{The scene opens inside Roxi and Keira’s home, where Roxi is sitting at the table by herself, looking through various pieces of paper, most of them from Guild HQ regarding Keira’s medical status. She sighs, looking exasperated as Nate sits across from her, sipping a cup of juice before putting it back on the table.}
Nate – Mommy… I’m all done.
Roxi – Okay baby.
Nate – I need more.
Roxi – Okay. I will get you some in a minute.
{Roxi continues to look through the reports and charts, trying to make heads or tails of what she could do, if anything to help. Nate continues to wait, growing a little impatient.}
Nate – Mommy.
Roxi – I SAID …. I will get you some in a minute. I just need to look at this for a little bit.
Nate – Okay.
{Nate kind of has a sad look on his face, and Roxi indeed shares the look, feeling bad for raising her voice. She again takes deep breath, and stands up, and grabs Nate’s cup and re-fills it with juice. She places it in front of Nate and runs her fingers through his hair.}
Nate – Thank you Mommy.
Roxi – You’re welcome.
{Roxi places her hand on Nate’s chair and leans forward, closing her eyes to get a moment of rest.}
Nate – Mommy, tired?
Roxi – Mommy is tired, Yes.
Nate – Mama tired too.
Roxi – Yes, she is. Mama just needs her rest.
Nate – Mama is sick?
Roxi – No, just tired. She’ll be up in a little while.
Nate – Okay, then you sleep?
Roxi – No, I still have a lot of things to do.
Nate – What you doing?
Roxi – I have to plan somebody’s birthday.
{Nate smiles as he understands Roxi is talking about him.}
Nate – MY Birthday.
Roxi – Yes, you’re birthday.
{Roxi kneels down in front of Nate, trying her best to look happy and excited.}
Roxi – You’re getting so big. Do you know how old you will be?
Nate – Uh… free.
Roxi – That’s right. You’re so smart. Can you show me three?
{Nate struggles, but eventually holds up three fingers. Roxi smiles and hugs him.}
Roxi – So smart. And cute. I love you so much.
Nate – I love you Mommy.
Roxi – Drink your juice.
{Roxi sits back down at the table, the moment of joy pretty much gone as she continues to look at the realization that there’s not much she can do for Keira. She lays the papers down and sighs, before standing back up and walking to the cabinets and pulling out various mixing ingredients. Nate becomes curious and tries to see what’s happening.}
Nate – What you doing Mommy?
Roxi – I have to make your cake silly.
Nate – I help?
Roxi – You wanna help?
Nate – Uh-huh.
Roxi – Okay, you can help me.
{Nate smiles as Roxi swings the chair to where Nate can stand on it, and lean against the counter and watch.}
Roxi – What kind of cake are we making?
Nate – Uh… Chocolate? Vanilla?
Roxi – Chocolate and Vanilla? So both?
Nate – Uh-huh…
Roxi – And What kind of frosting?
Nate – Uh… Chocolate.
Roxi – Why don’t we just make a vanilla cake with chocolate frosting. How about that?
Nate – No chocolate cake?
Roxi – You drive a hard bargin kid. How about chocolate cupcakes?
{Nate smiles}
Nate – Okay.
Roxi – I figured you’d like that. Alright let’s get to work.
{Roxi and Nate do indeed get to work on his cake as the scene fades.}
{The scene reopens later than night, the alarm clock reads 1am as Roxi finally enters the room, with Keira still sound asleep from her previous outing. Keira does slowly start to move as Roxi sits on the bed and touches her arm.}
Roxi – Hey.
{Keira blinks and looks at Roxi and begins to stretch.}
Keira – Hey.
Roxi – Do you need any food?
Keira – I’ll get it later.
Roxi – I meant now, you already ate earlier.
{Keira looks around, almost unaware of what’s going on.}
Keira – What time is it?
Roxi – It’s early.
Keira – How long have I been asleep?
Roxi – Almost all day. Aside from when you were eating.
Keira – Really? I slept an entire day?
Roxi – Yeah, and you still look beat.
{Keira looks up at Roxi, touching her face.}
Keira – You don’t look any better.
Roxi – Things to do.
Keira – I can –
Roxi – No, you need to rest. I’ll be fine. I’ll joining you anyway.
{Keira lays back and sighs, as Roxi soon gets into bed next to her, and it’s almost instantaneous that she falls asleep. Keira soon follows.}
{After some time, Roxi’s phone goes off, and she looks up at the clock as it shows 5:30am. Roxi slowly rolls over and sits on the edge of the bed, her head in her hands as she rubs her face. She slowly rises and puts on her training clothes, before heading down to her training room to train for her own match against Crystal. However, before she can leave, Keira does roll over and see her.}
Keira – Where are you going?
Roxi – Training.
Keira – I thought we were training?
Roxi – We will, just as soon as you feel better, come down and we’ll get it ready.
Keira – Won’t you be tired?
Roxi – I’ll be fine. Get some rest, get your strength up.
{Keira looks annoyed but she lays back down to rest as Roxi exits the room.}
{After finishing her training session, a seemingly exhausted Roxi climbs up the stairs, hops into the shower, and then changes into her clothes for the day, all before 8am. She begins making breakfast when a sleep Nate walks into the room, slowly looking around.}
Roxi – Hey you.
Nate – Hi Mommy.
Roxi – You can sit down right over there, I’m just making some breakfast.
Nate – Mommy?
Roxi – Yes, baby?
Nate – Am I three today?
Roxi – Yes. Yes you are.
Nate – I am big now?
Roxi – Yes you are.
Nate – Do I get presents today?
Roxi – Yes.
Nate – And cake?
Roxi – Yes, and cupcakes, and lots of people will be over. But we have to get ready today, and that means a good breakfast. So, what do you want for breakfast?
Nate – Uh… Pancake?
Roxi – Okay, I will make you a pancake, where is your cup?
Nate – I put it, I put it in the sink.
Roxi – That’s a good boy. You go and sit down at the table, and I will get you a pancake and some juice.
Nate – Okay.
{Nate goes and sits down and Roxi continues to make breakfast, and soon there’s a pancake on Nate’s plate and he eats it. And soon enough, Keira slowly makes her way to the table, sitting down, still looking tired, but not quite as much.}
Roxi – Hey.
Nate – Hi Mama.
Keira – Hello baby, how’s my little boy today?
Nate – Today I am three.
Keira – Yes you are!
Nate – You give me presents today?
Keira – Of course I will.
{Roxi soon hands a plate of eggs and bacon with toast to Keira, who amazingly doesn’t scarf the whole thing down, but begins eating it slowly.}
Keira – You are big today, right?
Nate – Uh-huh.
Keira – Good.
{Roxi soon sits down with her eggs and begins eating them. She and Keira look at each other every now and again, and then to Nate.}
Roxi – You feeling ready to train?
Keira – I think so, but…
Roxi – But what?
Keira – Rox, you look like you’ve been hit by a truck. You need to sleep.
{Roxi shrugs.}
Roxi – I will, right after we train, and we make those cupcakes for Nate, and get him dressed. Oh and –
{Keira holds up her hand to stop Roxi.}
Keira – You’re running around here like a chicken with it’s head cut off. You can slow down, rest. The world isn’t going anywhere…
Roxi – I’ll be fine. Just got things that need to be done.
Keira – You look like you’re about to drop at any moment. Seriously.
Roxi – Well somebody has to do it…. Nate needs cupcakes. And we have to wrap some presents.
Keira – Let me do it.
{Roxi looks at Keira with a look of confusion.}
Roxi – You’re not well, you need to rest up, get your strength back.
Keira – I feel much better. You need to stop. You’ve run yourself ragged.
Roxi – It’s nothing. I promise. You come down to the training room when you feel up to it, and we’ll train, if not, I’ve got cupcakes to make.
{Roxi finishes her food, throws the plate in the sink, and begins gathering more mixing ingredients to start making the cupcakes. Keira slowly stands up and gets between Roxi and the ingredients.}
Keira – Take a rest. I got this.
Roxi – Keira, It’s fine. I can make cupcakes.
Keira – It’s not about that. It’s about you seriously taking a break. You don’t have to do everything.
{Keria sighs and places ah and on Roxi’s shoulder.}
Keira – I know I’ve been resting, and you’ve handled everything so far, but you don’t HAVE to to that. I know that’s you, it’s who you are. You can’t help it. But I need you to remember our conversation. When we got married, we made a promise to each other, and now more than ever, we need to hold to it. Please… for me?
{Roxi sighs heavily and rests a hand on the counter and runs her fingers through her hair, brushing it out of her face. Finally, she kisses Keira Afterward, she looks Keira in the eyes and smiles.}
Roxi – Together.
{Keira nods.}
Keira – Thank you.
{Roxi soon sits down and lets out another sigh and yawns.}
Nate – Mama, you make cupcakes?!
Roxi – She’s gonna try.
Keira – Smartass…. Yes baby, I’m making your cupcakes.
Nate – Chocolate?!
Keira – Yes, chocolate.
Nate – Okay.
{Roxi soon stands up, and exits the room, only to come back with a giant Thomas the tank toy.}
Nate – Whoa…. That’s for me?
Roxi – Yes, it is.
{Nate giggles as he looks at the box.}
Keira – What do you say?
Nate – Thank you Mommy.
Roxi – You’re welcome baby, happy birthday.
{Roxi kisses Nate as the scene fades out.}
Hello again SCW,
While two weeks ago, was a step in the right direction, and a major distraction from many things, it is by no means, a fix. It’s a band-aid on the problem, not treatment. Both personally, and professionally, I was excited and proud to team with Griffin once again, and it’s never a bad thing to team with my wife, and yes, we were victorious, and that felt good. But it was temporary, and since then, it has been hard to sit back and really have everything feel okay.
Keira’s issue with wanting a second child, and wanting to carry it, and at the same time wanting to compete for the SCW Bombshell’s championship, is a major conflict now. It’s tying her up in knots to have to almost treat it like some kind of choice. And I hate seeing her so upset and frustrated, and there isn’t a worse feeling in the world, than not being able to do anything to change it. I can’t win matches for her, and I know how much carrying a child would really mean to her. I’m stuck, and it’s made me feel worst in turn. Despite putting on a brave face, this just hasn’t been the happy return she or I hoped for.
The only person who seems to be upbeat and okay with everything is Nate. And to be honest, it’s what keeping Keira and I sane over the past month or so. He’s constantly positive and in a good mood. I like to think I had something to do with it, but he just plugs along, controlling what he can control and going with the flow. And now, he’s three years old. Of anything I have and will ever accomplish, Nate being a stand up person and quality human being, will be at the top of the list. He has been a welcome distraction from all the gloom and doom lately. Without him, my mood would be much worse. And maybe, I would be about to say some things a bit more harshly than I am now. Another distraction is returning to the ring again this week, and facing Crystal Hilton.
Crystal Hilton, or Rose, or Zdunich, or… goodness there’s already so many issues here…. Alright, let’s just cut to the chase here. Crystal and I have known each other for close to a decade. It started in CPW, and it’s worked it’s way to SCW, and a few other places where we were both employed. And at this point, what can I say about Crystal that hasn’t already been said? She’s a great talent in the ring, and a friends worst nightmare outside of it.
And I say that, because it’s the truth, I can’t really be anything other than honest here. Crystal is just that one friend that will constantly get themselves, and everyone close to them marked. It’s guilt by association with Crystal. It’s been a vicious cycle for as long as I’ve known her, and been around her. She will, inevitably say, or do something that screws up a lot of thing, for a lot of people, and many people don’t give her the time of day afterwards. Crystal is, her own worst enemy, as she has done far more damage to her own reputation and career than any single person she’s ever faced.
But of course, you, me, everyone watching this, and Crystal herself, already knows that.
So, in a sense, it’s kind of respectable that she’s just kind of owned that and made it part of who she is. And on the other hand, the amount of people she’s burned makes it damn near impossible to defend her. I can’t really say that she’s done it to me personally, but she’s messed up a lot. And I’ve had countless conversations with her, and it seems even my words fall of dear ears.
I don’t know if she has D.I.D. or if that’s a lie. I don’t know if Crystal means a word she says anymore, I don’t know if she’s even being honest with her wife, let alone her friends, and fans. So, maybe all those times that I did talk to her, meant nothing, and I should take offense to it. Maybe now, the time has come to not just talk to Crystal, not just try and talk sense into her, but to actually, physically beat it into her. Has it come to that point in our relationship?
Now of course, the obvious question is why I let it go this long in the first place. Why wouldn’t I distance myself from Crystal and away from her issues and troubles and just be better off. And believe me, there are times I question this myself. But I always come back to the same conclusion. No matter what Crystal says, or does, deep down, there is genuinely a nice person. Maybe I’m a fool for thinking that someday, that person will be the only person who controls what Crystal does. And maybe I have to kick her in the head, to get that person to come out.
It’s not that it’s too hard to walk away from Crystal… it’s that it’d be too damn easy.
It’s not a reason, or an excuse. It’s a statement of fact.
Nor does it excuse any of Crystal’s behavior of selfishly trying to usurp her wife so she could get a championship match instead of her. It doesn’t excuse Crystal trying to be Mark Ward’s assistant or whatever in order to gain favor. There is no excuse for that kind of thing, because it’s one of the moments that Crystal is guided only by greed. And it would be almost funny, if it wasn’t so sad. It’s no secret that Crystal wants to desperately be the first four time Bombshell’s champion, because in her mind, it justifies everything and makes her great.
Or maybe, it’s just another sleight of hand type deal. Look at this accomplishment, and don’t focus on all the bad stuff. And at this point… no, I can’t let it go anymore. This, at least for me, is a cleansing of the black mark, off of me, for being as close to Crystal as I am.
Yes, we’ve been through a lot together. Yes, I do have a soft spot for Crystal. Yes, we’ve shared many memories. But at the end of the day, that’s not going to get in the way of what has to be done. And even then, I don’t know if I’m going to reach Crystal, but I’ve also been feeling like there’s no point in trying anymore. Nothing that I do or say will change who Crystal is, and I have zero doubt she’s going to change her ways regardless. But that’s not my job on Sunday. My job on Sunday is to beat Crystal in the middle of the ring, and maintain the momentum and get back in the hunt for the next challenge that lies ahead of me.
And yes, this is the first time we’ll be meeting in an SCW ring, and under other circumstances, maybe this would be more exciting than it is. It’s been some time since Crystal and I have faced off. But Crystal will have to wait to beat me some other time, some other day, in some other way. Because Sunday, she’s going to get beat. It’s not a personal thing, it’s just business. I know I’ve discussed personal things, but in order to fully focus on this match, and not be distracted by it, I’ve let it all out here. In the ring, on Sunday, Crystal is just another opponent. Another obstacle for me to face and overcome.
I have no doubt that Crystal’s going to bring everything she has, and I want that. I want that because I don’t want her thinking that simply because of my gentle nature that I’m going to take it easy on her. I’m not trying to “bury” her by any stretch, because behind the guise of a lost, confused, greedy, glory hound, is in fact a solid wrestler.
But it’s not 2008 anymore. We’re past that. Crystal has been good for a long time, there’s no question about that. She wouldn’t be tied for record for Bombshell’s championship wins if she wasn’t. She can do many things in the ring that can wow a crowd, but it’s sadly overshadowed by all her antics. I’ve known Crystal long enough not to fall into those traps, and on Sunday, while she may want this dream match more than anything, it’s simply going to be another match for me.
But when it’s all over, when I thinking back on this, maybe I’ll remember it more fondly. Maybe I’ll be able to look at this match and say, yeah, it was awesome, and both Crystal and I tore the house down and put on a hell of a match. I’ll be able to look back and say that it was one of the best matches of either of our careers.
Sunday, isn’t going to be that day.
Sunday, I’m going to beat Crystal, no matter what her last name is this week, who she likes, doesn’t like, or what happens to be the cool thing she’s attached herself to this week. I am coming into this match, with a lot of unresolved frustration. And I’m going to take them out on her. Every little thing that’s bugged me about Crystal, I can get off my chest. For good. So if Crystal wants a match, she wants a fight…
I’ll give her a fight, I’ll give her a damn good fight.
