Liar | Freddie Mercury

Chapter Sixteen

"You're quiet today." Rose handed me my cup of coffee. It was about thirty minutes before my shift at the store was over, and my fifth cup of coffee was a desperate attempt to make up for the lack of sleep from the night before. Hanging out with my new friends was wrecking my concentration when it came to my uni work. I had spent my entire weekend trying to make up for all the time spent on Roger and Freddie, time that would've been better spent on working towards my future. 

The future used to be my main focus, I always had my head set on what was to come, but it was hard to focus on anything other than Roger, who was so carelessly going around with other girls while making me feel like I was special. I wasn't okay with it, not because of jealousy, but I guess I didn't want to be intimate with someone that it meant so little to? When Freddie and I kissed, there was a level of intensity that I had never felt before. It wasn't just horny fun, he did it to feel something, even though it was in an attempt to overshadow Mary's betrayal, and even though it made him feel anger, there was emotion behind it. He didn't just do it and then forget about it, unlike Roger. I knew the memory lived in Freddie's head, rent free, just like it did in mine. 

"I spent so much time studying last night, I haven't been disciplined enough with my university work, it seems I have developed somewhat of a social life." I smiled and shook my head, sipping on my cup when Rose sat down next to me. Her eyes casually scanned over the store, an ever-present smile on her face as they focused on a girl that was looking through hangers of bold, short dresses that seemed to be London's fashion trend for the summer. 

"A social life? I miss my days as a young girl, before my life started revolving around a man that can't cook his own food, or wash his own dishes." I knew she was joking, but the thought of serving a man as his wife immediately made me want to social distance from every single man in London. "Who have you been hanging around with? That beautiful man with the beautiful eyes?"

"Yeah, I hang out with Roger b-"

"Not Roger, him." She interrupted me and pointed at the door as it opened, the bell ringing loudly when Freddie walked in slowly and looked right at me as he awkwardly lifted his hand in my direction, and started making his way over to the register. 

My eyes grew wide as I placed my cup down and stood up, walking around the counter to meet him halfway, "What are you doing here?"

"Well bloody hello to you too, Clarissa." He rolled his eyes, removing a thin jacket from his small body, which he then placed on the register as he greeted Rose.

"I am at work Freddie, you can't just show u-"

"Would you like a nice cup of coffee dear? Clarissa only has 20 minutes left before her shift is over." Rose interrupted, her eyes sparkling as she looked up at Freddie like he was the most majestic creature in all of London. She was so fond of him. What side of him was she seeing? There were so many.

"I know where the kettle is, I can make some myself, thank you." He spoke kindly and smiled before he looked at me and made his way into the back. 

Ah, she was fond of the side that I rarely saw, kind Freddie was available to everyone but me.

"Clarissa, darling, why don't you go show Freddie where the cups and sugar are." What a cheeky old lady Rose was, trying to get us alone in the same room. Have I not made it clear by now that Freddie was not someone I wanted to be alone with?

I nodded slightly and followed after him, standing in the door of the backroom as I watched him open a bunch of different cupboards, trying to find cups. 

"To your right." I commented, my arms folded across my chest. He glanced at me for a second before following my instructions, grabbing a cup and placing it on the counter in front of him.