As Long As You're Alive Here I Am
Chapter 07
Anna lied on the floor without moving. The thought or action of breathing never crossed her mind. She laid there staring at the name blinking on the phone. Everything was being drowned out by the ringing of the phone. The loud screeching of guitars and banging of drums faded into nothing.
"Anna... Anna! What's wrong?" Quinn said when he stepped out of the music room and saw Anna on the ground. "What are you doing?" He asked, walking over to her.
Anna couldn't speak. Her throat constricted painfully from the lack of air. Her mouth was hung open, bottom lip trembling. Her eyes began to water more and more with each passing second.
Quinn looked at Anna strangely. What was wrong with her? He still hadn't realized she wasn't breathing.
"Anna," Quinn shook her a little. "why aren't you answering the phone?" He asked. Anna pointed a shakey hand at the screen. "Why aren't you talking?... Anna, breathe!" He suddenly realized.
By now the ringing phone beside them didn't exist. Quinn blew air into Anna's face in attempt to get her to breathe. His hands trembled as he moved the hair away from her face and smacked her cheeks gently. He was cradling her in his arms. What was he going to do? The guys couldn't hear because they were still playing rather loudly.
"Anna, breathe for me. Please Anna... Breathe." Quinn cooed, shaking her lightly.
Anna couldn't quite focus on Quinn anymore. She was becoming dizzy. Then finally...
"Hello?" Quinn said into the phone.
"No!" Anna cried, taking her first breath.
"Oh, hi." Quinn said, looking down at Anna.
"Don't answer the phone... Why'd you answer it? Now she's going to take me away..." Anna cried quietly into Quinn's arms.
"Hold on a minute." Quinn said, standing up with Anna. He walked Anna to the door of the music room. He opened the door and let Anna in. "Watch her." He said as he covered the mouthpiece.
The music immediately stopped.
"Anna, what's wrong?" The guys asked when they saw Anna's teary eyes and shaking limbs.
"She called." Was all Anna could say.
Jeph walked around the instruments on the floor and went up to Anna. He brought her
around and sat her by the piano. He bent down to her face and wiped away her tears.
"Who called?" Jeph asked.
"Mommy." Anna croaked. Her throat was sore.
"I'll be back." Jeph said, straightening out and walking out of the room.
Bert rushed over to Anna and asked her what happened. Anna didn't speak. Figuring Quinn could explain, he ran out of the room to find him.
Anna sat there quietly. She looked around the room. It was just like how she had last seen it. Quinn's guitars occupied one wall while Jeph's basses occupied another. The piano was in the corner; where she was now. And the drums were in at the far end of the room. They were the exact same ones Branden would play on everyday. The ones where he would goof around on, teach Anna, and jam with the guys. She could still see the 20/20 design on them.
Dan sat behind the drums watching Anna. She was staring his way. He didn't know what to do. Should he get up and comfort her? He felt it would be awkward, but what the hell? Dan stood up and went over to Anna.
"Are you okay?" He asked, crouching down in front of her.
Anna snapped out of her thoughts and looked down at Dan. She shook her head and broke into tears.
"What's wrong?" Dan asked.
"I don't want to leave." Anna sobbed.
"Who's taking you away?" Dan asked, taking Anna's hands into his.
"My mom." Anna choked out.
"Why would she do that?" Dan asked.
"Because she doesn't think I should be here. She told the guys that if things got too bad over here to send me back to Utah. They don't know I know. My mom is going to put me in a hospital for good if I go back. I don't want to go. I'm happy here." Anna cried, looking down at her hands in Dan's. "The guys would rather put up with me than put me away. They don't give up on me. I feel my mom already has."
"You're not going anywhere." Dan assured her, standing up with her in his arms and hugged her tightly.
Anna held tightly onto Dan's arms. It wasn't awkward. Not anymore. She knew she had a friend in him. He wouldn't give up on her either.
"Anna... Anna! What's wrong?" Quinn said when he stepped out of the music room and saw Anna on the ground. "What are you doing?" He asked, walking over to her.
Anna couldn't speak. Her throat constricted painfully from the lack of air. Her mouth was hung open, bottom lip trembling. Her eyes began to water more and more with each passing second.
Quinn looked at Anna strangely. What was wrong with her? He still hadn't realized she wasn't breathing.
"Anna," Quinn shook her a little. "why aren't you answering the phone?" He asked. Anna pointed a shakey hand at the screen. "Why aren't you talking?... Anna, breathe!" He suddenly realized.
By now the ringing phone beside them didn't exist. Quinn blew air into Anna's face in attempt to get her to breathe. His hands trembled as he moved the hair away from her face and smacked her cheeks gently. He was cradling her in his arms. What was he going to do? The guys couldn't hear because they were still playing rather loudly.
"Anna, breathe for me. Please Anna... Breathe." Quinn cooed, shaking her lightly.
Anna couldn't quite focus on Quinn anymore. She was becoming dizzy. Then finally...
"Hello?" Quinn said into the phone.
"No!" Anna cried, taking her first breath.
"Oh, hi." Quinn said, looking down at Anna.
"Don't answer the phone... Why'd you answer it? Now she's going to take me away..." Anna cried quietly into Quinn's arms.
"Hold on a minute." Quinn said, standing up with Anna. He walked Anna to the door of the music room. He opened the door and let Anna in. "Watch her." He said as he covered the mouthpiece.
The music immediately stopped.
"Anna, what's wrong?" The guys asked when they saw Anna's teary eyes and shaking limbs.
"She called." Was all Anna could say.
Jeph walked around the instruments on the floor and went up to Anna. He brought her
around and sat her by the piano. He bent down to her face and wiped away her tears.
"Who called?" Jeph asked.
"Mommy." Anna croaked. Her throat was sore.
"I'll be back." Jeph said, straightening out and walking out of the room.
Bert rushed over to Anna and asked her what happened. Anna didn't speak. Figuring Quinn could explain, he ran out of the room to find him.
Anna sat there quietly. She looked around the room. It was just like how she had last seen it. Quinn's guitars occupied one wall while Jeph's basses occupied another. The piano was in the corner; where she was now. And the drums were in at the far end of the room. They were the exact same ones Branden would play on everyday. The ones where he would goof around on, teach Anna, and jam with the guys. She could still see the 20/20 design on them.
Dan sat behind the drums watching Anna. She was staring his way. He didn't know what to do. Should he get up and comfort her? He felt it would be awkward, but what the hell? Dan stood up and went over to Anna.
"Are you okay?" He asked, crouching down in front of her.
Anna snapped out of her thoughts and looked down at Dan. She shook her head and broke into tears.
"What's wrong?" Dan asked.
"I don't want to leave." Anna sobbed.
"Who's taking you away?" Dan asked, taking Anna's hands into his.
"My mom." Anna choked out.
"Why would she do that?" Dan asked.
"Because she doesn't think I should be here. She told the guys that if things got too bad over here to send me back to Utah. They don't know I know. My mom is going to put me in a hospital for good if I go back. I don't want to go. I'm happy here." Anna cried, looking down at her hands in Dan's. "The guys would rather put up with me than put me away. They don't give up on me. I feel my mom already has."
"You're not going anywhere." Dan assured her, standing up with her in his arms and hugged her tightly.
Anna held tightly onto Dan's arms. It wasn't awkward. Not anymore. She knew she had a friend in him. He wouldn't give up on her either.
♠ ♠ ♠
I hate these cheesey happy things... =P