20: "Stronger"
Anthony felt a pair of lips over his own, and that
individual's breath puffing into his lungs. His heart skipped. He opened his
eyes and gazed upon a dark, scruffy haired individual. John's hand stung beneath
Anthony's chin. The guitarist turned to the right.
"Check his pulse!"
John exclaimed.
Fingers singed Anthony's wrist. They shifted around,
then pressed down. He winced and gasped for air. John gasped with him.
"He's breathing!" John's jaw hung open. He leaned toward his friend.
"Anthony! Anthony! Are you okay?"
Anthony's tongue clung to the roof of
his mouth. His lips parted and formed the word, "yeah," the voice accompanying
soft and hoarse. His eyelids stung, so he closed them. Then squinted. The hand
holding his wrist released it, and Chad came into view beside John. Wide eyed,
gaping mouthed, and covered in sweat.
"Wah... ter," Anthony croaked. His
two companions scrambled to their bags. John returned with a metal canteen. He
unscrewed the cap and drew the mouth of the flask to Anthony's lips. Water
trickled down his throat. He gagged.
"Sh**!" John pulled the canteen
away. He replaced the cap and tossed it aside. Chad skid to the dust beside
Anthony. All three panting.
"What happened?" Anthony's voice raked his
throat, and he coughed.
"F***!" Chad replied, shaking his head. "You
were struck by lightening!"
"I was?"
"Yeah!"
Anthony's
eyes stung again, and he blinked.
"Flea went to get the car," Chad
continued, licking his lips and sitting back on his feet. "He tried to call an
ambulance on his cell phone, but we're out of range."
"Flea," Anthony
repeated.
Raising an eyebrow, Chad said, "Yeah, Flea."
A smile
swept across Anthony's face. "Damn, I missed you guys."
John and Chad
exchanged looks. Their faces brightened. Anthony glanced to the left and saw a
dark SUV drive into the clearing. The driver's door swung open.
"How is
he?" Flea cried out, rushing to his bandmates.
"I'm okay," Anthony
replied. He smiled at the sight of his friend's navy plaid flannel. As Flea
approached with open arms, Anthony noticed tears sparkling his cheeks.
Flea knelt at the singer's side and reached for him.
"Whoa!"
Chad held a hand to Flea's chest. "He's covered in first and second degree
burns. A hug would hurt him."
Furrowing his eyebrows, Flea nodded. "We
gotta get him into the truck though."
"Just do it," Anthony grimaced.
Flea took hold of his shoulders, and Chad grabbed his feet. Pain seared through
Anthony's body. His muscles tensioned, and he squeezed his eyes shut. They
carried him to the SUV. After John had opened the door to the back seat, Flea
and Chad eased Anthony into the car. They laid him across the seat. John hopped
into the hatchback. Flea raced to the driver's seat, Chad to the passenger's
seat. All doors closed, and the SUV squealed into motion.
Silence
reigned in the car. Heaving heavy breaths, Anthony looked to the ceiling. John
peered over the seat, into Anthony's field of vision. He stared at the
guitarist, at his weary eyes and frowning lips. He ran his tongue across the
roof of his mouth. "Guys?" he said. Chad peaked out from behind the passenger's
seat, and John leaned closer. "I've been thinking about the possibility that the
label will drop us."
Chad shifted in his seat. John slowly nodded.
"What have you been thinking?" Flea called from the driver's seat.
"That I don't give a sh** if we get dropped." Anthony watched John's
lips curve into a grin. "If Warner Brothers doesn't want us, f*** them. We'll
find a way."
"That's right, Anthony!" Flea replied. He turned off the
dusty mountain path, onto a state road.
Chad nodded with a smile. He
turned around and sat back in his seat. John ducked out of view.
The SUV
shot past trees and modest stucco homes. Its occupants sat in silence. A hand
slipped off the steering wheel and reached for a control knob. And turned it.
"But now I'm stronger than yesterday
Now it's nothing..."
Flea turned the knob.
"Hey, Flea?" Anthony called into the front
seat. He took in a deep breath. "Can you put it back on Britney Spears?"
"Anthony, are you serious?"
"Please?"
Shrugging, Flea
turned back the dial.
"I'm stronger -
Than I ever thought that I
could be, baby..."
Anthony glanced up at John's confused stare. "What?"
THE END