so much love on that first chapter, it's insane. this is the last chapter i have typed up at the moment so i thought i'd give you this one too! next update will hopefully be monday 😊
++|++
Brian wasn't lying when he said that the flat wasn't that much bigger than their previous one.
The first thing she notices is just how cluttered it is; there are boxes pushed to one side, a drum kit in the corner and Brian's guitar, the Red Special, is on it's stand beside it. Dirty dishes are piled up in the sink, something the Brian quickly ushers her by.
"Sorry about the mess," Roger says, though he doesn't sound at all sincere, "We're still in the process of unpacking."
"You mean you're still in the process of unpacking," Brian corrected.
"Oh, that's right."
Shaking his head, Brian shrugs off his jacket and points to the kitchen, "Do you want some tea?"
"No thanks," Roxanne plonks herself down on the couch, where she's guessing that's where she'll be sleeping.
"I've cleared a little bit of space in my wardrobe for your things," Roger says as he walks behind the couch, stepping over boxes and all the other shit on the floor as he makes his way to the door that's furthest away, "My room."
"Noted,"
"Bathroom is over there," he points, "And then Bri's room. Word of advice, don't go in there. He goes mental."
"I don't go-" Brian sighs from the kitchen doorway, "I just like my privacy, is all. Is that a crime, Roger?"
Her cousin opens his mouth to say something, probably some smart arse reply but before he can, Roxanne shakes her head.
"No, of course it's not, Brian."
"Right," Roger claps his hands together, "Well, I'll let you put your shit away in peace. Brian's in charge of dinner tonight so I hope you like your veggies."
Brian returns into the kitchen, muttering under his breath and really, Roxanne feels a little bit sorry for him. Living with Roger, cannot be easy but to avoid adding more fuel to the fire and causing an argument, she grabs hold of her bag and heads towards Roger's bedroom.
++|++
As the three of them eat dinner, a vegetable stir-fry which is actually pretty tasty, Roxanne fills Roger in on what she's been doing which has mostly been working in a cute little bakery and tourist shop that sells little Scottish nick-knacks as she prepares to start university herself.
But looking at her, Roger knows that uni? That isn't for her, that isn't at all what she wants to do. Books? Exams? That isn't her. She wants to do something she enjoys.
Like baking. Now that, if she could somehow make a life for herself doing that, she'd be set. She's a cracking baker. Every year that she comes down, it's always close to Rog's birthday and every year, she makes him a cake. Any flavour that he wants and last year's one truly went down a treat.
Roxy realises that she's spaced out and embarrassingly clears her throat, asking him about the shop that he's got in Kensington.
"It's not doing so well," he admits, "No one's buying anything, Nessie."
"Oh, well I'm sure things will pick up," she pats his shoulder, "I'd love to see it though. I think it's pretty cool that you have a shop, Rog."
"We're working tomorrow. I'll take you then."
"We?" she asks, "Crikey, have you got Brian working with you?"
Brian scoffs, "Please. I have better things to do than spend my days trying to rip off sweet old ladies."
"I'm not proud of myself, Brian but we need the money," Roger argues, "Do you want to go back to that bedsit? Back to living on baked beans?"
Brian ignores him and takes Roxanne's plate from her to take them through to the kitchen, "We need to get ready to go."
"Go?" she repeats, "Where are you going?"
"Got a gig," Roger explains, "You want to tag along?"
She does. In the past, she loved watching Smile perform and she desperately wanted to meet their new bandmates but really, she was tired from her train journey -which is ridiculous. All she did was sit her arse on a seat for four or five hours.
"Not tonight, Rog." she says regrettably, "You said you have a gig tomorrow night, right?"
He nods.
"Then I shall be there with bells on."
The young men dart around the flat; grabbing keys, their wallets and of course, Brian grabs his guitar before they're off out the door and Roxy takes another look around the flat.
She was going to clean this place up before doing anything else.
++|++
After cleaning up, Roxy sticks on some crappy TV programme and at some point, she fell asleep.
She woke up briefly when Brian and Roger returned in the early hours of the next morning and she vaguely heard that Roger had been joined by a young lady and Brian draped a blanket over her before retiring to his own room.
To be honest, the couch isn't that bad. It's plushy and comfortable enough that she doesn't think she'll mind sleeping on it for the time she's here.
When she dozes off again, she sleeps right through till morning and when she wakes up, she stretches her arms over her head before opening her eyes but when she does, she screams.
There's a man sat on the coffee table watching her but when she screams, he also screams and so the two of them are just sitting screaming at one another.
They both scream until Brian's door flies open - as does Roger's who comes stumbling out in only his boxers.
"What the fuck is going on?! Freddie?"
This is Freddie?
Roxanne pulls the blanket up to her chin as she sits up and the pair of them give each other the once over. He's a handsome guy, a little more exotic than what one would normally see in London but he was handsome all the same but when he smiles at her, she can't help but notice how big his teeth are.
"Roger, darling, is everyone in your family as pretty as you?"
Her cousin doesn't really look like he knows what's going on, having been so suddenly awoken though he does give Freddie a nod.
"Freddie," Brian starts, "What are you doing here? It's barely nine."
"Oh, yes," he stands, Roxy's wide eyes following him closely as he lights up a cigarette. She honestly thinks that she's still dreaming, "I went to the Lion and the Unicorn."
"And?" Roger seems a lot more awake now.
Freddie shakes his head. "He turned us down. Had the absolute audacity to say that we're not good enough to play his pub. Honestly, can you believe that, darling?" He directs his question at Roxanne who just continues to stare at him, "Oh, where are my manners? Freddie Mercury."
"Roxanne Taylor," she shakes his outstretched hand.
"Scottish I hear. Now the nickname makes sense."
"Oh, you didn't tell him my nickname, did you?" she looks at Roger, who just grins.
Freddie just shakes his head while still looking at her, "Truly, darling, you are beautiful."
Roxanne grins as her cheeks burn, looking at Brian, "I like him!"
Both she and Freddie look over their shoulders as a woman, the same woman she'd heard last night, emerges behind Roger, in his shirt and they watch as she wraps her arms around his waist, standing on her tiptoes to whisper something in his ear, causing a grin to creep onto his face.
Roxanne lets out a noise of disgust as he turns his head to kiss her, his hand moving down her waist to squeeze her bum before following her back into his bedroom but not before giving the three of them a wink.
"Okay, no." she shakes her head and gets up and despite being in her pyjamas, she reaches for her jacket, "Breakfast anyone?"
She's never seen anyone move quicker.