MAY 17, 2010
ARC CENTER- WHIRLYBIRDZ LOCKER ROOM
VALPARAISO, INDIANA
11:04 PM LOCAL TIME
"That doesn't look very safe," Cassie said, pointing at the television screen.
"It's not," said Wendy nervously, unaware the fingernail she was nervously knawing on had begun to bleed. "Ladder matches rarely are."
Adrenaline 32, and the May Madness Tournament, was drawing to a close. The fans in the arena were on their feet as Terrence Thompson and Valerie Belmont slugged it out on top of a ladder. Wendy had originally planned to watch the match from one of the entryways into the arena, but she had finally decided that it'd be best if she watched in the privacy of her own locker room.
"Can I look now?" Theresa, Wendy's daughter asked.
"No!" Snapped Wendy, harder than she meant to. Although she had initially given into her daughter's request to 'watch daddy wessle', the moment her husband had tried to climb for the win using a broken ladder as stilts, Wendy had given her daughter a coloring book and ordered her not to look at the television. She wasn't going to let her daughter watch daddy die.
Terrence looked to be going for a diamond cutter, and Wendy's heart leapt into her throat, but he wisely realized it was a foolish idea, and relented, and Wendy found herself able to exhale. In truth, as much as she loved her husband, there was a small part of her that hoped Valerie would throw him off and claim victory. There was a VERY small part of her that wanted to run down and throw him off herself.
She scolded herself, knowing she was being bitter. But still, there was no denying that her husband had interfered against Mandrake at Tag Wars, effectively costing her a shot at the World Tag Team Championship. Yet here she stood, the good little wife in the locker room, holding an ice pack to her head, rooting her husband on to achieve the glory he himself had denied her.
Denied her twice, she realized, remembering the first round loss in this very same tournament. She immediately chastized herself. She had wanted that match, had wanted Terrence to go all out on her. She couldn't blame him for then doing so.
But, she could, and would blame him for his immaturity at Tag Wars. Throw him off, Val! See what it's like to have your dreams dashed in an unexpected moment!
But she felt her blood run cold as she realized that Valerie was going for the Lamb to the Slaughter, and she realized she was only kidding herself. As angry and upset as she was right now, she still wanted Terrence to win. She still wanted him to climb that ladder. She still wanted him to have a good end to this week, even if she hadn't. And most of all, she wanted Terrence to reverse the Lamb to the Slaughter into the Last Lap and...
... come to think of it, that's EXACTLY what he was doing.
"Oh... my.... God" Cassie, standing next to her breathed. "He's going to kill her!"
"Can I wook?" Theresa asked hopefully.
"NO!!!!" Screamed Wendy and Cassie simultaneously
Cassie gave a yelp of horror as Valerie was thrown off Terrence's shoulders, plummeting the ten feet or so to the ring. She crashed into the canvas, bounced once, and lay still.
"YES!! GO TERRY!! GO!!" Screamed Wendy, oblivious to the unconscious redhead lying a dozen feet below her husband. Terrence burst up the final few rungs, reached for the case, and began untying.
"Can I wook NOW?" Theresa asked again.
"YES!!!" Wendy screamed again, only half aware of her daughter's query. Theresa looked up, and yelped with joy as she saw her dad standing atop the ladder, victorious with a briefcase in one hand, his Next Generation title in the other. Even Cassie gave a whoop of joy as she embraced Wendy, who now had tears of joy in her eyes.
The next few moments seemed to take forever as Terrence hopped down from the ladder, and helped a reviving Val to her feet, shaking her hand as the crowd roared. Terrence left the ring.
The wait seemed like hours, but soon, the locker room door opened, and in walked Terrence, Pollaski (who had been relegated to the role of carrying the briefcase and title) following. At the sight of her father, Theresa ran to him.
Laughing, Terrence scooped the charging girl into his arms. "Who dat think they're better than Terrence Thompson?" he crowed.
"WHO DAT!" his daughter squealed back. Terrence gave her a kiss on the cheek, before setting her down.
"Congratulations," Wendy said, smiling. She swept forward and embraced her husband.
"Thanks," Terrence replied, stealing a kiss. "That is one tough little chica, though."
"How is she?" Cassie asked, still a little shaken by the brutal finish to the match.
"Sore," Terrence said with a grin. "But then again, so am I. I think she's probably disappointed, but she's a tough cookie. She'll compete next week."
"That's good. " Wendy said with a nod.
More questions were coming from the three females, but Terrence, grinning, held up a hand. "Hang on, I know you want to hear more, but I'm not standing around in this sweat-covered firesuit anymore. So give me a minute to change, and we'll all discuss the match at Olive Garden."
"OWIVE GAWDEN!" Thresa screamed with enthusiasm that would suggest that the restaurant choice was way more exciting than her father winning a tournament.
"Let's go, guys." Polkaski said, shuffling Theresa and Cassie out of the room. Wendy made to follow, but Terrence hooked her around the waist, drawing her back in to him.
"Terrence, I don't care if you just won May Madness, not in the locker room!" Wendy scolded, slapping his hand away.
"Nah, I learned my lesson on that one," Terrence replied with a wink. Then, suddenly serious, he asked "Are you still mad at me?"
Wendy stared at her husband for a while, then nodded. "A little. I wanted Tag Wars every bit as much as you wanted this."
"I know that now," Terrence said quietly, grimacing at the sadness in his wife's eyes. "And I really am sorry."
"I know." Wendy sighed. "And I'm just frustrated, not just with Tag Wars, but tonight as well. And, looking at you out there, I have to admit I'm jealous as well."
Terrence snorted."Eh, look on the bright side, hon. Everyone in the PWX is jealous of me, now."
Wendy smiled, then sighed. "I just wonder when it will be MY turn."
Terrence pushed her away slightly, and looked into her eyes. "Don't get discouraged. I know its been rough for you, but you are the toughest person I've ever met, both physically and mentally. You just gotta believe in yourself, hon. And its going to be your time real soon, hon. I swear." He suddenly grinned. "But I'm REALLY sore. Could you help me change out of my ring gear?"
Rolling her eyes, Wendy swatted her husband on the arm. "I'll see you in a few minutes." With that she turned and left the locker room, shutting the door behind her.
========================
MAY 21, 2010
MEADOW LANE RV PARK & PAINTBALL ADVENTURE
PORTAGE, INDIANA
2:33 PM LOCAL TIME
(Blackness)
Pollaski- "You're on... go"
(Nope, no Wendy Briese. No Terrence Thompson. No RV. Nothing. Just blackness, although voices can be heard)
Wendy- "Are you sure I'm on? There's no red light."
Pollaski- "Yeah, Terrence and I dealt with this last week. The digital viewfinder is on, the record symbols on the screen. We are recording, so start talking."
(Pause)
Wendy- "Well, could you remove the lens cap?"
(That would explain the blackness)
Pollaski- "Oh, right. Sorry. Here."
(Suddenly, we see Wendy Briese in all her splendor. The young redhead is sitting on the hide-a-bed in the RV, wearing a sleveless blue-green floral summer dress. Her flame colored hair is tied back in its usual ponytail. She sits very rigidly, her eyes glaring into the camera.)
Pollaski- "There we go! Get talking."
(Wendy nods grimly, and dives in)
Wendy- "Well, I suppose I can consider this past week a success. Well, at least as far as Pro-Wrestling X goes. Both Terrence and I won our matches, and Terrence claimed the May Madness championship to earn himself a shot at Jacob Wright at Full Throttle. I couldn't be prouder of my husband. He fought his way through three of the best PWX has to offer, including myself, and now he stands tall and proud atop the ladder. I have to admit, I'm a little jealous of him."
(A small, sad smile as Wendy is no doubt thinking of her first round match, where she was unable to put Terrence away.)
Wendy- "As for my match, well, I think its fairly obvious that was not what I had in mind. I was looking forward to finally facing a worthy opponent other than my husband, and well, obviously taking two chair shots to the head wasn't how I pictured my contest ending. I'm sure Brian Hollywood thinks it was hillarious to hit me, and then convince Jay Price to hit me as well."
(There's a pause, and Dan's voice can be heard from behind the camera.)
Pollaski- "Oh yeah, sorry about that. You know, I was gonna save you, but he had a chair, and, well, you know. I had myself to think about. But I almost couldn't bear to watch."
(Wendy rolls her eyes at her manager's half hearted apology.)
Wendy- "That's fine, Dan. I always expect you to be a coward."
Pollaski- (sounding hurt- kinda) "Ouch"
Wendy- "I suppose I should have expected Brian to take the coward's route as well. What were you so afraid of, Hollywood? Losing to a girl? Being beaten cleanly in the middle of the ring? Honestly, Brian, it makes me cringe when I see that someone who is such a disgrace to this sport has held the PWX championship. When Terry wins the belt at Full Throttle, I might have to throw the belt in a vat of rubbing alcohol to get the stain you put on the title off before I allow it in my house."
(Wendy stares directly into the camera, anger burning in her emerald eyes. Her voice is calm, but there's a definite tremble to it, as if she's fighting down the urge to just start screaming.)
Wendy- "And don't think this is over, Brian. I'm not a coward. I do not attack from behind, and I do not need to use a weapon to defeat my opponents. But I'm tired of being disrespected, Brian. You plastered me with a chair. Noah Hanson refused to face me. Victor Mandrake and even my own husband have disrupted my matches, seemingly to 'help' me. And while I suppose I should thank Jay Price for trying to save me, in the end, he took the coward's way and resorted to using a chair as well, and I got laid out a second time."
(Wendy shakes her head angrily)
Wendy- "Well, I'm done with it! If I have to make an example of someone to ensure I can actually have a good match with no cheating or interference, then so be it. And Brian, you WILL be that example. It won't be interference in a match, it won't be from behind, and it won't be with a weapon, but you will come to regret your actions. I wish I could say I was sorry, Brian, but you will have brought this on yourself. Now, as far as this week goes..."
(Wendy pauses for just a second, then allows herself a smile, as the anger behind her eyes melt into genuine excitement.)
Wendy- "I'm honestly thrilled about my match for this week. It should be an excellent chance for the ladies of Pro Wrestling X to show what they are capable of. I see I'm going to be teaming with a newcomer to PWX, Jourita Hills. This is always a challenging prospect, as you basically have to put your faith in an unknown quantity. Is she a dark horse who has been overlooked, and is finally getting her chance to shine, or is she a starry-eyed rookie, with absolutely no idea how to compete in this business?"
(Interruption #3)
Pollaski- "Or is she one of Jacob Wright's dumb ass self-righteous RIOTers sent to annoy all the injustice and corruption out of northern Indiana?"
(Its obvious this is not the direction Wendy wants to take this promo, as she visibly cringes.)
Wendy- "Please don't insult my tag team partner. It's going to be harder to work together if she's offended."
Pollaski- "Who says she wants to work together at all? The only thing we know about her is that she's Jacob Wright's girlfriend, or cousin, or something. The same Jacob Wright who's about to get the living shit beaten out of him by YOUR husband. And they're expecting you two to play nice? The only way this could possibly smell any more fishy is if Mercedes Morgan spread her legs."
(Wendy's expression of exasperation turns into one of disgust in about two seconds.)
Wendy- "Okay, that is gross. And do you honestly think Jacob would get me placed in a tag match with Jourita just to play mind games with Terry?"
Pollaski- "You're right. He's not smart enough to think of that."
(Wendy closes her eyes, and rubs the bridge of her nose, between the eyes, as if she suddenly had a headache.)
Wendy- "Or that's just not the way Wright works."
Pollaski- "Yeah, cause he's not smart enough."
(Now, Wendy's back to glaring at the camera, obviously quickly running out of patience.)
Wendy- "Can I finish my promo, now?"
Pollaski- "Go ahead. I ain't stoppin' ya."
(Since, technically, Pollaski is the ONLY thing stopping her, Wendy's irritation doesn't go away immediately. Finally, she closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and calms herself.)
Wendy- "Jourita, if you're watching, all I can say is I honestly hope you know what you're getting into. You have a chance to make an impact on your very first match here, and prove you can compete with two of the best female wrestlers in the world. All I ask of my tag partner is that they help carry their share of the load, and not stab me in the back. If you are prepared to do that, then I'm honored to be your partner for your debut match. But don't think this is a simple tune-up match most newcomers get, Jourita. You are in for a challenge, but also a wonderful opportunity."
“As for my opponents, I’m also excited and honored to be facing them. Mercedes Morgan, I faced you in my first singles match in PWX, and I emerged victorious in a hard fought competition.”
(Behind the camera, Pollaski coughs, although it strangely sounds like “squash match!” Wendy either misses it or ignores it)
Wendy- “I know you’ve been training with The Fallen for the past few months, Mercedes, and I think it will be interesting to see how far you’ve come. I can’t say I approve of The Fallen’s attitude- or their methods, of course, but I know they both are talented wrestlers, so I know you’ll be much improved over the last time we met.”
(Now that Wendy’s given the obligatory nod to Mercedes out of the way, her smile- and excitement- seem to heighten)
Wendy- “But now for the real reason I’ve been looking forward to this match. Valerie Belmont. Valerie, I can’t say enough how much I respect you. In a way, you remind me a lot of me. We carry similar styles, although I do believe I’m probably a little faster than you, but I know for a fact I would never even CONSIDER trying to powerbomb a man of my husband’s size, so I’m going to guess you probably have me beat in the strength department. I know you also carry a code of honor, and abhor the usage of weapons in wrestling matches, both of which earns you great respect in my book, especially given recent events regarding other members of the PWX roster. And of course, you are a loving mother, with a beautiful daughter, and a husband who cares a lot about you.”
“About the only thing I don’t get about you, Valerie, is why you feel you need to resort to this ridiculous vampire gimmick. You are more than talented enough to win nearly every match you are put into, and your ability and willingness to take risks should be more than enough to get yourself noticed. So why pretend to be something you aren’t?”
(Interruption #4, although this time, it’s a valid one.)
Pollaski- “Oh, for God’s sakes… they exist. Cousin Ivan hunts them.”
Wendy- “No they don’t, your cousin Ivan’s creepy, and stop interrupting me!”
(Pollaski, realizing this argument comes up EVERY FREAKING TIME one of the WhirlyBirdz faces one of the Belmont’s, shuts his trap, and let’s Wendy resume. Besides, he has to agree. His cousin Ivan’s creepy.)
Wendy- “Although I suppose it’s really none of my business what do or don’t pretend to be, Valerie. Because what you ARE is one of the best females I’ve ever seen in the wrestling ring, And that is why I’m so looking forward to this match. I’ve faced many different people over the course of my career, but unfortunately, when it came to female opponents, only Misty Xiao ever managed to compete with me on the same level.
(Misty Xiao: Shanghai-born ping-pong prodigy who retired from her original sport to join a stable of oddball psychotics living on an aircraft carrier plotting world domination while being led by an eccentric recluse who only appeared in public with a paper bag over his head. Also, the only female WFWA World Champion in history. Good times)
Wendy- “I’ve spent my entire career trying to prove that the women can compete with the men in this sport, but, for the most part, I’ve unfortunately found myself the exception rather than the rule. But I know you’re different, Val. Terrence will NEVER admit it, but he’s told me after both of his matches against you that he honestly became concerned that he wasn’t going to be winning. Terrence is about as cocky as you are, Val, so that says something.”
“But unfortunately, I’ve so far found myself unable to attain the respect I used to carry in a wrestling ring. Everytime I get myself a quality opponent, they either back out of the match, hit me in the head with a chair the moment things stop going my way, or some other mishap befalls me. I don’t know if you can understand, but it’s been a very frustrating few months since I’ve made my return. But I can change that when I face you. You carry the #1 spot in the WWR Women’s Rankings, and are considered a threat to any title in any federation. I know that when Terrence ‘upset’ you at High Stakes last month, it created the momentum he needed to win the May Madness tournament. And I’ll admit it, I’m jealous.”
“But I don’t know how many chances I'll get to carve my own path here. I blew it against Terrence, and I let it slip away against Brian Hollywood. Valerie, I can't afford to let an opportunity get away again. You, and everyone else out there, might think this is merely an interesting gimmick match, facing the females in the PWX against each other to fill a spot on the card, but for me, this could very well be my breakout. I don't want to be relegated to breaking in newcomers or facing other mid-carders that nobody thinks can hack it with the top stars. I want to face the best, and show I can beat the best, and its time I started."
"Val, Mercedes, Jourita; good luck to all three of you, and lets give the fans a match that will make them forget about the six-way tag the men have. Let's show them that the ladies are as every bit as tough as the guys. As for me, I have a lot to prove this week, and I just hope I can cut the mustard."
(Wendy sighs, and smiles sadly, thinking of the difficult past couple of weeks she's had.)
Wendy- "I guess we'll all just have to see."
(Fade)
No comments:
Post a Comment