So... this is my first Rent post ever. Pretty exciting. Not wonderfully creative, but there's not much to be expected of me at one in the morning when I'm swamped with homework...

It was Saturday, late afternoon and Maureen was lying bored on the broken-down couch. It was raining and there was absolutely nothing to do and nowhere to go.

She groaned loudly. Roger poked his head out of his room.

"What's up?" He asked casually.

"There's nothing to do!" She complained.

"Watch TV."

"Benny took out our cable. There's nothing good on." She reminded him.

"So watch a movie."

Maureen leaned over the arm of the couch and picked up a tangled mess of film with some plastic hanging off of it. "This movie? You stepped on it last week."

Roger smirked. "Oh yeah."

Maureen sighed. "Rain is so boring. Why can't we have a thunderstorm or something exciting like that?"

Roger plopped down on the couch next to her. "What's the difference? A thunderstorm has rain in it."

Maureen sat up and stared at him, shocked. "No! Rain is like acting. Alone, it's pretty for a bit, but then becomes boring and inconvenient. Add some lights and music and you have a great show that hooks that audience in." Her eyes shone brightly even in the dimness of the loft, as if there was green lightning was twining around her pupils. Roger hated when she looked at him like that. It made him want. He didn't want to want. She was his loft-mate for god's sake.

Suddenly, a white flash tore him away from his thoughts. The loft went dark and thunder rattled the windows.

"Now that's what I'm talking about." Roger could hear her smiling.

"DAMN IT!" Mark burst from his room. "Where are the candles?" He yelled.

"Kitchen." Roger called back. He muffled a laugh as he heard Mark tripping over the various items scattered on the floor.

"Got 'em." He grabbed a few candles and a pack of matches and disappeared into his room again.

Roger heard Maureen sigh and get up.

"Where are you going?" He asked, trying to sound bored.

"The roof." She told him. "Come with me. It'll be fun."

"Why would you go to the roof in the middle of a thunderstorm?" She didn't answer, but he followed her anyway.

They climbed onto the roof via fire escape and Maureen began to spin around and around in circles, squealing with delight. Roger laughed.

"Maureen, what the hell are you doing?"

"I'm having fun." She told him, still spinning. "What are you doing?"

"Watching."

Maureen stopped and marched (a bit lopsidedly) up to Roger. "Well, stop it." She ordered him, her face was serious. The rain had already nearly soaked her ample hair through.

"You were the one who invited me up here" He began to protest, but then he saw her eyes twinkling.

"I didn't invite you up here to watch me have fun." She grinned and grabbed his hands. She started spinning again, making him turn with her. "Come on! Don't be such a stiff." She threw her head back and yelled as thunder boomed across the sky. She stopped spinning and just grinned at Roger.

"What? Done already?" Roger teased. She shook her head and punched him in the shoulder.

"Hey, what was tha—"

"TAG! You're it!" She darted away from him.

"You little…" Roger ran after her. He almost caught her, but she twisted around, sticking her tongue out at him in the process. Roger brushed the rain out of his eyes and continued chasing after her. She was quick and agile.

"Aww, Roggie, can't you keep up with me?" Maureen teased. "How about this: If you catch me, I'll give you a special surprise." She offered as she dodged him once more.

"Like what?" Roger reached out to tap her shoulder, but missed. Lightning flashed again.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise. It might be the signed ACDC shirt that I have for all you know." Maureen yelled over the thunder.

Roger's eyes widened. She knew how much he loved that shirt. He picked up his pace. Maureen was just barely out of reach. She laughed.

"How much do you want that surprise, Rog?" She egged him on.

A moment later, Roger finally tagged her. He had her now by both shoulders facing him.

"So? Where's my surprise, then?" He said with a satisfied smile on his face. Maureen grinned and rose up onto her tiptoes. She kissed him on the lips and then began walking back down the fire escape. Before her head disappeared below the roof line she said.

"I never said it would be the shirt." Her eyes glowed again and she was gone.

"It was better than the shirt." Roger said quietly and he followed her back inside. The only person who heard him was a grinning, blue-eyed cameraman who'd caught the entire ordeal on tape from a convenient broken skylight by standing on top of a stainless-steel table.

Reviews, anyone?

-e.r.

p.s, I'll probably be sticking to the Wicked section from now on. I'm feeling a bit out of my element... But there is good news: I see Rent for the first time on-stage Saturday! cheers and does happy dance... ahem. anyway... I hope you enjoyed the story.