AN: This is my first attempt at a Collins fic, please be gentle. This is entirely from the POV of Collins via his diary. This will eventually be C/R. RR and let me know what you think.
Disclaimer:I don't own RENT, but the plot is mine.
Monday, March 3rd, 1980
I met the coolest person in the entire school today. His name is Roger Davis. He is so cute, and funny. And he saw me get my ass kicked.
These asshole jocks cornered me behind the school today, they wanted to beat to me up just cause I'm gay, and black. I didn't know that people like that even existed. God, am I even making sense? Let me start at the beginning.
At lunch today, these jocks started hassling me. They were calling me 'fag' and 'nigger'. I told them to leave me alone, but they wouldn't. I was so scared. I tried to get away from them; I couldn't. Fortunately for me, the bell rang, and they left to go to their next class. One of them, John Kole, pointed his finger at me then slashed it across his throat. Like, 'you're dead'. You know? After school, I tried to go out the back door to avoid them, but they anticipated my actions. They chased me a few yards, then they trapped me between a dumpster and the corner of the building. Eric and Todd held me while John hit me. I think I screamed, but I don't remember. All of a sudden, there was this blond rocker-type yanking John away from me. He punched John until he fell, then Eric and Todd jumped him. I tried to help, but ended up tripping over John's feet. When I fell, I knocked Eric over. He thought I did it on purpose and kicked me in the face. Roger returned the favor twice over. Todd took off after that.
Roger picked me up, brushed me off, and introduced himself. He smiled at me and said, "Hi, I'm Roger."
I grinned back at him, well, I tried to anyway. I introduced myself, and we walked home together. I turns out that he only lives a few blocks away from me on Ave D.
He's a wonderful person. I hope we become friends.
Tom
Friday, April 7th, 1980
Roger and I have become good friends. He and his friends let me sit with them at lunch now. They don't care that I'm black, or that I'm gay. I think of of Roger's other friends, I guess my friend now, is bisexual. I will occasionally catch him staring at other guys with a dreamy look on his face. I don't think he's gay, because I see him looking at girls the same way, too. Mark and Roger are coming over tonight to study. I think I'll try to get Mark alone, so I can ask him about his orientation. Don't get me wrong, I don't want to date him, I'm way too interested in Roger. I'm just curious. They're here. I'll write more after they leave.
Tom
Mark and Roger just left. I got my chance to get Mark alone when Mom asked me to run downstairs to pay for the Chinese she had ordered. I got Mark to walk with me. On the way downstairs I broached the subject of sexuality. Mark immediately clammed up. I told him not worry about it, that I wouldn't tell anyone if he was gay or bisexual. After I paid for the food and we were headed back upstairs, he finally told me that he was bisexual, and he had a crush on John Kole. Can you believe that? He has a crush the biggest homophobe and jerk in the entire school. I'm still in shock. I can't believe that one of the coolest people I have ever met has a crush on the biggest asshole that ever existed. GAAHH! I can't even think right now!
Tom
Tuesday, April 22, 1980
So it turns out that Roger has known about Mark's sexuality ever since they met, but Mark never knew that. I'm wondering how Roger kept it a secret for three years. I'm not making any sense. Let me back up. At lunch today, Mark was staring off into space, which just happned to be in the general vicinity of John Kole. I leaned over and whispered 'You can do better than that.' Roger leaned across the table and said 'Collins, my man, Mark's been crushing on that asshole as long as I've known him.' Poor Mark looked like he was going to cry. He demanded to know how Roger knew that. Roger said that it was obvious, and hid had been for three years. I felt really bad for Mark, who I seriously thought was going to burst into tears. Roger told Mark that it was only obvious to anyone that he knew him really well, and that he wouldn't tell anyone. Mark cheered up almost immediately. Roger is a really great friend. I'm so happy that Mark and I have such a good friend. I can't help liking Roger more and more every day. I don't think he swings my way, though.
Tom
Friday, May 9, 1980
This has been the strangest day ever. John Kole was outed during assembly. A cheerleader that he dumped stood up and shouted it to the entire school. It was freakin' hilarious. She stood up and screamed "John Kole is a faggot! He told me last week!" Mark, Roger, and I nearly died we were laughing so hard. That was until the rest of the football team, and all the other jocks, turned on him. They chased him out of the auditorium, and outside. The three of us followed. Most of the guys had abandoned the chase and decided to go get high instead. When we found John, he was being pounded into a pulp by a few football players. For some ungodly reason, we got into it. Afterward, the four of us walked to my apartment on Ave. A. John apolgized for being an asshole and said that there was no excuse for the way he had treated us, especially me. It's weird that we could go from being enemies to being friends in a matter of hours. It turns out that John likes Mark. Now they're getting to know each other, and maybe they'll start dating. It's so weird. It's like something out of a crappy romance novel. I'm happy for them, though. I hope it works out for them. Unfortunately, my love life isn't going so well. I'm still single, and Roger has no idea that I like him.
Tom
Sunday, May 25, 1980
WOOHOO! Tomorrow is the last day of school. Then we have three months of summer break. After that, SENIOR YEAR! I can't believe it. I'm going to be a high school senior, then off to college. This is great. My life is practically perfect. The only thing that's missing is a decent partner. I wish it could be Roger, but I know that will never happen. Le sigh.
Tom