Prologue: Pre RENT. Pre and during Mark and Maureen. Pre and during Roger and April. The High School years. Set in 2007.
It was just another day at Scarsdale High. I walked to my locker and placed my bio book in and took out my English notebook.
"Hey, white boy." I heard from behind my locker door. I shut it and noticed it was Collins. Tall, with his beanie hat on he always got in trouble for wearing, yet still wore it as his own way to "stick it to the man".
"Hey Collins. How's it going?" We started walking to English. My backpack hanging on one shoulder and Collins not even carrying a backpack. Just one notebook. That kid was a genius. He carried around one notebook all day. I'm not even sure he took notes. He got perfect scores on everything yet he couldn't care less. Yet here I was with the weight of my future in my backpack.
"Man, think about it in 2 months, I will never have to walk down these halls again." He said kind of randomly since I had only asked how it was going. But that was him. He couldn't wait to get out, but me, I was scared. I was scared to leave my bubble. I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life yet. I think I want to be a writer but—
"Did you do your essay?" he asked breaking off my thoughts.
"Oh… yeah. All 8 pages. You?" It was a dumb question I knew he hadn't. I looked at him and we both chuckled. We turned the corner and took our seats. Mine in the middle of the classroom so I could pay attention yet still get away with not paying attention and Collins in the back. Doing what? I have no idea. Our teacher started going on about the essay we had just written and I didn't feel like listening. I had done the paper, what more could there be? I sat staring blankly at the chalkboard. I didn't have any important thoughts just about what they were serving for lunch and how I was planning on losing my virginity before I graduated. I felt a kind of hard nudge on my shoulder.
"Hello?" I heard a voice say kind of rudely.
"Huh?" I was shaken out of my thoughts.
"I said could I borrow a pencil?" She stared at me. Her head tilted slightly downward and her eyes gazing up at me. She stared at me like I was "special." She had on this red lipstick that just made you stare at her lips. "Hello?!" She waved her hand in my face. I must have been staring for too long.
"Oh sorry. Yeah, here you go." I handed her a pencil.
"Thanks." She laughed at me. She wasn't the type of girl to be considered gorgeous but there was something about her.
"Mr. Cohen." I heard my teacher say. Boy, I was spacey today. "Your essay." She said extending her hand waiting for me to hand it to her.
"Oh yeah." I placed the paper in her hand and she rolled her eyes at me.
"Yo Mark!" I heard Collins whisper loudly. I turned around. "Want to skip lunch and head over to Joe's pizza?" Such a random thought for 8:30 in the morning.
"I don't know, I mean, remember last time was almost got caught."
"Mr. Cohen, would you like to interrupt the class a little more." I turned around and before I could apologize the bell rang. I grabbed my notebook and placed it in my backpack. While I was getting up from my desk I heard:
"Thanks for the pencil." I looked up and she was standing in front of me.
"Oh don't worry about it, you can keep it." I said.
"Oh well, thanks…" she tilted her lips.
"Mark, I'm Mark."
"Well thanks Mark." She started to walk away.
"You're welcome…"
"Maureen." She said turning around briefly then waved and smiled and walked out. I just stared at her walking. I heard a whistle and a pat on my shoulder from Collins.
"Markie's got a crush." He said chuckling.
"I do not. I don't even know her. I mean I just met her."
"It's a little late for you to just meet her. We've been going to school with her for four years." We started to walk out.
"We have?" I said my face kind of scrunched up. "I've never noticed before."
"Well its never to late to notice."