Musical One-Shots

Almost There (RENT)

A/N: This is based off of Lydia the Bard's villain song for Princess Tiana that she released yesterday! I listened to this and immediately thought of this oneshot idea! Also, although I am a big fan of RENT I have not written many fanfics for it, nor am I the best writer, please forgive me if there is any OOC-ness! As always, comments and constructive crit are much appreciated! I do not own Rent!

Almost there..... I'm almost there...

Roger stormed into Benny's office after hearing about the latest thing he did. Benny had not only gone through with building a CyberArts Studio building over the tent city lot, but signed an agreement to begin building more CyberArts Studio buildings throughout not just New York City but the state of New York in general, even though it would mean having to harm underfunded communities.

People down here think I'm crazy, but I don't care

"Benny....what the fuck have you done..." Roger said. He wasn't even angry like he'd usually be, but more like downright scared and horrified, in complete and utter shock as he took in what one of his closest friends had become.

"I remember when we were kids, you told me that all our dreams would come true so long as we had each other! I didn't think that I'd have to witness with my own eyes just how ruthless and coldhearted of a person you'd turn into!"

The two of them did in fact go way back. Benny actually knew Roger way before Mark, Collins, and the others came into the picture. He and Roger practically grew up together since his father worked under Roger's at a law firm. Benny always did have big plans, acquiring his own work ethic and philosophy for success from his father, and Roger always did admire him for that. He worked hard during his school years and eventually got into Brown University, where he met Mark and also Alisson Grey, whom he dated and ended up marrying years later, and found friends in Mark and Collins.

In the fateful winter of 1989, though, he began to change for the worse. He signed an agreement with his father-in-law to build a studio in the East Village that would take up the land where a tent city was, displacing tons of homeless people in the process, as well as cutting off Mark and Roger's heat and electricity until they agreed with his plan, which they did not. He did hold off on going through with anything, however. That is, until now, to the shock of Roger and the rest of the gang.

"Do you not realize just how many black and brown, as well as homeless people will get fucked over if you go through with this?! My friends and Mimi will all suffer! Do you not care about them?!" he yelled. "The

"Oh, Roger, you're missing the big picture," Benny chuckled and said. "If there's one thing that I learned, it's that if hard work does jack shit, you have to be willing to get your hands a little dirty and play all the cards. And you know what? Who cares if some folks get hurt? They just should have learned how to play themselves. It's a dog-eat-dog world you know,"

Outside the window, Maureen and Mimi, among many other people, could be seen protesting the inevitable gentrification that was to come because of Benny's plan, yelling and holding signs saying things such as "STOP THE BUILD!" and "GENTRIFICATION IS BAD FOR NYC". Police had come onto the scene and things began to escalate. It was like Maureen's Over the Moon performance all over again. A cop pushed Mimi to the ground, and Collins helped her up.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HER!" he yelled at the cop. "THIS IS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD, SHE'S MY FRIEND, HOW DARE YOU TREAT US THIS WAY?!" Maureen added. "You're fighting for a lost cause, get out of here!" the cop replied. "We are NOT budging, so forget about trying to remove us!" Mimi said.

Roger looked out the window, horrified. He ran towards the door to try to do something but Benny beat him to it, standing in front of it, intending not to let Roger out.

"You called them, didn't you?" Roger asked. "KNOWING the potential harm that the police could bring onto my wife and my friends! You sick fuck, this is a new low, even for you!" he exclaimed.

"I've worked too hard and have come too far to stop right now-" "Benny, stop!" Roger said firmly "That's enough. You're done." He tried to get past Benny and out the door but he was stopped by his former friend. "Don't you see that there's nothing we can't do if we team up, me and you and my friends on the other side?" Benny said, referring to his investors.

"Then I guess you're almost there! If you actually decide to go through this, I'm out. You're losing me for good. I don't know who you are and what you did with my friend, but I refuse to associate myself with people who hurt my loved ones for their own personal gain. You've gone much too far. Don't you care about us? " Roger said.

"Well, if you are against it, then I don't want you here anyway, not when I'm almost there! I've wasted too much time talking with you." Benny retorted. "We used to dream about having a place where we can flourish artistically, I'm actually making that happen!"

"I can't do this right now. Not when my friends' livelihoods are on the line," Roger said bitterly.

Benny saw as Roger made his decision, watching as his former friend walked out, not even looking back.

"I'm almost there,"