December 31, 2019 – After the End of the Year Invitational
It was hard for me to complain much tonight. At least for me personally, I exceeded anyone’s expectations. My peers had named me the Star of Tomorrow in the awards ceremony. I couldn’t help but feel good as Jaina and I went to a planned after-party in Montreal. As we arrived at the VIP section of the venue, it was obvious it would probably just be us. Jake had left me to hang with his old running buddies who had attended the special. Sienna and Xiomara were nowhere in sight. Bree either. Just an empty area with a few bottles of champagne. We made our way to the area and sat down.
Jordan: I guess they cancelled the celebration…
Jaina: Come on, babes. You knew to expect this if one of them didn’t win.
Jordan: Honestly, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
I reach forward and grab a bottle of champagne and pour us both a glass. I’m pretty sure the legal drinking age here is 19, but I highly doubt anyone is going to check the VIP. We paid good money for this. For my part, I hadn’t taken a valium after my match so I thought I was probably safe. I’d been close a few times already, mixing those lightly. I should know better the way my mom handled things when I was growing up. For some reason I just felt like there was no way I would fall into that same trap. I’m smarter than her. I experienced it through her. I had no desire to live like she does. Clearly I was looking quiet and contemplative, or Jaina was a freaking mind reader.
Jaina: What do you think Christina is doing at your apartment?
Jordan: Hopefully she’s just watching countdowns to the New Year and not burning it down.
Jaina: Hey! Speaking of…
Jaina points to a large screen in the club as a countdown starts. It caught me by surprise because we’d only just reached this place after getting away from the arena. By the time my eyes saw the screen there was already an 8. The crowd was tipping me off, too, as it counted along like someone was about to enter Taking Hold of the Flame. I look at Jaina and smile brightly for the final few seconds, her eyes shine brightly in the dim club lights as she stares back. The crowd roars in approval of the New Year and I lean forward and hold my hand against her cheek as I plant a long kiss on her lips. When I stop, I can only grin. My heart is fluttering.
Jordan: I love you.
Jaina laughs out loud as the crowd still screams in approval of the year 2020.
Jaina: What did you say!?
Jordan: I said I love you.
Jaina’s whole expression changes from that big smile to a bit of shock. She pauses, but not so long that it becomes awkward. Just long enough that I can tell the surprise has hit her in a genuine way.
Jaina: I… I love you, too.
Jordan: Come on!
I grab Jaina’s hand and pull her out of the VIP section and into the crowd to dance. I didn’t need a section to validate me tonight. I felt important from my performance. Mostly, I felt important because of Jaina. Just looking down into her eyes, I felt like the luckiest girl on the planet. Even if I’d just put an exclamation point on a rookie year by finishing with a 9-13 record. In this moment, nothing else matters. Only Jaina. We woke up in the early hours of the morning to a knock on our door. Our bags were packed. The flight took a little over three hours and then we were back home. Jaina and I had plans to spend more time together, so we were going to head to Bree’s place. But she convinced me to check on my mom and my apartment, god willing it was still standing. So I let her drive us there. I told her to stay in the car when we arrived, but she insisted. I figured it’s probably a good thing. She keeps me balanced when dealing with my mom. The sample size is small, but it worked before. I put the key in the door and swing it open. The first thing I see is an ass. Cleary a man’s ass. A naked man is on my fucking bed. And he’s moving back and forth in a rhythm. I take a step inside and drop my bag and my mouth when I see it’s my mother that he’s with. My mom is having sex on my bed.
Jordan: WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK!?
I hear Jaina stifle laughter behind me. She’s grabs ahold of my arm, like she’s going to keep me from going off. My mom grabs my sheets and covers up as the man just stands up. He’s just standing there, naked, penis flopping in the humid air that fills the apartment. The room smelled of sex and cigarettes. The faint smell of some sort of hard liquor hung in the air. My eyes focus on the man and I know he’s looking back at me and seeing absolute fury. I start to mentally question why he’s not putting clothes on.
Christina: Kylie… I didn’t know you’d be home!
Jordan: So you had sex in my bed!? Are you kidding me!? With this random man!?
Man: I’m not a random man. Hey, my name’s Steve.
The naked man, Steve, starts walking towards me. I gag at the sight of his penis flopping back and forth. I see him extending a hand toward me. I turn toward Jaina to get him out of my view and cover my peripheral with my hand.
Jordan: Are you serious right now? Put on some pants. Oh my gods, Jaina. What the fuck is this?
Jaina just stares at me. She looks surprised but also like she just wants to laugh. And I get it in some way. How else is she supposed to react to this? Christina is standing up and wrapping a sheet around her. My sheets. I’m going to have to throw those away or burn them. Hell, I might have to burn the mattress and all. The whole apartment. I might have to burn my eyes, too. Steve scrambles back toward the bed and sort of stumbles. I look that direction and see a used condom on the floor near his feet. The man tripped on a condom. My mother comes over to me and Jaina as the man starts to get dressed and she looks apologetic. But instantly I smell it. The booze on her breath. I can only sigh.
Jordan: Have you been drinking?
Christina: No. No, I haven’t been drinking. Well… honestly yes I have had one or two. But we were just here. Sam and I were just here at the apartment so it was safe.
Jordan: The man said his name was Steve.
Steve: What?
Jordan: Nothing, sir. I’m talking to Christina. Mom, I can’t believe you did this. Did you even think for like a second that I might not be cool with you having sex on my bed?
Christina: Well, you haven’t been here in a few days. And the couch is too small.
Jordan: And you’ve been drinking again. I specifically asked you not to do this. My apartment smells like smoke. It’s disgusting. I opened my house up to you and this is how you fucking repay my kindness. I owe you nothing. You’ve never done anything for me. Why are you always like this. Why do you always do this shit to me?
I could feel my blood boiling on the inside. I was so mad at this woman. I offered her my home for a few days. The only thing I could think of was screaming at her and kicking her out of this place and putting her on the street for good. What do I care if she can’t find a place to go.
Jordan: I should put you out on your ass for this.
Jaina: Jordan, gods. Calm down.
Jordan: Calm down? This woman has no concept of decency or privacy and she just trampled over both of them. How can I trust her?
Jaina: I don’t know, babes. But you’re really going to kick your mother out onto the streets over this?
It pisses me off a little that she questions me. But my heart seems to make me forgive her so fast. I stomp a foot into the ground and ball my hands up into fists. Jaina lightly squeezes my arm and I look down.
Christina: I’m sorry, baby girl. I didn’t mean nothing bad by it all.
Jordan: Nothing bad by fucking someone in my bed? Can you be that dense?
Her apology felt so thin to me. Thin because I’d heard things like this before when I was growing up. When she wasn’t drunk or high and abusing me. She was going from man to man. It was no way for a child to grow up, eating breakfast with various strangers so often. Some of them cooked breakfast from time to time. Some of them thought they were better cooks than they truly were. But none of them were ever around consistently enough for me to know what having a real man in the house could have meant to a young girl who yearned for a father figure.
Jordan: I need to grab some things and then Jaina and I are going to Bree’s for a little bit. You’re free to sleep in the bed today and do whatever. I’m going to be back on the road in a few days, so…
Christina: Kylie… I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings. I thought you’d understand.
Jordan: You thought I would understand the need you had to fuck some guy in my bed!?
Christina: I thought you’d get that I was lonely.
Jordan: Lonely? That’s your excuse for this? You are so naive. That doesn’t even make any sense. That was my bed. I slept there. What makes you think I would want to sleep where my mom was having sex with a strange man.
Christina: Maybe you don’t understand.
Jordan: That’s right, mom, I will never understand why you do the things you do. Why you were so brutally mean to me. Why you drank so much and discarded me when I needed someone most. I will never understand that and I will never make anyone else try to understand how that feels, either.
Mom pauses for a moment and then goes to speak, but I hold a hand up and shake my head as I walk past her and head to my bathroom. I realize Steve has been standing there the whole time, that used condom between his feet. I glare at him for only a moment as I walk into the bathroom. I close the door behind me and open the mirror and grab a bottle of Tylenol. I pop open the lid and there’s my home stash of Valium underneath. Before we left for Canada I moved my stash around in fear that my mother would find it and take it or sell it. I grab the sides of the bathroom vanity with my hands and look down the drain before looking into the mirror at my reflection. I sigh to the woman looking back at me. The door swings open and I jump. It knocks the bottle into the sink and I scramble to stop the pills from going down the drain by blocking it with my palm. I turn to see Jaina standing there.
Jaina: What’s that?
Jordan: What’s what?
Jaina: The pills. Those don’t look like your pain pills for your knees.
I turn and look at the pills that are around my hand. I push the pop up down into the sink and start picking them up and putting them in the Tylenol bottle.
Jaina: And they’re definitely not Tylenol.
Jordan: It’s Valium, Jaina.
Jaina: How long have you been taking that
I shrug a little.
Jordan: I got it prescribed to me a few months back.
Jaina: From SCW doctors?
Jordan: From my own, but SCW knows.
Jaina: So why didn’t I know?
The question stings me a little bit. I feel like it was meant to. I take a step back and sit on the edge of the bathtub.
Jordan: I didn’t mean to keep it from you.
Jaina: It sort of looks like you meant to keep it from everyone.
Jordan: It’s really not like that. I didn’t want anyone to worry about me or think that I was abusing it.
Jaina crosses her arms.
Jaina: You promise you aren’t right?
I stare at Jaina and smile and shake my head to affirm to her that I do indeed promise. But the whole moment awakens something inside of me. Suddenly I realize just how aware Jaina is of things that are going on with me. Jaina is so intelligent and ahead of her years. Nothing can slip past her. I was foolish to think I could keep something hidden from her.
Jordan: I was a little embarrassed.
Jaina: Stop that. It’s mental health. Don’t let yourself be overcome but all the misconceptions. But also, be careful. I prefer you to be as happy and healthy as possible. I just need you to be careful.
Jordan: You know I will be.
Jaina: Don’t do that.
Jordan: Do what?
Jaina: Expect me to just accept that as the answer. This stuff can be pretty dangerous. Believe me when I say I know.
Jordan: I’m sorry. I won’t shut you out of this.
She leans forward and plants a kiss on my lips and grabs my hand. I pocket the Tylenol bottle and close the mirror as we exit the bathroom. My mom is standing there in the living room. She looks distraught. Steve has his arm around her trying to calm. It’s the most human she’s looked to me in a long time. I realize that just as Jaina was trying to calm me, Steve is doing the same for her. I have to sigh at it all. She looks up and makes eyes contact with me. I swallow hard.
Jordan: Please be careful, mom. Don’t do anything crazy, ok?
Christina: You don’t have to worry about me.
Jordan: Uh huh…
Christina: Kylie, you just don’t understand. Everything comes so easy for you now. You blink one day and you’re a goddamn millionaire. You refuse to help me. You leave me in the cold and you go off and become this famous athlete. I see you everywhere. I hear you everywhere. I just wanted my daughter back.
Jordan: You never had her to start with.
Christina: Oh Kylie, you don’t mean that.
Jaina: Come on, Jordan. We need to go. She just needs some fresh air Ms. Majors. We’ll come back later on.
I nod as Jaina tugs me toward the door and out of it. Christina shuts it behind me as Jaina leads me towards her Jeep. We hop in and I let out a little laugh interlaced with a sigh.
Jaina: What?
Jordan: I just love you. No clue what I’d do without you.
Jaina: I think I know what you would have done just now. Let’s go to Aunt Bree’s for the night.
I nod as we head off.
January 4, 2020 – New York City
I received an invitation a few days earlier from an SCW legend, Josh Hudson, to speak about some sort of business deal. He sent me limited details on Twitter, but it sounded like a good investment opportunity. I was trying to be much smarter with the wealth I’d acquired. No longer was I shelling it out for odds and ends. Even my apartment in Louisiana could be seen as extremely modest. One or two had mentioned I had too much money to be living in such a trashy place. Now that my mom was staying there, I was glad I picked something so small. My black car arrived at what appeared to be a pretty fancy restaurant. I immediately shuddered at what I was wearing. I saw a woman enter in a dress and here I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt.
Jordan: Oh, shit…
I frantically dig in my purse and find my Valium and shake out a pill and swallow it down before I stuff the bottle back away. The driver opens the door and I step out, grab my purse and sling it over my shoulder. I walk to the entrance and a man immediately motions to me.
Host: Ms. Majors! Ms. Majors!
Jordan: That’s me.
Host: Please do follow me.
I walk through the restaurant and it becomes apparent this is some sort of upscale sports bar or something. Various sports are being played on TV’s throughout the building, but it still seems to be mostly formal. I absolutely noticed the host give my outfit a second look. I see Josh Hudson in the near distance as we approach and he seems to see me, too. He has a glass in front of him with an amber liquid and I see him grab another glass of ice and fill it about three-quarters full and sit it across from him. He stands up and smiles, grabbing my hand like some sort of charmer.
Josh: Jordan Majors, it’s a pleasure to finally talk in person.
Jordan: Is it?
Josh: I’ve been watching you for awhile, as I mentioned. Thought I had an idea for you.
Jordan: You did mention some business. Sorry, by the way.
Josh: For?
I look at him and what he’s wearing. He’s got on a three-piece suit with the jacket hanging behind his chair. His sleeves are rolled up just slightly. I gesture at his clothing.
Jordan: I look like shit. I didn’t realize this place was so formal.
Josh smiles and sips his drink.
Josh: Mmmm… you look just fine to me. Try some of this whiskey.
Jordan: I probably shouldn’t.
Josh: Come on. I bought the bottle. Try it. It’s fantastic.
I stare at the glass knowing I shouldn’t. Not after taking that pill. I lift it to my lips and take a sip. I can play along at least. I swallow it and let out a little cough and make a face.
Jordan: Good!
Josh laughs at the reaction and crosses his arms as he leans on the table.
Josh: Now let’s talk about this business opportunity a little bit. Like I said before, I’ve been watching you. I wasn’t shocked the other night that you got named the Star of the Future or whatever. Despite the company you keep, you’re the future of the business.
He raises his glass to take a sip and I raised an eyebrow.
Jordan: What do you mean the company I keep? What’s wrong with Jake?
Josh: First of all, there’s a lot of things wrong with Jake. But I wasn’t talking about Jake Starr. I was talking about the Beauty Factory bitches.
I let out a sigh. It seems like I keep hearing this shit routinely from people.
Jordan: That’s kind of rude of you to say about my friends.
Josh: Is it? That’s just the way I see it. More like they’re holding you back. Ask yourself, what have Sienna Swann and Bree Lancaster ever done for you?
I pause and grow quiet. He shakes his head and laughs.
Josh: Face it. They like you because you’re hot.
Jordan: It’s not like that. Bree has done a lot for me actually. She’s been a friend and a mentor.
Josh: A mentor? I’ve tried that once. A real pain in the ass that turned out to be.
Josh shakes his head at whatever it is he’s recall and goes for another sip. He motions to me to join him and I take another drink.
Josh: So I’m starting a company. It’s called IronFist Wrestling.
Jordan: Ok…
Josh: I’d like you to invest in it. It’s an opportunity for both of us to display this sport we love in a different manner. I also think it’s an opportunity for both of us to make a lot of money if we do this thing right.
Jordan: I thought you said you didn’t just want my money.
Josh: Listen, there’s a lot of things about you that I like much, much more than your money. Believe me.
I’m not sure how to take that. It feels like he’s hitting on me.
Josh: I’d like you to put stock in IFW. I’d like you to compete if you want to.
Jordan: Woah, compete? I’m under contract.
Josh: So are lots of people in that company that compete elsewhere. Just read the fine lines. It’s possible. When I say you’re the future of this business, I’m not bullshitting you. I’ve seen types like you before. You make a wrong move somewhere along the way and you get stuck. I don’t want to see you make a wrong move. I want to offer you freedom. I can hand you a live microphone and let the world hear Jordan Majors.
I lift the glass to my lifts and take another sip of the smooth liquid that leaves a bitter aftertaste. This man seems to know exactly how to play to my emotions. He’s stroking my ego.
Jordan: So what’s in this for you?
Josh: While I must admit it would be fun to piss off a few of your friends, this company is happening with or without you. Does it make it a bit easier with your help and investment? Well, yeah. Do I think the company could use someone like you as one of its faces? Absolutely. You’re young, extremely attractive, wildly talented… who wouldn’t want you.
Somehow this man is making me blush. No man has ever done that before. But I realize it probably has very little to do with him. What’s making me blush is the idea that someone in power would value me so much. I don’t know if it’s compliments or whiskey, but he’s winning me over without much of a fight.
Jordan: This is all very enticing.
Josh: I know it is. That’s why I’m offering it to you.
I look down at the table in front of us and tap my finger as I’m thinking. Josh holds his glass to his lips and sips slowly.
Josh: So, what’s your hesitation?
Jordan: I don’t know. It’s a pretty decent proposition. I’d like to have my lawyers take a look. I’m just not totally sure yet. I’ve never done anything like this and I’d like to consult some people.
Josh: Like who?
Jordan: I don’t know… people in the business.
Josh: Is Bree the reason you’re hesitating?
I look at him curiously.
Jordan: What does have Bree have to do with any of this?
He gives me a knowing grin and just shakes his head.
Jordan: I just barely know you. The most I’ve ever interacted with you was a few days ago when you took me down outside of the ring and then rolled me back in under the bottom of the rope. I’m surprised that you say you’ve been watching or following me or whatever it is. Just very surprised over all.
Josh: Just because we’ve met in the ring once doesn’t mean I haven’t been watching what you do on TV. I see someone who is yearning to break out, but is too content to take a backseat to someone else. Whether that is Jake or Bree or Sienna, I don’t know. It seems to be your thing. You’ve got it all though. You are the total and complete package.
I lean forward and rest my head against my hand. There’s a part of me that feels like I’m suddenly a little out of it. I feel someone touching my shoulder and see Josh looking at me closely. It’s his hand.
Josh: You ok?
Jordan: Yeah I… it’s been a long couple of days.
Josh: I know what you mean.
Jordan: Ah, so you also walked in on your mom fucking some guy in your bed?
Josh shrugs as he takes a drink and just smiles.
Josh: Now that’s one I haven’t heard before. Sounds pretty wild.
There’s a part of me that hears him say that and wonders if he means something different. As if he’s insinuating he’d like to see that. I don’t always understand men. They can be hard for me to read. Sometimes they just come across as big hairy ogres always thinking about one thing. Then again, I spend a decent amount of time thinking about that, too. So maybe we have more in common than I think. Spare the anatomy differences.
Jordan: Then you’ve given me a lot to think about here. My gut says to agree to invest in this company right here and now. At least financially. Both my head and my gut are telling me to hold off on investing my whole career into a business that is just getting started. Even with you making it sound as if I could be the reason this company would take off.
Josh: Have you seen you before?
Jordan: What is that supposed to mean.
Josh: It can mean a lot of things I guess. But I mean have you seen yourself in the ring before. The charisma. The beauty. The talent. When I started putting together the idea for this company, your name came onto my radar very quickly. It’s not just because I know you’re loaded with money. Christ, the whole world knows you’re rich. This feels like a very beneficial opportunity for both of us in a lot of ways.
I pause to think about what he’s said and then take another sip of the drink, even knowing I shouldn’t.
Jordan: How much do you need?
Josh: I like where your head’s at. I’ll need to get that all together for sure and I can send it off to your lawyers. I’ve already got a tentative contract written up and we can change it as needed. Does this mean I can count you in?
I look down to see him extend his hand out like he wants me to shake it. A sort of gentleman’s agreement as some man clearly came up with 100s of years ago. At least this time the man trying to shake my hand is wearing clothes and offering me something in return. And he doesn’t look like Steve. I take a chance and shake it and smile. He holds up the glass with his other hand as we break the handshake.
Josh: Well then, let’s toast to the start of a beautiful partnership.
I raise my glass and we clink them together. It’s only at that moment that I start to wonder about the little hints Josh was dropping about Bree. I wonder if their old acquaintances or sworn enemies. I guess I’ll find out soon enough. The lawyers can handle the rest.
January 5, 2020 – Buffalo, New York
I got a call from Jake to meet him in a warehouse in Buffalo. We’d had a bit of a fight of sorts after the End of the Year so I was curious to see how it would go. When I arrived I saw what appeared to be a ring in the middle of an indoor trash heap. It looked like the State of New Jersey took a shit and stuffed it in a warehouse in Buffalo. Jake was there in the ring with a large plate on a pedestal. It was right out of a movie. I was just wearing jeans and a t-shirt again, with a heavy coat over the top of it all. Figured it was best to keep casual. He gave me a sideways glance as I approached him.
Jordan: What’s under the big serving thing there?
Jake: This? This is how we are going to help you understand the rules of an Underground match.
Jordan: Yeah, yeah… I texted Bree and asked and she explained the hardcore aspects of the match. I get it and I’m ready for it. I don’t need you hitting me with a chair, or pushing me off a ladder or any of that crazy stuff. We good?
Jake looked annoyed with me. That was a bit of a change. He shook his head and walked around the plate lifted a tray. I raised a brow. It was some kind of dessert or something. Like nothing I’d ever seen. I had to point.
Jordan: What is that?
Jake: This is how the Exclusive Hamsters, the Exquisite Oysters take themselves to the nest level. When I first won the Underground Title, I visited the London subway system for a little bit of inspiration.
Jordan: Ah, I get it.
Jake: We’re not anywhere near London, nor do I have the time to get us there. Also, this was all I could find on such short notice. So…
Jordan: Wait a minute, Gary Busey isn’t under that tray, right? Please tell me that’s not some other past viral video performer that disappeared into obscurity.
Jake: No. It’s none of that.
Jake reached down and grabbed one of the pieces of food and turned and chucked it at my face. I had enough time to cringe and half lift my arms as it struck me in the face and crumbled all over me and my clothes and the ring below. As I looked down, another one hit me in the forehead, but this one was full of something creamy. I started to freak out.
Jake: Take this spotted dick!
Jordan: What the fuck are you doing? Oh my god!?
I tried to run, but slipped on the cream on the ground. Jake took advantage by throwing a few more of these desserts at me.
Jake: You think you can run from this? That custard dropped you faster than a chair to your back!
Jordan: Why would you do this!?
Jake: I told you. It’s the British inspiration. You have to be ready for any and everything. Do you think Ravyn cares if you have a permanent scar on your face from a nail gun? Do you think Christy gives a shit if you bleed a few pints in that ring? This is what it means to fight in an Underground match. They can hit you with anything they can get their hands on. The whole arena as up for grabs.
I look down at myself as I try to gather to my feet and see I look to be a mess. Great, I won’t be going anywhere after this childish training session. I shake my arms violently as I brush food and custard off of myself.
Jordan: This is bullshit, Jake. I come here and you make me a mess. Why do you do this shit?
Jake: Because you need this shit. You’re so wound up tight all the time. I’ve tried to show you that. I’ve tried to get you on the same page as me so that we can truly succeed together. But you resist. You have to be someone else. And for what? Are your friends forcing you to be a stuck up bitch?
I don’t answer, but I step toward him. I look up at him with my brows furrowed. I’m pissed, and he knows it. I shove him, but he barely moves. So I shove him again. Nothing.
Jordan: AHHH!
I let out a primal scream as I slap a forearm against his chest and he just shoves me away and walks toward a turnbuckle while he shakes his head in what seemed to be a reaction of disappointment. I sit there on the mat and look at him. Neither one of us ready to speak.
Jake: You’ve been frustrated lately because we haven’t accomplished that much. But we haven’t accomplished as much as we can because you’re not fully invested in this. Look at what you did in that battle royal? You were invested because it was all about you. Do you even want to fight with me?
I sigh and pull my messy, covered legs close into my chest.
Jake: Don’t just shut down on me. Give me an answer.
Jordan: I don’t know.
Jake: What don’t you know?
Jordan: I don’t know what I want.
Jake: I know what you want. You want to win. I’m not stupid. Everyone can see it. Every single person in this company can see that you yearn to feel that feeling of success that you did after Rise to Greatness.
I roll to my hip and reach for the nearby rope and pull myself to my feet.
Jake: But you won’t get out of your own way.
I turn and face him, looking annoyed again. He has a way of flipping that switch and doing that to me.
Jordan: What does that even mean?
Jake: I’ll tell you exactly what it means. Last week, in that battle royal, there was a moment one of those bosom buddies of yours called out to you. You didn’t waste a second. You scrambled to your feet and tried to run over there.
Jordan: And you stopped me! For no reason!
Jake: I was saving you!
Jordan: That doesn’t make any sense.
Jake: You’re so blinded by them. I’ve known it all along. I’m the one that saved you from getting your ass beat by Ravyn and Christy. That was me. I didn’t see any of them running down.
Jordan: They thought I could handle myself.
Jake turns and slaps his hand hard against the turnbuckle. I can tell he’s frustrated.
Jake: Stop defending them, damnit! Don’t just accept your role with them. You just admitted it last week. You said it yourself, you don’t want to be just their friend or just my sister. But you won’t even buy-in to this tag team with me. And if you did, we could do anything we wanted. We could run this division. We could walk into Breakdown this week and we could leave Ravyn and Christy busted and bruised. But when we walk in there and only one of us is really into this, we’re going to fail every time.
I hang my head while I lean against the ropes. I let a deep sigh escape my lungs.
Jake: Why are you so content to just play the role they want you in when I’m standing here offering you the chance to be the reason we take this tag team to new heights?
Jordan: I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry that you feel this way. You’ve never said this before.
Jake: Because of this. This reaction. You aren’t saying anything. You just shut down on me. You can’t handle anyone being disappointed with you. You’ve just shutdown.
Jordan: You don’t understand. It’s hard for me. I was never allowed to thrive when I was younger. I was always pushed to the floor. I had to fight for freedom.
Jake walks over to me and he puts an arm around me and looks down at me.
Jake: Everything that I’ve put you through since we started this team… these are my methods. This is how I build you into a champion. I hope it’s building you into a champion alongside me. But I also hope it’s building you into a great champion for the future. So if I have to throw spotted dick at you, or trap you in a room with my own mentor or even hit you with a chair over and over… I’m going to do it. I’m going to do whatever it takes to bring the best out of you. That’s what this is all about.
Jordan: I understand, it’s just… it’s so weird.
Jake: You know what I think is weird?
Jordan: God, I don’t know if I could handle it.
Jake: I think it’s weird how you worship the feet of two people who haven’t given you all that much in return. Especially one of them in particular.
That draws another reaction out of me, of course. I try to shrug Jake off, but he pulls me in closer.
Jake: Un uh! Tell me what you’re thinking. Stop shutting me out of what you’re thinking!
I take a deep breath and then I exhale.
Jordan: You’re not wrong. I owe a lot to Bree, but I don’t know Sienna all that well. Bree has been there for me. She’s my friend. She’s me mentor. She’s my girlfriend’s aunt. Bree asked for my help and I went to help her. That’s why I was pissed at you for holding me back. But then I had to help myself and I felt as powerful as I have in this business in a long time. I felt like energy was just exploding out of me. All the frustration I have within, it all boiled to the surface and I went until I couldn’t go anymore. I saw a side of myself that I didn’t know I had. When I finally got to my feet to leave the ramp and head backstage, I still felt that energy within.
Jake: That! That’s Gary Busey!
Jordan: Shut up…
Jake: No, that’s what he was trying to show you all along. You’re so much more than their friend. You’re more than my sister. You’re more than the Star of Tomorrow. If you really wanted this, you could be the star of right now. That’s what he wanted to teach you.
I shrug Jake off of my shoulder and walk toward the middle of the ring. I stare down at the pieces of spotted dick and I reach down and scoop up a handful.
Jordan: I didn’t need Gary Busey to teach me that. I’ve known it all along.
Jake: Shit, if you’ve known that all along then get your ass in gear and let’s go out there and beat the hell out of Ravyn and Christy. Let’s show them exactly what we can do when we’re rolling on all cylinders.
I turn and toss the pile of spotted dick right at Jake and he lets it hit him on his left cheek and just casually brushes it off. What a no sell, I thought.
Jake: Now, just imagine that being a kendo stick or a bat.
Jordan: I’d love to hit you with a kendo stick. Got any?
Jake: Easy!
I let out a laugh and Jake smiles in reaction. For the first time, I feel like we might be getting closer to being on the same page as a team. Something inside me seems to agree that he’s been right all along. The real problem is me holding back. I start to take off my coat and toss it over the top rope.
Jordan: Hey, you have anything to clear this out of the ring? I wanted to go over something with you. Something we can do together to put the finishing touch on other teams. Just an idea, I don’t know.
Jake: Let me see what I can find.
Jake hops out of the ring and looks around in the piles of junk in this makeshift wrestling arena. God knows where Jake came up for the idea with this. He picks up a mop with a half broken handle and walks up the steps to the apron. He looks at me as he leans against the top rope.
Jake: I know 2019 has been crazy. I won’t make any promises, but I can tell you that 2020 can be so much better. It’s all up to you, sis. What do you want to do with the new year?
I look at him for a moment and then look up in the air at a hint of the night sky peeking through the roof of this old warehouse. I smile and look back at him.
Jordan: Clean this up. We’ll show everyone just how good 2020 is going to be at Breakdown.
Promo
A phone camera comes on and shows Jake Starr leaving a warehouse and shutting a door behind him. The camera flips around and shows Jordan Majors, who shows herself walking over to the turnbuckle and sitting up on the top.
If you caught a little sight of that as I was settling in, Jake and I just trained at this place for a little bit. It was quiet. Peaceful, too. And it couldn’t be more different than the environment we’ll be in this week on Breakdown. That one is going to be loud and brutal. It’s going to be fierce and bloody. Honestly, I couldn’t be more excited. There’s nothing that sounds more exciting to me right now than the roar of a crowd when a steel chair bounces off a back. Especially if you’re the one that dishes out that destruction. If I bleed? Well then I’ll bleed next to my brother as I do what it takes to show Ravyn how wrong she was to fuck with me for all these months. I’ve been waiting for this opportunity with bated breath. The chance to take things into my own hands and dish out a little chaos of my own. I’ve been playing by the rules while Infamous just does whatever they want. They’ve been making SCW their playground. I’m willing to make the whole world my playground. If it can be used to inflict physical pain on Ravyn and Christy, point it out and I’ll figure out how it can best be used. I want to become an instrument of destruction. This match is giving me the opportunity to take the biggest thorn in my side over the last few months and just rip it out all at once. Bar the pain and the screaming, it destruction itself will be nothing more than pure beauty.
This kind of match goes against everything I’ve been perceived as and everything people have been led to believe I am. I’m just supposed to be this beautiful rich girl. Does anyone really think I can get hardcore enough to win an Underground match? Allow me to show you just how far I’m willing to take things in order to make sure whatever the fuck Jake and I will be called this week come out as the winning squad. This match is purely personal for me. They always say not to mix business and pleasure, but in this piece of business I will be taking nothing but the purest form of pleasure as I watch crimson drip from their bodies.
I could sit here and I could go on and on about finishing the battle royal in 11th. I could drone on about that Star of Tomorrow award. But that’s already in the past now. That’s all so 2019. I need to focus on what’s next. One day, one match at a time. No one asked for this match. It falls into our laps like a gift from the wrestling gods. These are four people that don’t like each other one bit. And two people who absolutely hate each other. Ravyn has gone on about me and claimed that I am obsessed with her. Her wife talked of me like I wasn’t even worth sharing a ring with her. Just because they’re freaks doesn’t mean I want to be a part of their little cavalcade of trash people. I’m not Abigail Lindsay. I won’t fall for this whole attack you until you fall in line and become a part of the fold act. For months now, you’ve been chasing me. All because you just can’t seem to let Rise to Greatness go. I’ll admit, I was guilty of it too. All I let myself do was point to that match again and again. That was the match I used to prove to people that I was capable of competing with the best. But I kept missing the point all along. The most important one isn’t from the past. It’s the next one. We’ve traded wins, you’ve attacked my knee and tried to take me out of the equation and you forced my brother to take a new stand. What happens Wednesday, that’s on you, boo.
You created all of this. Every decision you’ve made over the past several months has been leading up to this moment where we have the chance to essentially do whatever we want to each other. Set up a table and one of will go through it. Find tacks under the ring and they’re going to find a home in someone’s back. Whatever it takes to make sure your team comes out on top. But for me, it runs even deeper. This is payback. This is satiating a hunger that has been growing inside. It’s finally my chance to admit it. Yeah, I’ve become obsessed Ravyn. I’ve become incensed with the idea of kicking your ass and hurting you. Actually hurting you both mentally and physically. To take every bit of the pain I’ve received as a result of your devious plans during this rivalry of ours and take it to the level of blood feud by letting these frustrations cut you down where you stand. You asked for this. You created this. You elevated this to the level it’s now at. And now? I’m going to end it once and for all. Call us the Exclusive Hamsters or the Exquisite Oysters, it doesn’t matter at all. Just call us the winners and the ones who stand at the end of this battle with hands raised, heads held high, and just enough blood spilled to call themselves survivors.
I’ve never quite understood what the allure was when it came to you. I never got why Abigail became so addicted. So entranced. Maybe it was the herpes that you passed to her and she was just trying to figure out what it is you do to treat that so she could spare herself the embarrassment of needing to reveal that fact to the SCW medical team. All I know is the closer she got to you and your group, the quicker I high-tailed it out of there to save myself from the future disappointment I knew she was signing up for. What you and Syren give to your followers isn’t real. It’s an illusion. What they’ve been tricked into believing is success is nothing more than failure wrapped up in an old, worn down box, wrapped in decaying newspaper and topped with a bow stolen out of someone’s Christmas day trash. I know better. These tricks that you’ve gotten off on for so long have officially worn out their days as something meaningful. Now everything you do is just a worn out presentation. Every big win coming from your group is orchestrated via smoke and mirrors that are quickly losing their effectiveness. Just take solace in knowing that when the trash gang are all gone and they don’t wait to be a part of the Dark Fantasy you’ve created any longer, at least you’ll still have your wife to come home to. We all know she’s the nightmare that never stops giving… out STDs. That’s what Jake told me anyway. He heard that, not me. I’m inclined to believe my brother. It hasn’t failed me yet.
And that’s where the true danger from this match lies for you, dear. Jake and I? We’re figuring this shit out together. I have to admit that probably is on me. I’ve been a little hesitant to get with the program of what he’s been trying to show me. He’s been trying to push me too far in another direction because that’s what he needed to do in order to make this all work with past teams. What we’ve found, instead, is balance. That should be scary for you, because you don’t quite know what we’re capable of when we finally start firing on all cylinders, do you? Infamous might be a well-oiled machine that shows up and wins when needed, but they aren’t quite as ready for what the Hamsters or Oysters are about to do. Jake is pissed. I am pissed. We’re on the same page when it comes to what we think about both of you. When it comes to what we want to do with you. Put the ambulances on standby, Sasha, because we’re going to need stretchers by the time this thing is done. I’m not going to stop coming after you this week until I put you down once and for all, Ravyn. You don’t believe me? Oh, you’re in for a long night then. In case you’ve forgotten, girls, let me just remind you that Jordan Majors is money. Jake Starr is an animal. Ravyn, Christy… you can bank on it, bitches.
Jordan winks to the camera and ends the recording as the video fades out.
Everything You Wish You Could Be 