RENT (Lynnexa AU)

Life Support

Brendon

After Hayley and I fixed the sound equipment, I headed over to the community center where the life support meeting was. I wasn't expecting to see Lynn there, but I'm hoping she'll come. She doesn't like to open up to people, and she sometimes keeps her feelings in.

I walked inside, and found my way to the room where the meeting was held. I saw the backs of Steven and Max. I walked over to the little circle they were all sitting in. They were all going around the circle and introducing themselves. After the last person went, I think the leader of the group, I placed my things down in a chair, and I accidentally dropped my camera, disrupting the meeting. No harm to the camera, thank god.

"Sorry. Excuse me... Oops."

"And you are?"

"Oh, I'm not-- I don't have-- I'm with, uhm, Max and Steven... I'm just here to...'

I grabbed my camera, and patted it a few times.

"Brendon. I'm Brendon. Uhm, does anyone have a problem if I film a little of this for a documentary?"

They shook their heads no, and the leader, Paul I think it was, told me to make myself comfortable.

"So, who would like to start us off?"

There was a long pause until someone spoke up. I think his name was Gordon. He raised his hand and Paul pointed at him to start.

"Well, I'm-- Yesterday... I found out my T cells were low."

"What was your reaction?"

"Scared."

"How are you feeling today? Right now?"

"Okay... All right... Pretty good."

"Is that all?"

"It's the best I've felt in a long time. Months."

"Then why choose fear?"

"I'm a New Yorker. Fear's my life."

Laughs were exchanged around the circle. Still no sign of Lynn. I'm guessing she wasn't coming. I wouldn't be surprised.

Lynn

Late at night is when I used to get inspiration for songs. I usually wrote during the night, and maybe sometimes during the day. I couldn't get anything right now. I barely had a chorus. I used to enjoy writing, but now I get so frustrated by it that it makes me want break my guitar in two.

I kept playing the same three strings over and over, moving my fingers from fret to fret. See if anything came to me and if the chords just magically sounded right. Those kind of moments were very rare.

I heard a little tap on my window, and turned around to see Alexa. Great, I thought. She opened the window and invited herself inside.

"He-e-y, Lynn. Whatcha doing?"

"Trying to write a song and wanting to throw my guitar across the room. What are you doing here?"

"I wanna go out. Wondering if you wanted to come with me?"

"Like a date?"

"Only if you want it to be."

"Sorry, I can't."

"Why not?"

"I really don't want to. Don't take it personally, I've just been tied up with this song writing thing for a while now."

"I see that. Do you have anything so far?"

"Nada. Playing the same thing over and over again. I don't even have a lyric written for it, let alone music to go with it."