{Our scene opens with Roxi and Keira sitting in their house, but there is a noticeable lack of noise. The low hum of the air conditioner is the only noise as Roxi just looks around, and Keira does the same. Keira tries to block it out and goes to looking at her phone as Elizabeth, Roxi’s mom, does her own knitting and hums to herself. Roxi tries to do something, anything to break the monotony but she just can’t. Roxi gets up and walks to Nate’s room, and instinctively checks to see if he’s in the room, knowing full well he’s at school. A tear rolls down her cheek as she comes back and sits down at the kitchen table, Keira looks over at her and shakes her head.} Keira – You're doing it already.
Roxi - I'm... I’m not doing anything! What? What am I doing?
{Keira gives Roxi a stern look.} Keira – You're biting my head off, for one. You know good and well what you’re doing.
Roxi - I...
Elizabeth – Roxi, settle down. He’s fine. He’s been at school for 2 hours. Relax. Nobody’s called, he’s not in trouble, and he’ll do just fine. Relax.
Roxi – But he needs -
Elizabeth – No, he doesn’t need you right now. He needs to be in school and that’s where he is.
Roxi – It's just too quiet here. I need some noise or something.
{Roxi gets up and walks into the living room and turns on the TV. She sits down on the couch, but she doesn’t actually watch anything on the TV, it’s simply for background noise as she sits, looking at the window and checking her watch. Keira notices this and shakes her head again.} Keira – What are you doing?
Roxi – I'm watching TV!
Keira – No, you’re not.
Roxi – Oh, so now you know what I’m doing?
Elizabeth – Roxi Noelle Johnson! Stop acting like a damn fool! Nate is fine. Knock off this foolishness!
{Roxi sighs, and nods to herself. She knows both her mother and her wife are correct.} Roxi – I'm sorry. I miss him.
Elizabeth – You wanted all this time to be here yesterday, and now you want time to speed up. Make up your mind. He’s going to be fine. Calm down and find something constructive to do!
{Roxi again nods, turns off the TV and walks into the bedroom and sits down on her bed. She falls back, laid out on the bed, trying to just kill time, but she notices a binder with Nate’s name on it on the bookshelf in the room. She pulls it off the shelf, and it’s a photo album of many of Nate’s pictures throughout his mere 5 years of life. Roxi smiles and begins to cry simultaneously as she flips through the pictures. Eventually, as she is looking at the pictures, she starts laughing. And laughing loudly. Keira eventually comes into the room to see what’s going on. She sees Roxi, still with tears coming down her face, but more tears of joy than anything else.} Keira – Are you okay?
Roxi – Yeah, just looking at this.
{Keira is curious and sits down next to Roxi on the bed.} Keira – The old photo album?
Roxi – Yeah.
{Roxi and Keira being looking together through the album, starting at the beginning.} Roxi – Look at him. He was so tiny. And I remember when you didn’t want to let anyone hold him? You were so protective of him.
Keira – I wasn’t that bad.
Roxi – You wouldn’t let me hold him for more than 10 minutes before you were holding your arms out and demanding I give him back.
Keira – I only did that once.
{Roxi gives Keira a look.} Keira – Okay, maybe twice.
Roxi – Maybe all the time. For the first few days I literally had to pry him out of your arms.
Keira – I...
Roxi – Yeah... I know.
Keira – Can we move onto the next picture?
{Roxi flips to the next page of Nate with his hands on the table, holding himself up.} Roxi – He was so smart. Figured out everything he needed to do.
Keira – I remember when he could barely crawl, and then it was like the next day he was standing and walking on his own.
Roxi – And you remember what that led to.
Keira – He wandered everywhere. He was so curious, even at that age. Once he started you couldn’t stop him. He’s be everywhere at 90 miles an hour.
Roxi – Just like his mama.
Keira – Har har, very funny.
{Roxi turns the page to Nate celebrating his first birthday.} Keira – There were so many presents.
Roxi – He has a lot of fans.
Keira – And he made a huge mess with that cake. Remember?
Roxi – Yeah, I remember.
{Both Roxi and Keira both are shedding some tears as they continue to look through the photos sharing memories of Nate. After viewing a few more, Roxi closes the book.} Roxi – Well...
Keira – Well...
Roxi – Those were some fun memories to go back and look at. Kind of takes the edge off today a little.
Keira – Yeah, maybe just a little bit. I guess your mom was right, we’ve done a pretty good job.
Roxi – Yeah, I’d say so. After all this, he’s just growing up, but he’s given up plenty of memories.
Keira – Yeah, he really has. And he’s going to give us many more. I think we just need to ease off, this days is over, and things will get easier.
{Roxi’s watch goes off and she looks down at it.} Roxi – He's going to be getting out of school soon!
Keira – Come on! We’ve got get him!
{And it starts all over again as Roxi and Keira rush out the door to pick up Nate from school as the scene fades.}
{The new scene is The San Luis Obsipo airport. Roxi is walking with a backpack and an overnight bag and once she exits out to the parking area, there to greet her, is her friend, Jessica Matthews. Roxi embraces her friend, who doesn’t quite return it as strongly, but Roxi pats Jessica on the back.} Roxi – It's good to see you, Jess.
Jessica – Likewise. I can’t believe you came all this way out here for me.
Roxi – I told you I would. I suggested it. And I do my best to keep my promises.
Jessica – Yes. You did. I’m still not sure why, though.
Roxi – Because you are my friend, Jess.
Jessica – I don’t know how many of those exist anymore.
Roxi – Let's grab that coffee and we’ll talk about it.
Jessica – Yeah...
{Jessica helps Roxi put her bags into Jessica’s car and the two begin to drive, the short distance, to Jessica’s house in Pismo beach. Roxi admires the home as she exits the car.} Roxi – It’s a nice place. I must say.
Jessica – Thank you. It’s...felt a lot bigger lately.
Roxi – Well, I hope it is as big inside as it is outside.
{Jessica doesn’t really know how to respond to the compliment or really grasp why Roxi is so cheery, but she nods and helps Roxi inside. Roxi sets her backpack on the floor as she takes a seat while Jessica prepares the coffee.} Jessica – How do you take it?
Roxi – Cream and sugar please.
{Jessica prepares the coffee and serves it to Roxi, before taking a seat across from her. Roxi takes a sip of the coffee and smiles.} Roxi – This is really good, thank you.
Jessica – I know you didn’t come all this way just to drink coffee with me, Roxi.
Roxi – You're right, I didn’t, but it’s a start.
Jessica – I suppose, but are we going to ignore the elephant in the room.
Roxi – No, Jess, we’re not.
{Roxi leans forward, adjusting herself in her seat, but also getting a little closer to Jessica.} Roxi – I didn’t come out here to scold you, either. I told you where I stood for a long time, and I questioned your choice. But I trusted that you knew what you were doing, because it’s not my job to interfere in everyone’s personal life and tell them how to run their lives. I’m like Mimi. I can cautiously advise, but I can’t, and I won’t stop you from making a choice.
Jessica – I know. I feel like such an idiot.
Roxi – You're dealing with the consequences of that choice, but I know exactly how you feel.
Jessica – You do? Tell me.
Roxi – Yes, I do. I made a choice similar to that a long time ago. Not long enough, really. But I made that choice and I regret it to this day. So yes, I have had that very same feeling that you have right now. That feeling that you let everyone down, turned your back on them, and now everyone hates you. Sounds about right, right?
Jessica – It... does.
Roxi – I've been in your shoes. I was floundering out there. My head wasn’t in the game and I was trying way too hard to feel like I was somebody. I wanted a championship, a trophy, something to make me feel like I was special. And I didn’t get it. I didn’t know where to turn and I was angry and frustrated and feeling sorry for myself.
Jessica – Also ringing a bell.
Roxi – Mmhmm. Yeah, it’s not a good feeling. It eats at you. It makes you feel awful. I was lost and you know what I did? Something I never do, and didn’t even back then. I went to a nightclub. I can’t dance and I don’t drink. I don’t know what I expected to find at that club, but I was looking. I was desperate, and I was vulnerable.
{Jessica lowers her head as she listens.} Roxi – And I met a man. And I was susceptible to his words because he made feel everything I wanted to feel. I wanted to feel special and he made me feel that way. He gave me the attention I wanted, made me feel like the only person in the room, and he told me everything I wanted to hear.
Jessica – Oh gosh...
Roxi – Sounds familiar, right?
Jessica – Yes.
Roxi – It all felt so good. And when he started talking to me, everything that he said made sense. Everything had a purpose. And he explained it in a way that I understood. I thought that nobody really cared about my problems, but yet, here I was helping people with theirs. I was being used, and that none of my friends ever wanted anything to do with me.
{Roxi pauses briefly.} Roxi – And I believed him.
Jessica – Oh wow.
Roxi – So, I made a choice and went with him, I left my house, Keira, and everything I ever loved behind because I was convinced, they didn’t love me back. It was just him. He was the only one who loved me and understood me. And I stopped doing everything I did. I wasn’t in control of anything. He was, and I felt it was exactly the right thing for me. I watched another girl get physically abused and I did nothing.... I was physically abused and I did nothing.
Jessica – That's horrible!
Roxi – But I thought it was right. And then people started asking about me, showing their concern, and I ignored them. Just like I’m pretty sure you did. You saw what I saw, now they wanted to help, and I resented it. I pushed them further away and in the end, I won a championship, and I felt like it justified everything I had done and been through. All at the cost of everything else I enjoyed. Friends, family, independence, all of it was gone. And I was miserable.
Jessica – I know that feeling.
Roxi – But really, my friends didn’t stop. They kept trying to reach me. They never gave up on me. That’s why I never gave up on you. Because I knew somewhere in that mess, was the friend I knew. Just like they did, and eventually, I was able to regain control, and take it all back. It almost cost me everything. I learned that being who I was, and having the people around me that I had around me, was far more important than some title, or a win in wrestling. And after all it, I felt just like you do now.
Jessica – And how did you ever make it up to people? I’m still struggling with that part of it.
Roxi – The truth is, there’s nothing you can do that’s ever going to fully erase the choice you made. That’s not the point. The point is that you learn from it. It’s a painful memory for me, but I swore nothing like that was ever going to happen to me again. And that’s how I try and make up for it, by never letting it happen again. That’s what I’ll say to you, Jess. You need to always remember who you are. And never forget yourself. Learn from this choice.
Jessica – Mistake.
Roxi – If that’s what you want to call it. Again, I’m not going to judge you. I’m here for you, and I’ll always be here for you. Because someone was there for me. So, I know it feels like the world is against you now, and you need to find a hole to crawl into, but trust me when I say this, there are people out there, who love you unconditionally, and they know the real you, it was a choice, a decision, and now... a memory.
{Jessica nods, maybe not 100% in agreement, but she understands the sentiment. She sips her coffee and hugs Roxi.} Jessica – Thank you for sharing that with me. It does soften the blow a little. I don’t know if I’ll ever fully recover from what happened.
Roxi – You will.
Jessica – But your compassion is something I will always cherish. Thank you for coming out to see me. I really do appreciate it.
Roxi – Anytime, Jess. Anytime. If you ever need anything, you just let me know, okay? Thanks for the coffee. And, I mean, now that that’s out of the way... Mario Kart?
{Jessica actually smirks a bit for the first time in a while.} Jessica – You're on.
{Roxi and Jessica go into Jessica’s gaming room to play as the scene fades.}
“Don't brood too much, son. For your parents' sake, be strong. Always remember -- life has to go on”
- Batman (Detective Comics Vol 1 #619)
Hello SCW.
I won’t sugarcoat this, I’m angry. I’ve been wrapping my head around all this, but it’s been nothing but a blinding rage building up inside me. I know, in my brain, that it was just words being spoken, in an attempt to not only get in my head, but to rattle me. The fact that Masque has chosen to go this route smells highly of desperation as she looks for anything to give her an edge. The funny part is that she chose to do this when I wasn’t in the arena, and had no availability to run down and smash her face in. But that exactly why it was said, and why it was done at all. Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered, but I highly suspect that this was an opportunity. But it didn’t just piss me off, it pissed my wife off. And it pissed her off way more than it did me. Believe me, I will be saving a lot of pent-up anger for Masque at Violent Conduct. That will not be a problem. The only issue I’m going to have is whether or not there will be a lot left of Masque after Keira gets through with Masque this Sunday.
If I didn’t have a title defense to worry about, I wouldn’t have a second thought of helping my wife break Masque into little pieces. But I am more than confident in my wife, because this really isn’t about winning or losing in this scenario for her. Oh no, Masque is going to learn that Keira isn’t one to be trifled with, just as she learned that I don’t go down so easily.
But that, is another story, for another day. Because I have to focus on defending this championship, and making sure I get another crack at beating Masque myself, and that means facing down not one, but two challengers for the Bombshell’s championship.
Obviously, the deck is stacked against me. Having to face two competitors instead of just one presents a whole different set of challenges. I don’t have to be involved in the decision to lose this championship. I’ve been on the opposite end, and while the idea of beating the champion for the title in enticing, there comes a point in the match where you have to take a victory when you can get it. If the opportunity presents itself, you have to strike. There’s trying to make a statement, and then there’s trying to accomplish a goal. And obviously, with the two challengers I face, that will be a very temping chance for the both of them. Obviously, Mercedes Vargas and Seleana don’t like each other, so them pinning each other or one making the other tap out and winning this championship is something they won’t hesitate to do. After all, in the grand scheme of things, to them, all that really matters is the win. That is certainly the case with Mercedes Vargas.
Last time I wrestled Mercedes, I actually said that I don’t really know anything about her. Even after the many years I have known her, I still knew next to nothing about here. She’s a hostess, I TV or soap opera star in Argentina and whatnot, but outside of that, I knew very little about her as a person. All I really get is random stats and facts about a certain thing she happens to be fixated on at the time and went to page 2 of Google search results. I asked the question last time, because I was hoping that something would click in her head and she would show people, talk about something, make people understand just who Mercedes Vargas is.
I am sad to report that nothing has changed in however many months it has been.
I’m sure Mercedes has kept a record of that somewhere, and I’m sure she’ll tell you the last time I wrestled her, and she’ll be sure to tell you that she in return has beaten me a few times. Now, none of those are wins where she pinned my shoulders to the mat, none of those are making me tap. She just happened to be on the winning team, but we’ll let that slide. Mercedes is just a facts and stats person at this point. If she actually put the time and effort into her craft that she does retweeting sports scores and running down SCW facts, this wouldn’t be a problem, but that’s just what this has become.
And yet, almost inexplicably, Mercedes Vargas demands you respect her wrestling ability and skills as if they trump everything else. Mercedes would like all of us to marvel at the fact that she has won countless championships and has accolades and records that a lot of people don’t. And it would be very easy to do so, if those things still had any value in Mercedes career. But at this point, they don’t. Like the random facts and stats, it’s just a talking point now. When you constantly have to point out your record or records or accomplishments, people stop really caring about them. I mean, I can easily do what Mercedes does and use it to my advantage.
The 1972 Miami Dolphins when undefeated and had a perfect 17-0 season and won the super bowl. It’s the only perfect season on NFL history. And now? It’s not really anything to anybody outside of Dolphins fans who were alive at that point, or the last-ditch effort of a fan trying to argue why the Dolphins are this great franchise when they haven’t been to a super bowl since 1984 and have won a playoff game since 2000.
Mercedes is the Miami Dolphins at this point. Yes, she has impressive records, but none of it is relevant today, and Mercedes isn’t either. And it’s her own damn fault. I mean, a person with as many records as Mercedes should be celebrated if they were still performing at a high level. But Mercedes just isn’t. Let’s just understand, Mercedes is some incredibly inconsistent it’s maddening. There are so many times where Mercedes could have, and really should have been in position for a huge championship match, she has the skills, obviously. But then for reasons unknown, she will just... flop.
It’s almost sad to watch someone talk so much about the past, and have literally nothing for the future. Again, let’s just be honest here, the only reason Mercedes Vargas is in this match in the first place is because she DIDN’T LOSE a match. So, if that’s not Mercedes current career in a nutshell, I don’t know what is. She is 100% being rewarded for not getting destroyed in a match. And then, just like clockwork, she goes and loses the next week. One step forward two steps back.
But I get it, Mercedes has a golden opportunity now, to change everything. If she wins this match and becomes the champion, we’re all going to never hear the end of it, and then nobody will be able to say she’s living in the past anymore, because she will be at the top of the food chain so to speak. She will be right there, and nobody will be able to say she hasn’t done anything lately. That is a real thing, that exists right now.
All of that is front of Mercedes Vargas, but we all know that at this point, Mercedes is more prone to let it slip through her fingers than actually make anything happen. That’s what she’s done for the past... goodness how many years has it been now? Many. She gets chance after chance to return to her former glory and fails time and time again.
And this time will be no different.
Mercedes knows that this is probably it for her, and the added motivation seemingly does nothing any other time, so why would it make any difference this time? Why is this all of a sudden going to be where Mercedes rises to the occasion and swims when every other time, she sinks? I would say this is just another match for her, but it really shouldn’t be, but that’s how she treats it. She’s just lucky she’s even here. And at the end of the night, she still can go right back to tweeting sports scores and SCW trivia. That’s her thing now.
And by the way, I’m still waiting for her to admit she was wrong when she said I wasn’t going to be the Bombshell’s champion against Amber. But I guess I’ll be waiting forever for that, just like I’ll be waiting forever for her to actually put the work in to get back to where she was. She is, and from now until forever more, will be a bitter ex-champion still clinging to the past and existing in the space where sooner or later, all her records will fall, and she will become even more irrelevant than she is now.
That’s going to be our collective lasting memory of Mercedes Vargas.
But let’s move on, shall we? Because there’s another person in this match, and I’m glad she’s here.
I am very happy to once again see Seleana in this position because now, we don’t have to mention anybody else but her. She earned this match, on her own, all by herself. Nobody helped her get here and I’m very happy that that happened. In fact, it’s been happening for a while, and yet everyone continues to assume that Sel isn’t as talented as she is.
I know, Mercedes just was all-too-happy to point out that I’ve beaten Seleana lots of times, like it’s something to be ashamed of or that I haven’t beaten a lot of people a lot of times. But I’m not keeping track of that, what I do know is that Seleana consistently finds herself competing for the Bombshell’s title, the Bombshell’s Internet title, and the Bombshell’s Roulette title. It’s not uncommon to see Sel’s name right there and you know what? I’m not surprised that it is.
Because I’ve watched her as I’ve watched my own wife, struggle with being cast as a second or a “shadow” of other people. But it doesn’t really add up when you look at Seleana’s success rate and how often she earns her way into these championship matches. She must be doing something right to get to these spots, right? It’s not like it’s just a series of flukes or something. Literally she beat Mercedes to get into this match. Now, that’s not exactly what it used to mean, but you beat someone who crows about how great they are, that means something.
When you stop and think about it, Seleana has been keeping up with everyone since she got here. I remember those days, and they continue to this day. People have been trying for years to say she doesn’t have it or deserve it, but yet, here she is. I am proud of Seleana for that. I’m excited to see what she has done and she will do, because she hasn’t rest on her laurels. She hasn’t stopped trying. She’s been trying to get over the hump for a long time, despite the fact that she has never asked for special treatment or to be seen as anything but a Bombshell on the roster. She works just as hard as anyone, but you always have a few party poopers who trying to bring you down, no matter what you do.
That’s just the facts of the situation as it stands. Yes, I’ve got a great record against Seleana, and I’m looking to keep that going. That is no way shapes how I see this match with her in it. I cannot assume that this is some kind of cakewalk because Seleana is in the match and then I end up losing it to her. Because that’s how good Seleana is and nobody wants to give her the respect she deserves. But of course, if she won it that way, it would some other excuse as to why Sel doesn’t deserve it, or it was a fluke and everything else. That’s just the way it seems to work these days and it’s really sad.
And it makes me even more sad that I have to help contribute to this unfair stereotype.
I have to beat Seleana again to retain this championship. I’m in the middle of probably as good as I will ever have it again in my career and there will be more chances and opportunities for Seleana in the future. She’s been good enough to earn them. But now? Right this second? No. I have to do what I’ve been doing and continue to hold this championship and give it the respect it deserves. I’ve been feeling pretty darn good lately and losing now, to Seleana, while not the end of the world, and clearly the lesser of two evils, really puts a cramp into the plans that I have for Violent Conduct.
Maybe, if this was a different day, because I know that’s going to come again soon, but on a different day, maybe Sel gets the job done. I have all the confidence in the world that when I’m done with this championship, Sel will be someone who holds it in the future. But right now? This championship is something I hold very dearly, and I will do everything in my power to hold onto it. And that means I have to beat her in the ring again. It’s not something where I’m trying to maintain this streak against her, that means nothing to me. She is another challenger and I am always excited and happy to step into the ring with her, because she is my friend.
But that friendship thing is not going to mean that I take it easy on Sel. As stated, there’s a reason she constantly makes it to this point. Because she’s good. And beating her is not something I take lightly. It’s an accomplishment no matter when it happens. People just don’t seem to want to give her the credit she deserves. And while winning the championship would pretty much erase all the dark clouds surrounding the last time, it would simply create all new ones for Sel. And quite frankly, she’s dealing with enough right now that she doesn’t need the additional stress of trying to be the Bombshell’s champion and then try and run into well, let’s face it, a buzzsaw known as Masque.
So, while Sel is my friend, and I love her dearly for all she’s done for me and done for my family, I cannot simply allow that to override my better judgement. There’s a lot I have to think about at this point in terms of the championship and how someone has tried to mess with me and my family. I wouldn’t want that for Seleana as well. So, this match isn’t a match for me to beat her again, this is a match where I prove how good a champion I am.
So while I am excited to face these two challengers, I know what I’m chasing, and what I have to do in order to maintain that trajectory. I know what I’m shooting for something I never will, but I know a little bit about the future, and well... I will give it everything I have.
I was better before, I will be even better on Sunday.
And I will have these memories, forever.
