It didn't take too long for the power to come back on in the loft. Within seconds Jeff was back to his song writing session. Only prying his eyes away from the neck of the guitar long enough to see Matt throw his jacket on and head towards the door.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Amy called. She's having some trouble with her equipment; she wants me to go check it out."
"You're such a sucker."
"I don't suppose you'd like to see her show in the lot tonight? Or come to dinner?"
"Why don't you take that camera of yours and zoom in on my empty wallet." Jeff answered in a snide tone.
"Touché. Maybe you should take your AZT." Matt said before shutting the door behind him. It broke his heart to see his once vivacious, fun loving brother reduced to some depressive shut-in. Not that he could blame him. Jeff just hadn't been the same since his girlfriend of two years, April, left a note that simply said "We've got AIDS." Before slitting her wrist in the bathroom.
Jeff looked down at the AZT pills in his hand. The same three pills he had taken three times a day, everyday, for close to a year. The same three pills he will have to take three times a day, everyday, for the rest of his life. He popped them into his mouth and swallowed them with ease. He sat there for a moment, replaying the events of the past year in his head, before redirecting his attention back to his guitar. "One song" he silently prayed "just let me write on great song before I...die."
"One song
Glory
One song
Before I go
Glory
One song to leave behind
Find one song
One last refrain
Glory
From the pretty boy front man
Who wasted opportunity
One song
He had the world at his feet
Glory
In the eyes of a young girl
A young girl
Find glory
Beyond the cheap colored lights
One song
Before the sun sets
Glory, on another empty life
Time flies
Time dies
Glory
One blaze of
Glory
One blaze of
Glory
Find
Glory
In a song that rings true
Truth like a blazing fire
An eternal flame
Find
One song
A song about love
Glory
From the soul of a young man
A young man
Find
The one song
Before the virus takes hold
Glory
Like a sunset
One song
To redeem this empty life
Time flies
And then no need to endure anymore
Time dies..."
Before he could finish the song there was a soft knock at the door. Figuring Matt had forgotten something, on his way to be Amy white knight, Jeff cursed under his breathe as he opened the door. Ready to scold his older brother for interrupting his musical flow.
"What'd you forget?" He asked in an annoyed tone but was surprised to see that it was not Matt standing on the other side of the door.
"Got a light?" a woman asked holding up a candle. Jeff looked the beautiful stranger over. He had seen her before; she lived on the floor just below him. He always noticed her when he was getting the mail or walking up the stairway. She was hard not to notice with her long brown curly hair that fell down the sides of her angelic face. Perfectly framing her cat like eyes and full rose colored lips. But he had never actually spoken to her; much less had her standing at his door asking for a light. Being this close allowed him the chance to get an eye full of everything this girl had to offer. Her golden tan skin covered every curve of her stunning body that had been clad in a shinny black vinyl skirt and a white cut-off belly shirt. The outfit was complete with a pair of fishnet stocking and black knee high leather boots. "Not exactly winter attire" Jeff thought to himself. In fact he thought that her whole ensemble screamed prostitute, but there was something about her eyes that told him differently. A strange sort of innocence shielded behind deep pools of brown.
"You're shivering" Jeff said noticing the slight shaking that ran through her whole body. "It's nothing. They've turned off my heat and I'm all out of matches, which brings me here. Do you think you could light my candle?"
Jeff reached into his pocket and pulled a box of matches. He leaned forward, setting the wick ablaze, while all the time unable to remove his eyes from the woman's face.
"What are you staring at?"
"Nothing, it's just...your hair in the moonlight...you look familiar. Are you okay?" he asked observing her suddenly weary appearance.
"I'm fine, just haven't eaten much today. At least the room stopped spinning." She laughed, showing off her dazzling smile. Jeff couldn't help but once again stare at her. It was April's smile, the same smile that had been haunting his dreams for nearly a year.
"Now what are you staring at?"
"Your smile...you remind me of someone."
"I always remind people of someone. Who is she?"
"My girlfriend...she died. Her name was April."
"I'm sorry to hear that." She looked down to realize that the candle had gone out. "It went out. Could you light it again please?"
Jeff once again got the matches from his pocket and relight the candle.
"Ow!" the woman yelped as the hot wax hit her soft skin of her hand.
"The wax is dripping."
"That's okay. I like the way it feels between my fingers."
The two of them silently lingered there awkwardly for a moment. Waiting for someone to think of something to say.
"Well" Jeff finally said "Good night I guess."
"I guess so." She smiled as she turned to walk away. Jeff shut the door behind her and made his way back over to his guitar but before he could take a step there was another knock. Jeff opened the door and was once again greeted by the attractive woman.
"Did it go out again?"
"No." she said barged into the loft instead of waiting patiently, as she had done before. Looking around the floor and under the table as if she were searching for something. "I think that I dropped my stash."
"Your stash?" Jeff turned to her and once again found himself staring. But this time it wasn't her face that had caught his interest. She was bent over, searching under the coffee table for her drugs. The hemline of her skirt ridding up enough for Jeff to get a quick peek of her black lace panties.
"They say that I've got the best ass below 14th street. What do you think?"
"What?"
"You were staring again."
"No, I wasn't...I mean...you do have a nice...I mean. You look really familiar." He said, quickly changing the subject before he could make a bigger foul of himself.
"Like your girlfriend, you said that already."
"Only when you smile but I'm certain I've seen you somewhere else."
"Do you go to the Cat Scratch Club? That's were I work, I'm a dancer."
"That's right! They use to tie you up."
"It's a living."
"Wow, I almost didn't recognize you without the handcuffs." Jeff joke but she was too busy searching at pay attention. "You know, you shouldn't mess with that stuff. All it's going to do is turn your life to shit. I mean how old are you anyway? Sixteen?"
"Nineteen. But I'm old for my age, I can handle it. I was born to be bad."
"Yeah, I once was to be bad. I also use to shiver like that."
"I've got no heat. I told you that."
"Then why are sweating like that."
"I've got a cold."
"Really? Cause when I use to sweat like that it was because I was a junkie."
"Is it so wrong to want to feel a little good now and then?"
Suddenly something caught Jeff's eye from underneath the coat stand by the door. He bent down to see that it was a small bag filled with a white powder.
"Here it..." he began to say.
"Did you find it?"
"No." he said sliding the bag into his back pocket. "It was just a candy bar wrapper."
He knew it wouldn't do much but if stealing the stash meant delaying the destruction of this beautiful girl's life for even one night Jeff was more then willing to help.
"My candle went out again."
"I'm all out of matches."
"That's alright. I'm sure we could think of some way to stay warm." She said pulling Jeff in extremely close.
"You don't even know my name."
"Well what is it?"
"It's Jeff. Jeff Hardy."
"Please to make your acquaintance Jeff Hardy."
Jeff leaned in closer to her, their lips only inched away from touching. But before he could make contact she reached her arm into his back pocket and pulled out the little baggie. She giggled as she waved the drugs in front of his face and sauntered towards the door.
"By the way" she yelled back to Jeff "my name is Mimi."
Jeff watched in bewilderment as she disappeared from his sight. He didn't know what to make of the situation that had just occurred. It seemed so long since he had even interacted with a woman much less get toyed with. "I don't need this right now." He thought to himself. He had been working so hard to get his life back in order. The last thing he wanted was some drug addicted chick getting in his head and confusing him. He sat back down with his guitar, attempting to get back into his creative state of mind but all he could think about was Mimi. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was about to end in way to deep.
"One Song Glory" written by Jonathan Larson, preformed in RENT
Okay people, I know this isn't the most original idea but you've got to give me something. Do you know how hard it is to turn a rock opera into a fan fiction? Just a short review here and there, that's all. Just so I know someone is reading. I'm insecure. I need the attention. Please review. (Okay I think that's all the dignity I can afford to surrender for now.)
