[Brooklyn Carter]

 I was days away from one of my biggest matches in my career, maybe not one of the biggest matches but it was important enough. Going against Kandi Washington, I felt like I had to prove something.

Not necessarily to her, but more to the crowd, the people paying to see us two wrestle, and myself. I usually don't pay to much attention to what half these women say, especially the ones I step in the ring with.

Majority of them are just mouth, and honestly a waste of time and breath. But I guess it was my duty to shut them up, and that goes for anyone who was to step foot in my way, including Ms. Washington.

Location: Los Angeles, California



The scene opens up in LA, outside one of Brooklyn's favorite restaurants " Secrets." Brooklyn is shown making her way out of the restaurant, with one hand in her purse and the other holding her cell phone up.

Brooklyn: The show is coming up and I haven't really done to much to prepare, of course a couple trips here and there to the gym and I met up with my wrestling coach over the weekend, but do I honestly need all this training for this one girl.

Brooklyn sighs as she listens to her agent talk.

Brooklyn: What I don't understand is why people are so concerned about this girl, I understand her track record might be decent from what I've heard and seen, but she hasn't faced me yet and I honestly feel like I have enough to take this cocky b*tch out.

I was pretty much aware of everything my agent was telling me, and I understood that she was worried about the outcome of this match, but in all honesty I wasn't at all. Like I said from the beginning, I was never the type to sit around and talk a bunch of bullsh*t, or make it seem like I was better then any of my opponents that I would have to face.

I knew that I would eventually face challenges that would be too much to handle, but since the age 16 I've been taking life head on and haven't had any problems since then. Many people don't know my background or my life story and I choose to keep it that way, a lot of people judge from your history and I would never want anyone to judge me from what happened years ago.

Especially since life is so much better now.

Brooklyn: I'll be fine Dana, I've made it this far in the wrestling world and I doubt that this little girl will stop me from doing what I need to do. She talks a good game and her past seems interesting, but me and her come from two different words and I guarantee that this b*tch probably had everything handed to her.

Brooklyn laughs to herself.

Brooklyn: I'm pretty sure she's never faced any hardship in her life, just from her personality she reminds of this chick named Taylor who I use to go to high school with. Taylor was pretty, she was known throughout our high school but it wasn't for her good grades or anything special, it was more because she was a whore and she had a mouth like a f*cking trucker and honestly Kandi reminds me a lot of that girl, but the different between the two is that Taylor was pretty, and Kandi is just some trailer park trash who swears up and down she is the best thing that's happened to this universe but in reality she's a very trashy, and a sad individual.

At one point I felt like I was acting just like her, with the entire name calling, and the swearing out of my mouth. I should be the bigger person and look pass all that, I'm educated, very much a lady, and I respect myself and the people around me but I really can't say the same for this girl.

But I am intrigued by what she has laid out of me, she thinks she has this whole match put together and she feels that she is going to come out victorious, who knows? She may be lucky and pull a win over me, but as long as I'm focused and I keep my head in the game then I should be fine. I've faced some tough competition throughout my years of wrestling but I never let a b*tch hold me down, either way I will shine.

The scene fades.

2 Hours Later

F*cking Traffic.

Location:
Los Angeles, California
Brooklyn's Loft Apartment

The scene opens up inside Brooklyn's Loft, Brooklyn makes her way out of the bedroom wearing a pair of gray sweats and a UCLA sweat shirt. She walks over to the sectional couch she just received earlier today and sits down, placing her feet on the soft cushion. She reaches for the remote but is interrupted by her brother London as he makes his way into the apartment.

Brooklyn: Why are you so loud?

London shrugs his shoulders.

London: I didn't think I was loud, sorry its been a long day.

Brooklyn: [Turns and looks at clock] It's not even that late, you were only in class for two hours.

London: And then I have another class later this evening. [Sighs] I don't understand why you won't let me just sign this contract with SCW and wrestle. Like I understand you feel like I should have some sort of educational back up plan and that's fine, but I really think my wrestling career would take off if you would just give it a chance.

Brooklyn: It's not that I don't want to give it a chance, I just want you to be financially stable and have something fall back on if the whole wrestling career doesn't work out for you.

London: You took risks, you should let me do the same.

Brooklyn: But I also had a back up plan.

London was so persistent, and he has a very strong personality which is one thing I like about my brother. He isn't the type of person to sit around and let people do things for him, he likes to work for whatever he has his mind set on. He sets these goals and sometimes their good, majority of the time their bad because he usually wears himself out and then onto a next project.

London has wanted to do so many things and he's wanted to dabble in different professional careers, I remember when he was younger, maybe 15 or 16, all he could talk about was being a police officer, once he was a Junior in high school then it was to become a lawyer and he wanted to open up his own strip club, now at the age 19 he wants to follow in his sisters foot steps and wrestle, but I don't know if I could handle that or if the wrestling world is ready for him.

Brooklyn: I never once said you couldn't be a wrestler, I understand that you have your heart set on being a wrestler and that's fine. But I just want you to be in a comfortable situation and not struggle like our parents did, even though we got almost everything we asked for, they had to work hard for it just to give it to us and I want that same lifestyle for us, but just something better.

Growing up life wasn't always perfect, we may live a comfortable life but there were still things we had to deal with. It was a lot of drama, some drug use, physical abuse and of course verbal abuse.

Both my brother and I experienced a dark time growing up. It wasn't roses and dandelions where we came from, of course my parents were well off at some point, but it took us some time to get there, and it definitely wasn't easy.

Flash Back

Location:
Brooklyn, New York
June 16th, 2006

The scene opens up in front of Brooklyn’s parents house. Brooklyn is shown standing outside on the stairs chewing on some gum and watching the people pass by, only one ear piece in her ear, the sounds of Mariah Carey play through the speakers and Brooklyn sings along with the worlds.

Brooklyn: DOOOO YOOOOUUU WANNNTTT TOOOO  BOOOYYY

Brooklyn moves her head to the up tempo beat, singing every word.

Brooklyn: ONLY YOUUUUUUUU

Not noticing her mom standing behind her, Brooklyn feels a hand go across her face, making the ear piece fall out of her ear, she jumps to her feet to find her Mom standing in behind her with her fist balled, biting her lips.

Christine: Brooklyn Marie Carter, why aren’t you at school? [Grabs Brooklyn’s arm] WHY AREN’T YOU IN SCHOOL, ANSWER ME DAMNIT!

Brooklyn pulls her skirt down to keep from rising, she snatches her arm away from her mother and backs away.

Brooklyn: I didn’t feel good earlier; I had really bad stomach pains.

Christine: I don’t want to hear that sh*t Brooklyn, your ass should be in school right now.

Brooklyn: [Mumbles] And your ass should be working.

Without hesitation Christine raises her hand again and slaps Brooklyn across the face.

Christine: Listen here you little cunt, if you don’t stay your ass in school, then I won’t get my check and if I don’t get my check, then you won’t get sh*t either.

Brooklyn: I’ve been taking care of myself these last couple of months, and you haven’t done a da-

Christine: You haven’t done anything except what, lay on your back little girl? You walk out this house every day with some sort of skimpy ass outfit on thinking you look cute, but you look more like a street hooker.

Brooklyn: I don’t have to sit back and listen to this garbage.

Christine: I carried you for 9 months in my wound and I never complained, not once at all and I look at you now and see how you are just throwing your life away, and I refuse to sit back and let you give this family a bad name with your antics.

Brooklyn: [Gasps] ME?!? ME?!? GIVE THE FAMILY A BAD NAME? YOUR INSANE!

Brooklyn turns and tries to cross the street, but Christine again yanks at Brooklyn’s arm pulling her back towards the building, Christine pulls harder, dragging Brooklyn into the house and slamming the door behind her.

Brooklyn: [SCREAMS] GET THE HELL OFF ME!!! B*TCH! B*TCH!!

Christine pushes Brooklyn to the floor, she unbuckles her belt, sliding the belt through each loop, she raises her hand but stops when she notices London standing at the top of the stairs.

Brooklyn: GO AHEAD MOM, BEAT ME IN FRONT OF LONDON, BEAT ME MOM! I F*CKING DARE YOU TO BEAT ME!!

Brooklyn exhales as she tries to catch her breath.

Brooklyn: YOU NOT TO BIG AND BAD NOW HUH? ALL THAT LIQUOR IN YOUR SYSTEM, SHOW ME THE TYPE OF MOTHER YOU ARE!! COME ON SHOW ME!!

Christine drops the belt and sprints towards the front door, not grabbing her purse or other belongings, she slams the door behind her. Brooklyn lays there on the floor wiping the tears off her face, she looks up at her brother and then at the door.

The scene fades.

FLASH BACK OVER

Location:
Los Angeles, California
Brooklyn's Loft Apartment

The scene opens back up in Brooklyn's apartment, still laying on the couch, she wipes the small tear that trickled in her eye. She reaches over and grabs her Bob Marley container and inside is a bag of weed.

London: Why did you leave that night?

Brooklyn: I was 16 and tired of the bullsh*t, you know some people blame all the young kids growing up in this new generation saying how disrespectful we are, or how we don't appreciate what the people before us went through to get us where we are today but what people fail to realize is that its not always the child's fault, but the parent takes blame to.

London: But mom was never like that.

Brooklyn: But once she lost her job at the law firm, and dad had that affair. I guess she just assumed her life was over, liquor really took control of her life and that's exactly why I choose not to participate in it as much.

London: I vaguely remember much about that day, just the fact that you never came home.

Brooklyn: I did on different occasions , but with her going through that depression phase I just couldn't bare to live there anymore. I will never talk bad about Mom because she did her part in raising me, but unlike other kids I had to grow up fast and learn the world at a early age.

London: She was disrespectful at times.

Brooklyn: She was, and still can be. During that time I was just introduced to modeling and fashion, so my clothes may not of been appropriate to her, but it was appropriate to the field I was working in.

London: You know it's funny because you've grown to become such a independent person and it amazes me that you don't let what went on in the past ruin what you have to bring for yourself and others in the future.

London was right, to have gone through what I've been through I really turned out to be a successful, bright, intelligent, and independent woman. I struggled, but I never let anything hold me down or stand in my way.

And that's how I looked at this match coming up. People underestimate me because they look at my looks, my body size, a lot of them don't know my past wrestling history so it makes me look like a easy target.

But what people fail to realize that I have a lot of fight in me, I've been fighting since I was 16 years old. My goal is to talk in this match with confidence and drive to win, and I don't expect anything less.

Kandi wants to run her mouth and try and make people believe how good she is and that's fine, like I said I respect her grind, I respect her confidence in believing she's the best, she can call herself the Queen of Wrestling or whatever these girls are calling themselves these days, but action speak louder then words and honestly I'm tired of hearing the words, prove to me in our match how strong and good you are, and then maybe I can learn to respect her more.

Kandi reminds me of my mother in certain ways, a trashy personality, a cocky attitude, and a negative mindset and personality I feel like she won't make it anywhere in life. People want to be respected and Kandi feels people should have to earn hers like she's some sort of high authority, but she won't get that from me.

I could of respected her more if she would of brought class to this match, but she went a whole different route and honestly I hope and pray to God that I only just beat her in this match, not end her F*CKING CAREER.

London: I think she was just going through a rough time, and at that age you were doing things people at that age don't normally do.

Brooklyn: But I was making legal money, yeah there were days I missed class, but I never let it affect my grades or me graduating. I still graduated in the top 5% of my class and had a 3.5 average and was still going back and forth to New York, and Miami and Philly doing photo shoots and modeling clothes.

London reaches for the lighter out of his pocket, tossing it over to Brooklyn so she could light the dutch.

FLIC MY BIC

Flicks lighters

Brooklyn: I had a lot of people filling my head up with ideas but I never let that ruin me as a person, I wasn't out having sex with different men or produces, I wasn't out doing drugs or partying. After a photo shoot or a run way, I would go home, and study, cook dinner for you because Dad would be away on business or Mom would be running late from work, I still made time for that.

London: I think there were other things going on that might of set Mom off, because she was always so I don't know [Pauses] jealous of you at times.

I knew the reason why my mother was always so jealous of me, always so angry. It wasn't the fact that I was missing school and modeling, there were more personal issues going on in my family that no one knew about, or talked about.

It wasn't the right moment to tell London, I didn't want him to resent his father for what happened during that time. I really felt like our family was finally coming together and I knew bringing up past issues would only tear this family apart.

Brooklyn: Who cares, it's old and we all have moved on from what use to happen. Everyone is in a better place right now and I feel like we should keep it that way.

London: But us growing up was different, I never really got the attention from Dad or Mom like you did.

Brooklyn: Because of what they knew and found out, even though you've never admitted to Mom or Dad about your sexuality, they know.

London: So why not ask me about it?

Brooklyn: Because their waiting for you to tell them, but personally I feel as though they cannot judge you because of the way you choose to live your life. I'm content with a once a month phone call from the both of them, I wouldn't want it any other way.

London lowers his head as she takes a couple hits off the dutch.

Brooklyn: Don't let it get you down to much London, things may not of been the greatest before, but their better now.

Brooklyn smiles as she reaches for the dutch that London is passing her, she looks over towards a picture she has, an old picture that her mother took when she was younger. Brooklyn lifts the picture up and in the back of her mind she remembers...

Flash Back

Location:
Brooklyn, New York
May 16th, 2006

The scene opens up inside Brooklyn's parents house, Brooklyn is shown laying in her bed flipping through some pictures in a photo album, she turns one page and

BOOM

her bedroom door opens, Brooklyn looks up and notices her mom standing there.

Christine: [Sobbing] YOU SLEPT WITH HIM DIDN'T YOU?!?!

Brooklyn rises up from the bed, moving towards the end. She reaches for her Mom's arms but she smacks them away

Christine: Listen here you little slut, you slept with him DIDN'T YOU?!

Brooklyn: I have no idea what your talking about.

Christine: MY HUSBAND!! MY HUSBAND!! YOU F*CKING SLEPT WITH HIM!! GET OUT!! GET OUT!!! GET OUT!! GET OUT!! GET OUT RIGHT NOW!!

Brooklyn jumps up trying to calm her Mother down, but she pushes her back down on the bed. Jerome, Brooklyn's father comes rushing in the bedroom.

Jerome: WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?

Denise turns to Jerome and starts smacking him in the face.

Christine: YOU F*CKING CHILD MOLESTER, YOU PEDOPHILE!! GET OUT MY HOUSE!! GET OUT!!

Brooklyn turns and grabs her jean jacket, she reaches in the drawer grabbing a wad of money and heads for the bedroom door. Jerome pushes Denise down to the ground chasing after Brooklyn, Denise lays there screaming out.

Christine: LEAVE MY DAUGHTER ALONE, LEAVE HER ALONEEEE!!!

Brooklyn makes it down the stairs and towards the front door, she opens it but is unable to make it through. Jerome pushes the door closed and grabs Brooklyn by the arm forcing her down to the ground.

Jerome: WHAT DID YOU TELL HER? WHAT DID YOU TELL HER?

Brooklyn opens her mouth, but no words come out, she gasps for air as the tears start to fall from her face. She looks up at her father and shakes her head.

Brooklyn: I didn't say anything.

The scene fades.

FLASH BACK OVER

Location:
Los Angeles, California
Brooklyn's Loft Apartment

BROOKLYN!!!

Brooklyn opens her eyes to find London standing over her, he reaches down grabbing the dutch out of her hand and ashes it in the ash trap.

London: Thanks for almost burning down the apartment.

Brooklyn: Sorry, all this past talk is bringing up old thoughts and memories, I swear I just had a flash back and I felt like I was living the scenario all over again.

London: What happened?

Brooklyn: It was [Pauses] Oh it was nothing, I was just thinking about the day Mom and I argued about when I had to fly out to Chicago for that ad campaign.

London: [Shrugs his shoulders] Oh, are you sure?

Brooklyn: I wouldn't lie to you London, like I said I just have a lot of pressure on me right now and you know I always get this antsy right before a match.

London: Well stay focus and positive, I don't want you stressed and restless for this match, you really need to prove yourself when it comes to fighting this girl and I don't want to see you loose.

Brooklyn: Believe me, I won't.

The scene fades.

3 Hours later



Location:
Los Angeles, California

The scene opens up with Brooklyn making her way out of her favorite Salon, Lady Mystique! She stands on the side patiently waiting and looking left and right to see if she notices her assistant anywhere.

BEEP...BEEP

A red 2012 Mercedes SLK pulls up and inside Dana, her assistant is shown behind the drivers seat, Brooklyn hops in and the two speed off down the street heading towards Hollywood Blvd.

Dana: Next stop the Gucci store and then the gym, I already have your clothes in the backseat.

Brooklyn: I thought the gym was tomorrow.

Dana: No its today and it's important that you go today because I have someone meeting us there, he's a former WWE superstar but I can't remember his name, but he wants to help you train for free in exchange that you let him take you out to dinner.

Brooklyn: What the hell? Dana? Are you serious?

Dana: Look, just grab a quick bite after the work out and then have him take you home or we can meet somewhere and I pick you up but I honestly think you need some extra training because we need you prepared for this match.

Brooklyn: I understand being prepared for a match, but you setting me up on blind dates with f*cking washed up wrestlers.

Dana: Just go with the flow, and see what happens.

Brooklyn: Whatever.

Dana: And on Sunday, you have a meeting with the NO 8 campaign committee regarding posing for their new ad, I think its something you should be involved in, especially since it hits so close to home.

I guess she was talking about my brother and his sexuality, anything I can do to support him I would. But on the other hand, this whole date scenario is driving me crazy, I can't believe Dana would set me up like that.

Dana: Let's just say you are going to have a pretty interesting week.

Dana continues to talk as Brooklyn tries to sit there and listen, she turns and stares out the window passing by all the stores on Rodeo drive as the scene fades to black.