”I connected and maintained the Kat’s Kradle for the three count. First Bombshell victory in Sin City Wrestling history, and against a legend of her decade... It felt good. No, it felt great. But it didn’t seem to do anything for me. I still feel cold… heartless… angry… unforgiving… confused.
“Could it be because I didn’t hear a single cheer? I fought tooth and nail against two damn good wrestlers. I came out on top, and no one expected it. Two former champions defeated by a no name. I was hardly recognized by the media. All of the publicity was geared toward Misty Vs Fantasia (Vs Kittie), as if I were hardly even a second thought.
“Were they confused that I came out on top? Did they expect me to hardly even be seen in the match? Like I am going to spend most of the match on my back?”
”You have to MAKE them take you serious Kittie. They don’t because you haven’t made yourself known in the wrestling business, even though you have been a part of it for ten years…”
”Who’s there?”
”Me…”
”Who is ‘Me’?”
”You…”
”Okay, now I’m really confused. Wait, am I having another conversation with myself? Doctor Liddell says that’s not healthy.”
*Chuckle*”You are just one piece talking to another. It’s not the same thing as talking to yourself. You let that doctor into your head way too much. Nothing is wrong with you, except that you focus too much on the wounded part of yourself. The rest of us call you Kittie, since you have taken over as the face of our self.”
”Wait a minute. If you are a piece of a whole, and I am a piece of a whole, and we are talking, we are still part of that ones self, so wouldn’t it be talking to yourself?”
”… no. It is nothing like that. When one speaks to their own self as a whole, and that whole responds, then it is crazy. You just let that doctor feed all of that Freudian bullsh*t into you, and you take it. Everyone has broken pieces of their personality, and they shove those pieces down. Normally it is the strong part that survives, but somehow the weakest link made it to the surface. It beats me, but it is what it is.”
”I resent that, you know. If you were an actual person outside of my body, I would kick your ass!”
”B*tch fight!!!”
”Drew, would you please stay out of this? She doesn’t need to remember you right now. She doesn’t even remember us. We were all kids when she knew us.”
”Girl, you just don’t know. I missed my girl, Kittie.”
”The doctor needs to increase my dosage on these meds. I’m f*cking losing it.”
”You want to forget us? Damn, I thought we was girls, but you’re just gonna diss me like that? Forget’chu then…”
”Ummm, you don’t sound like a girl, though… Okay, so there is Drew. What about the other one?”
”That wretched biatch is Quinn. She thinks she’s better than the rest of us. She just don’t know…”
”Kittie?”
Shaken from her thoughts, Kittie looks up from her closet, peaking behind her to see a man standing in the doorway. She gasps, looking down to herself, clad only in a black lace bra and matching panties. Her eyes grow in embarrassment, then into a bit of a rage.
“Who the F*** ARE YOU? What are you doing in my room?”
The man, zipping up his pants, slows down, and smiles awkwardly before running his hands through his short auburn hair, scratching his head.
”Very funny… Alex. The guy you’ve been sleeping with for like 3 days straight.”
Thinking it a joke, he smiles warmly before gently approaching her from behind. He reaches to wrap his arms around her, until Kittie spins around, laying a hard right hand to his face.
”I don’t know what kind of a sick joke this is, but you need to leave… NOW…”
She grits her teeth firmly in place as she takes a step back, grabbing at something to put in front of her so she doesn’t feel so awkward being semi exposed in front of this stranger. She stares him down as he holds his pale face, staring back at her. He waits for her to make some sort of hint that it’s all a joke, but when it doesn’t come. He lets out a sigh, and opens his mouth to speak. Instead he is immediately cut off.
“GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!!!”
He takes his hand from his cheek, and he grabs at a tight fitting black shirt, pulling it quickly over his head before putting on black boots, not even tying them, all while muttering to himself.
”You sure know how to pick ‘em Alex. Crazy b*tches…”
He barely has time to dodge a black steel toe boot being chucked at him, before another connects with his arm. An entire fleet of shoes and boots come flying his way, causing him to dart through the bedroom door, being chased.
”Crazy? You think I’m crazy? How is this for crazy?!”
”Pretty f***in’ crazy!”
Kittie follows him, grabbing at anything she can to throw at him, even picking up a snow globe. She is too late, as it smashes against her apartment door instead. Her breathing is erratic as she looks out the window, watching the young man run down the street in a panic.
Her expression of anger and hatred quickly turns to that of fear and sadness. She puts her fist to her mouth, trying to hold back the crying. She is successful, but instead, she leans against the wall, and closes her eyes as she sinks to the floor, in the broken glass.
”Oooh, he was hot, girl. Why you chase him out of here like that?”
Kittie replies by shouting out in desperation disguised as anger. However, not in her head, but aloud.
”YOU brought him here, didn’t you? Didn’t YOU?! I’m not a whore like you, Drew!!”
”Don’t I wish, coz I could do some things to that a… Nevermind. I didn’t bring him here. I never had control of you. I was just your best friend. We played Barbie’s together when we were seven, cut off all their hair and pulled a Britney with them *chuckle* but I look out for you where I can, even after you forgot about all of us. These other b*tches getting’ you twisted though.”
”Quinn?”
”It wasn’t me either. I’m not a whore either. As a matter of fact, the way you dress makes me think you are the promiscuous one of the bunch, except you rarely let anyone in. Pun intended.”
Kittie slowly brings herself to a standing position, allowing a few pieces of glass to fall from her skin. Very few visible cuts on the legs, no worse than a shaving job gone wrong.
”If not you two, then who?”
”Her name is… I can’t say it. Quinn, you do it.”
”I definitely will NOT! You know she doesn’t like to be talked about.”
Kittie tugs at the hair on the sides of her head, pulling at it, causing the voices within to whine as the pain grows heavier. All of the noise gets to Kittie, causing her to shriek.
”TELLLL MEEEEEEEE!”
In unison, both voices shout out painfully, ”Tamara!”
Instantaneously, Kittie allows her hair to fall back down, slowly rubbing at the side of her head from the pain produced by the hair pulling. She winces a bit before looking around. Her eyes finally rest, like the ocean after a storms passing. Her worried expression turns to one of complete and utter calm, and she takes a deep breath before looking around the room, seeing the entire mess of shoes, glass, and papers.
”Alex? I think I might have blacked out from all the craziness, because I don’t remember…”
Eventually it all sinks in, and she sits down on the white leather couch, sighing. She twirls her hair around between her fingers as she sits there.
”She needs to reeelax and just let go sometimes. It’s why she has the issues she has. I bet she wouldn’t mind so long as I take over for her during her match again. I sure hope she didn’t think that Spear to Misty was all her doing. And the poker chip bag? Like she was caught up in the moment or something…”
“Kittie” pulls her slightly messy hair behind her, smiling at her reflection in the mirror.
”Girl, we need to show off your face more. You are so pretty. Picking up Alex was so easy with these looks. Tripp Pants and tank tops are sooo ten years ago, girl. You can still pull off the rebel girl style and look sexy at the same time. I’m gonna put together an outfit for you to wear to your meeting tonight with Erik Staggs, and you are gonna *raises voice a few octaves* LOVE *returns* it!”
She stands up, seeming to flaunt her legs off in the mirror as she sashays toward it slowly.
"Mmmm girl... So much potential but I have got sooo much work ahead of me getting you ready You are already focused on the match but you need that wily edge that I can give you You really think that Misty is going to help you win when she couldnt even manage to get the win last week by herself And Allison Summers Who the hell is she Her fashion sense is pretty good but I dont know what she can do in the ring
"And Fantasia doesnt scare me I took care of that one setting you up to hit the Kats Kradle and like a good girl you did it She went down like nothing Rebecca Blade and Raynin I dont know a thing about these girls but Im pretty confident that its enough No one has heard of either of them before their signing."
“Kittie” walks into the bathroom, looking right into the mirror as she picks up a tube of lip gloss. She brushes it on gently, puckering her lips together before letting them smack together.
”Don’t worry about them. Just let me get you dolled up for this meeting, then we can hit the clubs in search for a new stud to help you train…”
Her eyes light up in a devious manner as she combs through her hair, an almost empty smile spread across her face as she cherishes each stroke of the brush, feeling the realness.
”Let’s just see if we can’t get you another notch in your win column, doll.”
**************************************
The Meeting With Erik Staggs
(Collab with Misty)
***************************************
The deep red double doors, decorated with golden studs and intricate designs swing open, causing their golden handles to knock against them repeatedly. Just inside these doors is a ground level koi pond. The fish display greatly contrasting mixtures of colorful white, black, and orange, swimming underneath the glass walkway toward a waterfall trickling down the black mineral rocks. Others hide inside of the sparse, yet pluming foliage.
Once past the entryway, the light Asian theme gets just a tad thicker with Japanese lanterns perched at the end of the glass walkway, and the eerie muzak plays the tune of “Total Eclipse of the Heart”. Waiting near the beginning of the tables is a polite young woman who you with a smile and a bow. Her empty politeness is quickly cut off by a quick response of “I’m supposed to meet with an old asshole in the back corner booth. Salt n pepper hair, cocky grin, probably drinking some merlot or something?”
The lady frowns at her indecent language. Kittie is decked out in a black cocktail dress, modified with a plaid corset, and plaid straps and silver chains hanging from the waistline. She is sporting black combat boots and torn fishnets. Her hair is pulled back into a bun with black chopsticks protruding from it in an “X” shape. She holds her left hand out, as if to repeat her question.
“I not understanding your mean, but lady no speak such bad word in public.” Her smile returns as she nods her head.
Kittie shrugs her shoulders, and tries to go along with it, feeling less patient than normal. Her jaw clinches slightly, but she tries to mimic a smile as best she can. “I am with the Staggs’ Party.”
The smile turns into a sort of intrigued smile and she nods, her voice seeming to get one octave higher. “Ohhh! You wrestler. Yes, yes! Kittie..” She moves her hand out as if to put her words on a marquee “She go APESHIT on you ass…beesket!” She covers her mouth, hoping her words aren’t heard by anyone else. She turns, her flowing white gown gracefully following her movements. “This way, please.”
Kittie’s eyes rise in a bit of surprise, in a good way. She follows the young woman to the very back corner, strategically placed an equal distance from the bar, the hibachi tables, and the kitchen area for maximum privacy. Kittie is the first one there, so she gently seats herself in the unconventional booth. She stares at the four napkins folded neatly into origami swans next to empty wine and water glasses, and a small, rotating paper mobile, perpetuated by the heat from the candle inside. The spinning casts wondrous shadows of birds flying when you stare at it against the wall, captivating Kittie’s attention, and putting her into a lull.
As Kittie goes into La-La Land, she doesn’t notice the next person to arrive for this meeting. Misty is dressed in her version of nice black pants with a gray and black corset style shirt, and she chose to leave her hair down for the night. She feels slightly under-dressed seeing Kittie in cocktail dress, but she doesn’t care. Dresses of any kind have never really been her style.
“Well if it isn’t the bad ass chick who whooped my ass just a few days ago..And wearing a cocktail dress on top of it!” Misty says as she takes a seat across from Kittie with a smile.
“How the hell are you the first one to get here? You always struck me as the one to be late to these types of things.”
Kittie looks away from the wall of wonderment to see Misty. Her words catch her by a bit of surprise in many ways, but a bit of a smile overtakes her face, which is quite a rarity. She stands up from her seat, showing off her less than formal side of her outfit while reaching out for what seems to be a hug, but instead clinches herself. She mutters in a low tone, “Air hug…” before returning to a normal tone of voice. “Isn’t it a surprise? I’m pretty punctual when there is a free dinner involved.”Instead of giving any hint of being sarcastic, she simply sits back down, scooting into the booth. “Since I got here first, you get to stare at your kinda soon to be father-in-law face to face.” It is only now that she chuckles.
Misty rolls her eyes. “I really didn’t want to come to this meeting without Spike, but he’s back in St. Louis now, and it sounded like this whole thing was mandatory.” She leans back and folds her arms across her chest. “So here I am. But, like you said, it’s a free meal so I’m game. I just wish I could have gone back to St. Louis after Climax Control on Sunday. I could have at least spent the week at home.” She sighs, but shrugs her shoulders.
Kittie nods her head, feeling the awkward silence between them for just a moment. Awkward silences bother Kittie to no end most of the time, so she is quick to think of a response. “I can’t stand this prick at all. I only joined SEI because of Billy and Spike. Erik did great things for their careers, and that unmentionable blond bitch. You were already established. The rest of us have had to fight to even get our names dropped in a public revue.”
Kittie accepts a glass of water from a woman coming around with a pitcher, taking a drink from the cool, refreshing water. The woman also asks, “Anything to drink?” Kittie responds with a negative head shake.
The woman looks to Misty next. “I’ll take an Iced Tea with lemon, thanks. Make sure there is plenty of ice in the glass also.” The woman nods and walks away to retrieve Misty’s drink.
“I see your point, honestly.” Misty says, getting back on topic. “I’m not even sure what the whole point of this meeting is, considering most of SEI’s members are no longer even wrestling anyway. Aren’t you and I the only two active wrestles out of the group?”
Kittie snorts in a sign of disgust suddenly, catching Misty by surprise even. Kittie shakes her head from side to side, letting Misty know that she isn’t completely right. She swallows down another drink of her water before continuing with actual words. “They are wrestling no name brands, or are inactive. I would be doing the same. Andretti was supposed to be here instead, but she had a shopping trip or something, and left Erik Staggs hanging. Instead of letting everyone know he’s a pompous asshole, he pulled straws, and my name came up. So, here I am…”
Kittie looks down at her glass, stirring the ice with her fingers gently. She lets a full blown smile spread across her face as she stays intent on her ice. A smile of a true sadist comes over her entire face as she lightly chuckles. “And let’s not forget the resident long legged pole dancer who likes it rough, and decided she should try wrestling. The bitch who watched… and laughed as ‘Hot Stuff’ Mark Ward broke your fiancée’s leg… ending what could have been a record title reign.”
Misty raises an eyebrow, wondering how to respond to Kittie’s last statement. “Let’s also not forget that “Hot Stuff” Mark Ward is now OUR boss. I haven’t forgotten what he did to Spike, but at the same time, all that is in the past and Spike is healed now. He could be wrestling now too, but he chose not to.”
The waitress finally returns with Misty’s Iced Tea and sets it in front of her. Misty nods as if saying “Thank You.” She squeezes the lemon into the tea, stirs it and takes a sip.
“As for Angelica.” Misty lets out a small laugh. “I really have nothing to say about her. She’s the type of woman who gives us real wrestlers a bad image. She can’t fight, and if she were put into the ring with me, I’d prove it. Too bad she’s not facing us this week.”
Kittie shakes her head once more, shooting her eyes at Misty like daggers. She clinches her napkin in her fist as her nostrils flare. “How can you be so naïve?! As soon as you left, he dropped the Mr. Nice Guy act. He is NOT over it, by far. I didn’t win last week by being naïve. And we won’t win next week by being naïve, either!”
She unclenches the napkin, as if to return to “normal” again. In a bit of shame, she looks down at her ruined napkin, poking at it with her finger.
Misty seems taken aback by Kittie’s sudden outburst, but she isn’t surprised. She is curious about one thing, however.
“And how is it that you seem to know more about my fiancée than I do?” She questions, almost sounding suspicious. “You haven’t lived with him for the past six years or so have you? No. I know he’s not over it, but I’m trying to help him GET over it. Holding grudges and being angry about stuff that happened in the past isn’t healthy. Especially around my daughter.”
Kittie nods her head quickly, humming “Mmmhmm, mmmhmmmm, mmhmm…” She takes a deep breath and looks up to Misty, her eyes innocent and empty. “I’m sorry.”
The words cause shock to both of them, but is quickly interrupted by the overwhelming stench of Drakkar Noir and cigars as the handsome older gentleman rounds the corners with a smile upon his face. He sheds his jacket quickly and hands it to the small lady escorting him to the table. He winks at her and then looks over to the table, giving off the signature Staggs half smile as he sits down across the table from the two women. He sits so that Kittie’s hopes of not having to look at him are shattered, but only half way between them. He stretches his arms out over the back of the booth with a sigh.
“I will take a bottle of your finest merlot.” He clicks his jaw for effect before turning back around to face the two ladies in front of him. “First off, let me congratulate Kittie for the upset win last week. I was very surprised that the veterans didn’t hand you your ass in a doggy bag when they were done with you.” He smiles and chuckles as he extends his hand across the table to Kittie. Instead of a handshake, she roughly snorts her nose and places a loogie in his hand before placing it closed with a smile.
“And fuck you very much for the kinda compliment.” She smiles politely before returning to talking to Misty. “I understand. He’s just a friend, and I hate to see him, or any of my friends having trouble. You two have been there for me, and I just wanted to be there too, I guess.”
Erik wipes his hand clean with a look of utter shock and disgust on his face. Misty looks at him from the corner of her eye, doing her best not to laugh. He extends his hand to Misty as well, but she ignores it completely.
“Erik,” she says without a care. “It’s always a…pleasure…to see you.” She exaggerates with the sarcasm as she refuses to acknowledge him further.
“Well, Spike is fine, I can assure you that.” She says to Kittie. “I’m trying to keep the peace with Mark Ward anyway, because with him as one of our bosses, he can very well book me in a jello match just to be an ass. Not that I’m saying he would anyway. I’m sure Christian Underwood could hopefully prevent that from happening in any situation.”
Erik Staggs lets out an arrogant laugh before shrugging his shoulders and pointing back to himself with his thumbs. “Hello, I’m Erik Staggs, your business manager. I kind of have an investment in you two, and I’d like to make sure we are all on the same page here… Where is Angelica?”
As the waitress sets down his glass, she also hands him a card, which he reads silently. He tosses the card in the air and slams his fists down on the table. “Great! She isn’t showing up, and you two are hosting your own version of The View. What is it the kids are saying these days on facespace and mybook? FML?”
Misty rolls her eyes and doesn’t even attempt to correct his technologically illiterate use of words. “FYI, Erik Staggs, I don’t need you as a business manager. I don’t even remember how I got involved in this whole company in the first place.”
She turns her head and looks at him, this time with a smile. “I’m sure you could find Angelica wherever Mark Ward might be right now. Either that, or I’m sure she is working the poles at one of the many strip clubs somewhere in town. Her presence won’t be missed. I can assure you of that.”
Erik crinkles his noise as if to oblige Misty somewhat, but his nature is that of a viper, loud and fatal. “You are so right. Really, I mean, you both did such an amazing job in the ring last week. But, do you know who brought in the most royalties in all of the interviews, name drops, youtube virals, merchandise sales, and bids on their contracts? I will give you a clue…” He point to Misty, winks and says, “Not you.” He moves over to Kittie, and then lowers his gaze before spewing his venom. “Oh, and not you, but Angelica… So, I’m sure that she won’t be missed!”
He takes a sip from his wine glass, and then sets it down to collect his thoughts for just a moment. “And to say you don’t need me is just rich, Misty… Just rich! How do you think Spike could afford that nice home of yours without stepping foot in a wrestling ring in about 5 years? Do you think he wished upon a star? Do you think he asked the Good Witch, and just had to click his heels together three times? Because I’m pretty sure it is from his cut of royalties, and promotion of his book sales. So, you are right. He doesn’t need me, but he does… For you and Timothy, and that little doll Eden.”
“Oh damn I forgot!” Misty replies sarcastically. “Because YOU were the one who got into that ring and wrestled all those years. YOU were the one who took beating after beating…injury after injury. You were the one who put your blood, sweat and tears to fight for the numerous championships. Ha!” She laughs.
Kittie tilts her head to the side, and pouts out her lips as if to be saddened. “But, Erik. I thought Staggs Entertainment was like a family. I thought it wasn’t about the money. It was supposed to be about the fellowship, wasn’t it? Now, I just feel duped.”
Erik gives her a quick stare before looking between the two, catching Misty biting her fist to subdue a laugh. He rolls his icy blue eyes and continues with the matter at hand.
“We need to focus on your match. You are both teaming with the vivacious Allison Summers, someone I don’t know much about, and I assume neither of you do. Then, you will be taking on Fantasia, a legend in women’s wrestling… as well as Rebecca Blade, who I’m not very familiar with. I have heard that Raynin is one who knows her way around a wrestling ring. She is a force to be reckoned with. But maybe, instead of talking about that, Misty could spit in my other hand, and Kittie could tell me how she doesn’t need me as a manager.”
He tries to hold a straight face, but doesn’t last more than three seconds before he laughs at the absurdity of that statement.
Kittie leans forward, grabbing onto the shiny red tie draping from Erik’s black shirt. She pulls on it, bringing Erik to eye level with her. She melts his icy eyes with the fire in hers.
“Last week wasn’t a fluke, Erik. I’m breaking free of everything that people have said over the past few years thanks to Dr. Liddell’s help. I’m channeling my anger into wrestling, and you have been seeing results. 3WL tag champs with Nyako, and Number One Contendership to the World Championship, and the only reason I can’t list it as a won championship is because bad management caused the place to close down. What these ladies don’t see is that I am focused on one thing, and that is being crowned the first Bombshell Champion. If I have to tag with a no-name like Allison Summers, at least I know I have Misty on my side. I have no doubt that we will win this one.
“I pinned Fantasia last week. The veteran that you claim should have handed me my ‘ass in a doggy bag’. Misty and I are the only real competition in the division, and I respect her. Anyone else better expect to see the not-so-nice side of me. This week, Allison has a pass from being P*ssy Whipped. Raynin, Fantasia, Rebecca Blade…”
Kittie stops and shakes her head before letting go of Erik’s tie, allowing him to gently sit back in his seat. The waitress walks over to the table with a half smile, but the rest looks very worried and surprised at the same time. Once she sees they have calmed down, she speaks up loudly.
“You order now?”
