Disclaimer: I do not own RENT, very sad I know.
A/N: AU. Ok, I'm moving Angel's death up around 9 years (so in 1999), so Marci (Mimi and Roger's daughter) will have been alive for it.
A/N 2: this isn't what we really learned in health first, but I saw it near the end of the book, so this came into my head. This was written late at night, so sorry if it's not good.
6th Period Nightmare
"I hate school," I said attempting to get my locker open.
"So does everyone else, but hey, the school year's half over," my best friend, Julie Cohen, replied. "And at least you get to switch electives, I'm stuck in P.E."
"True, but if you have forgotten, my health class is on THE OTHER END OF THE SCHOOL!" I replied. My locker was jammed; I stepped aside and pointed to it. "Could you please?"
Julie opened it within seconds.
"Thanks." I shoved my books into it, and slammed it shut as the bell rang.
"Great, now I have to go into the unknown side of the school to the majority of the freshmen of Franklin High. Wish me luck!"
"Good luck Marci, see you after school," Julie said, walking off towards the gym.
I immediately began walking as fast as I could down the main hall.
I made it to my class seconds before the tardy bell rang. I took a seat near the back.
The teacher entered the room and walked up to the chalkboard, writing her name in the corner in big cursive handwriting.
"Hello class, I'm Mrs. Stevenson, and according to you new schedules, you're in health class. Does anyone know for sure they signed up for another class, but got this one instead?" No one spoke up. "Ok then, I'll just call attendance now, if you have a name you'd like to be called, please say so."
She went over to her desk and pulled out a folder.
"Lindsey Anderson?"
"Here."
"Diane Clark?"
"Here."
"Austin Clifford"
"Here."
"Marciella Davis?"
"Marci, here," I said
She continued to call roll while more than half the class almost fell asleep.
When she was done she went up to the chalkboard.
"Our first unit will be on," she said, writing something on the chalkboard. "HIV/AIDS. Now, what do you all know about this disease?"
I immediately sank down lower in my seat. This would not be good.
The girl in front of me, Sophie, raised her hand.
"It's a disease of the blood. It affects the immune system making a simple illness fatal to the person who has it," she said. It sounded as if she were reading out of a damn textbook.
"That's right. Anyone else?" Mrs. Stevenson said.
An upperclassman and the school star quarterback, Elliott, raised his hand.
"It's when there's a low count of some sort of cells in your blood."
T-cells, Cd4 cells, T helper cells, take your pick.
"Correct. Now does anyone know the cause of this disease?"
I hated how she said those words "this disease" like it wasn't really affecting actual people. Like it was something purely scientific. Like it was just statistics in a book.
No one put their hands up, so I decided to.
"Yes Marci?"
"The cause of HIV/AIDS is the contact of the blood or some other bodily fluids." Great, now I sound like a f-cking textbook.
"Right." She walked over to the overhead projector. "I have some pictures to show you all that have to do with this disease." There it was the "this disease" again.
She turned it on. A graph appeared on the screen, showing ages of people of people with HIV/AIDS compared to the progression of it. The next picture scared me though. A picture of an AIDS-related lesion. I felt tears weld up in my eyes. Bad memories flooding back to me. Angel in her last moments. Collins crying almost nonstop for months. I couldn't stand it. I kept the tears in though.
"Could I use the restroom please?" I asked Mrs. Stevenson.
"Of course. Take the hall pass though."
I took it and went out the door. I still held my tears in. I passed by the security guard on the way to the bathroom. Once I got there I made sure no one else was in there and locked the main door. I dropped to the floor in tears.
This is just great, first day back to school, and I have a major meltdown. Half the people in my "family" had either HIV or AIDS. My mom, my dad, Collins, and me. Angel had it too; she died when I was eight. It was just awful, seeing her in so much pain, seeing what was in store for each of us cursed with this terrible fate.
I continued to cry my eyes out, thinking of all the memories of Angel and her in the hospital. I grabbed some paper towels and wiped my eyes. This was pointless, I just kept crying. I couldn't stop.
Bad memories of the disease's effects kept coming into my mind. Every time I heard Collins cough I'd be scared out of my mind, or when Mom felt tired and went home early when we were all at the Life Café that one time. The small things that normally wouldn't bother someone seriously made me worry.
This was enough now. I had to go back to class, face this, and face my fears. I could cry my eyes out for hours at home. After this period I only had one more class, and that was my study hall, I could sleep for all my teacher cared. I splashed water from the sink on my face, dried it. I looked at myself in the mirror.
"Ok Marci, you can do it, just don't think. Whatever you do, do let the past in your mind," and with that, I unlocked the door and went back to class.
Good? Bad? It will probably turn into a TwoShot.