LIFE IS REAL [RT]

II

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chapter two

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Beyond utterly confused at what he had just opened his childhood home's front door too, Roger was left standing staring at a girl looking utterly starstruck, yet beyond upset at the same time.

Roger was beginning to become impatient, but felt somewhat sorry for this poor girl too. She looked tired, eyes rimmed red, presumably from the stains her hot tears left, Roger guessing those tears formed were from the distress this girl was facing.

Still no answers from this girl and feeling utterly apologetic. He couldn't just leave her there, could he? He'd feel rotten if he did that.

"Look, I don't know who you are, but you best come in." Roger stated, opening the door wider and stepping backward, an inviting gesture toward the girl who only blinked repeatedly at his original gesture, until he finally got a word out of her.

"No, I- no. I couldn't possibly, I'm sorry for dis-disturbing your day, Mister Taylor." Lillian mumbled, turning around and beginning to walk away, head cloudy with the confusion of her numerous thoughts.

What were she ought to do now? She was never supposed to knock on some strangers door, asking for assistance, let alone that stranger being Roger Taylor, a drummer from a famous band who probably just wanted to visit his family in the peace and quiet.

Yet here she was, walking away from his door feeling uncomfortable and even more distressed and in pain then before.

Roger couldn't bare to see this girl walk away vulnerable, possibly in an even worse state than she was since the five minutes ago in which she turned up at his door, so as she reached the end of the driveway, he caught up to her in fast strides, and not wanting to startle her, grabbing her wrist lightly to be met with her turning around to face him.

Lillian retracted her wrist instantly, and Roger thought he had gone too far but she was far more than comfortable to be talking to him when he struck up a conversation to make sure she was okay and that she had a way home.

"Look, now I know who you are, Lillian... I'd like to make sure you get, uh- home okay."

"It's okay, Roger. I just rely on public transport. The train and my own legs got me to where we both stand now." Lillian says, making a small, yet grand gesture with her thin arms, not being wary of how Roger had been watching her and her behaviour - constantly shielding her skin away from him.

He got that he was a complete stranger to her. Hell, the two wouldn't be talking unless he made the bold decision to go after her in order to make sure she was safe, but he couldn't help but wonder what her answer would be if he were to question on why she was being so protective over letting a glance of her skin seep out of her long sleeve black shirt.

With his mind was wandering with many thoughts, all those thoughts were drained from his brain when she made that grand gesture to explain her words, not noticing the slight slip up of her sleeve, Roger instantly noticing the thinness of her arm, how pale her skin was, the bruises over her wrist and how her petite hands and wrists gave easy access to show how thin her skin were, making her bones have clear pigment through her skin.

Roger couldn't tear his eyes away, responding wearily. "Okay, well... if yo-you're sure you don't want me to call a cab?"

"I'm fine, thank you, but," She started, finding his eyes that weren't locked onto her own and continuing to talk as he still didn't tear his eyes away, Lillian becoming self conscious, "Stop looking at my wrists." She mumbled.

Rogers eyes shot up, expecting to meet her own but only met with the top of her head as she looked down, making every effort to pull the sleeve down to cover her pale skin, already knowing Roger had a decent glance.

"I know we don't know each other, but... why?" Roger questioned, nodding his head toward her wrist, not knowing whether it was too soon.

Only, he knew. It was way too soon, but he only could cringe at his stupid question until his crumpled face turned sympathetic towards the girl who now looked up at him with teary and red-rimmed eyes once more.

"Don't..." She began but was simply cut off by Roger.

"Are you in danger?" He pressed, stepping closer and looking down to her.

"No."

"Tell me the truth, I know it doesn't seem right, but I can't possibly let you walk away if you are at the possibility of harm."

"I- no, just- give me a minute."

Once the words left her mouth, he refocussed his attention on her flinching arms as she dropped her bag from her shoulder, down her arms and placed it toward the ground, dropping it when it was close enough. Turning around, she stood still, taking a deep breath before walking around the colder-sack, the circular end of Roger's street where his childhood home lay. A coping mechanism.

Deep breaths usually helped her forget about one of the many things that constantly flowed through her mind, yet the only thing that was on her mind was achieving the approval of Roger. But why? She didn't even know this herself.

Feelings, of course.

But the sight of the sky in front of her made her forget of his presence behind her, the girl whipping off her sunhat and ruffling her hair, combing her fingers through her soft, knotty hair, her mind in such a haze she forgot about the amount of hair she would be shedding by doing the simple action of combing her fingers through it; and with long and blonde curls and shedding hair, it didn't mix well with a black top.

Lillian was still in such a haze that she calmed her rapid breathing and the urge to let tears fall down her cheeks that she did another lap around the colder-sack of his street, breathing deeply.

When she returned to stand in front of him, she noticed how desperate he was to get certain words off of his tongue when she noticed what he was staring at on the ground.

A decent amount of hair that had fallen from her head.

"Roger, I-"

"Save it." Roger said before looking up at her again, the deep breathing really not saving her from the current situation of tears leaking from her eyes. "I don't need you explaining things to me if you don't want to. I'm sure enough people know, and I'm definitely sure you don't want some famous drummer added to the list."

But something struck a course of blood through her veins in that moment. A warm, fuzzy feeling, one she hadn't experienced in a while.

A while being a few years.

It was an odd and unfamiliar feeling, yet something was urging her to at least try to keep this drummer in her life, as if it was important that even if she were not to tell him what was going on, that for some reason, he may need her too.

Maybe they needed each other, just two people here accidentally met each other in need of a stranger. In need of each other.

"Roger, I want you to know."

"You... what?" He asked, confused at her sudden positive attribute to the conversation. "We've known each other not even half an hour, love, you couldn't possibly need someone like me to know what's your troubles are in life..."

"Maybe I do, Roger."

"Do you?" He asked, only hesitantly.

"Maybe I don't need you to know, but maybe I just need you, because something inside me is really telling me that maybe these strangers," She spoke, gesturing between the two of them as Roger locked his eyes on hers. "Almost completely irrelevant to each other's lives... somehow need each other."

"I don't see your point-"

"I know this sounds ridiculous, but... why do I have this feeling that if I were to somehow convince you I'm not some... crazed fan, I suppose, begging for your sympathy, that I were to keep you in my life, that at one point or another we'd always have someone there for us? Because-"

Roger didn't know how these next words came out of his mouth, but he knew that it really did finally make sense to him.

"Because we've never had someone before?" He stated softly, cocking his head to the side as if to ask for approval, double checking he was correct after his brain registered what he had actually said.

"Well, yeah. Read my mind actually." Lillian said with a shrug, coaxing Roger to shrug after her making her crack a smile which made his insides flutter at the sight, something he rarely saw of many people these days.

Maybe he did need her. Seeing that smile made his attitude lift a little, his insides melting at the slightly younger girl.

If this really was meant to happen, him and Lillian, a friendship where they would have each other... then he could finally begin to understand his own problems because he finally would have someone supporting him. He's not to say that Brian and John haven't been supporting him, because they had... really, but some things were only meant for those special types of people you came across on a rare occasion.

This rare occasion occurring.

This rare occasion meaning Lillian.

But why was it a random stranger that had the nerve of uncertainty come across her in a confused state to knock on someone's door in need of help? Why was the random stranger, Lillian, being the person that the universe was telling him to take under his wing to support her for reasons he didn't even know yet?

"Well, I can tell your not some crazed fan..." He began with a chuckle as Lillian raised her eyebrows in question.

"How so?" She said, clicking her tongue in thought. "I could be not just some crazed fan, maybe some crazed serial killer, and you'd never know."

"Well, you knocked on my door, vulnerable, you have't shown almost any sign of interest into getting into bed with me and you haven't asked for an autograph." He stated before quickly adding, "You also don't have a weapon."

"But I still somehow got your attention?" She asked, eyes gazing into his blown, blue ones.

"Well, yeah. You knocked on my door for a reason, so here's where we start, I guess. I'm Roger. Roger Meddows Taylor." He says, sticking his hand out to shake.

"Lillian Grace Reynolds." She repeats back to him after his introduction, placing her fragile hand in his expecting a handshake but received a somewhat gentle yet forceful pull into his chest, his arms coming around her into a hug.

"You needed more than a handshake, I can tell."

"You're definitely right, Roger." She said, arms looping around his torso.

"Thank you for coming up with this idea," Roger mumbled from above her as he towered over her with a height of 5'10" while she stood at 5'5". "You don't know how much I'm going to need you."

"Thank you for agreeing with me on this, I don't think you know how much I'm going to need you." She said, looking up at him as the two broke away from the hug.

"So... is this where strangers with as little as an introduction of names have agreed to basically become best friends because they're desperate for support?"

"Well done." She said with a shrug before picking up her bag once more. "Do you have a pen? I'll write my number down so we can stay in contact, I need to head home now,'s getting it late."

"Just a second." Roger said before rushing back inside and reappearing less than three minutes later with a backpack on his back, sunglasses on his head and car keys jingling in his hand. "Let's go!"

"What? Aren't you visiting your family?"

"Been doing that all week, I'm heading back home - London, and it's Sunday afternoon. One, if we go, we'll make it before the traffic," He begins, unlocking the car and throwing his bag in. "And two, please tell me you live in the main part of London." He begs, moving to stand on Lillian's side with her car door open.

Lillian giggles while shaking her head. "I do," She says, but continues. "Although, we met a little less than an hour ago. Should I really be getting into a car with you?"

"I mean, I know this sounds ridiculous, but, yes? I mean-"

"And why's that?" She interrupts.

"Well, this- thing, friendship," Roger says, gesturing between the two before opening the car door wider. "We need to trust each other. I want this to last, I really need someone like you in my life."

"You're not wrong."

"I'm not really, am I?"

"I guess not." She replied, stepping into the car and sitting down, muttering a quiet 'thank you' as he begins to pull the seatbelt so it's within arms reach.

Running over to his side after shutting the door, he started the engine before even sitting down properly for a hot second. Putting his seatbelt on and turning the radio low enough so the music is still loud enough for listening and singing along, but also quiet enough so they can have a deep and meaningful conversation, he places on hand on the steering wheel and uses his other to grasp hers in his hand.

Placing a small kiss on the back on her hand making a small shade of a pink flush to her pale cheeks, he starts talking once more after pushing down the hand break.

"Right, so tell me everything about you. I want to know-"

"Do I really have to start?" She whines, fumbling with her fingers in her lap and looking down.

"Yes. I want to know everything important in advance so I can discover all the other small things about you during the rest of this extraordinary friendship!" He exclaims, drumming a beat on the steering wheel as he turns onto the main street. "We have a whole loves, 'til we're old and grey to find all the small things about each other, don't we? So, off you go, tell me about you."

Lillian pauses in thought, making the two deal with silence. It's far from awkward, but she hums a tad to fill it anyway - just as she thinks.

He probably just thinks she's thinking about all the possible things she's wanting to tell him, probably expecting there to be positive and exciting. But all she's thinking is about one of the last things he said; 'we have a whole loves, 'til we're old and grey to find all the small things about each other, don't we?'

He might, but does she?

No.

Not at all.

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these first two chapters were little 
introductions, but the next will start
to finally ease into the plot! exciting!

judging by my plans, this story will have around 
twenty to thirty chapters, and probably an epilogue 
rather than a sequel.

don't forget - if you enjoyed this chapter and the last
to drop a vote and a comment, and even share the story!
it's much appreciated :) if you have any questions,
don't hesitate to message me either!

last updated: july 27
2019