𝐢𝐢𝐢. 𝐎𝐍𝐄 𝐘𝐄𝐀𝐑 𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐑

                                    

                                          
"freddie, i don't like him like that! we're just friends."
                          
"oh darling penelope, i don't understand why you keep lying to yourself."
                          
it was currently a quiet moment in rocket vinyls after a rather hectic day. penny had been rushed off her feet, trying to do her own job and pick up the slack of her lazy coworker, who had left thirty minutes before closing - not that she was complaining, he was useless anyway. penny had rushed tidying the shop so that she could leave as soon as the clock struck 6:00. now, she was accompanied by brian, mary and freddie, waiting for roger and john to meet them. roger was packing up the market stall that he and freddie owned, whilst john was finishing his last class for the day at the tuniversity he attended. it was a thrilling day for the band as they were going to start recording their first album: an opportunity that had literally cost them roger's van, something he was not letting anyone forget any time soon. 
                          
"oh leave her alone freddie—"
                          
"yes, thank you brian!"
                          
"it's not her fault she's oblivious to her feelings for deaky!" brian teased, grinning like a cheshire cat and wiggling his eyebrows at the blushing girl. penny emitted an exasperated groan, throwing her head into her hands and shooting mary a look that screamed 'help me' through the cracks of her fingers. mary merely shrugged her shoulders, also smirking. although penelope had grown to love her new friends over the course of the past year, there were times when she felt frustrated at the constant insinuations and remarks about her's and john's friendship. it was even more annoying that penny had started to feel a certain way for john that significantly breached the line of the 'just friends' status she continuously insisted on. not that she wanted to admit it to anyone.
                          
the sound of the bell chiming above the door signalled roger's entrance. he observed penny cradling her head in her hands in an obviously distressed state with a confused look, signalling to her and asking: "what's happened to my pen-pal?" 
                          
"she won't admit that she's freaky for deaky," freddie quipped as brian stopped fiddling with the buckles of his guitar case and patted her shoulder tenderly in an attempt to calm her, feeling slightly guilty over his involvement in the situation. 
                          
"ah, got it," roger nodded. 
                          
"okay, look — if i confess that i might have a tiny crush on john, will you all just drop it?" penny's voice came out muffled because of her positioning but they all heard her loud and clear. 
                          
"oh my god, we knew it!" squealed mary, grabbing the poor girls hands and yanking them from her face. "this is perfect, now we can double date and—"
                          
"hey, rude! why didn't you ever ask me on double dates?" 
                          
"because, roger, i think they mean with a couple who are in a relationship for longer than just a night. unless you want to invite mary and fred to a breakfast date," brian said offhandedly, casually rolling his eyes at the thought of the drummer's well known string of one night stands. the rest of the group looked at him in surprise at the outburst (an unusual occurrence for brian), trying to suppress their giggles. 
                          
"anyway... just because i like him doesn't mean i'm going to tell him. i value our friendship way too much to just throw it away because of some stupid feelings."
                          
"what if he feels the same way though?" 
                          
freddies's question stumped penelope. she had never entertained the idea of john possibly liking her back as it seemed too far fetched for her. 
                          
"not possible, there's no way he—" 
                          
the sentence caught in her throat at the sudden bell chime that gestured john's arrival; her eyes grew wide at the sight of him, mentally cursing herself for almost exposing the groups current conversation about the blissfully ignorant man.