Funny how the roles can be reversed huh.
I first met Cassie during the height of the Roulette Title reign, back then she was a trainee with a lot of promise whose naiveté was being exploited by Matthew and Marty, now just over two years later? She was a champion in her own right and her first singles title reign had just ended over in MPW.
That wasn’t the problem, Cassie’s record as a wrestler was hardly spotless, but the way her TV Title reign had ended was, to make a long story short? She lost the belt after outside interference left her open to her opponent’s submission finisher and now someone who had earned a shot in a Battle Royal was getting a shot instead of her.
And cue a meltdown on Twitter that made Jessie’s World Bombshell Title campaigns look subtle! It resulted in her getting grounded as soon as she returned home (because she had argued with her mom apparently) and now she had snuck over to her girlfriends’ apartment with her puppy, a Switch, and a few games.
This is where I come in, as soon as her mom realized that Cassie had left with the dog her other stuff she called me to see if Cassie had gone to my house, after that it was a simple matter of getting the address of Zoey’s apartment from Becky when she said that they weren’t with them.
Cassie had often been my anchor in reality, now it was my turn to return the favour.
”28, 29………” I muttered to myself as I looked for Zoey’s apartment number before finally stopping at #30 and knocking. ”Becky had better be right about this!”
”Coming!” Zoey’s voice rang out before the young trainee answered the door and grinned when she saw me. ”Hey Krystal! What’s up?” The biracial girl asked and I frowned before looking past her.
”Is Cassie here?” I asked as I folded my arms and Zoey hesitated when she saw the look on her face. ”She’s not in trouble Zoey, I just want to talk to her.”
”Come in.” Zoey sighed before she stepped aside and let me in her relatively small apartment, I spotted a pair of dog bowls in the kitchen and that all but confirmed that I was in the right place. ”I haven’t seen Cass since she got back from England, but if you want a look around that’s fine.”
”And those dog bows in the kitchen are for your pooch I take it?” I asked Zoey and she froze upon realizing that she had been caught in her lie. ”Funny, I could’ve sworn I remembered you complaining about your landlord not allowing pets.”
”What’s the use?” Zoey sighed as she realized that I wasn’t buying her story for a minute. ”Cassie and Sandie are in that bedroom over there.” Zoey added as she motioned to the closed door. ”She told me to lie in case anyone came looking for her but I didn’t have time to come up with a convincing lie.”
”Gee, thanks!”[/font] Cassie grunted as she opened the door and looked up at me with a frown on her face, seconds later her puppy Sandie came racing out of the room to greet me and my demeaner took a complete 180, wouldn’t yours if you saw an adorable puppy? ”What do you want Krystal?”[/font] Cassie sighed and I gave Zoey a look that told her to give us some space and she did so leaving her apartment for the time being.
”Where do I even start?!” I asked as I ran a hand down my face. ”I understand why you’re pissed about how your TV Title Reign ended but threatening to ruin Lola’s shot because she’s getting it instead of you?!”
”THAT IDIOT WON A BATTLE ROYAL, I DEFENDED THAT TITLE AGAINST HALF THE FUCKING ROSTER AND THIS IS THE THANKS I GET?!” Cassie snapped at me as she started pacing around the apartment. ”For fuck’s sake, I screwed up my chances of getting past the opening round of the British Heavyweight Title Tournament because I defended the title in the opening match rather than ask the bosses to scrap the title defence for that week!”
”Didn’t you tell me that you weren’t aware that that was an option?” I asked pointedly and Cassie didn’t budge from her position. ”And regardless of how Lola earned that shot, she still earned it, can’t you be happy for her?!”
”I would if Rowen weren’t such a thieving bitch!” Cassie grunted as she started to pace around and Sandie looked at her owner with what I could only describe as the canine equivalent of a concerned look, I knew Labradors had expressive faces from owning Tali but I didn’t think they got that expressive. ”BUT NO! She couldn’t beat me on her own and she’s treating it like she outsmarted me! If this happened during my soccer career, she wouldn’t have a fucking career!”
”That doesn’t excuse acting like a bitch to everyone else on the roster! Lola’s a lovely girl but the way you’ve treated her? She may as well be the devil just because she’s getting a shot instead of you!” I pointed out to Cass and she grunted in frustration. ”Is it because you got robbed or is it because another girl is getting a title shot instead of you? I didn’t come all this way to get bullshitted around by a nineteen-year-old!”
”Oh! Like you can talk!” Cassie said as she marched up to me and poked her finger into my chest. ”Or do I need to remind you of how you acted towards the end of your title reign?”
”You mean the time when I had Matthew and Marty pulling my strings? When you had to run to Keira to get me back to reality?!” I counted back as I put her hand down and Cassie growled. ”I had two carnie scumbags manipulating me back then! What’s your excuse? Ever since you graduated from Hero Academy you’ve gone it alone!”
”Get off your fucking high horse Charlotte, your ego was out of control long before they entered the scene!” Cassie added as she started to pace around. ”Those idiots will get what’s coming to them eventually and…………” Cassie’s rant was interrupted mid-sentence when Sandie cried out in pain and our eyes glanced down at the puppy, the little thing had lied down at my feet with her back legs leaning to the right and her front back leg had just been stepped on by Cassie as she had paced around. ”Oh my god! Sandie I’m so sorry!” Cassie’s anger had disappeared in an instant, replaced by concern for her Labrador puppy as she knelt down to check on her.
I took the moment to sit down next to my teenage cousin and watch her demeaner as Cassie checked on the puppy, luckily there hadn’t been any serious damage to Sandie’s leg because the pup was back on her legs within seconds but it had been enough to bring her back to reality. ”You know your mom’s worried sick, right?” I asked as Cassie started to calm down and she glanced over at me. ”She told me that she had called you at least ten times after she realized that you had gone.”
”I knew she would, but I didn’t want to deal with that so I left my phone off.” Cassie admitted with a sad sigh as she stroked the Labrador puppy. ”I was on such a high as the TV Champ but to see it come crashing down because someone couldn’t beat me on their own? I just exploded!”
”Now you know how I felt after I got eliminated from last year’s Blast from the Past Tournament.” I sighed as I rested my arm on my leg. ”But your better than this Cass and you know it! Your mom grounded you because she hoped you’d see the error or your ways before you acted on your threats!”
”I’m a nineteen-year-old champion who travels internationally on a weekly basis, how exactly does she plan to enforce that?!” Cassie asked as she shed a few tears of frustration and I sighed before I stood up. ”I need a place of my own, I can’t be known as the champion who still lives with her parents for much longer!”
”And me and Makayla will give you any help you need with that.” I assured Cassie before I offered my hand to pull her up and she took it, once she was back on her feet I motioned towards the door. ”But for now? I’d better get you home, I’ll talk to your mom about the whole grounding thing and helping you get a place of your own.” I added and Cassie gave me a thankful hug before we gathered her things and left.
Cassie still had a bright future in the business, it was up to me to make sure that she didn’t squander all her potential because of one bad night.
