“I’m not going to humiliate myself again,” I repeated for what felt like the hundredth time. “I need to break this jinx before I even set foot onto the floor again. I already made the crew look like a bunch of asshats for even taking me in, and I’m pretty sure I came off as a pathetic dick hiding in that alley after the last battle.”
“It’s no use,” Gerald piped up, stuffing a towel and extra shirt into a backpack. “I’ve already tried and he’s not budging. The prospect of picking up some ladies in bikinis didn’t even appeal to him.”
“Why would I even think of hooking up with another girl when that’s what got me into this mess to begin with?”
“I don’t know,” Gerald muttered as if the topic bored him to death. “Maybe the jinx could be passed on genitally and you'll be cured or something.”
“Like a supernatural STD?” Mahone suggested.
Both my friends began cracking up, leaving me fuming. “I knew I shouldn’t have told you about that consultant.”
“Dude, a hundred bucks is a hundred bucks. It just seems crazy to me.” Gerald sighed and hitched the strap of his nylon backpack onto his shoulder. “Then again, I don’t have the type of money you do.”
I shifted uneasily. “I told you I’d pay you rent.”
“You know I don’t care about that bullshit. You’re my friend and I don’t need your money. All I’m saying is that there are better ways to spend your money than giving it freely to some whack job who might sacrifice you to some virgins.”
Mahone’s eyes lit up. “Actually, that doesn’t seem like a bad way to go.”
I ignored their laughter and said a silent prayer of thanks once the two finally left for the cypher. Sinking into the couch, I pulled my laptop onto my thighs and pulled up a new window. As the cursor blinked, almost taunting me, I typed in:
Bria Fontane
My finger hovered over the Enter key. Deciding against it, I quickly deleted her name and typed in my b-boy name instead. In a nanosecond, various videos and blog articles for ‘B-boy Hellhound’ popped up on screen. I clicked the link for the first video I found, smiling to myself when I realized it was from one of my first competitions.
Losing myself to nostalgic euphoria, I watched as my teenaged self climbed onstage, accepting my very first cash prize. Though I’d been dancing on my own for a year prior to that day, it was the first battle I entered and subsequently won. Once I was bitten by that bug of victory, I was hooked.
Video after video, I watched my old battle reels, basking in feelings of pride. Once I reached clips of my newest movies and commercials I knew I had to stop watching. I had officially turned into a grumpy, middle-aged man reminiscing about the ‘good old days.’ Why the fuck was I taking a trip down memory lane when I was still fully living it now?
“It's not time for a lifetime achievement award,” I murmured. “You haven't achieved anything worthy of one yet.”
A bit disgusted with how pathetic I was feeling, I decided to switch gears.
“I ain’t no Hollywood. I’m the Hellhound!” I pushed my laptop off of me and ran my hands down my face. “I have to fix this. I’m going to fix this.”
As confidence once again swirled inside of me, it became clouded with a nagging question. Once I did fix everything, would I ever get to see Mallory again?
Chapter 17
Mallory
I don’t know what I expected to walk into, but it certainly wasn’t the comfortable, almost cottage-like suite situated in plain view of the beautiful California coast.
I threaded my fingers together, placing them in my lap nervously as I gazed upon the baby blue curtains that covered the gigantic windows. There were several oak tables placed strategically around the waiting area, each topped with a different trinket, sea shell, or candle.
“Thanks again for coming with me.” Asher’s leg bounced anxiously as he mindlessly flipped through a nearby Ghost Hunting magazine.
“Eh, I went on this journey this far with you, might as well stay until the home stretch.” I shrugged nonchalantly, though inside I was screaming in fear. “But if she takes out one of those wooden boards to talk to a spirit, I am hightailing it out of here.”
“Again, I ask how someone who does not believe in jinxes can believe in things like ghosts and monsters.”
My jaw clenched as I pointed toward the magazine he was reading. “Apparently it’s not so farfetched.”
He smirked and lowered the magazine, placing it back on the table beside him. I wasn’t sure if it was to calm me or him down. He looked around and chuckled softly.
“What?” I asked, nudging him in his side. He felt as hard steel, a testament to how hard he worked at dancing. I gulped, remembering how his muscles felt underneath my fingertips as I traced the shape of his biceps while he held himself above me.
“Mallory? Mallory? Did you hear me?”
I blinked, shaking away the thoughts. “Um, I’m sorry, what?”
Asher smiled knowingly, as if he was aware of all the dirty thoughts flooding my mind. A part of me hoped he was.
“I was saying that if you don’t feel comfortable enough, maybe you don’t have to go in with me after all.” He almost looked as if he felt guilty.
“Oh.” I scanned the cozy room once again. “Nah, I think I’ll be fine. I mean, this place isn’t really as dark and scary as I thought it would be.”
“Yeah, it definitely doesn’t have the black and red curtains, shrunken heads, and bones dangling from the ceiling.”
We shared a quiet, conspiratorial snicker, and almost didn’t notice when Bria herself walked into the room.
“Asher?” Her eyes looked almost colorless underneath the fluorescent light bulbs.
He visibly gulped, causing his Adam’s apple to bounce. “Right here.”
“I’m ready for you now. Bring Mallory too.” Bria shot me a curt smile and spun on her heel, disappearing into the adjacent room. I heard the click of the light switch and saw nothing more but an orange glow coming from the room.
I felt a chill down my veins. Eyes filled with terror, I glared at Asher. “How does she know my name?”
“It’s a good thing you’re comfortable enough to go with me,” he said, looking anywhere but at me.
“And why is that?” I asked through gritted teeth.
He winced, once again showcasing that guilty look on his face. “Apparently in order to get rid of this jinx we have to be treated together.”
I didn’t know whether I was terrified, shocked, or downright furious. My brain felt like it was two sizes too big for my skull. Feeling utterly discombobulated, I only managed to say one word. “What?”
“Apparently jinxes are a two-fer.”
I blinked slowly, inhaling and exhaling with deliberate breaths. “I don’t have an extra hundred dollars lying around I can use.”
What I didn’t tell him is that I didn’t even have a job. Practicing took so much of my time during the semester that I was only able to work during summer, winter, and spring break. Though my parents would often help me out, more often than not every cent I spent during the school term was from my own savings account.
Asher waved me off as it were nothing. “Don’t worry about it. I got you. It was my idea anyway, even if…”
“Even what?” My eye twitched as I clenched my jaw. “You were going to say even if this was all my fault, weren’t you?”
He shook his head and let out a slow breath. “Like you said, we’re on this journey together, right?”
“I didn’t say those exact words,” I grumbled, frowning toward the now darkened room. What weird magic did Bria have in store for us?
I felt Asher take my hands into his, wrapping his fingers around my own. Unlike our first night together, this time I was frigid, almost ice cold, whereas he was toasty hot like fire.
“I can tell something’s bothering you,” he said quietly.
“Yeah, this,” I hissed, trying to pull my hand away. He wouldn’t let go.<
br />
“No, not this. Something about school, maybe? You keep wanting to change the subject whenever I ask you about your music.”
Damn, he hit the nail right on the head. I squirmed uneasily. “I’ve just been having a rough time with rehearsals, that’s all.”
“No, that’s not it.”
“What does it matter?” I hissed. “I still don’t want to get treated by Madame Witch Lady in there.”
“Maybe this jinx isn’t just affecting me.”
“What are you saying?” I asked cautiously.
“Maybe your bad rehearsals are the effect of this jinx. That’s why I think it’ll be a good idea for you to go in there. Maybe Bria can cure you too.”
“Are you kids coming?” Bria’s voice snapped in a way that was definitely different than the mystical way she spoke at the store.
Asher shot me a pleading look. I let my head fall back and groaned. “Fine. Fine. I’ll do it.”
“Thank you!”
“I still can’t believe you want to spend two hundred dollars on this crap,” I muttered.
“Like I said, it was nothing.”
“Oh, yeah. You’re used to living that Hollywood life, right?”
Asher shot me a weird look, but didn’t respond. Quietly, he released my hand and walked toward the room. I watched in confusion as his body was swallowed by the dark.
Chapter 18
Asher
So the treatment room, I guess I could call it, was definitely the complete opposite of the waiting room outside. Mallory and I stood huddled together in a corner, nervously glancing around at the different candles and bowls of water that littered the tiny space. It was seriously half the size of my room at Gerald’s place!
I felt Mallory trembling beside me, her arm grazing my own each time she shook. Though I was still a bit peeved at her for that little ‘Hollywood’ remark she snuck in, I wanted nothing more than to throw my arm around her, shielding her from the horrors that lay before us. I felt almost guilty for putting her through all this, and despite the fact that my jinx all started with her, I didn’t even know if going down this unknown path was even worth it anymore.
Bria stepped in front of us, eyeing us methodically. Once again she wore an ensemble of baggy silk, but unlike in the store, it really freaked me out this time. Then again, it could have been the startling contrast between the white-colored material and the dimly room. She looked like a ghost.
Bria swallowed, lifting her chin. “I’ll need you both to strip to your underwear.”
Mallory’s jaw dropped open. “What? Why?”
As if she’d answered the same question thousands of times before, which she probably had, Bria explained, “I’ll be doing a ritual that involves smoke, oil, and some water. I highly doubt you want to ruin those clothes of yours, would you?”
Truthfully, I couldn’t care less. Clothes were just clothes to me. However, when I saw Mallory glancing down at her gauzy tank and tight dark jeans, I knew Bria had hit a sore spot.
I leaned over to her, close enough so my lips brushed against the top of her ear. Mallory automatically stiffened as I whispered, “I promise I won’t look at you, if it makes you feel more comfortable.”
“None of this makes me feel comfortable,” she snapped a bit loudly, obviously not caring that Bria was only mere inches away. I flinched, knowing that somehow pissing off the woman with ritualistic oils, smoke, and matches was definitely not a good idea. I threw Mallory a look of desperation, silently urging her to be quiet. She didn’t seem to catch on, or at least did her best to ignore it. “Besides, it’s not like you haven’t seen me naked already. Not that that makes any of this any better.”
I wasn’t one to embarrass easily, but I found it was my turn to blush. “Offer still stands. I’ll look away if you want me to.”
The old woman clapped her hands together loudly. “Come, come. Hurry up. I have a seven o’clock appointment right after you. Given that this jinx was spread sexually, I do not understand the problem with stripping all of a sudden. We are all creatures born naked, nothing to be ashamed of.”
I still couldn’t believe that someone like Bria had enough clients to warrant an office in the high end part of San Diego, but good on her.
Mallory and I broke apart, slowly peeling off our clothing. As promised, I tried to look anywhere but at her, more from fear of temptation than anything. Despite the jinx, it was hard enough keeping things platonic with images of her sexy curves embedded into my brain, but to be half-naked around her in such close proximity, I wasn’t sure how strong my willpower would be!
“Take a seat on those two chairs and make sure those tubs of water are underneath you,” Bria instructed, pointing toward two plastic chairs with the middle cut out of them. They looked like a poor excuse for a toilet bowl.
Okay, maybe I don’t have to worry about being turned on, given I’m sitting on broken lawn furniture.
Satisfied that I wouldn’t feel tempted, my eyes automatically searched for Mallory as soon as we sat down. I felt a need to check up on her. It wasn’t because I wanted to see her in her underwear or anything…not at all.
Mallory’s blonde strands cascaded over her shoulders, hanging over her chest. Her back was hunched over, elbows on thighs as she hugged herself, trembling in fear. My visceral reaction perked up a bit once I got a good look at her smooth skin and legs that went on for miles. However, this carnal hunger was completely shut down as guilt ate away at my insides.
Why was I making her do this?
A splash of cool water against my face startled me. I blinked the water away as a few drops fell into my eyes. Beside me, Mallory watched in shock, gasping as Bria poured cold oil all over my shoulders.
“It doesn’t burn!” I didn’t know if I meant it to calm her or myself down. “It’s cold.”
In a blink of an eye, Bria hovered over Mallory, also pouring the oil all over her. Mallory’s body straightened, giving me a good view of her lacy white bra. It looked wholesome, which I was quickly figuring out was exactly her persona. She stiffened up as the cold oil rolled down the middle of her back, surprisingly staining her skin with a light lavender hue. I quickly glanced down at my own arms, shocked to find I too looked like a grape.
“Well, shit,” I murmured.
“Now scoot up to the edge of your seats and let the oil fall into those bowls under you,” Bria instructed.
We did as we were told, eyeing each other in bewilderment. I didn’t know about Mallory, but I felt as if I’d walked straight into some alien workshop and was in the middle of being probed.
The oil rolled off our bodies slowly, landing into the water with tiny trickles and plops. Bria was like a silent spectator, watching us both carefully and methodically. Heck, I was surprised she wasn’t doing any weird chants. When it seemed as if she was finally satisfied, Mallory and I were instructed to stand up slowly. In the blink of an eye, we were thrown thick towels, which Mallory hastily wrapped around her body.
“Get dressed,” Bria said absently, staring at the bowls of water. “I have some analyzing to do.”
As she tried haphazardly to wipe the oil from her body, Mallory shot me an angry look and mouthed, “You owe me,” before turning away to pull on her pants.
Never really minding being naked in front of others, I took my sweet time, cleaning the Barney-colored oil from my skin. By the time I was finally satisfied with my cleanliness, Mallory was completely dressed, staring at Bria intently.
Sometime in between me cleaning and dressing, the old woman had pulled her long hair into a high bun, allowing her to bend over each bowl without dousing her head with our filth. She hovered over mine, tsking quietly to herself.
“What is it?” I felt emotionally, mentally, and spiritually drained at this point, and wasn’t too sure if I bought this whole supernatural crap anymore. When in Rome though…
“Based on the shapes of the oils, it looks like a female has entranced you.” Her head snapped in my directi
on quickly, startling me so much that I yelped and jumped back when my eyes caught with her colorless ones.
Mallory let out a loud grunt. “Yeah, we kind of figured that.”
Bria’s face remained emotionless, her eyes almost glowing.
It has to be the candles.
She pointed a bony finger in her direction. “You’re full of fear and distrust. I see it in your oil. It’s too powerful.”
“Power?” Mallory looked taken aback.
“It’s not the good kind,” Bria mused.
“Okay, we kind of already figured this stuff out on our own. How do we fix it?” I asked with growing annoyance. “That’s what we’re paying you for, remember?”
Bria quietly rose to her feet and grabbed a candle in each hand. She shut her eyes, pressing them together so tightly that each wrinkle and fine line at the corners were visible even in the dimly lit room. Remaining silent, she bowed her head over the flames.
Mallory and I exchanged another awkward glance as Bria opened her eyes and walked toward us. “Grab a candle,” she coaxed. We did as we were told and stood dumbly, gripping the bottoms and trying our best not to get burning wax on us.
She better not pour this shit on us.
“Now blow the candles out.”
I kept my eyes on Mallory and watched as her full lips puckered together, blowing against the flame until the light went out. I quickly followed suit, and before long we were all drenched in darkness. After a heart stopping pause, Bria finally flipped on the light switch, giving us a semblance of normalcy.
I frowned, suddenly becoming hyper aware of everything in my body. I took stock of each inhale and exhale, each twitch of my fingers and tap of my toes. “So it’s done, then? I’m free of the jinx?”
Bria nodded her head slowly, placing a serene smile on her face. “Yes, you are cured.”
She walked over to the door and opened it, giving us a full view of a new couple sitting out in the waiting room.
Breaking Hearts (B-boy #3) Page 9
