One Month Later
December 1985
Roger zipped up his coat and wrapped his rainbow scarf around his neck. His mother knitted it for him and forced him to wear it.
"You look extra gay today. What's the occasion?" Freddie greeted, getting a small snort from John.
"My mum made it and say if I don't where it, she'll sell all my records." Roger huffed.
"I think it looks nice, Rog." John smiled, petting the soft yarn.
"She wouldn't sell them." Brian chuckled. "Who'd buy them? Everyone wants cassette tapes now."
"That's what I told her, then she said she'd break them, so." Roger shrugged.
"I think it looks like a leprechaun threw up on you, but we all have different opinions." Freddie shrugged as they made their way to the school. "Guess who's gay?"
"I swear, if you say yourself." Roger rolled his eyes.
"Is this a guessing game?" Brian asked, putting his hands in his pockets.
"I am, but no." Freddie grinned. "I have the hottest gossip of school right now, but it has to stay between us."
"Blackmail?" Roger cocked an eyebrow.
"No, we love him. Well, both of them." Freddie put his hand up.
"There two?" Roger grinned.
"Freddie, isn't it wrong to talk about this?" John frowned.
Freddie shook his head. "No, Roger and I keep each other updated on all the gossip in the school. That why we can use it to our advantage or dispute any 'rumors' for the people we like."
"Like vigilantes of drama." Roger smirked.
"That's a strong words to use for two serial gossipers." Brian rolled his eyes.
"You're just jealous because you can't find out the juicy details like me and Freddie." Roger shrugged.
"We're a power duo, darling. They just don't understand." Freddie waved it off. "Anyway, last night, I went to the mall with Kash. Well, guess who I saw making out in their car?"
"Again with the guessing." Brian cocked an eyebrow.
Roger rolled his eyes at Brian, putting a hand signal to shut him up. "Who?"
"None other that Mr. Hardy and Mr. Mazzello. They didn't see me, but I immediately ran into a parked car and set the alarm off." Freddie grinned.
"Ah! I knew it! You saw those shorts!" Roger laughed.
"You guys stared at Mr. Hardy's ass?" Brian cocked an eyebrow.
"Where have you been all year?" Roger scoffed, rolling his eyes with a smirk.
"Not faking asthma attacks in gym?" Brian shot back.
"Sometimes I was actually close!" Roger defended himself. "I always invited you."
"I liked gym!"
"You liked the stationary bike." Roger chuckled. "Anything else and you looked ready to die."
Brian shrugged, pushing through the doors. "The stationary bike is very beneficial!"
"So is riding a real bike, which you do. Everyday." John pointed out.
Brian shrugged again, going to his locker. The rest of the boys went separate ways to their locked as well.
Roger opened his locker quickly before he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around before letting out a guttural groan.
"Hello, Roger." Paul smirked.
Roger crossed his arms. "What do you want, Printer?"
"It's Prenter. With an 'e'." Paul frowned.
"Do I look like I care?" Roger rolled his eyes. "Piss off."
"I didn't come to fight." Paul sighed. "I heard you didn't have a date to the dance and I wanted to see if you'd want to come with me?"
Brian looked across the hallway, seeing Roger and Paul talking quietly. He frowned in confusion as he tried to meet Rogers eyes.
"Are you stupid?" Roger scoffed. "Paul, I hate you. More than anyone in this school. And I'm not gay." Roger rolled his eyes, turning around to dig in his locker.
"Oh? You're not? That's strange, because according to these pictures of you and Brian May... hm, it's a bit strange to kiss your best friend like that." Paul laughed harshly.
Roger turned around, his face flushing red with anger as he tried to snatch the pictures. "Where the hell did you get those?"
"Ah, ah, ah. These are mine. It pays to take photography classes." He smirked. "So, here's the deal. Come with me to the dance or I'll just have to make some copies of these and post them up on the school walls."
Roger clenched his jaw. "If I go with you, then everyone will know that I'm..."
"But they won't know about Brian." Paul sighed. "Or everyone could find out about both of you."
Roger swallowed. He knew what being out at school could do. People suspected Freddie of being gay and they teased him relentlessly. Brian had enough self esteem issues as it was. Roger couldn't let that happen to him.
"Fine. I'll go with you to the fucking dance. But you have to burn those pictures." Roger said through gritted teeth.
"Ah, ah, ah. Your friends have to think it's a real date. No telling them about our deal." Paul smirked.
"Why are you doing this, Prenter?" Roger glared at him.
"Well, Roggie. I nearly got expelled for what you told the school." Paul rolled his eyes. "I think I'm entitled to a bit of revenge."
"You mean for drugging my best friend?" Roger stared him down, clenching his fists tightly.
"Tomayto, tomahto." Paul rolled his eyes. "You do what I want for the night and then you can have your little pictures."
"Fine. But leave Brian out of this. Leave all my friends out of this." Roger scowled at him.
"Alright, fine. We have a deal. First thing, you have to tell the three twats that you're going with me as a date. No bad mouthing me. I'll know if you do." He smirked. "Wear something nice and don't you dare embarrass me." He said over his shoulder as he walked away.
Roger swallowed, turning back to his locker and slamming it shut before rushing to class.
He ignored the stinging of tears in his eyes. His friends would be pissed. They'd be pissed and confused and they'd hate him!
But Roger couldn't even fathom the thought of Brian getting the brunt of everything if those pictures got out.
He had to do this for Brian.
"Hey, you okay?" He heard the soft voice behind him. "I saw Paul talking to you."
"I'm fine, Bri. Paul was just... We were just talking. It's fine." Roger sighed, putting his hands in his pockets.
"Rog, I can tell something's bothering you." Brian sighed, sitting next to him.
"Bri, I..." Roger took a deep breath. "Don't hate me, okay?"
"I could never hate-"
"What'd we miss? What's new?" Freddie asked, sitting at the desk across from Roger.
"We saw they ten minutes ago, Freddie." John chuckled.
"That's enough time for a quickie in the janitors closet." Freddie shrugged.
Roger sighed and dropped his head on the desk. This was even harder than he thought.
"We're not back together, if that's what you're asking. For the twentieth time this week..." Brian sighed.
Roger bit his lip and lifted his head. "I have to tell you all something and you have to promise you won't hate me or get mad."
"Who'd you get pregnant?" Freddie asked, smirking.
"What? Freddie, I'm serious." Roger frowned.
"Alright, darling. Of course we won't hate you and we'll do our best to not get mad. Right, boys?" Freddie glanced at the other two who nodded and muttered, "Right."
Roger sighed and looked at them. "I-I have a date to the dance."
"Oh..." Brian's face fell. "Th-That's great. Uh, congrats..."
"You're cheating on Brian?" Freddie gaped.
"Brian and I broke up a month ago." Roger said quietly.
"Well, who is it?" John asked, an unimpressed look on his face.
Roger's hands began to shake, looking at the disappointment and anger in John and Freddie's face. He felt his bottom lip tremble when he looked to Brian and saw his sad eyes.
"Who is it, Roger?" Freddie asked again, more firmly this time.
"P-Paul."
"Is this some kind of joke?" Freddie scoffed. "Roger, honestly. You... What's wrong with you?"
"I-I don't know." Roger dropped his head and stood up. "I'm sorry, okay?"
"If you were sorry, you wouldn't have done this." John crossed his arms. "After what he did to Freddie, to Brian? And now you're just going to- Wow, Roger. Wow." He rolled his eyes.
"Guys, lay off him..." Brian said quietly.
Roger sniffled and went up to the teacher. "Ma'am, I-I don't feel good. Can I go to the nurse, please?"
The small woman nodded and wrote a quick pass and gave it to him. "Feel better, Roger."
Roger nodded and quickly ran out of the class.
"I can't believe he would-"
"Are you two absolutely mad?" Brian asked incredulously. "Something's obviously wrong. Roger's hates Paul since nursery school. He's been close to tears since coming in here. You two are supposed to be his best friends and you go and treat him like that?" He scoffed. "I can't believe either of you."
Brian stood up and went to the front of the room, telling the teacher he needed to check on his friend before bolting out of the room.
"He's right... Maybe we were a little too hard on him..." John looked down.
Freddie dropped his head to the desk and sighed. "No maybe, we definitely were. God, we're both stupid."
John sighed and rubbed his back. "We'll figure it out."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Roger sat with his back against the tree, staring off at the cloud filled sky. Everything was grey.
He bit his lip and leaned his head back against the rough texture of the bark.
He didn't even want to cry at this point. It'd been months of crying and feeling sorry for himself. Frankly, he just want to scream into an oblivion and perhaps run Paul over with a bulldozer.
That'd be nice.
"Roger?"
"Oh, are you here to yell at me too? I already know, Brian. You just, you don't get it." Roger huffed, pulling his knees up to his chest.
"Why Paul?" Brian asked calmly, sitting next to him.
"I don't know... Maybe we misjudged him. Maybe he's actually a good guy." The words were like poison on his tongue. It was rather difficult to hold back his gag.
"Maybe I just miss having someone actually want me." Roger said quietly, staring down at the ground.
"Rog..."
"I don't want your pity, Bri." Roger sighed. "We broke up. It's fine. I'm fine."
"I'm not." Brian looked at him, staring into his wide blue eyes. "I miss you, Rog. I miss being with you. I miss being together."
Roger bit his lip, hugging his knees tighter. "What are you saying, Bri?"
"I'm saying we should end the break." Brian said softly, putting a hand on his knee.
"I..." Roger looked around, paranoia filling his eyes. "I can't."
"You can't?" Brian blinked. "What does that-"
"I-I can't, Bri. I want to, I do. But..." Roger stood up. "I just can't."
"Ever?"
"Right now." Roger shook his head.
"What's going on, Rog?" Brian stood up, looking down at him.
"I can't tell you. Just... Remember that I love you, okay? No one else." Roger swallowed.
"Is this about Paul?" Brian asked.
"No." Roger stared deeply into his eyes and gave a faint nod.
Brian's face filled with understanding. "Okay. Well, we should get back to class."
Roger nodded and started walking back to the school doors in the back. The custodians never locked them.
"Rog?"
"Yeah?"
"I love you too." He whispered. "And we'll figure this out."
Roger gave him a small smile and nodded.
He just hoped Paul didn't push him too far.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
A/N:
I'm surprised with myself of how much I've been updating lmao It'll slow down once my classes start 😔
Anyone else want to run Paul over with a bulldozer??
Anyway,
Peace ✌🏻