Going Viral

Adam

No time to wait for the elevator. It took too long so I decided to take the stairs.

I scaled the five flights of stairs, fighting the pain in my chest, trying to get up to the apartment as fast as I could. I had to tell Adam.

I reached my apartment, taking a moment to catch my breath, before digging into my back pockets for my keys.

Nothing.

I forgot them inside. Again.

I knocked lightly on the door. I hope Adam didn't go to sleep yet.

Nothing.

I knocked a little harder.

Nothing.

I started banging on the door. Pounding that echoed down the hallway. I don't care if I woke up everyone on my floor, above, and below it. I needed Adam awake.

I stopped the pounding when I heard movement come from behind the door. The door unlocked, creaked open, and out came Adams head. He smiled with half open eyes, saying.

"Hi roomie."

"Adam, are you high?"

"Uh, yes." He opened the door a little more, adjusting his composure to seem more sober. "Please don't get mad, but I smoked the last of the weed."

The only escape we had was weed. And luckily we didn't need to waste time and get a medical card for it, we knew someone a few floors down who helped us out. The problem was he was never home when we wanted any, so we did try and budget the weed we ever did get.

I didn't have time to be mad at Adam right now. I moved past Adam.

"I need you alert," I said moving into the apartment. The musk of weed was still in the air, and strong. Adam had a lamp on in the corner, dully lighting the studio.

Adam shut the door, came into the space and sat down on his blanket.

"My ears are your ears," he said with half opened eyes. He was high as fuck. I had a very small window of time I could explain this idea in my head before I lost him.

Five minutes was all I needed.

"Adam, are you listening?" I started to pace back and forth, I wanted to make sure Adam wasn't trying harder than he needed to pay attention.

"Trying my best, Captain." He said slowly blinking his eyes. He looked like he had some kind of rouge stain of down syndrome. Time was ticking.

"Alright listen," I said. "When I was walking outside I got an idea, a great idea. It can launch us out of this shithole."

"Okay, knower of all things, tell me what us should do."

I stared at Adam for a second, trying to process that strange sentence.

I continued, "Adam, why are we here. Why are we living in Hollywood? What is it we want?" I tried to ask redundantly, Adam still tried to answer it.

"Money?"

"No, no, Adam, Adam. Think. Think. Why do I want to act, why do you want to do comedy?"

"We love making people laugh?"

"No," I shook my head, I stopped my pacing, moving over to Adam and kneeling down in front of him. "Adam we want attention! I want it, you want it, it's attention we want!" I tried saying, hoping to infect Adam with my enthusiasm, but he just stared blankly at my with his half opened eyes. This idea had a lot of gravity and I just had to find a way for him to feel its pull.

"Adam," I said. "Stay with me buddy." I clapped my hands, trying to keep him awake. He shot open his eyes, reacting to my clapping.

"Adam, here in Hollywood, attention is gold. If attention was a dick, Hollywood would have her mouth wrapped around it, trying to shove all ten wonderful inches deep into her throat, trying to suck that ball sack dry. What we need more than anything Adam, is attention."

After a short pause, Adam said. "I'm not following."

At least he's being honest.

"Look, you know those gigantic billboards they have all over Hollywood, and the freeway, everywhere. Those are like a road sign for peoples attention, like Gandalf, they guide people's attention to whatever bullshit they have painted on it. Adam, think, think. It's 2015, what's the best way to capture attention we can relish in. Make something from it." Adam moved his eyes around his head, I couldn't tell if he was actually processing what was being said, or just pretending he was listening.

"Adam?" I asked.

"I don't know, movies?"

"No, no," I smiled moving over to Adam, kneeling beside him again, saying.

"Viral. Videos."