Breaking Hearts (B-Boy #2)

by S. Briones Lim

  “Do you have something to say? By all means, don’t hold back.” I sighed, expecting to hear a laundry list of complaints as to why I was a horrible roommate.

  As if a floodgate was opened, words spilled out of Anna’s mouth going a mile a minute. “My boyfriend broke up with me on move-in day. We’re both from up north and I followed him here so we could go to school together. And you know how he pays me back? He breaks up with me just as we were unloading my car. Fucked up, right?”

  Okay, that explained a lot.

  “Yeah, pretty fucked up.” I frowned. “Um…sorry?”

  “Well, it isn’t your fault, but I hope you understand why I was a bit off that day…and every other day, for that matter. I’m kinda going through a broken heart, cracked ego, and messed up mind…” She paused and chuckled. “Not to mention I’m pretty much fucked when it comes to my classes. Who knew you needed a science as an art major? Seriously, the periodic table might as well be written in hieroglyphics.”

  I nodded, not knowing what else to say. Though I felt sorry for her I wasn’t really an expert on the whole dating thing and had no idea how a broken heart felt. I guess it felt like any sort of loss? Grasping for words, I scratched at my throat and glanced at her stereo system. “I take it the break up is also the reason for that angry music you’ve been jamming to?”

  She grinned sheepishly and snickered. “Yeah, I kind of wanted to—and still want to—rip that douche’s head off. Since doing so is a bit illegal, I figured listening to music about blood and guts would suffice.”

  “Yeah, I bet.” Damn, I really lost the roommate lottery, didn’t I? Yet, regardless of how much Anna freaked me out, I realized a talking roomie was much better than a silent one. So I decided to play along. “Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure.”

  “Why are you talking to me right now? It’s been weeks and this has to be the longest we’ve ever spoken to one another.”

  She looked down and began to pick at her chipping navy blue nail polish nervously. “It’s a pretty shitty hand I was dealt…I mean, break ups suck regardless, but then I realized it would be much easier to get through it with a friend. Especially one I actually live with.”

  The loner, nerdy geek inside of me automatically perked up. “A friend?”

  Something in my tone must have thrown Anna off. Leaning back slightly, she narrowed her eyes and asked, “You’ve had a friend before, right? I mean, no offense, but you aren’t one of those weird kids that ate in the bathroom at lunch or something…were you?”

  “No!” I gasped in horror. Damn, did I really come off as that much of a loser?

  “Just checking.”

  I rose from my desk chair and took a seat on my mattress across from hers. I shook off the remnants of embarrassment and threw her a shy smile. “Well, let me say it’s a relief to actually be on speaking terms with you. I felt like I was in the middle of a fight I didn’t even know I had.”

  “Sorry about that. Honestly, it’s not how I imagined college to go. I thought I’d be best friends with my roomie. You know, stay up all night gossiping about boys and all that cliché bullshit.”

  I eyed her plain black get up and frowned. She didn’t seem to have one feminine bone in her body. “Really? You don’t seem…”

  “What? The girly type?”

  I shrugged. “Well, yeah, Ms. Scream-o.”

  She snickered. “Hey, my hair is pink, you know. That’s girly enough, right?”

  “I guess.”

  “Okay, then.” She nodded once and sighed. “So we’re starting over, yeah?”

  I smiled. “Sounds good.”

  “Well, now that we’ve got that stupid teen soap opera crap out of the way, let’s talk about why you’re researching breakdancing. Are you getting ready to throw on an Adidas tracksuit and bust a move or something?”

  Images of Run DMC, gigantic boom boxes, and torn up cardboard ran through my mind. I shook my head. “No, actually I was invited to that breaking competition or whatever it’s called. The one going on this Sunday.”

  “And you’re seriously thinking about going?” she asked in surprise.

  “Why not?” I glanced at the frozen video on my desktop. “It looks fun.”

  “It is fun,” she said simply.

  I blinked. “You know, I wouldn’t have pegged you—”

  “As what? Someone who would go to one of these?” She smirked and crossed her arms.

  “Well…yeah.”

  “You do know what they say about assuming things.”

  “Er…sorry…I just meant…” I shut my eyes and sighed. “Okay, let’s rewind and do a double take of our new beginning, okay?”

  “Don’t worry about it. You’re forgiven,” she said with a laugh. “I’m guilty of assumptions too. I mean, I wouldn’t have expected you to want to go to one of these either. Like I said before, you’ve just been so quiet and stuck in your books. Seriously, I see you with a different one every day! I didn’t know someone could read so much, so fast.”

  “Just talented, I guess,” I joked. “Speaking of assumptions, is it safe to assume you’ll be going to the event then? Since you seem to know all about it and all.”

  She waved me off. “Not my thing.”

  “But you said—”

  “I know what I said, but I’m not going to this one. That ship has long sailed.”

  When her eyes darkened it dawned on me. Carefully, I asked, “Was your ex-boyfriend a b-boy?”

  I felt like a total idiot even using that term. I wondered if this was what my parents felt any time they used the words “cool” or “swag.”

  She rolled onto her stomach and propped her chin into her hands. “Yup. He was such an arrogant asshole. All b-boys are. I don’t even know why I spent the last three years with him.”

  “Three years?” I exclaimed. As an eighteen-year-old virgin, three years with someone seemed like an eternity to me. Shit, that was practically marriage right there.

  “Why do you sound so surprised? Is it so hard to believe that I could ‘trick’ someone into staying with me that long?” she snapped.

  “What?” I gaped. “I didn’t mean—”

  “I’m only messing with you.”

  I let out a visible sigh of relief, but couldn’t shake the unease I felt around my new “friend.” Warning bells, whistles, alarms—you name it, they were there screaming in my head. Regardless, I couldn’t risk losing another pseudo-friend. Pasting a contemplative smile on my face, I commented, “I just can’t imagine being with someone that long, you know?”

  “What’s the longest relationship you’ve been in?” she asked as she reached for her phone, which was fittingly covered with a zombie themed cover. The look in her eyes only told me what I already knew—she could sniff out my social awkwardness a mile away. Well, no point in denying anything.

  “What relationship? You act as if I’d ever had one.” I snorted.

  She dropped her cell phone as if it were a hot potato. “You’re kidding…right?”

  I shook my head. “Nope. I am a relationship virgin.”

  “By choice or by…”

  “Let’s go with the second option,” I answered in embarrassment. If it were up to me I would have dated a handful of guys in high school. Brady, Matthew, Thomas—my list of high school crushes was ridiculous! Of course those varsity athletes never went with a girl like me…nor did the nerds, punks, or any other cliques around campus. To put it simply, I was nobody’s type.

  “Wow.” Anna breathed in and frowned in disbelief.

  I lifted an eyebrow. “Wow, what?”

  “I’m not joking on you or anything, nor am I bisexual, so please don’t take this as me hitting on you.”

  “Um, okay?” Wow, this conversation got weird fast.

  “You’re pretty. Like really pretty. How can a girl like you not have a line of guys banging at your door?”

  I thought back to high school and cringed at the memories of me crushing on Th
omas, a boy who seemed to be in all of my classes. He never acknowledged me as anything more than the girl he used to copy Pre-Cal homework from. He definitely didn’t know where my door was located.

  I shook my head. “Well, that would make life too easy, wouldn’t it?” I leaned back onto my pillow and sighed. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve already accepted the fact that I’m going to be some spinster who owns a hundred dogs.”

  “Not cats?” Anna laughed.

  “I’m allergic.”

  She shook her head. “Since I doubt that’ll happen, let’s take this convo back to where it was. Can I ask why you’re going to one of those events? Sure, they’re fun and all, but after about the fifth battle it becomes kind of repetitive. You’ll be bored out of your mind and itching to go home.”

  “I don’t think that’ll happen,” I replied. “The videos I’ve watched so far look really cool. Seems like a big adrenaline rush to me.”

  “Yeah, I guess it can be that way.” She bit her lip and looked deep in thought. “You know what? Maybe I just hated going to those things so much because I was always jealous of the other girls who showed up. Hate to admit it, but Shawn always did have a wandering eye.”

  “What other girls?”

  “Oh you know, you have your b-girls. The tougher than nails chicks that can do a one-armed freeze, yet can be unapproachable sometimes. They’re the girls all the guys’ dicks are pointed towards.”

  “Lovely,” I muttered.

  “Then you have the other girls who dress as if they’re going clubbing.” She shook her head and scowled. “I hated them the most. They’re like a poor man’s excuse for rocker groupies.”

  My eyes lit up in realization. “Ah, I get it.”

  “What?” Anna asked suspiciously.

  Not wanting to offend her, I carefully asked, “Is it safe to assume your boyfriend…that these groupies…um…well, you know.”

  “Yup,” she said with a pop of the P. “One of those hoes got a hold of my man. God forbid I ever run into that skank. She’ll be picking up pieces of her weave off the floor.”

  I eyed my computer and sighed in disappointment. “Well, I guess that throws asking you to go with me out of the question.”

  “You were going to ask me to go with you?” she asked incredulously.

  “I mean, not at first, but you know, now that we had this big ‘heart to heart’ I figured why not? Especially since you have more knowledge of it than I do. Thought you could be the Sacajawea to my Lewis and Clark.”

  “What?” The look she shot me screamed ‘Nerd Alert’ but before I could say anything to fix things, she added, “You know what? Fuck it, I will join you. Let’s go.”

  “Seriously?” I replied in disbelief. Thinking twice about it, I fidgeted uncomfortably. “I’m not much of a fighter. If something goes down with that girl you hate, I don’t think I can help you out.”

  She burst into laughter. “I’m not going to do anything to that hoe-bag. Sure, I look all tough, and sure—”

  “You’re obsessed with blood and guts,” I pointed out.

  She giggled. “Honestly, that dude is not worth getting kicked out of Cal U for. Besides, I want to rub the fact that he’s not affecting me in his face. I want him to see me and realize I’m better off without him. Kicking his new girlfriend’s ass would be a bit counterproductive, don’t you think?”

  “Yeah, I guess.”

  She lifted her arms and flexed. “Also, I’ve been hitting the gym and I’m sure I look fierce. Wouldn’t mind him seeing me. Pretty sure he’s gonna regret dropping me.”

  I eyed her arms and nodded in agreement. “Yup, you definitely look trim.”

  “Nothing like a breakup to snap you back into shape.”

  “Okay, guess we have a date next weekend.” I sat up and rubbed my hands against my jeans in thought. “So, anything I should know before I venture into this unknown world of dance battling?”

  “You make it sound like a war,” she said in amusement. Her face suddenly straightened. “Actually, it kind of is. There’s a level of pride that resonates in the b-boying community. From what I saw back home, the pride either brings people together or viciously tears them apart.”

  “Now that sounds like a good premise for a teen soap opera.”

  “Yeah, I guess it sort of does and I’d be lying if I said that I hadn’t seen friends ripped apart by these things.”

  Picturing a tribal war, I shuddered. “Anything else I should know?”

  “Just one crucial thing,” she answered with angry eyes.

  “And what’s that?” I whispered.

  “Never fall in love with a b-boy.”

  Chapter 4

  “Are you ready to do this?” Anna asked as she linked her arm through mine. She wore her usual black get-up and looked impossibly striking with her newly dyed lavender hair.

  “Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” I asked in confusion as we made our way to the Student Commons. Pausing in front of a pair of oversized doors, I noticed Anna pulling back slightly. Figuring her newfound bravery was nothing more than a front, I coaxed her forward. “Let’s go in. Let’s show that ex of yours what he’s missing out on.”

  The corner of her mouth lifted up in a tight smile and pushed against the door. “As you wish.”

  The moment I entered the Commons I couldn’t do anything but gawk. It was like something out of a movie! As soon as she pushed open the heavy blue door, the pounding of the bass and the rattling of a snare hit my chest at full force. Anna expertly navigated through the crowded room, which was thick with heat and moisture. I followed her aimlessly, completely awestruck. One thing was for sure, the videos I had watched did not do this breaking thing justice.

  My head snapped from left to right, taking in all the sights and sounds I could gather. We squeezed our way between two huge circles of people, all of whom I swear were vibrating with excitement. I peeked between the bodies and caught sight of a dancer in the middle of each circle going berserk, but in a good way.

  “Wow…” I breathed.

  “You like this?” Anna asked, sounding somewhat distant. It wasn’t hard to tell she was looking around for this Shawn guy.

  I was surprised Anna even heard me above the cheers. “This is definitely not something I’ve ever experienced before.”

  Finally turning her eyes in my direction, she laughed. “Wait until the battle starts.”

  “Wait, the battle hasn’t started yet?” I asked in confusion.

  She shook her head. “These are what they call cyphers. It’s not an official battle per se, but it’s as good as any.”

  I nodded, dumbfounded, as I watched one of the dancers do a back flip. “You got that right. I’m definitely not in Virginia anymore.”

  “The battle’s supposed to start in a bit. Do you want to stay up front or stand towards the side over there?”

  “What’s the difference? Which spot is better?”

  She shrugged. “Depends on your preference. We can stand back there,” she pointed to a spot by a set of speakers, “And get our ears blown out by the music or we can sit in the front of the circle and risk getting kicked in the face.”

  “Neither of those options seems too appealing,” I quipped. I went on my tiptoes and spotted an area by the DJ. “Why can’t we stand over there?”

  “You can’t block the DJ. He needs to see the battle to time his music.”

  “Oh.” There was definitely a lot I had to learn and I could only hope I wouldn’t ruin things until I did. Feeling a bit uneasy, I suggested, “How about you pick?”

  “Fine, whatever.”

  About fifteen minutes later, Anna and I found ourselves in the back corner by the speakers. Having briefly read through my insurance guidelines on my phone because hey, you never know, I learned that hearing loss would definitely be covered by my medical plan. Unfortunately, plastic surgery wasn’t. Needless to say blown out eardrums won out over a broken face that day.

  “Hey, hey, hey!” a
deep voice boomed over the loud speaker.

  I winced at the feedback from the speakers, quickly regretting our choice. Pushing away the urge to plug my ears, I desperately glanced at Anna, only to find her calmly eyeing the people around us. Attempting to emulate my unaffected roomie, I looked over the heads of the seated crowd and noticed that the two circles from earlier had come together to form a giant one. A lone man stood in the middle addressing the attentive crowd. He wore a military styled jacket with different patches all over, which was quite fitting given the level of authority he exuded.

  Lifting the microphone to his mouth, he eyed the crowd before breaking out into a huge grin. “You know why we’re here. We’re going to have thirty-two b-boys—”

  “Ahem!” the tall blonde from the library, Vivian, called out. Despite being seated in between a pair of husky guys, my eyes quickly found her. She somehow stood out and was easy to spot. I noticed she was dressed in a pair of soccer pants and had a pink bandana wrapped around her head. She looked like a hip-hop ballerina.

  “Sorry, and b-girls,” the man added with an apologetic bow. “Anyway, this group of humans will battle it out with three rounds each. Before it starts, let’s show our own D.J. Wizdom some love.”

  The sound of scratching records exploded right beside me. Yup, I was definitely going to be deaf by the end of the event.

  Grimacing, I looked back toward the floor and watched the M.C. rile the crowd up, pumping his arms in the air. “First on the chopping block are Spinja and Crimson.”

  The room erupted into loud cheers and whoops. A few more people gathered around Anna and I, causing me to struggle to catch a glimpse of the dancers—I mean b-boys. I peered in between pairs of shoulders and easily spotted the first competitor, who jumped right into the center of the circle. He wore a pair of tight maroon pants, which led me to wonder if I’d be getting a free strip show during his rounds. There was no way he’d be able to dance without ripping some part of the uncomfortably sexy looking pants.

  I nudged Anna. “Can he even breathe in those?”

  She threw her head back and laughed. “I doubt he’s even wearing underwear.”