TOLERANCE

Untitled Part 1

FORWARD

It's a celebration in the studio! Finally, after years of writing songs, Mark has achieved a significant milestone: his song has made it onto the Billboard 200 charts, currently sitting at number 75. The song, titled "The Crowd," was a collaboration with artist Jenny D, and everyone is thrilled about the prospects that this achievement brings. Mark's good friend and co-producer James congratulates him, saying, "You did it, man! You did it!" Mark humbly responds, "Nah, man, we did it. After all these years, hearing my music on the radio and seeing a video feels good. We've been at this for a long time, and here I am, 30 years old, finally starting to see the light."

In the studio, Jenny D, the artist herself, and Judd, another producer friend, are also present. Judd shares his pride in the song, saying, "I knew this song was fire when I first heard it. I'm proud of you, man. I'm proud of both of you." Jenny D becomes emotional as it's her first song to chart as well. She expresses her gratitude to Mark for his contribution to writing such a great song and thanks James for his exceptional production. James playfully blushes and says, "Aw, shucks."

Although they are supposed to be working on a new track for Jenny, the news of their chart success in the recent issue of Billboard magazine momentarily distracts them. They decide to take a break from recording, order some sushi, and open a bottle of champagne (as well as some Mountain Dew for Mark and James, who don't drink). Mark suggests making a toast, saying, "I want to make a toast to a great team. We all did this together, and I see many more hits coming in the future." Everyone raises their glasses and cheerfully says, "Yeah, yeah!"

However, amidst their celebration, Mark receives a phone call. Initially, he could barely hear the person on the other end due to the loud music playing while they were reviewing tracks. It turns out to be his girlfriend at the time, Anne-Marie. He answers the phone, saying, "Hey babe, what's up? Sorry about all the noise. We're here celebrating Jenny's song. We looked at Billboard today and saw we're at number 75 on the chart." Anne-Marie responds with a somber tone, "Oh, babe, that's great." Sensing her lack of excitement, Mark asks, "Wow, you don't sound that excited." Anne-Marie then reveals, "Babe, I need you to come home. I have something really important to tell you." Mark, understanding the seriousness in her tone, agrees, "Well, you can tell me right here." Anne-Marie insists, "No, I need you to come home. It's very important." Recognizing the gravity of the situation, as she wouldn't interrupt his session without a valid reason, Mark says, "Okay, I'll be there in 20 minutes." Anne-Marie replies, "Okay, I'll see you then. Let me hang up."

Concerned, James asks, "Yo, everything okay?" Mark replies, "Man, I don't know. Anne-Marie just called me, and she sounds really sad. I don't know what's going on, but I have to go." James assures him, "Amen, go do what you gotta do, man. We'll hold down the fort here." Mark expresses his gratitude, saying, "Alright, thanks, man. I'll see y'all in a bit." He quickly jumps into his car, eager to get home as soon as possible.

As Mark speeds home, he can't help but worry about getting a ticket. His heart is racing, knowing that something is seriously wrong based on the tone of Anne-Marie's voice. Finally, he arrives home and walks through the door, calling out for her. Anne-Marie is sitting in a chair, crying. She jumps up and throws her arms around him, and Mark becomes even more afraid at that moment. With a trembling voice, he asks, "What's wrong, babe?"

Anne-Marie holds his face in her hands, tears streaming down her face, and delivers the devastating news, "Your grandmother died. Your family has been trying to get in touch with you. I didn't want to tell you at the studio because I knew you would be devastated."

It takes a moment for Mark to process what she's saying. Then, the weight of the news hits him like a ton of bricks. He collapses to the floor, crying uncontrollably, curling up into a fetal position. His world comes crashing down around him, and the pain in his heart becomes unbearable. Through tears and sobs, he cries out for his grandmother, feeling the overwhelming grief and loss. And then everything goes dark.