“Uh, yeah, I saw you do that at the battle,” I mumbled dumbly.
“It’s an air flare and not many b-girls in the area use it in competition.”
I looked at him doubtfully. “You want me to do that?”
“You can do a handstand right?” he prodded.
“Well, yeah.”
“And you obviously can do flares,” he added pointedly.
“Yeah, I can do all that, but the thing is I thought you were going to teach me how to work on my transitions. You know, actual flow and dancing? I can throw flips any time of the week, but I admit I need some help with my dancing.”
His thick fringe of eyelashes lowered before his eyes shut completely. “Okay, fine. I guess you have a point. What do you want to learn first?”
“Uh, aren’t you supposed to know that?”
“I haven’t taught anybody before. I don’t really know how this all works,” he admitted.
I should have been pissed off, but I couldn’t help but laugh at the confused look on his handsome features. “Why don’t you focus on teaching me the transitions between each power move, yeah? Show me how to jump from move to move smoothly.”
He thought about it for a moment and then nodded his head. “You ever try top rock?”
“What the hell is that?” I muttered.
His lips once again stretched into a grin. “Watch me.”
Mitch
Did she really have to come to practice wearing nothing but yoga pants and a purple sports bra? I’d just gotten rid of my morning wood a half an hour before our session and now my dick was threatening to spring from six to midnight all over again.
I decided to cool myself down, or rather warm myself up by doing some runs to allow me to focus once again, but it was her smart mouth that ended up bringing me back to earth.
The whole situation in itself was far from normal for me. Bringing a girl to the world of breakdancing was not something I thought I’d ever do. To me, the two were mutually exclusive regardless of the girls who’d hang around before, during, and after our events
It was partly the reason why I never settled down with a girlfriend to begin with. Not that I haven’t tried in the past, of course. In fact, I had a string of high school girlfriends who started off great, coming to my competitions, and cheering me on. The thing they didn’t realize is that b-boying isn’t just about the battles. As with any other sport, you have to devote a lot of time to it. Not to mention, you sort of garner your own set of fans as well.
Jealousy.
Jealousy of time and other females were often the causes of our breakups. After a laundry list of failed relationships I finally decided that the whole dating thing just wasn’t worth it to me anymore. So I made a rule for myself—hookup once and then move on. That way both parties got what they wanted without all the feelings and emotional mush that came along with relationships.
Sure, it worked well most of the time, but sex without emotions was a concept most girls I’ve encountered had a hard time swallowing. So, due to some unfortunate Stage Five Clingers, I’d been a bit more picky as of late. I didn’t want to admit it to the other guys, but I hadn’t even fucked anyone in two months. But hey, whatever. That’s what your hand is for, right?
“Okay, I think I got this dancing thing down,” she exclaimed proudly, doing a peppy looking house step. I hated to admit it, but maybe Craig was right about the whole cheerleader thing.
I threw my head back and sighed. “Stop doing that.”
She froze on the spot. “Doing what?”
“That hoppity hop, hop shit you were doing. You look too…too…”
“Too what?” She snapped her fingers in the air. It was a move I noticed she did whenever she was especially annoyed and I can’t say that I didn’t find it cute.
“Peppy.”
Her face contorted into one of pure anger. “If you ever call me peppy again, I will murder you.”
“Then stop with the frou-frou shit.”
“Fine.” Lifting her chin, she attempted to dance again only this time her moves were almost robotic.
“No, no, no,” I grumbled, walking up to her and grabbing her by the waist. She instantly stiffened, but I wasn’t about to let go. “Your body is a bit too straight. Seriously, you look like you have a rod stuck up your ass or something.”
“I never have anything stuck up my ass,” she growled. I think she meant it as a comeback, but it totally came out sounding like something else. She seemed to realize her mistake and cleared her throat awkwardly. “I’m doing fine.”
“Good to know,” I mumbled, immediately imagining her in a rather ass accentuating position.
I stepped up behind her and pressed up against her back, feeling the heat of her bare skin on my fingertips. A flush began to work its way up her olive toned body and I couldn’t help but wonder if the rest of her was just as pink.
I gulped, trailing my fingers down her spine, lifting my hand right before I reached the small of her back. In a gruff voice, I instructed, “Dance as if you’re relaxed. Dance asif you’re having fun. Loosenthis up and stop standing so straight.”
“I am having fun,” she argued in a breathy tone.
“Then show me.” My voice came out raspy, dropping a few octaves.
She turned around and caught my eye. Her face relaxed, losing its slight scowl. Soon the music began to fade until it was nothing but a murmur in the background.
I’d never stood so close to her before and for the first time I noticed that her eyes weren’t really brown at all. A golden ring surrounded hazel colored irises, which held little green flecks of color inside of them. Beneath her long eyelashes, they were completely mesmerizing.
She sucked in her breath and took a step away from me, breaking whatever spell we had between us. Instantly missing the connection, I focused on the scent of her shampoo, which still danced around my nostrils. Blinking a few times, she straightened herself, only to slouch in exaggeration. “Curve my back like this?”
The awkward energy of the room was immediately lifted and I couldn’t help but laugh at the way her arms dangled at her side like some sort of primate. Grinning, I nodded my head. “Oh, yeah. It’s perfect.”
She’s perfect.
***
I rubbed my eyes and yawned, staring down at the pile of French fries on my plate. Around me, the cafeteria was buzzing with hungry students, but I was feeling too zonked out to notice. It was my fault for scheduling Aurora’s private lessons so early in the morning, but with my course load, part-time job as a busboy at Sam’s, and my regular practices with Annihilation, I really had no other choice.
“Kickwit, hey.”
I pried my eyes open, smacking my mouth. “Yeah?”
I sucked in my breath when I saw Gwen Petersen looking down at me. Her arm was stretched out, hand resting right next to my plate of fries. I glanced down at her fingers, cringing at how close her claw-like nails were to touching a crispy piece—my favorite.
God, if worrying about the cleanliness of my fries wasn’t a sign of how much I was over this chick, then I didn’t know what was.
“What’s up, Gwen?” I coughed out.
Her smile grew wider. Taking my response as an invitation, she sat down…right on my lap. I lifted my hands in exasperation.
“What are you doing?”
Giggling, she pulled my beanie off my head and messed with my hair. “I didn’t see you in class today. Where were you?”
“Uh, which class?” Shit. I didn’t even know we shared one.
“Philosophy of course.”
“Of course,” I replied blandly. Stifling a yawn, I murmured, “Slept through it. Sue me.”
“I took some pretty awesome notes.” She twirled a finger through my hair and though it annoyed me a bit, I was too tired to smack it away. “We can go over it later if you want…”
Okay, I wasn’t that tired anymore.
Pushing her hand away, I shook my head. “I have work.”
/>
“Maybe after—”
“I have b-boy practice.”
Gwen’s eyes narrowed. “You’re just making stuff up.”
“No, I’m not. I’m busy. I’malways busy. If you recall, we covered this subject a few months ago. Just a hook up and nothing else, remember?”
“But—”
“Thanks anyway.” With that, I lightly nudged her ass so she could slide off of me.
“You’re a fucking jerk, Mitch.” Growling softly, she clenched her fists together and stomped off muttering curse words at my expense. I sighed, feeling close to nodding off again when suddenly I felt the sensation of being stared at. Trying my hardest to shake it off, I couldn’t ignore the burning in my forehead. It was as if one of those red lasers from a sniper rifle had just caught a bullseye between my eyebrows.
“What now? I’m not in the fucking mood.” I finally lifted my gaze and spotted Aurora staring at me. The curve of her lip was sign enough that she wasn’t happy. Usually, I wouldn’t give two shits but for some reason, I felt a bit guilty.
Aurora
“Was that your girlfriend I saw you with yesterday?” I asked as nonchalantly as I could.
Mitch yawned, stretching his arms out. “No.”
“So you just have random girls climb onto your lap in public?” I batted my eyes sweetly, though for some reason I was dying to find out.
He grimaced. “Oh, yeah. That’s my thing, if you didn’t know. Need a lap? Climb on mine.”
I smirked. “Now that’s endearing.”
Mitch threw his head back and groaned. “Are we going to practice or not? I have shit to do and if you’re just going to waste my time, then why are we even here?”
“Okay, sheesh!” I clucked, placing my hands on my hips. “If you’re going to be so cranky we don’t have to do this today.”
“Battle of the Crews is in ten weeks. We have to get you trained, in Annihilation, and ready for battle.”
“Okay, okay, I get it.” I bit my lips and examined his paled complexion and half crescents under his eyes. “You look a bit tired.”
“It’s genetic and it’s actually rude as hell to tell anybody he looks tired,” he muttered.
“So-rry.” I held my hands up. “Just concerned.”
“And why might that be? You don’t even know me,” he grumbled, looking only half-awake.
I pursed my lips. “You’re right. I don’t…and you don’t know anything about me. So why don’t we quit with whatever game we’re playing and put the cards out on the table. You obviously need me to beat this rival of yours, more than I need you. So are you going to play nice? If you’re not, I wouldn’t give two shits about walking out that door.”
I was lying out my ass and hoped he couldn’t see through my façade. I needed something to compete in…something safe. At this point, I needed him as much as he needed me.
He looked down at me guiltily and I couldn’t help but feel myself soften. Sighing, I told him, “I was just going to say we can schedule our practices for another day. I’m used to these early morning hours, but you—”
He rubbed at his eyes and yawned. “I just have to get used to it too. Nothing I can’t handle…believe me.”
“Why don’t we just do this in the evening or at noon or—”
“I work, go to class, and practice with my crew. I…have…no…time.” Usually his tone would have rubbed me the wrong way, but I found myself feeling a bit bad for him.
Almost.
Was he doing this for me or for him?
I couldn’t help but feel like a thorn in Ohio University’s side after my accident. Everyone tried their best to cater to me and even walk on eggshells whenever I was in the room. I couldn’t bear feeling as if I was someone’s burden again.
“If you don’t want to do this, it’s fine. It was probably a dumb idea, anyway,” I muttered.
He yawned once again, but eyed me furiously. “I wouldn’t do this if I didn’t want to, okay? Now are we going to practice or not?”
I hung my head. “Fine, let’s do this…you know, you really need to get some sleep. Crankiness really doesn’t suit you.” He frowned as I stepped out into the middle of the room. “Okay, boss. What do you want me to do?”
“Top rock, house step,and whatever you can freestyle.If you can freestyle.” He smiled smugly, expecting me to falter. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.
I shrugged. “Of course I can freestyle. I’d had to ad-lib floor routines back in the day. Pretty sure this is the same idea.”
His cocky smile quickly disappeared. “This isn’t some graceful chick stuff; you need flow between your transitions, not pirouettes.”
Smirking, I swiped my legs and finished in a Capoeira type pose, feeling proud I finally conquered the difficult Brazilian martial arts stance.
He remained silent for a beat before muttering, “Maybe we don’t have to cram so much in after all.”
***
“What time is it?” Mitch asked during a water break. He wiped his arms with a dingy towel, and I couldn’t help but follow the path it made from his collarbone to fingertips.
I gulped and quickly glanced down at my phone, not wanting to be caught gawking. “It’s a quarter to seven.”
“Already?” he gasped. “Shit. I have to leave in fifteen minutes.”
“Where are you going?”
“I have lab at eight today. Four fucking hours long,” he grumbled.
“Lab? Prerequisite or something?”
He let out a puff of air from his nostrils. “No, I’m a science major.”
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I would have pegged him as an Art major or something else creative. “What do you major in?”
“Geology.”
“Geology? Wow, that’s a first,” I admitted.
He shrugged. “I hear shit about it all the time and frankly I don’t care.”
“I wasn’t going to say anything bad about it,” I clarified. “You really are the first person I’ve known who majored in that. I didn’t even know they offered the major.”
“Yeah, I like rocks and crystals and all that stuff you find in the earth. Growing up in L.A. you kind of forget how clean stuff can be, you know? I want to learn how to preserve what little natural resources we still have.”
“Wow…” I breathed, suddenly feeling impressed.
“What about you?”
“Hmm?”
“What are you majoring in?”
I cringed. Before my accident, I was majoring in exercise science, but now I was at a stalemate. How could I teach anybody else something I was so scared of? Besides craving competition, it was partly the reason I agreed to go along with Mitch’s plan…deep down I hoped it would snap me out of my funk. For now…
“Undecided,” I practically whispered.
“Undecided? You’re a sophomore?”
I nodded, unwilling to tell him that I really should have been a junior but took the last year off.
“Well, you better decide on a major fast unless you want to stay here for another six years.”
“Sometimes college seems better than the real world.”
He cocked his head to the side in thought and then nodded. “Honestly, that’s a bit depressing but it’s pretty true.”
“Yeah…”
Realizing we were both too exhausted to continue, we began to pack our things in silence. Tearing off my sneakers, I sat down on the wooden floor and began to massage my feet, a ritual I often did after the end of every practice. Mitch eyed me curiously.
“What?” I asked, a bit miffed, curling my toes in on reflex.
“You’re right, you know.”
Frowning, I looked up at him through hooded eyes. “About what?”
“We really don’t know each other aside from the fact that I’m training you to join Annihilation. I can’t even call you my friend.”
There was a certain sadness in his tone that led me to soften. My throat felt as if it were about to
close up, so I immediately replied, “Don’t be stupid. We are friends.”
“Okay, so what’s my last name?”
“Adachi,” I answered proudly.
His eyes widened appreciatively. “Wow! I’m impressed.”
I grinned. “Is it Japanese?”
He nodded. “Yeah. I’m a bit of a mutt, actually. Dad’s Japanese and my mom is like every single European nationality you could name.”
Speaking to Mitch about something other than b-boying was oddly refreshing. Smiling, I asked, “What’s my last name?”
He blinked, clearly not expecting me to ask. “Um…Smith?”
“Seriously?” I chuckled. “Way to be stereotypical.”
“Jones?”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s not Brown, Williams, or Johnson either.”
He shrugged sheepishly. “I’m bad at guessing games.”
“It’s Crane.”
“Huh.”
“Huh, what?”
“That’s kinda pretty.”
“Gee thanks,” I replied with an eye roll.
“No, I’m serious. It explains why you’re as graceful as a bird…oh God, that sounded really corny, didn’t it?”
I couldn’t help but grin. “No…actually that was a bit nice.”
If I didn’t know any better, I’d say I saw him blush just a bit. Gazing at him in curiosity, I was surprised when he was paused and caught my eye. “You know, maybe we should take the time to get to know each other more.”
I felt a flutter in my stomach. “Oh?”
He nodded. “Maybe if we did, you’d feel more comfortable with some of the lessons I’ll be giving you in the future.”
“But I’m already comfortable.”
“Are you comfortable with this?” He walked forward and grabbed me by the waist, picking me up and turning me upside down with ease.
I yelped and pounded against his knees. “Put me down! You’re going to drop me on my head.”
Or neck.
He burst into laughter and stood me back upright, trailing his finger across my waist in the process. My body automatically reacted, releasing a burst of warmth throughout my core.
Breaking Promises (B-Boy #1) Page 6
