Post by Kenzi Grey on Jan 27, 2018 18:18:50 GMT -5
PROLOGUE...
This weekend is going to be one of the toughest challenges of not only my career, but my life. On Sunday night I get to step into the ring with Alicia Lukas, one of the toughest and most decorated women that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Coupled with the fact that this is just her second match in Ladies All-Star Wrestling and her first match has left a nasty taste in her mouth, I am certain that I will be getting the very best version of her possible. I know what she can do and I know how far she'll go to do it, and it’s my job to do everything in my power to stop her and leave her with an even more sour taste in her mouth.
…I don’t take any pleasure in that thought at all, but I don’t book matches, I compete in them…
Alicia has been kicking asses all around since the day I first met her. To be honest, I was intimidated when I first spoke to her, I wasn’t sure if she’d balk or just plain not accept me as an equal…which I wasn’t. To my surprise, she treated me good and from that day forward I have been not only her friend, but a huge fan. If I were to design a blueprint for my career, I would blatantly rip off everything I could from her. Her strengths are legion and her flaws are few.
…but that is what Sunday is really and truly all about…
It is great to be a fan girl…but the time must come when little girls must learn to grow up and finally realize the kind of woman they truly want to become. For me, that measure will be judged on Sunday night when I step into the ring with the embodiment of all of those things. I must find a way to overcome her strengths…her size, her experience, and most of all her aura of invincibility. I must solve that riddle if I am to prove to not only her, but to the entire world that I am now well on my way to being her equal…of starting my own legacy of excellence!
Of course, I have noticed that Alicia doesn’t believe I can be her equal so long as I have a life outside of the wrestling ring. She goes out of her way to give me good advice about what it takes to get where she is in the business. I have to dedicate myself to my craft and I have to not worry about the acting, the singing, and much of the drama that surrounds my life. In this, some of what she says holds merit…for her and people like her, but I am not her…in fact, I am nothing like anyone else in this business. She’ll see that soon enough when we hook up in Greenville.
I said her flaws were few…and that makes this test all the more exciting and worth the price of admission. The list of women, and maybe even a few men, that have managed to solve the equation of what it takes to defeat Alicia Lukas is extraordinarily small and distinguished! After LAW 76, I plan on being able to count myself among the few and the proud…
…NO, NOT THE DAMN MARINES…
I plan on etching my name into the history books on Sunday night after I face one of the best on the planet and then I become one myself!
…I go from one incredible high to one mind-numbing low…
I am hoping to walk out of LAW 76 with a win under my belt after I face someone I admire, because the following day I attend a funeral with Sativa…a fellow Cool Kid who lost her husband to violence. I don’t know how or what to feel about this. Sarah lost her father to cancer not long after we began dating and that was hard. I have never had someone that close to me die before, so I couldn’t imagine what Sav was feeling…but I’d experience it soon enough.
The thought of death had been on my mind all week after my session with Sarah’s doctor, Reznik. He had told me that I needed to imagine how different my life would be without Sarah in it. It wasn’t something that I wanted to face, but Sarah had asked me to participate in the session, so I guess that included all that went with it. I would have rather been facing Alicia Lukas in a death match than thinking about actual death, but I felt compelled to do it.
…let alone the fact that as a Scientologist, I abhorred psychiatry…
It did nothing but trick your brain into limiting its potential. It was like selling ice to Eskimos, it was the last thing that they needed. The mind had a wonderful capacity for healing itself and unlocking its full potential. I had done this by gaining Clarity through faith. Speaking to that mutton-headed doctor wasn’t going to do anything but put my sanity at risk…but…I would do anything for Sarah, anything at all. If she wanted to me to talk to Reznik and open up to his attempts to turn my brain into applesauce, then screw it, I would be glad to give him the chance.
The coming days were going to be ones to remember…surrounded by new life at a children’s hospital on Saturday, facing real life in the form of Alicia Lucas on Sunday, and staring at death alongside my friend Sativa on Monday. Alicia was right when she said that my life was filled with distractions, but part of being me was in not shying away from all that life threw my way. I would confront it all…head on…and I would come out the other side every bit the confident and successful woman that I had gone in as.
…life slowed me down…but nothing and no one ever stopped me…
LEVINE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Charlotte, North Carolina
As the car that took Sarah and I to Levine cruised through Charlotte, I wondered what this day was going to be like. I looked over at my wife and she was totally oblivious to my anxiety. In fact, she was too busy staring intently at her pet pygmy rabbit, Hasenpfeffer as she played happily with Alex Yin’s chinchilla, Chewie. She was like a doting mother, her red eyes large and her smile equally so as she watched them play. This was another sign that her biological clock was ticking…having been jump started by her ‘accident.’ I still thought that she had a lot more wrestling left in her, she just needed to work hard to get her legs back under her, but in typical fashion, Sarah wanted what Sarah wanted…and that was a kid! I didn’t want any part of that, so I was doubly annoyed that my mother had booked this event.
…part of me wonders if she’s actually in cahoots with Sarah, but that could never happen…could it...?
I wrung my hands nervously as the car pulled up to the immense hospital complex. The glass façade glinted in the morning sun and I could see multicolored lights and artwork decorating the interior. I dreaded the idea of coming to this event, even if it was just more exposure for Ladies All-Star Wrestling. No, it wasn’t because Alicia Lucas had made it a point to run me down because I did too much outside of the ring; it was because I plain and simple flat out hated kids! Yeah, I did the Bongo Show last week, but in my eyes it had just been more exposure for me as the ‘Champion of Champions.’ It had been nothing more than another gig for me up until I realized my wife had come down with baby fever!
I felt her hand slip into mines, ebony and ivory lacing together out of habit. I held on to her hand, even though I kept my eyes peering through the mirror tinted glass. There was so much going on right now that I found it hard to focus on just one thing. Spending time surrounded by kids…and knowing that in a very few days I would be helping one of my friends bury her husband. It was like a perfect storm of bullshit crashing down on me.
“BELOVED! YOU’D BETTER NOT BE THINKING ABOUT LUKAS’ ASS AGAIN!”
“HUH?!” That snapped me out of my musing. I turned to her, with a smile on my face…even if I didn’t have it in my heart. “If I am thinking about her round juicy ass, I am thinking about how to kick it…and nothing else!”
Sarah’s eyes were narrowed, but there was a playful smile on her lips. “Be sure that’s all you’re thinking about!” She leaned into me, putting her head on my shoulder. “Thank you for doing this Beloved! Thank you for everything, even spending the time to talk with Doctor Reznik.” She paused, “I know your faith doesn’t put stock in such things, but I appreciate you speaking to him, all the same.”
“Don’t mention it.” I squeezed her hand to show her that it was my pleasure, but in fact, it really had been anything but! I already hated the man, and the fact that he had tried to plant seeds in my head about considering my life without Sarah only made me hate him even more. I didn’t know if this was because of some conversation he had with Sarah, but it was the LAST thing that I ever wanted to think about.
Sarah squealed loudly as she practically bounced up and down in the seat. “I HOPE THEY LET US HOLD SOME BABIES!”
I felt my stomach turn at the thought of doing that. I had always hated kids…I had hated myself when I WAS a damn kid! This was going to be a long ass day! If there was ever a time where I wished I had taken Alicia’s advice and skipped all the extra shows and appearances, it was now!
TAP TAP TAP
I looked to the window as Crystal Hilton stood beside her new girlfriend, Seleana Zdunich. They had both agreed to come out with us and I had breathed a heavy sigh of relief when they did…not because I needed the help, but I needed the distraction. It was my intention to smile and take a few quick pictures, then quickly find a quiet corner and hide away until it was time to go. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was going to do a heck of a lot better rolling around the ring with Alicia than I was going to do rubbing elbows with adolescents.
I turned to Sarah and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You ready Baby?” I knew if she could walk, she would have been out of the car like she’d been blasted out of a cannon, but she was still no less excited and raring to go. Has and Chewie were gathered up as Seleana carried my pet loris, that I had cleverly named Boris. At no time at all, we were whisked inside and our odyssey soon began…
____________________________
SEVERAL HOURS LATER…
We had spent time visiting with the children and playing games with them, but all I could really think about was how much I didn’t want one of them for myself…ever! Sarah buzzed around, in her motorized wheelchair OF DOOM, going from child to child like a pollenating honeybee. I couldn’t have pried the smile off of her face with a crowbar. Seeing her so happy actually made me mad…not at her, but with myself for not wanting this for her. It felt rushed…it felt too soon. I didn’t like it…I suspected that I never would. At my first chance to excuse myself, I slipped off to the restroom and spent 20 minutes in a stall texting back and forth with my friend, Roxy Cotton;
I burst out of the stall, sliding across the floor like Kramer from Seinfeld. I thank my lucky stars that I don’t fall and bust my ass as I run out the door and back into the hallway.
THUMP
“OW!”
I stop as I realize that I’d just knocked someone over in my hurry to get to my wife before she got TOO attached to any of the children. I look down at a young kid in a hoodie glaring up at me in a mixture of surprise and annoyance. “I’m sorry! I was in a hurry and I didn’t even see you there.” I reach down and help her up. “Are you okay?” I look her over to make sure, then can’t help but notice the fact that Alicia Lucas is emblazoned across the front of her top.
The girl gives me a scowl of irritation as she brushes my hands away from her. “I’m fine! Just watch where you’re going!”
I want to find Sarah, but I am intrigued by the girl in front of me. She’s not like the others. I fold my arms in front of me as I cock my head to the side. I give her an intense look of my own. “That’s an interesting choice of apparel. I take it that you know I’m facing her tomorrow night in Greenville?”
The girl snorts, “You mean, Alicia’s gonna whoop your butt tomorrow night in Greenville!”
I raise my eyebrow, “WOW! You’re so sure of that?” I lean against the wall, settling in to listen to everything she has to say. “How do you arrive at that conclusion?”
The girl matched my posture, her green eyes dialed in as she made her point. “Haven’t you been listening to what she has to say? Yeah, she might have been nicer about it, but she knows that this match is actually going to be a cakewalk for her! While you’re running around doing appearances, she is in the gym, training and getting better by the minute.” She snorted, “You’re just going from appearance to appearance…it’s almost like you don’t even know you have a match!”
I am nearly taken aback by her take on me. Not that it was far from what Alicia had been saying, still…it was weird to hear it coming from a fan. “Do you really think that is what I do? You think I just go from appearance to appearance without any thought to the work that I need to put in to get better at my craft?”
She shrugged, “Proof is in the pudding. You’re here today instead of in a gym like Alicia probably is right now.”
I nodded to acknowledge the picture she painted. Indeed, I was here instead of sweating it out in the gym like nearly every picture Alicia posted since this match was announced. There was no doubt that she was going to be physically ready after spending every waking moment honing her body into a weapon that she’d try her best to slay me with. Actually, I was counting on that. “You’re right. Alicia probably is in the gym right now…pumping iron and packing more strength into that 150 pound frame of hers. I know for a fact that she is thinking about me with every single deadlift, with every single leg press…she’s going to be laser focused on using that toned body of hers against me. She knows that I’m not as strong as her…”
“EXACTLY! That’s why she’s going to beat you!” she added gleefully.
I held up my finger, “No…that is why she’s going to find out that there’s more than just one side to me. Yeah, I might live my life out loud in the public eye. I’m silly on social media and I act, I sing, I play football…I have a life filled with distractions, but these things don’t make me weak…they make me strong in ways that people like Alicia and you don’t understand.” I curl my arm and make a muscle, probably quite laughable compared to the guns Alicia was packing, but I did okay for a ‘skinny twig’ as she called me. “The wrestling game isn’t only about who can lift the most or who can spend the most time in the gym…” I put down my arm and pointed to my chest, “…wrestling is also about heart, it’s also about determination, and it’s about belief. I have little doubt that locking up with someone like Alicia is not going to end well for your girl, but what I lack in muscle, I make up for in other ways that my opponents don’t understand.”
She narrowed her eyes, suddenly curious about what I meant. “Like what?”
I shrug, “I test myself everyday…I push myself mentally to do things that other people can’t do or are afraid to try. Yeah, I could play it safe and stick to being just a professional wrestler, but being a wrestler is more than holds and moves. Being a wrestler is about heart, it’s about courage, and it is about pushing yourself to do things that others don’t believe you to be capable of.” I reached out and tapped my finger against the image of Alicia on her hoodie. “Alicia sees me as having my head in the clouds, but what she doesn’t see is that I don’t do all of those things she sees as distractions because I don’t know what want to be…I do them because I know that I don’t have limits.”
I rubbed my hands together as I thought about all that I had accomplished…and all that was yet to be realized. “When I see a mountain…I climb it, I don’t tell myself that ‘I’m not a mountain climber.’ When I see a raging river, I don’t dwell on the fact that I can’t swim, I overcome what I think I know and I push myself to do one more things that the world thinks I can’t do. Alicia thinks that I can’t beat her…and maybe a lot of the fans think that same thing. Do you know who doesn’t think that…?” I pause and smile at my rhetorical question, even as I can see the glimmer of recognition in her face.
“…you don’t…”
I wink at her, “That’s right…I don’t.” I can’t contain the smile on my face as I visualize the match tomorrow. “I know that Alicia is one of the best and she knows it as well, but what will all those hours in the gym amount to when she throws everything she has at me and I am still there…still standing...still fighting? Will she think back to all the many hours she spent sweating with barbells? Will she draw from that time she did so many squats that she could barely walk the next day?” I shrug, “Maybe…but put me in her shoes, put me in a situation that I have never been in before and watch what I do. It’s in my nature to find a way to do what others cannot fathom…it’s in my nature to believe that I will accomplish whatever I set my mind to do.” I patted her on the shoulder, “It’s how I am going to beat Alicia Lukas tomorrow night at LAW 76.”
The girl stared at me for a long moment, saying nothing, but I could see her wheels turning. Finally she spoke, “She’s totally going to murder you.”
I let out a groan as my eyes roll back in my head, “…I really hate kids…” I mutter under my breath as I sighed, turning my attention back to finding Sarah. “Well…good talk kid. Tell me your name and I’ll tell Alicia that you said hello.”
She brightens up, and for the first time I see her smile. “REALLY! Hope…my name is Hope. Just tell her that I’m like her greatest fan ever! Even from her time in Japan!”
Part of me wants to say ‘I’ll tell her after I finish kicking her ass’ but I bite my tongue. Instead, I sigh and add, “Hey, why don’t you come to the show tomorrow and tell her yourself. My treat…bring some friends if you like…even if they all hate me too.”
Hope’s face lights up like a 500 watt bulb, but almost immediately it slips away. “I…I can’t. I want to…I just can’t…” She looks down at the floor, “…I have treatments. I can’t leave the hospital.”
It’s only then that I realize just how thin and frail the girl is under her oversized hoodie. Her veins stand out and look like blue roadways under her paper thin skin. I can see her bones stand out on hollow cheeks and rail thin fingers. Not a trace of hair can be seen, not even eyebrows. I swallow as the realization dawns on me that Levine was not just a hospital for children that were hurt, but also those that were ill...
…I could feel my heart ache at the thought and I suddenly felt foolish to be so concerned with my own silly hang ups over this visit…
I turned and looked down the hall at the throngs of children that were crowding around the pets that we had brought. Crystal, Seleana, and especially my wife were having the greatest time playing games and talking to everyone. I glanced back over at Hope as she stared down the hall as well and I could tell that she wanted to go there with the others. “Hey…come on over with me. I’ll introduce you to some of my little furry friends.”
Hope sighed, then shook her head. “I…I wish that we could. Most of us are too sick for any of that…” She paused, then looked at me, “…thank you for asking. Most people don’t even know we are up there.”
I frown, “Up there?”
She nods toward the elevator that leads up one more floor. “Yeah…that’s my Ward…”
I stand there, as if I were rooted to the spot, then before I know it, I take Hope’s hand in mines. “Can you show me…?”
The girl looks up at me, her eyes big and searching. They remind me of the way Sarah had looked at me earlier and I suddenly felt haunted by it. Hope nodded and led the way, pulling me along with her frail fingers clutching mines as she led me up to the Pediatric Cancer Ward…
____________________________
I spent the rest of the day with Hope and the other children who were confined to that Ward of the hospital. I had never been on such an emotional rollercoaster ride before. To see all of those sick children, many so frail that they could hardly manage to do more than smile to acknowledge that we were there. It was heartbreaking…it was sobering…and in a strange way, it was also uplifting to me as well. To see them all there, many with what amounted to a death sentence put upon them, all taking stock in what they had, not what they lost…or what they stood to lose.
I was reminded of the exercise that Dr. Reznik assigned to me. ‘Consider life without Sarah’ and how good it would be to not be saddled with a sick and disabled wife. Think about how much better life would be without her there…how much easier things could be.
…I considered this as I watched the children and their parents…
Their stories and their strength touched me in a way that few things had since I had nearly lost the most important thing in the world to me. I had been faced with that possibility once, but these people lived with that possibility everyday…and some hour by hour.
…consider how easy life without her could be…
Consider how wonderful every moment you have together truly is. Consider what it is to love someone and lose them, yet realize that you were made better for having known them. That was the lesson I learned that day…that was the mountain I saw and climbed…the river I feared to thread across, but swam all the same.
I would continue to dread the funeral on Monday and my wife’s sudden obsession with children, but maybe…just maybe I wouldn’t fear them both quite so much any more…
LEVINE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Charlotte, North Carolina
I stood outside the Levine Children’s Hospital following my promotional visit as the camera focused in on me. This day had not gone the way I thought it would. Spending the day surrounded by screaming children? I was sure that I was going to be nearly bald from snatching my own hair out of my head. To my surprise, the visit had been mostly a good time. I had come to understand a few things about myself and the people I cared about. I couldn’t put a price tag on that.
“Hey guys!” I waived to the camera and pointed to the large glass building behind me. As the sky darkened the multicolored lights made the hospital sparkle and shine in a host of colors. “I’m just finishing up here at Levine Hospital where I spent the day visiting with some very special people! The children and the staff were so great and accommodating! I’d also like to thank Auntie Crystal, Seleana, and Alex for allowing Chewie to come out with me today. It was a truly inspiring day and it’s almost a shame that it has to end…but all good things do in fact come to an end.”
I pulled the collar of my coat up and around my neck to stave off the cool breeze that suddenly picked up as the sun continued to sink in the sky. “For me, it’s back to the real world, and that means that I have a hot date with a Alicia Lukas in just about 24 hours in Greenville, South Carolina! We are headed into LAW 76 with a hint of a bad taste in both of our mouths. I’m coming of a match against Melissa Aki that could have gone either way, but it was ruined by Etsuko’s interference. Alicia won her match, but not in the fashion that she would have liked. So we both have a bit of disappointment to deal with, but in the end, only one of us is going to get the satisfaction of turning it around and putting a proper ‘W’ on their record. Alicia knows that it will be her, and I know that she is wrong…dead wrong!”
“I spent the last two weeks promoting this match to the best of my ability…promoting Ladies All-Star Wrestling, and yet…the consensus is that I am not realizing my potential, that I am consumed by distractions.” I shrug, which is about the only thing I really can do. "Maybe I don’t do this the way a lot of other people would, but don’t you dare call me a part timer! I don’t know many part timers with gold around their waist, and of those that I do know, none of them show up like I show up! I don’t take time off, even for injuries, I never have and I never will! I take what I do seriously, whether anyone out there believes it…or not!”
“I carry the mantle of ‘champion’ in LAW because I fought to earn that title. I didn’t win it because I made movies or I sang in a band…I didn’t even win it because I threw the ball more times than anyone else in the entire LFL…I won it because I actually do have dedication! Alicia can think that I’m not focused all she likes, but the proof is in the pudding, whether she sees it or not! I didn’t become the Breakout Champion because I can climb a ladder better than anyone else in LAW, I did that because I don’t have an off switch. I fight from bell to bell and I fight to win no matter who I am in the ring with. Tomorrow night, Alicia Lukas will find that out first hand.”
I pointed into the camera, leaving no doubt that I was speaking directly to my opponent. “Alicia, I know you’re watching and I want you to look into my eyes as I say this to you, not as a friend, but as the opposition; I appreciate the fact that you think I don’t take what I do seriously…I appreciate the fact that you think I can do better…but I hope you appreciate the fact that when you find yourself inside that ring with me, you’re going to eat those words!” I was silent for a moment, allowing them to sink in. “Don’t let thoughts of one day facing Gabby Camacho cloud your brain…don’t get yourself too worked up thinking about how it will feel to wear that precious LAW Title because tomorrow night, I am not an obstacle in your path…I am the roadblock that you won’t get through!”
“I’ll see you in the BI-LO Center…and may the better woman win…”
A mail icon flashes at the corner of the screen and I rub my hands together as I turn my attention to my Question and Answer segment. “Okay guys, my assistant collected all the best questions and now I am going to answer them for you, LIVE! Let’s see who’s first…”
I nod slowly as I try my best to craft an intelligent response, rather than respond off the cuff. “Thank you for that question Hexx Fan. To be honest it usually doesn’t bother me when people say that. I know that it is all part of the game that people use to get into each other’s heads. We all have done it in varying degrees, so to me it just seemed like she was following the usual formula that people try to employ to get a rise out of me.” I shrug, which is about the only thing that I can do. “It seemed hack to me, just like when Gabby Camacho says it in every single promo. The bottom line is that neither of them are lacing up the shoes of a television critic, they are lacing up wrestling boots. The last time Gabby thought to make that a point of interest for herself, she found out that it didn’t matter what she thought of my film career…when it came to my wrestling one, she was going home a loser that night. Maybe that is what Alicia is trying to do as well.” I chuckle at the thought, “That suites me just fine actually.”
I face palm so hard that I think I might actually rub my face right off my head. “Guys, seriously…I DO NOT HAVE A FIXATION ON ALICIA’S BIG JUICY ASS!” I pause, the horror on my face evident for all to see. I drag my fingers through my braids, doing my best not to pull them out. “For anyone who cares to hear it, I have a wonderful squat booty at home that is just right for me! If I have any interest in Alicia’s booty at all, it is because I am trying to devise a way to avoid that swiveling butt attack of her! I am NOT admiring Alicia’s or anyone else’s ass on the internet…it’s research…PERIOD!” I straighten myself, lifting my chin arrogantly. “Next question!”
“Wow! You manage to get a question in every week. I am starting to wonder if my assistant is actually a ‘follower of the Red Lady’ as well!” I glare off camera at my assistant and he sheepishly backs off behind a production truck. I turn my attention back the camera. “Etsuko has made her presence felt at every show since she lost the Breakout Title…I will give you that, but if I may…I’d like to answer this question directly to Etsuko, because I know she’s watching as well.”
I take a deep breath and nod my head. “Etsuko, you have made your point to me…show after show. You want your title rematch and I have accepted, week after week, but you still don’t get it, do you? If it were up to me, I would have fought you 5 minutes after our match ended at Night of Glory! If it were up to me, after you jumped me following the Champion’s Challenge, I would have gladly put the title on the line as LAW went over its scheduled air time, but Kenzi Lacklan doesn’t make matches…if I did, you would have already been right were you belong, sent to the back of the line!”
I am deadly serious as I add, “I am not going to presume to answer for Alicia, but I can almost promise you, if you try to pull that crap with her, I doubt very seriously that things will end up well for you. So, do yourself a favor and take your case to the boss so I can beat your ass once and for all, and finally put an end to all of the craziness, okay?”
“Well…first things first, I am going to say thank you for your service…assuming you served or are serving our country. I appreciate the sacrifices that they have made and continue to make. That being said, I am going to tell you this. With the exception of myself, my wife, and my close friends…the only person happier about me winning the Breakout Title is Gabby Camacho. She knows without a shadow of a doubt that given the chance, I would beat her ass and take that title in a heartbeat! She found out during the Champion’s Challenge, which is why she stayed out of the ring like a coward and waited for me to pin someone else. So, she can keep flapping her lips all she likes, but if she isn’t careful…I have zero qualms about walking into Lucas Dupree’s office and leaving my title there as I throw my hat into the ring so that she can get beaten by a Lacklan for a third time in a row!”
I can’t help the surprise that washes over my face. “Well…Demonic Sex 69, you make a valid point; I didn’t beat Melissa…though I have heard through the grapevine that she said that ‘I couldn’t beat her.’ While it is true that I haven’t beaten her, that’s not to say that it’s not on my wish list. As far as I’m concerned, she has a match whenever she wants it…title or no title, it’s up to her and Lucas Dupree.” I shrug, “The same will be true for Alicia Lukas. Whenever she wants it, she can have it! I don’t duck anyone, I don’t hide behind anyone’s skirt in this business…if you want your shot…you know where I am!”
I take a deep breath as I get ready to wrap up this episode. “Okay guys! Thanks a lot for tuning in and for those of you who are interested in supporting a very worthy cause, please reach out and give what you can to Levine Children’s Hospital. They are doing wonderful work for a lot of very sick children, but they could use your help! Please reach out and see what you can do!”
“That’s going to do it for me tonight…I will see you guys in Greenville tomorrow for LAW 76! Hugs and kisses!”
EPILOGUE...
US 29 SOUTH
Hours Later…
Sarah stared at me as tears welled up in my eyes as the car carried us away from the Children’s Hospital. She held me close to her, doing what she could to comfort me, but there was nothing that she could do or say to make me forget the words that still rang in my ears after I got off the phone with Hope’s parents. I had asked them if I might be able to bring her to a LAW show after her treatment was done and the answer they had given me was very matter of fact…
“Hope doesn’t have much time left…”
I wasn’t her family…I probably could barely call myself her friend, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. I wondered how they could seem to be okay with giving an answer like that…without falling to pieces. I didn’t have to ask that question, it had already been answered for me. They all cherished the time that they had while they had it…together.
Make the most of life…do all the things that you want to do. Wrestle, act, sing, play football…massage your wife’s wiggling toes. Do the things that others say you can’t or shouldn’t, even though they make you happy. Live your life out loud!
Don’t dread what’s to come. Tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone, so live in the moment and enjoy the time that you do have with the ones that you love…
“…I love you Baby…”
“…I love you too Beloved…”
This weekend is going to be one of the toughest challenges of not only my career, but my life. On Sunday night I get to step into the ring with Alicia Lukas, one of the toughest and most decorated women that I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. Coupled with the fact that this is just her second match in Ladies All-Star Wrestling and her first match has left a nasty taste in her mouth, I am certain that I will be getting the very best version of her possible. I know what she can do and I know how far she'll go to do it, and it’s my job to do everything in my power to stop her and leave her with an even more sour taste in her mouth.
…I don’t take any pleasure in that thought at all, but I don’t book matches, I compete in them…
Alicia has been kicking asses all around since the day I first met her. To be honest, I was intimidated when I first spoke to her, I wasn’t sure if she’d balk or just plain not accept me as an equal…which I wasn’t. To my surprise, she treated me good and from that day forward I have been not only her friend, but a huge fan. If I were to design a blueprint for my career, I would blatantly rip off everything I could from her. Her strengths are legion and her flaws are few.
…but that is what Sunday is really and truly all about…
It is great to be a fan girl…but the time must come when little girls must learn to grow up and finally realize the kind of woman they truly want to become. For me, that measure will be judged on Sunday night when I step into the ring with the embodiment of all of those things. I must find a way to overcome her strengths…her size, her experience, and most of all her aura of invincibility. I must solve that riddle if I am to prove to not only her, but to the entire world that I am now well on my way to being her equal…of starting my own legacy of excellence!
Of course, I have noticed that Alicia doesn’t believe I can be her equal so long as I have a life outside of the wrestling ring. She goes out of her way to give me good advice about what it takes to get where she is in the business. I have to dedicate myself to my craft and I have to not worry about the acting, the singing, and much of the drama that surrounds my life. In this, some of what she says holds merit…for her and people like her, but I am not her…in fact, I am nothing like anyone else in this business. She’ll see that soon enough when we hook up in Greenville.
I said her flaws were few…and that makes this test all the more exciting and worth the price of admission. The list of women, and maybe even a few men, that have managed to solve the equation of what it takes to defeat Alicia Lukas is extraordinarily small and distinguished! After LAW 76, I plan on being able to count myself among the few and the proud…
…NO, NOT THE DAMN MARINES…
I plan on etching my name into the history books on Sunday night after I face one of the best on the planet and then I become one myself!
…I go from one incredible high to one mind-numbing low…
I am hoping to walk out of LAW 76 with a win under my belt after I face someone I admire, because the following day I attend a funeral with Sativa…a fellow Cool Kid who lost her husband to violence. I don’t know how or what to feel about this. Sarah lost her father to cancer not long after we began dating and that was hard. I have never had someone that close to me die before, so I couldn’t imagine what Sav was feeling…but I’d experience it soon enough.
The thought of death had been on my mind all week after my session with Sarah’s doctor, Reznik. He had told me that I needed to imagine how different my life would be without Sarah in it. It wasn’t something that I wanted to face, but Sarah had asked me to participate in the session, so I guess that included all that went with it. I would have rather been facing Alicia Lukas in a death match than thinking about actual death, but I felt compelled to do it.
…let alone the fact that as a Scientologist, I abhorred psychiatry…
It did nothing but trick your brain into limiting its potential. It was like selling ice to Eskimos, it was the last thing that they needed. The mind had a wonderful capacity for healing itself and unlocking its full potential. I had done this by gaining Clarity through faith. Speaking to that mutton-headed doctor wasn’t going to do anything but put my sanity at risk…but…I would do anything for Sarah, anything at all. If she wanted to me to talk to Reznik and open up to his attempts to turn my brain into applesauce, then screw it, I would be glad to give him the chance.
The coming days were going to be ones to remember…surrounded by new life at a children’s hospital on Saturday, facing real life in the form of Alicia Lucas on Sunday, and staring at death alongside my friend Sativa on Monday. Alicia was right when she said that my life was filled with distractions, but part of being me was in not shying away from all that life threw my way. I would confront it all…head on…and I would come out the other side every bit the confident and successful woman that I had gone in as.
…life slowed me down…but nothing and no one ever stopped me…
LEVINE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Charlotte, North Carolina
…part of me wonders if she’s actually in cahoots with Sarah, but that could never happen…could it...?
I wrung my hands nervously as the car pulled up to the immense hospital complex. The glass façade glinted in the morning sun and I could see multicolored lights and artwork decorating the interior. I dreaded the idea of coming to this event, even if it was just more exposure for Ladies All-Star Wrestling. No, it wasn’t because Alicia Lucas had made it a point to run me down because I did too much outside of the ring; it was because I plain and simple flat out hated kids! Yeah, I did the Bongo Show last week, but in my eyes it had just been more exposure for me as the ‘Champion of Champions.’ It had been nothing more than another gig for me up until I realized my wife had come down with baby fever!
I felt her hand slip into mines, ebony and ivory lacing together out of habit. I held on to her hand, even though I kept my eyes peering through the mirror tinted glass. There was so much going on right now that I found it hard to focus on just one thing. Spending time surrounded by kids…and knowing that in a very few days I would be helping one of my friends bury her husband. It was like a perfect storm of bullshit crashing down on me.
“BELOVED! YOU’D BETTER NOT BE THINKING ABOUT LUKAS’ ASS AGAIN!”
“HUH?!” That snapped me out of my musing. I turned to her, with a smile on my face…even if I didn’t have it in my heart. “If I am thinking about her round juicy ass, I am thinking about how to kick it…and nothing else!”
Sarah’s eyes were narrowed, but there was a playful smile on her lips. “Be sure that’s all you’re thinking about!” She leaned into me, putting her head on my shoulder. “Thank you for doing this Beloved! Thank you for everything, even spending the time to talk with Doctor Reznik.” She paused, “I know your faith doesn’t put stock in such things, but I appreciate you speaking to him, all the same.”
“Don’t mention it.” I squeezed her hand to show her that it was my pleasure, but in fact, it really had been anything but! I already hated the man, and the fact that he had tried to plant seeds in my head about considering my life without Sarah only made me hate him even more. I didn’t know if this was because of some conversation he had with Sarah, but it was the LAST thing that I ever wanted to think about.
Sarah squealed loudly as she practically bounced up and down in the seat. “I HOPE THEY LET US HOLD SOME BABIES!”
I felt my stomach turn at the thought of doing that. I had always hated kids…I had hated myself when I WAS a damn kid! This was going to be a long ass day! If there was ever a time where I wished I had taken Alicia’s advice and skipped all the extra shows and appearances, it was now!
TAP TAP TAP
I looked to the window as Crystal Hilton stood beside her new girlfriend, Seleana Zdunich. They had both agreed to come out with us and I had breathed a heavy sigh of relief when they did…not because I needed the help, but I needed the distraction. It was my intention to smile and take a few quick pictures, then quickly find a quiet corner and hide away until it was time to go. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was going to do a heck of a lot better rolling around the ring with Alicia than I was going to do rubbing elbows with adolescents.
I turned to Sarah and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You ready Baby?” I knew if she could walk, she would have been out of the car like she’d been blasted out of a cannon, but she was still no less excited and raring to go. Has and Chewie were gathered up as Seleana carried my pet loris, that I had cleverly named Boris. At no time at all, we were whisked inside and our odyssey soon began…
____________________________
SEVERAL HOURS LATER…
We had spent time visiting with the children and playing games with them, but all I could really think about was how much I didn’t want one of them for myself…ever! Sarah buzzed around, in her motorized wheelchair OF DOOM, going from child to child like a pollenating honeybee. I couldn’t have pried the smile off of her face with a crowbar. Seeing her so happy actually made me mad…not at her, but with myself for not wanting this for her. It felt rushed…it felt too soon. I didn’t like it…I suspected that I never would. At my first chance to excuse myself, I slipped off to the restroom and spent 20 minutes in a stall texting back and forth with my friend, Roxy Cotton;
KENZI GREY LACKLAN:
Roxy! You should see Sarah over here with all of these freaking rug rats! She’s literarily making me want to throw up!
Roxy! You should see Sarah over here with all of these freaking rug rats! She’s literarily making me want to throw up!
ROXY COTTON:
Hey bb! No one told you to take Coda’s dumb rat with you!
Hey bb! No one told you to take Coda’s dumb rat with you!
KENZI GREY LACKLAN:
Coda? Are you talking about Alex Yin and Chewie?
Coda? Are you talking about Alex Yin and Chewie?
ROXY COTTON:
Um. Sure bb. Same diff, right?
Um. Sure bb. Same diff, right?
KENZI GREY LACKLAN:
NO! Anyway…I’m hiding in the bathroom from all the kids. I am hoping that no one realizes that I’m not out there.
NO! Anyway…I’m hiding in the bathroom from all the kids. I am hoping that no one realizes that I’m not out there.
ROXY COTTON:
That’s a mistake bb. If you leave Sarah out there by herself, the next thing you know she’ll be giving those little monsters rides on her cripple cart -OF DOOM- and then you’ll never get them off! You need to get out there before she gets too attached!
That’s a mistake bb. If you leave Sarah out there by herself, the next thing you know she’ll be giving those little monsters rides on her cripple cart -OF DOOM- and then you’ll never get them off! You need to get out there before she gets too attached!
KENZI GREY LACKLAN:
Right! You’re absolutely right!
Right! You’re absolutely right!
ROXY COTTON:
Thanks bb, I know.
Thanks bb, I know.
I burst out of the stall, sliding across the floor like Kramer from Seinfeld. I thank my lucky stars that I don’t fall and bust my ass as I run out the door and back into the hallway.
THUMP
“OW!”
I stop as I realize that I’d just knocked someone over in my hurry to get to my wife before she got TOO attached to any of the children. I look down at a young kid in a hoodie glaring up at me in a mixture of surprise and annoyance. “I’m sorry! I was in a hurry and I didn’t even see you there.” I reach down and help her up. “Are you okay?” I look her over to make sure, then can’t help but notice the fact that Alicia Lucas is emblazoned across the front of her top.
The girl gives me a scowl of irritation as she brushes my hands away from her. “I’m fine! Just watch where you’re going!”
I want to find Sarah, but I am intrigued by the girl in front of me. She’s not like the others. I fold my arms in front of me as I cock my head to the side. I give her an intense look of my own. “That’s an interesting choice of apparel. I take it that you know I’m facing her tomorrow night in Greenville?”
The girl snorts, “You mean, Alicia’s gonna whoop your butt tomorrow night in Greenville!”
I raise my eyebrow, “WOW! You’re so sure of that?” I lean against the wall, settling in to listen to everything she has to say. “How do you arrive at that conclusion?”
The girl matched my posture, her green eyes dialed in as she made her point. “Haven’t you been listening to what she has to say? Yeah, she might have been nicer about it, but she knows that this match is actually going to be a cakewalk for her! While you’re running around doing appearances, she is in the gym, training and getting better by the minute.” She snorted, “You’re just going from appearance to appearance…it’s almost like you don’t even know you have a match!”
I am nearly taken aback by her take on me. Not that it was far from what Alicia had been saying, still…it was weird to hear it coming from a fan. “Do you really think that is what I do? You think I just go from appearance to appearance without any thought to the work that I need to put in to get better at my craft?”
She shrugged, “Proof is in the pudding. You’re here today instead of in a gym like Alicia probably is right now.”
I nodded to acknowledge the picture she painted. Indeed, I was here instead of sweating it out in the gym like nearly every picture Alicia posted since this match was announced. There was no doubt that she was going to be physically ready after spending every waking moment honing her body into a weapon that she’d try her best to slay me with. Actually, I was counting on that. “You’re right. Alicia probably is in the gym right now…pumping iron and packing more strength into that 150 pound frame of hers. I know for a fact that she is thinking about me with every single deadlift, with every single leg press…she’s going to be laser focused on using that toned body of hers against me. She knows that I’m not as strong as her…”
“EXACTLY! That’s why she’s going to beat you!” she added gleefully.
I held up my finger, “No…that is why she’s going to find out that there’s more than just one side to me. Yeah, I might live my life out loud in the public eye. I’m silly on social media and I act, I sing, I play football…I have a life filled with distractions, but these things don’t make me weak…they make me strong in ways that people like Alicia and you don’t understand.” I curl my arm and make a muscle, probably quite laughable compared to the guns Alicia was packing, but I did okay for a ‘skinny twig’ as she called me. “The wrestling game isn’t only about who can lift the most or who can spend the most time in the gym…” I put down my arm and pointed to my chest, “…wrestling is also about heart, it’s also about determination, and it’s about belief. I have little doubt that locking up with someone like Alicia is not going to end well for your girl, but what I lack in muscle, I make up for in other ways that my opponents don’t understand.”
She narrowed her eyes, suddenly curious about what I meant. “Like what?”
I shrug, “I test myself everyday…I push myself mentally to do things that other people can’t do or are afraid to try. Yeah, I could play it safe and stick to being just a professional wrestler, but being a wrestler is more than holds and moves. Being a wrestler is about heart, it’s about courage, and it is about pushing yourself to do things that others don’t believe you to be capable of.” I reached out and tapped my finger against the image of Alicia on her hoodie. “Alicia sees me as having my head in the clouds, but what she doesn’t see is that I don’t do all of those things she sees as distractions because I don’t know what want to be…I do them because I know that I don’t have limits.”
I rubbed my hands together as I thought about all that I had accomplished…and all that was yet to be realized. “When I see a mountain…I climb it, I don’t tell myself that ‘I’m not a mountain climber.’ When I see a raging river, I don’t dwell on the fact that I can’t swim, I overcome what I think I know and I push myself to do one more things that the world thinks I can’t do. Alicia thinks that I can’t beat her…and maybe a lot of the fans think that same thing. Do you know who doesn’t think that…?” I pause and smile at my rhetorical question, even as I can see the glimmer of recognition in her face.
“…you don’t…”
I wink at her, “That’s right…I don’t.” I can’t contain the smile on my face as I visualize the match tomorrow. “I know that Alicia is one of the best and she knows it as well, but what will all those hours in the gym amount to when she throws everything she has at me and I am still there…still standing...still fighting? Will she think back to all the many hours she spent sweating with barbells? Will she draw from that time she did so many squats that she could barely walk the next day?” I shrug, “Maybe…but put me in her shoes, put me in a situation that I have never been in before and watch what I do. It’s in my nature to find a way to do what others cannot fathom…it’s in my nature to believe that I will accomplish whatever I set my mind to do.” I patted her on the shoulder, “It’s how I am going to beat Alicia Lukas tomorrow night at LAW 76.”
The girl stared at me for a long moment, saying nothing, but I could see her wheels turning. Finally she spoke, “She’s totally going to murder you.”
I let out a groan as my eyes roll back in my head, “…I really hate kids…” I mutter under my breath as I sighed, turning my attention back to finding Sarah. “Well…good talk kid. Tell me your name and I’ll tell Alicia that you said hello.”
She brightens up, and for the first time I see her smile. “REALLY! Hope…my name is Hope. Just tell her that I’m like her greatest fan ever! Even from her time in Japan!”
Part of me wants to say ‘I’ll tell her after I finish kicking her ass’ but I bite my tongue. Instead, I sigh and add, “Hey, why don’t you come to the show tomorrow and tell her yourself. My treat…bring some friends if you like…even if they all hate me too.”
Hope’s face lights up like a 500 watt bulb, but almost immediately it slips away. “I…I can’t. I want to…I just can’t…” She looks down at the floor, “…I have treatments. I can’t leave the hospital.”
It’s only then that I realize just how thin and frail the girl is under her oversized hoodie. Her veins stand out and look like blue roadways under her paper thin skin. I can see her bones stand out on hollow cheeks and rail thin fingers. Not a trace of hair can be seen, not even eyebrows. I swallow as the realization dawns on me that Levine was not just a hospital for children that were hurt, but also those that were ill...
…I could feel my heart ache at the thought and I suddenly felt foolish to be so concerned with my own silly hang ups over this visit…
I turned and looked down the hall at the throngs of children that were crowding around the pets that we had brought. Crystal, Seleana, and especially my wife were having the greatest time playing games and talking to everyone. I glanced back over at Hope as she stared down the hall as well and I could tell that she wanted to go there with the others. “Hey…come on over with me. I’ll introduce you to some of my little furry friends.”
Hope sighed, then shook her head. “I…I wish that we could. Most of us are too sick for any of that…” She paused, then looked at me, “…thank you for asking. Most people don’t even know we are up there.”
I frown, “Up there?”
She nods toward the elevator that leads up one more floor. “Yeah…that’s my Ward…”
I stand there, as if I were rooted to the spot, then before I know it, I take Hope’s hand in mines. “Can you show me…?”
The girl looks up at me, her eyes big and searching. They remind me of the way Sarah had looked at me earlier and I suddenly felt haunted by it. Hope nodded and led the way, pulling me along with her frail fingers clutching mines as she led me up to the Pediatric Cancer Ward…
____________________________
I spent the rest of the day with Hope and the other children who were confined to that Ward of the hospital. I had never been on such an emotional rollercoaster ride before. To see all of those sick children, many so frail that they could hardly manage to do more than smile to acknowledge that we were there. It was heartbreaking…it was sobering…and in a strange way, it was also uplifting to me as well. To see them all there, many with what amounted to a death sentence put upon them, all taking stock in what they had, not what they lost…or what they stood to lose.
I was reminded of the exercise that Dr. Reznik assigned to me. ‘Consider life without Sarah’ and how good it would be to not be saddled with a sick and disabled wife. Think about how much better life would be without her there…how much easier things could be.
…I considered this as I watched the children and their parents…
Their stories and their strength touched me in a way that few things had since I had nearly lost the most important thing in the world to me. I had been faced with that possibility once, but these people lived with that possibility everyday…and some hour by hour.
…consider how easy life without her could be…
Consider how wonderful every moment you have together truly is. Consider what it is to love someone and lose them, yet realize that you were made better for having known them. That was the lesson I learned that day…that was the mountain I saw and climbed…the river I feared to thread across, but swam all the same.
I would continue to dread the funeral on Monday and my wife’s sudden obsession with children, but maybe…just maybe I wouldn’t fear them both quite so much any more…
GREY MATTER
Kenzi’s Video Blog
Kenzi’s Video Blog
LEVINE CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
Charlotte, North Carolina
I stood outside the Levine Children’s Hospital following my promotional visit as the camera focused in on me. This day had not gone the way I thought it would. Spending the day surrounded by screaming children? I was sure that I was going to be nearly bald from snatching my own hair out of my head. To my surprise, the visit had been mostly a good time. I had come to understand a few things about myself and the people I cared about. I couldn’t put a price tag on that.
“Hey guys!” I waived to the camera and pointed to the large glass building behind me. As the sky darkened the multicolored lights made the hospital sparkle and shine in a host of colors. “I’m just finishing up here at Levine Hospital where I spent the day visiting with some very special people! The children and the staff were so great and accommodating! I’d also like to thank Auntie Crystal, Seleana, and Alex for allowing Chewie to come out with me today. It was a truly inspiring day and it’s almost a shame that it has to end…but all good things do in fact come to an end.”
I pulled the collar of my coat up and around my neck to stave off the cool breeze that suddenly picked up as the sun continued to sink in the sky. “For me, it’s back to the real world, and that means that I have a hot date with a Alicia Lukas in just about 24 hours in Greenville, South Carolina! We are headed into LAW 76 with a hint of a bad taste in both of our mouths. I’m coming of a match against Melissa Aki that could have gone either way, but it was ruined by Etsuko’s interference. Alicia won her match, but not in the fashion that she would have liked. So we both have a bit of disappointment to deal with, but in the end, only one of us is going to get the satisfaction of turning it around and putting a proper ‘W’ on their record. Alicia knows that it will be her, and I know that she is wrong…dead wrong!”
“I spent the last two weeks promoting this match to the best of my ability…promoting Ladies All-Star Wrestling, and yet…the consensus is that I am not realizing my potential, that I am consumed by distractions.” I shrug, which is about the only thing I really can do. "Maybe I don’t do this the way a lot of other people would, but don’t you dare call me a part timer! I don’t know many part timers with gold around their waist, and of those that I do know, none of them show up like I show up! I don’t take time off, even for injuries, I never have and I never will! I take what I do seriously, whether anyone out there believes it…or not!”
“I carry the mantle of ‘champion’ in LAW because I fought to earn that title. I didn’t win it because I made movies or I sang in a band…I didn’t even win it because I threw the ball more times than anyone else in the entire LFL…I won it because I actually do have dedication! Alicia can think that I’m not focused all she likes, but the proof is in the pudding, whether she sees it or not! I didn’t become the Breakout Champion because I can climb a ladder better than anyone else in LAW, I did that because I don’t have an off switch. I fight from bell to bell and I fight to win no matter who I am in the ring with. Tomorrow night, Alicia Lukas will find that out first hand.”
I pointed into the camera, leaving no doubt that I was speaking directly to my opponent. “Alicia, I know you’re watching and I want you to look into my eyes as I say this to you, not as a friend, but as the opposition; I appreciate the fact that you think I don’t take what I do seriously…I appreciate the fact that you think I can do better…but I hope you appreciate the fact that when you find yourself inside that ring with me, you’re going to eat those words!” I was silent for a moment, allowing them to sink in. “Don’t let thoughts of one day facing Gabby Camacho cloud your brain…don’t get yourself too worked up thinking about how it will feel to wear that precious LAW Title because tomorrow night, I am not an obstacle in your path…I am the roadblock that you won’t get through!”
“I’ll see you in the BI-LO Center…and may the better woman win…”
A mail icon flashes at the corner of the screen and I rub my hands together as I turn my attention to my Question and Answer segment. “Okay guys, my assistant collected all the best questions and now I am going to answer them for you, LIVE! Let’s see who’s first…”
HEXX FAN:
Did it bother you that Alicia went out of her way to say that your television show was horrible? I know that you guys say that you are friends, but that seemed a little like crossing the line to me. Thanks Kenzi!
Did it bother you that Alicia went out of her way to say that your television show was horrible? I know that you guys say that you are friends, but that seemed a little like crossing the line to me. Thanks Kenzi!
I nod slowly as I try my best to craft an intelligent response, rather than respond off the cuff. “Thank you for that question Hexx Fan. To be honest it usually doesn’t bother me when people say that. I know that it is all part of the game that people use to get into each other’s heads. We all have done it in varying degrees, so to me it just seemed like she was following the usual formula that people try to employ to get a rise out of me.” I shrug, which is about the only thing that I can do. “It seemed hack to me, just like when Gabby Camacho says it in every single promo. The bottom line is that neither of them are lacing up the shoes of a television critic, they are lacing up wrestling boots. The last time Gabby thought to make that a point of interest for herself, she found out that it didn’t matter what she thought of my film career…when it came to my wrestling one, she was going home a loser that night. Maybe that is what Alicia is trying to do as well.” I chuckle at the thought, “That suites me just fine actually.”
BUTTMAN JONES:
Kenzi, I have followed you on social media for many years and I have noticed that you frequently admire Alicia Lucas’ behind on Twitter. I am wondering, will you find her behind a distraction on Sunday night? I know it will be for me! Thanks for taking my question!
Kenzi, I have followed you on social media for many years and I have noticed that you frequently admire Alicia Lucas’ behind on Twitter. I am wondering, will you find her behind a distraction on Sunday night? I know it will be for me! Thanks for taking my question!
I face palm so hard that I think I might actually rub my face right off my head. “Guys, seriously…I DO NOT HAVE A FIXATION ON ALICIA’S BIG JUICY ASS!” I pause, the horror on my face evident for all to see. I drag my fingers through my braids, doing my best not to pull them out. “For anyone who cares to hear it, I have a wonderful squat booty at home that is just right for me! If I have any interest in Alicia’s booty at all, it is because I am trying to devise a way to avoid that swiveling butt attack of her! I am NOT admiring Alicia’s or anyone else’s ass on the internet…it’s research…PERIOD!” I straighten myself, lifting my chin arrogantly. “Next question!”
FOLLOWER OF THE RED LADY:
Miss Kenzi, two shows in a row you have found yourself confounded by Etsuko. She has beaten you down after you won the Champion’s Challenge and she humiliated you during your match with Miss Melissa. What do you think she will have in store for you on Sunday? Perhaps your opponent won’t even make it to the ring, wouldn’t that be tragic?
Miss Kenzi, two shows in a row you have found yourself confounded by Etsuko. She has beaten you down after you won the Champion’s Challenge and she humiliated you during your match with Miss Melissa. What do you think she will have in store for you on Sunday? Perhaps your opponent won’t even make it to the ring, wouldn’t that be tragic?
“Wow! You manage to get a question in every week. I am starting to wonder if my assistant is actually a ‘follower of the Red Lady’ as well!” I glare off camera at my assistant and he sheepishly backs off behind a production truck. I turn my attention back the camera. “Etsuko has made her presence felt at every show since she lost the Breakout Title…I will give you that, but if I may…I’d like to answer this question directly to Etsuko, because I know she’s watching as well.”
I take a deep breath and nod my head. “Etsuko, you have made your point to me…show after show. You want your title rematch and I have accepted, week after week, but you still don’t get it, do you? If it were up to me, I would have fought you 5 minutes after our match ended at Night of Glory! If it were up to me, after you jumped me following the Champion’s Challenge, I would have gladly put the title on the line as LAW went over its scheduled air time, but Kenzi Lacklan doesn’t make matches…if I did, you would have already been right were you belong, sent to the back of the line!”
I am deadly serious as I add, “I am not going to presume to answer for Alicia, but I can almost promise you, if you try to pull that crap with her, I doubt very seriously that things will end up well for you. So, do yourself a favor and take your case to the boss so I can beat your ass once and for all, and finally put an end to all of the craziness, okay?”
THE BIG RED ONE:
Gabby Camacho shrugged off your win over her and has gone out of her way to say that you don’t want any more of her. Seeing as how you really didn’t pin her, I think I believe her. GO ARMY!!
Gabby Camacho shrugged off your win over her and has gone out of her way to say that you don’t want any more of her. Seeing as how you really didn’t pin her, I think I believe her. GO ARMY!!
“Well…first things first, I am going to say thank you for your service…assuming you served or are serving our country. I appreciate the sacrifices that they have made and continue to make. That being said, I am going to tell you this. With the exception of myself, my wife, and my close friends…the only person happier about me winning the Breakout Title is Gabby Camacho. She knows without a shadow of a doubt that given the chance, I would beat her ass and take that title in a heartbeat! She found out during the Champion’s Challenge, which is why she stayed out of the ring like a coward and waited for me to pin someone else. So, she can keep flapping her lips all she likes, but if she isn’t careful…I have zero qualms about walking into Lucas Dupree’s office and leaving my title there as I throw my hat into the ring so that she can get beaten by a Lacklan for a third time in a row!”
DEMONIC SEX 69:
You failed to beat Maki last show and we all know that she was just moments away from winning, had it not been for the premature stoppage of the match. My question is this, when do you plan to make things right by giving Maki her rightful win!
You failed to beat Maki last show and we all know that she was just moments away from winning, had it not been for the premature stoppage of the match. My question is this, when do you plan to make things right by giving Maki her rightful win!
I can’t help the surprise that washes over my face. “Well…Demonic Sex 69, you make a valid point; I didn’t beat Melissa…though I have heard through the grapevine that she said that ‘I couldn’t beat her.’ While it is true that I haven’t beaten her, that’s not to say that it’s not on my wish list. As far as I’m concerned, she has a match whenever she wants it…title or no title, it’s up to her and Lucas Dupree.” I shrug, “The same will be true for Alicia Lukas. Whenever she wants it, she can have it! I don’t duck anyone, I don’t hide behind anyone’s skirt in this business…if you want your shot…you know where I am!”
I take a deep breath as I get ready to wrap up this episode. “Okay guys! Thanks a lot for tuning in and for those of you who are interested in supporting a very worthy cause, please reach out and give what you can to Levine Children’s Hospital. They are doing wonderful work for a lot of very sick children, but they could use your help! Please reach out and see what you can do!”
“That’s going to do it for me tonight…I will see you guys in Greenville tomorrow for LAW 76! Hugs and kisses!”
EPILOGUE...
US 29 SOUTH
Hours Later…
Sarah stared at me as tears welled up in my eyes as the car carried us away from the Children’s Hospital. She held me close to her, doing what she could to comfort me, but there was nothing that she could do or say to make me forget the words that still rang in my ears after I got off the phone with Hope’s parents. I had asked them if I might be able to bring her to a LAW show after her treatment was done and the answer they had given me was very matter of fact…
“Hope doesn’t have much time left…”
I wasn’t her family…I probably could barely call myself her friend, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. I wondered how they could seem to be okay with giving an answer like that…without falling to pieces. I didn’t have to ask that question, it had already been answered for me. They all cherished the time that they had while they had it…together.
Make the most of life…do all the things that you want to do. Wrestle, act, sing, play football…massage your wife’s wiggling toes. Do the things that others say you can’t or shouldn’t, even though they make you happy. Live your life out loud!
Don’t dread what’s to come. Tomorrow isn’t promised to anyone, so live in the moment and enjoy the time that you do have with the ones that you love…
“…I love you Baby…”
“…I love you too Beloved…”