EPISODE 103: Kitties and Bunnies

Tuesday May 31, 2011
The Nest- Dining Room
Indianapolis, Indiana
11:17 AM Local Time

“What the hell is going on in here?” my husband demanded as he burst in the doorway between our kitchen dining room. “Why are you two screaming?”

Cassie and I both jumped in surprise and looked up from my laptop computer’s screen. For a second, we both blinked, too stunned by the interruption to properly respond. Finally, Cassie spoke up. “Sorry, but we weren’t really screaming. I was just showing Wendy this really adorable vid-”

“Well, don’t do that! I heard you from the garage,” Terrence interrupted irritably. “Theresa and I thought one of you was hurt or something, Jesus..”

I looked over at Terrence, and was surprised to see that there was a measure of relief on his face, although irritation certainly was there as well. Behind him, in the kitchen watching us curiously, stood my daughter. I grimaced, and sighed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you two...”

Terrence shrugged, apparently accepting my apology, and tugged at the Tony Stewart (old-school, back when he drove #20 Home Depot Car!) t-shirt he was wearing. He strode into the room. “So what were you watching?”

“Nothing,” I shot back. “You’ll just make fun of it.”

“What makes you say that?” Terrence protested, leaning over Cassie’s shoulder to get a better view on the laptop computer screen. “It’s a YouTube video. I watch YouTube all the time!”

“Yeah, but this isn’t really like the ‘Top Ten Mortal Kombat Fatalities of All time’ or ‘Greatest Hockey Fight EVAR’, or anything like that,” Cassie replied, looking at Terrence mildly. “I don’t think you’ll be into it.”

“What? I’m a sensitive guy!” Terrence protested. “I teared up at the end of Moulin Rogue, remember?”

“Really?” Cassie asked skeptically, before turning to look at me for confirmation.

I nodded. “Though I specifically remember him saying ‘I missed a Cubs game for THIS?’”

“Oh, shut up and play the damned video,” Terrence growled.

“Terry, language,” I softly reminded, looking over at our daughter.

Terrence cringed, and shot me a lopsided, apologetic smile. “Can she watch this?” he added. “PG-rated?”

I nodded, and Cassie scoffed. “DEFINITELY G-rated,” she said.

“Alright.” Terrence turned to Theresa. “Wanna watch a video, kiddo? See what mommy and Cassie thought was so cute?”

“Yeah!” Theresa exclaimed, and bounded into the room. Terrence scooped her up in his arms, and nodded to Cassie, and my nanny hit play, the YouTube video once again playing. In it, two cats- a larger gray one, and a tiny orange-furred kitten, were sleeping next to each other. Cassie and I ‘awwed’ again as the smaller kitty began to paw at the air in its sleep, until the larger cat reached out with its paws, embraced the kitten, and pulled it in tight against her. Even Theresa giggled at the touching scene.

Terrence, however, was unimpressed. “That’s it?”

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. “I knew you wouldn’t get it.”

“No, I get it,” Terrence said, setting Theresa down and looking over at me. “Mama cat hugs baby kitty. I just don’t see the appeal. Heck, whenever Theresa hugs Chanticleer like that, you yell at her!”

“Terry, she was squeezing him so hard Chant couldn’t breathe. He was WHEEZING,” I countered. “It’s not the same.”

“Whatever,” Terrence said with a nonchalant shrug, looking back at the computer screen. “Probably not even mother and kitten. The big one has gray fur, and the little one has orange and white-”

“And that matters how?” I demanded. “I have red hair, and Theresa has brown.”

“Yeah,” Terrence replied, suddenly looking thoughtful. “You think the hospital switched kids on us? OW! I’M KIDDING!” he protested, as my closed fist rammed into his shoulder, and he began to rub it.

“Not funny!” I looked at Terrence severely for a couple of seconds, then looked over at Cassie, who was still seated at the dining room table, watching us in amusement. Theresa, meanwhile, apparently had become inspired by the video, and was searching under the table for Chanticleer. She’d have no luck- the cat was sleeping upstairs on my bed, and I was hardly about to volunteer that information.

“Oh, almost forgot to mention,” Terrence said, more serious this time, all though he was still rubbing his shoulder. “I booked our flight for Los Angeles. Leaves Sunday morning from Chicago- we’ll have to leave the RV there for a week. I assume you’re coming, Cassie?”

“I was planning on it,” our ever-vigilant nanny said softly.

“Okay, it’s gonna be a long trip. We leave Thursday for my race in Joliet, then Friday and Saturday there, Sunday we fly to Calgary, then to Los Angeles, spend the week there, then back to Chicago after Wendy’s match Thursday night, then we drive to Pennsylvania on Friday, and I race at Pocono on Saturday.”

“It’s fine,” Cassie replied, smiling slightly. “I’m used to long-trips with you guys now. And a week in L.A. should be fun!”

“Just make sure we bring sunscreen, and a lot of it,” I said, sighing. “I’m not going to be much good out there if I’m sunburned. But Terry, how come you booked our flight? Why didn’t you have Pollaski do it?’

“Couldn’t get ahold of him,” my husband replied, shrugging. “It’s weird. I tried him several times.”

I bit my lip, and looked at Terrence. “He always answers his phone,” I replied. “Or he calls back immediately. I wonder what-” suddenly, my mind shot back to the previous night, where Pollaski and I had been talking with several other FFW wrestlers on Twitter, only for Pollaski to suddenly go quiet. I had jokingly suggested that maybe he had a heart attack, but... “Oh God...” I exclaimed, turning pale.

“What?” Terrence asked, looking at me in concern.

“I... think he’s dead.” I whispered.

*BAM!*

Terrence, Cassie, and I jumped nearly a mile at the sound of our front door swinging open, slamming into the wall. After we had composed ourselves, Terrence shot me a sly wink. “Well, there he is. So unless he’s a zombie coming to eat our brains...”

“Shut up, Terry,” I growled, then raised my voice. “Pollaski, would you please stop swinging our front door open... like.... that...”

My voice trailed off as Pollaski came into view. He obviously wasn’t a zombie- in fact, he was looking about as good as I had ever seen him. His hair had been cut, he was clean shaven. But the most alarming element about my manager was that his usual t-shirt/Hawaiian shirt and shorts combo was gone, replaced by a tuxedo.

As the three of us stood in shock, Pollaski shot us an ear-to-ear smile, took a deep breath, and to our utter shock, slowly began to sing.

“I never thought that life could bring
Me anything but the mundane things”

It wasn’t the worst singing voice I had ever heard (and as a former community theater director, I had heard a lot of them!), baritone in nature. Nonetheless, I felt my jaw drop, and I was aware that my compatriots were having similar reactions. A quick look at my husband saw him mouthing ‘wtf’ as he stared at Pollaski.

“But in one moment my cellphone rings
A Tweet that makes me sing
Now I have a golden ticket!
I've got a really hot date on Sunday Night”

“Is... he... is he really singing Willy Wonka?” Cassie whispered. I nodded silently. Even if I could have found words, my mouth was still hung open, so all I could really utter was a strangled-sounding squeak.

Pollaski picked the tempo up a little, grabbing a giggling Theresa and beginning to dance with our four year old around the room.

I simply wrote my column for fun
Always trying to piss off someone
But with Samantha my words struck a chord
Now I have a huge reward.

And I have a golden ticket!
I have a golden girl her name is...

Pollaski was swinging Theresa by her arms in the air, but paused in mid swing, and set her down. He rubbed his chin. “Her name is... uh...”

“Jaclyn Swedberg?” I finished, rolling my eyes. My fears that this ‘arrangement’ Samantha had made could only end in disaster wasn’t being alleviated any.

Pollaski snapped, and pointed at me. “Thank you! I knew there was a ‘J’ in there somewhere!” He then cleared his throat.

“And I have a golden girl her-”

“You’re done!” Cassie, Terrence and I all managed to exclaim simultaneously.

“You’re sure?” Pollaski asked, arching an eyebrow. “I have more.”

“Maybe later,” I said flatly. “Dan, I-”

I found myself being cut off by Cassie. “Why are you so happy?”

Pollaski’s grin returned, and he looked over at Cassie. “Okay, so get this. Yesterday, I was writing my column, which is COMPLETELY awesome and everyone should read by the way. Anyways, I was fairly complimentary of Samantha, because she, well, is a genius. And well, Samantha read the column, loved it, and as a reward, she got me a DATE WITH A PLAYBOY BUNNY!”

There was another moment of silence. Pollaski’s ear-to-ear grin was plastered on his face, while Cassie returned his look with disgust. Terrence, meanwhile, seemed to be hardly paying attention, as he had taken out his phone, and was apparently texting. The silence was finally broken, to my horror, by my daughter.

“Why would you want to go out with a rabbit?”

“Theresa,” I said, walking over to her side, and kneeling in front of her. “If, God forbid, you remember this conversation ten years from now, I will explain it to you then, okay? Now, go upstairs and... get a game or something.”

“But...”

“Don’t argue with me Theresa!” I said sharply.

“I never get to be in ANY of the fun talks!” Theresa pouted, as she moped towards the stairs.

“And you have no idea I jealous I am of you right now,” I said quietly after her.

“DUDE!” Terrence’s voice interrupted my thoughts, and I wheeled to see my husband staring at his phone, his mouth open in amazement. “Holy CRAP!”

“I know, right?” Pollaski snickered.

“Terry! What are you doing?” I exclaimed.

“Well, every time I ask you who or what something is, you tell me to Google it. So I did.” Terrence responded mildly, then burst out laughing. “Boy am I glad I did!”

“Give me that!” I snarled, ripping the phone from my husband’s hands. I was tempted to fling it against the wall, and it honestly took every ounce of my self-control to not do so. Instead, I squeezed the Android in my hands. Maybe I’d ‘accidentally’ break it this way...

Terrence however, was undaunted. “Dude, we only have five days! We gotta get you ready! You know what we absolutely need in this case?”

Pollaski stopped in the middle of an impromptu jig, and looked over at Terrence. There was another short moment of silence then-

“OLD SPICE!” Both men exclaimed with a double fist-bump.

“Ditch the monkey suit, though” Terrence continued. “You’ll look like a dork wearing that in a Wal-Mart,”

“Oh yeah, that’ll be a new thing,” I heard Cassie hiss behind me under her breath.

Pollaski grimaced, and nodded. “Yeah, I should change. Sides, like you said. It’s five days. Damn thing’ll get dirty by then. I still have that t-shirt and shorts here, right?”

“Yeah, it’s in the laundry room,” I replied, although my dagger-filled glare was still leveled at Terrence.

“Cool. Give me a few.” Pollaski said, then hurriedly walked out of the room.

Terrence grinned as Pollaski left, then turned back to me, his grin fading. “For the record, you’re way hotter than this Jaclyn Smith chick.”

“Swedberg,” I icily corrected. “Smith was one of the Charlie’s Angels. But you wouldn’t know anything about THAT, would you?”

“Would this be a bad time to say that you look really, really cute when you’re jealous?” Terrence asked, grinning.

I narrowed my eyes, “I’m not jealous.” It was a flat-out lie, of course.

“Right,” Terrence replied, his grin returning. “Oh come on. Pollaski says he’s going out with Miss freakin’ April, and you don’t expect me to look? And it’s not like I’ve never seen you looking at a good-lookin’ guy. You kept taking glances at Christian Kincaid at the 500, that’s for sure!”

“That pig?!” I scoffed. “I was merely making sure he and his HAREM didn’t do anything that would embarrass us and our other guests!”

Terrence chuckled. “If you say so hon.” He leaned in, and kissed me on the cheek, then gently wrest his phone from my hands. “Now come on. Our very good friend Daniel Pollaski has a date of his life, and we should be supportive, okay?”

I gave a half-hearted smile. “I know, but something about this-”

I was interrupted by Pollaski returning, now in a Batman T-shirt and a pair of khaki cargo shorts. “Aight, let’s roll, Twistaman,”

Terrence gave me another kiss on the cheek. “See ya later, hon.”

Terrence and Pollaski headed out the door, laughing and smacking each other on the shoulder, leaving me and Cassie alone in the dining room. I sighed deeply.

“I don’t like this, Cass. I know she’s my boss, but I don’t trust Samantha Star at all. She seems like the type of person who’s only friendly to you as long as you’re useful to her. I don’t like what she did at Conviction. I don’t like that she’s suddenly taken Val Belmont’s sister under her wing, and I certainly don’t like that she’s suddenly setting my manager up with dates. All of it just reeks of a plot, and not one I want to be a part of.”

I expected my nanny to respond, but all I heard was the sound of Terrence’s Charger, roaring out of the driveway and up the street. I looked over. “Cass-?”

I was shocked to find Cassie livid, her fists clenched at her side, her face thunderous. She was staring at where Pollaski had been, her teeth bared in a snarl.

“Cassie?!”

My mentioning her name a second time seem to jolt her from her enraged stupor, and she looked over at me. “What?”

I was taken aback by the abrupt response. “Are you okay?” I asked, my voice filled with concern.

“Yeah. Never better. I’m just peachy-fucking-keen.” Cassie snarled.

“Wha-” I started to ask, but my voice died in my throat as Cassie stormed by me, heading to the front door. I heard it open, and then slam behind her, leaving me alone in the dining room, confused out of my mind.

What the HECK had just happened here?

========================
Wednesday June 1, 2011
The Nest- Living Room
Indianapolis, Indiana
3:21 PM Local TIme

[Well, that was a bit chaotic, wasn’t it?]

[Anyways, we’re stayin in The Nest here, moving things over to the living room, where we open with Wendy Briese sitting on the couch. Wendy seems to have fully acquiesced to the heat of summer, and is wearing a white sundress. Whatever trepidation and confusion that Wendy felt earlier seems to have vanished, and she looks positively thrilled to be in front of the camera.]

“Well, we did it!”

[Wendy grins excitedly at the camera]

“I owe all the thanks in the world to my two tag partners for that match. Crystal, Kassandra, you two were brilliant, and together, we got the job done. The three of us should be proud of the victory we had at Conviction, that’s for sure.”

[Wendy’s smile fades slightly.]

“But, obviously, that’s not the end of the road for us. Towards the end of the month, the second phase of the Chase will happen, and this team will be forced to implode, the three of us to face each other, because despite what happened at Conviction, there can only be one of us walking away the ultimate winner in this contest.”

“After seeing what both of you can do in the ring, I have to say, I’m more nervous about the second round of this competition than ever. I still think that I have what it takes to walk out the winner of the Chase, but I know that in the coming weeks, neither of you are going to make things easy for me, that’s for sure.”

[Wendy’s smile brightens again, until she’s grinning like she did at the start]

“But next week on Velocity, one more time we get to go out and show the world what the three of us can do. And this time-”

[Wendy pauses, and takes a deep breath, her emerald eyes dancing with excitement]

“With all due respect to our previous opponents, these are EXACTLY the types of people that I’ve been wanting a crack at ever since I signed up for Femme Fatale Wrestling. The Evolution Championship is something I would be honored to hold, and these are three women who have accomplished that feat. These are three women who are among the best that FFW has to offer.”

“These are three women I REALLY want to beat.”

[A small, lopsided smile]

“It’s nothing personal against them, of course. All of them are amazing wrestlers who deserve every accolade that has been heaped upon them. But that’s exactly why I want this win. If we can beat Colleen, Undine, and Robbyn Helmsley in a single night, there isn’t a person on the FFW roster we won’t be able to beat.”

“What’s shocked me the most about this contest is that I’ve heard some people, including Colleen’s own manager, write it off as a meaningless exhibition. Well, it might be an exhibition, but it sure isn’t meaningless to me.”

[Wendy pauses for just a second, and frowns, her voice softening just a tad.]

“This isn’t something you’ll hear a lot of wrestlers talk about, and maybe it’s not something I should bring up... but I know full well that my victory in the Chase for the Crown isn’t guaranteed. A lot can happen in the final two stages. And I don’t know how many of the other girls think this, but I’m always left wondering- what happens if I fail? What happens if I’m not the winner? What becomes of me then?”

“Only one of us CAN win, and for the losers, well, its the bitter sting of defeat, and the unknown, where the only certainty is that you won’t have accomplished what you wanted to. But if we win Thursday, at Velocity, and prove that we’re every bit as equal to the last three Evolution Champions, then maybe for the two of us that don’t win the Chase, the fall won’t be as far.”

[A deep sigh]

“But I also know that this could be the point where gamesmanship comes into play. Kassandra mentioned her fears going into the last match that either Crystal or I might try to screw her over, a ridiculous assessment given what was at stake. But it’s different now. I don’t know what’s in Kassandra or Crystal’s hearts, but they might not view this match the same way I do. They might not see the opportunity that arises from a victory, only the opportunity that can be found in treasonous duplicity. After all, if one of us were to be taken out during this match, it supposedly will give the other two an advantage in the next round.”

[Wendy shakes her head]

“I really hope that’s not the case, and that we’re all better than that. You can count on my commitment to this team, and know that I’m going all out to win this, and I hope that my teammates are willing to do the same. But I can promise this- I take umbrage to being stabbed in the back just as much as anyone else would, and you can my retribution upon any traitor will be swift, harsh, and damning.”

[A long pause, and Wendy smiles again]

“But I really hope that’s not the case. What the three of us did at Conviction was a thing of beauty, and given that our opponents themselves are hardly a unified front, there’s no reason that lightning can’t strike again. So Crystal, Kassandra, train hard over the next few days. I’ll see you guys in Los Angeles, and we’ll give the FFW fans an encore performance for the Anniversary show. Just please, keep this team on an even keel for just another week, until this match is behind us.”

[A deep breath,]

“I think the rewards for doing so might just be greater than any of us realize.”

[Fade]

EPISODE 102: XXX

Friday May 27, 2011
The RV- Bedroom
Vaughan, Ontario
9:12 AM Local Time

I moaned softly and turned over as I slipped back into consciousness, a content smile on my face after a restful sleep. Stretching languidly, I looked up at the ceiling. Almost immediately, I could tell that I had slept in- the sunlight coming in through the RV’s windows was too bright for my customary wake-up time of six o’ clock. I found myself not caring- in my life, where I always had somewhere to go, an appointment to keep, an obligation to make, it was nice to once in a while wake up on your own volition, not because a shrieking alarm clock told you to.

I looked to my left, and was surprised to find the other half of my bed empty. That was rare- I almost always awoke before my husband, sometimes by the measure of a couple hours.

I felt on the small end table next to the bed for my cellphone, eventually grasping it. I flipped it on, looking at the clock- a quarter after nine! What decadence!

I turned my phones screen off, and went to set my phone back on the small nightstand, but something stopped me. I turned the Droid back on, and again looked at the screen. Sure enough, the date shown clearly, ominously. The twenty-seventh of May.

My birthday.

“Ohhh..” I moaned, setting the phone down, and rolling over, suddenly wracked by a wave of despair. “I’m thirty!”

I knew I was whining. I knew I should have embraced the day of my birth as a celebration. I knew that finishing three decades of life meant little as what I could or couldn’t physically do. But visualizing the two in the tens column turning into a three was disheartening. It felt like my youth was over. It made me question how much time I had. How long before my looks began to wither and wane? How long until my muscles began to wear down and fail?

How long until I couldn’t wrestle anymore?

Deep down, I knew they were ridiculous fears. The average human could maintian peak physical performance until well after they turned thirty-five, and five years was admittedly a long time. And I was in great shape. I took care of myself, I had been fortunate that the only major injury I’d ever suffered was a fractured ankle, suffered in my second year. Provided I continued to train hard, live well, and not suffer any unfortunate accidents, there was no reason I couldn’t compete for another ten years.. maybe even twenty!

Scratch that. The thought of me being a fifty year old grandmother who wrestled struck me as completely absurd. The world already had one Rose Astral- it didn’t need another.

But then again, who knew what would happen in the future? On my twentieth birthday, I sure wasn’t expecting that in six months, I would be throwing away any chance I had at a career in theater to take up professional wrestling. I wouldn’t have expected that on my twenty-fifth, I’d be retired, newly married, and pregnant with my child. And I wouldn’t have ever guessed that on my thirtieth, I’d be back in wrestling, awaking in a half-million dollar RV in a suburb of Toronto, one day from one of the biggest matches of my life.

I couldn’t help but chuckle. What an amazing decade it had been. There had been some triumphs, some tragedies, and a lot of sleepless nights. I had been to every inhabitable continent, met all kinds of wonderful people. But even more importantly, it had ended with me having a loving (albeit incorrigable) husband, a beautiful daughter, and a job I absolutely loved. If everything I had gone through in the past ten years had to happen to get me to this point, then I wouldn’t trade ANY of it for the world!

The door swung open,and I quickly sat up, straightening my nightgown as my daughter slowly walked in, balancing a tray in her hands, upon which was a bowl of cereal, a glass of orange juice, and a plate of toast and a couple strips of bacon. I smiled. Breakfast in bed!

Theresa grinned at me as she walked towards the bed. “Happy Birthday Mo-”

One misstep, and that’s all it took, and suddenly my entire breakfast was on the floor. For a few moments, there was dead silence, as I looked at the mess, the orange juice and milk seeping into the carpet. Then my daughter let out a howl of misery, tears spilling out down her cheeks.

My heart melted. “Oh, Terr-Bear,” I whispered, immediately getting out of bed, and picking her up. I cringed as my bare feet sloshed in the spilled liquids, but sat down on the bed, gently rubbing Theresa’s back. “Don’t- don’t cry, honey. It’s okay.”

“But I ruined your birthday!” she sobbed

“No, you didn’t!” I said vehemently, squeezing her tightly against me. “You were doing something incredibly nice for me, honey! Accidents happen!”

“What’s going on?” Terrence burst into the room, concerned at my daughters cries. “What happened?”

“We had a bit of an accident,” I murmured, gently tousling Theresa’s hair.

Terrence looked down at the mess, and grimaced. “Dammit,” he huffed.

“Terry, it’ll come out.” I said, pointedly looking at him. Terrence hated seeing any part of the RV getting damaged or dirty, but I wasn’t going to have him getting grumpy over this.

Terrence blinked. “No, it’s not that. It’s just, Pollaski bet me twenty bucks that this was gonna happen.”

The glare I shot my husband would have killed a normal human being, and as it was, it caused even the normally stubborn Terrence to wither. “I’ll, um, go get some towels,” he volunteered, and quickly left the room.

After he had left, I set Theresa down next to me, and used a corner of our bedsheets to help wipe her eyes. “Come on, Theresa. No more crying on Mommy’s special day.”

“I’m sorry,” my daughter croaked. “I didn’t mean to.”

“I know you didn’t” I replied. “We’ll get it cleaned up, and everything will be okay. Everyone makes mistakes, you just have to learn from them.”

Terrence came back, holding a small stack of towels, and he tossed me one. Together, we quickly cleaned up the mess, soaking up as much of the orange juice and milk that we could. Unfortunately, there was still a fairly large stain when we had finished. “I’ll spray some Spot Shot on,” I said. “See if that works.”

Terrence nodded, then looked over at Theresa. “You alright there, sport?” Theresa’d stopped crying, although her eyes were still red and puffy. Nevertheless she nodded, and Terrence grinned. “So now, what should Mommy do for her birthday?”

Theresa shrugged, and we both laughed. “I have that autograph signing at noon,” I reminded them with a sigh. I had hoped that I could arrange my promotional obligations on either Thursday or Saturday morning, so I could have had today free, but unfortunately, since I wasn’t the only girl at the signing, I could hardly get it moved. “After that, I don’t know. I’ve always wanted to go up the CN Tower.”

“How’d you like that, Theresa?” Terrence asked. “Would you like to go up real high, so you can see real far?”

We both laughed as Theresa vigorously nodded. “Okay,” I said. “But let’s have breakfast first. We’ll eat together at the table.”

Theresa nodded again, and Terrence scooped her up in his arms. I smiled as I began to follow them out the door, then turned around to look back at the room, and my bed.

I didn’t know what lay ahead. I didn’t know if my beauty would enhance or wane, if I would grow stronger or weaker. I couldn’t predict the future- no one could. The only thing I could do, I realized with a small smile, was hope that the next decade of my life would be every bit as rich and rewarding as the last one was.




Friday May 27, 2011
The RV- Main Cabin
Vaughan, Ontario
8:10 PM Local Time

“So here I am.”

[Well, it was a wonderful birthday for the lovely Wendy Briese. While she hadn’t exactly been looking forward to the autograph signing, she had ended up having a blast talking to the fans, and signing the various assortment of items that had been brought to her table (the weirdest being a jar of pickles. She signed it, and didn’t bother asking questions). Combined with a lunch at Whitespot, and dinner atop the CN Tower overlooking the beautiful Toronto skyline, and it had been a wonderful day.]

[About the only blemish was Pollaski’s birthday card, which officially pronounced Wendy “XXX-Rated”, in honor of her thirtieth birthday. That one ain’t exactly gonna be going in the memory chest.]

[Anyways, The scene opens up into the main cabin of the WhirlyBirdz RV, with Wendy Briese sitting on the couch, smiling softy at the camera. As could be evidenced by the fading sunlight through the window behind her, it’s early evening, the night of her birthday, the day before Conviction. Wendy’s dressed in a fairly nice pale blue dress, having only recently gotten back from her dinner atop the Tower. Even her normally pony-tailed flame-red hair has been done up a little nicer than normal.]

“In less than forty-eight hours, the curtain will rise on Femme Fatale Wrestling’s Conviction pay-per-view, my first as a member of the FFW roster. I’ve wrestled for quite a few companies... FFW is my thirteenth, to be exact, but I sure haven’t been in many that are capable of putting on a show this enormous in magnitude. A War Games match, as our most highly-esteemed competitors defend FFW’s honor against SVW. The grudge match between two of FFW’s most legendary competitors. The defense of the Television and Evolution Championships, and the crowning of a new Tag team Champions.”

[Wendy’s voice trails off slightly towards the end, and she flashes a small, rueful smile.]

“Unfortunately, you won’t be seeing me in any of those.”

[A small shrug]

“I haven’t earned that right yet. I haven’t earned a chance to carry the FFW banner and represent the company against a rival fed. I haven’t earned a chance to compete for a championship, regardless of the level or the stipulations surrounding it. To put it bluntly, the most I’ve earned in FFW is participation in a six-woman tag match, taking up seventh billing on the card”

[Wendy pauses for just a second, and sighs.]

“All I’ve ever asked for is an opportunity. I might not be the prettiest girl on the roster, or the strongest, or the most brutal. I might not be the most charismatic on the microphone, or the most dazzling high flyer. But I can safely say this- if there’s an opportunity to be had, there isn’t a person in this company that will work harder to make the most of it than I will.”

[Wendy suddenly breaks into a big grin.]

“I don’t think I need to tell anyone that this is EXACTLY what I have been hoping for.”

“If there’s one thing that I have in common with the five other women in this match, its that none of us have earned ANYTHING yet in FFW. Three of us are brand new here, having joined since Full Frontal, and while the other three have been here slightly longer, they still haven’t gotten the opportunity to really show what they’re capable of- until now, that is.”

[Wendy takes a deep breath, and looks up at the ceiling for a few seconds]

“I don’t think many people just realize the enormity of this match, save for those of us who are involved. Sure, it’s got a catchy name, the Chase for the Crown. And yes, the winner of the entire tournament will receive a shot at the Evolution Championship. But this is how stars are born. It’s matches like this that give people like me the chance to put ourselves on the level of Colleen, Undine, and even Scarlett Kincaid.”

[Wendy shifts restlessly in her chair]

“Only one person can win this tournament, and get that title shot. I want that person to- no, I EXPECT that person to be me. I know what I’m capable of, I know that I can beat any person on the FFW roster. And when the third match is finished, and the Chase for the Crown has reached its conclusion, I see absolutely no reason why the person standing tall in victory shouldn’t be me.”

[Wendy looks sternly at the camera]

“But there’s one thing that needs to be kept in mind here. I want to win the Chase, but I can’t do that at Conviction. It’s a three match series, and it can’t be won until that third match. But while you can’t win the Chase at this stage, you sure as heck can lose it, and be eliminated.”

[A small sigh]

“Kassandra, one of my partners, seems to have it in her mind that either Crystal Hilton or I will try and take advantage of her in this match, to take her out of the competition and eliminate her as a threat. Even if I was of a duplicitous nature, what advantage would there be? I’ll put it simply- if Kassandra is taken out at Conviction, then Crystal Hilton and I are out with her. I need her, and I need Crystal to advance, just as they both need me. The time for us to face each other will come soon enough, but for now, we are a team, and we need to act that way.”

[Short pause]

“Because ladies, we absolutely NEED to win this match.”

[Wendy leans forward slightly, her eyes intense with determination.]

“From this match, there’s two paths diverging. One path, the path the defeated will take, it’s a path of obscurity. It’s a path back to where we all have been, wrestling in first and second matches on the show, of playing ‘Welcome Wagon’ for the new talent, all the while hoping for a second chance. That is not the path I desire.”

[Wendy shakes her head]

“But the other path, it is a path of opportunity. And not just the chance at the Evolution title! It’s already been announced that the winning team at Conviction will face the trio of Colleen, Undine, and Robbyn Helsmley at the next Velocity. That’s an opportunity for all three of us. Because if we win that match, if we can prove that the three of us can stand toe-to-toe with the past three Evolution Champions, then all three of us will be on the map, not just the one who ultimately wins the Chase.”

[Wendy leans back, sighing deeply, her emerald eyes never leaving the camera]

“Opportunity or obscurity? The path we take will be determined by our ability to function as a team. All three of us are talented, to be sure, but so are our opponents. Nothing can be taken for granted here. If we can put their differences aside, and function as a unit, we should be the winners.”

[Unless of course the other team proves so catastrophically incompatible, they implode in a fantastic display of self-destruction generally only exhibited by red giants supernovae as they become black holes. But what are the odds of THAT happening?]

“Our opponents are tough, but we can beat them. Gretchen Donimari comes from a wrestling family, she’s practically been groomed for this since the day she could walk. Unfortunately for her, sometimes we just don’t turn out like our parents. I can attest to that- I was groomed to be an actress, even though never really stood much of a chance at matching either of my parent’s success. Gretchen’s struggled in FFW, and it’s affected her self-confidence. Gretchen’s a likable girl, but if she goes into this match unable to be absolutely sure of herself, then so much the better for us. ‘She who hesitates is lost,’ or so the saying goes, and that’s no truer than in a match such as this. There’s no time to doubt yourself. There’s no time to be tentative.”

[Wendy grimaces, but nontheless moves on.]

“Destiny Loveheart seems to be almost the opposite. While Gretchen’s setbacks seem to have made her question her resolve, it almost seems that Destiny’s failures have strengthened hers. You have to give her credit- she charges headlong into whatever match she’s been placed in, and she certainly gives it everything she has. But a suicidal charge of gallantry is still suicidal, and that’s a concept Destiny has yet to grasp. Destiny has a lot of heart, and that can be a difference maker. Not if it’s transformed into reckless bravado, however.”

[Wendy pauses for just a second, then sighs, shaking her head]

“And then... there’s Ariel.”

[Wendy looks directly into the camera as she prepares to address her frenemy.]

[GodDAMN that is a stupid word]

“Ariel, you’re obviously upset with me, and maybe you actually have a good reason to be so. But if you’re going to stand in front of a camera, cuss me out, and throw away our friendship, then maybe you should stop for a second, think, and get your facts straight.”

[Wendy’s face hardens slightly, a bit of fire dancing behind her eyes]

“I’m not infallible. I’ve never pretended to be, and I strongly doubt anyone who’s met me would make the mistake of believing I am. If you want ‘perfection’, well, apparently you faced her a couple weeks ago, and she’ll be standing next to me in our corner at Conviction. I’m not that. I’m human, I’m prone to errors,I’ve made more mistakes in my life than I’d ever care to admit.”

[Wendy’s eyes narrow, and she takes a deep breath]

“But don’t you DARE accuse me of nonchalance over your kidnapping. You want to bring that up here, Ariel? Then tell the WHOLE truth. Tell everyone how I was strangled with barbed wire and left for dead in a hallway because I tried to save you. Tell everyone that when you were finally set free, I was one of the few people you could turn to, and I welcomed you with open arms. If there’s anything more I could have realistically done, by all means, please tell me.”

[It’s obvious by now from the way that Wendy’s trembling, she’s fairly upset about the deal. Nonetheless, she takes another deep breath, and continues.]

“And tell me exactly how I took your boyfriend from you, when you were the one who walked out on him. I can’t blame you for that- Madman Szalinski had turned into such a self-pitying, destructive little weasel that I can see why you’d not want to be around him. But the sad irony is, here you are, three months later, sounding exactly like he did.

[Wendy bites her lower lip, and looks off to her side for just a second, then turns back to the camera.]

“If you want out of Femme Fatale Wrestling, Ariel, then I wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors. But could you please do the rest of us a favor and not set fire to the bridge as you’re riding off into the sunset?”

[Wendy shakes her head in disgust]

“It’s a shame, Ariel, because I’m sure Hayley Dark, or Whitley Mercer, or one of the other women forced to sit out this show because there was nothing for them, would have KILLED for an opportunity such as the one you and I are getting. But you were chosen, Ariel. You were selected to participate in this event, to get a chance to rise through the rankings a lot quicker than we would if we just faced a random different opponent every other week.”

[Wendy scoffs, and shakes her head again]

“But this company doesn’t give a you-know-what about you, right?”

[A snort of derision]

“What did you expect, Ariel? A ticker tape parade? A title shot in your very first match? There’s nearly forty wrestlers in this company, and you, or I for that matter, have yet to prove that we’re better than even half of them. This is better than either of us could have possibly hoped for after two matches here.”

[Wendy pauses for just a second, her face falling slowly, until she takes a deep breath and sighs]

“Whatever you want to do, Ariel. If you want to approach this match pessimistically, I won’t stop you. If you want to go on a profanity-laced rant because it’ll make you feel better, then I hope it does. If you want to quit, then there’s the door. And if, after this is all said and done, you want to talk, well, you have my number.

[Wendy shrugs, and it’s obvious she’s trying to make it nonchalant, but her shoulders do slump just a little. Still, she musters a smile]

“But, me? I’m going to walk down there with my two teammates, get into that ring, and wrestle the biggest FFW match I’ve had to date. And I’m not going to let anything, whether it’s Crystal’s narcissism, Kassandra’s paranoia, Gretchen’s self-doubt, Destiny’s bravado, or Ariel’s dissatisfaction stand in my way. I’m going to get my team that win, and we are going to advance to the second stage of the tournament."

[A small smile]

“After all, I know a good opportunity when I see one.”

[Fade.]