INCEPTION VII
BACKSTAGE
02/02/2025
As she came backstage, Kayla could feel nothing more than rage coating her system. She grit her teeth, swiping the water bottle that the production crew handed her with a vicious snatch and continuing into the depths of the backstage area. She wanted to pack up her things and get the hell out of there – her only focus, the only thing she could think of right then was the championship she’d just lost, and the only thing that could make her happy again was getting it back.
It was a narrowed view, and she knew it, and after a good twenty-four hours, she probably wouldn’t be as irate as she felt right then. But her blood boiled. She’d chosen the challenger, she’d pushed for it, and Andrea had done what? Bridged a pin when Kayla had her ready to put down and stole the victory in that moment. She would congratulate her later tomorrow, later when she wasn’t mad. She wasn’t above doing that. But right now? The thought of having to congratulate anyone else was unfathomable.
She stopped in a quiet hallway, set her back against the wall and pressed her head against the cool, white stones. She tried to keep breathing, tried to focus on her breaths so that she could get the pressure out. She could stand up then and, while production was putting forth some stupid commentary about her boyfriend and his match, she could at least go find him and tell him good luck. Kayla pushed herself off the wall and then headed back towards the entryway that would lead out into the public walkways around the arena. Finn always entered from the sides – she knew that.
Kayla spotted his tall figure, standing just a bit taller than the people around him, as he prepared to step into the hall. She called out his name, with something that she hoped sounded like more than anger in her voice, and he turned his head to look at her. He smiled, ignoring the production crew member who muttered something about having only a few seconds to get where he needed to be and walked back towards her.
“
Good luck,” she said as he approached her. They’d gotten used to saying that before each other’s matches. He’d done the very same for her before she’d gone out there.
“
C’mere,” he said, setting his championship on a production crate and reaching for her. He embraced her in a rare public display of affection, pressing his lips to the top of her head and holding her close.
“I’m proud of you, regardless of the result.”
“
I’ll get it back,” she swore. “
I’ll get a rematch, I’ll get it back.”
“
Okay,” he nodded. “
There’s other avenues that you can do too. We’ll go through all of them when we get back to the hotel and decide then. Just go get relaxed and comfortable, okay?”
“
Whelan, we gotta go!”
Kayla nodded as Finn let go of her, lifting his championship back onto his shoulder and walking away from her. She exhaled and waited for him to disappear from her sight, before turning to head back to the locker room. She was just going to grab her things and throw them into Finn’s locker room, sit on the couch and watch the rest of the broadcast. In fact, she haughtily ordered someone to go get her stuff and do that very thing for her, which they did when they realized she was absolutely not in the mood to be nicer. At all.
Outside of his locker room, Kayla felt her insides tighten as she saw
her standing there. Her colorful hair, her Louboutins, her shitty, self-righteous attitude. All of the things that she hated about Aaron Asphyxia flooded her brain and stopped her in her tracks. But only for a moment. She threw on her best sarcastic smile and walked up to the door. “
He’s busy right now. You’ll have to leech off of him later,” she quipped.
“
Oh that’s okay,” Aaron grinned, pushing herself off the wall and looking at her. “
I was waiting for you anyway. Tough loss, although I could see it happening a mile away. Sloppiness should only be bedroom level, don’t you think?” She reached up and twirled her hair around her finger, looking at Kayla up and down. “
Was he good with it?”
“
I really don’t see how that’s any of your business.”
“
Hmmm…true, it’s not. And actually, I don’t particularly care either, so I’m glad we didn’t go the heart to heart route because…blegh, gag me.” They both heard the eruptions from the crowd as the match had gotten way. “
See, I’m only here to show you what it’s like to be supportive of the person you…” she looked Kayla up and down judgmentally, and tilted her head, “
love. You might have had a match and you might have lost, but you and I both know that the right thing to do is to go out and support him.”
“
Finn and I don’t do that.” Kayla scoffed. “
He doesn’t need me out there cheerleading him on. He doesn’t want it either. I know that.”
“
Do you? Do you know him well?” She tilted her head with a smile. “
He used to love when I did it. I was always there, rooting for him, helping him when I could. I mean, I know I can’t put my hands on his opponents with the antiquated rules around here, but I’ll be sure to provide supports in the best way I know how. But…I mean, look at you.” Aaron shrugged. “
It’s not like you know how to be a human being, much less a girlfriend. Is that why that one dude cheated on you?”
Kayla’s expression changed, from annoyance to muted fury. Clearly, this wasn’t just Aaron messing around like she’d done in the past. This was calculated – Aaron wasn’t just here to bother her. “
Because I’m not in the mood to play your little game tonight, you might want to walk away.”
“
Don’t worry, I am. But a reminder before I go out there and help Finn win this match…”
Despite their differences, Aaron stepped forward and leaned her face in close to Kayla’s.
“
I pushed him to you. I am responsible for your relationship even getting off the ground. And with what I know? I can take it all away in a second. So watch it, will you?”
Kayla grit her teeth as she watched the smaller woman walk away from her, confident that Kayla wouldn’t follow her. She’d for sure tell Finn about this later, but for now, she wrenched open the door and slammed it shut behind her with not one other word uttered from her mouth.
