Not So Broken - Eminem [DISCONTINUED]

Final Round

~Later that week~

I shot out of bed on Thursday morning at exactly 5 o'clock. In twenty minutes flat I had my early routine finished and was daydreaming about how amazing my day was going to be.

I had ended up purchasing a pretty great pair of black and red DJ-style headphones at the Hip Hop Shop and was elated to find how amazing they sounded.

At around 6, I dressed up in a dark grey top that read 'Don't Stop the Music-It Never Stopped You', blue jeans and combat boots. Glancing in my mirror, I also decided to curl my hair and pull on a grey beanie. I smirked at my reflection to calm my frantic nerves.

Come on, Slim Sadie. Don't you chicken out now, said a nagging voice in my head. I chuckled and shook my head. Marshall's voice.

By seven, I was out the door and on my way to Final Round.

Deep breaths, Alex. Deep breaths.

When the fight club came into my line of sight, I exhaled slowly.

No backing down now.

"Hey, Slim Sadie!" Called a familiar voice. I turned, relieved to see a friendly face.

"DeShaun!!"

He walked over to me and wrapped me in a strong embrace.

"How you doin', girl? You ready to kick some ass with those mixes?"

I rolled my eyes but all the while not being able to stop my smile.

"Yeah. I guess so."

Proof's smile suddenly wavered a bit and he whispered something stiffly into my ear.

"Slim is in the bathroom, probably tossing up his breakfast, if he ate at all, into the toilet. You may want to go talk to him, ya know, ease him up a lil' bit. You think you could do that?"

I couldn't help my surprised look.

"He's nervous? But he's such a great rapper and-"

Proof cut me off.

"Lets just say a white boy ain't exactly welcome in this kind of place often. Probably like how it was for you when you first started, am I right?"

He's right...

My eyes widened and Proof walked away towards some other people, his smile returning, though forced.

Poor Marshall...

I shot towards the unisex restroom and banged on the door.

"Marshall?!"

The only response was a sickly retching noise.

"Marshall! Open up!!"

After a few seconds the sound stopped and the knob turned only to reveal a very... Pale Marshall. I gasped as he grabbed my upper arms pleadingly.

"A-Alexis, I-I... I can't do this!" He whispered fiercely. His eyes were glazed over and I could see him shaking a bit.

"M-Marshall..." I choked out.

He suddenly pulled me in and embraced me, looking on the verge of tears.

"I don't think I can do this, Alex... Th-these people, they-"

I cut him off finally. I was fed up with this attitude. This wasn't the Marshall I knew.

"You stop right there."

He went silent, probably from shock.

I pulled away so we were arms length from each other and I took his shoulders. Feeling determined, I continued.

"You're rapping is amazing, Marshall. I don't think I've ever heard such talent and if you're intimidated just because your opponent does not match your skin color?! Look at me!"

Marshall lifted his gaze hesitantly to meet mine and I squinted at him.

"Look at my skin color. I'm just as, if not more, pale than you. And I'm a DJ, Marsh. A DJ. I make the mixes. Work here every week. Imagine how I felt when I first started out and had people rapping to my beats. Well, eventually they learned if you mess with a DJ, that certain DJ can mess with them right back. That's what you've gotta do. Show them that you can fight back. You can't become the best by losing."

After my speech, his eyes were wide and his mouth agape.

"Say something!" I laughed.

Slowly, a smile crept onto his face.

"You ain't so bad, Slim Sadie."

"I know."

His tiny smile became a full grin and he took a deep breath.

"I'm ready. I've got this."

"I know you do," I whispered under my breath as Marshall started shoving through the booing crowd towards the stage. I did the same and jumped onto it, raising my arms in the air.

"'Ey! Listen up! I'm your DJ today, what's my name?"

I cupped a hand around my ear as the rhyme I made woke up the crowd.

"SLIM SADIE!!" They shouted. I smirked.

"I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!"

"SLIIIIIIIM SAAAAADIE!!!"

"There you are! Now who's ready for this battle?!"

The whole place erupted.

"Okay, okay. Here we go!"

I began my mix as the two competitors walked up to the middle of the stage.

They rapped it out for the full minute each and were amazing. Not as great as Slim though. In the end, a free-stylist who called himself Off2Cali won. He stayed on the stage, rifling up the crowd as the other glared and stepped off the stage.

"Woooooooh! Can't be mad... Unless it was that freestyle!" I said with a snicker into the mic, causing the crowd to erupt with laughter and the losing rapper to roll his eyes, but with a hint of a grin.

Another boy with a pale complexion, icy blue eyes, a white wife-beater and a grey beanie just like my own stepped onto the stage.

I took a deep breath.

Marshall was up.

This is it.