How High Can You
fly?
by Patricia
Pease
Scotty and I
zigzagged, through the first aid section, at the
all-night CVS. The tiny roach from our shared
joint had burnt his fingers. My brother blew on
his scorched thumbs, as this gnarly dude sloshed
forward. Wet skin was hanging, like curtains,
from his arms.
“Holy Mother of all gross outs! What
happened to you?” Scotty blurted.
Gnarly dude heaved his singed chest, “I flew
too close to the sun.”
Scotty yawned. “ Bummer.” He widened
his bloodshot eyes to examine this strange guy.
“Hey, if you were cruisin’ the sun, why’re
you so drenched?”
The guy clenched his fists and yelled, “I
fell into the sea, alright!?” He immediately
held up his hands in surrender and stepped back.
“Sorry… so sorry, but it was
humiliating, man.”
I felt embarrassed for this weird guy. “ Don’t
feel bad. Me and Scotty are still doin’
community service for some of the stupid crap we
did.”
“Thanks man… I’m Icarus, by the
way, but my friends call me "Icky".”
He picked at his peeling skin. “Can you guys
recommend anything for blisters?”
“Uh, yeah, you need an antibiotic, some pain
spray and gauze to wrap up that stuff hangin’
off your arms.”
“I’m not usually this uptight, but my
pop’s gonna pitch a hissy fit.”
“So will ours if he sees our fried eyes.
Scotty, grab the drops, bud.”
Icky picks up his feathers off the floor.“Where
can I find wax?”
“What do you want with wax?” Scotty
grabs tea tree oil instead of eye drops.
“I need to rebuild my wings and fly home.”
He held up a fistful of peacock feathers.
A security guard sauntered over, "Alright,
pal, you’re dripping water on the floor and…um…molting?
He rubbed his eyes. “Whatever, you gotta
leave.”
Icky lowered his head and moaned, “I am so
grounded when I get home.” His burnt
shoulders drooped as he shuffled out.
I grabbed all the birthday candles I could carry
to the checkout.
“You’re
not buying him wax. Are you insane in the
membrane?”
“I’m tired of that dirt weed cousin
Ernie brings from Sarasota. If our friend thinks
he can fly, then he’s good for some primo
dank.”
Scotty grinned like a lunatic and hollered,
“Yo! Icky, dude… wait up, brah!”
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