Back To The Viper by Antara Mann

let’s call it a day, shall we?” Harris left the room and Craig put the drumsticks down with a bored expression. He looked exhausted, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He had apparently had no sleep the previous night.
    “Are you happy now? When are we going back?” he asked impatiently.
    “I think we did what we wanted, and there’s no need for us to spend another day recording; Wayne, what do you think?” Ashley turned at him.
    Wayne was playing a melody and didn’t realize somebody was talking to him. Only after Ashley shouted his name again did he start and lift his eyes.
    “What? Did you say something?” He stopped playing.
    “We’re suggesting it’s time to go back; what do you think?” Ashley came closer to him.
    Wayne sighed and set the guitar aside.
    “Okay, we did do what we came here for. Before we go back, however, I have a surprise for you.”
    “A surprise?” Chad exclaimed.
    Wayne nodded.
    “What is it?” Ashley asked, puzzled.
    “It won’t be a surprise if I tell you.”
    ***
    “Beach Ball in Orange County?” Ashley looked at Wayne, who was parking the car in front of the bar, right by the coast.
    “Do we have time for this? Didn’t we decide to go back…” she objected, but Wayne interrupted her.
    “Oh, come on, don’t be such a Debbie Downer! Of course we can afford it. It won’t take too long. Come on, it will be fun!”
    Wayne got out of the car; Ashley and Chad followed him. Craig had remained in his hotel room. Harris had covered their hotel expenses, of course. It was past eight in the evening, and the bar was almost full. Wayne ordered tequila for each of them.
    “To the bottom,” he said and downed his tequila in one sip. Almost an hour had passed when Craig joined them. They could tell from afar that he wasn’t in a good mood. He almost collapsed into his chair and held his head in his hands.
    “Dude, what’s with the long face?” Wayne gave him a hug and pushed a glass of tequila under his nose.
    “Leave me alone!” Craig pushed him back angrily.
    “Why don’t you just have fun? When are we going to be twenty again? Look at all those cool chicks around.” Wayne’s eyes drifted over the bodies of all the women nearby. “I don’t understand you married people; how can you eat the same meal over and over again? Don’t you get sick of it?”
    “You little asshole, shut your mouth!” Craig took Wayne by the collar and shoved him back; Wayne fell down on the chair next to him. The others in the bar averted their eyes from the scene. Chad rushed to part them.
    “What’s wrong with you, Craig? Are you crazy? And you, Wayne, why are you teasing him? You’re both acting like teenagers!” he scolded them.
    “I don’t need help!” Wayne pushed Chad and began smoothing his clothes. “For Christ’s sake, why do you always have to be so sentimental, Craig? If you want us to go home so much, then fine! We can do it right now, can’t we, Ash? Ash, where are you?” Wayne called her name, but she was gone. Where could she have gone?
    When Craig and Wayne locked horns, Ashley thought that that was too much for her. She went out of the club and aimed for the beach. It was the end of June, and the weather was wonderful. The cool sand under her feet sent chills up her body. She stood in front of the lapping waves and stared into the dark indistinct horizon. Why had she wished for them to go back in time? To get rid of the feelings of failure, guilt, and dissatisfaction that had been haunting them like ghosts. The waves touched her bare feet and drew back into the sea. Yes, playing “Where is Your Lover” had won the producer, but to what use when the boys were now arguing? She suddenly realized that even if they had broken through, their fate wouldn’t have been any different than the fate of most of the other bands: they would have recorded a hit album or two at the most, and then they would have begun to fight and would have eventually separated. The