Classic Rock Shorts

Burn

Roger tiptoes to his shared office as he hears things being tossed and thrown around. He assumed one of the kids had gotten into something or John lost his music sheets again. He froze seeing John tossing papers into the fireplace tears threatening to fall from his eyes,

“B-Baby?” Roger calls out,

John snarls, grabbing a handful of letters, “I saved every letter you wrote me.” He chucks a handful into the hungry flames, tears running down his pale cheeks, “From the moment I read them, I knew you were mine..”

“I said you were mine,” Roger says softly reaching out so he wouldn’t destroy the room more,

“I thought you were mine.” John says voice breaking, “Do you know what Freddie said when your first letter arrived? He said to be careful with that one darling he’ll do anything it takes to survive.”

Roger's eyes widened as he saw the letters he wrote to his mistress scattered across the floor, John found them. Roger must have forgotten to put them up. He reached out for his husband but John rips the ring off his finger and throws it hard into Roger’s face hitting his cheek bruising it.

“You and your damn words flooded my senses! I’m re-reading your letters searching for some kind of sign for when you were mine!” John throws a box into the fire, shaking badly.

Their oldest child ran into the room as Roger stood frozen in place like a statue. He didn't mean to do this. That woman meant nothing to him, “You brought this girl into our bed, you brought her into our home!” John cries.

“Come here baby, we can solve this.” Roger reached out,

“I’ve married an Icarus. He’s flown too close to the sun.” John stands up keeping a hand on their son as the other kids start peeking in, “I'm burning the memories…” John hiccups throwing the last box into the flames,

“You forfeit all rights to my heart, you forfeit the place in our bed. You can sleep in your office instead. With only the memories of when you were mine.” John spits at him collecting their children, “I’m going to stay with my mother.”

The door slams behind him and Roger stares ahead he feels choked this can’t be happening to him. He yanks open the door and runs after them, his son stops him. His son was tall and strong like his mother, “Stay away from us.”

Roger looks at his youngest who’s barely four. She hides her face behind her mother’s legs. Even, she didn’t want to look at him, Roger furrows his brow and leaves the house sitting on the porch stairs. He buries his face into his hands and begins to cry.

A car pulls up and Roger stands up seeing Freddie get out the back of the car, “Freddie!” Roger calls out,

“I’m not here for you.” Freddie replies coldly walking past him but Roger grabs his arm,

“Fred-”

“I'm here for John, don't speak to me.”

“Consider the affair a sacrifice.” Roger says softly,

Roger flinched, never seeing the fire in Freddie’s eyes glow so strong, “Sacrifice? That’s a sacrifice? I have a loveless marriage in London, I have been forced to be some ditzy housewife taking care of my five children, one being disabled. My only joy was reading your and John’s letters and I came to find out you’re a heartless cheating bastard .” He spits, “Johnny had to phone me.”

“Look Freddie-”

Freddie slaps him, “I’m back in the city and I’m here to stay. I know John like I know my own mind. He’s like a brother to me.” Freddie begins to cry, “A million years ago he said this one was mine,” Freddie jabs a finger into Roger’s chest, “I stood by and let him have his happiness. I was mistaken to let it happen but never again.No more, you’re not longer welcomed here and you can fucking leave.”

“I’m sorry! I was tired and stressed!” Roger cries,

“I told you to take a break and you refused to. John is the best thing in our lives. You have been blessed with the best husband in the world. For the rest of your life you’re going to be haunted by what you did, Icarus.” Freddie storms inside, the door closing behind with a slam.

Roger stands there, a deep pool of regret pooling into his stomach now. He paws at the door and whimpers some.

He fishes around for the car keys but sees that he left them inside their home… John's home?.... John's home.

Roger walks, and he keeps walking. He doesn't know where he's legs are taking him but they take him outside the pub, past the doors,  past the loud drunks and the people at the bar, his legs take him to a booth where a man in a strange outfit with outlandish glasses is sitting drinking some fruity drink alone which is unusual.

Roger plops across him, "I need help, Elton. "

Elton looks up, "Pardon?" He furrows his brows the gap between his teeth poking out in his confusion,

"I'm a friend of Freddie's." Roger explains, "I'm married…. I was married to John." His voice breaks

"Was?" Elton asks putting his drink down,

"I cheated and made a mistake." Roger tells him.

"I don't help cheaters." Elton sips his drink eyeing Roger coldly now, he had the same sass as Freddie.

"Please Elton help me."

Elton finishes his drink and throws a handful of bills on the table under his cup, "I'll offer you shelter and nothing more. This is your own fault. But you don't deserve to be homeless."

Roger follows Elton out the back; it wasn't hard to miss him. Follow the short chubby guy in a bedazzled sports jersey and short shorts with bedazzled blue tinted glasses.

John Reid came and collected them. Reid could tell the two men weren't in a good mood and this wasn't Eltons usual men pickup. So the car remained tense and uneasy. The rain came down hard and that was the only sound that could be heard.

The three men go inside Elton's home and retreat to the bedrooms. Roger lays alone in the guestroom, he lifts up John's wedding ring and looks at it in the moonlight. The memories flooded back to him and the tears fell down hard. He cups the ring in his hands and kisses the cool metal,

"Goodnight John."

Roger closes his eyes, falling into a troubled sleep full of regrets and hurt. He wished he never took the woman's offer for he longs for John to be in his arms now. Wish to just breathe in his scent one last time. Even the tears fell as he slept.

A man so selfish and big headed that he didn't care about those around him. Everything the man touched caused a fire and when the fires got too big to put out and the fires collided together the world burned. The man stood in the center regretting it all, wishing the world would go back to normal. The world will never be normal again.