Breakdown 12-16-21 #2
December 5
Santa Barbara
Ante Up Academy
-----------------------
Tommy and I had gotten home from Breakdown Friday afternoon, the flight from Montreal was kind of a bitch. We had gone after every single person who had fucked with us in recent weeks. It felt good to get some payback, but we really didn't appreciate the return of that brat Owen Cruze. As usual, sticking himself into things that don't concern him when he ran out as we were kicking much ass, and superkicked me! Lucky for him me and Tommy had unfinished business to take care of, but that didn't stop Drake, he wanted to murder the kid.
At home, me and Tommy spent Friday night and most of Saturday laying low, other than the meeting Tommy went to with Kyle, where they met with the person supposedly behind the worst of the articles that had been put out about our so-called tumultuous love life. I didn't tell Tommy but I was skeptical they would be able to do anything to stop the bullshit... except, somehow, they managed to convince the culprit to back off. Of course that meant celebrating... which you know we did with gusto.
Sunday morning though we headed to Ante Up to get some work in, and Tommy had some paperwork to look over before the start of the week. When we arrived, he went upstairs to his office, while I went to the weights, which is where I usually start off. I was halfway through my arm curls when Tish, my bestie from Kix that I basically poached to be Tommy's GM here, walked up to me.
“Hey girl, good form!”
“It better be, you corrected me like six years ago.”
We both laughed. She let me finish my reps, then sat on the bench next to me as I put my weights up. When I sat back down, I could tell Tish had something on her mind, which she confirmed before I could even ask.
“I'm glad you're here. There's something I need to talk to you about.”
“Okay... what is it?”
She took a deep breath. “First of all, I want to to ask you.... how much do you trust me?”
“You do realize that starting off a conversation with a question like that does fucked up things to my nerves, right?”
“I know, but.... I just need to know.”
“I got you this job, didn't I? Would I have recommended you to Tommy if I didn't trust you?”
Tish nodded. “Okay. Thanks. Keep that in mind, alright?”
“Tish... you're worrying me.”
She took a deep breath. “Okay. It's not really a big deal. Just an idea I had when-”
My phone suddenly went apeshit, with notifications. I snatched it out of my cleavage. “Fuck's sake, what the hell is this? Sorry, let me just...”
“No, go ahead.” Tish waved me off, letting me know it was no problem for me to see why my phone was blowing up. I unlocked the screen and saw the notifications were from Twitter, and also a few texts. I checked Twitter first.
“Holy shit!”
“What?”
“SCW did the right thing for once! They just announced on Twitter that me and Tommy are getting another shot at getting our titles back. With both the champions and Autumn and Ace.”
“A triple threat? When?”
“Breakdown after next. The sixteenth.”
“Oh... wow. Congrats! You totally deserve it, you were screwed from every angle in the last one! And not in the way you like.”
I smirked. “Don't remind me. Fucking Autumn, man... it's hard to believe we were ever friends.”
“It really is.” Tish shook her head.
“But whatever, she made her choices... I made mine. She's already found out just how long I can hold a grudge.” Tish got a strange look on her face. “What?”
“Oh, just.... you know I don't like it when you're super angry.”
“Oh I'm not angry. Not anymore. I'm just going to make it my mission to make sure she never gets what she wants. And the fact that SCW gift wrapped another opportunity for me to do so? I couldn't be happier right now.” I smiled as proof. The Jackals acts of terror a few days ago had paid off exactly how we intended.
“You should be, this is your chance to make history and make them pay.”
“With interest.” I gave her a smirk, then read the texts real quick. They were from Ashley, Nate, and Drake, all of whom had seen the announcement and wanted to make sure I saw it. The only one I replied to real quick was Drake, and it was just with the smirking emoji. I put my phone away. “Okay. No more distraction for now. What was this idea you wanted to talk to me about?”
Tish shook her head, waving a hand in the air. “You know what? Don't worry about it right now. It's not nearly as important as you and Tommy preparing for this match.”
“Are you sure? You sounded pretty serious, asking me about trust and all that.”
“I mean... yeah, but it can wait. Really. I don't want amything to take your mind off this title match, cause if I'm the reason you can't focus and you lose? I'll never forgive myself....”
Tish looked so serious. I laughed. “Fuck woman, you don't have to be so dramatic.”
She laughed back, the grim expression gone. “Hello, have you met me? Drama queen right here!”
“Right... how could I forget?” We laughed again. “So... what are my chances of getting you one on one for some extra training?”
“You got it.” We fist bumped, a gesture we'd done for years, since we became friends at Kix. Tish stood up. “Alright, I'll let you get back to work. Get with me tomorrow after your classes, yeah?”
“Yep. Thanks.”
Tish just smiled before she walked off.
Whatever this idea of hers she tried to bring up was? Worried me. She would never ask me a question like that unless she knew I would think the idea was insane, dangerous, or both. But she was right, Tommy and me had to focus on what could be our last chance to get our titles back.
December 11
Hollywood
SRS Studios
------------------
Nate and I both got phonecalls Monday morning letting us know that we were chosen as finalists in the contest. There were ten, and me and Nate were two. How's that for talent, right? They were holding an event at the soundstage we brought our submissions to, where the ten pieces would be on display, they wanted all of us to talk about our work a bit, and then the winner would be announced. We were told we could bring two guests each. Obviously Tommy was coming with me, and I also invited Sydney. She and I hadn't had much time to spend together lately, she had been working every day on a film set doing makeup, so getting a phone conversation in rather than just texts was a challenge, she had one day off a week. Her last off day, we had a long talk over the phone and I told her about Coral and Gail. The film was wrapped though, just in time for her to attend this with me. Nate was taking Carissa and Carla, leaving Devin with Debbie and Ray.
Saturday night was the big night at SRS Studios. We were told to dress semi-formal but slightly looser expectations since it was an indie company and not 'real Hollywood.' So, I was in a 'little black dress' style form fitting dress, except it was blue. Tommy had dark gray slacks and jacket with a pale blue dress shirt, he refused a tie, and his hair pulled back. Sydney was in a long silver silky thing. When we arrived, Nate, Carissa, and Carla were already there. They were in similar attire, Carissa and Carla both wearing maroon dresses, and Nate in a black suit. Ray was also in attendance, he got an invite because he was working on the film. The group of us made something of an entrance when we walked in, as there was no mistaking the fact that a good number of people there knew me and Tommy from SCW. Everyone who spoke to us about it though was really polite, even if I could tell some of them were not our biggest fans. I guess they knew better than to cause a scene at a movie event. Either that, or they were afraid we'd kick their asses, that was Tommy's theory.
After signing in, we were led to our seats. My group of three was sharing a table with another finalist, a woman named Cynthia, with her husband and their son. I didn't catch their names, and they didn't seem to know who me and Tommy were. We made small talk with them for a few minutes, which bored the shit out of me, until a man walked up onto a makeshift stage and tapped a microphone
“Good evening, everyone, and thanks for coming to our little shindig! For those of you who don't know, my name is Keith Werner, and I'm the director of the film these wonderful pieces are in contention for.” There was some light applause. Keith Werner didn't look like any director I'd ever met, and I met a few with Ray years ago. Keith was a short, kinda chubby man, but not unfuckable, if you know what I mean. He just didn't seem to have that arrogance that most directors have. “Up til now we haven't disclosed the name of the film, but I'm going to tell you all now. It's called “Art Wreck,” which I promise is not a description of any of the pieces here.” He chuckled at himself. I heard light laughter. It was a terrible joke. Terrible name too, but what do I know? I just make art and wrestle. “Tonight's winner will have their piece featured in the film as the work of our main character Jesse, who runs into a little bit of trouble in New York after getting his piece shown and noticed. But, we haven't picked a winner yet! Myself, the art director, and the executive producer will be making final judgment tonight. But first, we want to hear from the artists. Each of the ten finalists will have a few minutes to come up here and describe their piece. Their inspiration, what it means to them. So, without any further exposition by myself, let me introduce our first finalist! Mrs. Cynthia DiCenso, please join us.”
The lady at my table stood as the crowd gave polite applause. A helper handed her a mic, and led her to the display table her piece was on. It was a vase, about two feet tall, and blue, but there was a gold zigzag shape on it, as if it had been broken and repaired. Cynthia explained her motivation, an incident when she was a little girl and broke her grandmother's vase. Instead of getting mad at her, grandmother showed her how to fix it and helped her. She saw it as some metaphor for teaching instead of punishing mistakes. I fought off the desire to yawn.
A few other artists were called up, most of the stories attached to the pieces sounded like some bullshit they made up rather than real inspiration. Nate told everyone about his three-legged dog. Her name was Prissy and she had three legs because she got hit by a car. Nate was five or six. He explained that Prissy taught him to make the best of things, no matter what life handed you. She lost a leg, but she was the same happy little dog she ever was til she died of heart disease when he was twelve, just a few years before I knew them. I made a mental note to ask him why I was never told about this dog. Another man was called up, and I realized I was the only one left. When the older man was done, he walked away from his giant baseball.
“Thanks, Elton. And finally, let's hear from Kandis... oh, just Kandis!” He was reading off a card and I guess he thought something was missing. I stood, and Tommy gave me a wink before I walked up. Keith shook my hand, and the helper walked me over to my piece. The finished result of the handcuffs interlocked but not locked was something I was very happy with. One set, the one that formed the base, was painted in a dull gold color, almost brassy. The other set, the one kinda hanging/floating, was meant to look like tarnished silver. I had darker paint in the curves of the chain links to get this effect. I looked out at the crowd, and everyone looked expectant. As I scanned the crowd, one face looked familiar, but I couldn't place it. It bothered me a little, but I just looked in a different direction so I could speak undistracted.
“Hi... I'm Kandis. Some of you might know me from my day job...” A few people laughed, others seemed confused. “If you're unaware, I'll just tell you. I wrestle with Supreme Championship Wrestling.” I saw a few surprised expressions. “But before I ever knew fighting for a living was an option, my father gave me a great love for art. I should clarify, he's my foster father, I never knew my biological parents. Product of the system, right here. But, he never treated me any less than his own son, he just recognized that I needed something to help me focus, to direct my energy into. So... he taught me sculpture, color theory, shading, all kinds of things that people pay a lot of money to learn in art school. But, he's not really the inspiration behind this, he's just how I got into creating art. The inspiration is a different man... the first one who accepted me as I am, with all my bull- uh, BS.” I smirked. I almost forgot I wasn't talking to a wrestling crowd. A few people laughed. “I'm the first to admit I have a lot of issues, because of the way I grew up. It's hard to trust people, let anyone close. I push back hard on anything that seems like an attempt to hold me down or control me. To I'm sure no one's surprise, that puts a lot of people off. I like freedom, I like to do what I want, when I want, without answering to anyone. And he gets that, and let's me be me. It's why I choose to stay with him, every day. So, these handcuffs... sort of represent that. If you look close here...” I pointed to the two cuffs that were interlocked. “You'll see the cuffs are threaded together, but they're not latched. They're together by choice. Not being held there by some arbitrary lock, or rule or whatever. But because they want to be. The cuffs are basically us. He's the base, and I'm the one half holding on, half in the air. Choosing to stay put when I have the freedom to do otherwise is a big thing for me, no one else ever made me want to hold on. He doesn't treat me like I have to, and no one else ever understood that about me. So... that's the handcuff story. Thanks.” I left the mic on my piece's display table and stepped down without being asked. As soon as I finished, I realized I had told a room full of mostly strangers one of the deepest things about me, and I had to get back to my seat.
I heard Keith thanking me in the background, accompanied by some polite applause, but all I could focus on was Tommy as I sat back down. He leaned towards me to speak where no one else could hear him.
“I can't believe you just said that in front of all these people.”
“Me either...”
“Proud of you.” He smiled and kissed my cheek.
“Do you think whoever is still writing bullshit has a spy here and they'll print that?”
“I hope so. Kyle could rest easy.”
I laughed.
With the presentation part of the event done, they announced drinks and refreshments being served at the back of the soundstage. Everyone got up to grab something, and sort of mingle and talk with each other. I saw Sydney speaking to the older man, Elton, the one with the baseball. Tommy and I walked around a bit, with wine. He had grabbed some kind of hors d'oeuvre thing, I couldn't tell what it was. I wasn't hungry. We walked up to the display tables of all ten pieces. Cynthia's vase was really beautiful. Nate's dog was cute. Everything else looked like something from a high school art class. I hated to see what the ones who weren't picked as finalists looked like. After we saw all the pieces, we walked back to the refreshment area to get more wine. I looked around the room some, and the same guy's face that caught my eye when I was speaking. This time I thought I recognized him, but he turned away before I could be sure. I shook my head, brushing that off as my head fucking with me, because of what I talked about. I had another glass of the wine they were serving, that got my head straight. I saw Sydney give the old man a smile and head back over towards us. I looked around for Nate and his family, they and Ray were talking to some of the movie people. Sydney walked up and put her hand on my shoulder.
“Hey, you look nervous.”
“I'm not. More like... stunned at myself.”
Tommy grinned. “Still?”
“I spoke to these people like they were you.”
“I mean, I was out there, so you kinda were talking to me.”
“I... can't even argue with that.”
Sydney laughed. “Well, the guy I was just talking to told me he hopes you win. He loved your story. He only entered because it was something to do, he had no intentions of even being here, much less winning. He said your speech was moving.”
“Gross.” I covered my face with my hand. “That's the last thing I need, people seeing me soft instead of hard.”
“I don't know babe, maybe it's exactly what we need. This gets reported, the bullshit gets harder to sell.”
I put my hand down and gave Tommy a glare. “I hate it when you're right.” He smirked.
“Wait, there are people who still believe that garbage?”
“It's completely ridiculous. We keep getting people showing up to the Academy trying to get a scoop. Nate even asked me what was going on.”
“Yeah, it's bad. My children's mother told me the kids were getting shit at school.”
“Wow, that's just.... wow. Who knew that obvious garbage articles could cause so much trouble?”
“You clearly haven't lived out here for long. I grew up here, it happens all the time.”
“I suppose it could be worse, in fact we know it could be.” He was referring to the story that his friend Kyle stopped from going up.
“He's right, you know. Look what happened to that woman who works with you, Lancaster? Last year. The topless pictures...” Sydney shook her head in disgust.
“Yeah, it was shitty what those people did to her, but do I look like a person who cares if my tits are online? I would actually prefer that over this mess.”
“This might sound crazy... but I think I would, too. Not everything else that happened to her-”
“Oh of course not.” I'd read that story in the news... it was slightly triggering.
“But just some nude pictures? That's much easier to handle than everyone thinking your relationship is in trouble. I had a new student try to catch my interest.... she couldn't have been older than twenty.” Tommy shook his head. I had to hold back a laugh, Bella isn't much older.
“A few did that to me, too. Til Ashley ran them off.”
“Knew he was good for something.”
“A few things.” I smirked. Tommy shook his head at me. “But look, can we not talk about this shit anymore? There isn't anything we can do about it until the interest dies down.”
“Yeah, good idea. The whole thing just pisses me off anyway.”
“Great. Thanks. I'll even-”
Just then, a blonde woman walked up to us, she was smiling but seemed a little nervous.
“Hi... I hope I'm not interrupting.”
“Actually, you are. But it's welcome. We could use a different conversation.” I smiled.
“Oh... okay. Great. I'm Veronica, my brother Justin is one of the other finalists. I just wanted to say I love your piece. It's very... provocative. Especially after hearing your explanation.”
“Thank you. I admit I was starting to regret saying what I did, but so far I've heard nothing but positive comments.”
“You shouldn't ever regret or be afraid of speaking your truth. Whatever that is.”
“I'm starting to figure that out.”
“Anyway, I just wanted to say that.... and also that I am one of the people here who know you are from your day job...” She grinned. That must be where the nerves came from. “I'm actually a big fan. And I think it's awesome that you do this, too. I think people might see you differently if they knew.”
“I don't care how people see me.” My statement five minutes ago contradicted that, but this girl didn't know that.
“No offense, but I don't believe that. Everyone saw how upset you were around Trios, because you didn't get the moment you wanted. Then you went beast mode on half the roster over the last title match. You do care, just in a different way than other people do.”
So much for those nerves, right? I couldn't be mad at her though, she had a point. “You know, maybe you're right. I don't care about popularity or reputation or any of that nonsense. I care about my hard work getting recognized.”
“And you should be. Both of you.” Veronica glanced at Tommy. “I was glad when the triple threat was announced, you guys were literally screwed. You deserve this.”
“Thanks, it's nice to know that we're not the only people who see it that way.”
“You do have fans and support, even if it's hard to tell through the screaming Lexy bitches.”
I laughed. “They are pretty vocal, huh?”
“They're the worst. Even more now that Autumn didn't win that vote. I voted for you.”
“Thanks, but I wasn't really expecting to win that. It's a glorified popularity contest.”
“It really is! You'll earn your shot though, I believe that.”
“Maybe, but right now we're just focused on getting our tag titles back.”
“That's the moment she wants, we want to break that record.”
“Can I ask you a question?”
“Sure.”
“How do you feel about the match being in the Thunderdome?”
Tommy looked at me. We hadn't really discussed it much yet. A Thunderdome is a cage, which means people would be climbing, and if anyone remembers that clusterfuck Tag Title Ladder Match that never should have happened thanks to Autumn and Christy playing games with the titles.... you'd remember that me and climbing don't really go together. Veronica must remember that and that's why she asked.
“It's perfect. No one can get in to interfere.”
“And no one can get out to escape our offense.”
Veronica looked back and forth between us. “So... you're not concerned at all about the cage?”
“Hey, I almost won a Chamber a year ago. I know what you're getting at, I don't like heights. But I'll do what I have to do to get what we want. Believe that, too.”
Veronica smiled. “Okay. That's the first thing I thought of when I heard the match type, and I really hoped it wasn't psyching you out.”
“Nothing is gonna psych me out of doing anything and everything we need to do. I promise that.”
Veronica smiled. “That's good to hear. I really want to see you guys get it.”
“Thanks, we plan on it.”
The sound of the mic being tapped made everyone turn towards the stage. Kieth was back up.
“Attention everyone, attention. Please take your seats, we have a winner! And I'll be announcing the winner in five minutes!”
“Here we go, babe.”
Veronica looked around, a bit frantic. “Thank you so much for speaking with me, but I should go find my brother. I'll be watching Breakdown.” We shook Veronica's hand before she hurried off, and the three of us went back to our table. Cynthia and her family were already there. A few minutes later, Keith was back on stage.
“Thanks everyone. Us three judges sat in a room back there while you were all mingling, and we've come to a unanimous decision. As you know, the winning piece will be featured in our film, “Art Wreck.” You'll be fully credited. You'll be invited to the film's premiere. You may get more work from the exposure. And! You will receive a cash prize, of five thousand dollars!”
There was some applause. I knew there was money involved, but it was said they would announce the amount when the winner was decided. I guess it depended on what was left of their budget. I never cared how much, though. I wasn't interested in the money. I wanted the credit. I wanted the recognition. I needed something I accomplished on my own. Nate had came to me about entering this at a time when I felt overshadowed and like no one cared or appreciated anything I had to offer or had done. It was in the middle of me and Tommy's fight over Trios, and I dove in, I needed this to feel like I was worth something on my own. Just creating the piece had helped fix things in my brain, and that in turn helped fix me and Tommy, too. Just getting picked as a finalist was recognition in itself, but if I won? I realized it was probably a little juvenile to crave validation like this, I firmly believe parts of my psyche never matured past teenager level. I shook my thoughts out of my head as Keith continued.
“Now, with all the details out there, what our winner gets, what to expect... it's time to announce our winner!” More applause. Not me though. I wasn't nervous all night but all of a sudden, I wanted that man to say my name just as much as I wanted to hold the Tag Team Title belt over my head again. Tommy grabbed my hand and squeezed. He could tell.
“Myself, our art director Tiffany Cross, and our executive producer Jerry Marsh have decided which one of these great pieces fits best with our script, the film's vibe, and our opinion of the quality of the work. All of that said, it's my pleasure to announce the winner of the “Art Wreck” prop contest is.... Kandis!”
Holy shit.
I stared at Tommy in disbelief as the crowd applauded. He nodded, yes. The man really said my name.
“You should probably go up there, babe.”
I nodded back, and stood up. Tommy stood with me, and hugged me. As I leaned on his shoulder I could see Nate, Carissa, and Carla at their table, clapping their hands off. Cameras went off. Well, maybe this would put a dent into the internet bullshit. With that in mind, I gave Tommy a kiss. Nothing too much for a crowd to see, but enough. The applause got louder. Tommy whispered into my ear.
“Go up there, this is yours.”
I gave him a smile, then walked up to the stage. Keith gave me a handshake, then handed me a certificate, followed by a check. I glanced at both, the certificate says “Kandis” but the check is made out to my full name. I was annoyed the day I had to fill it out but I should have known better. Right now it didn't matter.
“Congratulations, Kandis. Your work will be forever immortalized on film. Would you like to say something?” He offered me the mic. I took it, and decided to keep it simple.
“Just... thanks to my boyfriend for inspiring the piece, and thank you, the judges, for finding it worthy of your film.”
Keith offered me a handshake again, and pointed to me, much like a referee does to a wrestler who just won their match. I held the certificate up a little, showing off. It sank in that I actually won this motherfucker. I smiled huge and held it higher, almost like a title. The crowd who knew me seemed to expect that, as they cheered harder when I did. I saw Tommy smiling, looking full of pride.
I stepped off the stage, and almost immediately about a dozen people stepped up to me, offering congrats, asking to take pictures with me near my piece. Tommy took my certificate and check back to the table, I assumed he put the check in my clutch, while I talked to people and agreed to some pictures. I saw Nate waving me over, and I excused myself from the group to walk over to him.
And that's when I saw him. My head hadn't been fucking with me before. Jackson was here.
I stepped backwards, trying to get out of his line of sight, but it was too late. We made eye contact, and I felt instantly sick. I moved to the side of the room, putting as many people of the crowd between myself and him as I could. He was apparently a guest of one of the other finalists, I recognized the man standing next to him from earlier, when we all talked about our pieces. As I made my way to the ladies room I wondered if this was just a nasty confidence, or if he somehow knew I was going to be here and got himself an invitation. I guess it didn't matter. I ducked into the ladies room. I went to the sink and splashed some water on my face. He had been here all night, I saw him when I talked about my piece, and he hadn't made any move to talk to me. Everything that happened had been years ago, he had to be over it by now. This was just so absurd, the Los Angeles area was so huge, there were so many people here... what the fuck were the chances that Jackson knew someone affiliated with this particular studio, where I would run unto him at an art contest for a movie?
I shook my head at myself, trying to calm myself down. If he wanted to mess with me, he could have already. During the time after the finalists' speeches when the judges were deliberating.
Oh shit. The speeches!
Everything I had said about my piece was about Tommy, but it also was about the fact that no one else was like him. Others didn't understand I needed freedom. Others tried to tie me down. Like Jackson did. He heard every word I said. I splashed more water on my face. I knew I couldn't hide in the ladies room all night. I was the winner, dammit! Fuck it. I straightened my dress and walked out. I was over this, I was past it, he couldn't fuck with me anymore.
I took about six steps away from the ladies room door when a man stepped in front of me, blocking my path. It was him. He smiled at me.
“Kandis. I couldn't let the night end without saying hi.”
“Jack. And now you've said it.” I took a step, but he spoke again, and I stopped. I don't know why. Morbid curiosity?
“I also wanted to congratulate you. My cousin Eric, one of the other finalists, guessed your piece was gonna win when he saw it. I didn't know it was yours at the time. Had no idea you were here until you walked up to talk.”
“Thanks for the congrats. I mean that. But I really have to go.” I tried to walk away, but he moved into my way.
“I wasn't done.”
“Look, I am not the same person you used to know, and I really don't want to talk to you anymore.”
I started to walk off again, but this time he grabbed my arm. Not hard, just enough to make me stop. I glared at him, and he let go. “You don't have to be so rude, I was just trying to be friendly.”
Was he fucking serious? I guessed it was possible that he had grown up, realized he was wrong years ago, and saw this as an opportunity to try to make amends. Maybe I just over reacted, because that's what traumatized people do. I backed up a step and made myself calm down.
“Okay. What else did you want to say?”
“Just that I saw you on TV. Was randomly flipping channels a few months ago and bam, there you were. I try to catch your show when I can. You've been looking good.”
“Thanks...” I didn't know where this was going and it made me nervous.
“Gotta say, I don't really care for that partner of yours though.”
There it was. “You mean my boyfriend?”
“Yeah. I saw that tournament thing. He doesn't seem worthy of you.” Jackson shakes his head. He just had to bring that up. I should have known letting him continue to talk to me was a bad idea, this was what he always did. Made things sound innocent until he went in for the kill shot. I glared again.
“The only person who gets to decide that is me, and I'm happy. So-”
“Oh, so you wouldn't let me lock you down, but that motherfucker got the right? Guess I don't have enough money.”
“I'm done with this.” I turned and started to walk away, again. This time, Jackson grabbed my arm again, but hard. He pulled me back around to face him. The rough hold and pulling me around made my brain revert a few years, to when he and I were a thing and he used these intimidation tactics on me all the time, trying to control me. Most of the time it worked. I froze. Jackson smirked.
“You're making a mistake.”
“What are you gonna do, huh? Cause a scene with all these people around? All you had to do was talk to me, Kandis. Instead of acting like a fucking cunt.”
I noticed movement next to me, and looked. Tommy appeared at my side. He had that murderous look on his face.
“I don't know who the fuck you are, but you'd better let her go right now, or else.”
“Or else what?” Jackson pulled on my arm, trying to pull me away from Tommy and closer to him. Without any hesitation whatsoever and before I could even take a step to keep my balance, Tommy reacted by punching Jackson square under the jaw. He let me go and I heard gasps and murmurs from the crowd. I caught my balance as Jackson spun around, holding his jaw. “You asshole!”
“I'm not the one who was grabbing a woman's arm, when she clearly wanted nothing to do with him. You want to keep trying my patience, man?”
Jackson looked like he thought about it, but then two security guards walked up. One grabbed Jackson's arm, the other grabbed Tommy.
“Would someone like to tell us what's going on here?”
“This fine gentleman was pulling on the lady's arm. I made him let her go.”
The guard who spoke looked at me, for confirmation. “Yeah. That's right. I told him I didn't want to talk and he grabbed me.”
“Thanks. Are you alright?”
“I'm fine.” I realized I was rubbing my arm where Jackson had grabbed me. It didn't really hurt. I was just stunned at myself and embarrassed that I didn't do anything on my own to make him let me go. I couldn't. Security then led Jackson away as we watched.
Tommy turned to me, murder eyes gone and looking at me with concern.
“Are you really okay?”
“Yeah. Fine. Other than the fact I could have kicked his ass but I just stood there like a tree stump.”
“I did notice that... who was that asshole? I've never seen you react that way. Well... once or twice...” He looked away a moment. We didn't talk about that often.
“That.... was Jackson.” I made myself say his name. “The ex I told you about.”
“The controlling one?” I nodded. Tommy turned and started to go after them. I held him back though.
“No, stop. He isn't worth it.” Tommy turned back to me. “I don't want to remember tonight because of him.”
Tommy took a deep breath, and calmed down. He took both of my hands. “You're right. This is about you, and your work. We need to celebrate that.” He kissed me.
After I spoke to another security guard for a few minutes, Tommy and I went back to the group. Nate and Carissa asked what happened, I said I would explain later. Keith was near my piece and waved me over. I went over, and he introduced me and Tommy to some other people associated with the movie, including the actor who was playing the main character. The group of people started asking me questions, about this piece, my other art, and even wrestling. I noticed Tommy had stepped back away from the group. He was letting me have my moment.
This was far from SCW, but it was still a huge accomplishment for me. Something I did on my own had been recognized. It was something I had needed for a long time, to just be seen for what I'm worth, and rewarded.
ON CAMERA
What did I tell you?
We.
Don't.
Give.
Up.
Did all of you really think that we were just gonna let this go? Everyone that's been running interference and fucking us out of what we deserve? Adam, Autumn, Ace, Lexy's creepy little farm animal friends... we figured we'd be proactive in that case. The point is, you pissed us off and we did what we had to do, to make our case. Prove a point. Fuck with us... and you'll find out the lengths we're willing to go to make sure we get what we're due.
That being the Tag Team Championships, of course.
I think everyone knows that the only reason Order of Chaos are still champions, is because Lexy's Cunts got involved and committed the biggest screwjob of the year, when they attacked us just as we had them dead to rights and cost us the match! We were on the verge of taking back what belongs to u s and making history, and that was stolen from us! What I find amusing as fuck, is how pissed Lucas Knight was when this match was announced, he thought we were just being handed another shot at them for no reason, or because Cian O'Dwyer caved to peer pressure after we kicked everyone's asses. I mean, it couldn't possibly be because Cian knows that we were screwed, right? The fact is that we have the chance to rectify the screwjob and make history anyway... taking the titles back from Order of Chaos, and that's why Lucas is mad. He doesn't want our moment to be at their expense.
Its laughable, because before this I would have never pegged Lucas Knight as a hypocrite. He really called us every name he could think of, and probably made some up, after we went through Breakdown kicking the ass of everyone who crossed us, pissed that we were rewarded for attacking people. Yet the reason he and Christy still hold those belts... is because someone attacked us, and Lucas took full advantage of it! I guess cheap shots and sneak attacks are only okay in his book when they benefit him, right? Like I said... fucking hypocrite. Especially coming from the man who's also the Underground Champion! Isn't the whole point of that division, that title, to be as violent as you possibly can? Oh, but he can't take a few cheap shots backstage. Give me a fucking break, Lucas!
Tell you what, after this is over with, no matter what happens, how about you bring the big balls you act like you have to the ring to face me, and lay that Underground Championship on the line? Just you and me doll, and all the toys and cheap shots you can think of fair play. You already know I have no problem getting my hands dirty, and if you really think I'm ever gonna regret anything? I dare you to come and try to make me.
But Lucas is only one half of the current champions who took advantage of the bullshit. Christy Matthews is just as much of a hypocrite, she showed her face stopping the rookies from getting themselves into more trouble, as if she's never done anything like that in her life. You would think she would be appreciative of us tenderizing the kid for her, but noooo. She had to pretend to be high and mighty as if none of us remember the shit she used to pull. Y'all remember that Tag Title hot potato, right? But she was doing shit she would condemn now, not too long ago.
She seemed pretty pissed about the Jackals getting involved in her US Title match too, but she should actually be grateful, because we are the only reason she's still champion. That kid... Spencer? See, we do know your name... was about two moves and a three count away from the upset of the year. But we couldn't let that happen. Nah, we went out there and saved Christy from the embarrassment of losing her title to a rookie. It might seem counterproductive but we needed to show everyone that we run this place. We had two points to make. One... Spencer? He needed to learn what happens when he gets involved in things that aren't his business. And two? Christy hasn't lost a match in I can't even remember how long, and there was no fucking way we wee gonna let someone else get one over on her before we do.
They owe us.
Christy and Lucas are so desperate to hold on to the Tag Titles that they accepted the effects of interference just to fuck us over. They know that the return of Order of Chaos is just a nostalgia act, and their five minutes are almost up. They're gripping all of their gold so hard because they know that without it? Their relevancy disappears. Come Breakdown tomorrow night? Time is up.
Yet, for the other challengers, Autumn and Ace? Time was up a long time ago. Yet those two frauds are clinging to this pipe dream of getting the Tag Titles back. They really just need to quit while they're ahead. The only reason they're even involved here is because Ace needs something to stroke his ego after he failed to win the World Championship, you know... the thing he put his focus on instead of the Tag Titles? These titles are nothing but a back up plan to him, he doesn't care about the Tag Division. He never did. He cares about doing whatever the fuck Lexy Chapel tells him to do. He doesn't even care about Autumn, he's just roped into this insanity created by Lexy, who for some ridiculous reason, wants the world to believe in some wife swap bullshit.
I have to give Lexy some credit though, after CHBK called their bluff, ol' girl doubled down, she's going all in with this wedding farce... nevermind the fact that everyone knows that Ryan Watson is already married! Yeah yeah, supposedly some papers were to be signed, but I'm not buying it. I haven't bought any of this shit from the start, I think people forget how well I know Ryan, he trained me for fucks sake! He's even less interest in this whole thing than I am, and that's saying something. And the fact that Autumn is playing along with this by pretending to be “so in love” with Ace is just.... fucking insane. Lexy has been pushing this idea that Autumn and Ace are some power couple ready to take on the world, but anyone with two brain cells to rub together knows that the only actual couple in this match is me and Tommy.
You know what's really pathetic though? The fact that the whole fake wedding isn't even the craziest part of this. Oh no! Just when you think Lexy and her cunts have finally lost their minds, they find a way to do something even more astronomically stupid. Has anyone been on the internet lately? See any good videos? No? How about fake ones? Yeah, that whole 'sex tape' shit? Not buying that, either. Autumn is either so determined to help Lexy sell this bullshit wedding of hers that she actually agreed to fuck Ace on camera, or she pretended to. Either way, there is no fucking way I believe that video was an accident. With everything else Lexy is, she is a social media juggernaught. There is no way she wouldn't have shown Autumn exactly how to shut that live feed down. And I'm not even gonna get into the details about how the whole thing looks like bad Showtime softcore porn. It doesn't matter how you look at this... the entire thing is a scam. And I really can't wait to watch all of it blow up in Autumn and Ace's face, especially after putting all of their focus into perpetuating this fucking ridiculousness, rather than actual training, rather than preparing for what's probably the biggest match of their careers... one that they fucking asked for!
Repeatedly!
I have no idea why they're trying so hard to make people believe this shit anyway. Contrary to what all of them apparently think... no one really cares who anyone is fucking anymore. Especially Autumn. Is it Ace? Is it Ryan? Is it both?
Who cares?!
Let me ask you this... do you care who I'm fucking? Is it just Tommy? Is it Drake, too? Did I give Ricky James a piece anyway out of sympathy after we didn't win Trios? Does it matter? Do you care? No, it doesn't fucking matter! We're here to fight! This is about the Tag Team Championships, not who's sitting on who's dick! Autumn, maybe if you spend more time focusing on your ring work instead of who you want the world to believe you're fucking, you might not have to literally beg for your chance to reclaim the titles. You wouldn't have to literally beg people to vote for you in some popularity contest... that you fucking lost anyway. Do you have any idea how pathetic you sound? No, I imagine you don't, or else you wouldn't have done it, no matter how much Lexy pushed you to go along with her bullshit.
But you did. Because you're desperate.
Desperate for opportunities you don't deserve, desperate for people to believe whatever garbage you're trying to spoonfeed them... what it really boils down to though is you're desperate for attention. You always have been, it even used to be your catchphrase... and you always will be. Well guess what sweetheart, you're gonna have all the attention you ever wanted once we step inside the Thunderdome, because as soon as the bell rings? I'm coning for you first!
How dare you fucking make a mockery of the Tag Team Championships by treating this match to some bullshit wedding that has zero chance of actually happening? This is just one more bullet point on a very long list of things that prove that Autumn and Ace... do not care about the championships. At least Lucas and Christy make a good show of caring about them, since gold is the only thing keeping them relevant.
All four of you seemed so proud that you stopped the Connection a few weeks ago from making history. You thought that was the end of it, Lucas obviously thought we were going to the back of the line, right? But we proved our words. We don't quit. We don't give up. We just keep attacking and attacking and attacking until we wear you and everyone else down and there is no other choice but to give us what we're owed.
You didn't stop us at all. You only delayed the inevitable. The only difference is that now? We get to make history by beating both teams at the same time. There is no mistake who the dominate team here is, no mistake who deserves those belts. It isn't either one of you. Order of Chaos only cared about the ego stroke that came with claiming something they couldn't do years ago, and now they only want to keep them to deny them from us. Lexy's Cunts don't give a fuck about the titles at all, they never did. They only care about publicity and faking their love lives to get attention. They can try to make Autumn and Ace out to be the greatest love story in SCW til they're out of breath, but I'll tell you what the real greatest love story in SCW is...
The Connection... and the Tag Team Championships. We never stop fighting for them. We belong together.
Tomorrow night at Breakdown, the six of us are gonna be locked inside the Thunderdome, and it doesn't matter what the four of you throw at us, we are going to prove our dominance once and for all, while making history by becoming Tag Champions for a record-breaking fifth time. I've said since Trios that I want the spotlight. I need that moment where everything I've ever wanted is in my hands, the history making moment is my doing, while everyone I know we are better than lies at our feet. Tommy knows it, he's willing to let me have it once we beat all of you down beyond movement. All I have to do is look at the carnage laying around us, decide which one of you I'm going to pin... and take it from you.