For once its me giving Kahlan a troubling look over the Skype call. She raises an eyebrow at me.
"What's not to get Lex... Chick is certifiable."
"Maybe but she certainly believes that based on her history that i am nothing more then a stepping stone."
"Well then she'll be in for the shock of her life when you beat her skinny ass and go up against that other chick"
"Amy Marshall. I don't like what she did to Delia but I have no say in that. After facing two of her stable mates in Morocco I can only guess that her list of offences is enough that she deserved it? Besides between preparing for this match and the high likely hood that I will go on to the Main Event, plus trying to think of a way to get Roxi alone... I have no time to pick anymore fights that aren't my own. Let Delia's little pard of skanks take care of that."
Kahlan's eyes go wide, "Wow, Lexi... Getting a bit fired up there...I think I like it.." She laughs
"No its just people like that really grind my gears. I'm not usually that harsh in my judgment of people."
"Oh like how you just up and forgave Drake and your talking to him again?"
"Kah... Come on. Drake didn't do anything to me. In actuality I think I might have been the most stable girlfriend he's had."
"But everything he's done to me...."
I shake my head at her, "You were the one that told me to stay out of your business... That and I quote 'You were a big girl that could fight her own battles', You told me this even long before you married Jackson."
She avoids looking me in the eye which is a big indicator that she knows I'm right
"I told him my stance on things pertaining to you and that I wasn't going to give him any fuel for this obsession of his, but seems it might be lessening up since he started seeing this new girl"
"Hmpf. Ya now she's obsessed with me. She actually stayed a night in my hotel here in Vegas to spy on me. They seem to have this crazy idea that I'm this masked Mexican chick in WWO."
I look into her eyes for a minute because I can see something that she doesn't know I can. Ever since I had met her at 11 years old I could tell when she's hiding something. I wasn't going to press it though because I had promised not to try to fight her battles for her
"Why are you staying in a hotel?"
"Jax is here. I let him stay in the condo"
"Kah just make up with the guy. Its obvious that he loves you. He gave you the space you needed after..."
She cuts me off, typical Kahlan fashion when an uncomfortable topic comes up
"I know. I don't want to talk about that Lex."
"Talking helps. You can't avoid it or Jackson forever"
"I'm still not ready."
"Ok sweetie."
There is a few seconds of awkward silence before she talks again
"Are you really going to train with him?"
"Kahlan we've been over this. You have to admit that he has a great in ring prowess that i might just need to tap into if I hope to get to the top of this division. These are some really tough women."
She laughs, "Women are tougher.... Why can't I show you some stuff?"
I give her a smile, "Trainee showing the trainer.. How ironic"
"I've learned a few things since I was that 17 year old hot head. Things are different"
"Ya now you're a 25 year old hot head"
She narrows her eyes at me and I laugh.
"He may be younger than you Kah but he has way more experience. Don't take it personal"
She crosses her arms across her chest and scowled. It would always be a competition to her when it came to Drake Hunter.
"And Roxi... How is that going?"
"I asked Justin to look up some history on this Cyrus guy, if he's got dirt Ash will dig it up"
"Just... Get the real Roxi back ok? I may not like her...fuck I admit it...I hate her, but this just ain't right. Whatever that shithead did to her is akin to mental rape."
I take a big sigh. I know. I knew it all too well. Besides the physical sexual abuse I had endured for almost two years from my step father, I had also lived with that scared feeling daily. It wasn't until I met and started dating Justin Fischer that I started to realize that i wasn't helping Chrissy by being a victim. It was then I started training with Justin's father, I started taking Judo and Tae Kwon Do. Then I had revenge. My vicious assault had left him paralysed from the waist down. Kinda ironic.
"I don't think its escalated to anything sexual...yet. But we both know that it will go there eventually if I don't do something."
"Maybe you should talk to her girlfriend."
It wasn't a bad idea. Even if Keira was suffering what I could only describe as a mental break. Would she even talk to me in her current state?
"I will start there."
I was also going to mention to the only person I knew that was the best innovator when it came to manipulation, perhaps he could tell me how to undo the damage... That is if he was willing to help a woman that had been hell bent on destroying him and Kahlan last year. Still I and every other roster member had not failed to notice that Roxi's drastic change of demeanour was not normal or healthy. I still had no idea how to undo the damage before it became irreversible.
"Another girl... Jessie... Her ignorance astounds me. She assumes because I'm new to SCW that I'm a newb to this sport and business so that automatically makes my stake in this match negligible."
"Hmm. Yeah some chicks boobs are bigger than their brains. I wouldn't worry about her Lex cuz when you rake her over the coals she'll know what's up. And she will have only herself to blame for her stupidity."
I take another big sigh. Maybe I was too nice in my assessment of people. I lacked the ability to just trash someone like Kah did.
"Thinks her tenure means more than skill"
"So what she really wants is a prize for not running away? Pfft. Belts are about who gets their ass kicked and who walks away, not about who's got a longer anniversary date. Like i said anybody who under estimates you is in for a huge surprise. Your height alone is a marvel in upon itself!"
I give a chuckle, Kahlan had always been jealous of the fact that I was nearly 6 feet tall. A marvel... Freak of nature maybe.
"Well I have confidence in myself and the naysayers are not going to even scratch that. I made a promise to myself I wasn't retiring again until I reached my goal of a top tier belt and my sights are set on the bombshell title. I will work my can off to EARN my spot and no one can do a damn thing about it. If I beat these women and make it to face Amy I will be ecstatic. If I beat her I will be astounded and grateful but it wont stop me anymore than some bully photographer is going to stop me from saving Roxi. I tried playing nice and he wouldn't budge so now its time to play a little hard ball"
"Hmpf. Kick him in his TINY hard balls, grab Roxi and run like hell"
"I wish it was as easy as that. She's already in the second stage, where she's lost herself. I have a very limited window before i can get her away cuz if she falls completely she'll be trapped and nothing short of a miracle will help her then"
Kahlan gives me a knowing concerned look. As much as she claimed to hate Roxi, she cared too. She cared that some guy had that much control over a strong independent woman. Kahlan had so much respect for Roxi, more than any other person even me and for Kahlan that meant almost as much as having her love. I had a feeling if I hadn't of taken up the mission to save her, Kahlan would have just gone in guns blaring and really she would demolish Cyrus with everything she had and setting herself up for jail time in the process. No this had to have a methodical and well thought out action plan and I was just the girl to do it. Delia called shady...I wasn't shady and she had no idea who I was or what I stood for. This went beyond SCW. This was about sisterhood. About being there for someone when everyone else just watched it unfold. I only wished I had been the one she had run into first.
I was standing up for a girl in trouble. I recognised this girl. I vowed after nobody helped me with my silent pleas after enduring the years of abuse I did that if I ever saw that same look in another if was my sworn duty to do whatever was necessary to make sure she didn't have to fight alone. Or worse lose herself. Roxi was still there. I had seen it last week. People like Delia had no effing clue what it felt like to be truly enslaved. So what she got handcuffed while Amy punched her. That's nothing in comparison to someone using your body and mind as a weapon against you. To make you feel like you are not good enough on your own. To trap you without even having to use handcuffs.
No. Roxi was a strong beautiful confident woman. A former bombshell champ... A former WORLD champion. Why she felt she needed to surrender to a virtual stranger I don't know but I would be damned if I didn't do everything to get her outta there.
Hold on Roxi, I may not be a real superhero but I was going to be your hero come hell or high water.
***
In my opinion the woman sitting in front of me is beautiful, her skin is naturally a bronze colour, her hair straight black and so healthy the light from the sun glints off it. She turns almost pitch black eyes toward me and I cant help but have a little bit of a woman crush. She's from so local magazine here in Egypt but damned if I remembered which one it was.
"So Electra, thank you so much for meeting with me. The magazine will be delighted to a interview with such a well known name in the sports industry."
She speaks perfect English but there is a hint of an accent like she had been away from home for an extended amount of time.
"I appreciate that compliment Selena but I'm hardly that famous."
"Well you certainly have a large number of years under your belt, so anything I noticed your opponents either neglect to acknowledge or respect in the slightest"
I chuckle. She's pretty astute this girl. I think I like her
"I find that a lot of the younger talent has gotten lazy, reckless and greedy. Not to mention that it doesn't seem to be about the skill or the training. They like to throw tenure in my face. Or question my, to them, seemingly good nature. Lets not forget to mention that many women in this sport would rather spend their money on something from a doctors scalpel and imagination than focusing on what truly matters"
She shifts in her chair. A slight breeze blows through, ruffling her dark hair into a curtain of black silk around her face. I swear I must be dreaming or in a movie cuz that sorta thing NEVER happened in real life, it was much too perfect.
"And what does really matter?"
"Hardwork. Sacrifice. Skill and best of all god given talent. Not everyone can do this. I have seen hundreds of pretty little faces come through the doors of my best friends training gym and not many stay. And the ones that do end up getting scouted. Well if their cockiness doesn't get them injured their arrogance gets them pink slips."
"So you beat those odds? I wouldn't exactly say that you weren't an attractive woman"
I smile. Yup thinking I am going to keep her
"I know I'm good looking but I don't need to spend three quarters of my day reminding people of that fact. Fact is my looks have no barring on what I can do in a wrestling ring. And at the end of the day, at the end of my match... Its going to come down to skills over beauty, talent over tenure."
"So what do you have to say about your opponents in your up coming match?"
"I could easily do what the others have done and sit here and list all their flaws but what good is that going to do. I would be no better than some catty blondes in the back. In fact I give my opponents in the battle royal the best of luck and I pray their arrogance doesn't get them hurt. As for Amy, well she earned her spot as the #1 contender for the roulette belt. I have a tremendous amount of respect for that. But don't mistake my respect for weakness. So many others have written me off because I'm just this girl with a big heart and a NEED to help others in trouble. The one thing I probably have over most if not all these women is the things I learned by being a mother. There is nothing in the world that can truly prepare you for that journey and look at me, both my kids were pure and utter miracles. I learned as I went and I truly believe that if anything is making me determined to win its my two #1 fans sitting at home cheering for mommy. The best part about it is, win or lose I have their love unconditionally. That's my motivation for everything I do, its to make those two munchkins proud to have such a strong confident mommy. Bringing home a belt probably wouldn't hurt either."
Selena gives a bit of a giggle. I can tell she doesn't have kids, she seems much to perfect, but maybe that was just my idolation of her right now thinking that.
"I think if I were in your position I wouldn't care what anybody thought of me either. Except for your Son and Daughter."
"Well Ryan's opinion does matter somewhat too."
I laugh and give her a wink to which she only laughs some more.
"Despite everything I am that many will see as a flaw or an advantage to them... I am not just some cupcake they can smash. I proved that last week when I took out three other women. Plus Veronica's little lackey. I don't like cheaters. I don't like people that have to have someone fight their battles for them. Veronica is in this match this week as well and guaranteed her little floozy friend will be at ringside again. I'll be keeping an eye out for her as should the officials. As much as some people will say otherwise this isn't about advantages and being an opportunist. Getting a chance at a title.. any title is an honour. Something that I take a lot of pride in being included in. I plan on winning the battle royal and I plan on beating Amy. I don't care if I get a bunch of flack for being new here....because something I'm not is someone that takes an easy way out. I earn everything I'm given and should I win the Roulette championship I will be a champion worthy of the fans, worthy of SCW. I am nothing but genuine."
"Thanks Lexi... can I call you Lexi?"
I nod.
"Of course. I prefer it actually. It was a pleasure to meet you Selena. I hope I gave you enough to do a decent article."
"Oh you did."
I smile at her as she stand to shake my hand and walk away back to her car. Yes it was true and I was not regretting the decision to come back at all. The only thing I missed were my babies but their encouragement to keep going, well at least Matty.. Aly still kinda gurgled and tried to type on the keyboard during the calls. I know he missed me but when I came home in a few weeks it would be as if I'd never left.
