Masks
She was covered in sweat. Long blond hair tied back in a bun with a few strands down her face and back, stuck to her glistening skin. A water bottle sitting next to her, her upper body covered in a black and pink compression shirt, adorned with the Wolfslair logo on the back, her lower body, a pair of black and pink venum fight shorts. Alicia was smiling, she was happy. Endorphins released after a good work out.
She looked over with a large smile, Zoey Lukas, her hulking younger sister, backwards baseball cap on her head, earpods in with some kind of metalcore blaring. A metal bar over her back as she did squats with more weight than most of the men. In fact as Alicia looked around she saw them, open mouths, staring as Zoey hummed the tune of the song, dropping down and pushing up as she exhaled and stood back up.
She was proud of Zoey. Proud of what her younger sister had accomplished in a short time in SCW.
Her frustrations sat within herself. Within her own performances and her position with the company. As well as the decorum and attitude of her fellow bombshells. She stared off into space, reminding herself of the position she had found herself in. She leaned forward, taking a sip of her water, trying to concentrate on something, anything else. She didn’t even hear Zoey finish her workout and come over to her. It was just a voice in the distance, a numb sound followed by a ringing in her ears that seemed to stop as suddenly as it began.
”Hey, you listening to me?” She snapped out of it, looking up at her sister, Zoey raised an eyebrow and shook her head before turning and sitting down next to Alicia. Both of them desreed very similar except the pink trim was replaced with neon green. ”What’s up with you? You have been distant as all hell the last few weeks.” She was right of course. And Alicia knew it. But she had no idea how to explain it, and didn’t want to put her burdens on Zoey.
”I’m ok Zo, I just have alot on my mind with SCW ya know?”
She shot back a smile, Zoey frowned and say back raising her legs up and resting her arms on her knees. ”I get the feeling you don’t want me around. Like…is it that bad us working together?”
Alicias head snapped forward, she shook her head and reached over grabbing Zoeys wrist. ”It’s not that Zo, at all.” She smiled at her younger sister and sat back looking up at the roof. ”I’m not happy with my career. I know that might seem like whining. I have had a career most would dream of but I have fallen off lately. And I have been very vocal about it. I just feel like I’m failing…”
Zoey shook her head and planted her feet pulling herself up and turning to hold out her hand. Alicia took it and got pulled to her feet. The two sisters sharing a moment. ”Failing? Look you might not be the champion, you might not be winning matches left and right but I’d hardly say you were failing…I mean I heard you last week before the match with Candy and with La Rosa-”
Crystal” Alicia said forcefully, angrilly, full of frustration.
Zoey laughed to herself and gave a small nod holding her hands up in defeat. ”My point is you had passion, you were so angry that someone would do this as well as being booked against Candy you let it go. And for a moment it was like…I dunno..”
Zoey paused, sounding like she wanted to say something, anything else. Alicia raised her eyebrow. ”Like what?”
Zoey took a pause and a breath, it wasn’t usually like her to hold in her thoughts or feelings, or to sugar coat or second guess. ”It seemed like you were the old Alicia. The one that turned up in Honor and murdered everyone, the one that then came here and destroyed the competition. The one that I used to get angry at when I tried to forge my way in wrestling and all I heard was “Oh hey your sister did” over and over again…”
Alicia chuckled and slowly gave a nod of admission and a smile. ”I can’t argue with that. Shit, the match with Candy had me feeling like me again.” Alicia cleared her throat. ”Honestly, since the divorce I just haven’t..felt the same.” She trailed off and stared ahead, in the distance, moving between the equipment. It looked like…Dr Whitlow. A chill going up Alicias spine. ”I…I have to go..”
”Ali?”
”I’ll///I’ll text you later ok?...” Alicia backed up and turned moving as fast as she could toward the showers. Zoey tilted her head, looking toward the equipment that seemed to spook Alicia so much. Alicia burst through the door, moving toward the locker areas, pulling the small steel door open and pulling her bag out. She grabbed her phone, unlocking it and sending a message off. Before she could hit sending a voice startled her.
”What are you doing Violet?” It startled her, the aged voice of the Doctor. Alicia turned, finding her standing in front of her, in a grey suit, her hands clasped together with her glasses down the end of her nose. ”Sening a text message to your ex husband? Begging for help? This isn’t the strong independent woman you tried to be dear.”
Alicia tookm sharp breaths in and out shaking her head and closing her eyes muttering to herself over and over again. You’re not here, you’re not here, you’re not here” She opened her eyes and Dr Whitlow was still there, her hands moving as she folded her arms over her chest.
Alicia wanted to scream throwing her hands in the air and pacing back and forth. ”You can’t get rid of me until you accept who you are….and that isn’t going to happen messaging Michael”
Alicia sneered and shook her head looking down and away. ”Leave me alone…” She said it low, she said it quietly before her head shot up. ”LEAVE ME ALONE!” There was no one, her voice echoed through the empty room, bouncing off the tiled walls. Her heart was racing, she stepped back and slid down the wall to the floor taking deep breaths. Trying to calm herself down.
A bruised rose
”Well. Sometimes “I told you so” won’t cut it.”
Alicia couldn’t help but laugh, pacing back and forth, already looking frustrated and angry. Many would say emotional or full of anger. She shook her head and stared forward.
”Going into my match against Candy I said that no matter where I was in my professional life that I could and would beat her. I told you all she didn’t belong in the ring with me. And that she doesn’t even belong in the damn company. And that isn’t just hyperbole, that’s the truth. Candy doesn’t belong in SCW or the bombshells division. This company, this whole company is for wrestlers. Not pretend wannabes. And now that I have beaten her again and reminded the world of who I am and what I’m about, hopefully that bubblehead idiot takes the hint and we don’t have to ever see her in this company or in the ring with me ever again….”
“Atleast, that is my hope. And I get it, I do. I understand that in a wrestling company sometimes we keep bringing people back for a cheap pop and moment that shouldn’t really exist. And trust me, if there is a phrase that perfectly exemplifies Candy..it’s “cheap pop”..”
“But, she should not have been here and I sent her packing.”
“And as a professional athlete I do what my bosses ask. I get in the ring multiple times with people who are not on my level and I do it with a smile because I am asked. I did it with Candy, all this year Candy was there, in my face and time after time I beat her and made her look like the useless inept child we all know she is. And, now, I am doing it with Crystal Hilton-Miller-Zdunich.”
“I really hate her names…”
Alicia rolls her eyes and takes a deep breath trying to remain calm and centered instead of exploding all over the place and getting furious.
”And now we can add a new one to that. La Rosa Ardiente. Or, the burning rose in English. And yes, really, I’m not making that up. Crystal turned around and named herself, under a mask, her fucking nickname and then thought no one would notice a luchadora, who is the same height, body type and moves the same. Do you understand why I’m annoyed Crystal? It’s not just that it’s you, and trust me on this, I dislike you and always will, your attempts at “building bridges” with me have done nothing but make me want to kick you in the face as hard as I can and assist with your goddamn dental surgery…”
“But, in this instance the annoyance I feel is not directly tied to it being you. No. it’s because it was lazy. You want to do this whole thing where you pretend to be someone else and try and fool everyone then why not dye your hair, come up with a better name, maybe take some time at the gym to put some muscle on that wirey frame of yours or go eat a cheese burger and then learn some different goddamn wrestling moves so maybe, just maybe we have no idea it’s you?”
“Hmm? Good idea?”
“The anger I feel isn’t just because it’s you it’s because you were lazy with it and decided to simply do the bare fucking minimum, which, if anyone has followed your career knows is the goddamn norm for you.”
“I have never in my life met anyone as prepared to take a shortcut as the “great” Crystal Hilton. And yes I am going to use that name because I am sick and tired of you changing your name and personality every few months to “freshen” up your career. You want to know how to freshen up your career? Petrol and a box of matches would be a goddamn good start you horse faced bitch.
Alicia clearly has lost it, her eyes narrowing as she growls under her breath.
”And it’s quite the history you and I have isn’t it? Now borderline problematic racial issues aside with you and your…less than classy comments while under the mask, we need to remember something when it comes to SCW. See, Crystal, you have been a champion here, and you have beaten the best and at various times have had the right to call yourself the best in the world, or the GOAT. But, based on our history you have never, ever, been able to say that you are better than me. Every single time you have stepped to me in any match that matters you have failed miserably.”
“To put it bluntly. I have made you my bitch for the last six years.”
“And now, here you are, back in SCW after your life started falling apart and you got canned and thrown out on your ass expecting all of us that celebrated your downfall to welcome you back with open arms like nothing happened. That shit doesn’t fly. And what’s worse is that you believe a new coat of paint, a change in accent and a win over Char Kwan of all people is going to get you back top the top of the division. I don’t know whether to admire your determination or be disappointed at the rampant stupidity…”
She paces back anfd forth again, a black bandana sitting under her long blond hair and tied so the knot is at the front of her head.
”But don’t worry Crystal, Rosa, whatever the fuck. I am going to do you a solid here. See, at Violent conduct I am going to walk down to that ring, I am going to do what I always do, and when my hand is raised and you are laying on the mat is an much pain and anguish as I am legally allowed to inflict upon you, I am going to tear that mask off your head and expose you to the world. And hopefully, hopefully…you’ll learn a lesson…”