I Love B-Rabbit. (8 Mile)

Choked

I observed the very dim fluorescent light flicker, bouncing off the graffiti plastered walls. I bounced back and forth on the balls of my feet, that were covered in my black and white,checkered Vans. Listening to Shook Ones Part 2 by Mobb Deep. I looked at my shoes and sloshy water, from the walk I did to get here covered them. The Shelter. A rap joint, were rappers compete for their divisions. Like I'm a girl, so I'd be rap battling for the best in the girls division. Which was hard since I was going against Jasmine. Papa Doc's Girl. Papa Doc is the leader of the Free World, and an ass at that.

I guess my mom wasn't playing when she said, "Whatever you do in life, it's your choice if it's hard or not." The thing is, I wish it wasn't hard. I wish my stupid, pathetic, father, would get off the couch drinking alcohol, and actually be worth a shit. It's not my moms fault that she got shot twice in the head, and my dad couldn't do anything. It's not my fault my dad hit me and hurt me, and now theirs a grudge I'm holding.

A fierce pounding was heard at the door, and I felt sick to my stomach. My hands clamming up, and dripping with sweat. "Hold up a minute." They continued pounding on the door, "Hold up a fucking minute." I screamed, looking at myself in the dirty, kind of faded mirror. A umber eye color, tangent skin color, black hair, and it was matted at that. I wore an oversized hoodie, and Sofee, jet black shorts that sat three inches from my private. Yeah, That's definitely Caprice Hollister. Or Queen for short, that's what my mom would call me. A queen who was worth royalty. I kind of liked it though.

"C'mon Man Stop Playing With Yourself." I felt a sudden churn in my stomach, and I felt vomit rushing up through my stomach, to my chest, to my throat, I couldn't keep it all in, and I puked in the toilet. The hurling and gagging noises filled the stall, and I coughed the flavor of last nights dinner out of my mouth. I rubbed the crevice of my mouth with the hem of my hoodie, and began shoving my way through the woman waiting. I heard her mumble something when I walked by and it took everything not to repay the favor.

I tried pushing myself pass the bulky, black, bouncer, that was standing in front of me, blocking me from the stage area. "Ay where the hell you going." A jolt of fury shot through me. Of course I couldn't go through, I was white. "Yo man I gotta battle tonight, I'm going backstage." I argued with him for a while before it got a little to heated. "You Just fucking saw ME!!!" I screamed, pulling down the sleeve of my hoodie, to reveal my stamp. "I didn't see nothing, you need to go round' front." I gasped in air, and I felt a thick, masculine, hand, rest on my shoulder. Future.

Future was one of my best friends, who hosts the rap battles, and knows most of the people in the 313, guess that's how he met me. "Say she cool man she with me." she said with authority. The bouncer nodded, "I think yo girl got anger problems man." The bouncer yelled back, and I walked, and shoved my way through the crowd, to the backstage area. Papa Doc was going against a rapper known as Shorty Mike, and he looked scared to death. From the corner of the stage, I saw a tall, skinny, white, man wearing a dark blue sweater and baggy pants, with headphones. He had the shiniest cerulean eyes, that were surrounded by purple bags under his lower eyelid.

His eyes rummaged through the crowd, looking for someone he knew, someone he was comfortable with. Papa Doc started rapping and the entire crowd roared, making my ears hurt a little.

"Yo Lyrics are shit
Like when I cop a squat
Who told ya you can fuck
With the mighty Papa Doc
For steppin' on the stage
I should've rocked ya knot
And don't get to close
Or ya might get shot
Ya need to call ya momma
And tell her to come get ya
And if she knew it, she could bring her midget pops with her
I put a hole on your head like a 12 gauge. Lookin' like kriss-kross so he could jiggity jump your ass on stage
Cuz I'm a grown man son, I'll slaughter you, I'mma make yo mama wish that her fat ass aborted you."

He was zoning out, and you could literally see the spit fly. "A'ight A'ight, lotta hostility in here..." Future dragged on. I looked behind me, to find my friends that I haven't seen in five years, and now I'm 22. "Sol? Iz? Cheddar?" I whispered. "Caprice Hollister? Where you been girl?" Sol asked. I laughed out of no where, because seeing them gave me a little relief that I was the third person to battle. "Still in Detroit man, What are ya'll doing here?" I asked Iz, hugging Cheddar Bob and Sol.

"We here for B-Rabbit." Cheddar smiled a crooked smile, and his features stretched. Same as always, a little goofy. "Who's B-Rabbit?" I pronounced over the crowd. "He means Jimmy Smith Jr. That's our dawg." I rolled my eyes and turned to the stage. "Aight, right now we got the newcomers division, Lil Tick versus my man B-Rabbit..." Future said. My eyes searched the stage for B-Rabbit. Turns out, he was the white man I was admiring earlier. Lil Tick went first, after the coin toss, and me Cheddar, Sol, and Iz, caught up a bit.

"I'mma murder this man!
He's the type to lose a fight with a dyke
They don't laugh cause you're whack, they laugh cause you're white with a mic
You're a laughing stock
But when the laughter stop, when you and Everlast
Bitch ass get popped
You a wigger that invented rhymes for money
Watch Lil' Tic spit, kick, the energizer Bunny
Rip the Rabbit head off, toss it to Hugh Hefner
Cuz I don't play boy, now tell me who's fresher," The crowd yelled, (You ARE!)
"Lil' T, that's right, cock the heat and shoot ya
I'll punish Rabbit, or obsolete Future
My paws love to maul an MC
Cause he's faker than a psychic with caller ID
So that bullshit, save it for storage
Cause this is hip hop, you don't belong you're a tourist
So put ya hockey stick and baseball bat away
Cause this here Detroit, 16 Mile road thataway, thataway." Lil Tick did a weird dance afterwards, that caused the whole crowd to go ballistic.

There was silence for a little then future said, "Aight not bad lil' bitch," He tapped Lil Tick on the back with the mic and laughed and a frown whipped across Lil Ticks face. "I mean not bad lil Tick, alright now it's time for B-Rabbit, y'all can talk all dat shit if you want but I'm telling you this man is a genius, he's a motherfucking genius man." I nudged cheddar in the arm and he slung it over my shoulder, smelling like straight weed. "Aight MC, Kick that shit!" The beat filled the room and it was dead silent. Rather than Sol, Iz, and Cheddar's constant encouragement. "Ay, look," I bobbed my head wanting to hear every word he had to say. Fifteen seconds, Twenty, Thirty, finally the audience broke out into a rant, "CHOKE, CHOKE, CHOKE!!!" I even caught a glimpse of the 810 fools, The Free World.

I turned my attention back to the stage, where Jimmy had handed Future the mic, and Future followed after. Sol grabbed my hand, without asking me if I had to battle. Guess I have to postpone. "Yo Jimmy wait up!!!" Cheddar called, and we came to a halt by a dumpster on the side of the shelter. "What happened up there man?" Future asked as we all circled the dumpster he was pulling a black garbage bag from behind. "Man, I'm going to my moms. See if she'll take me." Jimmy mumbled looking at the boggy sidewalk. "I'll call you tomorrow man, I gotta get back inside." Future said running back inside. And his red, thick, long sleeved shirt brought out his dreads.

"A'ight B," They all slapped each others hands three times, then locked the tip of their fingers, pulling each other close and snapping."You'll do better next time man." Iz said. "Yeah Next time." Cheddar exclaimed. He stopped at me and smiled. I returned the favor and we did the handshake."Bye Caprice." He whispered in my ear, leaving a tingle. "Peace Out Rabbit!!!" Cheddar yelled, as Jimmy weaved his way through the watery alleyway. He threw up the peace sign and I bit my lip at how manly he looked striding. I climbed in the car with Sol, and Iz. They were brothers and Iz was basically like a pastor with glasses and a colorful vocabulary.

* * *
I changed into my pajama pants and sighed. So much for rapping today. For me and Jimmy. When we were at the shelter, Rabbit didn't stop looking at me. He was so cute, and he, for some reason made me feel comfortable. Even though I only knew his name, and that he just got out of an relationship with a girl named Jeneane. And I know that from Sol. I buried my face in my pillow, and listened to the clatter of my dad's beer bottles.

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Ok, Most of the people reading this have already seen the movie 8 Mile but while Caprice was in the restroom, so was Jimmy. They went through the same stuff up until when Jimmy met up with Future, Cheddar, and Sol and Iz, outside by the dumpster where they talked about Jeneane and him staying with his mom and leaving the car.

That was just a heads up and I'll probably do that after every chapter. For those who haven't seen the movie, you can buy it off ITunes or watch it free on the internet. Also you can buy it if you find it, but I bought it on November 8, 2002, so it's pretty old, and hard to find.