“Can we leave now?” Mallory asked hopefully. If she were anything like me, I was dying to jump in the shower.
“Almost,” Bria cooed, wagging an index finger from side to side.
I bit back the urge to groan. What was left to do?
Her smile stretched wider, baring her teeth. “I take cash or credit. You can pay up front.”
Chapter 19
Mallory
I tilted my head back, allowing the warm water to spray across my face. It was my second shower of the night, and by this point I felt as if I had scrubbed my skin raw, but it still didn’t feel enough. I wanted to wash away all the remnants of the weirdest fucking day ever.
Once my fingers began to prune, I knew it was finally time to step out of my safe haven. Begrudgingly, I turned the knob until the water came out in pathetic trickles and practically forced myself to step out of the tub.
The bathroom’s air felt heavy, steam filling my lungs with each breath. I savored the feeling, knowing that this was my version of cleansing.
Just yesterday, if you asked me, “Mallory, will you ever visit a witch doctor?” I would have laughed in your face and gotten you committed to a mental hospital.
What the hell happened to my life?
Placing my palm against the warm mirror, I swiped away the condensation from the glass and stared at my face. I let out a sigh of relief to find that I hadn’t turned into some toad or anything. “Uh, I can’t believe I’m letting Asher get to me.”
I thought back to the conversation we had earlier as we were leaving the weird consultant’s office. After running into the couple in the waiting room and trying to gesture for them to run far away, Asher tugged me all the way to Mahone’s weird car. “We have to talk.”
“You do know I drove over here too, right?” I asked with irritation. Truthfully, I just needed some time alone to process everything I had just gone through.
“Listen, I’m really sorry about…all that. I had no idea any of that was going to happen.”
I stared at him in bewilderment. “She was like a wizard or something, Asher! Of course we’d have to do something straight out of a science fiction book. I'm surprised we didn’t have to sacrifice chickens during the blue moon, after all!”
Instead of answering back, Asher nodded apologetically. “Can I make it up to you?”
“By getting as far away from me as possible?” I was mad, but I didn’t know why I said it. Never seeing Asher again was the last thing I wanted. Stupid, right? Maybe I was finally listening to Claudia’s advice after all…
Guilt crept up on me when I saw the hurt look that flashed across his face. Before I could apologize, Asher said, “Let me buy you dinner. A real dinner. Not that spicy jalapeno pizza crap we ate the other night.”
“Buy me real dinner? Like a date?” My mind was still flustered from having been doused in purple oil in a room full of candles. It read straight out of a bad 80’s music video. Wait, I think Ricky Martin did something similar in the 90’s…
“Uh, not a date.”
“Oh.” I crossed my arms and lifted an eyebrow, trying my best to remain stoic.
“Just…” He bowed his head forward and sighed. “Dinner. Just let me take you out to dinner, please.”
Still stewing in embarrassment, I remained quiet.
Asher had the audacity to look offended at my silence. “You don’t want to go to dinner with me? Because I’m just a hookup, right? Seriously, Mallory, after all we've been through already…why don’t you want to be my friend?”
“You still want to be friends? Really? After all that talk about making sure this stupid jinx stuff is done so you never have to see me again?”
He flinched. “If it’s a no go on dinner, can you at least go to my b-boy battle next week?”
I suddenly realized I’d never actually seen him breakdance in person. Sure, due to Jinny’s coaxing, we watched a few videos of him online…and maybe Felix Bateman’s movie too, but I’d never actually watched Asher b-boy in the flesh. Apparently even Sarah had seen him already…that bitch.
“Why would I do that?” I asked quietly.
“I want you to see why this is such a big deal for me. I want you to appreciate it as much as I do.”
I bit against my bottom lip, rolling the skin between my teeth. “Why is it so important to you what I think about b-boying? I already agreed to doing all this with you. Shit, I just got doused in candle wax.”
“I just…I just want you to know all this isn’t for nothing. There’s a grander cause to our suffering and I just want you to see it with your own eyes.”
Our suffering? Was I really that hard to get along with?
Succumbing to feelings of curiosity, I nodded slowly. “Fine. I’ll go.”
“Really?” His face lit up with an excitement that could rival a child on Christmas morning. His grin grew wider, accentuating his lopsided chin. I made it a point to ask him about that…he probably injured it b-boying or something.
“Yeah, I mean, I was basically part of some weird medieval-like torture. Might as well see what it was all for, right?”
Asher’s answering laugh would be one I’d remember forever.
Knock. Knock.
“Mallory, are you done? You’ve been in the shower like all day!” Claudia’s whistle-like tone whined from the other side of the door. “Come on, I’m starving! Let’s go!”
“I’ll be right there.” I snuck another look at my reflection and sighed. “This was definitely the weirdest day ever.”
***
“And then she made us blow out the candle and pointed Asher in the direction of her cash register.”
Claudia stared at me in shock, her spoon hovering over her melted chocolate sundae. As I recapped my day, she had been the perfect audience, oohing and squealing at the most appropriate times.
Clicking my tongue against the bottom of my top teeth, I stabbed my banana split with a spoon and pushed it away. “Then Asher kept on apologizing to me and even offered to take me out to dinner.”
Claudia’s eyes widened. “And you said yes, right? Right?”
“He sort of backtracked on that offer,” I muttered, not wanting to relive one of the most humiliating moments of my life. It was just as well. I didn’t need any more distractions. Damien was growing increasingly frustrated with me and I couldn’t risk a giant F on my transcript.
“So he asked you on a date and you said no.”
“It wasn’t for a date, Claudia.”
“Yes, it was.”
“No, it wasn’t…he said it wasn’t.” Despite knowing that I was probably going to regret telling her, I found myself saying, “Either way, I told him I’d go to his battle, or whatever it’s called, next week. We’re still going to hang out.”
Claudia beamed. “Yes! Team Asher all the way!”
“Shh! Can you keep it down?” I glanced around the small diner, allowing my hair to fall around my face. I absolutely hated being stared at, so the fact my friends loved the limelight never really fared well for me.
Finally dunking the spoon into her chocolatey goo, Claudia placed it into her mouth with a smack, pulling the spoon back out and waving it in my direction. I flinched as globs of melted ice cream splattered across the table between us. “So you don’t want to eat dinner with him, but you want to go to a dance competition that is completely out of your element?”
I shrugged. “I wanted to see what I just sacrificed my time and hygiene for. Besides, if he still ends up sucking, he’ll probably need somebody there to pick up the pieces, because I doubt Bria magically healed him or whatever.”
“Ay, Dios mio,” she murmured.
“Um, excuse me?” a shy voice called out. I lifted my head and spotted a pretty girl in a neighboring booth waving in our direction.
I kicked Claudia underneath the table. “See, you were being too loud again.”
The strange girl stood from her booth and walked over to us, plopping down next to me without
invitation. I shot my friend a questioning look. Do you know her?
Claudia shrugged, looking as confused I felt.
I cleared my throat and frowned. “Can I help you?”
“I just couldn’t help but hear your story about Bria,” she explained.
Claudia and I shared a look. I gulped. “You’re familiar with her, I gather? Did you…uh…partake in her services?”
“Oh, God no!” She smacked her tongue in disgust. “That woman is a whacko doodle! She hustles unsuspecting people for money…no offense.”
“None taken,” I muttered. “I tried to talk my friend out of it, but he wouldn’t listen. He just wouldn’t stop bothering me about it.”
She nodded her head in sympathy. “They never do.”
“So…how can I help you?” I repeated, not really wanting to talk shit about Bria in fear someone else could hear us. Whacko doodle or not, I didn’t want to risk getting on that woman’s bad side.
She’s scary.
“My name’s Eleanor, or Ellie, rather. I heard you two talking and thought I may be of some service to you.” Up close I could see the gold ring that lined the green of the stranger’s irises. Her shoulder length hair was streaked with platinum blonde locks, framing her face so that her big eyes stood out even more. She extended her hand and flashed a smile of blinding white teeth.
“Mallory,” I replied, shaking her hand. I glanced back at Claudia, who was shooting me a What the hell? look. “This rude person is Claudia.”
Claudia stuck her tongue out at me, but flashed her movie star quality smile at Ellie. “Nice to meet you.”
Ellie gripped the edge of the table, exposing her wrists. My gaze dropped to the collection of multicolored beaded bracelets that decorated her. They rattled each time she moved. “So you’re probably wondering why I’m interrupting your wonderful desserts.”
“Yeah, a little,” I admitted with a laugh.
“Just so you know, I didn’t come over here to talk smack about Bria. She’s doing what she does best, so more power to her.”
“Okay…” I blinked in confusion. “Wait, you’re not another supernatural, paranormal person…er…expert?”
Ellie laughed. “I mean, I know things, but I’m actually here to provide you with my more scientific and psychological interpretation of your friend’s jinx.”
Claudia leaned forward in interest, clasping her hands together and creating a steeple with her fingers. “We’re listening.”
“Your friend, um…”
“Asher,” I told her.
She nodded. “Asher. Anyway, I think he probably just had one bad day and let it get to him. He probably wasn’t used to it, so he decided to focus on something out of the ordinary to blame for his off game.”
“Which is me.” I nodded my head and took a break, sinking back into the booth’s hard cushions. “Yeah, I told him all that already and he wouldn’t believe me.”
“Oh…well, hearing your story, I couldn’t help but wonder why you went along with it if you knew the most probable reason for his failures wasn’t mystical or what not.”
“It’s because she likes him,” Claudia replied, wagging her eyebrows.
“Ignore my friend. She’s twelve years old,” I interjected, kicking Claudia against her ankle once again.
Ellie waved her hands in the air, laughing. “Hey, I don’t judge. Besides, dancers are pretty hot.”
“That’s what I told her!” Claudia readily agreed.
“Anyway, not to be rude or anything, but did you happen to have some scientific and psychological insight on how I can forget all this bullshit?” I half-joked, hoping to jog her memory.
“Well, my advice is particularly for Asher,” she told me.
“I’m listening.”
It was odd that Ellie suddenly joined our ‘team,’ but I guess the more people to share this wacky journey with, the better. “Obviously we all know that Bria’s…um…cure, isn’t going to help in any way. However, it may provide a good placebo effect for him.”
“Placebo?”
She nodded. “He may just have needed a weird oil treatment to snap him back to reality. Then he’ll officially be out of your hair.”
I forced myself to keep a neutral expression, but I felt a sudden wave of unexpected sadness. I didn’t think I really wanted Asher to be completely out of my hair.
“What if it doesn’t work?” I heard myself ask, not even realizing I spoke it out loud.
Ellie shot me a knowing smirk. “Then I guess your shadow won’t leave And…um, never mind.”
“No, what were you going to say?” The odd look on Ellie’s face caused my stomach to turn.
“Just keep an open mind, okay?” she replied quietly.
I snorted. “I was half-naked in what reminded me of an Aerosmith video. I think my mind is as vast as you’re gonna get.”
She smiled. “What I mean is that I’m into the spiritual stuff too, but nothing like Bria was.”
“Sure.” Crap, I should have known. If she was trying to sell me anymore ‘services’ I was about ready to tell her to take a hike.
Ellie’s bracelets rattled some more as she pushed her short hair behind her ears. “Sometimes negative energy can pass from person to person.”
“By sex,” Claudia suggested, seeming proud that she could contribute somewhat into the conversation.
“Err…not really what I was going to say, but sure.”
“So what were you going to say?” I snapped. I couldn’t help it. I was getting annoyed. My banana split was melting and I had enough spiritual mumbo jumbo to last me for the rest of my life.
“If one or more persons involved are sensitive or empathic, there are ways that certain energies can affect them. If you were feeling especially down that day or doubtful of something in your life, you may inadvertently have passed that energy to Asher, who I assume is a sensitive.”
The blood drained from my face, cooling my entire body. Could this jinx really be my fault? I did only hook up with him that night because I was completely emotionally volatile and disappointed from losing out to Sarah. I wanted to feel pretty and special and I totally hooked up for all the wrong reasons…then again, what hookup is ever for a genuine purpose?
I gulped. “You…you really think so?”
“Unfortunately.” She scrunched up her mouth pensively.
“So if it really was caused by my less than peppy attitude that night, how can I fix it?”
“Just spread positive energy and you should be good to go.” A vibrating sound distracted her. Frowning, Ellie reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. “Ugh, I have to take this. Anyway, sorry again for crashing, ladies. Hope everything works out.”
Before I could thank her for…whatever it was that just happened, she was already walking toward the door with her phone against her ear. I shut my eyes and sighed in disbelief of what my life had come to.
Claudia groaned, stretching her arms in the air. “Are you really going to trade one supernatural consultant for another?”
I turned and watched Ellie through the glass windows, talking and laughing on the phone. “I don’t think she’s like Bria, and to answer your question, I guess I am.”
Chapter 20
Asher
The air inside the venue was charged with high energy. It was a smaller space, just a rectangle shaped bar in El Cajon. All around me different b-boys and b-girls gathered around, breaking out in impromptu cyphers. I stuck beside Mahone and Gerald like glue, convincing myself to stay clear of the floor until competition. Though I felt more competent and relaxed than I had in weeks, I couldn’t completely shut out the small voice in the back of my head that just screamed failure. I even bypassed practice the night before; worried that another bad session would throw me off my game. Although it was probably a bad idea to skip running through my moves before battle, I really couldn’t bring myself to know if Bria’s magic worked.
It just seemed so final.
“Are you finally off this whole bad luck thing?” Mahone raised his eyebrows, waiting patiently for me to answer.
“Yeah. I am.” I nodded adamantly despite the anxious pinch in my stomach. I’d decided not to share the exact details of my weird adventure with the guys because hey, who wants to admit having oil rubbed on them by some old lady? What I did tell them what that I was finally joining Grom Attack again for a few more battles before I’d need to leave for New York by the start of summer. I’d just gotten the call from my agent a few days before about signing for an off-Broadway production of some hip-hop centered play. All I knew was that I needed to feel like a winner again before I went and made a fool of myself in the Big Apple.
Mahone nodded in approval and shot me a grin. “Good. It hasn’t been the same with you all spazzing out about that weird paranormal bullshit.”
My jaw clenched. “Yeah…bullshit.”
It wasn’t bullshit.
Perspiration began to pool at the base of my neck, and since I hadn’t even gone as far as doing a basic six-step yet, I knew it was caused by stress. I’d never felt this nervous before a battle in my life, and I was desperate for anything to calm me down.
“Asher, hey.” The sound of her voice was like the strike of a match illuminating a darkened room—wait―that reminded me too much of Bria. It was more like a pail of water being thrown on a burning flame—that’s no good, either. Either way, the sound of Mallory’s voice calmed me instantly.
“Mallory!” I breathed, spinning around, nearly knocking into her. The venue had gotten so crowded that our bodies were practically pushed into each other, our noses mere inches apart. “Oh, sorry.”
She placed her small hands on my chest, but hardly pushed me away. She cleared her throat and pasted an embarrassed smile on her face before dropping her arms to her side. “How are you feeling? Are you ready for today?”
I shot her my most confident smile, though deep inside I was freaking out. “Oh, yeah. Two hundred dollars later, I should be ready.”
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