30th July 1980
The last two years had slipped by far too quickly and far too easily for my liking,
Everything had changed, but not enough for it to make a difference too significant. The movie I filmed had been released, and it still remained my first and last acting job, which left my still as a model stuck in the endless cycle she labelled a career.
The people around me were the same, in addition to Julian's partner of now a year, Leo, and it seemed none of them had changed either. Life was simple, simple enough to live with ease but not exciting enough to live with that fear that was sometimes needed, but I couldn't complain.
I hadn't seen my dad since I last did, and nor had I seen or heard from Roger since I last had. Queen were drowning in fame, after the release of their undeniably amazing new album 'the game', which came out whilst they were still swimming in the cash of 'jazz'- they were at their peak. So that meant I spent more time than I would've preferred listening to either Roger's name being mentioned or his music playing.
Other than the small changes, it was all the same. All just essentially the plain old life of Adelynn Petrov, a still single model who came home most days to the comfort of her cat Toulouse and her dearest friend- Vodka.
But that was exactly what led me to being sat round Julian's, music playing faintly in the background as me, him, Leo and Summer all played a game of monopoly far too competitive for my liking. I'd stopped by after work, and when I was presented with the offer of a game I wasn't one to turn it down. But that was three hours ago.
"Right... Leo pay up you owe me four hundred bucks !" Summer demanded, looking at the blonde sat angrily with his hair swept to the side. He was exactly who I would've picture Julian to be with, denim jeans and knitted jumpers to match his thin framed glasses and scruffy of light curls.
"I haven't got four hundred ! Since when did you even have houses ? I thought you were loosing !" Me and Julian sat glancing at each other as we laughed, watching the scene unfold between the two of them. Summer was sat with her arms crossed and head high, the dress she'd made wrapping around her body with her. She's completed university now, and worked in a clothing store besides Julian's (and now Leo's) salon.
"Best sell some properties then..." she grumbled, looking down at the card's he owned she had so desperately wanted her hands on the entire game.
"Fine." He huffed, tossing two properties in her direction, eyebrows furrowing as she giggled and added them to her pile that now took up most of the board.
"My turn." Julian sighed with a pang of relief, shaking the dice in his hands before launching it across the board to score himself a total of seven moves.
I'd lost the game what felt like years ago, loosing tragically to the only lot Julian owned that held a hotel, leaving me to sit back and watch the three of them compete. Julian was the banker, regretting his decision every time he glanced at the clock and noticed how many more minutes had managed to pass.
"That's my property ! Boom... you owe me." Summer exclaimed, picking up her card. "Seven hundred bucks."
"That's it." Julian sighed, throwing down his pile of notes too short to cover his bill. "I'm done. I'm out."
"Oh great... I'm never gonna win. She's owns literally everything !" Leo grumbled, head falling onto his fisted hand. Julian clicked his tongue, kissing his cheek gently with a slight reassurance.
"So is it safe to say I've officially won this game ?" She glanced at the three of us with a cheeky smirk, biting her bottom lip with anticipation. I shrugged, looking at the two boys who hated themselves for nodding. "Yesss ! I told you I would. Winner gets to pick what album goes on next too."
"Fine." Julian grumbled, waltzing over to the fridge to find himself another drink as I laughed. Summer's smile had never been so bright, her eyes flicking through the stacks of records as I helped Leo pack away the board.
"Anyone else want a drink ?" Julian asked, to which the blonde responded with a nod, as did Summer whilst she pulled a record from it's sleeve before gently placing the needle on it as it spun.
"I'm okay thanks. I gotta walk home... I think I'm gonna get something for dinner on the way back."
"I won't argue with that logic..." He shrugged, passing the two others their drinks. "How's Connie been, seen much of her ?"
"Yeah she's good. Busy with the new job I think, she was round the other night though. Insisted we watched that crap movie I was in again." I laughed a little, the four of us pausing to make out the track Summer had chosen to play. "Is this... this is Queen isn't it ?"
"Yeah... Jazz. B side."
"You had a thing for the drummer didn't you ? I swear Freddie wrote Dreamers ball about you both." Leo added. I nodded very hesitantly, not sure wether to label the romance I would irritatingly have always shared with as a thing. I still thought of him as often as I did before, but I was completely stripped of any feeling of what it was like to be with him. I had no idea what any thing he'd previously used to make me fall for him felt anymore. It was all too long ago.
"He never said it was about them... she was asked to listen to it. It might be, or it might not be. We have no clue." Summer added, glancing at me as I nodded again, feeling as if the words weren't right to come from my mouth like they did from hers.
"Their new album's good. I did always think he was a decent looking guy. I mean... when Julian told me about it I was pretty shocked. But you are stunning."
"Thank you." I blushed slightly, smiling gratefully at Leo, who's arm had slipped easily around Julian. "Their music is really good. Annoyingly good at times to be honest."
"You need to get with someone else ! You haven't been in a relationship since and it drives me crazy... you just bloody sleep with people and leave it there." Julian rolled his eyes as I shrugged, slightly embarrassed. I didn't quite live like he described it. I certainly hadn't been in a relationship but I didn't exactly sleep around. I just had my fair share of one night stands like most girls did.
"I will one day. Just not yet. But... what I will do is go and get myself some dinner and go sit with the cat." I chuckled with a slight ease to lift the weight of the conversation of my shoulders, grabbing my jacket from the coat rack as the all too familiar track 'dreamers ball' started playing.
I adored the song, and it was really one of my favourites. It was perfect, and a little out of reach form their usual songs, which I liked. It did remind me of Roger, though most things did now, but I'd learned to live with that feeling long ago. But no one expects a 'thing' lasting all of less than four months to haunt you like it did me.
"Not staying for a drink ?"
"Nah... not after that monopoly game I'm shattered. I've got work fairly early tomorrow as well. Ill see you all soon... night."
-
I decided to stop at the store closest to mine on the way home, leaving me juggling a red velvet cake and microwave meal in my hands as I tried to grasp a kitkat, which ultimately failed when I dropped everything in my hold.
"For fuck sake." I mumbled, crouching down to pick the spilled contents back up, noticing another hand scurrying across the floor to help me. I looked up to the owner, a dark haired guy I somehow told myself I'd met before, his eyes as gentle as the way his smile was sat.
"Sorry." I huffed embarrassingly, taking the cake from his hands as my cheeks shone red. His eyes were bright green, a green I was sure I'd seen before. They were such a distinctive emerald I was certain I couldn't forget who the owner was.
"No worries miss." He smiled again, this time taking more cation in analysing my features, squinting his eyes slight as if they were lying to him. "I'm erm... I'm Nathan. I borrowed your lighter outside a chippy about two years ago."
"Oh fuck." I nodded, my mind placing the image it knew it has already before seen. "Yeah... I remember. Sorry I never did call."
"No no don't be... I understand why." He added nervously, brushing his hair back as chuckled slightly. "How have you been ?"
"Not too bad... just off to the spend the evening with the cat." I shrugged, laughing again as he clicked his tongue and nodded. "What about you ? Any plans that might just be more exciting than mine ?"
"Ahh not quite." He looked down at the floor, nerves dancing their way around his system as the emeralds he wore as eyes traced the tiles beneath us both. "I'm sorry, this er, this might be a little random, and I won't be one bit offended if you say no... but I was wondering if you'd wanna get a drink sometimes ? Maybe cure our boring evenings."
I didn't really know what to say, or how to react, stood simply frozen with my mouth loosely open as he nibbled at the skin around his fingers. He wasn't one part confident, his face wearing a nervous expression that paired with the movements of his hands and the tapping of his foot too well.
I didn't think a drink could hurt, after all I was agreeing to share a portion of an evening with him in the company of most likely a bottle of vodka, I wasn't agreeing to being his life long partner. But it felt as if saying yes to a drink would turn into much more, and something I shouldn't let myself get trapped into.
Despite my initial thoughts, and fear of a glass turning into more than one night in each other's company, I decided to go with the answer I knew Julian would've wanted me to say.
"Yeah sure... I'll give you a call when I next have the chance." I replied, clearing the tense air tangled with his worries, my body loosening as the air leaked free of the nerves. His lips instantly took to a smile, his hands brushing back his hair again as the curled upwards, just below his rosed cheeks.
"I'll uh..." he grabbed a card from his back pocket. "Here's my number."
"Thanks." I took the card slightly awkwardly between my teeth, nodding as he chucked. I soon managed to wriggle a hand free from the pile i seemed to be cradling and took the number in my hand. "I'll see you around."
I'm still not entirely sure why I did decide to have a drink with him. He had nothing about him that intrigued me, or pulled me in, no pull at his lips that made me blush or look in his eyes that watched me fall, but I still did agree. And I still wish I hadn't.
An- this twas short I'm aware... but I'm not in the best state of my mind rn 😭
anyways love you all