Post by Alexis Caffrey on May 4, 2015 2:01:00 GMT
The little things. That’s all it used to take to get someone’s attention. I’d crack a joke or tilt my head to the side and ramble, and that would get me where I wanted to go after I proved time and time again that my abilities could backup whatever words emanated from my lips.
As the scene panders in, we see Alexis sitting on the steps, the very steps we saw her sitting on when she first showed her pretty little face on a promo camera in front of the IWF crowd.
Now we’re full circle. Now, as I sit here on the very steps I greeted you on, I realize that things are a bit more serious than they once were.
No longer can I beam rays of sunlight down upon you from a simple smile.
Gone are the days where I could ramble on and on and on about the little things because they’re no longer so little.
She’s huddled in the corner, knees up against her chest as she sits and ponder, remembering memories from last year’s Iron Maiden, one in which she was a finalist against Eternity. The Iron Maiden she had almost won.
As I do a little self-reflecting from this spot, I realize how much I’ve grown from this time last year. I was so close, even with my simply rays of sunshine and my bits of laughter. I wasn’t one to really care one way or another what happened. I was perfectly happy being where I was.
Eternity took advantage of that.
She had that hunger, that thirst to be better than all the rest. She used that and exploited my weaknesses to the best of her ability and she took that shot at the Diamonds Title and she won it.
So I now have to sit here and ask myself, what is it I’ve learned from that ordeal? From everything that’s happened since?
She took a deep breath as she collected the many thoughts floating around in her head.
I learned what it’s like to be a competitor. I learned that on each and every night, if you don’t bring your “A” game, nothing else will cut it. I was shown the error of my ways and have corrected them all so quickly that if you would have batted an eyelash you would have completely missed it.
But there had to be more lessons than that. Surely it couldn’t be that simple right?
Indeed.
She sprawled her legs out in front of her, one bent with her leg firmly planted on the step she was sitting on, the other foot planted a step below.
It’s never “that” simple. Along with that lesson came one of commitment. I said yes to the man of my dreams, and I’ve also committed to harder training, more development of my craft just to prove the excellence I possess in skills that come so useful inside that wrestling ring.
She points out to her side, signifying the ring. She then pulls her arm back inward.
The lessons don’t end though. As a professional wrestler, just as is the case with life…the lessons will continue to be learned until someone takes their last gasp of air. Take the Convergence Pay Per View for instance. It will be a lesson learned for just about everyone. I could be one of those blabbering goofballs who sits here on a cement step and tells you I’m better than everyone else. I could tell you that I’m gonna run through the competition like they’re meaningless pieces of garbage…but I won’t because that’s not who I am. I won’t change who I am for anyone…never have…never will.
**********************************************
“Range of Emotions”
I was taking it all in stride. I said I would go along with his transformation, but there’s just a little something off, something that I just can’t seem to get over. I feel like the man I love is slipping away from me and I can’t figure out how, or why, let alone how to get him back.
I love him….
I really do….
And nothing can change that.
He comforted me, wrapped his newly tattooed arms around my delicate frame in an effort to reassure me, to comfort me…I just can’t help but worry. He was changing before my very eyes…into something different, something more vile, more vindictive, more angry.
When this whole thing started, he looked me in the eyes, he stared at me for a good minute, and he said “I finally get to be me.” Was this the man I agreed to marry? Someone who was sadistic and more “me first” than anyone I’ve ever met before?
Who was he really?
I sat on the workbench and watched him continue his routine. The strike against the heavy bag were vicious, almost as if he were trying to knock the bag right off the ceiling from which it hang. He snarled and grunted and mashed his taped fist into the bag so hard that if it were any sort of living being…it would be unconscious…or worse.
I stood up and put my hand on his shoulder.
Relax.
Can’t, this is too big, too important.
What is?
I can’t say. I was sworn to secrecy. Just know I have to be ready.
The heat flew off of his body like a heater in the middle of winter. It was incredibly uncomfortable, and I thought he should slow down, not push himself so hard. I put my hand up on his shoulder again and tried to pull him away.
Come…
He shrugged my shoulder right off of his hand. A part of me felt like a sharp knife had been plunged into my chest.
Knock it off. I’m fine.
Whatever.
I stormed off. I didn’t look back to see if he continued to train or if he actually stopped and realized that he was being a jackass.
**********************************************
As the scene fades back in, we see Alexis now sitting in the locker room of the gym. Her head is down, she’s clearly depressed.
As I said, I would change for nobody. That’s not exactly true of everyone in this world. Some change for hunger, for desperation, for the needing of others to acknowledge them, and yet some…because they’re driven to it by others around them. I don’t feel that way. If I change for anyone, it’s myself. It’s the reason I’ve rededicated myself to the craft of professional wrestling and proving to the world that I am as good as advertised. It’s the reason I can say what needs to be said and back it up…isn’t that right Mercedes?
She looks up from her depression and glares into the camera.
There’s some here that no matter how many times they change themselves, they just can’t get the job done. There’s some who simply don’t change, they don’t adapt, and rather drive their point into your head, hoping, praying, sacrificing to the gods above, that perhaps one day they can prove themselves true…like Mercedes Vargas. Yet no matter how much you tell people how great you are, no matter how much you scratch and claw at the surface of your opponents, you can’t get under their skin enough to frazzle them. You can’t make them not want to prove you wrong. You can’t stop them from proving you wrong.
It doesn’t matter if it’s Ana Valentine, Firenze, Eliza, or myself, or anyone else in this match, or in this division, no matter how much you preach how much better you are…you just can’t seem to get that will, that firepower to back it up. You have another shot, another chance to redeem yourself…but it comes at the wrong place, at the wrong time. This is my moment to seize the glory, to challenge for the Diamonds Title on my own, to show that I truly deserve the chance to call myself champion. Sorry Mercy…your time has come and gone.
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I waited a bit after storming into the locker room. I hoped he would come. I hoped he would chase after me. As I sat there under the illuminating light, the realization was quite clear and hit me like a ton of bricks.
He wasn’t coming.
A tear strolled down my face as I started to take off my gear and pack my bag. I heard a knock just as I was unlacing my knee high Chuck Taylors.
I hesitated. Was it him? Did he finally come to his senses?
Come in.
I held my breath, hoping it was him…only to be dashed as it was the janitor coming in to clean.
I’m sorry Ms. Caffrey. You mind letting me know when you’re done so I can clean up?
No problem Tommy.
Thank you.
He slipped back behind the door and closed it as my emotions began to run wild. I was sad, hurt, and yet furious at the same time. What the hell was wrong with him? How could he shrug me off like that? I felt my body getting warmer as my blood filled with rage. Now clearly showing signs of being pissed off, I began yanking the laces out some more, tearing the shoes from my feet and slamming them on the ground beside me.
**********************************************
The anger could be seen in her eyes. She knew what had happened in the past, and she knows now what must happen for her to succeed.
I’ve been passed over too many times. I’ve had to share the spotlight too many times. It was time to earn a shot, a true one-on-one shot. It’s my time to truly prove my worth within this company and there’s not a single person who is going to stop me. You know what that’s like, don’t you Fiona?
She points at the screen with every reference to the young woman pulling double duty at the Pay Per View.
You’re constantly told on Twitter, perhaps hourly that you’re not good enough. I’ve seen it.
You’re told to go back to your pub, stick to valeting Jack, you can’t cut the mustard, and you shouldn’t even be here. Now granted, that’s from a woman who thinks she’s a supreme being, and has that right until knocked from her pedestal, and a little girl in this match who likes to talk an awful lot…I’ll get to her in a bit…and yet through it all you persevere.
She tucks her hands back in the pockets of her lightweight hoodie.
You use hashtags like “Follow Your Dreams” and no matter what they say you try and do so to the utmost of your abilities no matter how long you’ve been at this.
I admire that…I do. As a matter of fact, you remind me of me…a year ago. You’re content with being in this match. The fire just doesn’t seem to be there. You think this is all unicorns and glitter whilst us who have been here a while know the truth. You have that next step to take Fiona, that ascension to knowing what that true desire really is. I hope you get there…I really do.
She shrugs her shoulders.
Or I could be wrong. You could show me that at the Pay Per View. You can beat the rest of us and become the Iron Maiden. I’ll be the first and probably the only one to shake your hand if you do so. I’m just telling you now that the hill you have to climb is a steep one.
**********************************************
I finished undressing and grabbed a towel before stepping into the shower area. The place was empty as it was after hours, hence the janitor looking to clean, and so I knew there was nobody else around other than me and Mike, and it seemed as if he wasn’t coming anytime soon.
I let the hot water run down my body, the heat relieving any and all stresses of my own workout. My muscles were sore and my bones near their breaking point, or so it felt. The relief of the water was enough for me to release a long drawn out sigh of joy.
I let the water run a bit longer before cleaning up and exiting the showers. As I headed over to where my stuff was, towel wrapped around my small frame, I turned the corner and nearly lost all of the air in my body as I gasped in fear at Mike sitting there on the bench, leaned up against the locker behind him. My breathing was heavy and I was clearly upset.
What the hell!?
I didn’t mean to scare you.
Well you sucked at that, didn’t you?
He blew it off. It was a minor detail.
We need to talk.
And if I say no?
That obviously wasn’t the reaction he was looking for, but I didn’t care.
If you say no…I’ll sit here and talk anyway. Otherwise, get dressed and meet me in the office.
I thought about his proposal for a minute and gave him a nod full of resistance.
Fine.
He got up without saying a word. He could tell I was upset with him and rather than try to smooth it over now, he walked out and headed for his office.
**********************************************
She pulls her shirt over her body and takes a deep breath before turning to the camera.
So that brings us to the snooty little abandoned brat who thinks she’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. You know, that annoying little girl who hurls her insults like a twelve year old who thinks she has a clue, only to be locked in their rooms, sat in the corner, smacked on the hand, and told “NO!”
She has a seat and pulls out a different pair of Chucks to lace up and wear in the everyday world.
You think you have it all figured out. You think you know the ins and the outs of everything there is to know. Typical teenager.
You know what else is “typical teenager” about you Eliza? You hear the words, but the thought behind them goes in one ear and right out the other. The meaning behind the words is lost on your youthful ignorance, and if I cared about you, I would be sad…but I don’t. Mike and I are indeed two separate people. He has his reasons for doing what he’s doing. I don’t understand them completely, I don’t necessarily like them…but they’re there. No matter how much Verona kisses our butts and puts us on the right side of the insurmountable odds seesaw, I’m not changing who I am.
She ties the shoe and starts lacing the other as she continues on.
You’ve said pretty much since your inception that being in this division isn’t about strapping on a shiny belt and saying you’re the best. If it’s not about being the best in a world of competition, then what’s it about? Why are you even here if that’s what you truly believe? Why don’t YOU go home, and not come back?
She ties the other shoe then rests her elbows on her knees, clasping her hands together.
Since you’ve gotten here, you’ve been on a rampage. You’ve gone through pretty much everyone who has been in your way. For someone who’s bitching about others not doing their homework though, you seem to be far out of touch yourself. You see? That’s another thing you have in common with the other little girls these days…you don’t do your homework.
Alexis rolls her eyes, clearly over all of this teenage bullshit…
You see Eliza, we’ve been on opposite sides of a ring twice. You have a win…I have a win. So as I see it, this is our little rubber match. This is a chance for the two of us to put the insults and the digs aside and show who is truly better inside that ring. I don’t care what role I’m painted in, the fact of the matter is, I’m going out there to win.
Also, just for the record…Mike and I, and what we do at home…none of your business. We don’t feel the need to project our everyday life on people. Also for the record…again…do your homework…Mike has owned the Montecito for quite some time, sold it, and bought it back. It’s called Google… “chica”.
**********************************************
I grabbed my bag, now full of my workout clothes, and exited the locker room. I walked across the gym to the office, stepped in and pulled the door closed rather aggressively. I dropped my bag on the floor and had quite an attitude.
Soooo…what?
The chair didn’t move, the tall back of it facing me. I felt disrespected, unappreciated, all of that.
What the hell!? You call me in here and you can’t even turn around in the damn chair?
Still nothing.
Damn it.
I walked around the desk and pulled on the chair, spinning it in place, only to reveal that Mike wasn’t there. I was so pissed. I threw my hands in the air, bringing them back down to smack against my body.
Are you freaking kidding me!?
I stormed over and bent down to pick up my bag. As I stood back up and flung the back over my shoulder, I saw his face in the window and jumped back, again losing all the air in my body. He opened the door with a smile on his face and one arm behind his back.
That time I meant to get you.
Damn it! Stop doing that!
I fixed my attention on his arm.
What’s that?
What’s what?
Don’t play stupid.
I reached around him but he turned away.
Close your eyes.
Really?
Just do it.
I took in a deep breath and let it out before complying. I could hear some rustling before I heard his voice again.
Okay…open them.
I did so and standing in front of me was my loving fiancé with a bouquet of roses in his hand. He was clearly trying to suck up.
Is this an apology?
Did you think I forgot?
Forgot?
It was on this day, three years ago, where we saw each other for the first time.
My heart melted almost instantly. I knew what today was, but in all the anger I had pushed it to the side. It’s hard enough to get a guy to remember a wedding anniversary, let alone the first day you met. I almost cried right there on the spot. I took the roses and inhaled the beauty they possessed through my nostrils. All the anger had dissipated, and I was back to loving him again.
I wanted to apologize, but it’s all for a good reason. I needed you distracted. I needed you to not be thinking of it so I could surprise you.
A smile crossed his face as it did mine. I lowered the flowers and kissed him. It was that loving kiss…that comfortable kiss. The kiss I knew and loved, from the man I knew and loved. The question was still in the back of my head though…
“Was this the man I was going to marry, or is it the other guy?”
**********************************************
As the scene fades in, Alexis is taking the flowers I just gave her, and she’s putting them in a vase in my office, to be taken home later.
Then there’s the two of you who bicker back and forth on who the better woman is on a constant basis. Crystal and her “I’m better than you.” “Now I’m humbled” approach. Then there’s Firenze and her “Always looking over my shoulder” complex.
I said that this match had a lot of diversity, and the two of you alone prove that point. Whereas I admire Fiona’s spirit, and loathe both Mercedes stupidity and Eliza’s teenage ignorance, I’m rather indifferent toward the two of you. You two held that title over your head, and you pranced around with it as if you were better than everyone…then I beat you both in the same match.
She steps away from the vase and leans on the front of the desk looking into the camera.
It kinda makes a girl wonder why I’m not the Ruby Champion to be honest. You see girls, despite what Eliza says, that belt, and any belt in this company to me is considered the prize possession. It’s not a trinket to be accessorized with your next outfit, it says you’re one of the best in this company. So I commend you both on having it, and loathe you both at the same time for not giving me my shot at it…ranks be damned.
At the same time, no matter how much Mercedes glorifies her reign over a pretty much defunct title, she too never gave me a shot despite the multiple times in a row I beat her. Also, at the same time, Eliza isn’t wrong in her claim that the Ruby Title is not the top draw in this division.
She reaches back and grabs a single rose from the vase and stares at it while continuing to speak.
It’s not what I strive for. It’s not all that Mercedes makes it out to be. For those of you not intelligent enough to know…the Diamonds Title is where it’s at. That’s why we’re all in this match. That’s what we’re fighting for a chance at.
All you’re past accomplishments mean nothing in a match like this. You could’ve beaten everyone on the roster and yet, it wouldn’t matter. Whether you’re green, or a veteran, the fact of the matter is simple…we’re all in this match for one reason or another…now it’s up to one of us to prove that they’re better than all the rest. It’s time for one of us to be the cream that rises to the top. We’ve all had our ups and downs in this business. We’re all going to go out there and fight one another tooth and nail. Do what you need to do to succeed in your own mind. The fact remains that I am not going out there to be second best, be the runner up, or come oh so close to the biggest win of my career as I did last year.
I’m walking into Convergence knowing that I’m walking into a war…
But I’m walking out…THE Iron Maiden!
As the scene panders in, we see Alexis sitting on the steps, the very steps we saw her sitting on when she first showed her pretty little face on a promo camera in front of the IWF crowd.
Now we’re full circle. Now, as I sit here on the very steps I greeted you on, I realize that things are a bit more serious than they once were.
No longer can I beam rays of sunlight down upon you from a simple smile.
Gone are the days where I could ramble on and on and on about the little things because they’re no longer so little.
She’s huddled in the corner, knees up against her chest as she sits and ponder, remembering memories from last year’s Iron Maiden, one in which she was a finalist against Eternity. The Iron Maiden she had almost won.
As I do a little self-reflecting from this spot, I realize how much I’ve grown from this time last year. I was so close, even with my simply rays of sunshine and my bits of laughter. I wasn’t one to really care one way or another what happened. I was perfectly happy being where I was.
Eternity took advantage of that.
She had that hunger, that thirst to be better than all the rest. She used that and exploited my weaknesses to the best of her ability and she took that shot at the Diamonds Title and she won it.
So I now have to sit here and ask myself, what is it I’ve learned from that ordeal? From everything that’s happened since?
She took a deep breath as she collected the many thoughts floating around in her head.
I learned what it’s like to be a competitor. I learned that on each and every night, if you don’t bring your “A” game, nothing else will cut it. I was shown the error of my ways and have corrected them all so quickly that if you would have batted an eyelash you would have completely missed it.
But there had to be more lessons than that. Surely it couldn’t be that simple right?
Indeed.
She sprawled her legs out in front of her, one bent with her leg firmly planted on the step she was sitting on, the other foot planted a step below.
It’s never “that” simple. Along with that lesson came one of commitment. I said yes to the man of my dreams, and I’ve also committed to harder training, more development of my craft just to prove the excellence I possess in skills that come so useful inside that wrestling ring.
She points out to her side, signifying the ring. She then pulls her arm back inward.
The lessons don’t end though. As a professional wrestler, just as is the case with life…the lessons will continue to be learned until someone takes their last gasp of air. Take the Convergence Pay Per View for instance. It will be a lesson learned for just about everyone. I could be one of those blabbering goofballs who sits here on a cement step and tells you I’m better than everyone else. I could tell you that I’m gonna run through the competition like they’re meaningless pieces of garbage…but I won’t because that’s not who I am. I won’t change who I am for anyone…never have…never will.
**********************************************
“Range of Emotions”
I was taking it all in stride. I said I would go along with his transformation, but there’s just a little something off, something that I just can’t seem to get over. I feel like the man I love is slipping away from me and I can’t figure out how, or why, let alone how to get him back.
I love him….
I really do….
And nothing can change that.
He comforted me, wrapped his newly tattooed arms around my delicate frame in an effort to reassure me, to comfort me…I just can’t help but worry. He was changing before my very eyes…into something different, something more vile, more vindictive, more angry.
When this whole thing started, he looked me in the eyes, he stared at me for a good minute, and he said “I finally get to be me.” Was this the man I agreed to marry? Someone who was sadistic and more “me first” than anyone I’ve ever met before?
Who was he really?
I sat on the workbench and watched him continue his routine. The strike against the heavy bag were vicious, almost as if he were trying to knock the bag right off the ceiling from which it hang. He snarled and grunted and mashed his taped fist into the bag so hard that if it were any sort of living being…it would be unconscious…or worse.
I stood up and put my hand on his shoulder.
Relax.
Can’t, this is too big, too important.
What is?
I can’t say. I was sworn to secrecy. Just know I have to be ready.
The heat flew off of his body like a heater in the middle of winter. It was incredibly uncomfortable, and I thought he should slow down, not push himself so hard. I put my hand up on his shoulder again and tried to pull him away.
Come…
He shrugged my shoulder right off of his hand. A part of me felt like a sharp knife had been plunged into my chest.
Knock it off. I’m fine.
Whatever.
I stormed off. I didn’t look back to see if he continued to train or if he actually stopped and realized that he was being a jackass.
**********************************************
As the scene fades back in, we see Alexis now sitting in the locker room of the gym. Her head is down, she’s clearly depressed.
As I said, I would change for nobody. That’s not exactly true of everyone in this world. Some change for hunger, for desperation, for the needing of others to acknowledge them, and yet some…because they’re driven to it by others around them. I don’t feel that way. If I change for anyone, it’s myself. It’s the reason I’ve rededicated myself to the craft of professional wrestling and proving to the world that I am as good as advertised. It’s the reason I can say what needs to be said and back it up…isn’t that right Mercedes?
She looks up from her depression and glares into the camera.
There’s some here that no matter how many times they change themselves, they just can’t get the job done. There’s some who simply don’t change, they don’t adapt, and rather drive their point into your head, hoping, praying, sacrificing to the gods above, that perhaps one day they can prove themselves true…like Mercedes Vargas. Yet no matter how much you tell people how great you are, no matter how much you scratch and claw at the surface of your opponents, you can’t get under their skin enough to frazzle them. You can’t make them not want to prove you wrong. You can’t stop them from proving you wrong.
It doesn’t matter if it’s Ana Valentine, Firenze, Eliza, or myself, or anyone else in this match, or in this division, no matter how much you preach how much better you are…you just can’t seem to get that will, that firepower to back it up. You have another shot, another chance to redeem yourself…but it comes at the wrong place, at the wrong time. This is my moment to seize the glory, to challenge for the Diamonds Title on my own, to show that I truly deserve the chance to call myself champion. Sorry Mercy…your time has come and gone.
**********************************************
I waited a bit after storming into the locker room. I hoped he would come. I hoped he would chase after me. As I sat there under the illuminating light, the realization was quite clear and hit me like a ton of bricks.
He wasn’t coming.
A tear strolled down my face as I started to take off my gear and pack my bag. I heard a knock just as I was unlacing my knee high Chuck Taylors.
I hesitated. Was it him? Did he finally come to his senses?
Come in.
I held my breath, hoping it was him…only to be dashed as it was the janitor coming in to clean.
I’m sorry Ms. Caffrey. You mind letting me know when you’re done so I can clean up?
No problem Tommy.
Thank you.
He slipped back behind the door and closed it as my emotions began to run wild. I was sad, hurt, and yet furious at the same time. What the hell was wrong with him? How could he shrug me off like that? I felt my body getting warmer as my blood filled with rage. Now clearly showing signs of being pissed off, I began yanking the laces out some more, tearing the shoes from my feet and slamming them on the ground beside me.
**********************************************
The anger could be seen in her eyes. She knew what had happened in the past, and she knows now what must happen for her to succeed.
I’ve been passed over too many times. I’ve had to share the spotlight too many times. It was time to earn a shot, a true one-on-one shot. It’s my time to truly prove my worth within this company and there’s not a single person who is going to stop me. You know what that’s like, don’t you Fiona?
She points at the screen with every reference to the young woman pulling double duty at the Pay Per View.
You’re constantly told on Twitter, perhaps hourly that you’re not good enough. I’ve seen it.
You’re told to go back to your pub, stick to valeting Jack, you can’t cut the mustard, and you shouldn’t even be here. Now granted, that’s from a woman who thinks she’s a supreme being, and has that right until knocked from her pedestal, and a little girl in this match who likes to talk an awful lot…I’ll get to her in a bit…and yet through it all you persevere.
She tucks her hands back in the pockets of her lightweight hoodie.
You use hashtags like “Follow Your Dreams” and no matter what they say you try and do so to the utmost of your abilities no matter how long you’ve been at this.
I admire that…I do. As a matter of fact, you remind me of me…a year ago. You’re content with being in this match. The fire just doesn’t seem to be there. You think this is all unicorns and glitter whilst us who have been here a while know the truth. You have that next step to take Fiona, that ascension to knowing what that true desire really is. I hope you get there…I really do.
She shrugs her shoulders.
Or I could be wrong. You could show me that at the Pay Per View. You can beat the rest of us and become the Iron Maiden. I’ll be the first and probably the only one to shake your hand if you do so. I’m just telling you now that the hill you have to climb is a steep one.
**********************************************
I finished undressing and grabbed a towel before stepping into the shower area. The place was empty as it was after hours, hence the janitor looking to clean, and so I knew there was nobody else around other than me and Mike, and it seemed as if he wasn’t coming anytime soon.
I let the hot water run down my body, the heat relieving any and all stresses of my own workout. My muscles were sore and my bones near their breaking point, or so it felt. The relief of the water was enough for me to release a long drawn out sigh of joy.
I let the water run a bit longer before cleaning up and exiting the showers. As I headed over to where my stuff was, towel wrapped around my small frame, I turned the corner and nearly lost all of the air in my body as I gasped in fear at Mike sitting there on the bench, leaned up against the locker behind him. My breathing was heavy and I was clearly upset.
What the hell!?
I didn’t mean to scare you.
Well you sucked at that, didn’t you?
He blew it off. It was a minor detail.
We need to talk.
And if I say no?
That obviously wasn’t the reaction he was looking for, but I didn’t care.
If you say no…I’ll sit here and talk anyway. Otherwise, get dressed and meet me in the office.
I thought about his proposal for a minute and gave him a nod full of resistance.
Fine.
He got up without saying a word. He could tell I was upset with him and rather than try to smooth it over now, he walked out and headed for his office.
**********************************************
She pulls her shirt over her body and takes a deep breath before turning to the camera.
So that brings us to the snooty little abandoned brat who thinks she’s the greatest thing since sliced bread. You know, that annoying little girl who hurls her insults like a twelve year old who thinks she has a clue, only to be locked in their rooms, sat in the corner, smacked on the hand, and told “NO!”
She has a seat and pulls out a different pair of Chucks to lace up and wear in the everyday world.
You think you have it all figured out. You think you know the ins and the outs of everything there is to know. Typical teenager.
You know what else is “typical teenager” about you Eliza? You hear the words, but the thought behind them goes in one ear and right out the other. The meaning behind the words is lost on your youthful ignorance, and if I cared about you, I would be sad…but I don’t. Mike and I are indeed two separate people. He has his reasons for doing what he’s doing. I don’t understand them completely, I don’t necessarily like them…but they’re there. No matter how much Verona kisses our butts and puts us on the right side of the insurmountable odds seesaw, I’m not changing who I am.
She ties the shoe and starts lacing the other as she continues on.
You’ve said pretty much since your inception that being in this division isn’t about strapping on a shiny belt and saying you’re the best. If it’s not about being the best in a world of competition, then what’s it about? Why are you even here if that’s what you truly believe? Why don’t YOU go home, and not come back?
She ties the other shoe then rests her elbows on her knees, clasping her hands together.
Since you’ve gotten here, you’ve been on a rampage. You’ve gone through pretty much everyone who has been in your way. For someone who’s bitching about others not doing their homework though, you seem to be far out of touch yourself. You see? That’s another thing you have in common with the other little girls these days…you don’t do your homework.
Alexis rolls her eyes, clearly over all of this teenage bullshit…
You see Eliza, we’ve been on opposite sides of a ring twice. You have a win…I have a win. So as I see it, this is our little rubber match. This is a chance for the two of us to put the insults and the digs aside and show who is truly better inside that ring. I don’t care what role I’m painted in, the fact of the matter is, I’m going out there to win.
Also, just for the record…Mike and I, and what we do at home…none of your business. We don’t feel the need to project our everyday life on people. Also for the record…again…do your homework…Mike has owned the Montecito for quite some time, sold it, and bought it back. It’s called Google… “chica”.
**********************************************
I grabbed my bag, now full of my workout clothes, and exited the locker room. I walked across the gym to the office, stepped in and pulled the door closed rather aggressively. I dropped my bag on the floor and had quite an attitude.
Soooo…what?
The chair didn’t move, the tall back of it facing me. I felt disrespected, unappreciated, all of that.
What the hell!? You call me in here and you can’t even turn around in the damn chair?
Still nothing.
Damn it.
I walked around the desk and pulled on the chair, spinning it in place, only to reveal that Mike wasn’t there. I was so pissed. I threw my hands in the air, bringing them back down to smack against my body.
Are you freaking kidding me!?
I stormed over and bent down to pick up my bag. As I stood back up and flung the back over my shoulder, I saw his face in the window and jumped back, again losing all the air in my body. He opened the door with a smile on his face and one arm behind his back.
That time I meant to get you.
Damn it! Stop doing that!
I fixed my attention on his arm.
What’s that?
What’s what?
Don’t play stupid.
I reached around him but he turned away.
Close your eyes.
Really?
Just do it.
I took in a deep breath and let it out before complying. I could hear some rustling before I heard his voice again.
Okay…open them.
I did so and standing in front of me was my loving fiancé with a bouquet of roses in his hand. He was clearly trying to suck up.
Is this an apology?
Did you think I forgot?
Forgot?
It was on this day, three years ago, where we saw each other for the first time.
My heart melted almost instantly. I knew what today was, but in all the anger I had pushed it to the side. It’s hard enough to get a guy to remember a wedding anniversary, let alone the first day you met. I almost cried right there on the spot. I took the roses and inhaled the beauty they possessed through my nostrils. All the anger had dissipated, and I was back to loving him again.
I wanted to apologize, but it’s all for a good reason. I needed you distracted. I needed you to not be thinking of it so I could surprise you.
A smile crossed his face as it did mine. I lowered the flowers and kissed him. It was that loving kiss…that comfortable kiss. The kiss I knew and loved, from the man I knew and loved. The question was still in the back of my head though…
“Was this the man I was going to marry, or is it the other guy?”
**********************************************
As the scene fades in, Alexis is taking the flowers I just gave her, and she’s putting them in a vase in my office, to be taken home later.
Then there’s the two of you who bicker back and forth on who the better woman is on a constant basis. Crystal and her “I’m better than you.” “Now I’m humbled” approach. Then there’s Firenze and her “Always looking over my shoulder” complex.
I said that this match had a lot of diversity, and the two of you alone prove that point. Whereas I admire Fiona’s spirit, and loathe both Mercedes stupidity and Eliza’s teenage ignorance, I’m rather indifferent toward the two of you. You two held that title over your head, and you pranced around with it as if you were better than everyone…then I beat you both in the same match.
She steps away from the vase and leans on the front of the desk looking into the camera.
It kinda makes a girl wonder why I’m not the Ruby Champion to be honest. You see girls, despite what Eliza says, that belt, and any belt in this company to me is considered the prize possession. It’s not a trinket to be accessorized with your next outfit, it says you’re one of the best in this company. So I commend you both on having it, and loathe you both at the same time for not giving me my shot at it…ranks be damned.
At the same time, no matter how much Mercedes glorifies her reign over a pretty much defunct title, she too never gave me a shot despite the multiple times in a row I beat her. Also, at the same time, Eliza isn’t wrong in her claim that the Ruby Title is not the top draw in this division.
She reaches back and grabs a single rose from the vase and stares at it while continuing to speak.
It’s not what I strive for. It’s not all that Mercedes makes it out to be. For those of you not intelligent enough to know…the Diamonds Title is where it’s at. That’s why we’re all in this match. That’s what we’re fighting for a chance at.
All you’re past accomplishments mean nothing in a match like this. You could’ve beaten everyone on the roster and yet, it wouldn’t matter. Whether you’re green, or a veteran, the fact of the matter is simple…we’re all in this match for one reason or another…now it’s up to one of us to prove that they’re better than all the rest. It’s time for one of us to be the cream that rises to the top. We’ve all had our ups and downs in this business. We’re all going to go out there and fight one another tooth and nail. Do what you need to do to succeed in your own mind. The fact remains that I am not going out there to be second best, be the runner up, or come oh so close to the biggest win of my career as I did last year.
I’m walking into Convergence knowing that I’m walking into a war…
But I’m walking out…THE Iron Maiden!
Well howdy there pardner.