From the Private Journal of Wendy Briese.
7-28-14
Ugh.
I can’t even begin to think of another word for it, other than UGH.
I waited six long months for Saturday night. I trained my butt off, bided my time, and mentally got myself ready for a chance to gain back the title that I lost back in January. I was focused, I was prepared, I was peaking. I was ready to take back what I deserved.
And in thirty minutes… thirty disgusting, despicable, disgraceful minutes, six months of preparation was undone.
I’m sick to my stomach at the letdown. I should have seen something like that coming. I know what Mika is, what she stands for, how she goes about things. I should have expected that she was going to act like the clown she was for that ignoble half hour. Biting. Gouging. Poking. Roping. Throwing me into the barricades and intentionally attempting to reinjure my back to the point my arm nearly went numb... None of it should have surprised me.
And even THEN… with all the GARBAGE she kept throwing at me, I powered through it. I fought back. I refused to be held down. I kept coming, and fought my way back, and put myself into position to where I could win back that FFW Championship…
And then it all went away.
I shouldn’t have done the Emerald Cyclone. No, I should have locked on the Banshee and held onto it until the bell rang, even if I had to listen to every single joint and muscle and sinew TEAR apart in Mika’s body in the meantime. But no, I went for the exclamation point, missed it.. and even then Mika had to use the ropes for leverage to get that win.
I should have kicked out. I WOULD have kicked out. But nope. Stringer missed the call, and somehow, being a lucky, cheap little mediocrity is once again good enough to win the FFW Championship and that makes me sick. It makes me SICK to see her parading around with that belt. It makes me SICK that I know I’m going to have to hear about her bragging and gloating about doing NOTHING, as if somehow that makes her smart. And it makes me SICK that not just hours before, she had the AUDACITY to stand in front of a camera, giggle, and insincerely mold herself into MY mindset, all the while harboring a game plan to do the EXACT opposite.
But most of all, it makes me SICK that I knew every single second of that was coming, and STILL I couldn’t make it all blow up in her face.
I’ve already been promised another shot. Sin & Sacrifice, a contenders match, although they haven’t told me who yet. Probably either Tara or Val, if I had to guess. Maybe Crystal or Stacey or Sophie. I don’t know. At least I don’t have to go through the Femme For All, so I’m only one match away from it instead of three.
But I shouldn’t even be in this situation. I should be holding that belt, eagerly preparing to finally… FINALLY face Scarlett one on one at Sin & Sacrifice. But it’s not me, and while I have to accept that, I don’t have to like it. I’m angry, and I have every right to be. I’m angry at Mika. I’m angry at myself. I’m angry at Stringer. I’m angry at Pollaski. Heck, I’m even angry at the other girls in the company.
Because where the HELL is the outrage in all this? The FFW Championship… the ultimate prize in women’s wrestling… is won in a cheap FARCE, and not ONE person in the locker room shows any kind of issue with it? I don’t expect Mika’s Team Kyle sycophants to have any issues of course- they eat that garbage up and every single one of them would have done it in a heartbeat. Nor do I expect it from the likes of the Social Elite or Jodie Gray or the likes.
But what about the so called ‘good girls’ in the locker room? Where was Misty? Or Eileen? Or Summer? Or Alysson? Not a single word or gesture or ANYTHING from any of them. Travesty unfurls in front of their very eyes on the biggest show of the year, and I don’t get so much as a message of condolence? After I’ve gone and stood up for them in the past, and spoke out on THEIR behalf when they needed it, they don’t even have the decency to do the same when I needed some empathy? Freya even had the audacity to WHINE that I lost her MONEY because she was DUMB enough to bet on a wrestling match! When I was one of the few who showed ANY concern for her when the EXACT SAME WOMAN injured her!
At least Scarlett cared, mainly because she knows exactly what it’s like to go through that. So the one woman in this whole company who actually felt ANYTHING is the same woman I’ve been angling for a head on collision with for months. Funny how that works.
As for the rest of them… whatever. They want to bury their head in the sand and pretend that nothing’s going on outside of them and their friends (of which I clearly don’t seem to be), that’s their choice. If I have to stand alone, I will stand alone, but I’m not going to change. As tempting as it is, I won’t turn my back. I’ll still stand up for them, and I’ll still speak out on their behalf if needed. That’s simply a matter of duty.
I know there’s brighter days ahead. Days where Mika won’t be FFW Champion and maybe even days where I will be. Sooner or later, I’ll be back in that ring, and the quest will begin again. Late September and then early December is not so far away. It always helps when you’re in a dark tunnel to know that sooner or later you’ll find a light on the other side.
Still though, it doesn’t make the darkness you’re currently in seem any brighter
-Wendy
=========
Sunday August 24, 2014
8:55 PM Eastern Daylight Time
The Nest- Living Room
Indianapolis, Indiana
“You’re not very good at this.”
Uttered in deadpan, the words from Theresa were still brutal, but accurate, nonetheless, considering she was already a half lap ahead.
“I’ve never played Mario Kart 8 before!” Daniel Pollaski protested as he watched DK fly off the track for the tenth time this race. “I’ve played Mario Kart Wii… Mario Kart DS… Mario Kart 64… NOT 8!”
“It’s not that hard,” Theresa said, her eyes narrowed she navigated Peach through the track in a much more efficient manner. “Maybe if you stopped playing Dynasty Warriors so much and branched out…”
“I branch out! I play all kinds of games. I’ve played all kinds of racing games! Need For Speed! Split/Second! Burnout! OH COME ON!” DK was once again plummeting into oblivion, only to re-appear magically at the end of Lakitu’s fishing rod. He was now officially and utterly in last place.
“I win.” Theresa said matter of factly as Peach crossed the finish line, yet another easy victory for her.
“Alright, I’m done,” Pollaski said, tossing his controller aside, and leaning back on the couch. He looked up at the clock. 9:00… about an hour before Terrence and Wendy were scheduled to return home. “You can single player if you want.”
Without a word, Theresa exited, and started a single player game, as Pollaski pulled out his tablet and began checking his email. “You’re way more fun a babysitter than Cassie,” Theresa said as she navigated her way through the menu. “She never lets me play video games.”
“Yeah, well that’s because Cassie actually cares whether or not your brain rots.” Pollaski chuckled. “Me, I’ve already had my brain rotted. The more computer-zombies, the better. Aw, you kidding me?”
That last bit was directed at his tablet, his brow furrowing as he read his email..
“Something wrong?” asked Theresa.
“Eh, they’re just changing up the hotel reservations on us again.” Pollaski grumbled. “Nothing that won’t be sorted out by the time we leave.”
“So you and Mom are flying to Europe again?” Theresa asked.
“Yup. Leaving Wednesday, and then we’ll be back Friday afternoon. I bet you miss your mom a lot, with this world tour and all…”
Theresa snorted as if Pollaski had made a mildly amusing joke. “Not really. She’s been really grumpy lately.”
“Ah, yeah... well…” Pollaski sighed. “I think that loss to Mika hurt more than anyone thought it was going to. It was really a bitter pill to swallow. And this stunt Isabella pulled to force Wendy into a Falls Count Anywhere match isn’t helping matters, I’m sure. Besides… it’s in Russia.”
“What’s wrong with Russia?” Theresa asked, barely looking away from the television.
Pollaski chuckled as if Theresa had just asked an incredibly obvious question. “Well, for starters… it’s the homeland of Mikaela Demidov, and she’s probably absolutely adored there, and I think it’s going to drive Wendy INSANE to listen to the crowd for once buying into Mika and thinking she’s as awesome as she pretends she is.”
“How could ANYONE like Mika?” Theresa asked. “She’s annoying. And she screwed mom!”
“Nationalism.” Pollaski simply said with a shrug. “Not to mention Russia is a disgustingly backwards country, filled with disgustingly backwards people and led by a man who knows how to exploit it”
“You sound like you don’t like Russia very much,” Theresa remarked.
“Well yeah,” Pollaski chortled. “I grew up during the Cold War, you know. And I see what’s going on in the Ukraine, and it’s so obvious that Russia’s trying to restart the Cold War. They want to get back to that standoff because they’ve become nostalgic and actually are thinking the Soviets were some sort of glory days, instead of a seventy-five year long gulag. Although I suppose when you’ve spent the last twenty years being a corrupt kleptocracy-“
“A WHAT?!”
“Kleptocracy. Basically a country ran by thieves and bandits that get away with everything because they have the power. Russia’s been one of the worst.”
Theresa looked over at Pollaski, clearly skeptical. “It can’t be that bad, can it?”
“Pause your game,” Pollaski said, picking up his tablet again and poking at it for a few seconds. “Hang on. Here’s some video of what its like in Russia. There’s a couple fights… but nothing that your mom would flip out about you seeing.” He held the tablet between them, and the two watched silently for several minutes, Theresa looking slightly miffed at what she was seeing.
“What are they saying?”
“Dunno, don’t know Russian. Although I’m reasonably certain that even if I did, I couldn’t tell you.” Pollaski finished with a chuckle.
Theresa’s brow furrowed as if she was trying to figure something out. “These are all being filmed from the dashboards of cars?”
“Yeah. Most the cars over there have cameras mounted to the dashboard, because the countries so corrupt. There’s actually people who run at you while driving, and throw themselves on your car- even if you stop in time, then claim you hit them and sue for damages”
Theresa’s eyebrows arched. “…That works?”
“It must, cause everyone now drives with a camera.” Pollaski chuckled again.
“But most cars in America don’t have one…” Theresa mused.
“No, they don’t. Well, police cars do, but other than that… it’s not really needed. America’s got its issues, but we’re nowhere near as corrupt as Russia is.”
“Oh.” Theresa said, looking back at the tablet as the video ended. “Sheesh. If it’s so bad over there… why are they holding a show?”
“Beats me,” Pollaski sighed. “But I really wish they had sent the tour somewhere else. It’s like the China show last year… why are we going to these horrible countries? I think Wendy would have probably skipped the show had Isabella not forced Wendy into that match. And I’m almost CERTAIN she knew that Wendy would detest wrestling in Russia. A straight lace like her in a backwards country like that… in a brutal match with Emma? Yeesh.”
Theresa paused, then sighed, picking up her WiiU controller, and unpausing her game. “Poor mom.”
Pollaski snorted, but then thought a bit about it, and nodded, sighing. “Yeah. Poor mom.”
==================
Monday August 26, 2014
12:57 PM Eastern Daylight Time
The Nest- Living Room
Indianapolis, Indiana
“And we breathe… two…three…four…and exhale.”
Wendy Briese lay on her back on her yoga mat, trying her best to follow the instructor on the screen. She felt a little awkward and rusty- it’d been several months since she’d used her yoga DVDs. She had forgotten both how good of an exercise and how relaxing they were, which was nice, considering she felt more tense than she’d been in a long time today. All the stress and pressure was getting to her, but at least here, now, it was melting away.
“And now we move into the lotus position. Focus our thoughts on nature. Remember the last time you went to a park, and feel the nature you experienced. The breeze on your face. The smell of the flowers. The sound of rushing water from the creek. The-“
*HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNK*
*SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH*
Wendy’s eyes snapped open at the sound of a car slamming on its brakes and the horn right in front of her house. Apprehension immediately replaced any sense of relaxation she had been feeling, and was slowly moving towards dread.
“What… just happened?”
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