𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎// john deacon

chapter four - a ham sandwich

  "THIS IS BOLLOCKS!" Roger fumed as he bit into one of the ham sandwiches Valerie had made for the boys before they took off. She was always surprising them with deserts and food. They always looked forward to it.

    "It's counterclockwise I think you'll find, John." Brian told John who was changing a flat tire. John looked up at him momentarily in annoyance.

     "Oh, is it? Thank you, Brian. Would you like to do it?" John asked him, turning to him again and moving some hair out of his face, annoyed that he didn't tie it back.

"Please, feel free." John told him, and Brian shook his head with a slight grin. Brian always enjoyed teasing and annoying him.

"No, no. You're doing a good job." Brian told him with a cheeky grin and slight wink, causing John to just give him a look.

"We sold out every pub and uni south of Glasgow.... and I'm stuck, in the middle of nowhere, eating a ham sandwich!" Roger exclaimed angrily.

"A good ham sandwich at that. Valerie made them after all." Brian noted to Roger, who gave him a look that said he begrudgingly agreed.

     "The problem is," Freddie began as John stood up. "we're just not thinking big enough." Freddie finished as he leaned against the van. John leaned next to him.

"What've you got in mind Fred?" Brian asked him, looking in his direction and away from Roger, who was still angrily eating his sandwich, cussing out the cars that passed them by.

Freddie grinned widely at Brian. "An album." He said simply, and Roger scoffed a bit.

"We can't afford an album." John pointed out gently to Freddie, shooting Roger a look.

"Oh, we will find a way." Freddie said, and paused, smirking slightly. "How much do you think we can get for this van?" He asked, and Roger nearly choked on his sandwich.

"I hope you're joking. My dad got me this van when I turned 16, we are not about to sell it." Roger argued, and Brian gave a sigh as he went to start of the van, knowing it might take a while to convince Roger.
*****

"That's three months wages," John said wistfully as Freddie handed over the money, giving John a look.

"And a perfectly good van." Roger added with a sad hint in his voice, shooting Freddie a rather sharp glare.

"Oh, calm down, Rog." Valerie said from where she was next to Mary. Payton was sitting on the couch in the studio since she had decided to tag along with Valerie.

    Well, Brian had invited her along. Within a year, he had grown relentless in trying to get her to fall for him. Payton had, she just never admitted it.

    "No, Valerie, that was one of the best vans. You don't get it." Roger whined to her like an angsty teenager.

"Darling, don't be so dramatic! We're recording an album tonight!" Freddie said, giving a clap as he walked off and into the recording studio.

      "And a bloody good one at that!" Payton exclaimed, just as excitedly, as she headed to the lounge area.

"Roger must be very attached to that car." John commented, and Valerie snorted with laughter.

"You have no idea." She said, and John laughed at her. "I've known him for years, and he's dated plenty of girls. But the one thing he is most protective of is that car." Valerie said, and John laughed.

"Well, maybe the only one for him is that car and he doesn't know it yet. That's why he's always with a new girl." John joked, and Valerie snorted with laughter.
 
      "Oh, that's great. You need to be a stand up comedian."

     "And just make fun of Roger? A bit harsh, isn't it?"  John asked, smiling as he leaned on the wall next to Valerie, the two of them not noticing how close they were standing together.

    "Hey, that's a steady career right there. Take it to Vegas, baby." Valerie joked with a wink as she lightly nudged his shoulder, the two of them blushing and laughing. An awkward silence then fell over them as they cleared their throats and moved back a bit.
    
"Well, get to recording, don't just stand there." Valerie said, patting John's shoulder as she sent him off. She went and sat with Payton, Mary, and Roger's girlfriend. She chose to sat on the floor, as they were taking up the couch, and watched the band talk and play for a while before she drifted off close to midnight.
*****
"Valerie, what do you think?" Freddie asked Valerie, who was wiping the grogginess from her eyes.

"What?" She asked, her vision blurry as she stared at Freddie, who was standing in front of her. Next thing she knew, Brian was helping her up and she sighed deeply.

A recording played and Valerie listened to it. "It sounds good to my half asleep ears." She said when it was done, and Freddie rolled his eyes.

"I think it's shit!" He exclaimed, and Valerie shrugged.

"Whatever you think, lovey." Valerie said tiredly as Freddie sighed. Valerie slumped into a chair Brian had pulled up for her, and she sighed loudly as she spun around in the chair.

"Can I try it again?" He asked and the man nodded.

"Sure, it's your money." He said, and Freddie went back into the box to record his part.

"Literally." John muttered from where he was sitting, and he pressed the record button and Freddie started to sing.

"I thought it sounded good." Payton said from where she was standing by Brian, his hand not to nonchalantly resting on her waist. Valerie smirked and said nothing.

    Valerie gave a nod as Freddie finished recording and came back out. They played the recording with Freddie's new vocals, and they all made a few muttering comments.

     "Sounds a lot better." John said quietly to Freddie, almost embarrassed to voice his opinion. Brian bit his lip as he listened and he sighed.

"We need to get more experimental," he said, dropping his hand from Payton's waist and heading next to Freddie.

Freddie thought for a few moments more before he spoke. "Try bouncing us left and right on the 'ah-ah-ahs'" He told RT, and he nodded.

The recording started playing and Brian excitedly spoke up. "Now dead center for the last," he said as he listened, leaning against the RT's chair.

Roger shot up from his seat with a grin as he walked over. "And then blast it!" He shouted, with a grin. Everyone was smiling by the end of the recording.

"Do we have time to stack a few more?" Freddie asked, and the RT looked at the clock.

"Erm, the studio opens at eight. You have about half an hour left." He said. The band talked for a little bit before going back into the box and starting to record again.

     The girls watched as they were recording, and Mary and Payton were simply talking while Payton messed with Valerie's hair.
     
     The half hour seemed to pass like molasses, and pretty soon they were all gathering their coats. Valerie pulled on the coat Brian had gotten her as he made eye contact with her and grinned. But after that, they didn't look up again as they kept recording.

      "Oi, RT! Who are these kids in the box?" Someone asked. Valerie and Mary looked at each other before they went to go wait out by the cars.

    "Some college band just messing around."

    "Got any demos?" The man asked excitedly, and the RT grunted in response.

"Yup. I've been here all night." He mumbled to the man. Valerie smiled to herself before walking outside, knowing something good might come of the question of the demos.

    The band walked out and Valerie honked her car horn. "John, you're riding with me!" She called,  and he blushed, heading over to her car and seating himself in the passenger seat.

     "Thank you, Valerie."

    "Oh, it's nothing," she said as she started to back out, "and call me Val."