Mahone slowly turned his head. “What’s this about two hundred dollars?”
Mallory raised her eyebrows and looked at me questioningly. I shook my head. “Nothing, forget about it.”
She pressed her lips together in amusement. “Anyway, I’m glad you’re feeling good…also glad to cheer you on.”
My stomach flipped. “Uh, thanks. I’m glad you made it.”
Gerald rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’re both glad. Can we just all focus on today’s battle already?”
I ignored Gerald and kept my focus on Mallory, finally realizing she hadn’t once met my eyes. She was gnawing at her bottom lip in a fashion that looked almost painful. A feeling of dread immediately washed over me. Did she know something I didn’t?
“Mallory, what’s the matter with you?” Boom, boom, boom, went the beating of my heart.
Still not meeting my gaze, she shook her head quickly. “Nothing. I just have never been to one of these before. I’m a bit overwhelmed.”
I let out a sigh of relief. “Well, yeah. These things can get rowdy. If it makes you feel any better, you can stay here with the rest of my crew; they’ll watch you when I’m competing.”
“I don’t need a babysitter,” she snapped.
My lips twitched in amusement. “Okay, well…just try not to get kicked in the face.”
Okay, now she decides to look me in the eyes.
“What?” She paled as if the idea never occurred to her before.
Not wanting to fan the flames, I laughed softly. “Never mind. Just stay away from the center circle and you’ll be fine.”
She eyed the ring of people circling the linoleum center of the bar. “Wait, you guys don’t go on stage?”
“We do sometimes; depending on the battle. This is a smaller one, so there is no stage.” Which was just as well. I didn’t want my first day back from being benched to be a spectacle.
Mallory opened her mouth to reply, but before she could even get one word out, a familiar voice called out to me. “Well, if it isn’t Hollywood.”
I kept my face impassive though I was internally cringing. “Scottie,” I greeted.
“Hollywood?” Mallory repeated with a frown. “Is that your b-boy name? I know you guys have those weird monikers.”
“Don’t let anybody hear you say their names are weird,” I hissed. “And no, I’m Hellhound.”
“Like that’s better,” she said with a snort.
I rolled my eyes and ignored her. “What do you want, Scottie?”
The gangly fellow squeezed in between Mahone and Gerald, acting as if they weren’t even there. He only stopped fidgeting once he was standing beside Mallory. When his gaze dipped down to her cleavage, I wanted nothing more than to punch him out. Lifting his eyes knowingly, he threw me a pointed grin. “Just here welcoming you back. Did you get your footprints at Grauman’s yet?”
“Is that supposed to be an insult?” Mallory grunted. “You really got to work on your delivery, dude.”
“Careful.” I bit back a grin and gently nudged her, still in disbelief at the starkly different facets of her personality. Shy and unsure, but snappy and furious, there was definitely a lot about her I still needed to discover.
Scottie’s top lip rose, baring the huge gap between his front teeth. “Your girlfriend better keep her mouth shut if she knows what’s good for her.”
Just as I was about to correct him, Mallory interjected, “Are you threatening me? Why don’t you get out of here? I was having a private conversation with Asher.”
“Bitch,” he muttered. At this point we’d already captured the attention of the rest of Grom Attack.
“Just leave, Scottie,” Gerald groaned. “We’ll see you on the floor. Stop making trouble for us. I really don’t want to get kicked out before the battle starts.”
“I’m not making trouble for you all.” His eyes flicked onto me. “Just him. Hollywood doesn’t belong here.”
I rolled my eyes. “We’ll see about that. I’ll see you on the floor, asshole.”
“Last time you said that to me you fell flat on your face. You got some big balls to think you can go toe to toe with me again.”
“Big balls? You should see his dick,” I thought I heard Mallory mumble.
Figuring that I was just hearing things, I puffed out my chest and snarled. “You’ll get your ass handed to you. I promise you.”
“Gotta qualify for those rounds first, boss.” Scottie’s eyes flicked to Mallory’s direction again. “This ain’t Oz, Dorothy. Careful who you step up to.”
He turned, bumping into my shoulder along the way. I clenched my fists, digging my non-existent nails into my skin, trying to calm myself down. Luckily, Mallory’s soft touch brought me back to Earth. Still scowling in Scottie’s direction, she asked, “What was that about? What did he mean you don’t belong here? Is it because you sucked?”
Gerald let out a loud laugh, immediately trying to cover it up with bouts of coughs. I ignored him and shook my head. “Just some idiots who think that breaking should remain underground. Apparently, following my dreams to perform is some taboo thing.”
“Ah, so they’re like the b-boy version of hipsters? Can’t be too mainstream?”
I grinned, happy she understood the situation in her own unique way. “Exactly.”
The loud boom of the speakers caused Mallory to yelp. Almost instinctively, she crashed into my side as if looking to me for protection. The act caused my heart to swell.
“It’s okay,” I told her, pushing away a strand of hair that was blocking her eyes. “The battle’s just about to start.”
As soon as she pulled away, she left me with a weird sense of longing, as if I missed her though she was only standing a few inches away. She pressed her lips together and nodded her head. “I’ll just be by the door, if that’s okay.”
I frowned. Was she planning on leaving early? Was that her way of telling me she didn’t think I’d advance in competition? I tugged at my neck, as if to pull away the lump in my throat. “Uh, yeah, sure. If you want.”
She shot me a grin, once again reminding me of how her face lit up whenever she smiled. The sight of her beaming was enough to brighten the whole room. “A two hundred dollar good luck to you, good sir.”
I snickered. “Thanks. And thanks for coming.”
She nodded and turned toward the door. I watched her disappear into the crowd, being swallowed by a mass of Puma jackets and Adidas sneakers.
A pair of cold hands clasped onto my shoulder, shaking me. “Let’s do this!” Gerald yelled in my ear. “Let's get psyched!”
I nodded, once again feeling oddly distracted. “Let’s do this.”
Chapter 21
Mallory
You know those shows on television that act almost like an anthology of cringe-worthy viral videos? They showcase a collection of different falls, accidents, and other humiliating instances for the sake of shallow entertainment? Though I must admit that I am guilty of watching those shows—like a train wreck, you just can’t look away—I would have given anything to never feel that gut-wrenching form of secondhand embarrassment ever again.
It was exactly how I felt the moment I saw Asher step onto the floor.
Even before the music started there was something off about him. I didn’t know if it was his hunched over posture or trembling leg, because hell if I know what’s normal in breakdancing! But there was definitely something wrong.
His opponent danced first, looking flawless in his execution of flips, somersaults, and dance moves. The audience seemed to eat up whatever he served them, and by the end of his turn, he was definitely gloating.
He was the polar opposite of Asher.
Once Asher walked into the center of the circle, different jeers of “Hollywood!” were being yelled across the tiny bar. Furious, I decided to shout, “Go, Hellhound!” in retaliation, despite how stupid I felt doing so. Like a fish in outer space, I was definitely out of my element.
From the moment Asher broke into his first move, I noticed the stiffness in each of his muscles. It was a far cry from the first competitor and definitely a far cry from how I remembered him moving during our, um, night together.
I fought the urge to cover my eyes, wanting nothing more than to bring my hands to my face to block out the scene as it played out in front of me. Every move just looked sloppy, but nothing was worse than the face plant that ended his turn.
Cheeks flaming red and eyes blazing, Asher pushed through the crowd, ignoring the whistling insults Scottie and his friends yelled at him. He walked in my direction, and for a moment my heart bounced thinking he was looking to me for comfort. Then I realized he was heading for the door.
Bummer.
“Asher, wait up.” I ran out after him, squinting at the harsh glare of the afternoon sun. Asher ignored me, huffing his way down the sidewalk. “Asher, please. Let me help you.”
“And how exactly are you going to help me?” He spun around so quickly that it nearly knocked me off my feet.
I stumbled back and cleared my throat awkwardly. “I just thought you’d want to talk?”
Lamest comeback ever.
His eyes looked as if there was a fire lit behind them. I could almost hear them crackling furiously. “What are you going to say, Mallory? That Bria was a waste of money? That this whole jinx thing was just a stupid figment of my imagination that I used as an excuse so I wouldn’t have to focus on the fact that I actually just suck at my livelihood?”
“No,” I said quietly. “I was just checking to see if you needed a friend.”
“Friend? I have plenty of those in there,” he spat out, jutting his thumb toward the bar.
My jaw tightened. “Obviously not any good ones if they let you come out here alone.”
Despite the clenching of his jaw and desperate look in his eyes, I saw him relax a tiny bit.
I sighed with relief. “Come on, my car’s parked around the corner. We’ll drown our sorrows in—”
“I don’t feel like drinking,” he snapped.
“I was going to say pizza or something,” I joked.
His furious expression finally softened, “Now that you mention it, I am kind of hungry. But I rode with Mahone and Gerald.” He rubbed the back of his neck with a look of utter humiliation. “They’re still battling, because unlike me, they are still good at what they do.”
“I don’t have any problem driving you around, Asher. Come on. Let’s get out of here for a while.”
Relief flooded me once he nodded. “Fine. Let’s go get some pizza.”
I bit back the proud smile on my face that came from winning what was bound to be an argument. “Good. We’ll go to the furthest pizza parlor possible. Just you and me.”
I was happy to see that Asher followed me willingly without any more resistance. I stayed quiet until we climbed into my car, making sure to give Asher his necessary space to process everything. Realizing the floor on the passenger side was piled high with books, sheet music, and other junk, I told him, “You can just throw that stuff in the back so you have room.”
“Eh, what’s the point? I don’t need comfort.”
I pursed my lips and nodded, getting prepared to back out of my space when suddenly I heard him say, “Wait, you still have this?”
Placing the car back in park, I glanced over and spotted him practically caressing a bundle of green herbs. “Oh, yeah. I never got to throwing that sage away.”
He stared at me as if I had grown two heads. “And you didn’t tell me because?”
“Uh, why are you acting crazy right now? Why would I have told you what was in my car?”
I swear that his eyeballs looked like turning pinwheels. “We need to sage me like right now.”
Now it was my turn to look at him in shock. “Are you being serious? It is completely obvious that this whole jinx, Bria, superstition bullshit is nothing but, well, bullshit, yet you still want to try this metaphysical stuff out?”
Though I thought it impossible, his tone lost its anger and became sadder almost. “Please, Mallory. I am so desperate. I know it sounds stupid, but I really need this. You saw what happened back there, I just need some hope.” If we were standing up, it wouldn’t have surprised me if he lowered himself to his knees to grovel. “Just throw me this bone.”
“I’ve thrown you plenty of bones.”
“Why can’t we just do this? It’s harmless! And you already have the items we need.”
“Because I already feel stupid enough as it is for going along with your idiotic plans. I am not going down that path again!” I thought about how badly rehearsals have been going for me and muttered, “I swear all this stuff is screwing me up during my classes.”
“I’m sorry if I’m such an inconvenience to you,” he snapped.
I shut my eyes and sighed, rubbing circles into my forehead. “Asher, you are not an inconvenience.”
“That’s a lie.”
“I don’t mind helping you out, but this is all just crazy to me. I’ve already gone so out of my comfort zone for you, and this is just the last straw before I finally snap.”
“Just do this one last favor, and I promise if it fails, we’ll focus on some more realistic options, okay? Please.”
I opened my eyes and frowned. “Does winning really matter this much to you?”
“It’s not winning…” His voice trailed off, almost as if he were afraid to say the words.
“You’re not working right now, so why the hurry?”
He licked his lips slowly and I couldn’t help but follow the path his tongue made across his mouth, imagining how it’d feel on me.
“I got hired for a show,” he said so softly that I almost had to strain to hear him speak.
My stomach dropped. “Wow, that’s great,” I said half-heartedly. Hollywood is what they called him, so obviously he’d have to go back to Los Angeles soon and then it’d be bye-bye to Mallory.
“It’s in New York.”
Fuck. That was way worse.
“Oh.” I forced a smile on my face. “Congratulations."
"No congratulations will be needed if I don't figure out how to fix myself." He groaned and hit the back of his head onto the seat repeatedly. "This is my career, Mallory. I worked my ass off for this.”
“I know…”
In a subject change straight out of left field he asked, “Do you remember Roxie?"
"Yes." I swallowed back the bitter taste in my mouth. How could I forget? I automatically pictured the beautiful girl he showed me on his caller ID. She had that certain girl next door look to her if you lived in an exotic country.
He nodded sadly as he absently scratched at the dried coffee drizzles staining my center console. "I thought she was the one, you know?"
Joy.
I nodded my head forcing enthusiasm. "Uh, huh."
"And do you know what ruined that relationship?"
No, but I'm pretty sure he was going to tell me.
“B-boying.”
I cocked my head to the side in interest. “Did she just not like it or something?”
Though my one and only event was unceremoniously cut off, it seemed pretty exciting to me. A bit overwhelming, but exciting.
He shook his head. “She loved it…at first. Then she realized how much time I had to devote to honing my craft. Soon those practices became her enemy, something she loathed so much. I can’t lie; I know I did neglect her more than I should have. But it was my dream to dance for a living! She knew what she was getting into when she got into the relationship.” He took a deep breath and sighed. “I know I could have treated her better, but it’s ridiculous how she almost viewed b-boying as ‘the other woman.’”
I swallowed what felt like a jagged pill down my throat. It all hit too close to home. All my exes basically fed me the same lines of guilt. I was neglectful; I ignored them, blah, blah, blah. But music was my dream and my ultimate goal. Sad to say, falling in love wasn’t on my
radar…until now.
“Why are you telling me this?” My voice cracked a bit.
“To show you how much breaking means to me and exactly what I gave up getting to where I am today. I can’t risk losing my life, Mallory. B-boying is my life.”
I felt that familiar tug in my gut. I had to keep helping him regardless of how idiotic everything was becoming. Remembering Ellie’s advice, I nodded, albeit reluctantly.
He just needs a little positivity.
“Okay fine, let’s smoke you up.”
“Really?” he breathed.
“Yeah, so let’s do it before I change my mind.”
Grinning from ear to ear, he reached over and hugged me with gratitude. “Thank you Mallory.”
Despite how obvious it was, I inhaled his scent, trying to memorize the woodsy musk that was all Asher. It’s funny how I initially wanted this hookup to be a onetime thing, but suddenly couldn’t imagine my life without him in it.
“What changed your mind?” He practically whispered in my ear.
I pulled away, eyes widening. Had I expressed my feelings out loud?
Asher frowned and clarified, “About the sage.”
“Oh.” I sighed with relief. “You just remind me of me, that’s all. I’ve pushed people away in the past in favor of playing music. I think I’ve told you that before.”
“I just like hearing it again. It makes me feel almost normal.” He grinned, once again flashing that dimple on his chin. “It’s a good thing we were just a hookup, then.”
“Oh, why is that?” Curiosity burned through me.
“If we had tried to make this anything more, we’d never see each other, considering our work ethic.”
I forced a smile on my face, somehow ignoring the small pinch of pain in my heart.
“Especially since you’re always moving around.”
“Precisely.”
Asher stared at me quietly, his expression unreadable. For all our research on the universe and on life’s tricks and mysteries, I couldn’t help but wonder why Asher was thrown into my life, only to leave again.
Chapter 22
Breaking Hearts (B-boy #3) Page 11
