Thank God It's Christmas

Chapter 5- Sheer Heart Attack

December 24, 1986

It was about 8 in the morning when I awoke on Christmas Eve. Tomorrow would be Christmas! I couldn't believe it, and felt the same rush of excitement I had as a little kid. After eating breakfast and changing into a warm sweater and a pair of jeans, I gave Roger a call.

"Hello? Roger speaking." His adorable, slightly rough voice deligihted my ears.

"Hey. What time is the party at Fred's house, and how should I dress?"

"It's at 6:30 tonight, but I'm going to go there 15 minutes in advacne. Freddie could use some help with the setup. As for dress code, I don't think there is one," he stated.

"I think I'll wear something fancy. I'd hate to underdress again."

He laughed for a good ten seconds. "You weren't underdressed, I was overdressed."

"Now you realize it. Only you would show up for a pizza dinner at my flat in a suit!"

"Hey, I thought you were kidding when you said you might order a pizza!"

"No, I was damn serious. I am an honest girl."

"Um, Ella?' he mumbled awkwardly. "John and I were wondering if you would like to have lunch with us. Nothing fancy, just a quick run for fish and chips or something."

"It would be great. Come get me at 12, is that okay?"

"Deal." He hung up before I could say anything else,

A few hours later, at the restaurant, if you could even call it that, I was sitting with Roger and Deaky when a pair of girls, in their mid-teens, pointed at Roger and shouted: "OH MY GOD, ROGER TAYLOR!" One of them made a beeline in our direction, an expression of disbelief on her face.

"Uh-oh," John muttered as the other teenage girl followed.

"Deaky, they're just fans. Nothing out of the ordinary," Roger replied, getting out of his seat.

The first girl was in total shock. "ROGER!" she screamed. "Wow, this is totally unexpected! Can I have your autograph?"

Rog nodded and reluctantly signed his name on a piece of notepaper that the girl held. "Here ya go. Rock on, and next time you see a celebrity at a restaurant, don't shout like that. You scared me!" He chuckled.

"Sorry, Mr. Taylor. And thank you!"

The second girl stepped up. "Can you sing for us, Roger?" she asked, wide-eyed.

He sighed. "Oh alright. Is this a kind of magic? There can be only one. This rage that lasts a thousand years will soon be goooonnne!"

As Roggie continued to entertain the teenagers, John hid his face in a newspaper. He obviously had been frightened by the fans and didn't want to be recognized or pestered for autographs. I sat back, eating my lunch, and couldn't help giggling. The young girls reminded me of myself when I was a teenager.

After they left, the small restaurant felt a lot more peaceful. Deaky breathed a sigh of relief. "What were you like when you were younger, El?"

"A strange girl," I said. "But I was absolutely a huge fan of you guys. I remember being 16 and listening to The Game on repeat. I loved every song."

"Hopefully you weren't as crazy as those two," he said. "As much as I love Queen's fans, I feel uncomfortable among crowds sometimes."

"Really? Me too. At Wembley I felt so weird being among all those other people. But your performance made up for it."

"Thanks," replied Roger, beaming with pride.

I enjoyed conversation with Roggie and John, whom I found myself becoming very attached to. To tell the truth, I was getting attached to all four of the members of Queen. They really knew how to have a good time.