A Simple Favour...

CHAPTER FIVE

*JOHN'S POV*
*One Week Later*
The atmosphere around the flat was awkward.
Nobody had spoken for almost two days after the fight and now it's been a week and it still feels like you've got to walk on eggshells around everyone. Brian and Roger talk. Brian and I talk. Rog apologized to both myself and Freddie, but it's still somewhat awkward. Brian and Fred haven't discussed whatever Bri was apologizing for, and Freddie can't even look at me properly.
I hate it.
I just want things back to normal. We're supposed to be writing an album and the four of us can't even sit in the same room anymore!

"Yes, Mum. Yes. I'm fine, thank you." I sighed down the phone. My Mum had been calling everyday for the last week to try and convince me to go to their holiday van in Brighton. I'd declined every time. I hate holidays. It's always a bunch of family that you've not seen since the last holiday getting into your business and asking questions about your life as if they've not seen you since you were a child. I HATE holidays. "No Mum, I said yesterday I can't. We're working on tracks here at the studio. It'll be impossible for me to get away." I lied, rubbing my face tiredly. I hated lying to my Mum, but I hated family bullshit more.
Unlike yesterday, she slipped something else into the conversation; Freddie.
We never got the chance to go over and tell them I made everything up. As far as they're concerned, we're dating.
"Freddie? What about him?" I asked, a little taken aback by her mentioning him. She's not mentioned him until today. "No. Absolutely not." I said quickly. "Mum, no. I'm not asking him go to bloody Brighton!" I exclaimed. She wanted me to bring him with me to the van! No! I can't even speak to him, let alone get him to go on a bloody holiday with me. "No, we're not having problems Mum." I mumbled. "He's just, he's busy writing! You can't interrupt him when he's writing." I explained. She really wasn't taking no for an answer, almost begging me to ask him. "Okay, alright!" I snapped. "I'll ask him." I sighed again, pinching the bridge of my nose. This was giving me a headache. "I can't guarantee anything Mum, but I'll ask." I added. "Yeah, okay. I'll let you know. Uh-huh. Yes. I love you and Dad too. Okay. Bye." I groaned loudly as I slammed the phone receiver down, annoyed that I gave in to her pleading.

"You okay Deaky?" Brian asked, wandering out of the kitchen with a cup of tea.

"Nowhere fucking near it Bri." I replied, throwing myself onto the sofa.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He questioned, sitting on a chair opposite me.

"It's Mum. She's only gone and practically begged me to ask Freddie to go to Brighton with me for our family holiday." I explained, watching him nod in response.

"Have you two even spoken in the last week?" He chuckled, earning a slight glare from me.
Both Roger and Brian know about the situation I got myself into with my parents. I explained it to them the day after the argument, so Rog didn't have a reason to be mad at Fred anymore.

"No, we haven't Brian. Thank you for bringing that up again." I snapped lightly.

"Maybe you should try talking to him before you invite him on a romantic getaway." He smirked, slipping his tea.

"It's not a romantic getaway, it's a fucking family holiday that Fred is definitely not going to agree to go on, so I might as well just call her back without even asking him." I shrugged, picking at a thread on a cushion.

"You never know, he could go...for you." He shrugged back, giving me a knowing look.

"He's not going to go. He doesn't even want to be in the same room as me, let alone being stuck with me, and a whole bunch of my extended family, for a whole weekend!"

"You know what Freddie is like John, he hates confrontation. He thinks you're mad at him for something, I don't know what, but that's definitely the vibe I'm getting. If he was in the wrong, he'd be down here, tail between his legs, apologizing, but he's avoided you because he doesn't want to get shouted at. He's had enough of that the past week." Brian said seriously. He had a point. Freddie always apologized if he was in the wrong and knew it, but he always avoided someone he thought would be mad at him too.