Days of Our Lives (Book 2)

Chapter 33 - I've got the pressure on

A/N: Happy Birthday Freddie! You're so sadly missed, I still love you and we'll love you forever! 💖💔

Saturday, 9th August, 1986

Knebworth Park

After a couple minutes of talking silently and some desperate tears by me, John managed to calm me down surprisingly easily and fast. "I know Dominique is here...and I know what you feel...confused, embarrassed, guilty...and I know all you want is being tied in Roger's arms...but please, I beg you, get over it, put on that smile of yours, because we're gonna need you tonight." he said to me and I had to admit that he's completely right. So I did what he suggested, putting on my widest smile as we walked back to the dressing room to the others. Just in time, because only a couple minutes passed after we arrived, Gerry showed up in the door again:

-Okay, showtime! - he pronounced. Hearing it I stood up and collected all the necessary shirts left there for the boys to change during the gig. John already stood there with his bass in his neck and a drink in his hand, so he quickly finished and put down the empty glass, while Brian also stood up with his Red Special.

-Where are Freddie and Roger? - Gerry looked at me and I saw Jim and all the ladies also to stand up as we stepped out to the corridor.

I didn't answer, just pointed to the smaller room on the opposite site, where Roger and Freddie were warming up their voices, but this time Roger teased Freddie reaching higher and higher notes, which we all knew as himself, he's not able to follow. Oh Roger, you and your falsettos, I thought to myself, but the cameraman loved this backstage moment and recorded it all.

-Freddie, Roger. - Gerry waved to them and they stepped out. I saw Crystal to cover Roger with his black robe, while Ratty took off the yellow one from Freddie as they started their ways to the stage. The cameramen, of course were following us, showing a live stream to the audience on the big screens placed all around Knebworth Park and in that moment we already heard that roar of that 120.000 people because they knew Queen is going to be on stage in a couple of moments. I followed them from a safe distance, being aware to stay out of any camera sight, but I could feel all the energies and the excitement the boys seemingly already had. Freddie and Roger were the firsts to walk to the direction of the stage, led by Gerry and Crystal and the cameramen of course, joking and seemingly a bit nervous and excited. After them was Brian walking silently smiling, followed by John, Jim and Ratty and all the ladies. Before stepping to the backstage area Freddie and Roger stopped for a moment, seemingly to wait up the others, talking and smiling and I could hear the audience roaring louder, because introducing tape has started.

The boys stepped backstage, Roger stopping in the cover of his amps, Brian walking forward to the left-stage area, while all the others, John, Gerry, Jim and the ladies walked to the right in the direction to the Dolls House. I was the last one to step to the backstage area and I looked after Brian in the left, then saw John to stop behind his amp, wherefrom he used to step out. Finally I looked at Roger, who just took off his black robe and pushed it into Crystal's hands, looking back at me. But introduction tape has ended and we already heard Brian to start the riff of One Vision as he stepped out to stage in the white, dense smoke. Roger looked at me once again, then just shook his head swearing out loud, inserted his Ray Ban on his nose and stepped out from the cover of his amps. I also sighed a big and shook my head, as I looked at the cameramen who were following us all the way to the stage and now standing not so far from us. The last gig of the Magic Tour has started. And the very first time since we were together, when Roger didn't kiss me before stepping onto stage, because all those fuckin' cameras were all around.