Emmie Ward loved the sun. Ever since she had moved to Las Vegas a few years ago, she had immediately taken advantage of how warm it was. She had laid out in the sun with SPF one million on and just enjoyed how there never seemed to be much rain here. No clouds. It never seemed dreary. Best of all, she didn’t have to listen to her mom’s soaps or her Dad’s constant talk about how parliament wasn’t doing their jobs. Despite her ‘uncle Mark’ being who he was, her family had not been thrown any bones. IN fact, her father, Patrick Ward, hadn’t wanted Mark to do him any favours. While he appreciated the offer and loved Mark like a brother, he wanted to make his own way and he had. He’d been a certified accountant until his retirement in early 2019. Now he did books for his friends for a small fee. He mostly just read the paper and complained about how nothing was earned ‘rigth and proper’.
Their flat was atop of a pizza place that served really bad pizza yet always managed to stay in business despite that. She had no idea how. She had grown to really hate the smell of cooking mozzarella cheese since it always wafted up into her bedroom through the connected vent.
Even now, her parents still lived atop that pizza place, still managing to stay open despite the horrible service and even horrible food. She supposed it was the prices. In hard times, people would rather pay for dirt cheap pizza that tasted like just that... dirt.
In her early teens, she had worked in her father’s practice. Mainly just answering phones and taking down appointments. It had earned her a small wage which she had saved for her ultimate plans to become a wrestler. Despite her hard work at school, she still wanted to be this. Despite her scholarship. Despite Mark’s bribes of a flat to attend Oxford. This was what she wanted.
So now, seeing everyone in SCW doubt her ability despite her heritage. Despite who she was trained by. Judging her by one loss rather than her wins. Not actually giving her any credit for her hard work... it made her mad. IT made her mad enough to be rough with her grandfather’s lawnmower as she pushed it across their backyard. A task she normally enjoyed because in involved not only helping out her grandfather but being able to spend time in that warm sun she had grown to love. Mad enough that even her grandfather noticed and he didn’t really notice much. IT was enough that her own Nana put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. It startled the young girl and she put a hand to her chest.
Pulling the earbud from her head she exclaimed, “Nana... you scared the Jesus outta me...”
Her grandmother’s white eyebrows go up in surprise to which Emmie automatically feels bad and quickly apologize, “Sorry Nana.”
“Come have some lemonade dear, We don’t want ou killing the lawnmower...”
Emmie does as she’s asked. Despite her being an adult, she still was lovingly obedient to her maternal grandparents. Her grandmother had already poured her a glass. Her grandfather was still buried behind his fishing magazine while peeking over with one blue eye, only to wink at her and sneak back behind the glossy pages of Bass and Pike.
“Now Dear... It’s plain to see that you are agitated. You know you tell us anything.”
Emmie knew how accepting they were. In fact, when she realized that she liked both men and women, her grandparents were the first she told. They had lovingly accepted her regardless. She knew that they would always give their unfaltering support no matter what.
“It’s SCW. It seems like everyone keeps underestimating me because I”m a rookie...”
She rolls her eyes at the word. She hated that word. IT was a stereotype no different than saying all blondes are dumb or all kids are stupid.
“Well then they will be sorely sorry for that assumption dear. I may not know about his... wrasslin’ thing you do, but I know you are good at it or you would still not be here doing it. Your cousin would not have given you an opportunity in his company.”
IT made Emmie feel a little better. What she said was true. She wouldn’t be. Uncle Mark didn’t just hire anyone. He only recruited those he thought that the skill to be in SCW. She knew he would rather she do something else with her life if only because he cared about her getting hurt, but he still was not the kind to just hand her anything.
“I know...”
“Well... then what’s this. Since when do you let anyone tell you what you are? You are Emmaline Alanna Ward. You are a beautiful, smart and talented girl and I will not have you listening to any of that trash those... people say. They only want you to doubt yourself because what they say is actually the opposite of what they know. They know that they have hit their glass ceiling while you are only continuing to go on, and break barriers. That’s what it is. Plain old jealousy and intimidating you, praying on your kindness... that’s what they think will give them the advantage. You are better than you give yourself credit for.”
Emmie nods.
“So you are going to go into that ring with that odd young man you have as a partner and you are going to show those people that you are not someone to count out.”
Emmie swigs down her lemonade and stands, kissing her grandmother on the cheek.
“Thanks, Nana. That’s exactly what I needed.” She runs toward the house.
“Emmaline... The mower....” but it’s fallen on death ears, leaving the lawn only half mowed.
“That child...” the woman exclaims. Her husband lowers his magazine and smirks before the pair of them break out into a chuckle, for they saw their only daughter in their granddaughter nad it brought back fond memories of when she would do the same. The same daughter who had become a lawyer, a lawyer that helped improvised fight for their legal rights in England.
***
“I know what all of you expected when you heard that a relative of Mark Ward was coming to SCW. You all expected me to be some poor relations that were just being given a shot knowing that I would probably fail. Like Mark was only taking pity on me. That was your first mistake. I am not a poor relation. In fact, Mark tried to convince me not to do this. He fought really hard to have me take the scholarship I won to go to Oxford University for my doctorate. But that wasn’t want I wanted. You know what it’s like, right Amy? To want something so bad you can taste it. I am not a stranger to your career or your life. I know what’s happening. Instead of offering some sort of professional respect or even just good luck you decide that it’s okay to treat me like every other ‘legend’ here. You decided to count me out before I’ve even begun.”
“And you know what... that’s fine. I”m not here to talk badly about you. I”m not going to be the bad cop, that’s what Jack is good at. No, instead I’m going to tell you why I am not going to repeat our last match together, against each other. You see yes, I did get pinned but you know what the difference is.. You know why I didn’t fight harder? Because my partner and I were no on the same level. I know I might sound like a broken record here but it’s the truth and I think we proved that when we went up against the fire dragons and even they took back what they said about me. Because I proved that I wasn’t just some ‘rookie’ that had no idea what she was doing. You lot are all the same, assuming that every newbie is some green as grass loser that doesn’t know what it takes. I would not be here if I was not ready. And honestly, with how your career has been fairing lately Amy, I wouldn’t really be one to dish out who is better than whom right now.”
“I pride myself on being a very quick learner and learning isn’t all about what you do in a ring it’s how you watch and learn. I have been watching, knowing very well that everyone that was in this tournament had a real chance of progressing. I wasn’t just watching you either. I was watching Evelyn. I was watching Sierra, I watched Valentina. I am not the idiot you think I am and you are going to be making a huge mistake by underestimating me and my abilities. Not just physical, like I started to explain, but mental too. NO, I’m not going to stand here and try to talk you down or put you down because that just isn’t who I am. Instead, I am going to memorize all your moves. What you do, how you think, what happens when you get into a situation you can’t capitalize on. Those are the things that are going to win me this match, that is of course if you even get the chance. Jack isn’t one to mess with either. And despite us losing our first match as a team, he stuck with me. Because that’s what partners do. Good with the bad. This wasn’t just some thrown-together team. I chose Jack as my partner because unlike you and the others, I didn’t see just another rookie, I saw someone capable fo being great. It’s not like I have a different partner in every match. I have one partner and that partner is someone that I have started to grow with. Training is everything. Talking is everything. Being friends is everything. Can you say that you and Vinnie are truly friends? Really? And how does one go from one of the greatest teams to a menagerie of... well I don’t even know because like I said, I don’t just throw out insults to hurt people. That’s your job. That’s Vinnie’s job. That’s Jessie and Josh. I know Jack and I couldn’t be more polar opposites but that’s what makes us great together. If we were all meant to be the same, then by golly we would all reproduce asexually. There would be no need for partnerships or couplings. There would be no need for us to grow evolutionarily. Evolution has no set time frame and while you believe that I have not grown or changed in a few months, well that just shows just how far you have fallen to that you would trust assumptions rather than real facts. And I’m sorry that you have come to that because I always thought you were a great athlete. Then you made some really questionable choices. Then you came back here and haven’t been able to get a real good foothold on any of the championship ladders despite the opportunities. Those are real facts, Amy. I may be a rookie to you, but I won’t always be a rookie and at one point, you were also a rookie and had some arsehole legend telling you that you would never amount to anything. That you would never be good enough to be a champion. Did you listen to them? I bet now otherwise you wouldn’t be a grand slam champion, would you? So don’t try to hide behind your jealousy. That emotion is useless and toxic as hell. And toxicity is going to have you sitting on the sidelines while Jack and I get this win.”
