Post by JC Keeton on Jan 12, 2023 6:47:50 GMT
“I have to team with WHO?!” Jennie shrieks.
The commotion causes everyone to raise their heads from their menus, and all of them give a lingering glare at Jennie… Sitting across from Jennie is Allen Chaney, who glances back and forth at everyone staring while tapping. Jennie has her phone on speaker. The voice on the other end is none other than Sabin, Jennie’s nephew.
“JC Keeton… I just saw it, and–”
“No, no, no! After what happened last year–”
“What happened last year was between JC and I. You can’t really let what happened back then affect your mind going into this match…”
There is a momentary silence on the other end of the phone, and Jennie slouches back in her chair while looking across the table at Allen. Allen gives her a certain look that just reads “he’s right, you know” without him having to say anything, and Jennie purses her lips together before finally answering back.
“Fine…” she mutters, “Fine!” a little more enthusiastically, “You’re right. You usually are.”
“Okay, well, I’m sorry to have interrupted your date. Have a good time!” Sabin says, and the phone clicks off.
Silence ensues between the two, and they just stare across from each other having a silent conversation until Allen finally does break the silence, “This is the guy that defeated your nephew?”
Jennie answers with a mere nod.
“I think there’s something a little more, though…” Allen ensues.
Jennie lets out a light snort, and taps her fingers against the table a few times before finally answering, “Okay, okay. JC was also an old interest… We both happened to have a crush on each other, but nothing ever happened out of it! Like… I feel we got close back at PWV, but yeah… Nothing happened out of it. And nothing ever will!” Jennie lunges forward and takes Allen’s hands, “I have you.”
“It’s cool. I just could sense the tension…” Allen answers. Despite the short history lesson, Allen truly did not seem phased by it.
A conversation could be overheard throughout the restaurant which attracts Jennie’s attention, and she looks over to another table where JC Keeton can be seen sitting alone, but talking seemingly to himself. Jennie ducks her head down, “Oh, son of a– that’s him…” she says.
Allen’s curiosity rises, and he starts looking to where Jennie was staring and spots JC Keeton.
“Not bad!” Allen exclaims, “Let’s go say hi!” Allen stands up.
“What?! No-no-no-no-no–” Allen takes Jennie by the hand and gets her to stand up, “Baby! We don’t have to!”
“It’s fine. No big deal at all!” Allen insists, and starts leading Jennie toward JC’s table who seems to not notice the two approaching his table while he is still lost in his own conversation.
As they approach the table where JC was sitting they hear him say to the empty chair across from him, "You're not really here. People are going to start thinking I'm crazy. Please just let me enjoy my meal in peace."
When JC catches a glimpse of Jennie and her friend out of the corner of his eye he swallows hard, hoping they didn't hear his "conversation" with someone who clearly wasn't there.
"Jennie! What a coincidence. I hear we're gonna be partners for my first match back in IWF." He paused trying to gauge her expression but couldn't read her. "I hope you're ok with that after… you know what happened last year."
Jennie looks up, and starts moving her hand a gesture as if she were doing calculations in her mind until she finally chimes in, “How hard did Steffan hit you?” she asks, leaning forward with her hands folded behind her back.
"You sure you ain't been hit in the head yourself, Champ?" JC asked. "I ain't been in the ring with that meat head in over a year."
Jennie blinks again, and rolls her eyes, “Honey–” she says with a brief hesitation, “–you just fought him for that brand new Invictus title, and he beat you. Do I need to take you to a doctor? Are you going to be able to compete this week? Who cleared–” Allen steps forward, interrupting Jennie, and whispers something into her ear that seems to bring her back down. She feigns a smile to JC, “Okay, okay, JC, honey, doll, booboo, the simple fact is that you fought Steffan at Sacrifice… and he won…” she says with a sigh, “I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours, but that happened! But we’re not gonna focus on that, and we’re not gonna focus on the negative. We’re gonna be POSITIVE! And I’m POSITIVE that we are going to win this week! Because, well–” Jennie glances down, and she was sporting her IWF Women’s World Championship just behind her jacket. She stands there with a confident, bold stance, letting the light shimmer on the reflective surface.
There was an awkward, silent pause before JC sighed and said, "I've been losing hours, days, and weeks since Legacy. I've had scan after scan and they've all come back perfect so that's why I'm cleared. It doesn't matter whether I remember shit about our match coming up at Odyssey or not. I could be brain dead and we'd still run through John Blade and LaToya Hixx. We beat a MUCH better team in our only other time teaming together."
Jennie rolls her eyes, “All you really have to do is sit back and let me do all the work…”
She blinks.
Allen blinks.
JC Keeton blinks.
“That is NOT what I meant!” Jennie exclaims, “I just mean that I could take care of these two bozos on my own! Like– John Blade! JOHN! BLADE! The man! The myth! The nobody! I heard he tried putting the moves on Tara at one point…” Jennie taps her finger against her chin several times, “I wonder what would happen if Angel found out about this information. Would he even make it to the show? I know Tara is itching to punch him in the face, again! But that’s okay, I’m gonna go ahead and do that for her. But then LaToya Hixx… Like… who? Who is that? I swear, her memory is like yours, because she disappears, comes back, disappears, comes back, disappears, comes back, and always thinks it’s her first time! Like get in or get out! DAMN!”
"Yeah, they both remind me of other people, I just can't put my finger on who." JC says with a smirk. "Seriously though, I started 2022 racking up loss after loss but it ended up to be the best year of my career and I finally became a World Champion like you are now."
He paused when he saw Jennie gritting her teeth.
"Look," he continued "I know I let greed and my ego get the best of me and your nephew was a causality of my tunnel vision that was so focused on the title I didn't care who I hurt along the way. That includes Tara and you. We've been friends since we were kids, and what I'm about to say might be pretty hypocritical but I dunno if I'd do anything different cause it was a dream come true to hold that title. I'm man enough to apologize that you were hurt by it. I lost my best friend because of it and I'd hate to completely lose your friendship too."
His words were sincere but Jennie needed to process it before giving any response.
"I get it, you ain't gotta say anything but that was something I had to say." He gave a satisfied smile "Back to the point I was trying to make though. I don't want to start off 2023 the way I started 2022. Apparently after what you said, I've wrestled three times already this year and I'm 1-2, but 2-2 is all but guaranteed after this week. I don't know how many times John and LaToya have teamed up, if I they ever have, but we have. We're the stars in this match, ain't no one tuning in to Odyssey to see John Blade and LaToya Hixx. I know that they probably got excited when they saw they were in the main event but they're there because of us."
The waiter places a plate with a giant steak, baked potato, and steamed broccoli in front of JC.
" Whoa!"Jennie proclaimed"That's half a freakin' cow!"
"I'm a growing boy." JC said with a flex of his bicep and a grin "I'm sure you guys want to get back to your food. I'm glad we got to talk before the match though. I'll see you Friday."
Jennie takes Allen by the hand.
"See ya!" she gave a wave with her free hand as they walked back to their table while JC cut into his steak.
The commotion causes everyone to raise their heads from their menus, and all of them give a lingering glare at Jennie… Sitting across from Jennie is Allen Chaney, who glances back and forth at everyone staring while tapping. Jennie has her phone on speaker. The voice on the other end is none other than Sabin, Jennie’s nephew.
“JC Keeton… I just saw it, and–”
“No, no, no! After what happened last year–”
“What happened last year was between JC and I. You can’t really let what happened back then affect your mind going into this match…”
There is a momentary silence on the other end of the phone, and Jennie slouches back in her chair while looking across the table at Allen. Allen gives her a certain look that just reads “he’s right, you know” without him having to say anything, and Jennie purses her lips together before finally answering back.
“Fine…” she mutters, “Fine!” a little more enthusiastically, “You’re right. You usually are.”
“Okay, well, I’m sorry to have interrupted your date. Have a good time!” Sabin says, and the phone clicks off.
Silence ensues between the two, and they just stare across from each other having a silent conversation until Allen finally does break the silence, “This is the guy that defeated your nephew?”
Jennie answers with a mere nod.
“I think there’s something a little more, though…” Allen ensues.
Jennie lets out a light snort, and taps her fingers against the table a few times before finally answering, “Okay, okay. JC was also an old interest… We both happened to have a crush on each other, but nothing ever happened out of it! Like… I feel we got close back at PWV, but yeah… Nothing happened out of it. And nothing ever will!” Jennie lunges forward and takes Allen’s hands, “I have you.”
“It’s cool. I just could sense the tension…” Allen answers. Despite the short history lesson, Allen truly did not seem phased by it.
A conversation could be overheard throughout the restaurant which attracts Jennie’s attention, and she looks over to another table where JC Keeton can be seen sitting alone, but talking seemingly to himself. Jennie ducks her head down, “Oh, son of a– that’s him…” she says.
Allen’s curiosity rises, and he starts looking to where Jennie was staring and spots JC Keeton.
“Not bad!” Allen exclaims, “Let’s go say hi!” Allen stands up.
“What?! No-no-no-no-no–” Allen takes Jennie by the hand and gets her to stand up, “Baby! We don’t have to!”
“It’s fine. No big deal at all!” Allen insists, and starts leading Jennie toward JC’s table who seems to not notice the two approaching his table while he is still lost in his own conversation.
As they approach the table where JC was sitting they hear him say to the empty chair across from him, "You're not really here. People are going to start thinking I'm crazy. Please just let me enjoy my meal in peace."
When JC catches a glimpse of Jennie and her friend out of the corner of his eye he swallows hard, hoping they didn't hear his "conversation" with someone who clearly wasn't there.
"Jennie! What a coincidence. I hear we're gonna be partners for my first match back in IWF." He paused trying to gauge her expression but couldn't read her. "I hope you're ok with that after… you know what happened last year."
Jennie looks up, and starts moving her hand a gesture as if she were doing calculations in her mind until she finally chimes in, “How hard did Steffan hit you?” she asks, leaning forward with her hands folded behind her back.
"You sure you ain't been hit in the head yourself, Champ?" JC asked. "I ain't been in the ring with that meat head in over a year."
Jennie blinks again, and rolls her eyes, “Honey–” she says with a brief hesitation, “–you just fought him for that brand new Invictus title, and he beat you. Do I need to take you to a doctor? Are you going to be able to compete this week? Who cleared–” Allen steps forward, interrupting Jennie, and whispers something into her ear that seems to bring her back down. She feigns a smile to JC, “Okay, okay, JC, honey, doll, booboo, the simple fact is that you fought Steffan at Sacrifice… and he won…” she says with a sigh, “I don’t know what’s going on in that head of yours, but that happened! But we’re not gonna focus on that, and we’re not gonna focus on the negative. We’re gonna be POSITIVE! And I’m POSITIVE that we are going to win this week! Because, well–” Jennie glances down, and she was sporting her IWF Women’s World Championship just behind her jacket. She stands there with a confident, bold stance, letting the light shimmer on the reflective surface.
There was an awkward, silent pause before JC sighed and said, "I've been losing hours, days, and weeks since Legacy. I've had scan after scan and they've all come back perfect so that's why I'm cleared. It doesn't matter whether I remember shit about our match coming up at Odyssey or not. I could be brain dead and we'd still run through John Blade and LaToya Hixx. We beat a MUCH better team in our only other time teaming together."
Jennie rolls her eyes, “All you really have to do is sit back and let me do all the work…”
She blinks.
Allen blinks.
JC Keeton blinks.
“That is NOT what I meant!” Jennie exclaims, “I just mean that I could take care of these two bozos on my own! Like– John Blade! JOHN! BLADE! The man! The myth! The nobody! I heard he tried putting the moves on Tara at one point…” Jennie taps her finger against her chin several times, “I wonder what would happen if Angel found out about this information. Would he even make it to the show? I know Tara is itching to punch him in the face, again! But that’s okay, I’m gonna go ahead and do that for her. But then LaToya Hixx… Like… who? Who is that? I swear, her memory is like yours, because she disappears, comes back, disappears, comes back, disappears, comes back, and always thinks it’s her first time! Like get in or get out! DAMN!”
"Yeah, they both remind me of other people, I just can't put my finger on who." JC says with a smirk. "Seriously though, I started 2022 racking up loss after loss but it ended up to be the best year of my career and I finally became a World Champion like you are now."
He paused when he saw Jennie gritting her teeth.
"Look," he continued "I know I let greed and my ego get the best of me and your nephew was a causality of my tunnel vision that was so focused on the title I didn't care who I hurt along the way. That includes Tara and you. We've been friends since we were kids, and what I'm about to say might be pretty hypocritical but I dunno if I'd do anything different cause it was a dream come true to hold that title. I'm man enough to apologize that you were hurt by it. I lost my best friend because of it and I'd hate to completely lose your friendship too."
His words were sincere but Jennie needed to process it before giving any response.
"I get it, you ain't gotta say anything but that was something I had to say." He gave a satisfied smile "Back to the point I was trying to make though. I don't want to start off 2023 the way I started 2022. Apparently after what you said, I've wrestled three times already this year and I'm 1-2, but 2-2 is all but guaranteed after this week. I don't know how many times John and LaToya have teamed up, if I they ever have, but we have. We're the stars in this match, ain't no one tuning in to Odyssey to see John Blade and LaToya Hixx. I know that they probably got excited when they saw they were in the main event but they're there because of us."
The waiter places a plate with a giant steak, baked potato, and steamed broccoli in front of JC.
" Whoa!"Jennie proclaimed"That's half a freakin' cow!"
"I'm a growing boy." JC said with a flex of his bicep and a grin "I'm sure you guys want to get back to your food. I'm glad we got to talk before the match though. I'll see you Friday."
Jennie takes Allen by the hand.
"See ya!" she gave a wave with her free hand as they walked back to their table while JC cut into his steak.
END
Well howdy there pardner.