Page 14 of Breaking the Rules

TWELVE

“Come on, come on, come on,” Savanhi whined, trying to get the engine of her car to turn over. “Not today.”

Not only had she overslept and was fifteen minutes from being officially late to her first dance lesson of the day, but the money she could’ve used to get whatever was wrong with her car fixed went to Zayden’s and Kymber’s legal fees.

Yannes helped Zayden back in the day and owed him a favor due to Zayden getting him out of some gambling trouble.

She knew what he told her to do, but the bigger picture was keeping families together.

Her’s had been ripped apart by the system too many times to count.

At the least she could go without for a little while to ensure a mother would return home to her daughter.

“Come on,” she groaned, popping the hood and getting out of the car to look under the hood as if she knew what she was doing. “Girl, who are you kidding? I don’t know what the fuck we’re looking at.”

Any other time, she could’ve called Zayden.

He’d fuss at her about why she kept driving this old tin can, but it’d be fixed, restored like new, and promptly dropped off.

Now, who was she supposed to call? Lawryn had sessions all day.

There was literally no one else, and for the first time, Savanhi felt the heaviness of what truly being alone felt like.

She’d fill the voids so easily before. There was Brixx, her best friend, Lawryn, and Zayden.

But right now, in this moment, all she had was herself and the weight.

She dropped her head, trying to quell the sadness from exploding and ruining her day.

“Come on, get yourself together,” she muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Poke your chest out, nigga. Come on. We don’t stress out, we just roll with it. Weight on your shoulders bring the best out.”

Savanhi was so used to the love Zayden showed her, she had to speak to herself in the same tone to regulate her nervous system.

“What’s good, Savanhi?” The voice alone made her curl her lip.

There was something about Manny she couldn’t stand.

She could never put her finger on it. She hated him around Zayden, but she really hated it when he would try to enter her space without permission.

He’d even come to the club a few times and requested a private dance from her.

He couldn’t afford her entertainment. She chose to keep it from Zayden in hopes of keeping her brother’s hustle going without hiccups.

Savanhi attempted to slam the hood, but his hand stopped.

Too damn close for comfort, smelling like unwashed body parts, cheap weed, and poor decisions.

Pushing him away from her and her car with the back of her hand, she slammed the hood and huffed.

“Where did you come from and what the fuck do you want?”

“You know your mouth ain’t too ladylike,” he stated. “You need to watch that shit. A lesser nigga would teach you a lesson.”

Looking him up and down, the apparent irritation morphed into a full-blown frown. “I’m supposed to care about what you think? Furthermore, I wish a nigga would.”

“If you want my help, you would watch your mouth.”

“I didn’t. Wasn’t going to ask.”

“Damn, Vanh, you don’t have to be like that. I’m just looking out for you. You out here without protection. You need a nigga like me around.”

“So you’ve been sitting out here on some stalker type shit?” Savanhi asked, folding her arms over the breasts he couldn’t pull his eyes from. “I need a nigga like you away from me.”

“Nah, I fuck with a shorty across the way,” he said, pointing over his shoulder. “I was walking to my car and saw you lookin’ stressed, so I decided to do you a solid. Where you going? I’ll take you.”

“Not with you,” Savanhi huffed, reaching inside the car to collect her bags.

She would get to the dance studio in the nick of time if she caught the bus in two minutes.

Securing the car and walking away from him, she buzzed.

“Please keep your ashy bald-headed bitch ass away from me. How’s that for ladylike? ”

Manny turned and watched her walk away. “You wouldn’t be so damn mean if you had some dick in your life.”

Savanhi pushed her middle finger up like she was trying to pierce the air with it. “Fuck you and your shrimp ass dick.”

“Ain’t nothing about my dick small, bitch!”

Savanhi spun around, offering him a lopsided grin. “Oh, no? Tell your hoes to keep that shit quiet then, bitch.”

She stomped away, and Manny kissed his teeth before turning around and roaming to a nearby car where Brixx was watching the exchange. Manny slid in and huffed. “How you didn’t choke that bitch is beyond me. I would’ve broke her ass down.”

“Her mouth smart as shit, but that pussy is grade A. Maybe if I kept fuckin’ her, I wouldn’t look like this,” Brixx motioned to his beaten face and slinged arm. “You need to go up there and see if Zay stashed some shit before he got jammed up.”

“You used to live there, how you don’t know?”

“Because you know that nigga. Always moving shit always switching shit up,” Brixx answered Manny’s question. “That’s why it was so hard for Cameron to catch them slipping.”

“You want me to connect her battery back?”

“Nah, you drew too much attention. Hurry up and handle that shit. I’m trying to get the fuck out of here before they figure our shit out.”

Savanhi reached the bus just in time. Seated on a worn seat, she sighed and pulled her phone out of the pocket of her leggings.

Vanhi: car broke…again. When is your last session?

Lawryn: between one now. Going late tonight. You got to get rid of Granny’s car

Vanhi: only thing I got left

Lawryn: You can come and wait here but the spot is going to be full of Crimson Kings

Vanhi: nah I’m cool. I’ll take the bus home I’ll be cool

Lawryn: you sure?

Vanhi: positive

Lawryn: if you change your mind I got you

Savanhi locked her phone and rested her head on the window.

She would definitely need to do a few more private dances this weekend to get her money back up.

Barely getting a nap, the bus stopped a block away from the dance studio.

She double checked the time and rushed off the bus to the building a block over.

The crowd of students and parents was gathered outside the door, impatiently waiting.

“I’m sorry I’m late, my car decided it wasn’t going to work.”

“I hope we’re getting something off of the price today for you being almost twenty minutes late?” One of the mothers spoke up and all the other brainless birds behind her agreed.

Savanhi didn’t offer lessons to just anyone.

Just like at Tempt, she built elite clients in the world of competitive dance.

She offered a few specialty classes like the Mommy and Me or Toddler Tumbles, but they weren’t the money makers.

And quite frankly, neither were the elite classes but they kept bills paid and food in the fridge. Stripping added to it.

She knew not appeasing them would turn this into a bigger issue, so she plastered a fake professional grin and nodded. “Twenty percent off for my twenty minutes of inconvenience.”

Never mind that on some days she wouldn’t even get started because the very woman who was demanding shit didn’t bring her daughter until twenty-five minutes after class started.

Savanhi ignored the crowd agreeing and making their silly comments to unlock the door, turn the lights on, and proceed to set up for her day of back-to-back lessons.

She had the performers for two different troupes in her first two one-hour slots and then the Toddler Tumbles to finish her day off.

She appreciated that those smiling faces and joyous humans could close her day out, otherwise she would be burying her troubles in a bottle.

“Hi, Savanhi,” one of the newer clients spoke up, grabbing her attention. She’d seen her around the city but couldn’t put her finger on where.

Savanhi spun on the balls of her feet, the foot undies making her spin seamless. “Yes…Remi, right?”

“Yeah, the lady who can’t dance,” Remi gushed, raising her hand slightly. “That’s me. So you know I typically stay with Areli but her uncle is coming back in town today and he wants to surprise her and pick her up. Is that okay?”

Savanhi nodded. “Yeah, of course, he’s on the profile, right?”

The profile she hadn’t looked at.

Remi nodded. “Yeah, he is. I’m sure I’ll be back for the next Mommy and Me class, bumping into other parents.”

“Between you and I, none of them can dance. They just like looking the part. I’ve considered having a happy hour before, to make it more entertaining,” Savanhi joked.

“That might actually help and be a smart business move,” Remi pointed and Savanhi shrugged.

"Maybe when I get my own space, until then, y’all will just have to be uncoordinated and sober.”

Remi laughed and looked at Areli who was hanging her Hello Kitty plush purse up with the other girls’ tiny, glittery, colorful book bags.

Areli was dressed as if she’d been dancing all four years of her life.

Savanhi adored how cute she was in her tights, leotard, and skirt.

Every time she came to class, she wore a different color, her thick hair was slicked up in a bun and her diamond-studs shined brightly.

That, and the little girl had energy Savanhi wished she had.

“She loves your classes.”

“I love having her. I’ll see you next time.”

“See you,” Remi replied on her way out of the door.

Savanhi spun back around and clapped her hands three times and the handful of tiny dancers returned the same. “What time is it?”

“Warmies!” the class shouted back, running to the middle of the floor and standing in a circle.

Savanhi went through their normal schedule, made sure they had a snack and water before their parents started arriving to get them. As she cleaned up the studio, gathering the trash, she noticed Areli was the last dancer.

“Areli,” she hummed. “Do you want to help me with the snacks?”