What was it that made me run away?
That made me turn my back on my commitments, friends, family and dreams? Well, as sad as it sounds, as horribly cliche’d as this is going to be, it was a man. Just one. His name was Michael Murtagh.The Mad Dog, the Lion of Chiraq. A man who everyone could see as the future of the business and we were going to be the “it” couple of wrestling.
Thats what I thought anyway. Naive 21 year old Zoey Lukas. Following in her sisters footsteps and even dating in the business just like Alicia did.
I was determined to be different. Determined to have a good life and reach the top with him beside me.
‘
Thing is, I discovered too late that it was all a lie. That what he really wanted was name value. Name recognition. See, I had a name, I had the same last name as Alicia and everyone knew I was her little sister and I was going places. So he latched on to me like a fucking leach.
He started sucking the life from me like a leach does blood and I let it happen.
I let it happen because I was stupid.
And when the truth came out. Well, many say the truth sets you free but all it did for me was break me. It broke me so bad I disappeared for years and almost gave up on all of it. My aspirations, my hopes and my dreams. I even shut myself off from the mere prospect of a relationship.
That’s what pain does, that’s what lies do.
Truth.
Her eyes were staring a hole in Zoey. From across the table, the bright blue of them replaced by her pupils turning almost completely black. Her long hair tied up and away in a dirty bun as the breakfast sat in front of them. And on either side, two hungry young men wolfed down food like they hadn’t been fed in weeks. Zoey reached over, humming as she snatched a piece of bacon and popped it into her mouth. Rory and Ryan, her nieces, Alicia’s two young sons, laughed and argued about something, but Alicia was busy, focused on studying every single facial twitch of her sister.
Ryan tilted his head breaking the silence. ”Auntie Rose?”
Zoey raised an eyebrow and tilted her head to the side. Only Rory and Ryan could get away with calling Zoey by her actual name, well those two and her mother. ”Yeah?” Ryan shuffled in his seat and looked at Rory who was half paying attention and half shovling his scrambled eggs in his mouth.
”Why weren’t you home for dinner last night?” Rory suddenly sat up to pay attention, Alicia stayed staring as Zoey flashed a look at her, then Rory, then Ryan.
She cleared her throat and took a sip of orange juice. ”Well I was out for dinner, with a friend.” She gave him a warm smile and went back to eating, thinking the conversation was over as Ryan slowly nodded before turning back to her.
”Was it with Miles?
Zoey swallowed hard, Alicia tilted her head and stared at her. Zoey stumbled over her words and sat back trying to think of what to say. ”No, it was another friend of mine, he’s really nice, he’s someone your mom and I work with and so does Miles and Alex and everyone else.”
”Is he a wrestler?....wait do we know him?...Is it Fenris?”
The sound of coughing and spluttering is heard as Alicia had picked that time, that exact moment to take a sip of coffee, she put her hand up and coughed a few times as Zoey shook her head and rolled her eyes. ”Nah kiddo, it was someone else, he’s not a wrestler he’s a manager….so we went to dinner…”. He makes a small noise of admission and acceptance with a nod. They finish their breakfast and run off to play. Zoey sighs heavily and pops another piece of bacon in between her lips as Alicia sits back and folds her arms over her chest.
”So, a friend huh?”
Zoey groans and shakes her head pushing up to her feet and moving away from Alicia. ”Can we not?...”
Alicia laughs to herself and gets to her feet moving around behind Zoey before moving to her side, folding her arms over her chest and leaning back against the kitchen countertop. Zoey shakes her head and Alicia presses the issue. ”Was dinner that bad?...not the date you were hoping for” Zoey groans and washes her plate, putting it in the dishwasher. ”Jeez, you put Aron back in the friendzone after ONE date?”
”No that’s not…” Zoey pauses and grits her teeth together. ”It’s not really your business Ali.” Alicia puts her hands up and backs off, Zoey looks her sister oin the eyes and after a few moments sighs heavily and and throws her hands in the air. ”It went great….”
Alicias eyes widen, she loses her words for a moment, staying speechless before snapping out of it and laughing. ”Then why do you have that look on your face?...isn’t that a good thing?”
Zoey’s hands sit on the countertop, flat as she leans forward and takes a deep breath in. She looks at Alicia and has a look of sadness and pain in her deep blue eyes. ”I don’t know. In the moment it was great. Aron is charming, he’s smart, he’s handsome and he is the kind of guy that knows the difference between paying a compliment and boring flattery…”
”And?”
”And…” Zoey sighed again and pushed off the counter stepping backward. ”I don’t want to be disappointed. He left a great impression, he made me smile, he made me laugh. But isn’t it all downhill from here?” Alicia went to say something, but she had no idea what. This was unexpected, this was sudden and it broke her heart for Zoey. ”We might go on a few more dates, like hanging out and then he’ll want something more serious, or, I will. And then what if I don’t want that or he doesn’t?”
Zoey swallows hard looking down. ”Thats what you’re worried about?”
She nods and shakes her head, her arms folding over her chest as she shows an insecurity that Alicia just was not used to seeing since Zoey came back. ”If I don’t want a serious relationship and he does I could hurt him….and if I do…if I actually…ya know…fall for him and he doesn’t want to go further….I don’t know if I can handle that….so why bother ya know?”
Zoey went to leave the room, her shoulders down and her back arched. Alicia took a deep breath in and spoke, stopping Zoey in her tracks. ”I get it…” Zoey keeps her back to her sister, Alicia cleared her throat and smirked. ”Every failed relationship hurts and can damage you. All of mine did. Chris, Travis., Kaden…Michael…they all broke me in little ways. Michael was the worst. Cause he…he ois a good man despite his control issues…..but you can’t let a bad end to a relationship stop you from taking that step…” Zoey turns and looks over her shoulder. Alicia gave her a kind smile, Zoey stood up straighter and gave Alicia a small nod, stepping through the door, understanding and accepting her sister's point.
Battle of the titans
”This excites me…”
Zoey steps to the side, her hair slicked back, her makeup done with black lipstick and dark eyeliner contrasting on her pale skin and blond hair.
”And it should all excite you too. Look at what I’ve accomplished since I stepped foot in Sin City. I have run through all types of names. From promising rookies to journeywomen who have never cracked that glass ceiling to bonafide legends. I have faced and in most cases beaten them all. But, it seems like Sin City have taken a slow build approach, they don’t want to push me too hard too fast and part of me gets it. They want me to succeed. Thbey see money in me and lets be honest, who can blame them?”
“Look at what I’m capable of. I’m not just bigger and stronger than others. I don’t just throw all these other women around. I’m athletic, I can move, I can wrestle and when given the chance I can talk, or lord can I ever talk. I’m the whole package and at my age I have alot of time left, and the scariest part about all of it? I’m not even close to reaching that full potential. In other words…”
“This isn’t even my final form…”
“It might seem like I’m overselling myself. And hey, maybe I am but just a little reminder. Last time I stepped in an SCW ring it was against Samantha Marlowe. Samantha, fucking, Marlowe. A woman who has been to the mountaintop more than once, who has had a hall of fame career and a woman who has beaten the best of the best that this company has to offer. Yet she stepped in the ring with me…and failed. And that isn’t a knock on Sam, she’s still a great competitor and has alot to offer, especially in the mentor role…..but keeping up with me?...nah..”
Zoey can’t help but laugh and shake her head, her lips twisting in an arrogant smirk that shifts focus as she clears her throat.
”And as I go into High Stakes I have all that on my mind. I have my future on my mind and the doors that will open as I take advantage of this opportunity. Pathways to the different championships in Sin City. The internet title, the championship others claim as a starting point for their legacy, the roulette title, the championship that is all about pure chaos. And of course, the crown jewel of Sin City, the Bombshells championship. Hell if SCW had the mixed tag titles back, which they should TOTALLY bring back, I’d snatch Miles up by his tight pink yoga pants and drag his ass to those championships…”
“Then he could use two titles to cover his bulge…”
“That is my future, championships, epic showdowns, fame, money and maybe, someday a hall of fame induction. And trust me, I know some of you are sitting there thinking with all this I’m looking past my opponent at High Stakes, and that just isn’t the case. See the run I want to go on the opportunities I want and that I need are all locked behind a big Tempest shaped door. So if I want that, if I want the Hall of fame, the titles, the money the fame. I have to go through her to do it. And it will also go a long way to proving myself…”
Zoey chuckles and gives a small shrug, waiting for her words to sink in.
”I mentioned before how this match excites me. And I believe it’s important for you all to understand the reasons why. See, Tempest isn’t the biggest name when it comes to championship wins, and honestly I don’t think that’s through any fault of her own. See settling on contenders in this company is usually done through multi women matches, letting the strongest rise to the top yet that isn’t exactly the case. See, Tempest hasn’t had the same opportunities as others, she is attacked and taken out by multiple women at a time cause, well at her size and power, she’s a target.”
“I get it, I understand it. I’ve lived it too. Your lack of singles success says less about you as a competitor and more about the fear of everyone else. They are all afraid of you.”
“And the reason why this match excites me is because you possess a challenge to me that I never get. A challenge that I never see. You are the one woman in this company that is bigger than me, stronger than me. The one woman who physically is more impressive. Six foot three, two hundred pounds. Can move as fast as me and is tough as nails. You Tempest are a measuring stick to me and you will show me how far I can go and how much potential I have.”
“That is why this match makes me smile, that is why I have trained harder, faster and I have been lazer focused. And one thing I can promise you is, unlike the army of women in the back who take every advantage to gang up on you out of fear, you will never get that from me.”
Zoey steps forward and laughs.
”Alicia won’t be out there, it will be one on one because unlike everyone else Tempest. I am not afraid of you. I’m not scared or intimidated by you. In life when you’re confronted by challenges, well, you either run away or run head on. And I never run away. You and I will get into that ring and beat the living hell out of one another and I am looking damn forward to it. I want to know just how good I can be and how good I am and you will answer all those questions for me.”
“But good luck Tempest….”