Pop Life: Volume 2

Chapter 37

When we went inside everyone was gone. The lobby was quiet but faint sounds of screams from the second floor echoed through the halls just above us. As Prince and I looked up in confusion Jerome appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Skip!" He shouted down to us out of breath.

"What's going on up there?" Prince asked.

"It's Dez man! He's losing it!"

"Where is he?" I asked concerned.

"In the music room!" Jerome said before he quickly went back down the hall.

Suddenly there was a loud thud which sounded like a brick falling against the wall. Prince had a moment of fear come over him.

"Oh no." He said to himself.

We turned to each other and ran as fast as we could to the second floor. Prince's voice trailed behind him as we raced through the hall.

"Dez!!!!" He shouted as he finally made it to the door of the huge musical sanctuary.

I wasn't too far behind when I heard another loud bang against the wall. I slowed down before I got to the door just in case something or someone were to fly out at me. I peeked around the door and could see Dez in a deep rage that almost instantly reminded me of the night Prince's rage controlled his gentle soul. Prince was still trying to calm Dez down but nothing was helping.

"Dez we'll find him! Please calm down!" Prince pleaded with his distraught friend.

"FUCK CALM DOWN! I'LL CALM
DOWN WHEN THAT MOTHERFUCKER IS DEAD! YOU HEAR ME PRINCE? AND IF YOU'RE TOO MUCH OF A BITCH TO KILL HIM THEN I FOR DAMN SURE WILL DO IT FOR YOU!"

Prince had to catch himself for a moment.

"I know you're upset but you need to relax."

Dez had stopped pacing briefly and looked at Prince. The anger in his brown eyes was almost haunting. A sinister grin grew across his face as he looked Prince up and down. The glass encased fender caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He shook his head and his anger took over in his voice.

"You're best fucking friend is about to get blown the fuck up and you're telling me that I need to relax? Nobody should be telling anybody to relax until Marcus is dead and you fucking know it Prince!"

Morris tried to approach Dez to try to talk him off the ledge but he swung at him and it scared Morris so bad that he lost his footing and fell into Tony.

"Dezzy just try to calm down we'll figure this out together!" I said to him slowing getting closer to him.

Dez was too angry to listen. He grabbed nearest object in front of him. His bass guitar. Prince's eyes got big and the worry took over. Tony was ready for a take down the moment he took the bass in his hands.

"Dez? What are you doing with that?" Prince had asked.

He didn't answer. He raised it above his head and before we could stop him it came down on the floor shattering into pieces. He pushed through Jerome and Tony and got to the black fender protected in the glass box. Dez stared at it angrily because he knew the origin of where it came. He room was suddenly quiet with nothing but he sound of a panicked Prince trying to talk him down.

"Dez? Don't to it man. Please. I'm begging you not to do it."

Dez didn't care what Prince wanted. He wanted Andre back safe and sound and so did we. He went to push the glass case over when Tony out of instinct put his arm around his neck and took him down to the floor and restraining him there.

"Let me go!" Dez gasped as he tried to wiggle free.

"I can't do that brotha! You gotta chill first!" Tony responded.

Dez kept fighting to get free until his frustration took over him and he gave up. His eyes were teary and he looked defeated.

"I just....I just want to save him." Dez said out of breath as his tears finally fell.

Dez was never one to cry in front of us unless it was serious. The guilt of bringing Marcus with him to Minnesota had eaten away at him and he couldn't deal with it anymore. Tony was slowly letting him go but still being cautious of him trying to get up and raise hell again. I started to walk up to Dez when Prince tugged me by my arm stopping me.

"Regan don't. He hasn't calmed down yet just give him a minute." He said worried that Dez would hurt me.

"Let me try to talk to him." I said.

"He's not in the right state of mind right now."

"All the more reason to try. He needs someone to talk him down slowly. I can do it. Just trust me."

Prince looked at me worried but his eyes showed me that he could trust me. He let me go and gave me a nod. I turned back to Dez who was still trying to get free but not as aggressive. He looked at me with those dark eyes. I sat on the floor just far enough to be out of his reach.

"Dezzy? Can we talk about it?"

"We have to save my boy." He said still frustrated.

"I know we do and we will but we can't go in like gang busters because that's what Marcus wants. We can't play his game. We have to play our own. That's how we save Andre. That's how we'll get him home."

Dez began to show that he was calming down. His eyes were returning to their natural brown and he stopped flailing his arms.

"Tony. Let him go." I said.

"Miss Regan are you sure?" He asked as he looked up at Prince for a sign of approval.

"You cool Dez? Can I trust you?" Prince asked him calmly.

Dez shook his head and Tony let him go slowly before fully releasing him. Dez let his body fall flat to the floor as his frustration poured from his eyes. I went behind him and had him lay his head on my lap.

"I'm so sorry Regan. Please forgive me. I didn't know." He sobbed as I rubbed his head slowly.

"It's not you're fault Dezzy. Everything will be alright."

Morris and Jerome came and helped sit Dez upright as they sat beside him consoling him and giving him as much comfort and possible. After he got himself together Dez was helped to his feet and Prince walked over towards him. Dez felt a little embarrassed for the way he as acting so he lowered his head so that he didn't have to face him.

"I'm sorry man. I didn't mean to-"

"It's cool. We've all been there. You have nothing to be sorry about."

Dez looked up at Prince who was giving him a smile. Prince put his arm out and pulled Dez in for a hug.

"We're gonna get our boy back I promise." Prince told him.

They let each other go and Dez began to wonder how we were going to get Andre back.

"So then what's the plan? We can't go in there head on we gotta break our way in unnoticed." Dez said.

"Yeah Skip how are we gonna get in if we can't use the doors? It's not like we can just scale the walls and climb inside." Jerome said.

His words hit Prince like a bolt of lighting and a smile crept across his lips. We could all see the wheels turning in that musical brain of his.

"We can't but we know somebody who can." He said as he turned his attention to me.

I was afraid to ask the question I already knew the answer to. We were getting inside the factory the same way we got that box of candy. We're saving Andre camp Minnetonka style.