***
“Whoa, you’re still alive?” Anna was sprawled across her bed, smacking her gum loudly.
“Whoa, Lucas’ tongue isn’t down your throat?” I teased with a wink. I threw my bag against the wall and settled into my desk chair.
As if on cue, Lucas walked out of our bathroom with a towel wrapped around his hips.
“Oh, my God!” I stumbled back onto my bed and shielded my eyes.
“Funny, that’s exactly what Anna was screaming a few minutes ago.” Lucas puckered his lips suggestively, eliciting a groan from me.
Anna let out a laugh, but I wasn’t feeling as amused. I crossed my arms and scowled in her direction. “Do you ever wonder why you don’t see me anymore? It’s because I feel like I’m being kicked out of my own room. You and Lucas are always getting busy in here, if you know what I mean. Have some decency and respect for a change.”
Lucas ran his hands through his sopping hair and shrugged, causing his towel to ride further down to his crotch. “Hey, I wouldn’t mind if you watch.”
“Ugh.” I turned back to where I had thrown my messenger bag and grabbed for it.
“Are you really leaving?” Anna asked in surprise. “You just got here.”
“What do you expect me to do? Stay here while Lucas swings his penis around?”
“You know you want to see it, baby.” Lucas stifled a laugh and spun around so he was facing the bathroom. He quickly undid his towel, holding it out so that it stretched out behind him. To my horror he began to swing his body back and forth creating a smacking noise with…um…well, you know.
“That’s fucking disgusting, dude. I’m leaving.” Being subject to a strip show was not how I wanted to spend my Thursday afternoon…unless it was from someone else…
Lucas spun back around, covering his bits, making sure to flash me an evil grin.
Anna’s gaze shot back and forth between us like a spectator at a tennis match. After a moment of silence, she threw her head back onto her pillow and groaned. “Fine, Estelle. You win. I can take a hint.”
“Seriously? You think that was a hint?” I snorted. “I hate how you two are commandeering my room. Spend a few bucks and get a cheap motel, why don’t you?”
Ignoring me, Anna looked at her boyfriend. “Lucas, go back into the bathroom and get changed. I wouldn’t want the first dick Estelle’s ever seen to be yours.”
Lucas whipped around with wide eyes. “You’re a virgin?”
“In all aspects of the word, yes she is,” Anna replied.
“I can answer for myself, thank you very much,” I interjected haughtily. “And I really don’t appreciate you spreading around my business.”
“Wow, you just became even more attractive to me,” Lucas joked.
“Hey! I’m standing right here,” Anna snapped. She rolled onto her side and pointed to the bathroom. “Change. Now!”
“Okay, okay.” Lucas held his hands palm side out and slowly stepped back into the steaming bathroom.
We waited until we heard the lock of the door before speaking again
“What’s the big idea?” Anna demanded.
“Me?” I gasped. “You’re the one airing out my dirty laundry.”
“Well, you’re the one making me feel guilty for having fun with my boyfriend.”
“In my room!”
“It’s my room too!” she shot back.
I couldn’t believe we had resorted to such grade school arguments. I leaned back against our bedroom door and took a deep breath to relax myself. After a few deep inhales and exhales I grunted, “Ugh, is this semester over yet? I can’t wait to move out.”
“You’re planning on moving out?” Anna’s face dropped.
I blinked in surprise. “Well, yeah. For one, we don’t even see each other anymore. What difference would it make to you if I got a new roommate next semester?”
The solemn look on her face quickly changed to anger. “I know we’ve only hung out a few times in the past month, but I didn’t think it would cause you to move out. I’m just now getting used to you. How will I handle someone new?”
“Wow.”
“Wow what?” she snapped.
I threw back my head and allowed a laugh to bubble inside my throat. “That’ll certainly get me to stay. So tell me, do people like doing favors for you or do you just tell them what to do all the time? Bet Lucas loves you bossing him around all the time.”
Anna’s thin lips parted in a shock gasp. “Oh my gosh, why didn’t I see this before?”
“See what?” I raised an eyebrow. Anna was crazy—like batshit crazy. How did I never see it before.
“You’re jealous of Lucas.” Her tone was a combination of pride, realization, and something else that I couldn’t quite put my finger on but it really pissed me off.
My jaw scraped the floor. “Are you shitting me?”
“It’s halfway through the semester and you still don’t have a boyfriend. You’re jealous that I have one and don’t get to do the whole single thing with you.”
I narrowed my eyes and felt my temper rising. “This has nothing to do with jealousy. In fact, I don’t give a shit if you spend every waking hour with Lucas. Just have some respect and don’t do it in my room, ’kay? Fuck, doesn’t he have his own place you two can hump in? I swear you two are like rabbits. Surprised you aren’t chafed yet.”
“He has four roommates,” she replied, as if it was the answer to all my turmoil.
“As opposed to your one.” I shook my head and huffed. “You’re seriously a piece of work, Anna. I really don’t know how we even assumed we could BFF it up.”
My roommate’s eyes grew intense and for a moment I could have sworn I heard flames crackling behind them. “Stop kidding yourself, Estelle. I know you’re lonely. I mean, who do you even hang out with anymore now that we hardly see each other? Bet your library card is on the verge of falling apart from overuse.”
“Because you would know where the library is, right? Surprised you have time to study after all that humping.” She shot me another furious look, which I ignored. I pushed my stringy bangs out of my eyes and shook my head. “I’ll have you know that I’ve been hanging out with Jacob and his friends. You were wrong about b-boys, by the way. They’re actually a whole lot nicer than someone like you.”
Her eyes widened in shock. “Wait, what? Are you serious? You actually hang out with them?”
Out of all the things she could have chosen to respond about. “And that’s a surprise because…?”
“Because you always embarrass yourself around him.”
Why couldn’t she just learn how to shut up? “Well, he’s a good friend now, Anna. Wish you knew what that word meant.”
Her eyes darkened. Once again I found myself thinking about medical insurance. Where was my card again?
Surprisingly, Anna’s mouth turned down into a sad frown. She took a deep breath and eyed me quietly.
“What?” I asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
“Okay, I get it. I know…I haven’t been that great of a friend. Especially with all that ‘I want a best friend’ crap I fed you at the beginning of the year.”
Completely taken by surprise by her easy surrender, I attempted to appear unaffected. “Well, yeah. I mean, do you even know what I’ve been up to the past few weeks?”
At that moment Lucas exited the bathroom and thankfully he was fully clothed. Anna’s face reflected an inner battle taking place in her mind. After a second or two, she ground out, “Hey, honey, I think I’m just going to hang out with Estelle this weekend, if that’s okay with you.”
“Whatever.” He shrugged carelessly.
Anna rolled her eyes and walked him to the door. After an awkwardly long goodbye kiss, she swung back around and marched to my bed. “So whatcha want to do this weekend? I’ll drive, seeing as you don’t have a car here.”
I crossed my arms tightly against my chest. “Since when were we hanging out?”
“Since I
realized what a jerk I’ve been. So…where do you want to go?”
I shook my head in annoyance. “I’ll have you know I already have plans this weekend. Kinda pisses me off that you would think otherwise.”
“Fine,” she replied, holding up her hands apologetically. Her expression remained stoic as usual, but her voice lowered in embarrassment. “I’m sorry…I shouldn’t have…” She shook her head and smiled. “Can I join? Unless it’s a date?”
“It’s not,” I snapped, though I secretly wished it were. “I was actually going to go up to Cal State for the All-Styles battle. I need to take a few more pictures for my class and Jacob suggested it’d be a great place to get some shots.”
Anna started to laugh.
“What?” I demanded angrily. Anna was really testing my patience.
“Funny, because that’s exactly where I was going to suggest we go,” she said sheepishly.
I blinked in surprise. “Really?”
She shrugged. “Considering you hang out with Jacob all the time, I kind of figured you’d be heading over there. Wanted to tag along with ya…unless it’s a third-wheeling sort of thing.”
“Yeah right. Gemma’s always hanging around. If anything I’m the third wheel.”
She narrowed her eyes at me. “What about that David guy? Is he still in the picture?”
“He was never in the picture like that. But yeah, he’s still my friend.”
“Friends are the best lovers,” she said with a wink.
I lifted one eyebrow and rolled my eyes.
Chapter 17
“Hey, you’re here early.” Jacob entered the dance studio and shot me his trademark crooked grin. Not knowing whether I should approach him or stay partially hidden in my lone corner of the room, I opted to take a few steps forward and watch as he set up his set of mini-speakers. “Are you ready for today? Prepping up for the battle this weekend?”
“I guess…” I mumbled.
“No, guessing. You got this, E!” Cue another wicked grin.
Shifting uncomfortably, I asked, “Do you mind me asking you a question?”
“You mean other than the one you literally just asked me,” he teased.
My cheeks reddened. “I…uh…”
“I’m kidding.” He snickered and flipped on his iPod. Within seconds a classic hip hop song echoed inside the tiny room. “So, shoot. What did you want to ask me?”
“Um, how did you get started in this, anyway? It just seems to unique…I doubt there are like sign-up sheets for breaking or what not.”
The expression on his face fleeted from nostalgic, to excited, to peaceful. “There were a bunch of guys in middle school who’d always be practicing around the hallways. You know the kind—cool, Rebel Without a Cause types.”
I nodded.
“I was a pretty awkward sixth-grader and on some afternoons I’d stay after school and just watched these guys tearing up the floor. I started to imitate them, practicing secretly in my room. Call it complete insanity, but one day I decided I could battle any one of them and win, and you know what?”
“You won?” I asked with a smile.
He shook his head. “No. But it sure taught me an important lesson about knowing my shit before calling someone out. It’s partly the reason why I am how I am now. I have to earn something in order to feel right about it.”
“Is that why you’re so passionate about it?” I pressed. “Is that why you love it so much?”
He cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes in thought. “It was pretty cut and dry for me. I never was the type for organized sports and I was always a bit of a lone wolf. While everyone signed up to play football and basketball, I started to practice my head spins. I guess I did it so much that it was inevitable I’d fall in love with it.”
I shook my head in admiration. “Well, practice made perfect for sure. Your head spins are…um…”
“Amazing?” he asked with a wink.
“Shut up!” I squeaked, but I couldn’t stop myself from laughing.
Sharing a conspiratorial smile, he asked, “Have you ever thought of dancing?”
“Me?” My eyes widened in both surprise and amusement. “Oh, no. I’m about as uncoordinated as they come.”
His gaze automatically dropped down to my legs. “Are you sure about that?”
I crossed one ankle over the other instinctively, as if hiding myself, staring down at my hot pink Chucks. “Yeah, I’m pretty sure. My power moves would be to trip over my own feet.”
That certainly caused him to chuckle. “Nah, I think I could teach you a few moves that you’d be great at.”
“Well, I admire your confidence, but for the sake of saving us both time, I’ll have to veto that idea.”
Smiling, he rolled his eyes and walked over to me, causing me to melt into a puddle. He grabbed onto my arm and yanked me forward. “Come on, it’ll be fun.”
“Somehow spotlighting my two left feet does not sound like my definition of fun.”
He peered into my eyes. “Would it help if I told you doing this will probably make your photos turn out better?”
Okay, that definitely caught my attention.
“What do you mean?”
“They say those who can’t do, teach—which is obviously bull since I’m the best and can teach just as well.” Coming from anybody else that statement would have been deemed cocky, but somehow with Jacob it was almost endearing. He placed a finger on my collarbone and tapped lightly. “And those who can take good photos.”
“Funny, I’ve never heard that adage before,” I teased.
“Come on,” he coaxed. “It’ll be fun.”
Fully aware that he was still gripping my arm, I gulped but finally relented. “Okay, let’s go.”
“Really?” he asked in surprise.
“Yeah, why? You don’t want me to do it anymore?” I shot back rather defensively.
“No, I’m just surprised it didn’t take much convincing. I assumed I’d have to drag you out here.”
I rolled my eyes, fully sick of assumptions. “Every assumption has an ass in it,” I muttered without thinking. Realizing what I just said, I clamped my hand over my mouth. “I’m…I’m sorry.”
Luckily, Jacob looked amused. He dropped his hand from my arm and motioned toward the center of the studio. “Let’s do this.”
I walked toward the middle of the wooden floor and shrugged my shoulders. “Okay, now what?”
“Get on your knees.”
I glanced away before the blood rushed to my face. Did he really need to say that? Considering I just finished reading this week’s newest smut, my mind was already swimming with some very inappropriate imagery.
I gulped, doing as I was told, slowly lowering to the floor. I winced as my knee banged against the wood tiling. “Now what?”
He knelt down beside me and leaned onto one hand, while kicking his right leg out with the other. “Copy me.”
“Um, okay.” My arm shook as I struggled to hold my body weight up. In what had to be the most uncoordinated move ever, I extended my right leg. “There you go.”
“Okay, pull your left leg forward until it’s bent.”
I gaped at him. “This is like the world’s worst version of Twister.”
He snickered and watched as I successfully completed the task. “Okay, that’s good. Now go into the crab position.”
My arms screamed as I straightened them behind me, feeling as if my shoulders were going to pop out. It was no secret I was out of shape, but gosh darn it, was this hard! By the time we moved onto the next few moves, which included sweeping the other leg around until we were back to square one, a pool of sweat had already begun to collect at my eyebrows.
Feeling a bit out of breath—considering he made me repeat the same move about three times—I jumped to my feet, desperate for water. As if reading my mind, Jacob walked toward his gym bag and grabbed one bottle, unscrewing the top and taking down a few gulps. I watched the muscles in his
neck move as he brought his head back, taking in a few more sips. Smacking his mouth with an “Ahhh,” he proceeded to walk over to me and handed me the same bottle.
“Here.” He held it out to me, which I took gratefully. “Drink up.”
It’d be embarrassing to admit the thoughts I had in my mind as I wrapped my lips around the same opening he had just a few moments ago. Fully aware he was watching me, I took a few sips, only to have the liquid go down the wrong pipe. Like an idiot, I began coughing uncontrollably.
“You all right?” Jacob rubbed his hand across my back, creating circles. Though he thought he was helping, he only caused me to choke up a bit more.
“I’m…fine…” I gasped for breath.
He looked at me doubtfully, but after my coughs finally seized, he took the bottle from me and placed it on the floor. “What move should we do next?”
“We’re doing more?” I squeaked.
“Oh, yeah.” He nodded. “Can’t fully appreciate the art until you’ve tried it yourself.”
“But I already tried,” I whined, only half-kidding.
“Let’s do something easy.”
I brightened. “I’m down for easy.”
“Let’s do some top rocks. Try doing this.” He extended his arms out so he made a cross with his body and stepped one foot forward before bringing it back and repeating the move on the other side. “Now you try.”
Without gazing at the wall-length mirror, I knew I looked about as far from hip hop as possible. I was pretty sure my body movements mimicked a grade school rendition of Charlie Brown. Regardless, I couldn’t help but giggle, which in turn made Jacob laugh. Soon enough we were both in hysterics.
“See!” I yelped. “I told you I can’t dance.”
He shrugged. “Well, at least you tried. Some people don’t even get that far.”
“I mean, I had so much respect for the community before, but trying it now…let’s just say I’m in awe of you guys.”
He wagged his eyebrows. “We’re amazing, right?”
Breaking Hearts (B-Boy #2) Page 10
