Outside Looking In - Bohemian Rhapsody

Seven - Shattered

Diana was ahead of everyone - she was the first one at the studio before rehearsal, for once. She was even ahead of her brother and Miami, both usually fairly early to any band meeting.

She was glad for this though. Hoping to avoid Freddie and any further hostility towards her - and Paul, because it seemed now that wherever Freddie went, Paul followed - she had just come to return a book she had borrowed from Brian, before she would head out. She wouldn't stay for rehearsal today. She didn't like it, but she was beginning to feel that maybe it was a good idea to put some distance between herself and the band - for more reasons than one. 

But since no one was here yet, not even her brother, she reached into her purse for a pen and some paper to leave the book and a note on the table by Roger's drum kit - hoping that she could do so and then leave without being seen and running into anyone. 

She was just scribbling a note - Thanks again for letting me borrow this, Bri -Love Di - when someone entered the room. Roger.

"Hey Di."

Looked like her plan was shattered. "Oh, hi Rog. You're early."

"I know." He seemed just as surprised as her by this. "I didn't know you'd be here."

"Yeah, the idea was just that I drop this off, in and out, without being seen, but..." She shrugged. 

"Ah, well, sorry to ruin your plans."

"No, no, it's fine." They chuckled.  "How are you doing?" she asked gently. In the wake of his divorce, she knew he was putting on a brave face, but knew he was more upset than he tried to let on.

"All right. Focusing on work. New album won't make itself."

"Yeah, just don't overwork yourself."

"Nope. I was actually wondering, maybe after rehearsal today, if you wanted to go for a drink?"

"Oh thanks but I'm not actually sticking around. Got some work to do as well - new script to memorize. But you and the others go ahead, you deserve some fun after all the hard work you're doing."

He nodded and shrugged. "Worth a shot."

"What's that mean?"

"You never stick around anymore, if you even show up at all."

"Didn't know you'd noticed."

"Of course I notice, Di."

"Well I'm busy. Acting is very demanding, just like music."

"Yeah but you've always made an effort to be there for the band. Come on, Di. I know it's not just Freddie you've been trying to avoid."

No, he was right, it wasn't - she was also trying to avoid him.

"Did I do something?"

She sighed. "No, not really.  I just think distancing ourselves would be best right now. You're going through a rough time with your divorce, and the last thing either of us need are any more mixed signals."

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean?" She scoffed.  "Rog, the party, after Freddie was being a total prick to both of us, you kissed me. Don't you remember?"

"Oh. Oh yeah, that..."

"Yeah, that..."

Great, now a heavy, uncomfortable silence hovered between them. Di really hoped any of the other band members would choose that moment to walk in, even if it had to be Freddie and Paul. 

"That, that was-" He was struggling.

"You don't have to explain. It was a rough night for both of us."

"No, but it shouldn't have happened," he decided.

"No, it shouldn't have," she agreed, against the painful pull at her heartstrings.

"But at the same time, I'm glad it did. I don't regret kissing you."

She scrunched up her eyebrows in confusion.  "But you just said - and I agreed-"

"I know, I know, it's complicated, isn't it?" He chuckled a little.  "I care about you a lot, Di. You know that, right?"

"Yes, of course.  And I care about you. But?"

"But, it's just complicated..."

Uh oh, that was never a good sign... Here we go...

"You're Brian's sister, you know. You've always been his baby sister."

She blinked back at him, wondering if she'd heard him correctly. "Baby?"

"Yeah."

"Baby?" she repeated again.

"Yeah..." Now he seemed confused.

"BABY?!" He appeared taken aback when she exploded at him.  "BABY?! 'Brian's baby sister'?!"

"Yeah..." His tone was cautious now.

"His 'baby sister'?"

"I-I-"

"BABY?!"   Throwing down the half-written note along with Brian's book on the table, she stormed past him.

"Di-"

She said nothing as she stormed from the room, not even acknowledging her brother when she passed him in the hall. 

------------------------------------------

The next few weeks were extremely difficult - now she had lost two of her closest friends. 

"What will you do?" Brian asked her when she told him her side of the story.

She told him all that she could: the truth. "I don't know. I really don't know." The very difficult truth. 

And she wasn't the only one losing friends. 

"Di?"

"Bri, everything all right?" She noted the distress in his voice immediately when he called her.

"No, no it's really not." He heaved a heavy sigh. "Queen's over."

There was a beat of silence.  "What?"

"Fred's left. He took some big solo deal.  The band's finished."

What? No... "Oh, Bri.  I'm so sorry. So sorry."

"Yeah, thanks."

She sighed.  "What will you guys do now?"

He answered truthfully.  "I don't know."

(So I've decided I'm going to add a final chapter based on them filming 'Bohemian Rhapsody'. I thought that would be fun to do!

Thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed! :))