This is it. The epic 50th story. I've had so much fun writing Rent fan fiction. Through the laughter and tears, I've met some amazing people. It's funny, the bond that people form over Rent is incredible. Non Rent fans don't understand why Rent invokes feelings of acceptance, community and mutual respect for people we don't know. We're all writers here and essentially bohemians in our own right. Sure most of us aren't starving for our craft. But isn't it fun to write about those who are and live vicariously through them without being hungry and frozen? I like to write about Roger because he's my favorite character and there is so much potential for him. I mean, there's so much we don't know about him. What brought him to NYC? How he and Mark met? How he came to live in the loft? What happened to him before he got to NY? And after Rent is interesting to think about as well. I mean, when we last see our brooding, handsome rock star, he's telling Mimi he loves her. His fear of commitment, no matter how fleeting is gone. OK, now what? How long does Mimi hold on before she succumbs to AIDS? Does Roger get over her and continue living the way she and Angel taught him, or does he go back into a deep freeze? I love exploring all of it. Before Rent and after. With and without Mimi. I hope you've enjoyed reading my take on all of it. I'm not done yet. Don't worry. My 50th is not my swan song. I just felt it important for me to commemorate the occasion with an epic Roger story. After all, he is my favorite subject. LOL. Please review this and all of my other ones you haven't reviewed yet. I love the feedback and especially for this story. I'm working my butt off on it and I want it to come out believable and really beyond epic. Thank you so much for sticking with me this last nearly 2 years while I indulged my imagination while paying tribute to something that has had such a huge impact on my heart and soul.

Renthead621

So We Begin

It was a beautiful day in New York City. The sun was shining and it was balmy 68 degrees. Not bad for the beginning of fall. In a large industrial loft sat 2 young African American gentlemen drinking beer and laughing. The older of the two was telling a story about his experience at NYU. He was a philosophy student and ran into some interesting people. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Who the hell could that be?" the larger of the men asked as he got up from the duct taped couch to answer it.

"Maybe one of your boyfriends, you damn slut." The younger one answered laughing.

"I'm not a slut Benny. I'm fun." He smiled looking back at him before opening the door. As he opened the door there was a young blond kid wearing a leather jacket and holding a guitar case in his left hand with an army duffle bag slung over his right shoulder. It was everything he owned. This kid didn't look like he was old enough to be on his own. "Can I help you?" he asked looking down at the kid.

"Yeah, um… I noticed your flyer in the bar around the corner that you had a couple of extra rooms. I was interested in renting one." he told him looking up at the man.

"Are you old enough to live on your own?" he asked looking down at him.

"Collins, would you stop giving him a hard time. Geez, you would think he was a narc. Come on in. I'm Benny Coffin and this is Tom Collins." Benny smiled getting up from the arm chair.

"I'm Roger. Roger Davis. I'm 19. I just started working at the bar around the corner so I can pay my share of the rent." he smiled looking up at Collins.

"That's cool. Sorry to give you a hard time. You just look young for 19. Benny's 19 and I'm 21. Hence the beers. Do you want to look at the larger room?" he asked looking over at him.

"Um… yeah sure. I've been living with my girlfriend, but we broke up so I'm looking for a place of my own." he said putting his bag down.

"What's with the guitar? Are you a musician or something?" Benny asked looking over at him.

"Or something. I used to play in a band back home and when I dropped out of college, I decided to come to the city and try to make it big. I'm looking for a band right now." he said looking over at him.

"Are you any good?" Benny asked looking over at him.

"I think so. Me and my band won Battle of the Bands all 4 years we were in high school." he boasted looking over at them.

"Pretty impressive. Why don't I show you the room?" Collins smiled looking down at him leading him to the room right next to the door.

"Thanks." he smiled following him to the room.

"Hey, since you work at the bar, does that mean you can get us free drinks?" he asked looking over at him.

"Probably." Roger smiled looking up at him.

"Cool. Did you hear that Benny? We could get free drinks when Roger bartends." Collins called out excitedly.

"Cool." Benny called out sitting back in the arm chair.

"So what do you think?" Collins asked looking down at him.

"I like it. It's better than the Y. I'll take it." he smiled looking up at him.

"Great. You can move in now if you want." he smiled looking down at him.

"Thanks man." Roger smiled becoming more comfortable.

"Well, you're on your own now kid." he smiled looking down at him.

"OK kid. Just don't load the drinks with liquor and we'll be OK." An older gentleman smiled looking over at Roger on his first night at the bar.

"No problem. Um… let me ask you something. Can I give my roommates drinks every once and a while?" he asked looking over at him.

"As long as it's not the good stuff, I don't see why you can't buy back every other drink. Usually it's 2 drinks and then we give them a free one, but your roommates can have every other one. They have to buy some of their own though." he said looking over.

"OK, got it. Thank you so much. I mean, I only have 2 roommates, so it's not gonna be a whole lot of people drinking for free." he clarified shoving his hands into his pockets.

"OK kid. Get to work. We're gonna need another keg up here soon, so why don't you go down to the storage room and get another one." The older man smiled looking over at him.

"Right, another keg. Got it." he smiled going down to the basement and getting to work.

One night, about 3 months later, Roger was on his way home from work when he heard voices yelling. When he looked down an alley he saw 2 people struggling over a bag. "Listen kid, either you let go of the bag, or I hurt you." A scruffy man said to a younger kid. The kid didn't look like he was older than 16 and he was clutching a camera bag in his arms.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing?" Roger asked starting to rush down the alleyway towards them.

"Mind your business kid. This doesn't concern you." The scruffy man yelled looking over at Roger trying to intimidate him.

"It concerns me when you're bullying a defenseless kid. Now get the hell out of here or you're gonna regret coming down here." The man yelled but Roger wouldn't back down.

"You wanna bully someone? Why don't you try bullying me?" Roger smirked stepping closer to the pair.

"This isn't over yet kid. I'm gonna see you around here again and that bag is mine." he growled to the younger kid before rushing off.

"Are you OK?" Roger asked looking down at the scared kid.

"Um… yeah. Thanks. He almost stole my camera. It's all I have other than my clothes." The kid told him looking up. he was still shaken from his encounter.

"Well kid, no offense, but if someone's gonna either take your camera or kill you. I'd give him the camera if I was you." he said looking down at him.

"Well I'm trying to be a filmmaker and I saved for a long time to buy this camera. Without it, I can't be a filmmaker." he explained looking up at him.

"Well, you got balls kid. I'll give you that. I'm Roger." Roger smiled looking down at him.

"Mark. Mark Cohen." He said smiling up at his new friend.

"Do you want me to walk you home or something? I mean, that guy did just threaten you." he asked looking down at him.

"Um… yeah. I live in the dorms at NYU." he said looking over at him.

"NYU? What the hell are you doing all the way down here?" Roger asked curiously.

"Filming. I like to film different things. I was out walking and I ended up here." he said looking over at him.

"Well, why don't you let me walk you back to your dorm so nothing else happens to you." he suggested looking down at him.

"Well, I can't go back to my dorm now. It's past curfew and it's the 3rd time this week. The RA is gonna have me kicked out of the dorms if I get there this late." he said looking up at him.

"Come on. Why don't you stay at my place? We have a spare bed and my roommates are really cool. You can stay there until you can go home in the morning." Roger suggested looking down at the younger man.

"I couldn't impose on you." he said looking up at him.

"And where are you gonna stay if you don't stay with me? You'll be eaten alive out here." Roger asked looking over at him.

"OK Roger. I'll go. Thanks for helping me out like this. I really appreciate it." Mark smiled looking up at him.

"Don't worry about it." Roger smiled as the two young men walked towards the loft.

A/N: Well that was chapter one. I hope you like it. There is more to come, so fasten your seat belts. It's gonna be a bumpy ride. LOL Enjoy

Renthead621