Save Me

Chapter XV

Perhaps it was an ending, perhaps it was a beginning, perhaps it was both at the same time. Maybe it was just another chapter in his life that was going to come to an end before beginning a new one. After all, the story wasn't done yet, was it? Stories and plots to finish up while others had yet to even begin. Whoever was in charge out there, he was thankful that they had gifted him with this small moment of happiness. For a moment it seemed as if the pain had subsided into nothing, leaving him feeling as if he was floating on a cloud away from the ground below to observe everything like a narrator of everyone else's story.

As a paragraph of joy finished, he and Freddie removed themselves from the piano, looking at each other for a split second before divulging into childish laughter.

"Least my piano skills are better than my voice." John commented

"Oh come now! Your singing isn't that bad." Freddie retorted.

"Yeah, okay." John scoffed. "Let's see if you're still saying that if I take your place on stage."

"Now, that wouldn't be fair to the audience. If they wanted a shitshow, they could've gone to a bar in Liverpool."

John sniggered as Freddie playfully hit the keys of the piano, a crashing echo bouncing off the walls that made him cover his ears. Freddie just burst out laughing before resuming his improvisational playing. John just grinned and swung his legs back and forth, watching Freddie's fingers dance across the keys like it was second nature to him. The beautiful melody filled the flat, John's very soul feeling like it was being lifted out of his body and dancing along the notes themselves.

The door slammed open, cutting the music off like a knife. A disheveled Roger stood there, his hazy stare attempting to focus on them. Bags were draped under his eyes, his hair stuck out at odd angles, and he could only guess at when the last time he had shaved was.  

"Roger, darling, there you are!" Freddie exclaimed as he shot up from his seat. "Where've you been?"

No response; the gears were too busy working around in his head to form a proper response.

"You think he's alright?" Freddie asked.

"Probably not." John replied. "Looks like he crawled out of that pub in Liverpool."

"So you finally said something?" Roger finally asked.

John froze on the spot, his face burning as his stomach sunk. He looked down at the ground out of habit and tried to avoid the questioning stares from the two around him; each of them posed different questions that all linked back to the same topic, one which John knew all too much about despite how much he wished he could remain quiet and shrug in response.

"Yes, yes alright I did." John admitted. "I couldn't let it go on any longer...He was gonna go see...Bret-" Freddie tensed up, "-again but I chased after him. I just...couldn't sit there and let everything happen again."

John looked up, seeing something flash in Roger's eyes before a weak smile spread across his face. For once, something genuinely happy came out of his mouth.

"Glad to hear that."

It was short, but it was something different, and that seemed to be the recurring theme today. But why did it all feel wrong to him? Everything around him felt like the inverse of what it should've been. Did he really deserve everything that he was getting when Roger was left feeling as bad as he had felt before?

He felt a tap on his shoulder from Freddie, who gave a quick nod towards Roger who was still swaying from side to side at his spot in the doorway. Without saying anything, Freddie stepped forward and placed his hands on Roger's shoulders.