Back to the past

What a super feeling!

I didn't think I'd get any views at all. But 60?!
If you've read this far, thank you so much!!

Now, back to the story:)

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"Tori??"

"Are you awake?"

I lift my head up slowly only to find Alice standing by my door. I look at the clock on the night table. "Gosh Alice, it's 3 am"

She tilts her head down looking at her bare feet. "Well, I can't sleep, I'm too homesick. Can I sleep in here with you?"

"Oh.. Sure, this bed could fit 3 people!" I say letting out a small laugh.

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I wake up and Alice is still asleep, she must have been very tired yesterday. I get dressed and walk downstairs to the kitchen.

Jim is already awake, of course. He always wake up early to work in the garden.
"Good morning, Jim!"

"Morning!"

I put on the kettle and lay a few slices of bread on a plate. "Well I didn't know you were so close to that friend of yours!" he says. What's that even supposed to mean? I think my face expression spoke for itself, because before I could say anything he cut my off.
"I accidentally saw that she was sleeping in your room while I was walking by" he continues.

"Yeah.. Alice was feeling a bit homesick last night, so I let her sleep in my room" I say while trying to find a cup.

"Good morning guys!" Alice says peaking her head into the room.

"Morning!" Jim and I say at the same time.

"Today we're having guests over" Jim continues.

"Ouu who's coming?" Alice asks with an exiting tone.

"Mary Austin and her husband, Peter Straker, Mike Moran and Paul Prenter"

My whole body freezes and I am unable to move or speak. But right before Alice can say anything I blurt out "We have plans!" Alice turns to me and looks confused. "Yes, me and Alice have plans... We're going on.. on a dinner.. at a restaurant in town!" I could see by Jims expression that he knew I was lying. Tbh I wish I could stay. I mean seriously, Mike Moran, Freddie and Peter Straker?? Can you possibly find better jam night bros?

"Umm.." Alice starts. I raise my eyebrows and stare at her. "..yeah, that's right! now I remember. Sorry Jim."

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"Tori, what on earth was that about?" she asks. We are now upstairs in my room.

"Alice I am NOT meeting that man!" I blurt out.

"Who?!"

"Paul Prenter! I do not want to meet him under any circumstances!"

"But why?"

"Listen, you don't know the stuff I know about that man... He's not a good person, but I think we're too early in time for Freddie and Jim to know that yet."

"Okay I understand. Let's just go out somewhere until they've gone then."

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"Freddie do you know any good places we can go on dinner to?" I ask.

"Well, it depends on who your going with? Is it a date?" He asks.

"Umm.. no- It's definitely not a date. I'm going with Alice" I say getting a little embarrassed.

"Oh.. well in that case I think I know a few."

- major time skip because I'm too lazy -

"Thanks for taking me here Tori, the dinner was very good!"

"I'm glad you liked it. It's supposed to be the best pasta in town!"

"Tori?" The smile that stayed on her face for the whole evening has now disappeared.

"Yeah?"

"Why haven't you told them about Freddie's death yet?"

I almost forgot about that part...

"I've just been having a lot off stuff in my mind lately. I mean, I'm not sure I've yet processed the whole 'Freddie Mercury is actually here' thing."

A lie.

In fact I can't put on the courage to say it to them. To see their faces turning to a death-pale color, eyes not blinking from the shock, body frozen, shivers going down their spines and the aura in the room turning the world into black and white again.

I snap out of it from Alice voice. "Yeah that's true, but you gotta tell him sometime"

"Yeah, I know.."

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When we get home I see that Mary is still there. Ugh. This means I gotta introduce myself.

"Perfect timing darling! I was just done telling everything about you to Mary!".

"Oh... that's great!" Another lie.
"Well hi, I'm Tori, and this is Alice" I say while stretching my hand forward for her to shake.

"Hello, nice to meet you two" she says with a smile on her face.

After a while of talking to each other I grab my bag from my room and walk downstairs again.

"I actually brought some photos from my time on Freddie, I thought we could look at them."

I show them a few pictures. One of Freddie and Jim holing a cat, one of Freddie and Jim at their house in Ireland, a few on Freddie with the band and loads of pictures that I'm very sure they've not seen before because they weren't found until phones came into the world.

"Am I really that ugly when I'm older, or why do you only have pictures of me in my 40s? I wanna know what I look like in 10 years!" He says laughing with Mary.

The question sinks in very deep inside of me. My smile on my face has dropped and Mary and Freddie are looking at me, laughing about it. What am I even supposed to say? It doesn't feel like the right time telling him.

"Ehrrr-"

I was cut off by Joe."Who wants some dessert?" He yells form the other side of the room.

"Oh finally!" Freddie and Mary stands up and starts walking towards the dinner table. "Are you not coming?" Freddie turns around and asks.

"No I'm good... still full from the restaurant!" I say trying to fake a little laugh.

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I sit outside in the garden with Alice, trying to play something on the guitar.

"Play the one that I like, play 'I love you' by Billie Eilish"

I start playing and we both sing together along. Towards the end of the songs I can feel how tears are starting to fall down my cheek.

"The smile that you gave me even when you felt like dying"

It's such a sad song and I can't help but cry, it's just impossible.

"Oh Tori..." Alice looks at me, she's definitely noticing that I'm crying by now. She's raising up her left hand to my cheek to wipe away the tear. She stares into my eyes and I can feel this weird feeling that I've never felt before, It's almost like I'm home, but better.

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This chapter did not turn out like I was expecting, but I just go with the flow.

I'm sorry for the Billie Eilish songs, but I feel like they fit in very good in this story. If you have any requests on songs you want in the story just write them.

(I have like 5 chapters more in my draft, but I've been too lazy to go through them. So either I'll spam with new chapters tomorrow, or I'll just wait until I have the courage to do it)

Thanks, bye👋