On the 23rd day of the month of September, in an early year of a decade not too long before our own, the human race suddenly encountered a deadly threat to its very existence. And this terrifying enemy surfaced, as such enemies often do, in the most seemingly most innocent and unlikely of places.
"Nicky, what is going on down there?" Gary called to the back workroom, not moving from his seat reading the paper in the rundown flower shop on the street. The whole street was run down, now that you mention it. Especially the apartment that Rod lived it. Speaking of Rod, he was just now leaving for work. He's tried to cover up the black eye that his boyfriend's given him, but he wasn't exactly able to, so he just left for work the way he was. He runs around the group of kids in the middle of the sidewalk and to the flower shop as Gary reaches over and turns on the radio.
"…and at his press conference today, President Kennedy fielded questions …"
"What did you break now, Lyon?" Rod enters the shop, the door ringing the bell above it. Gary looked up. "So, he finally decides to come to work."
"… concerning last Thursday's total eclipse of the sun … an astrological phenomenon, which has baffled the nation."
"Good morning, Gary."
"Morning? What morning? It's almost got closing time. Not like we've had a customer or anything. Who has customers when you run a flower shop on Avenue Q?"
"I'm sorry, Gary," he says, taking off her coat and checks himself in the mirror as another crash sounded from the work room.
"Nicky, what in the name of God is going on down there?"
"Very little, Gary!" he shouted back as Rod gets the flowers on the window sill and starts arranging them.
"Rod," Gary said, putting a hand on the other man's arm, "could you go down there and –" He sees his black eye. "Where'd you get that shiner?"
"Uh … shiner?" he asked, moving away to something else. He really didn't want to talk about it right now. Or ever.
"Rod, is that greasy doctor boyfriend beatin' up on you again?" Rod doesn't answer. "I know it's none of my business, but … I'm beginning to think that maybe he's not such a nice guy."
"You don't meet many nice guys living on Avenue Q, sir," the blue-skinned redhead said as Nicky came in. Except maybe Nicky, he wanted to add. He's cute, and he's nice …
"I got these plants uploaded for you, Gary," he said before tripping over his feet and sprawling to the floor, sending plant pots all over the floor and shattering them.
… but he can be a bit of a klutz, "Nicky, look what you've done the inventory!"
"Don't yell at Nicky, Gary."
"Oh, hi, Rod," Nicky said, looking back up. "You look radiant today. Did you try some new eye make-up?"
"I-I'll help him clean it up before the customers get here."
"Well, that oughta give you plenty of time," he said leaning against the counter. "Look. God, what an existence I got! Misfit employees, bums on the sidewalk …" He sees the kids in the middle of the sidewalk and pushes off the counter to go shoo them off. "My life is a living hell!" He opened the door. "Hey, you. Urchins! Move, move! Go away! Off the stoop! If it ain't bad enough that I got the winos permanently decorating the storefront. I don't need these worthless ragamuffins to complete the picture. No loitering."
"I wasn't loitering," Marisol said, a smug smile on her face as the three stood up and started walking away. "Were you, Alyson?"
"Not me, Marisol. Were you, Anna?"
"You oughta be in school," Gary called after them. "Ya hear that?"
"We're on a split shift!" Anna said, nodding at Marisol.
"That's right. We went to school till fifth grade then split."
"Then how to you intend to better ourselves?"
"Better ourselves?" Alyson said, stopping and looking back at him. "You hear what he said?" Better ourselves?" She laughed. "Coleman, when you're from Avenue Q, ain't no such thing."