Breakdown 11-25-21 #1
I didn't think it was possible for me to detest Autumn Valentine any further, but here we are. That BITCH and her cunts Lexy Chapel and Ace Marshall fucked me and Tommy out of the titles! We were gonna make history, I was gonna have that moment forever on record. But these motherfuckers had to get involved. Autumn had to knock me down. Ace had to drop Tommy. And just like that... we were screwed. I was pissed beyond the point of yelling, throwing things, any of the usual reactionary shit. I just wanted to go home.... and plot our payback. We keep telling these motherfuckers and SCW that we don't and won't give up.
It seemed SCW at least paid attention, because the next Breakdown card came out the next day, and The Jackals are facing Lexy's Cunts. Yeah, yeah I know the actual name is Angels but fuck if I'm gonna call those motherfuckers that. The three of us taking on the three of them didn't give us another shot at the titles but it would be a sanctioned way to let them know exactly how pissed we are.
And when the time came for me to finally get the defining moment I wanted? Everyone was going to regret everything that ever happened that kept me from it for so long.
November 20
Santa Barbara
The Starmaker
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It was Saturday night and I was working the bar at the Starmaker. One of the newer bartenders called out so I was covering the early shift until Thomas came in for his night shift. It was still early in the evening so it wasn't too busy just yet. Tommy was in the office, meeting with a rep from some local rum distillery, looking to get his product placed in the bar. Apparently the guy wanted to compete with Helms' and Knight's version, so obviously Tommy was all over that, hoping the stuff was good enough to get behind it. I'd been behind the bar about an hour, served a few drinks, when I got a text from Coral. I rolled my eyes, not even looking at the message. I made myself a gin and tonic and sipped it slowly, between refilling a few drinks and selling a few beers. About fifteen minutes after I ignored that text, the door opened and I glanced out of habit.... only to see Coral walking in. Fuck! That must be why she had texted me. I couldn't even run to the back and hide. One, my car was outside so she knew I was here, and two... I was technically working. I watched her stand there, a few steps inside the door, looking around. She was dressed remarkably casual, every other time she'd been to the club she wore a dress or short skirt and top. This time though she was in black jeans and a silver silky tunic style top. I had a large gulp of my drink just as she turned towards the bar and saw me. Fucking great. Coral smiled and walked over. She sat at the bar right in front of me.
“Hey sister! You're a hard woman to get a hold of lately.”
“Yeah... sorry. I've been really busy.”
“I can see that, must be why you didn't even read the text I sent you a little while ago, letting you know I was up here.”
“Oh, did you? I didn't know I had a text. I'm covering a shift.”
“I see. In that case, can I get a drink? Margarita on the rocks.”
I forced a smile. “Sure. One minute.”
I went to the back bar and mixed the drink, using the cheapest tequila we had in stock. Since Tommy takes actual pride in this place though it was still pretty good stuff, not the plastic bottle swill you find on the bottom shelf at the grocery store. I made a mental note to suggest to him we get some of that shit just for situations like this. I went back and gave Coral her drink. She tasted it, then smiled.
“Good job.”
“Thanks.”
Coral had another sip, then rested her arms on the bar, sort of leaning over towards me a bit.
“Okay. I'm not gonna dance around this, I came here to talk to you. I know you've been purposely avoiding me, and I know why.”
“Oh, you do? What makes you say that?”
“Because I had a conversation with Tommy a few weeks ago, and your sudden inability to find five minutes to talk to me started right after that. I know he told you about the party.”
I hadn't really expected her to believe my excuses, it was pretty obvious. “If you know all of that, then why the fuck are you here? I thought it was pretty obvious I don't want to speak to you.”
“I've been trying to apologize.”
I scoffed. “Apologize? Are you fucking kidding me?”
“I'm not kidding. Let me explain...”
“Oh this should be good.”
Coral ignored my comment and kept on. “I had no idea anything was wrong until he DM'd me asking to talk. When we met, he asked me what happened, cause he barely remembered anything. I thought he was into it, turns out... he thought I was you.”
“Why the fuck would you think he was into you?!”
“Um, he walked up behind me and started fucking around, what was I supposed to do?”
“Oh, I don't know... maybe point out to the drunk man that he wasn't groping his girlfriend, but her sister?”
“This is what I'm apologizing for. I was drunk too. I'd heard about the way you two... get around. I guess I thought it was okay-”
I had enough. I slapped the bar, making Coral jump. “Don't you fucking lie to my face! How stupid do you think I am? You set the whole thing up, you tricked him!”
Coral laughed, trying to sound nervous I guess but it just sounded sinister. “What? Why would I do that to you? If that were true would I have been trying to talk to you to apologize? Especially now, after those horrible articles hit the internet. I feel like everything that's happened with you two is my fault.”
Who the fuck did she think she was fooling? I walked out around the bar to be able to get right into her face. Coral leaned back against the bar, away from me. “The only thing that's your fault, is what happened at that damn party. You set it up! The matching swimsuits you wanted us to buy? The way you fixed your hair like mine? If I didn't know better I'd swear you were to blame for Tommy drinking so much, too! But nah, you just saw it and took your shot. I didn't hear you deny it, and we're not stupid.”
“Well... it did take him weeks to realize something was different about “you” that night.” Coral smirked as she sipped her drink. The one I made her. I snatched it out of her hand and slammed it on the bar, out of her reach. “I don't understand why you're acting like this, Kandis. I've said several times I've been trying to apologize. After I saw those articles though I knew I couldn't let you ignore me anymore. I had to say something. Face to face.”
“Fuck those articles, the internet is bullshit and you're only doing this to rub it into my face that you managed to trick him.” Coral scoffed, as if insulted. “The only thing I can't figure out though, is why.”
Coral's innocent look drops and she shrugs, a malevolent look appearing. “Fine. Playing innocent is boring anyway. Yes, I did set it up, and it looks like my plan worked. I came here to see for myself since you wouldn't talk to me on the phone like any normal sister would.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I wasn't yelling. Yet. Coral ignored my question.
“It may not have worked in the way I planned, but on the rocks is on the rocks, right?” She smirked as she leaned over the bar, reaching for her glass. I pushed it away. Coral glared at me. “The way I see it is, you probably went off and fucked that hot team mate of yours in some kind of retaliation, he then cozied up to that blonde. The internet just caught you backwards. The bullshit with your matches didn't help, that was a stroke of luck I admit. And now that the fuckfest is public, it shouldn't be too much longer now before enough is enough and you lose everything. Working here, that nice gym... living in that big fancy house. And of course... the hot boyfriend.”
I had let her keep talking, to see how deep of a hole she would dig herself into, but I hadn't expected any of that. It wasn't just that she wanted to fuck Tommy. She wanted to fuck up my life. She set everything up at the party and now she thinks the internet articles are true and she started it. Of course I knew that was wrong, cause the internet was wrong. But she didn't need to know that. “Why? Why would you pull a stunt like that, fuck with us for no reason?”
“That is the reason, to fuck with you! Like you fucked with me!” I started to ask what she meant, but she kept on, not giving me the chance to. “Me and Mom were having a fine life until you came out of the woodwork. Was it perfect, was she the perfect mother? No. But she was mine!”
“Holy shit, this is about Gail?!” I was so floored by this that I forgot to be mad for a few seconds.
“But then suddenly I had to share her. Once she found you, it was like I didn't exist anymore!”
That did it, I found my anger again. “Hold the fuck up, she didn't find me, she always knew where I was! I was the one lied to my entire life, made to believe my mother was dead. I found her, because I found her brother. You have some fucking nerve blaming me, getting in my face, fucking with my boyfriend, fucking with my life, when all of this was HER FAULT!” I screamed. A few customers turned their heads. I didn't care. I wondered if Tommy heard me, but I knew that office was pretty soundproofed. Coral didn't seem phased by my outburst. She stood up and got closer to me.
“Right. You found her, because you found Uncle Corey. You went looking, because everything you already had wasn't enough for you. The foster family who raised you. A whole mom, dad, and brother. The career fame, the rich and sexy boyfriend, all of that.... wasn't enough! You had to come searching and find us and take my mom from me!”
“Coral-”
“She's all I ever had that was just mine and now I have to share that, too? I thought maybe you should share something you thought was yours, see how you like it.”
I laughed. I couldn't help it. For a split second I felt sorry for her, me turning up had clearly thrown her life out of whack. But fuck that, it didn't justify her acting like a crazy bitch.
“You are fucking deranged, and you need to leave this club.”
“I am not going anywhere. Not until I'm satisfied that I've done enough to ruin everything you have.”
“Then I guess I'll have to have you dragged out of here by security because for all your bullshit, you actually haven't ruined anything.”
“Bullshit! I read the-”
“You read garbage! Are you seriously twenty-seven years old and still believe everything you read online? Those dirtsheets are only half right. Yes, me and Tommy do have other lovers, but we agreed on it. We're not splitting up.” I smirked.
“What...? If that's the case, then why are you so pissed at me for fucking him?”
“Because you didn't ask! You went behind my back and tricked him instead of having an adult conversation! You want to know the fucked up thing? I might have been willing to share if, if he was interested, if you had just asked. You're my sister for fuck's sake... do you know how hard it was for me to accept that in the first place? But once I did accept it, that was it. You were family. Were. You're just as fucked up as your mother is and I don't want anything to do with either one of you anymore.” Coral was almost speechless. I don't know what it was I said that did it, but I didn't care.
“Kandis...”
“You hear me? You win. She's all yours.”
“I don't understand, you came looking for us!”
“Yeah, I did. And you were right, I should have left well enough alone. Now I'm going to tell you one more time to get the fuck out of this club, before I have Olaf there carry you out over his shoulder.”
I gestured to the big man who was standing at the other end of the bar, arms crossed. He was our security most Saturday nights. Coral glanced over at him, then stepped back away from me.
“Maybe I didn't ruin your whole life like I wanted to, but at least I got you out of mine. Oh and by the way.... your man sucks in bed.”
Coral turned to walk out. I grabbed her glass, still half full of margarita, and hurled it across the bar in her direction. It hit the floor and smashed right in front of her feet. I missed. Coral looked down, then back at me. She shook her head, stepped over the mess, and walked out.
I leaned against the bar, angry tears stinging my eyes. Yeah, I'm one of those people that tears up when extremely pissed, and I hate it. I stared at the mix of margarita and glass on the floor. I would have to clean that up before someone slipped it in and got hurt. Took a deep breath and went back behind the bar to get a broom and dustpan, and grabbed a few bar rags to clean up the liquid. Just then Tommy came behind the bar.
“Hey... are you okay?”
“What?”
“Olaf just came into my office and told me you threw a glass across the bar...”
I sighed hard. “Coral was here.”
“Coral? What did she want?”
“I really need to clean my mess up...” Tommy took the things from my hands, and handed them off behind him, where I hadn't noticed Olaf was standing.
“He'll take care of it. What happened?”
I shook my head. “I can't.”
“That answers that, you're not okay.” He pulled me into a hug.
“I don't know.”
“What did she want? Say?”
“Can I just tell you later at home?”
“Sure. Do you need a break from back here, or...?”
I looked up. “Yes.”
“Go sit in the office. I'll cover this til Thomas gets here. Then we'll go home and-”
“You can't leave, it's Saturday!”
“Thomas, Kelly, and Olaf can handle it. I'm not sending you home alone.”
I just nodded. Tommy kissed my forehead and I walked away, down the hall into the office. I closed the door and leaned back against it.
My family – Debbie, Ray, and Nate; even Sydney – had been so excited when we found out Coral existed. I had been skeptical at first but had gotten used to the idea of a real sister. So much for that, right? It shouldn't feel so bad, I'd gone most of my life with just Nate as a brother-type. I had a few months with a sister, a blink of an eye compared to thirty-four years. Yet... how was I going to explain this falling-out to them? Sydney might understand, but Nate? Debbie and Ray? I didn't want to deal with any of it.
I went over to Tommy's desk and opened a drawer, one I knew he kept whiskey in. I sat in his chair and drank from the bottle.