Pop Life: Volume 3

Chapter 1

The heat from the flames ahead of us from the explosion was so hot that it was hard for any of us to breathe. Prince was still calling for Andre. Whenever he took a breath the smoke would choke him as he called for his friend. He was in a complete panic. Everyone was. Tony came running to us with the rest of security to help me and Dez off of the ground.

"What happened?" He asked me in a frantic state.

"I don't know! Andre told us to run but he stayed back and....."

I could barely finish my thought when I started crying in Tony's arms.

"It's alright miss Regan we'll find him."

I could still hear Prince calling for Andre. Dez and Morris were trying to pull him back to keep him from going to ground zero. If Andre did die we didn't want him to find his friend mangled. The fire crew and ambulances showed up from all directions. It was a frantic scene. Jerome showed the EMTs where to go to find Andre and maybe Marcus if he hadn't disappeared before the explosion happened. I went to Prince to console him. He was still in shock as he kept calling for his best friend who was now missing and hopefully still alive.

"Andre!!!!! Andre please!!!!! Say something!!!! Where are you!!!!"

He soon dropped to his knees as the thought of Andre being gone forever took over him. He tried to keep calling him but his grief was too much to bear. He fell into my arms as the hot wind from the summer air now filled with smoke and ash blew on us. Morris and Dez dropped to the ground beside us and help console a now bawling Prince. I looked out into the smoke wondering to myself what demons did I really bring back home and why is this happening to me. As the smoke slowly cleared I saw something laying in the brush ahead of us. It looked like a body but I wasn't too sure. Something in me told me to get up and look but I didn't want to leave Prince. I couldn't shake the feeling to go and see what it was as the smoke continued to clear. I let Prince go and stood up. Something inside of me was telling me that it was Andre. The body was too big to be Marcus. Andre was taller than Marcus and I could see that the clothes were different from what Marcus would wear. I slowly began to walk closer to the body. The smoke blew away to find what I thought to be true all along.

  "Andre?" I whispered to myself.

I ran the ten feet to the body as Morris shouted out to me.

  "Regan where are you going!?!?"

I didn't answer him right away because I wanted to make sure that I wasn't seeming things. I got closer and I was right. It was Andre. I ran to his side and dropped to the ground to check his pulse. He had one and it was still very strong. He was unconscious but breathing. He must have gotten hit in the head but just hard enough to knock him out. I was so excited that I tried to wake him.

  "Andre? Can you hear me?" I asked.

He gave a small sound and opened his eyes slowly. He turned his head slowly to me and his eyes scanned my face.

  "Hello gorgeous." He whispered to me.

He smiled a little bit and his eyes fell closed again. I grabbed his hand and held on.

  "Don't let go of my hand Cymone. Help is on the way."

I turned back to Prince and the guys and yelled for them.

  "SKIPPER! DEZZY! MORRIS! COME QUICK! I FOUND HIM! I FOUND ANDRE!"

I turned back to Andre happy that he alive. I didn't want to move him so I kept talking to him.

  "Cymone are you hurt?"

  "Nah baby girl. The cyclone is the one that does the most damage. Not the other way around. Just got a damn headache from Marcus. He tried to hit me with a pole when I caught his home made grenade. I figured I'll take the blow to the head before I get blown up."

Andre smiled at me again and gave my hand a tight squeeze.

  "How did you catch it without blowing yourself up?" I asked.

  "Easy catch it and toss it fast. Then get the fuck out the way."

  "Well I'm glad you're alright." I said smiling to see him in good spirits.

Prince and the guys got to us finally with the ambulance and a stretcher.

  "Hey fellas! Good to see y'all again. Took y'all asses long enough though." Andre joked.

  "We though you were gone brotha!" Morris said to him happily.

  "Hey man I thought I was too."

  "I'm glad you're alright man." Prince said as he took Andre's free hand.

  "You were cryin like a bitch werentcha Skip." Andre joked.

  "Nah. Just worried." He lied.

  "Worried my ass! You can't fool me baby! I know ya black ass better than ya think!"

Prince laughed as he let his hand go while the EMT's put him on a stretcher. A chopper came and airlifted him to the hospital once he was stabilized. We watched as the chopper took Andre away. The relief on Prince's face made me happy that he didn't have to worry too much about Andre. He came to realize something.

  "Did he tell you what happened with Marcus?" Prince asked me.

  "He said that he hit him in the back of the head with a pole but he caught the bomb and tossed it before it blew him up." I told him.

  "So that means his ass is still out there somewhere." Dez said.

  "What the fuck is this guy a phantom!?!?!!" Prince asked now infuriated.

  "I just want him caught." I said sadly.

  "And want that motherfucker dead!" Dez said angrily.

  "Well it ain't happening tonight. But it's gonna happen." Prince said as he looked out at the fire fighters clearing the scene.

All we wanted that night was for Andre to be ok. We got that wish granted. Now to take on the real issue. Find Marcus and like Dez wants......kill him.