FOUR: I'LL DEFY THE LAWS OF NATURE AND COME OUT ALIVE
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Maeve 1971
Things have been... strange between Roger and myself, to say the least. It's been two weeks since their first gig. The gig when Roger actually left the show to come out and check up on me. My head still feels like it's spinning. Roger had never been like that with me before. It was odd, but I liked it. He was so sweet. He said that I deserved better than Tim. What does that mean?
You are mine I possess you, I belong to you forever.
"Maeve, dear?" Freddie said, poking his head into the room. I put my pen down and closed my journal quickly. I turned to look at him and he was smiling widely at me. "We've called a band meeting. C'mon now." I stood up, taking the journal with me. Fred brought me into the living room where John, Brian and Roger were already waiting. The only open seat was on the sofa beside Roger. I hesitantly sat beside him, smiling awkwardly at him. He returned an equally awkward smile. Glad we're on the same page.
"Hey, Fred?" John piped up, raising his hand a bit to get the group's attention. "What's this meeting about?" We all nodded in agreement.
"Well... I've thought of something to improve the band." He rolled up onto his tip-toes, smiling in a mischievous way. What does he mean?
"Such as?" Brian asked, arching an eyebrow at our frontman.
"The name!" He said, giving the whole group Jazz hands. "Smile is boring. We need something outrageous! Something that'll stand out. That'll pop!" His fingers popped out from a fist. I looked around the room to see if everyone had the same reaction I did. They did.
"Smile is boring?" Brian asked, his eyebrow twitching now. "That's the band, Fred!" Freddie shook his head.
"Bri, no. Smile was the band. With you, Tim and Rog here." He said his name and I didn't react. I didn't feel sick. I didn't cringe. I heard Tim's name and felt completely fine. Roger, on the other hand. Hearing his name made me anxious. "We are something new! And I've thought of the most wonderful name!"
"What would that be?" Roger asked, laughing a bit as he lit a cigarette. Disgusting. I could feel my face scrunch up. I smoked that one time and I regretted it. It was gross. I hated when he did that. And indoors? Honestly.
"Queen." He said, a smile forming across his face. He looked around at all of us for a reaction. I looked around too, trying to read everyone.
"Uh, where'd that come from, Fred? Why?" I asked, crossing one of my legs over the other. I rested my elbow on my knee and put my head in my hand.
"As in Her Royal Highness, and because it's outrageous, and I can't think of anyone more outrageous than me!" He beamed and looked around the room. "Anyone more outrageous than us... us."
It was silent, all of us looking at each other. "Well, I like it." John said, breaking the silence. Brian and Roger sighed, knowing Deacy went along with practically anything.
"I do too, actually." The two original members looked at me like I was mad. "What? It has a ring to it." I stood up and made my way closer to Freddie. "I think we should go for it. Smile isn't bad, but smile wasn't with Freddie and John, here. It was with just the two of you and that fuck." Roger let out a small laugh and Brian cracked a smile. Good.
"I mean, you have a point there." Brian said with a shrug. He looked around the room. "All in favor?" He asked. Everyone in the room put their hand up in support except Roger. "Roger..."
He did nothing. "Roger, put your hand up." I commanded to him, and he actually did. Freddie began clapping and cheering, which caused all of us to laugh. They were reborn. Smile was now Queen.
"Alright, darlings! Welcome to Queen!" We all cheered. "Now it's time for Maeve here to tell us about her new song." I whipped my head around, looking at Freddie. My heart was speeding up. I started breathing heavily. "C'mon, dear. I know you've been writing in that journal. Tell us the song."
I hesitantly grabbed my journal from the couch where I was sitting beside Roger. I opened it up, flipping to the page where I was last writing. "Well, it's not really good. It's quite awful, really. There's not even a chorus yet. Not worth showing, to be completely honest."
"I'm sure it's wonderful." Roger said, taking a huff from his cigarette. "You're a brilliant writer. Everything you write is a masterpiece. You're gifted in more ways than one." Roger's eyes expanded, realizing what he had said. Brian wore a smirk. John was smiling. Freddie was about to laugh. "Just like everyone else in the band."
Brian let out a small laugh. "That's very kind of you, Rog. I didn't know you felt that way about all of us." He placed his hand over his heart, looking at the blonde in a loving manor.
"Shouldn't be get back to Maeve's song, mates?" Roger said, putting his cigarette out in the ash tray on the side table.
Freddie peered over my shoulder, looking at the words I had written in my journal. "Sister, I live and lie for you. Mister, do and I'll die. You are mine, I possess you. I belong to you forever." They all looked around, smiling. They looked back, waiting for more. "Then I'll defy the laws of nature and come out alive. Then I'll get you." They moved to the edge of their seats, listening to Freddie read it. "Give out the good, leave out the bad evil cries. I challenge the mighty titan and his troubadours. And with a smile..."
"That's all I've got so far. It's not good. Just some random things I've thought of. It's pathetic—" I rambled. I was always nervous presenting my stuff to them. Most often it didn't make it in, which was fine. I wasn't apart of the band.
"Maeve." John interrupted me. "Roger was right. That's brilliant. It just needs to be builded upon. It can definitely be something spectacular."
I felt my face burn up. I was blushing. They loved it. They actually loved it. "Alright! Let's get to work!"
