Hey everyone! So here's my first RENT story, I hope you like it. I worked hard on this and I seriously think I won't be able to write or type for a week. I got the idea for this one day when I couldn't open a can of Spaghetti-O's. Of course, my event didn't play out like the story, but you get the idea. It's a one-shot for now, unless I think of something for another chapter, but I really doubt that.
Enjoy!
It was another cold day in New York City and I was sitting on our beaten couch counting the stains on the little coffee table, bored out of my mind. Rodger was in the kitchen searching for something to eat, making quite a racket.
Mimi was out of town visiting her parents, Collins and Angel were out shopping for clothes and what not, and Maureen and Joanne were having a 'girls-only' day as Maureen called it. So basically, Rodger and I were left with absolutely nothing to do.
I heard a crash from the kitchen and Rodger swear a few times. I sighed and closed my eyes. Sometimes I really hated my life. This, was one of those times.
"Mark, Mark!" Rodger called running into the room holding a can. "Look what I fond!"
He held out the can and I sat up to see.
"Spaghetti-O's?" What's the big deal about Spaghetti-O's?" I asked.
Rodger looked at me as if I had grown horns and said, "It's circular spaghetti. What's better than circular spaghetti?"
I opened my mouth to list many things better than circular spaghetti, but Rodger had already turned and raced back into the kitchen. I couldn't help but smile at him as he started searching for a bowl to put his find in. "Do you want some Mark?" he asked over his shoulder as he pulled out a mixing bowl and spoon.
"No thanks, I'll pass on the canned pasta." I called back.
"Canned circular pasta." He corrected.
I chuckled and picked up my camera, turning it in my hand trying to think of something to do.
I hadn't been thinking 3 minutes when I heard a pop and more cussing from the kitchen.
"Rodge? You okay?" I asked, worried he head broken something.
Rodger stalked out holding the can in one hand and the tab off the top of it.
"Stupid tab broke off." He growled, staring at the small piece of metal as if it had verbally insulted him.
"Now how am I supposed to eat my circular spaghetti?" he whined.
"Well, have you tried the can opener?" I asked, standing up and walking over to him.
His face remained blank for a few seconds, before the idea finally dawned on him. He raced back into the kitchen and started tearing through the drawers looking for the can opener.
I sighed a followed, somehow knowing I was going to have to help him in some way.
Rodger already had half the drawers open rummaging through them. I sat down by the table and watched in mild amusement. At least this was better than counting stains.
He suddenly straightened up holding the can opener above his head and starring at it as if it was his idol.
"Ah ha!" he cried, scrambling over to his bowl. He set the can on the table and prepared to open it.
I couldn't help but laugh at the look of concentration on Rodger face, his eyebrows knitted together and his tongue sticking out the corner of his mouth. He ignored me and concentrated on fitting the opener onto the can. It slipped the first time and his eyebrows scrunched tighter. He kept trying for five minutes straight before he finally screamed and threw up his hands in frustration.
"Damn it! Why won't this stupid thing stay on?!" he cried. By this point I was practically holding onto the table to keep from falling to the floor I was laughing so hard.
"Rodge," I finally croaked straightening myself up. "You gotta put the little spiky thing right here." I showed him how, securely placing it in the right place. He nodded enthusiastically, taking it from me and trying again. Once again, he slipped.
Slamming the can opener on the table, Rodger picked up the can of Spaghetti-O's and preparing to throw it against the wall.
"Whoa! Whoa!" I said, jumping up and grabbing the can. "Rodger, busting the can against the wall won't help."
"But the thing slipped again!" he practically screamed at me.
I chuckled and earned a punch in the shoulder from Rodger.
"Ow!" I said, jumping back and rubbing my now sore shoulder.
"Well, you laughed at me. You deserve it." Rodger declared, turning his back to me and glaring over his shoulder.
"Yeah, well you can't open a can, so you deserve to be laughed at."
Rodger took another swing at me for that, which I dodged quickly.
"I'd like to see you try then." Rodger huffed, pushing the can opener into my hand.
"Okay fine. Watch and learn." I said, placing the can down and easily operating the can opener so that it was ready for opening. Rodger watched and glared at me, sticking out his tongue at me when I grinned at him.
"Very mature." I muttered as I turned the handle to open the lid.
To my surprise though, it wouldn't turn. I tried harder and still failed.
Rodger watched while I fought with the handle and roared with laughter when I slumped against the table in exhaustion.
"Aw, does the weak little albino need some help?" he taunted.
I sneered at the name 'albino', but slid him the can. "It's your food anyway." I muttered, pulling up a chair and sitting down.
Rodger smirked and rubbed his hands together dramatically. "That's right Marky, let the tough, strong guy handle this. Haha, get it? Handle? Haha." he said, laughing at his own joke.
It was my turn to stick my tongue out, but I stopped myself from adding that I could at least get the can opener on the can, knowing it would only end in pain for me.
Rodger grabbed the handle and turned with all his might, but it didn't budge
"What the hell?" he said, having another go at it and coming up with the same result.
I grinned and sat up. "What's wrong tough guy? Can opener winning?"
Rodger flipped me off before trying again, only to fail miserably.
"Shit! This thing is tough!" he exclaimed, dropping down into the chair beside him.
We looked at each other. There was no way we were going to let a stupid can opener beat us.
"Truce?" I said, extending my hand.
"Truce." He agreed, grabbing my hand and shaking. "Let's finish this."
2 hours later, Rodger and I both lay slumped on the table breathing heavily. The can sat between us, still unopened, mocking us.
"Rodger," I gasped. "I don't' think this thing is ever going to open."
Rodger didn't say anything, just grabbed the can and made another feeble attempt at opening it.
"Mark, I think we need to try something else. Be right back." He walked away, and I turned to get something to drink. I heard him come back and turned to ask him what his new plan was. I stopped and my eyes widened as I saw him positioning a sledge hammer over the can.
Where he even got a sledge hammer I didn't want to know. Racing over to him, I grabbed the can right before the hammer slammed down. The house rang with the sound of the hammer on the metal table.
I uncovered my ears and looked up to see Rodger lifting the hammer off the table to reveal a large dent in the table.
"Look what you made me do Mark! Now the tables dented!" Rodger yelled, gesturing toward the misshapen table.
"Better a dent in the table than the loft covered in Spaghetti-O's!" I yelled back. "You can't just smash the can!"
"Give me the frickin' can Mark!" Rodger growled, walking around the table toward me. "I'm starving, and I WILL get my circular spaghetti!"
I hugged the can to my chest and turned defensive. "No. I'm not going to let you bust this can open."
Rodger growled and leapt toward me, grabbing for the can. "Give it here Mark!"
"No!" I yelled, throwing him off and racing into the living room.
Rodger ran after me and chased me around the living room and back into the kitchen.
Unfortunately, my foot caught on the leg of a chair and both the chair and I toppled over. Rodger skidded around the corner and spotting me on the floor yelled, "Ha! Give me the can!" and jumped on top of me.
We wrestled each other, both fighting over the small can of pasta.
"Marky! Rodger! Where are you?"
We both froze as the voice reached our ears.
"Uh, in her Maureen." I called, trying to get my head free of the head lock Rodger put me in.
Maureen bounced around the corner then and froze at the sight of us.
"Um, what are you two doing?" she asked, pointing a finger at our position on the floor.
"Nothing, nothing." Rodger said, finally getting off me and standing up. "I'm just trying to get my Spaghetti-O's from Mark."
"More like trying to kill me." I muttered scrambling up while rubbing my now bruised ribs and still keeping the can out of Rodger's reach.
Maureen's eyes lit up and her mouth formed an 'O'. "You mean circular pasta?" she asked enthusiastically.
Rodger nodded vigorously and turned to glare at me.
"Mark won't let me have it, so I was trying to get it from him."
Maureen turned to look at me now and looked about ready to leap on me as well, but thankfully Joanne appeared at that moment, saving me from a double attack.
"Hey guys. What's up?" she asked, looking between Rodger and mines battered bodies.
Before either Rodger or Maureen could open their mouths, I raced over to Joanne and hid behind her.
"Rodger and I were trying to open a can of Spaghetti-O's and we couldn't get it open so Rodger tried to hit it with a hammer and I wouldn't let him, so now he and Maureen are trying to kill me." I said quickly, peeking out from over Joanne's shoulder, still holding that damn can against my chest.
Joanne glanced at me, then at Maureen and Rodger, then at the dent in the table and back to me.
"I was wondering what happened to the table." she muttered. She stepped away toward the table and I quickly followed, afraid that if I left her for a minute, I would be jumped by the two 'circular spaghetti' freaks.
"So all this over a can of Spaghetti-O's?" she asked.
"It's an evil can!" Rodger exclaimed. "It will not open!"
"I thought you were strong Rodger." Maureen teased. "Wait till Mimi hears that you can't even open a can!"
"You better not Johnson." He growled. "Mark couldn't get it open either."
Maureen made a motion with her hands. "Yeah, but he's Mark. He's not supposed to be strong."
"Thanks Mo." I muttered, finally setting the can down, but still keeping it close as I saw Rodgers hand twitch toward the hammer.
Joanne chuckled and took the can. Grabbing the discarded can opener from when Rodger had the hammer, she placed it on the can and turned the handle easily.
There was a 'pop' and the lid was soon off.
Rodger and I both stared at her with our mouths gaping like fish.
"But-how-we-wouldn't-huh-what the hell!?" I spluttered. "How did you get that open?"
Joanne just shrugged and grinned. "Maybe it just needed a woman's touch?"
Maureen applauded dramatically and walked up behind her. "That's my girl. Stronger than both of yall." she said, kissing her on the lips.
Joanne laughed. "Thanks Honeybear."
Rodger was still just staring at the can and Joanne in shock. It was few minutes before he finally seemed to realize that he could at last have his circular spaghetti.
Grabbing the can, he practically sprinted over to the long forgotten bowl and dumped out the can.
"Yay!" he cheered, shoveling it into his mouth.
"Hey! I want some too!" Maureen said, jumping up and running over to him.
"Aren't you going to have some Mark?" Joanne asked.
"Naw, I didn't want any in the first place. Stupid can's given me enough trouble already. Besides, I don't really want to get between them and their food." I said, nodding towards Rodger and Maureen. Joanne nodded understandingly and we sat there for a while watching the beasts eat in amusement.
"So I thought you and Maureen were having a 'girls-only' day?" I asked, turning to Joanne.
"We were, but Maureen insisted that we come over here. Something about talking to you about another protest."
"Yeah." Maureen said looking up. "I vas tinkin 'bou doin nother un, an oo coul film it." she said, her mouth filled with Spaghetti-O's.
I laughed and said I would think about it.
Rodger burped just hen and wiped his mouth.
"Happy?" I asked. He just nodded contentedly.
"I should hope so after all we went through. My ribs are going to be sore for weeks!"
Joanne looked at me weird, but turned back again saying something that sounded like, "I don't want to know."
"I'm still hungry!" Maureen complained, throwing the empty bowl in the sink. "Lets go to the Life Café!"
We all agreed and headed out the door.
"But no Spaghetti-O's!" I called, grabbing my camera and racing after them.
The End! I hope you liked it. Let me know in a review!