No Day But Today
Again, the cast as of this point:
Rodger….Fang
Mark……Gazzy
Mimi…..Ari (Don't worry, Ari's still a guy.)
Angel…Iggy
Collins….Max
Benny…..Jeb
Maureen...Angel
Joanne...Nudge
Sorry about the mixup in the first chapter; it's been fixed. I hope you like chapter 2.
OK; I know I'm gonna get reviews saying OMG HOW CAN YOU HOOK UP FANG AND ARI?
How?
Watch me.
As soon as most of the commotion died down, Jeb started to walk back to the Hummer.
Only to find a homeless man leaning on it.
"Hey, bum. Get your ass off of the Hummer."
Gazzy, who had been watching, spoke up. "Benny, that attitude towards the homeless is EXACTLY what Angel is protesting."
"She's protesting losing her performance space!" Jeb replied, "NOT my attitude." He waved them down. "C'mere; I wanna talk to you."
Gazzy grabbed his camera and headed down, Fang right behind. This was gonna get ugly, and they both knew it.
"Close up; Jebediah 'Jeb' Batchelder. Our ex-roomate. Married to Alison Gray of the Westport Grays. His father in law bought several buildings on the block, and a nearby lot which houses Tent City. Hopes to evict all homeless from Tent City to build a cyber studio."
"Fang!" Jeb said, ingoring the camera. He ripped down a poster advertising Angel's performance "You look good for someone who came out a year in withdrawl."
Fang's turn to ignore. "What the hell do you want?"
"What do I want? Well, my investor-"
"Your father in law!" Gazzy interrupted.
Jeb continued. "Read about Angel's performance in the Village Voice. Got pissed, sent my to collect the rent."
"What rent!"
"The last year's rent, in which I let slide."
"What do you mean, 'let slide!" Fang excalimed. "You said we were golden!"
"When you bought the building." Gazzy added.
"When we were ROOMATES." Fang topped off.
"Right." Jeb said, looking off and remembering. "How could I forget; You, me, Gazzy, and Angel. How is that drma queen, anyway?"
"She's..getting ready for her performance." Gazzy said a little uneasily.
"Still her production manager?"
"...Not exactly."
"Still dating her?"
"I was dumped!" Gazzy yelled.
Jeb nodded. He grabbed another poster. "She have another man?"
"Well...no." Fang said nervously.
"What's his name?"
"Joanne."
A silence.
Jeb started cracking up.
Song: You'll See.
"Thanks for understanding." Gazzy said coldly.
"Well, what do you expect; sympathy form the guy who turned off our power? On Chirstmas EVE?" Fang said.
"Got your attention, didn't it?" Jeb smiled.
Gazzy tried to snap him out of it.
"What happened to Benny
What happened to his heart
And the ideals he once pursued?"
Jeb pointed towards a lot in the distance.
"The owner of that lot next door
Has a right to do with it as he pleases."
Fang rolled his eyes. "Happy birthday, Jesus."
"The rent." Jeb tried cutting to the point.
Gazzy stonewalled. "You're wasting your time. We're broke."
"And you broke your word." Fang added. "This is absurd."
"There is one way you won't have to pay."
"I knew it!" Fang muttered.
Jeb started on his offer.
"Next door, the home of Cyberarts, you see
And now that the block is re-zoned
Our dream can become a reality
You'll see boys."
Jeb started picturing it in his mind.
"You'll see boys
A state of the art, digital, virtual interactive studio
I'll forego your rent and on paper guarantee
That you can stay here for free
If you do me one small favor."
"What is it?" Gazzy asked.
Jeb looked to the two friends. "Convice Maureen to stop her protest."
"Why not just get an injuction or call the cops!" Fang protested.
"I did, they're on stadby." Jeb pointed. "But my investors rather I handle this quietly."
"You can't quietly wipe out an entire tent city. Then watch 'It's a Wonderful Life' on TV!" Fang exclaimed.
"You want to produce films and write songs?" Jeb asked.
"You need somewhere to do it!
It's what we used to dream about
Think twice before you pooh-pooh it
You'll see boys
You'll see boys
You'll see -- the beauty of a studio
That lets us do our work and get paid
With condos on the top
Whose rent keeps open our shop
Just stop the protest
And you'll have it made
You'll see --"
Jeb started to walk away. "Or you PACK!"
Iggy had gotten a good beat going on the pickle tub, despite the fact that he couldn't see what he was hitting. He heard someone walk up, drop a few dollars by his side. "Merry Christmas." he smiled. He then continued playing.
He stopped. Did he hear...coughing?
Faint. But, yes, it WAS coughing.
He got up, a back pack slung around his back. "Hello?" Iggy called, moving towards coughs, now growing louder.
"You OK, honey?"
Max slowly, painfully turned her head to see a tall, blond-haired kid, gripping a pair of drumsticks.
"...Yeah. I think so."
"Did they take any money?"
Max patted his pocket. "No. Thankfully."
"I'm Iggy." He held out his hand blindfully.
"...Max." She took the hand, and was pulled up to meet him.
"Before you ask, yes, I'm blind." Iggy said. He smiled.
Max took notice, observing Iggy's seemlingly sealed eyes.
"We need to get you to a hospital."
Max shurgged it off. "I'll be fine."
Iggy nodded, smiling.
Gazzy grabbed a jacket. "I was gonna look for Max."
Fang, who had sunk back into the couch, nodded. "Good luck."
"Fang, you should get out. Enjoy yourself."
"Zoom in on my empty wallet."
Gazzy nodded. "Take your AZT?"
"Yeah."
"And you're sure you don't-"
"Gaz, I'll be fine."
Gazzy rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He left, shutting the large door close.
Fang sighed, sitting up and eyeing his guitar. The he began tio play the first song he ever learned. A little ditty, called Musetta's Waltz.
For some reason, this was his favorite song, and he always played it when he used to be down.
But that was then.
He put the Fender down, taking the fire escape up to the roof.
The moon was out that night.
That's all Fang could do.
Stare.
And remember.
Song: One Song Glory.
"One song
Glory
One song
Before I go
Glory
One song to leave behind
Find one song
One last refrain
Glory"
He was on top of the world.
The rising star.
Everything handed to him on a silver platter.
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"
Fang remember it as it were yesterday. Her name was April. The only girl he could picked out of everyone in the crowd.
April. She was it. She was everything.
But then he made the move that would change everything.
"Glory -- One blaze of glory
One blaze of glory -- glory
Find
Glory
In a song that rings true
Truth like a blazing fire
An eternal flame"
The results were in. Both of them caught it.
April broke down, he remembered.
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"
Two days later April was found dead, her wrists slit, a note at her side
Time flies
And then - no need to endure anymore
Time dies"
Fang, depressed, trudged down the stairs to the loft. The memories seemingly tried to follow him.
A candle, semming to hang in the darkness, was quickly blown out.
Not the greatest, but I had to write before bed. ¬.¬ Just-give this a chance. I promise this will be better.