No One But You

38. Afterwards

YOU GUYS I babysat today and got bit twice, hit once, some kid locked me out of the house (long story) and SO MUCH MORE. God I love kids but these kids are AWFUL.

Anyways, here's a chapter because I love you all and I am so sorry for my lack of updates. They'll be more regular soon I promise. I'm finishing up school now and then I will have soooo much more time to write. Just bear with me for like two weeks :) xx

... 

Madison

Mary, Chrissie, Veronica and I decided to have a "girls day", as Veronica put it. Queen is off proposing their album to Ray Foster. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous. I think I'm more nervous than Rog to be honest. He seems to be confident that Foster will like their work. He said he'd be crazy not to, which I agree to but at the same time who knows what's going through that man's head?

"Do you like this shirt?" Mary asks me, holding up this bright white shirt. It's almost blinding to look at.

I cock my head to the side while I look at it. It has flowy sleeves, which I happen to like. But the color is getting to me. I think it'll wash Mary out, with her pale skin and blonde hair.

"I like the shirt," I tell Mary. I glance around Biba, looking around at all the racks of clothing. I point behind Mary to a rack of shirts very similar to the one she is holding. "You should try that one on," I tell her, Mary turning to look where I am pointed. My eyes are focused on a red shirt in particular. "It's similar to the shirt you're holding but the color will suit you better,"

"You think?" Mary asks me.

I nod. "Red will make your eyes pop, believe me,"

Mary grins and hurries off to the rack of clothing. She puts the white shirt back from where it came from.

The girls and I spend the next hour or so just shopping for clothing. Mary winds up buying the shirt I recommended and I am excited to see her in it. I think it suits her. She looks good in bright, warmer tones.

By the time we decide to head back to Mary's house, it is nearly dinner. Or so it feels anyways. It's four in the afternoon but honestly I could eat right now. I could eat any time if I am being realistic.

"I think it was a successful day," Veronica sighs, slumping down on the couch with her several bags of clothes that she bought. I put my bags by the table in the dining area, making a mental note to note forget them here.

"I'm beat," Chrissie sighs. She also falls down on the couch, right next to Veronica.

Mary and I join our two friends, all of us suddenly feeling exhausted from shopping. I don't know why it's so tiring. There's no reason for it to be, yet here we are - completely tired and done with the world.

"You know Ronnie? I feel like we're a complete group now," Mary says after a moment of silence. We can vaguely hear one of the clocks ticking in the house.

"How so?" Veronica giggles.

"Ever since you started dating John - well even before that actually - it just feels like you were meant to belong here, you know?"

"I feel like I've found my home," Veronica says quietly. I smile, knowing that I'm part of the reason Veronica is friends with us. Introducing her to the band was one of the best decisions I did. I knew she would get along great with all of us.

"I love you guys," Chrissie says.

I find myself unnecessarily emotional right now. God, I love these people. My people.  

Speaking of my people, the doorknob jiggles and in storms in our four boys. Mary, Chrissie, Veronica and I go to greet them with smiles on our faces, but we sense something's wrong. I immediately stand up, walking over to my boyfriend.

"Hello my love," he greets me. He leans down to kiss me when I reach him. I narrow my eyes in suspicion when we pull away.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"Now why on Earth would you think something is wrong, darling?" Freddie asks me as he greets Mary. Brian and John both take their respective positions with their ladies.

"Did he not like the album?" Veronica asks.

"The album wasn't the issue," John mutters.

Rog and I walk in to where the other six are gathered. Roger slings his arm over my shoulders, as one of my arms snakes around his waist.

"Bohemian Rhapsody was the issue," Brian says angrily. Chrissie puts a comforting hand on his back and he huffs. "Refused to have it be the single,"

"It's a good song," I mumble. Roger pulls me closer to him, and kisses the side of my head.

"Ray Foster couldn't see the beauty in it," Freddie explains. He sits on the arm of the chair Mary is sitting in. "He just doesn't understand art,"

"He suggested just abut every other song to be the single but Bohemian Rhapsody," John adds.

"Even my song," Rog pipes up.

Brian glares at him. "Yes, even the car song," he says bitterly. I squeeze Roger's side a little to keep him calm.

"I don't understand why you can't choose what song is your single," I say. "I mean you're the ones who wrote the bloody thing,"

"Money," Roger says. "Foster fronted the money so he thinks that his balls are four times as big as the rest of ours-"

"I can see where Foster was coming from," Brian cuts off Roger. "He has rights but this isn't a dictatorship. He has to give us some sort of leeway,"

"It doesn't matter now," Freddie announces.

My heart sinks as I come to realization of what this means. Freddie, or any of the boys, didn't have to outwardly say it. I can just tell.

"You didn't..." I groan.

"Oh but darling, we did," Freddie replies with a huge grin on his face.

"Did what?" Chrissie asks quietly.

"It was Bohemian Rhapsody as the single or Foster loses Queen," Brian explains slowly. "Foster chose the latter,"

The three girls and I all suck in a sharp intake of breath. It briefly crossed my mind that this might happen, but I never considered it an actual possibility. I mean how could Queen just walk away? Who's going to manage them now and front out the money? And how the hell could Foster just let them walk away? They're only one of the world's biggest bands. It sounds crazy to think about because we live a fairly normal life outside of the studio and concerts, but it's true. Queen is too special to lose but somehow Foster did it.

 "So now what?" Veronica asks softly.

Freddie shrugs. "First we start with getting Bohemian Rhapsody on the radio,"