Breaking Promises (B-Boy #1) Page 19

  And now it was finally time to unleash it.

  There were many stunts Craig could do and many he couldn’t. A corkscrew happened to be one that he could never achieve and it was what I needed to beat him.

  I allowed myself to get lost in the music, becoming a slave to it. My body moved as if it had a mind of its own. As if I were in a trance, I followed the beat, succumbing to the music.

  My original plan was to unveil my corkscrew at Battle of the Crews to help my team out. It was no secret that Knight Crawlerz were stepping up their game and we really needed something sick to take the prize home. However, that win had nothing on finally beating Craig at his own game.

  While I prepared for my wind up, I murmured, “Sorry, Annihilation. You guys have let me down.”

  As I kicked myself up into a gainer, I felt Aurora’s gaze on me and could have sworn I even heard her gasp. I’d only successfully completed two corkscrews in our battle and the rest were really bad “bongs,” as mistakes were called in the breaking world.

  “Be careful!” I definitely heard her that time, but she had nothing to worry about. My extreme hunger to wipe Craig’s face on the floor would get me through this move.

  Unfortunately, mid-move, I felt my body angle itself wrong, over rotating so that my head was aiming for the ground.

  Then everything went black.

  Aurora

  I was running.

  My hand hit the vault and I twisted in the air.

  The ground was coming for me so quickly, but all of a sudden it wasn’t there.

  It was like an out of body experience. I was watching somebody flip through the air and crash down hard.

  I blinked wildly, trying to wake up from nightmare. But it wasn’t a nightmare and it really wasn’t me this time…

  It was Mitch.

  “Mitch, no!” I thought I heard somebody scream loudly. My mouth went dry and I soon realized the scream was coming from me.

  It happened so quickly. He over launched himself and there was no coming back from it. His head hit the ground first and his body soon followed, falling to the side in an awkward angle.

  He was out cold.

  The screams and yells around me sounded muffled. Everyone seemed to move in slow motion. I broke into a run, ignoring my friends’ warnings. I’d told them about my accident, of course, and I guess they feared this would set me back. I didn’t care. I needed to see that Mitch was okay.

  I ran toward the center of the circle, and even Craig, with all his pure evil, knelt next to Mitch’s unconscious body looking extremely worried. He was reaching out to touch Mitch’s arm when I screamed, “Don’t move him!”

  Craig snatched his hand away in a nano-second.

  I almost made it beside Mitch when I felt my body being held back. I kicked in retaliation but the arms were too strong for me. I glanced back and recognized the club’s bouncer.

  “The medics need room! Everyone step out of the way!” He screamed in my ear.

  As much as I wanted to be by Mitch’s side, I instantly relaxed in the bouncer’s arms. I wasn’t stupid. He needed help that I couldn’t provide. Also, I knew Mitch and I were on really bad terms, but I felt that everything was my fault.

  I was the one who told him that Craig didn’t deserve to win.

  I was the one who taught him that fucking corkscrew.

  I was the one who argued with him before the battle.

  Now there he was, lying in a heap on the floor with basically the same injury I had.

  I was also the one who could make him give up his passion just as I had.

  Mitch

  “Stay with me! Stay with me!” a voice yelled above me. “Mitch, how many fingers am I holding up?”

  A light was being shined in each of my eyes. I wanted to protest and tell them it was too bright. I was being blinded, but I didn’t have the energy to push them away. Through my foggy haze, I answered, “Four.”

  Four.

  The exact number of 90s Craig completed. He probably won the battle.

  Shit.

  “Can you feel this?” I was poked and prodded in my ribs, my legs, and the side of my chest.

  “Yeah,” I ground out, feeling a neck brace being wrapped around me.

  The voice yelled again, “This may hurt. Take a deep breath.”

  “Arggh!”

  My body was lifted and transported onto a board of some sort. Soon I was on a gurney and being wheeled out of the club.

  “Mitch! Mitch!” Was that Aurora?

  I shut my eyes, suddenly feeling exhausted.

  Darkness.

  I must have passed out and soon woke up to the blare of the ambulance siren. Around me some EMTs were going crazy.

  Darkness.

  Okay, I was definitely passing out. I again woke to myself being wheeled through a hallway lined with fluorescent light bulbs. A bunch of doctors and nurses were staring down at me, yelling out some terms I didn’t fucking understand.

  I tried hard to listen, but my mind kept wandering. All I could think about the whole time they fussed over me was, Will I ever break again?

  Aurora

  “Can I please see Mitch Adachi?” I slammed my hand against the nurse’s desk and practically glared at her.

  She must have been used to people like me because she calmly lifted her chin and shot me one of those fake customer service smiles. “I’m sorry, Miss, but right now only family can see him. I take it you’re not family?”

  “No, I’m…” My voice trailed off. I wasn’t even his girlfriend. “I’m a friend.”

  She nodded sympathetically and motioned toward the waiting room. “Please have a seat. I’ll let you know when I have an update.”

  I groaned and slammed my hand on the counter again. I turned toward my friends, who were gathered nervously in the waiting room. Clemence was even gripping a cup of that gross hospital grade coffee in her hand, most likely just to have something to do, as she never drank anything but organic grade coffee beans.

  “How is he?” Bamboo glanced over at the nurse and sneered. “Smaug over there trying to keep guard?”

  “She says it’s family only,” I muttered, feeling helpless.

  Clemence placed her thin hand on my shoulder and squeezed it. “I think he’ll be fine, Aurora. You were after…”

  Bamboo shot her an annoyed stare. “So not helping.”

  I looked around the waiting room where basically all the people from the event had gathered. All of Annihilation, even Craig, were waiting toward the back, and not one of them would even throw a glance at me.

  I shook my head and bit my lip. “If we don’t get an update soon, I think I’m going to go insane.”

  Just then the sliding glass doors of the emergency room opened, blowing a gust of cool wind inside. A petite woman ran in, followed by a horrified looking older gentleman.

  “Those are Mitch’s parents,” Bamboo told me. “They live in Temecula. They probably sped all the way over here. They made really good time.”

  I couldn’t blame them. Had my son been in the E.R., I would have flew over if necessary.

  I nodded. “Well, maybe now we can get somewhere.”

  We watched as the nurse escorted Mitch’s parents toward the back, and as ridiculous as it sounded, I couldn’t help but feel a bit envious. They’d get to know how he was doing before I did, but who was I to him anymore? Just some bitch who wouldn’t even hear his apology.

  “It’ll be okay,” Bamboo whispered.

  I looked after his parents and bit my lip. “I sure hope so.”

  ***

  About thirty-minutes went by before the Adachis came back outside. My head snapped up, driven by curiosity and an unquenchable need to figure out what the hell was going on. The two stopped to talk to the nurse, or Smaug, as she was most lovingly known among the Belladonnas, who in turned pointed toward me.

  “What do you think is going on?” Katy leaned over and asked. At this point the Adachis had gained the waiting
room’s full attention.

  Everyone watched as Mitch’s parents took determined steps in our direction. As they got closer, I could definitely tell where Mitch got his good looks from. His mother had a regal sort of beauty and didn’t look aged at all. I swear she drank from the fountain of youth or struck some deal to become immortal. Then there was his father, who was as equally handsome. Like Mitch, he had almond shaped eyes, strong jaw, and perfect nose. If he was any indication of how Mitch would look in thirty years, then I’d say he had a good future ahead of him.

  Mrs. Adachi stepped into the waiting room and looked around. Annihilation, who had kept their distance from the Belladonnas, all stood on their feet. Her thin lips pulled into a nervous smile as she addressed us all. “Mitch is fine. I’m sure he’d be happy to know you all care about him so much.”

  The collective sigh in the room was undeniable. It felt as if the air became lighter and the weight had been lifted tremendously.

  She gazed around until her eyes landed on me. “You must be Aurora, right?”

  I could feel everyone’s heads turning in my direction. I gulped and froze, feeling like a deer in headlights. Usually used to attention, this was beyond anything I ever experienced.

  “Yes, this is she.” Clemence pushed me forward and I went stumbling in front of his parents.

  Mrs. Adachi looked at me curiously and smiled. “Come on. Follow us. I pulled some strings so you can see him.”

  “Thank you.” My voice cracked. I turned back toward the girls and nodded my head. “I’ll be okay. You don’t have to wait for me.”

  “You sure?” Clemence asked, eyeing the Adachis.

  I nodded. “I don’t know how long I’ll be. I’ll see you guys later.”

  “Okay.”

  The Adachis and I walked silently through the hallway. A few seconds passed before Mrs. Adachi’s high pitched voice piped up, “So you’re Aurora.”

  I blinked. “Um, yes.”

  “Mitch told us that you two have become really good friends.”

  I pulled at my neck uncomfortably. We hadn’t been friends for a while now. Still, I couldn’t tell his parents that. Especially after Mitch had asked to see me. Then again, maybe he was going to yell at me or something once I went in the room. Yeah, that wouldn’t be embarrassing at all.

  I cleared my throat. “Mitch is an awesome guy. I’m lucky to know him.”

  Mr. Adachi nodded his head. In a slightly accented voice, he said, “Mitch hasn’t really brought around any girls, you know. He never told us of any, either. Not since high school. Believe me, it was quite a surprise for us both when he asked for you.”

  “Oh, wow,” I murmured, not knowing what else to say.

  “You must mean a lot to him. I can tell. And since he is technically introducing us right now, I just wanted to say nice to meet you.”

  “Nice meeting you too.” I nodded my head and smiled, feeling my heart swell a bit.

  We rounded the corner of the narrow hallway and arrived at the room, pausing outside. I expected the Adachis to walk in first and was surprised to see them staring at me intently. I looked at them in confusion.

  Mrs. Adachi shot me a bemused smile. “He said he wanted to talk to you privately.”

  I pulled my lips into an awkward smile. “Are you sure you don’t mind?”

  She shook her head. “Like his father said, you seem important to him. We’ll be in town for a bit, we’ll have time to visit.”

  With that she tugged at her husband’s arm and the two walked back toward the waiting room where, hopefully, they’d tell the rest of Annihilation to leave.

  I took a moment to compose myself, pressing my hand against the door. If he wanted to talk in private, then what he was going to say was definitely going to be horrible. Though I was scared to go inside, I knew I owed it to him to at least hear him out. After taking a few deep breaths I slowly opened the door.

  Mitch was propped up with his neck wrapped in a brace, staring at me. He lifted his tube covered hand and smiled his goofy grin. “Hey.”

  “Hey,” I basically whispered.

  I remained by the door, unable to move. It wasn’t until Mitch said, “Come here,” that I able to pick up my feet and even then it felt as if I was wading through quicksand.

  I walked toward the peach colored chair beside him and sat down slowly, folding my hands in my lap. Silence stretched out between us for a few seconds before I coughed out, “Um, your parents said you wanted to see me?”

  Mitch

  What could I say to her? How would I say it? Things were just so fucked up that I wasn’t sure if there were enough words in the English dictionary to fix everything.

  I could try:“Hey, it took me a near-death experience to figure out that you mean the world to me.”

  Or maybe:“Hey, I know I was a jerk, but it really wasn’t my fault. Craig started it!”

  Lame, lame, and double lame.

  Of course, all the rehearsing in the world didn’t matter the moment I saw her enter the room. She looked pretty pale, perhaps from worry? There were even bags under her eyes, another possible side effect of anxiety. It was odd to see her this way because she had always seemed so strong to me and now she lookedfrail.

  Once she sat down, the words automatically tumbled from my mouth. It seemed I didn’t need to worry about what to say after all, because upon seeing her face, the dam of my heart broke free, causing a tidal wave of emotions to come rushing out. “Aurora, I’m sorry for being a jerk. I’m sorry for not fighting harder for you, and I’m really sorry for acting as if I didn’t believe in you. Honestly, when I heard you were making your own crew I was more scared than anything.”

  For some reason, she looked as if she were in shock. “Scared? Why would you be scared?”

  “Because you were supposed to be joiningmy crew. You were supposed to be practicing with me. If you’re in the Belladonnas, then…” My voice trailed off.

  “Yes?” she prodded.

  I swallowed. I had actually turned into one of those clingy people I tried my hardest to stay away from. I was worried that if she had her own crew I’d never get to see her.

  I wouldn’t have time with her.

  I swallowed the bitter pills of karma and reality down my throat. “I was worried that you wouldn’t want to spend time with me anymore.”

  Her face softened, but then hardened in a split second. “You have a funny way of showing that you care.” Her gaze carefully traveled up and down my body, taking in my neck, the needles, and the machine behind me. She shuddered as a look of recognition flashed over her face, probably remembering being in my position herself. For some reason, that made me feel even guiltier. Maybe I should have waited until I was out of the hospital to speak with her.

  “I was in the waiting room,” she told me. “I was planning on spending the night here if they didn’t let me see you.”

  Okay, maybe it was good that I asked to speak to her now.

  I swallowed. “Why?”

  Her gaze dropped. “I don’t know…”

  Well, that wasn’t a blow to the ego or anything. “That’s nice.”

  She looked back up at me through hooded eyes, somehow looking more fragile. “I guess…I felt bad for everything. I know you were trying to explain everything to me—why things happened how they did, but I didn’t want to listen.” She shut her eyes and took a deep breath. “Not to mention that I taught you that move—and I failed at it, obviously.”

  That made me laugh. “It’s really sweet that you think you’re to blame.”

  She tilted her head to the side and gave me a pointed look.

  “I was basically telling you that I didn’t believe in you.” My face fell. I couldn’t stomach the guilt anymore. “That wasn’t true.”

  “It’s not?”

  My lips curled into a soft smile. “No. It’s the reason why I wanted you to join Annihilation in the first place, right? I really believed in you—believe—in you. Honestly, I was just ma
d that you went ahead and started a crew instead of talking with me first. I wanted to fix things and instead you just went further away from me.”

  “You’re right.”

  Wow. In my history of dating, I have never heard those two words uttered before. I had to admit, it felt a bit nice.

  She bowed her head apologetically. “I should have actually talked to you and responded like a rational adult. But after all the things I’ve been through…I moved here to get away and then I got captured by your snare—”

  “Make me sound like an evil wizard, why don’t you?” I quipped.

  She let out a giggle, which was one of the most beautiful sounds in the world. “I just meant that I always had my life planned out, and then it went and blew up in my face. Then I came here and mapped out a new plan and this,” she gestured between us, “wasn’t included.”

  “Isn’t that what life is about, though?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Things never go as planned and if they do, that makes life really boring.” To make a point I gazed around as best as I could given I was strapped in like Hannibal Lecter. After taking in the various hospital equipment, my eyes once again fell on her. As fucked up as everything seemed, I had to admit there was a silver lining to everything.

  “So where does that leave us now?”

  “Well, I know where it leaves me—in a bed, connected to all these machines,” I joked.

  She chuckled. “I’m serious. You have to admit, our story was a bit strange.”

  “How so?”

  “We met because I made fun of something you were passionate about, then out of nowhere I became passionate about the same thing. Then we—”

  “We what?” I knew what she was going to say, but I just wanted to hear it come out of her mouth.

  “We…we tried to become a thing ourselves.” Her cheeks blushed and she had never looked cuter. “Then now…”