Growing Old With You (Part of Those Three Little Words threequel)

Part 22

5th June 2001
Roger's POV
Life had been pretty busy, we'd been doing this thing with Robbie Williams, the guy who quit take that, and I didn't think it was too bad. He was quite shy which I wasn't expecting but he had a great voice and did 'We Are The Champions' pretty well. We'd recorded it all and sent tapes to John for him to have a listen to it, whether he would or not was up to him, and we were pretty happy with it.

Until a phone call came to the house.

Tigs picked it up and said hello then carted the phone down to me in the kitchen, "for you, Papa. Says you knows him" she said and I took the phone from her, thanking her quietly.

"Hello?" I put the phone up to my ear and there was an annoyed huff from the other end, "Hello? Who's this?"

"It's Jim. I've got John screaming down the phone at me about some 'effing replacement. What's that about?" Jim seemed pretty worn out and I sighed.

"I sent him a letter with the tapes, y'know, just saying that Brian and I were considering asking him to tour with us... we've not said anything to thingy yet but we will if we get John's blessing" I explained and heard someone shouting in the distance.

"I don't think this is a blessing, Rog, give me a second" he took a deep breath and I heard him talking to who I assumed was John on a different phone until he got back to me, "right. He's hung up now and he'll call you in a second, alright?"

"Alright, I'll get back to you" I said quickly then hung up and took deep breaths to calm myself down, this was going to be an intense phone call if I was right on what I thought this was about. I quickly went to the bottom of the stairs with the phone still in my hand, "Brian! Get down here, John's ringing!" I shouted and he came barrelling down the stairs just as the phone started ringing.

"Do you want to talk or me?" I asked and he shook his head, "you talk, I don't know what this is about" he looked nervous as I pressed the answer button, "about Robbie" I mouthed and heard the line come on, "hello?"

"Is Brian there as well?" The venom came through the phone from the first word and I hummed, gulping as I looked at the floor.

"Yeah, um, did you want to talk to him instead?"

"No, you'll do. So, whose idea was this? Was it yours, his, maybe the guy from take that?"

"It was mine and Brian's idea... we haven't told him anything yet, th-"

"I don't care. You think that he is a good fit after Freddie? Just because he sang one song of ours, he deserves to go on tour with you?" He spat and I gripped Brian's wrist to stop myself from punching something.

"It's not just that, he's a good singer. He can do our songs in a new way"

"No, he can ruin them. He's a fucking pop singer from some shit boyband that got popular because they got girls to buy tickets. He can't do us or Freddie justice, you need someone better"

"I'm not going to start a fight with you, John. We won't ask him then, alright? The song won't get released and there's no tour" I sighed and Brian looked a little disappointed.

"I'm sorry it had to come to this for us to speak again but you're making a bad choice here, Rog. When you find the right person, you'll know" he sighed a little then chuckled, "you won't be getting calls like this if you find the right person"

"I hope I get calls from you, though. It's nice to talk" I almost squeaked and it was like the whole atmosphere changed.

"It is nice, yeah. It's just hard, y'know? With the kids and all, it's been pretty hectic around here" I hummed in agreement, "I've been relying on the cigs a lot lately... I shouldn't do but it's better than nothing"