Going Solo

                                    

                                          
I know I want to break free was released in April of 1984 but for this story, I'm bringing it forward a bit.
February 1984
It's been ten months and Lilliana still hasn't gone home, in fact, she's cut off almost all connection with her family after meeting her newest sibling Joshua in December.
She's in her final year at high school and coming back to the lodge after school that day, she notes her dad's car and both her uncle's cars on the drive.
Quietly opening the front door, she sneaks into the dining room and hides behind the wall, listening in to the band meeting in the next room.
"MTV banned our video. The youth of America. We helped give birth to MTV."
"It's America," Brian reasons, "They're puritans in public and perverts in private."
"I'm never touring in the US again," Freddie chuckles dryly, "And I'm the one being blamed for it. Not you, dear," He points to Roger, "Whose idea, I believe it was to dress up in drag. And not you," He points to Brian and then to John, "Not even you, who wrote the bloody thing."
Lilliana frowns tuning out, she hadn't fully realised that her dad wrote I Want to Break Free. But she now understands that some of the words are probably about her and not Veronica like she's heard people at school gossip about.
She tunes back in and Freddie sighs walking about the room, "I'm tired of touring, aren't you? Album, tour, album, tour. I want to do something different."
"We're a band, Freddie," Brian points out, "That's what bands do. Album, tour, album, tour."
"Well, I need a break," Freddie turns away from them, "I'm sick of it."
"What are you saying, Freddie?" John asks though deep down he already knows the answer.
Freddie lights a cig before answering the question, "I've signed a deal with CBS Records."
"You've done what?" Roger frowns sitting forward in his seat.
"Without telling us?" Brian accuses.
"What kind of deal?" John asks, Lilliana notices her dad is rather chilled out about it compared to the others.
"Look," Freddie turns back to them, "I'm not saying we won't record or ever tour again. Queen will go on but I need to do something different."
"A solo album?" Brian scoffs.
"Two actually," Paul pipes up making Lilliana shiver she didn't realise he was in the room, "Back to back."
Roger snaps, "Another word out of you and I'll throw you out the bloody window."
"But that's years, Freddie," John tries to reason, "I mean that'll take years."
"Ye of little faith."
"I don't believe this. How much?" Roger asks the real question, "What did they pay you?" There's a pause, "I wanna know how much they paid..."
"$4 million!" Freddie snaps.
"That's more than any Queen deal," John scoffs.
"Look, the routine is killing us. I mean, you must all want a break from all the arguments. I mean, whose song gets on the album, whose song's the single, who wrote what... who gets a bigger slice of the royalties, what's on the B-side, all of it. You must need a break."
"Freddie, we're a family," Brian states.
"No, we're not! We're not a family!" Lilliana feels the hurt from her dad and uncles, "You've got families, children, wives. What have I got?"