”ARE YOU FUCKIN’ KIDDIN’ ME, DAWG?!?”
The steam from the sauna clouds the view of the entire room as Giani Di Luca’s face comes partially into view. He has a scowl as the steam parts way to see his glistening tanned skin under the faint light. He wipes away at the moisture on his brow as the others in the sauna shush him. He tenses up and moves forward, daring anyone else to speak up against him again. They quiet down as Giani looks over to his right with pure disdain filling his face. He stares silently as the steam parts way to see Erik Staggs sitting next to him, clad only in a towel, as disturbing as that might be. Giani pulls out his Smart Water bottle and takes a sip of the cool beverage as he awaits some sort of reaction from Erik, only to get stone cold glare back at him.
Erik: And here comes the tantrum from the spoiled little baby…
Giani tilts his head to the side, as if to beg the question if Erik had really just said that to him. Once he realizes Erik is not going to step back from his comment, Giani shakes his head, rolling his eyes at Erik.
Giani: Ya damn right there’s a tantrum brewin’ over here, boss man… I mean, what kinda bullshit is this? Me and James deserve to be in the Main Event as Tag Team Champions. Instead, it’s that annoying, self-righteous asshole Kevin Carter takin’ on the painted up retard that me and James have beaten how many times? Between the two of us, it has been six times… SIX TIMES, ERIK!!!
Erik: I know it, Gi. You aren’t telling me anything that I don’t already know. To be honest, I figured that Carter would have rolled right over Goth to retain his title.
Giani growls out in pure frustration, cutting off Erik’s argument right away. He shakes his head quickly, throwing his arms up into the air. One of the other men in the sauna gets up and walks out, glaring at Giani and Erik. Erik smiles and waves goodbye to him sarcastically as Giani immediately recaptures his attention.
Giani: Ya missin’ the point, dawg… Everyone has been down on me and James lately, and it’s cause we been stuck at the mid card level. They are callin’ us afterthoughts, or neverthoughts… How many times do we gotta go through these losers before people start takin’ us seriously?
Erik: You realize that it’s a punishment because you guys stuck by me through and after the rebellion, right? I mean, truth be told, I’m surprised at what is in store for Gothika since she and Raynin stuck by me this whole time as well.
Giani holds his hand up toward Erik’s face, cutting him off once again. He keeps it there for a moment before Erik gently grabs onto his wrist and moves it about a foot to the side. Giani isn’t used to being treated this way, but he surprisingly ceases his animosity toward Erik.
Giani: Look, all I’m sayin’ is that the reason people have left ya high and dry since the whole rebellion thing ended is cause ya haven’t done anythin’ to protect us. Ya don’t stick up for us, and we have to face people like Shane Spencer, or for Roxanne, Amy Marshall, and Misty has to team up with you-know-who, and whatever it is that is for Gothika, I guarantee it is to break her and Raynin up as a team… And you ain’t doin’ a damned thing to stop any of it.
Erik: Hmmm, since when do you have access to the staff meetings and conference calls? Oh wait, you don’t, because if you did, then you would realize that everything turns into a verbal handicap match where I am virtually powerless. The more I fight, the more they oppose and dismiss anything I have to say. The only thing that saves me is the fact that JJ Dixon is Mark Ward’s new bitch.
Giani: I didn’t ask for your excuses, Erik… I am only concerned about the reason I have to face Shane Spencer when I should be facin’ someone like… who is even remotely worth my time… anyone? Well, someone who didn’t get his ass whooped by a one armed paddy in his debut match… He’s not even worth my time comin’ down to the ring for.
Erik shakes his head, rubbing his temples in dismay. He breathes in through his pearly white teeth for a moment, clinching his eyes before sighing as he looks back over to Giani.
Erik: It could be worse, Giani. You could have not been booked at all. Instead, you have the opportunity to take on 6 feet 3 inches of pure muscle, and prove that you are capable of taking anyone out.
Giani: He’s a roided out freak, Erik! But what is worse is the fact that he isn’t worth a shit, and everybody knows it. He is a waste of the artificial muscles. He proved it when he got beat by Mickey Carroll… Mickey FUCKIN’ Carroll! Not only that, but a handicapped form of Mickey Carroll! It’s about time these assholes take notice of me, in the locker room, AND in the office, or I might just have to do somethin’ drastic, boss.
Erik: Oh? Do tell? Because it would be a pleasant change from the constant bitching you have been doing lately…
Giani almost looks shocked by Erik’s declaration, doing nothing but blinking while Erik leans back on the bench, stretching out comfortably. Giani finally soaks it all in and narrows his eyes at Erik.
Giani: The fuck did you just say to me? The guy who has been going out to the ring for the last three weeks, trying to make those idiots, Sinful Obsession, pay attention to us, or act like they give some sort of a shit about this match, or the fans even. Yet I haven’t heard a single thing from either of those freaks. Not even a mention of it. So excuse me if it seems like I don’t give a shit about SCW very much right now. It’s kinda hard to do when nobody else does anythin’ worth my time to even focus on. So in the end, I am stuck fightin’ newbies and has-beens instead of bein’ able to do somethin’ that matters.
Erik: For what it’s worth, Mr. Di Luca… Any challenge that they throw at you, you destroy it like a wrecking ball. They expected you to lose to Goth and Brother Grimm, and you beat them three times. Not only that, but you gave James a confidence that he so sorely needed. His trash talk is pure… garbage… but he has the determination, all because you had one selfless act, allowing him to pin Brother Grimm to win the SCW Tag Team Championships. You have done amazing things despite your supposed status. Everyone knows that if you were concerned with championships, you would be the Heavyweight Champion well before now. Mark and Christian both know it, and they are thanking their lucky stars that you haven’t set your sites on the prize yet, so they don’t have to eat their words, and so that they can continue to promote which ever shit wrestler they want.
Giani nods his head in total agreement. He seems content with Erik’s praises as he joins Erik in a relaxing manner. He tucks his arms behind his head and leans back a bit, causing two more men from across the sauna to groan and walk away, mumbling something about their sole views of Giani and Erik’s “junk”. Erik smirks proudly as he watches them walk off.
Erik: I guess we are inspiring jealousy even here, Giani.
Giani: C’mon, bro… I do that everywhere I go… Now, if I go out to that ring and fight against this inferior fighter who got nothin’ on me… will ya make sure me and James are put in matches that showcase our true potential?
Erik: Sadly, in the tag division, if you defeat Sinful Obsession, there really isn’t anyone else worthy of your time. Now, if, perhaps you were to maybe take a second too long to save James from a pin…
Giani’s eyes shoot open and he turns his head back to look at Erik in disgust. He stares for a moment at Erik’s deviously smiling face, trying to make sense of what Erik is suggesting.
Giani: Now, perhaps if ya shut ya mouth talkin’ like that, I wouldn’t have to mop the floor with ya! First of all, I ain’t gonna ruin my own name by takin’ a loss to those over glorified hacks. Second of all, I ain’t gonna abandon my best friend, not for the promises of all the championship gold in the world. So fuck ya for even suggestin’ somethin’ like that, dawg.
Erik: You played this game before, Giani. Don’t you remember being held down by Spike when you were with the New X-Tremes? Even though it isn’t being done to promote James’s own ego like Spike did, he is holding you down. You know it, I know it, and the bookers know it. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to ditch the kid at the earliest convenience. Such as High Stakes III, maybe?
Giani looks completely disgusted at what Erik is saying, and he stands up from the bench. He adjusts his towel to secure it in place as he glares down at Erik. Erik’s look suggests that he looks forward to what is to follow.
Giani: Ain’t gonna happen *air quotes* boss…
Erik: That’s a stupid move on your part, Giani. Get it together, kiddo… You have star potential all on your own. But if you insist on fighting for those useless straps when there are bigger and better ones for the both of you… then look forward to facing more Shane Spencer’s for the rest of your career…
Giani is more than fed up with Erik’s version of a pep talk. He tries to come up with a good line to leave on, but he is too angry to even try. Instead, he just storms off in a huff. Again, Erik waves at him in a sweetly sarcastic manner, looking around to realize that he has the entire sauna to himself now. He begins to undo his towel as we thankfully fade out…
{I got my speakers on WRECKED!}
{fin}
