Breakdown 7-8-21
June 15
Santa Barbara
------------------
It was a few days after Taking Hold of the Flame, and I still hadn't spoken to Ashley, as he asked in that text. I'd replied, agreeing, but said I wanted a few days to recover from the show. I didn't get a reply to that, I hoped I didn't piss him off more. I didn't really need to recover, I wasn't hurt or anything, and Tommy hadn't even been in the match. I really just wanted a few days to figure out what the fuck I was going to say, depending on how Ashley was going to approach me. I wasn't sure what else there was I could say, I gave it my best shot the day he overheard me and Tommy talking, and he didn't want to hear it. He didn't believe me. Can't say I really blamed him.
I needed a distraction from the bullshit I created, so I invited Coral, my biological sister, to the house for lunch. I first met her in January, after Gail told me and Sydney that she had another child. I had been pissed, but agreed to meet her. I expected to hate her for some reason, but it turned out that we're a lot alike, in more ways than just resemblance. It was super fucking weird looking at her, I'd never known anyone in my life that looked so much like me. Sydney and I had some similarities as cousins, but me and Coral? Holy shit. She'd told me how I apparently didn't miss much not growing up with our mother, that she wasn't very good at it. Since that first meeting we'd kept in touch over text and phone, and met up once or twice again for a coffee, but it had been a while since we'd seen each other. The last few weeks Tommy and I had really been focusing on SCW and kinda ignoring everything and most everyone else. We did our classes, he talked to his kids, I talked to Nate every now and then... but other than that, we kept to ourselves. The last time I talked to Nate he asked me if I'd talked to Coral lately and I admitted I hadn't. He very blatantly told me I should do something about that. Nate is usually right, and this case was no different, although he had no way of knowing that I needed a distraction.
So, that Tuesday afternoon, Tommy was at Ante Up doing his thing, I didn't have a striking class scheduled, so it was a perfect day for Coral to drive up from Hollywood Hills. We had lunch, which was salad with grilled chicken. After, we sat out by the pool with drinks. I had been wrong in assuming Coral didn't do alcohol, so we were having gin and tonics.
“So, not mad at me for pretty much ignoring you for a few weeks?”
“Nah... phones go both ways, right? We were just both caught up in other shit. Don't stress it.”
“Life kicking your ass too, huh?”
“Little bit... not literally like yours.” Coral smirked.
“I'd be worried if you were getting your ass kicked at the hair shop.” In the months since we'd met, I found out that Coral is a hairstylist.
“Remind me to tell you a couple stories sometime.” She laughed as she sipped her drink.
“Why sometime? I feel like I need to hear this now.”
“Cause most of them were my fault and I don't want to put you off already.” Another smirk.
“Tease.”
“Hey, I gotta keep some mystery. Besides, I don't see you offering up any deets on what's been keeping you busy.”
“It's not a secret, you can watch TV for a good bit of it.”
“Right.. I wanted to ask you. How did you not get hauled off to jail for grand theft auto?”
We both laughed. “Started watching my shit, huh?”
“Had to see what I was getting into with you.”
“Well... we brought it back!”
“Nah. Not buying it.” Coral shook her head, amused.
“Okay... the little idiot didn't press charges. I have no idea why.”
“Maybe he doesn't know how America works?”
“Who knows. Doesn't matter, we gave it back and it's all good. Other than the dents...” Detailing didn't include body work. Besides, I was proud of the door damage from David Helms' leg.
“Maybe he won't notice.”
“Ask me if I give a fuck.”
We both laughed again.
“Man, I really gotta stay on your good side. Better to be your friend than enemy.”
I downed half my drink, my good mood wavering. “I don't know, there might not be much of a difference.”
“Uh, what?”
I shook my head. “Nothing, I'm just being an ass.” Truth was, right before Coral arrived, Ashley had texted me back finally, asking if I'd decided when would be good to talk, cause he really needed to speak to both me and Tommy. I hadn't replied yet. I didn't know what to say.
“Okay... I haven't known you all that long yet, but I know bullshit when I smell it. Something's bothering you.”
I sighed. “It's just....” I wasn't sure if I could trust her, I hadn't told anyone about this mess Tommy and I created. It's not like I had anyone I could really talk to about it, right? Sydney was definitely out of the question for obvious reasons. Nate would think we were both crazy. I had told Minerva about it vaguely, without names, and she thought it was hilarious. So she likely wouldn't be any help in trying to fix this, she wouldn't think anything was wrong. Maybe I needed a take from someone not involved. “Okay. Tommy and me did something pretty fucked up to a friend of ours, and he found out about it, and now he's pissed.”
“Fucked up, how?” Coral leaned on the table towards me, suddenly super interested. Well, this was it, either she would think we were both crazy and run for the Hills, literally, or she would take me seriously.
“This guy... one of our students, but a friend too... he was getting in cozy with Tommy's daughter. He didn't want that to happen, so he asked me to... distract him. So he wouldn't mess with her anymore.”
“Distract? Like... fuck?”
“Yeah. That.”
Coral sat back, her eyes wide like something clicked. “Wait... is this the student guy you told me you hooked up with when you got pissed about Mom?”
“You remembered that?” Coral nodded. I mean, obviously she did. “Yeah, that guy.”
“Holy shit. Well.... did it work?”
She hasn't called us crazy yet, so that's a thing. “Yeah, it did. Too well I think, he started getting stuck on me. Even though we only fucked twice. So I had to back off.”
“And then he found out you guys played him. How?”
“He overheard us talking about it.” I explained about Sydney and my concern that their breakup would turn his head back to Charlotte.
“What a fucking mess. What are you gonna do?”
“I have no fucking idea. He texted me just this morning asking when we could talk.”
“Maybe he got over being mad and wants to make up.”
“That... or he's gonna have Sydney or Charlotte with him to confront us and tell us to fuck off.”
“That's possible too I guess. But lemme ask you... why do you care? You guys got what you wanted, right?”
“No! He wasn't supposed to find out, I didn't want to hurt him.”
Coral stared at me a moment, then sat back and laughed. “Oh my God. You like him!”
“I mean yeah, he's our friend.”
“No, no. I mean you like him, like him. Right?”
“He was fun. And he's not hideous.” Coral gave me a look over the top of her gin and tonic glass. “Okay fine, he's hot. But not my usual type, okay? He's almost ten years younger than me!”
“So?”
“Just a few years ago, ten years younger than me would be a felony.”
“But it's not now. So who cares? Or wait.... does your man not approve all of a sudden? He only allowed it because it served his purpose?”
“It's not like that. We used to have this thing where playing around was okay. Before him, I was with a different guy every week. Sometimes more than one in a week. I never wanted to get serious, I didn't know how. But Tommy... I don't know, he understood that, never tried to change me. But I did anyway. I willingly chose not to play around anymore. No one measures up.” I don't understand how it was so easy for me to tell her all of this shit. It couldn't just be blood, could it? I'd never talked like this with Sydney. But, she's just my cousin. Not my sister.
“Literally?” Coral smirked.
“Excuse me, did you just ask me how big my boyfriends dick is?”
“I think I did.” She laughed. I didn't know how to react, so I just laughed.
“Big enough.”
“Good answer.” Coral finished her drink. “Well... it sounds like a hot mess. But you also have a lot of street smarts. You'll figure it out. If all else fails, just throw your charms at him again.”
“That's the last thing I want to do.”
“Is it?” She winked. I laughed, shaking my head.
“You're terrible. Absolutely fucking terrible.”
“I'm not wrong. You liiiiiikkeee hiiiimmmm.”
“Shut up!”
She laughed hard. “Proof!”
“Coral!” I laughed too, trying to throw her off.
“I'm right! Come on... you can tell me. I'm your sister.”
“Ugggh. Fine. Yeah... yeah, I do.” In hindsight, I think the only reason I admitted that to her was because I'd had two drinks.
Coral's laughter went away, replaced by another smirk. “Knew it.”
I shook my head. “Fucking horrible. Why did I invite you here?”
“Oh come on... you made it obvious.”
“Yeah, I guess I did. Thing is, if you could tell, Tommy probably can, too.”
“Is that bad?”
“I don't know. I guess I'll find out.”
“You'll have to keep me updated. This is better than TV soaps.”
“Those still exist?”
“Yeah... they're not as good as they used to be though.”
“Nothing really is.”
“You can say that again.” Coral stood up and looked around. We hadn't been in the pool yet, and even though Coral had changed into the suit I told her to bring, she was looking up at the house. “So... what does a sister have to do to get a grand tour?”
“Um... ask?”
“I'm asking. This place is huge!”
I stood up and downed the rest of my drink. “It really is. Alright, I'll show you around. There are so many extra bedrooms here that he gave me one just for an art studio. Can you believe that?”
“That's fucking awesome.”
We went back into the house and I showed her around, including my studio room. She was more and more impressed the more she saw.
After the 'grand tour,' we went back outside and got in the pool. A few hours had gone by before we noticed, which only became apparent when Tommy came home. They spoke briefly and Coral decided to leave, saying she hadn't realized how late it was and she needed to get home to meet a friend for dinner. We hugged, and I noticed her giving both the house and Tommy a glance as she left.
June 19
Santa Barbara
The Starmaker
-------------------
I had finally told Tommy that Ashley wanted to speak to both of us. He agreed, and suggested we have him meet us at the Starmaker, since it was a familiar place. I had no argument with that, so I replied to Ashley with the suggestion. We agreed on Saturday night, seven PM.
Tommy and I got to the club around 6, the usual time we would get there on a Saturday. We went straight to Tommy's office down the hall, he had some paperwork to check, and I wanted to talk to him before Ashley got there anyway.
“So, how exactly does he want this to go again?”
“He said he wants to talk to me first, alone, then you.”
“Why?”
“Wouldn't say. That's literally all he told me.”
“Hmm. You know, I thought I knew the kid pretty well, but I can't figure him out here.”
“Neither can I, and I'd make a case that I know him a little better.” I made a face. Tommy shook his head.
“Yeah... yeah, you probably do.” He sighed. “Do you think he told anyone?”
“Like who?”
“Sydney? Charlotte?”
“I haven't heard anything from Sydney. She did finally tell me she called it off, but she made it seem like not a big deal. Did Charlotte say anything?”
“Nope. Haven't heard from her in a few days actually... which now that I think about it, is a bit strange.”
“You think....?”
Tommy shook his head. “Nah. She'd have yelled my ear off.”
I sighed, sitting on the edge of the desk. “Maybe it's not so bad, then. If he hasn't told either of them, maybe he's not as pissed?”
“Who knows. I've given up trying to figure out how this is gonna play out. All we can do is ride it out.”
“That's easy for you to say, he didn't ask to talk to you first.”
“It makes sense though. You're the one he got closer to.”
“Does it? Seems he'd be just as upset with you for setting it up.”
“But you actually did it. If you'd said no, none of this would be an issue. Me and my stupid fucking ideas.” He shook his head again, tossing the paperwork aside.
“Maybe I should have....”
“Maybe you weren't as opposed to it as you said you were.”
I frowned. Shit. “What does that mean?”
“Nothing... just that maybe you had a thing for him you didn't want to admit to.”
“That's ridiculous.” Even I don't buy my tone, and I'm usually pretty good at pretending.
“Is it? You spent a lot of time working together after I asked you to help me out with his training.”
“Tommy!”
He held his hands up, palms up. “I'm just saying it's possible. Not like I could be mad about it after the fact.”
I looked away. Maybe he was right. Maybe I did, and I didn't know it until I was asked to fuck with him. It wouldn't be the first time I was completely oblivious to my own feelings.
“Kandis?” I looked up. “Did I hit on something?”
“I don't know.”
“That usually means you don't want to say yes.”
“It means... I don't know. I tried so hard to do what you asked me that I don't know if I wanted it just to complete the task you gave me, or because I wanted it.”
“Now that's an honest response.”
“It probably doesn't matter anyway, because we're probably both gonna get told to fuck off, just in different ways.”
Tommy scoffed. “That's a good possibility.”
I got up from the desk. “Fuck this, I need a drink.”
Tommy stood up and walked around the desk to follow me. “So do I.”
We went to the bar and got ourselves that drink. As I was finishing the last sip of mine, I saw Ashley walk in. He was a few minutes early, but that was fine with me. Might as well get it over with. Ashley looked around a bit, then saw me. He nodded his head, and I waved a bit letting him know I saw him. He went to a table in the far corner. I guess I was expected to meet him there. I glanced at Tommy behind the bar. He blew me a small kiss, for luck I guess. I glanced down at myself as I got up. I was wearing a typical club outfit – a tight and short dress, this one lime green, with black patent strappy heels. I looked back at where Ashley sat, he was in black jeans and a black and gray pinstriped button up shirt, that fit perfectly. At least he dressed nice to tell me to fuck off. Well... better get it over with, I told myself, as I walked over.
“Hey.”
“Hi... ya look good.” Ashley waved at the chair across from him. I took it, crossing my legs at the knee.
“Thanks... so do you.”
“Do I? Or are ya just sayin' that t'be polite?”
“I guess I deserve that. I do mean it, though.”
“Y'know, I'm gonna choose to believe it.” He gave me a grin so slight, I wondered if I imagined it.
“Is that the last gesture of goodwill before you tell me to my face to fuck off?”
“What makes y'think that's what Ah came here t'do?”
“Oh, I don't know... the way you ran away from Ante Up right after telling me you can't believe a word I say anymore.”
I definitely did not imagine that grin. “Yeah. I s'pose that would do it. But that's not what Ah asked to talk t'ya for.”
“It's not?”
“Nah. Ah wanted to tell you.... Ah thought about it, and maybe Ah overreacted just a tad.”
I felt my eyes go wide. “Come again?”
“Might want t'watch yer phrasing there, love.” He smirked.
I laughed a little, I hadn't intended that one. “Right... sorry.”
“As Ah was sayin'... Ah think Ah was a bit more angry than Ah should've been. It were a pretty dumb idea to try to talk up Charlotte anyhow. Ah knew Tommy dint like it, she even commeneted t'me bout how he'd made little remarks to her about it.”
“Really?”
“Mhmm. Ah think she knew better too, if Am honest.”
I looked back for a second at the bar to see where Tommy was. He was sliding a drink to a customer. I looked around the room too, I felt like something was off.
“Okay... I hear you, and it sounds reasonable, but I really feel like I'm missing something here.”
Ashley laughed. That just confused me more. “Maybe y'are.”
“Are you gonna fill me in, or is this your plan to get me back?” Fill me? Fuck's sake....
“No. Nothin' like that. Ah'll be nice and tell ya. I spoke to Charlotte.”
“Spoke to? About... me?” Ashley nodded. “What? Why?!”
He laughed again. “Well, silly me, Ah thought she'd be right pissed like Ah was. But she weren't. She thought it were hilarious.”
“She did....?” I wish I could have seen my own face because I'm sure my expression was a sight.
“Oh yeah. Bout laughed 'er head off. Seems she had some idea dear ol dad had done sommat to put a kink inta things but had no idea what. Called it brilliant, then asked if Ah had fun.”
I sat back in my chair, completely stunned. “Wait a minute. You're fucking with me, aren't you? Yeah, you are. You're jerking me around like we did to you.”
“Am really not. That's exactly how it went. Ah was as flabbergasted as you are.”
I stared at him, the expression on his face. Back when I had been trying to get him into bed, he tried to act like he wasn't interested, cause he was afraid of Tommy. So I became good at reading his expressions. He wasn't lying. “Shit. You're serious.”
“As a heart attack.”
“Okay... so... what does that mean?”
“Means what Ah said. Ah overreacted, but Am over it. It were still pretty fucked up, Tommy could've accomplished the same result a lot easier by just sayin' “hey mate, not my lil girl, okay?” And that would've been enough. Guess Am more amused at how much more complicated he made things. Why'd he figure throwing you at me was the best route, y'know?”
Ashley looked at me as if he expected an actual answer. “I... don't know. Maybe he didn't want Charlotte to know he'd interfered? You'd have to ask him.”
“Oh an Ah plan to. But Ah had t'deal with you first.”
“Deal with me?”
“Y'know. Tell ya Ah ain't pissed at ya anymore. Ah admit it were fun watchin' ya squirm for a few minutes.”
I smirked. “I'm sure it was.”
“Ah do have a question for ya, though.”
“Yeah, shoot.” Fuck, I had to stop making double entendres.
“When y'said ya did have interest... were that the truth?”
“Everything I said that day was the truth.” The only thing I wasn't sure of, was when it started. Maybe at this point it didn't matter. But the fact it exists, and now both Tommy and Ashley knows it, makes things complicated. Ashley smiled, and leaned towards me on the table, but with his arms down as if preparing to get up.
“Maybe one day Ah'll ask ya t'prove that.”
And then he got up and walked away.
I spun in my chair and watched Ashley walk towards the bar. Tommy turned around from the liquor station, then stopped as he saw Ashley approaching. Tommy looked past him towards me, questioning. I just shrugged, how was I supposed to explain that with an expression or a nod? Tommy turned his attention back to Ashley, and they shook hands over the bar. I watched as Ashley then followed Tommy down the hall to his office.
I really wished I could be in there to hear this.
ON CAMERA
The shot opens to the faceplate of the SCW Television Championship, then slowly pans out to show that the belt is resting atop the very ample and recognizable ass of the Television Champion, Kandis. As the shot widens some more, we see Kandis looking back over her shoulder with a smirk, before she then turns around, flipping her rainbow-streaked braid over her shoulder. She removes the belt and places it over her shoulder.
Hey D.... are you having regrets yet?
I told you what was gonna happen. I was gonna do whatever was necessary to get this gold around my hot body, and that's exactly what happened. I never said I was gonna do it on my own. It was too fucking easy to get that bitch Anastasia riled up by just making fuck-me eyes at her man.... and then Tommy came in giving me the opening to take what I have deserved for a long time. Which by the way, is exactly what you deserved, D! After the way you sent those assholes after us and tried everything you could to keep us down! You can call it cheating or if you want to get fancy, 'underhanded tactics' if you want... I call it evening the score. It's your fault Tommy even had that damn crutch in the first place, so why shouldn't he use it to help me get this title that you probably didn't think I'd actually win?
Kandis holds the belt up a few seconds before laying back on her shoulder.
If those regrets are filling your mind now... you haven't seen anything yet, doll.
I see your game though, D. I really do. Giving me Derek Adonis for my first defense? Were you hoping he was gonna hurl all over me again? Did you think the possibility was gonna throw me off my game and make me lose? So sorry to disappoint you. And even if he had gotten sick again... it would have been worth it, because I kicked his ass anyway and whatever ideas you had of continuing to fuck with me went out the fucking window.
Then again, I guess that's why THIS week, you gave me Autumn Valentine. You know damn fucking well what went on there.
Kandis adjusts the belt on her shoulder and smirks, but there's no amusement in her expression, her eyes give away the malice.
Hey Autumn. Been a while, huh?
But hey, you only have yourself to blame for that. We've come a long way since you helped get my foot in the door here, haven't we? Oh... was I not supposed to say that? I don't know, nor do I care. See, I stopped caring what you think right around the same time you and Ryan broke your promise to me and Tommy about that Tag Title rematch. You remember, right? You beat us at Rise to Greatness two years ago, had to defend against Twin Magic, lost, then got the titles back... then your promised Tommy and me a rematch since we didn't get one after Rise. But... that's not what actually happened, was it? Nah... you went and fixed some fucking house show matches with Ravyn Taylor and Christy Matthews, cause you're all besties or some shit and Christy really, really wanted a Tag Title reign on her record. So, you laid down for them, then they laid down for you the next night. I'm pretty sure you remember how fucking pissed off we were that you broke your promise, right? But it's even worse than that.... you also fucked with the integrity of the championships.
Kandis laughs a bit, shaking her head.
I remember Ryan trying to make the case that you got them back the next night, so no harm no foul. We could still get our rematch. But that wasn't good enough. You lied. We were friends, Ryan was one of my best friends, and you talked him into lying to me. And other than me tearing him a new asshole over this bullshit... we've barely spoken since. And that's your fault, Autumn. This was my repayment for what I did for you.... you know what I did. See, I'm a good friend despite the fact you threw it back in my face, so I'm not gonna put your personal business out there... but you know what I did. Yet that didn't matter to you.
Kandis shakes her head in disgust.
I know its been a few years and maybe you've moved on. Ryan sure the fuck has, it's been so long since he's tried to speak to me that I can't even remember the last time, not that I'd entertain it anyway. But I don't move on. I don't forget betrayals. Holding on to them, gripping grudges with a fist.... is a big part of what kept me going during my darkest times growing up. If I had something, someone to hate, to get revenge on.... it meant I had to keep going. I couldn't give up. I had to fight.
I knew that eventually one day our paths would cross again, and so I kept that betrayal of yours, that grudge of mine, tucked away in a safe corner of my mind, so I could pull it out when needed and throw it back into your fucking face. I admit I thought it would happen in another tag situation, Tag Title match or contender's match... something. I didn't expect it to be over a singles championship that I hold and you're trying to take away. But it's fine. I can adapt. I've had to do that all my life, too.
Kandis moves the title belt from one shoulder to the other, keeping her had gripped on the edge.
So, let's review. You broke your promise, you made one of my best friends lie to me... oh and before I forget to mention! We never did get that rematch against you two. Nah, we were thrown into a clusterfuck ladder match for the titles... which your besties Ravyn and Christy won. So you cost me my friend, you cost us the rematch you promised us and never gave us, cost us the titles.... and now here you are about to step in the ring with me and try to take this title too?
I don't fucking think so.
Look, I know it's possible and even likely that you didn't ask for this, Autumn. You're being used as a pawn by D to further fuck with me, because he knows all about that house show stunt and how Tommy and me were screwed. But I also know you, and how you jump at any opportunity thrown at you, no matter the reason why. Maybe you don't care that you're being used, just as much as D has used Josh Hudson, Pat Evans, Bison Jones, and Derek Adonis to fuck with us. But I think you should care. Take a look at how well being one of D's pawns turned out for all of them. Hudson concussed and disappeared. Pat Evans got his ass kicked by me and he's gonna get his ass kicked by Tommy next. Bison lost this championship to me, and Derek was just a warm up for whoever else D throws into my path.
That happens to be you, doll. And after the way you've fucked me and Tommy over in the past, after the way I know for a fucking fact you don't give a flying fuck about any championship other than the Tag... there is no way I am letting you walk out of Breakdown with this. You might act like you care, just because D gave you the match, or because it's me. But you don't. I know you don't. And you are not going to take one more thing away from me, bitch!
I once trusted you, because I trusted Ryan, and look how well that turned out for me. It's so hard for anyone to earn my trust, and you are a perfect example of why. Almost every time I take the risk, I get burned. One major exception being Tommy, obviously. I've bided my time, keeping that grudge safe for a long time, waiting til the day I got to stand across a ring from you again. And now that it's happening, I can't wait to deny you another piece of gold. Not only am I giving you a little bit of the payback you deserve for what you did to me and took from me in the past... but it'll put another nice dent into D's plans to fuck with me.
And hey, I'm doing you a favor, too! You'll be able to keep all your focus – and I know how hard it is for you to actually focus – on the Tag Titles and your new partner. You know, the one every seems to think you're fucking, except I'm not an idiot and I know better? Yeah, him. He seems like he needs constant supervision. I'll keep my focus on my title, and after I give you the asskicking I've owed you for years... we'll just go our separate ways again. No harm no foul, right? Depending on how I feel after I kick your ass... I might fuck around with the idea of letting this be one grudge I let go of.
Guess we'll find out.
Kandis looks at the belt on her shoulder with a smirk as the shot fades out.