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Post by Kelsey Spencer on Oct 6, 2016 5:44:59 GMT
"Changes"
So… A lotta stuff has happened since we last spoke. I don’t wanna go into too much detail right now - maybe I’ll fill you in about all the little things later - but the main take away is, I won’t be fulfilling my dream anytime soon. Cross beat me, and that’s a fact; I have no excuses, no regrets. I wrestled my absolute best, and he was just that bit better than me. Am I upset that I don’t get my chance in the Ladder Match? Of course - anyone who wouldn’t be upset that they missed out on a PAW Heavyweight Title shot doesn’t have a passion for this promotion. But at the end of the day, I’m glad someone I care about is getting that chance - and, dare I say, someone who deserves that chance for proving his doubters wrong.
Not qualifying for the Seven Deadly Sins Ladder Match didn’t just crush my dreams, it also put a damper on my financial situation. You see, losing matches in the only promotion you’re competing in doesn’t give you a hefty pay packet - matter of fact, most of what I earn still goes directly to my mother to pay for her expenses. Delivering pizzas is a cool way to earn a little bit of extra cash, but without many tips, it disappears quicker than designer shoes at a bargain sale.
Or waffles at a breakfast buffet. That I’m attending.
So, what do you do when you’re desperate for money, but too proud to ask your friends for a loan? You try and find other revenue. I considered wrestling for other companies in addition to my PAW commitments, but as Becky pointed out, that probably wouldn’t be good for my health in the long run - the strain on my already severely-damaged shoulder would mean I’d burn out super fast.
Through networking with friends, Becky and I started chatting with a high-end business man on Twitter. I’ve never met the guy, but he’s the dad of a friend of mine. He invited us out to eat with him to discuss business opportunities, and you know me - I’m never one to pass up a meal! Let’s just hope everything turns out okay by the end of it…
Becky and I are standing outside a lavish restaurant. I dunno how Becky’s feeling right now, but I’m freaking out; this sidewalk is incredibly busy, and I have a phobia of being stuck in massive crowds of people. Not only that, but most of them are wearing formal attire - and just about all of those people are heading inside the restaurant. I take one look down at my dirty old jeans and my faded Metallica band tee - realising I’m also wearing a backwards-facing skate cap - and come to the conclusion that I’m horribly under-dressed for this place.
“Hey, Bec,” I start to speak, my eyes still scanning the sea of humanity for our “date”, for lack of a better term. Like I said, I’ve never met the guy, but I’ve seen photos of him; I’m pretty confident I’d be able to spot him in a crowd. “You think maybe I shoulda thrown on something a little fancier..?”
“Why?” She responds as she adjusts her handbag. “What’s wrong with what you’re wearing?”
That’s easy for her to say, she’s wearing a nice little dress with heels. It may not be Chanel or whatever that stuff’s called, but at least it looks like she fits in. Me and my worn out converse shouldn’t even be standing out the front of this place.
“Have you seen what everyone else is wearing? This place looks really expensive…”
“You look fine,” she assures me. “Don’t worry your little head.”
I ready myself to continue disputing, but I’m startled by a masculine voice bellowing from behind me: “Kelsey Spencer, I presume…” I spin around to see a tall man in a deep-blue long-sleeved shirt with a bunch of Legend of Zelda bosses plastered all over it and a sports jacket over that, along with black jeans and sneakers that aren’t unlike mine. I instantly recognise him as the guy we’ve been waiting for - James Mitchell Cornett, a.k.a JMC. The dude’s a wrestling legend and a billionaire - I’ve heard stories about how successful he is, but he dresses just like me. It puts me at ease knowing that I won’t be alone - never in my life have I been happier to see Majora’s Mask!
“Oh, uhh… Yes, sir!” I respond, offering my hand as a sign of my respect. I’m so nervous that my heart’s racing and my hands are trembling, but I do all I can to keep my cool. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
“First, please, call me James,” he responds, gripping my hand firmly. “I don’t like when people call me ‘sir’ that much. Makes things too tense, when I prefer a more relaxing atmosphere.”
“Sorry, sir-” I bite my tongue. “Erm, I mean James! That’s gonna take a bit of getting used to…”
“Hey, don’t mind her,” Becky butts in. “She gets nervous talking to people she doesn’t know much about.”
“I understand. My sister Karyn is the same way.” The two of them shake hands to get acquainted - you know, all those formalities and whatnot. “And you must be Rebecca,” he says. “Jamilyn had told me you were a stunner, but I feel she undersold that significantly. My son Etienne would love to meet you, I bet.”
Jamilyn’s my friend I told you about earlier; she’s the reason we’re actually having this lunch meeting today. You may wanna strap in, there’s probably gonna be a lotta information to take in.
“Thanks,” Becky responds, flashing a smile. “I get that a lot.”
“Well, between you and me, I’m glad Bickerton is no longer in your life,” James says to her. “Any man who feels the need to control a woman like you to that degree…” He shakes his head. “Not the kind of guy I have any respect for.”
I’m glad they’re not together any more, too… Am I a bad person for thinking that? Tyron and Becky dated for a little over eight years, since before I knew either one of them. At first, it seemed fine - Tyron was a nice guy - but recently, something’s changed in him. It became a toxic relationship, I guess you’d call it - they brought out the absolute worst in each other. Since she’s been away from him, she’s been nicer, friendlier, easier to talk to; she’s how she used to be when we first met.
“Uhh… Guys..?” I pipe up, trying to interject myself. Not only am I insecure that Becky got complimented and I didn’t - which, believe me, happens just about every time we hang out in public together - I also don’t want to be standing outside all day long when there’s delicious food inside just begging to become my poo! “I don’t wanna sound rude, but… My tummy’s talking to me.” I swear it has ears of its own, because it knows we’re talking about it - it grumbles, right on cue.
James glances down at his own stomach, then back to the entrance. “I can’t say I blame you, Kelsey,” he says, adjusting his sunglasses just a little. “Let’s go on ahead inside. I hope you don’t mind my casual attire, but I figured comfort was better to go for than image this time around.”
“Nope!” I shake my head and smile. “Doesn’t bother me one bit!”
“See? I told you it was fine…” Becky whispers to me as we make our way inside; I playfully nudge her arm as a response.
The restaurant is breathtaking - amazing lavish interior with a live pianist, beautiful table arrangements and even a chandelier. The smell of food is so enticing; while we’re standing at the end of the already-large line, I can feel my stomach touching my spine. It’s gonna take forever for us to get to the head of the line - and all the while, I’m gonna have to deal with all of these people staring at me. It’s kinda like that one scene from Animal House, you know the one? I look so out of place that it’s probably disturbing to the other guests, and as I see a suited man approaching us, I’m convinced that he’s going to ask us to leave.
But, to my surprise, he and James have a few words before he leads us right through to a table! I guess JMC has enough influence to go ahead and get us seated without the need to wait in pesky lines. All three of us take a seat at the round table, covered with the most beautiful tablecloth I’ve ever seen.
“Please, feel free to order whatever you like,” James calmly says to us, adjusting his sport coat. “This being a business meeting, it’s on my tab.”
“Gosh, that’s very kind of you…” I can feel my eyes physically widen as I peruse the menu, catching a glimpse of the prices. Laughing nervously as I remove my cap and scratch my hair, I comment: “Well, I’m glad you’re paying for this..!” It’s funny enough to get a return laugh from him, at least.
“Yeah, twenty years ago, I wouldn’t have even thought to step into a place like this,” he states. “How does that Spose song go...eating at McDonald’s because Subway was too pricey?”
Gosh, I had no idea this guy came from a place that was probably even worse than the position Becky and I are in currently. Maybe there’s hope for us yet?
“Thank you,” Becky demonstrates her manners, folding her legs and taking a look at the menu as well. “Well the choices all look very good. Kelsey, what do you feel like?”
“Uhh… Gosh, I dunno…” What do you choose when everything just looks so good? And when you haven’t had a decent meal in ages? “Umm… Exactly how much can we have..?” I question.
“Like I said, whatever you like,” he responds. “I’m not one to impose limits on something as important as food.”
As the waiter approaches, I start to get a little excited - does that mean I get to have all I can eat?! Is it even morally acceptable to have all I can eat if someone else is paying? “Well, in that case…” I take a deep breath, beginning to point out menu options to the waiter “I’m gonna have the nachos, and the tomato soup, and the dinner rolls, and the chicken parmigiana, and the spaghetti, and the-”
“You can't have everything on the menu, Kelsey,” Becky interrupts me. “Just choose one thing. Even if you wanted, you couldn’t eat the whole menu…”
James reacts in a much different manner. “Tell Javier to prepare one of everything, Francois,” he calmly leans in to tell the waiter. “Anything they don’t eat, I’ll make sure it gets to their home.”
“You don’t need to do that…” says Becky.
“Nonsense. At least this way, you two won’t be going hungry for a couple of weeks, right?”
Hey, that’s music to my ears! Anytime I get to eat, I’m happy.
“Again, thank you.” Becky then turns to me with a playful laugh. “I guess it’s the first time you can say you had everything on the menu, hey Kelsey?”
She’s right! I used to joke about that all time, back when we had enough money to go out and eat. She’d ask what I’d want, I’d respond with “Everything on the menu!” I can’t believe I’d forgotten about that. I think I may be losing who I am a little bit…
“Now, before we get too far into the Hunger Games here, I wanted to go over my offer,” James speaks, snapping me out of my day dream. He takes a folder out of his briefcase and places it onto the table. “Kelsey, I’ve explained a good chunk of what I had in mind to you, but Rebecca, I was curious if you personally had any questions as to what I was offering in terms of employment.”
“Just so we're clear, let’s go through everything thoroughly,” Becky says with her hand placed firmly in front of the folder. “If - and I stress, if - I am to go through with this, I want to make sure it’s the right thing.”
I take a complimentary bread stick and start munching on it - it’s stale, but I’m famished right now. Not just that, but eating calms my nerves, and I’m super nervous right now. I don’t think we’re in much of a position to negotiate anything here - we have no real experience in this industry. This guy’s doing us a favour, we should be grateful for any job he offers us. But, Becky knows more about this stuff than I do; I’ve gotta learn to trust her judgment.
“Understandable,” he says with a nod, much to my relief. I was a little worried he’d take offense to it and change his mind. Looking back, that’s silly of me to think that. “What I would be hiring you as is a video game quality assurance tester,” he continues. “You’d be getting copies of the video games Cornett Enterprises develops through its Gemstone Entertainment division, and your job would be to play the games with the purpose of finding bugs, glitches, imbalances, anything our coders and art team might have missed. If there’s anything you need to do this more effectively - say, a console you don’t have, a decent gaming computer or wi-fi access for updates - I’ll be more than happy to provide that for you in addition to your salary, no strings attached.”
That sounds easy enough. Becky and I often play video games - everything from Streets of Rage to Call of Duty - and I’m sure he’s seen the many tweets we’ve posted about it. Video games are an awesome way to escape reality, and let’s be honest - our reality isn’t that great. Aside from comics, all I can do to pick myself up is escape into the fantasy realm of a good video game. To have the chance to be a part of the creative process would be awesome!
I watch as he takes a slip of paper out of his jacket and hands it over to Becky. “That’s what we would be offering for your playtesting, per title. And we develop between five and eight titles a year.”
“Well, umm… Wow.” Her reaction says it all - as she moves the paper slightly to show me the number, I almost choke on my breadstick at the sight of the figure. “That sounds and looks too good to be true…”
“Gosh… That’s a whole lotta money!” I instinctively announce, at a level of volume that’s probably considered inappropriate in this place.
Becky stares blankly at me for a moment, before flatly saying, “Thanks, Captain Obvious.”
“What else am I gonna say?” I ask with a laugh and a shrug. “That money would be a huge help, and it’s something you’d be great at.”
“And mind you, that would be for both of you,” James says, leaning on the table. “So, let’s say there’s a game we have a local co-op for - like a wrestling game. Both of you playing it would get both of you the same amount, if Kelsey chose to accept this offer as well. And you’d be working from home, so no need to move out of your apartment.”
“One of the reasons to accept this offer would be to get us out of that apartment,” Becky points out.
The discussion between the two continues, even after the food arrives. I pretty much check out at that point - the succulent pork deserves my undivided attention. While I’m scoffing down the delicious meat, James places a wrapped-up box with a bow on the table. Where’s he getting all this stuff from?
“Since I won’t be able to attend your party, Kelsey, this is an early birthday present from Farrah and I.”
Farrah? As in, the girl who hates me? Why would she wanna give me a present? Unless it’s anthrax. Is it anthrax? I try to ask, but my mouth is full of pork and peas - all that comes out is an incomprehensible muffled sound.
“Chew your food before you talk, Kelsey!” Becky snaps, irritated. I nod, chewing the food before forcing it down my throat.
“A gift? For me?”
“Yes, Kelsey,” he says. “For you.”
I pick up the box, inspecting it - it’s not very heavy, so that rules out a CSI: Miami box set. I decide to shake it a little to try and guess what’s inside.
“Why don’t you just open it?” Becky suggests. I can tell by her tone she’s a little annoyed.
“Great idea!” I say with a snap of my fingers. Tossing another pork chop into my mouth, I suck on it like a lollipop as I tear into the gift.
“We can’t take you anywhere…” Becky says, holding a hand over her face.
“Don’t worry about it, Rebecca. Kelsey actually kinda reminds me a little of my kid sister, so it’s not a big deal to me.”
I open up the box to see the cutest little Pikachu plushie staring up at me. I’ve always wanted one of these, ever since I lost the one I had as a kid! I took it to school one day, accidentally left it in the library, and never saw it again. I tried to find another one like it, but they were so hard to find. This one’s almost identical to the one I used to have.
“Thank you so much!” I excitedly react, giving it a great big hug. “I love it!”
As the evening rolls on and the delicious meals keep coming, Becky abruptly jumps to her feet, holding her hand over her mouth. “Pardon me…” is all she manages to force out of her mouth before running to the bathroom.
“Gosh, I guess she’s still sick…” I react, before eating some spaghetti. Recently, Becky’s been running to the toilet to puke. It’s weird, because she’s mostly fine the rest of the time, and right after puking.
“Forgive me for intruding…” James pipes up as he watches Becky. He soon turns back to face me. “But I’m taking a guess she’s been like this for a few weeks now…”
“Uhh…” That’s a tough question to answer. I have no idea how long she’s been throwing up, I just know it’s been at least since she got home from Toronto. “I’m not sure, actually. We haven’t spent a whole lotta time together lately. She just got back from Canada the other day, and I’ve been busy wrestling and delivering pizza.”
The conversation falls silent, as they often do when I’m half of them. It’s hard finding words sometimes. Besides, the Pikachu plushie’s bringing back a plethora of nostalgic feelings; I can’t look away.
“She’s lucky to have a friend like you, you know,” he says out of the blue. “We could all do with a Kelsey in our lives in some way or another.”
“I’m not sure what you mean..?”
“Someone strong enough to not let the negatives of the world affect them,” he elaborates. Thing is, it does affect me - I’m just an expert at hiding it, evidently. “I watched the conversation you and Katalina had on Twitter in real time...about your background...you remind me a lot of Jami more than my sister, now that I think about it. Not exactly the same circumstances, but you both had hardships far beyond what you should have dealt with at the ages you did. And yet, both of you still look at people in general as good souls that can be brought back to a positive light.”
It was tough.
“It’s not always easy though, sir,” I shake my head, knowing that I just called him the one thing he asked me not to. “Sorry; force of habit,” I apologise, before clearing my throat. “I just thought of all the times I was sad and hurting, and how much I wished for one person - just one - to be there for me. Someone I could always depend on.” I slurp some of my soup and shrug. “I guess that’s just what I try to be to everyone else; I wanna be someone that everyone can depend on. Sometimes, that’s a lotta pressure, but… When I see someone who’s suffering smile, it’s all worth it.”
“People change people,” I declare, with my fork raised like a college professor would hold a ruler.
“And that’s why I think Jami treasures your friendship with her so much,” he replies. “You two have a very similar outlook on life in general. Granted, Jami’s been a bit back and forth...but now that her life has stabilised, I think a large part of her recent maturity is because of you. And I think you’ve been a greater influence in her circle than you may realise.”
Well, that’s certainly a surprise. I didn’t think Jami liked me all that much - not as much as her other friends, at least. You see, I’m not exactly like her other friends - I don’t do the things they do - so naturally, I feel like an outsider. A lotta people mistake my shyness for rudeness; so when I show some kinda confidence, it comes across as arrogant. That’s probably what Summer saw when I spoke about her. If Jami really is like me, then maybe I’m guilty of making that assumption myself…
James raises his glass of root beer, obviously signifying one of those toast things. “To good people like you all over the world,” he announces. “May your spirit never change.”
The rest of the evening is cut short - when she returns from the bathroom, Becky is understandably not hungry. We both thank James and head home to what will no doubt be an unpleasant night of sleep in our mold box.
-----
“Hey guys, it’s Kelsey. Becky and I are heading home on this bus after a business dinner, and I just wanted to make this quick video to talk about a couple of things that have been on my mind. My head’s been all over the place this past week or so… Ever since I lost that main event to Cross, I’ve...been kinda depressed, to be honest with you. I’ve been eating quite a bit more than I used to, I haven’t had much energy, either…”
“You haven’t been playing video games much,” Becky adds, just out of frame.
“That too,” I nod. “It just feels like I put all of my eggs into one basket, and when I lost to Cross, it was like tripping and dropping the basket off a cliff. I know there’s nothing I can do to change what happened, but I can’t help but feel disappointed in myself. I keep trying so hard and getting nowhere, and it comes to a point where...is it worth it? What am I fighting for here? Do I even have a future in this business?
I came to PAW in search of competition. Outside of matches with people I’m close to - like Annabel and Cross - all I’ve found is cheap shots, cheaters, and people who try to take me out of the equation to further their own careers. I’m pretty sure the locker room just looks at me like a stepping stone - they beat me, move on to the next level. I don’t know if Cross feels that way, though. If you’re watching this, Cross, I’m not accusing you of anything - please don’t be upset with me.
But yeah, I thought maybe that was the case with everyone...that was until I wrestled a match against Summer. She thought she could bypass me to make a name for herself - she’d seen others do it before her. Piece of cake, right? Then she got into the ring with me, and while she was deep in the trenches, she realised that it wasn’t as easy as it seemed looking in. I’m a much better wrestler than she gave me credit for, so she went for Option B - take me out.
You failed, Summer. I’m still standing, and not only that, but I put on a match that a lot of critics are saying was the best match in PAW last cycle. It’s no surprise that you’d tuck your tail and run when you found out you were booked to face me - you come up with some bogus excuse to get yourself out of getting what’s coming to you.”
I take a moment to breathe, mentally block out the feeling of travel sickness swelling in my head.
“I’m a pretty easygoing person, Summer. I like to think I’m nice and pleasant to be around. It takes a lot to get under my skin, but when you do, you wish you hadn’t. I dunno how you did it, but you managed to worm your way into being the referee in my match this upcoming week. You got one up on me when I wasn’t expecting it, but now I’ve got you in my sight, Summer; you try and mess with me in this match - crooked calls, fast counts - you’ll be sorry. That’s not a threat, Summer, it’s a vow. Sooner or later, you’re gonna have to face the music.”
---
“...I’m just saying, I want everyone to have a good time, you know? That includes Katie Moicelle.”
“But she’s such a bitch!”
Becky and I are discussing my upcoming birthday party on the climb up the flight of stairs to our apartment. A friend of mine she doesn’t exactly get along with will be in attendance.
“Promise me you’ll try and be nice to her?” I beg.
“Oh, jeez…” she groans, rolling her eyes and folding her arms. “How about I do you one better?” She continues, as I stick the key in to unlock the front door. “Why don’t I just avoid her altogether?”
“That works, too!” I enthusiastically respond. A compromise where everyone’s happy is the best I could’ve hoped for. I push the front door open.
“I hate her,” she remarks as she passes me. Something’s up; she’s not normally this grouchy.
“What’s going on?” I ask, concerned as we enter the apartment. Becky turns her head toward me slightly as she sets her bag down by the kitchen counter.
“I have no clue what you’re talking about,” she responds, brushing me off while she makes her way to the couch. I know this routine; I’ve used this routine myself many times. Pretend there’s nothing wrong so that the people around you aren’t concerned.
“You were really quiet at dinner,” I state, taking a seat on the ragged chair next to her.
“I didn’t know what to say.”
“And you hardly ate anything…”
“I wasn’t very hungry.”
“Usually you have Malibu and Coke on the rocks,” I point out. “But tonight, you only had water. You've been having wild mood swings a lot lately.” She sighs deeply, indicating that I’ve caught her out. Something’s off. “Come on, Becky. If you can’t tell me what’s bothering you, who can you tell?”
She stops talking for a minute, the rattling of the radiator becoming an increasingly irritating noise through the awkward silence. She inhales sharply, bringing a balled fist to her mouth as she produces a watery burping sound. Instinctively, I reach for the bucket that catches the water dripping from the ceiling and pass it to her.
“Are you gonna puke again?” I question, holding the bucket for her. She gives me a modest shake of the head, even though the putrid smell of mildew I just shoved under her nose is enough to turn stomachs of steel. I place the pale back in its rightful position and lean back into my seat. “These concussion symptoms are really playing up, huh..?”
“Kelsey, I…” She pauses when we make eye contact. Her shoulders slouch forward; more like something I’d do. “I never actually had a concussion…”
“What’re you talking about?”
“I made it up,” she informs me. I’m kinda confused why she’d lie about it, but at least some good news has come out of it.
“Hey, that's great! We can put together something to send in to Lady Munin! Maybe she’ll sign you to the PAW roster!” I jump up out of my seat with enthusiasm, but I’m quickly disheartened when Becky stays put. Something’s really bugging her.
“I can’t wrestle,” she bluntly says, on the verge of tears. I sit back down out of respect, even though I don’t understand what’s really bothering her or why she can’t compete. “Right before Tyron and I broke up, we had a pretty big argument. Sometimes, when couples have a fight, the make up afterwards, by - well, you know.”
She’s talking about sex. I learned about that little fact from some of my friends who constantly bicker and then apologise by having sex. It’s bizarre to me, but it’s not the first thing about human nature that I’ll never understand. “Uhh… Okay..? And what’s that got to do with anything?”
She doesn’t speak a word. Instead, a concerned expression sweeps across her face as she places her right hand on her stomach. Nothing needs to be said; for the first time in possibly forever, I understand completely what someone’s trying to tell me without them needing to blurt it out.
I inhale quickly, my reaction being a simple one: “Oh boy…” |
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