salve (latin for greetings). this will be a rent story (markOC). I know the plot very well, even though I haven’t seen the movie yet. My parentals want us to see it all together, but my friend silas said that would be just plain awkward. and I agree. so if I get stuff wrong, don’t badger me about it, please.

takes place during the play. new character. not a marysue.

chapter 1: 12/24, 9 PM, EST

Radha Michaels trudged up the stairs of the Avenue B building. She didn’t have the money yet to afford her own loft, and she wouldn’t accept the charity that her childhood friend, Benny, was offering her. Luckily, Benny had some friends that lived in the building, and she could stay with them. However, Radha wasn’t sure if the people knew about it. From experience, she knew Benny liked to tease his friends.

Radha reached the door and hesitantly knocked. She adjusted her outfit: tattered hole-y blue jeans, black skirt adorned with pink ribbon over said jeans, black Chuck Taylors, white blouse with sleeves scrunched up, baby doll shirt over said blouse that read “quit reading my boobs”, unkempt temporarily-black hair pulled back messily with clip, pencil tucked behind ear. She bet herself five dollars she would scare the living crap outta these people.

The door was opened by…a camera?

“Whoa!” she exclaimed. A guy lowered the camera.

“Sorry about that,” he said sheepishly. “Roger! We got company!”

“Who?” a guy with shaggy hair sitting on a couch holding a guitar asked.

“No idea!” the camera guy replied. Radha rolled her eyes. “Come on in.” He moved and Radha entered the loft. There were a lot of empty milk crates to be used as additional furniture. Radha promptly dropped her backpack filled with her worldly possessions on one of the crates.

“I’m going to assume Benny didn’t tell you about me, your new roomie?” Radha deadpanned.

“No, just we need to pay our rent that he said before that we didn’t have to pay,” the guitar guy grumbled. “I’m Roger Davis.” She shook his hand. “And the idiot with the camera is Mark Cohen.”

“I’m not an idiot!” Mark said, conspicuously filming Radha.

“Then why are you filming me?” she asked. “I’m of no interest. You don’t even know who the hell I am.”

“Good point,” Roger concurred. “Who the hell are you?” Radha gave him a glare.

“Aiobheann Radha Michaels,” she introduced herself.

“Eve-een?” Roger asked.

“Zoom in on our Gaelic Goth girl roommate,” Mark commentaried.

“Who’s about to break your glasses if you don’t shove it,” Radha threatened. Mark lowered his camera. Actually, she liked his glasses. “And you’re slightly off; my name’s of Irish descent. My mom was obsessed with the culture.”

“So, Eve-een, how is that spelled?” Mark asked.

“A-I-O-B-H-E-A-N-N,” she articulated. “But I go by my middle name, Radha.” She shook Mark’s hand; he had a firm grip. Then again, he owned a camera.

“When Maureen sees your shirt, she’ll probably attempt to steal it,” Roger commented.

“Pervert!” Radha shrieked. “Quit staring at my chest!”

“It’s kinda hard not to,” Mark said, immediately taking back his words. “I mean, because there’s writing on your shirt--not because you have a nice chest--I’m not saying you do--and I’m not saying you don’t--I mean…” he stopped, blushing. Radha took his camera and started filming him.

“Close up on the idiot who has no idea how to talk to girls,” she deadpanned, Roger laughing hysterically. As she continued to film him, two things happened: Radha thought Mark looked cute when he blushed…and the power went out.

“Damn it,” Roger cursed. “What do we have for a fire?” The two guys eventually found some old posters and Mark’s sucky screenplays and burned them in a metal bin. Radha watched.

“Just so you know, we’re not paying rent, so if Benny approaches us, we’ll protect you,” Roger informed Radha as they sat around the fire.

“I can chip in,” she insisted. “I don’t have enough for my own place yet, which is why I asked Benny to find an alternative.”

“How do you know Benny, by the way?” Mark asked. “I’m just curious.”

“Benny and I go way back,” she said with a smile. “We grew up together. I owe that guy my life…he actually offered me a free place, but I refused, I owe him that much.”

“What did he do that was so great?” Roger asked. “Cause as long as I’ve known him, he’s been a real ass.”

“That’s for another day,” Radha said with a smirk. A beeping sound went off.

“Med time…and I need a drink,” Roger sighed. “I’ll be back.” He left the room, leaving Radha with Mark.

“Who’s Maureen?” Radha asked to initiate conversation.

“Just wait and see…and Roger’s right,” Mark sighed. “If you wear that shirt, she’ll attempt to steal it.” Radha nodded, making a mental note to cary pepper spray around this Maureen.

“We’ll be having a friend over tomorrow, Tom Collins,” Mark informed Radha. “He’s a nice guy.” Radha nodded.

“What does Roger have?” Radha asked out of curiosity. Mark looked uncomfortable.

“Promise you won’t freak out?” he whispered. Radha nodded. “He’s got HIV.” Silence.

“Do you?”

“No,” Mark sighed. “Actually, most of the people I know have it, you’ll meet them later on…if it’s too weird for you, I’m sure Benny can find you another room.”

“No, it’s fine,” Radha insisted. “It’s their personality that matters.” Mark smiled, and she smiled back.

“So, what does ‘Radha’ mean?” he asked to continue conversation. Radha started giggling.

“It’s so ironic,” she laughed, “but it means ‘a vision’.”

“How is that ironic?” Mark asked, confused.

“If they meant a vision of beauty, they were way off,” Radha quipped. “More like a vision of crap.”

“Not true,” Mark stated.

“If you’re gonna get awkward again, stop right now,” Radha advised.

“No, let me explain,” Mark continued. “You do not look like crap…I don’t know what Roger thinks about semigoths, but I think you’re very pretty.” Radha stared at him…partially in shock. No guy had ever told her that. And she could tell Mark wasn’t the type to lie.

“I hate to interrupt the moment…” Roger said from behind them.

“Then don’t,” Radha quipped.

“Too late,” Roger teased. The camera started making a funny noise. “Mark, I think your battery’s dying.”

“Damn it!” Mark jumped up and took his camera to his room. Roger stared at Radha long and hard.

“So…your name’s Roger,” Radha said uncomfortably.

“I heard the last part of your conversation,” Roger said coldly. “I’d recommend staying away from Mark.”

“Hey!” Radha defended herself. “He came on to me!...wait…he wasn’t coming on to me, he was correcting my vision of myself…am I confusing you?”

“Not really,” Roger said in the same tone, “and I believe you.” He wasn’t, Radha could tell. “Maureen was his last girlfriend, and she broke up with him because she decided she was a lesbian.”

“It’s Will and Grace backwards,” Radha quipped. Roger was obviously not amused.

“Mark was a wreck for two weeks,” Roger spat. “He’s still kind of getting over it. If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave him be. I don’t want to see you break his heart…or feel like you have a chance with him…ever.”

“Harboring some hidden feelings?” Radha fired back. Roger was really starting to piss her off. She knew perfectly well he was straight; she just wanted to make him as angry as she was. Before things could get any uglier, Mark entered with a camera charger and plugged it into the wall socket.

“Roger, if you’re going to hide this, find an easier place,” Mark complained, noticing the looks of loathing on his roommates’ faces. “Did I miss something?” Roger and Radha looked at each other.

“Just an argument on who’s better: Led Zeppelin or The Who,” Roger covered.

“Oh, The Who by far,” Mark said.

“Thank you!” Radha exclaimed. “Roger, you’re outnumbered.” Roger just scoffed with disgust and went to his room.

“Wow. Touchy subject,” Mark said, surprised.

“Tell me about it,” Radha muttered. “I’ll sleep on the couch. I don’t mind.” Mark was about to protest when she covered his mouth with her hand and led him to his room with her other hand pushing him. “Don’t even start. Good night, Mark!” She closed the door, leaving it only slightly ajar. She turned towards Roger’s door. “Good night, jackass!”

“Remember what I said!” he called back. Radha rolled her eyes as she cuddled under the blanket she had brought.

All night while she slept, she thought about what Roger had said. Mark really had been through something tough, and she would never hurt him like Maureen had. But what if Mark started pursuing a relationship? Would Roger think wrongly about Radha?...wait, did she want Mark to feel something? Yeah right. She’d only known him less than a day.

She looked out the window to see the sun just starting to rise. She got up and examined Mark’s camera. It was now fully charged. She unplugged it and crept up to Mark’s room. The door was still half closed, but Mark was out like a light. She began filming.

“December 25th, 5:19, Eastern Standard Time,” she narrated. “First shot for the day, the faint wakings of a sunrise.” The sky was tinged with fuschia and royal purple with the inky black of it. “Move to the sleeping area of Aiobheann Radha Michaels, new roommate and narrator of this segment.” She zoomed in on the couch and her backpack. She quietly crept to the half closed door. “Zoom in on Mark whatever-your-last-name-is,” she did so, closing up on his sleeping blanketed figure, “our primary filmmaker, aspiring for greatness, and…” she focused on his face, “someone I really shouldn’t be interested in, as his jackass friend, Roger, has warned me, but I can’t help feeling there might be something…” She stopped filming and plugged the camera back into the wall. “To hell with Roger. Whatever happens happens.”

whaddya think? roger will only become more of a jerk. radha will deny stuff. mark will initiate more conversation. the others will be themselves.

‘heart’

foolia