I'm extremely unlikely ever to. Shiny?
Chapter Index
Chapter Fifteen
A good friend is a connection to life, a tie to the past, a road to the future, a key to sanity in a totally insane world. - Lois Wyse
April stood on the lawn with her backpack, staring quietly at the house she’d lived in for eighteen years. It looked a lot smaller than she’d remembered it. Almost too neat and tidy too, after being in the city for two and a half years. But… it was home. Even at ten in the morning, it was already hot outside, sun of the early summer heating the day. And she could smell the sea from here, salt air rising from the ocean… Yes, this was home.
She walked across the lawn and pressed the doorbell a little hesitantly. It rang, and she stood there, waiting… The door swung inward after a moment, and a girl looked up at her—perhaps thirteen or fourteen, freckles, red-brown hair and the same hazel eyes as April. She squeaked and jumped forward to hug her sister tightly as she could, almost crushing the breath out of her. “April’s here!” she shouted back into the house without letting go of April.
April grinned down at her and hugged her little sister. “Gabrielle or Michelle?” she asked—she never had been able to tell the difference between the twins when they weren’t standing right next to each other.
The girl giggled. “What, you can’t tell when it’s your own sister?”
“Hey, it’s been two years since I’ve seen either of you, how am I supposed to be able to tell?”
“Oh, well, I guess so. I’m Gabrielle.”
April grinned and ruffled her hair affectionately. “Thought so. Michelle’s not usually this affectionate. She doesn’t tackle me.”
As if summoned by the mention of her name, the second twin came down the stairs, smiling a little. “I’m perfectly affectionate to most people, ‘Ril. I just don’t like you.” April smirked in return; Michelle’s wry sense of humor somehow always amused April.
“Michelle, that’s not a nice thing to say,” said April’s mother as she walked down the hall to the front door.
“Mom, you know I was just joking,” Michelle said, rolling her eyes, but she subsided with a faint, conciliatory smile to April. April released Gabrielle and went to hug her mother, kissing her on the cheek with a grin. “Hey Mom. I missed you.”
Her mother smiled. “I missed you too, little girl. Your father’s out this morning, but he’ll be back soon. And Chris is—“
April pulled back a little. “Chris is here? Really?”
Her mother nodded. “Home from school for the summer. He’s—“
“Right here,” said a young man from behind Mrs. Cornwell, and April quickly bounced forward to throw her arms around her older brother’s neck. He grinned and hugged her, lifting her into the air for a moment. “Hey little sister. Surviving out in New York, I take it?”
She giggled as he lowered her back to the ground. “I’m alive now, aren’t I?”
He shrugged. “Well, it’s a big city. Actually, it’s the Big City. And you’re my little sister.”
“Yeah, well.” She smiled. “I’ve got other big brothers to look after me out there. Sort-of older brothers. I’ll tell you about them later. But…” She hugged him again, ecstatic to see Chris again. Of all of her family, she’d missed him the most, the brother who’d always looked out for her. But even with Mark and Benny and Collins to act as her older brothers now, in the city… She leaned close and murmured so that only he could hear, “They’re never gonna replace you, though.”
Christopher grinned down at her fondly. “Glad to hear it.”
*
At around noon, Jessica showed up at the house. April didn't even try to guess how Jessi knew that she'd arrived that day—maybe she had simply stopped by every day since April had told her she was coming, to make sure she didn't miss her. It wouldn't be unlike her… In any case, April was far too excited about seeing her best friend again to question how she'd known she was there. The two of them all but tackled each other, hugging and shrieking in sheer happiness as Michelle stood by and remarked wryly, "Well, there go all our eardrums." April had ignored her.
Jessi insisted on dragging April out of the house, out to Cannery Row—typical tourist place, filled with little shops and cute restaurants, but Jessica had always loved that sort of place, and when they were in high school she used to drag April out there at least one weekend a month, just to walk down the street, go shopping, or simply wander…
As the two of them walked down Cannery Row for the first time in over two years, Jessica talked, saying the same old things she'd used to say years ago. "This isn't just some tourist place, April. Don't roll your eyes at me like that. There's history, right here, all around us." She pointed to a house up the street. "Look there, see? Steinbeck used to live right up there. You ought to appreciate that, you're a writer…"
April grinned. "I know, but I grew up here, silly. Just like you. I've heard all this a million times."
Jessica stuck her tongue out. "You're no fun at all, April. Truly, no fun at all." But she smiled every time she looked at her. "Let's go to the aquarium. Watch the sea otters." She grinned. "Play in the tide pools. It'll be fun."
"You never did grow up, did you?" April asked with a faint smile. "I swear, you're still… like… fifteen."
Jessica waved a hand dismissively. "So? Who wants to grow up?" She grabbed April's hand and pulled her up the street, towards the aquarium. "Come on, if you at least act like you're having fun, I'll buy you a stuffed animal."
April couldn't help but smile. "You know I always have fun with you, Jessi. Even when you're acting completely insane."
"Oh, I know. It's part of my charm."
*
Roger walked into Josh’s apartment without even knocking, over half an hour after he said he’d be there. Michael looked up and rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, “Well, finally…”
Josh glared at him. “Where the hell have you been? We’ve been waiting forever, and—Where’s your guitar?” His annoyed expression became even more irritated and a little questioning.
“I’m not practicing today,” Roger told him, glancing briefly to the other two. “And I won’t be around for a while. Just thought I ought to let you know.”
“What the…? Where are you going to be if you’re ‘not around?’” Josh demanded.
“California. Monterey.” Roger took an odd sort of satisfaction in watching the emotion in Josh’s eyes shift from confusion to realization to anger.
“This is about your goddamn girlfriend isn’t it? You’ve been fucking unbearable all week, just because she split without telling you, and now you’re going to leave us to go chasing after her? Whatever happened to loyalty to your friends? Just because some bitch—”
Roger had started for the door, ignoring Josh’s rant, but now he turned around to face him slowly. “Josh. First of all, I don’t like you. I tolerate you. You are not my friend. Second, you ever say that about April again and I swear I’ll kick your ass.” Josh gaped at him, but couldn’t find a response. Roger turned back to the door. “I’m going. I’ll call when I get back.” He closed the door behind him and hurried downstairs to the beat-up old car parked just outside, everything he would need for a cross-country drive already in the car.
That afternoon, when he got home, Mark found a torn-out sheet of notebook paper on the kitchen table, with Roger’s almost illegible handwriting.
Took the car, left for California. Don’t know when I’ll be back.—Roger
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter: Sixteen - The Only Way Out is Up
Feedback: Will make me love you muchly.
Characters/Pairing: Roger/April, Michelle (OC), Gabrielle (OC), Chris (OC), Mrs. Cornwell (OC), Jessica, Josh, Michael
Word Count: 1294
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I do not own Rent, and I'm extremely unlikely ever to. Shiny?
Chapter Index
Chapter Fifteen
A good friend is a connection to life, a tie to the past, a road to the future, a key to sanity in a totally insane world. - Lois Wyse
April stood on the lawn with her backpack, staring quietly at the house she’d lived in for eighteen years. It looked a lot smaller than she’d remembered it. Almost too neat and tidy too, after being in the city for two and a half years. But… it was home. Even at ten in the morning, it was already hot outside, sun of the early summer heating the day. And she could smell the sea from here, salt air rising from the ocean… Yes, this was home.
She walked across the lawn and pressed the doorbell a little hesitantly. It rang, and she stood there, waiting… The door swung inward after a moment, and a girl looked up at her—perhaps thirteen or fourteen, freckles, red-brown hair and the same hazel eyes as April. She squeaked and jumped forward to hug her sister tightly as she could, almost crushing the breath out of her. “April’s here!” she shouted back into the house without letting go of April.
April grinned down at her and hugged her little sister. “Gabrielle or Michelle?” she asked—she never had been able to tell the difference between the twins when they weren’t standing right next to each other.
The girl giggled. “What, you can’t tell when it’s your own sister?”
“Hey, it’s been two years since I’ve seen either of you, how am I supposed to be able to tell?”
“Oh, well, I guess so. I’m Gabrielle.”
April grinned and ruffled her hair affectionately. “Thought so. Michelle’s not usually this affectionate. She doesn’t tackle me.”
As if summoned by the mention of her name, the second twin came down the stairs, smiling a little. “I’m perfectly affectionate to most people, ‘Ril. I just don’t like you.” April smirked in return; Michelle’s wry sense of humor somehow always amused April.
“Michelle, that’s not a nice thing to say,” said April’s mother as she walked down the hall to the front door.
“Mom, you know I was just joking,” Michelle said, rolling her eyes, but she subsided with a faint, conciliatory smile to April. April released Gabrielle and went to hug her mother, kissing her on the cheek with a grin. “Hey Mom. I missed you.”
Her mother smiled. “I missed you too, little girl. Your father’s out this morning, but he’ll be back soon. And Chris is—“
April pulled back a little. “Chris is here? Really?”
Her mother nodded. “Home from school for the summer. He’s—“
“Right here,” said a young man from behind Mrs. Cornwell, and April quickly bounced forward to throw her arms around her older brother’s neck. He grinned and hugged her, lifting her into the air for a moment. “Hey little sister. Surviving out in New York, I take it?”
She giggled as he lowered her back to the ground. “I’m alive now, aren’t I?”
He shrugged. “Well, it’s a big city. Actually, it’s the Big City. And you’re my little sister.”
“Yeah, well.” She smiled. “I’ve got other big brothers to look after me out there. Sort-of older brothers. I’ll tell you about them later. But…” She hugged him again, ecstatic to see Chris again. Of all of her family, she’d missed him the most, the brother who’d always looked out for her. But even with Mark and Benny and Collins to act as her older brothers now, in the city… She leaned close and murmured so that only he could hear, “They’re never gonna replace you, though.”
Christopher grinned down at her fondly. “Glad to hear it.”
At around noon, Jessica showed up at the house. April didn't even try to guess how Jessi knew that she'd arrived that day—maybe she had simply stopped by every day since April had told her she was coming, to make sure she didn't miss her. It wouldn't be unlike her… In any case, April was far too excited about seeing her best friend again to question how she'd known she was there. The two of them all but tackled each other, hugging and shrieking in sheer happiness as Michelle stood by and remarked wryly, "Well, there go all our eardrums." April had ignored her.
Jessi insisted on dragging April out of the house, out to Cannery Row—typical tourist place, filled with little shops and cute restaurants, but Jessica had always loved that sort of place, and when they were in high school she used to drag April out there at least one weekend a month, just to walk down the street, go shopping, or simply wander…
As the two of them walked down Cannery Row for the first time in over two years, Jessica talked, saying the same old things she'd used to say years ago. "This isn't just some tourist place, April. Don't roll your eyes at me like that. There's history, right here, all around us." She pointed to a house up the street. "Look there, see? Steinbeck used to live right up there. You ought to appreciate that, you're a writer…"
April grinned. "I know, but I grew up here, silly. Just like you. I've heard all this a million times."
Jessica stuck her tongue out. "You're no fun at all, April. Truly, no fun at all." But she smiled every time she looked at her. "Let's go to the aquarium. Watch the sea otters." She grinned. "Play in the tide pools. It'll be fun."
"You never did grow up, did you?" April asked with a faint smile. "I swear, you're still… like… fifteen."
Jessica waved a hand dismissively. "So? Who wants to grow up?" She grabbed April's hand and pulled her up the street, towards the aquarium. "Come on, if you at least act like you're having fun, I'll buy you a stuffed animal."
April couldn't help but smile. "You know I always have fun with you, Jessi. Even when you're acting completely insane."
"Oh, I know. It's part of my charm."
Roger walked into Josh’s apartment without even knocking, over half an hour after he said he’d be there. Michael looked up and rolled his eyes, muttering under his breath, “Well, finally…”
Josh glared at him. “Where the hell have you been? We’ve been waiting forever, and—Where’s your guitar?” His annoyed expression became even more irritated and a little questioning.
“I’m not practicing today,” Roger told him, glancing briefly to the other two. “And I won’t be around for a while. Just thought I ought to let you know.”
“What the…? Where are you going to be if you’re ‘not around?’” Josh demanded.
“California. Monterey.” Roger took an odd sort of satisfaction in watching the emotion in Josh’s eyes shift from confusion to realization to anger.
“This is about your goddamn girlfriend isn’t it? You’ve been fucking unbearable all week, just because she split without telling you, and now you’re going to leave us to go chasing after her? Whatever happened to loyalty to your friends? Just because some bitch—”
Roger had started for the door, ignoring Josh’s rant, but now he turned around to face him slowly. “Josh. First of all, I don’t like you. I tolerate you. You are not my friend. Second, you ever say that about April again and I swear I’ll kick your ass.” Josh gaped at him, but couldn’t find a response. Roger turned back to the door. “I’m going. I’ll call when I get back.” He closed the door behind him and hurried downstairs to the beat-up old car parked just outside, everything he would need for a cross-country drive already in the car.
That afternoon, when he got home, Mark found a torn-out sheet of notebook paper on the kitchen table, with Roger’s almost illegible handwriting.
Took the car, left for California. Don’t know when I’ll be back.—Roger
Chapter Seventeen