𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐃𝐚𝐲: 𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐎𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐬

Sleeping On the Sidewalk (5)

*Set in 1977*.
"Roger, it's not going to fit in the boot," Brian said, trying to force another camping chair into Roger's car.
"Yes, it will, just try harder!" Roger yelled, packing the rest of the car full of bags. He was determined to fit everything in his little car.
"I am trying!" Brian groaned, rearranging the large tent to try to make the chair fit. Roger rolled his eyes, shoving the chair in sideways and slamming the boot closed before Brian could say another word. He prayed it wouldn't pop open, but that was a problem for later.
John was waiting in the car, ready to go. Freddie was still inside, making sure he packed everything he owned into a backpack. Freddie tried bringing a suitcase, which Roger nearly chucked at him as he failed to fit it in the car. He settled for a large backpack, stuffed until the fabric nearly tore.
Freddie got into the car and forced several bags on his lap, which he did not like. It was a repercussion of taking a thousand years to pack.
Now that they were on the road, Brian navigated the trip with his map. He hated doing it, but he was the least likely to take the car into a ditch.
"Guess you're gonna have to give up the clogs, Bri" John giggled, tying his ridiculously large boots.
John put his foot on the back of Roger's seat, his foot bouncing as they drove on the rocky road.
"Stop kicking the seat!" Roger yelled. Freddie insisted that he would not be wearing such hideous shoes, wearing white platform boots instead.
Roger turned up the radio, tuning out whatever Freddie complained about. It was mostly static, but it still tuned out the arguing from the back of the car.
John was skeptical as they turned onto a random street, passing unfamiliar houses. They were about halfway through the drive and should have been on a highway.
"Brian, are you sure we're going the right way?" John asked, trying to look for road signs that may have indicated where the campsite was.
"That's what the map said" Brian reassured, straightening out the paper map. "Oh shit", he croaked, realising that John was right.
"So, what are we going to do now?" Freddie whined, readjusting the heavy bags that pressed into his legs.
Roger squinted, trying to see through his filthy windshield. "There's a place to turn around up here"
"Rog, that's someone's driveway" Brian laughed.
Roger didn't care and turned around there anyway. If someone tried to yell at him, he would just promise them free tickets to the next concert. It was a common tactic Roger used to get his way. The people never got their tickets, but Roger always got out of trouble.
They rerouted and finally made it onto the highway. They were getting close to the campsite.
"About ten more minutes," Brian said, pointing at the tall trees in the distance, which was where the campsite was.
Roger turned onto a dirt road, finally pulling into the camping area. He looked around for a place to park, circling the lot several times before he found a spot. It was far from the entrance of the campsite, but it was the closest available parking spot.
"So, where do we take all of this?" John asked, his arms full of chairs and sleeping bags. Freddie was relieved to finally stretch his legs. He helped carry some of the bags, while Brian carried the massive tent.
Roger led the boys to the gate, greeted by a grumpy old man wearing a neon shirt.
"What can I do for you?" The man asked, sporting a miserable expression.
Roger opened his mouth, about to give the man some sarcastic reply. Brian interrupted, clearing his throat. "We're here to camp, just for the night, I believe".
The man nodded, leading them over to an open grassy area. Roger threw down all of the bags he was holding, thanking the man for his help.
The boys were covered in sweat, tortured by the heat of the sun. Despite being such a large area, the campsite was packed, busy with people and families that gave the boys odd stares.
Brian and John assembled the large tent while Roger and Freddie unpacked the bags, setting out chairs and coolers with food. Roger poured a bottle of water over his head, cooling himself off for only a minute.
They finally set up the tent, which upon entering, they realised was much smaller than they thought. The tent provided them with a little bit of shade, which the boys were incredibly thankful for. The humidity was terrible.
"How are we all going to sleep in here?" Freddie groaned, looking around the cramped tent.
"It's not that bad", John reassured. "If we can all sleep in the back of a little tour bus, we can all sleep here." Freddie agreed, returning outside to get a drink.
They decided to hike to the nearby river, gathering their bags and massive water bottles. Brian made sure everyone applied sunscreen and bug spray, regularly checking everyone for ticks.
The boys started walking up a large hill, covered in little pebbles that occasionally stabbed the soles of their feet. As they got closer to the river, the rocky ground soon became a muddy mess. Freddie finally caved and put his boots on.
"Well, we're here" Brian exhaled.
The river was certainly not as beautiful as they thought it would be. The water was filthy, and the area surrounding the river wasn't much better.
The boys threw bread into the cloudy water, attracting some ducks and a gorgeous white swan. Brian marvelled at the swan, appreciating its beauty. The animals happily ate the bread, swimming around in the water.
As the sun set, the boys decided they would walk back to the tent. Freddie couldn't stand wearing those disgusting boots, but his regular shoes couldn't withstand the tough outdoor conditions. He shoved his old shoes into his backpack, forcing it closed.
John picked up some firewood on the way back, which they agreed to use to grill food.
They finally made it back to the tent, Freddie collapsing onto one of the cheap camping chairs.
John lit the fire while Brian assembled his telescope. The telescope took up the majority of the room in his bag, but in his eyes, it was completely worth it.
Roger rolled his eyes. "You seriously brought a telescope?"
"You know, this location is one of the best for stargazing," Brian said, smiling back at the blonde, who thought the telescope was ridiculous.
Roger laughed, cooking some smores and burgers. He charred half of the marshmallows he tried to roast, accidentally catching them on fire.
Brian roasted some beans, pouring them on a slightly burnt piece of bread. It wasn't his ideal meal, but there wasn't much else to cook that didn't contain meat. He choked down the bread, enjoying some of Roger's s'mores for dessert.
After eating, Brian stargazed for the rest of the night. He showed Deacy, teaching him a few of the constellations. Freddie didn't show much interest but looked through the telescope out of curiosity.
Roger thought it was fascinating to see the constellations, but couldn't admit that to Brian.
Brian was about to put away the telescope, looking through it one more time. "Rog, do you wanna see?"
"No, I'm alright" The drummer lied, trying to see the constellations without the telescope.
"Are you sure?" Brian asked, "It's a great view"
Roger rolled his eyes. "If you insist"
Brian smiled as Roger looked into the telescope. He pointed out the constellations and even explained the current phase of the moon.
Roger refused to show it, but he was amazed by the view. Brian's knowledge of astronomy never failed to impress him either.
All the s'mores and stars made the boys tired. They went inside the tent, snuggling up in their sleeping bags.
It was surprisingly cold at night. The wind blew fiercely, shaking the thin fabric of the tent. The sleeping bags provided some much-needed insulation, keeping the boys warm while they slept.
Freddie struggled to fall asleep. He never liked being outdoors, and the worry of wild animals scared him. The loud sounds of crickets weren't helping.
Deacy rolled over, meeting Freddie's wide-open eyes.
"Can't sleep?"
"No" Freddie croaked, shifting in his sleeping bag.
"Me neither. Those damn crickets won't shut up" John said. Freddie nodded, trying to shut his eyes.
John gave a sympathetic expression. "Are you alright Fred? You look a bit scared".
"No, 'M fine." He replied, snuggling up in his sleeping bag.
"Are you sure? It is kind of scary out here" John said, trying to tune out the noise of the animals.
"Y-yeah" Freddie whispered, nodding his head.
"It's alright. If you need anything, you can wake me up." John smiled, putting his hand on Freddie's shoulder.
Freddie found comfort in John's words, leaning into his gentle touch. He was able to fall asleep knowing he had Deacy right next to him.

Aww, sweet ending?! Yes sir! Title is from Sleeping On The Sidewalk from The Game! :)