Friday, January 2nd 2015 – 2:45pm || Sane Residence || Philadelphia, PA
:: Tick.. tock. Tick.. tock. Tick.. tock. The rhythmic sound of the clock is all I can hear as I sit on the black leather couch in the living room of my Philadelphia residence. Michelle sits to my right, her left hand placed on my right knee as we both stare straight ahead. On the other sofa sits my Christmas present from Gator, Rodd. He is just staring at us nervously, his hands in his lap. He must think I have no idea that he is staring, for every time I turn my head slightly, he snaps his gaze away from us. It's a very awkward moment. He doesn't know what to say to us, I have no idea what to say to him or Michelle, and god only knows what she thinks about this. After a couple more minutes of silence, I can't take it any longer. I slowly turn my head to the right and look past Michelle, in Rodd's direction. True to form, he looks away instantly. ::
“So.. Rodd.. did you, uhhhh.. did you know anything about this?”
:: Rodd places his right hand on his camera which is resting beside him. He hangs his head and begins to shake it slowly. ::
“No Monsieur. I knew nothing.”
“So, like, Gator never mentioned that he was doing this? At all?”
:: He sighs at the completion of Michelle's question and finally raises his gaze to the both of us. ::
“He did not. I lost 'zose stupid camera man olympics to 'ze fat, ugly Todd guy. Gator said not to worry, 'zat he would put in a good word for me elsewhere. Next thing, I am being left 'ere wiz' you.”
:: Michelle and I exchange exasperated looks. I glance over at Rodd and frown. ::
“Well, the thing is Rodd, I don't really need a camera man.. I sort of, film my own stuff, y'know?”
“I know, Monsieur Sane. Believe me, it was no choice of my own.”
“Where do you live, Rodd?”
“Right now? I 'ave no 'ome. I 'vas staying wiz' Monsieur Gator, I 'ave left everything behind.”
:: The guy looked so dejected. As much as I didn't need him, or want him in my house even, I couldn't bring myself to just kick him out. Especially not in Philly, dude like that wouldn't last a day. ::
“Well, look.. you can sta..”
“Erm, Justin, can I talk with you for a moment?”
“Of course, baby.”
::I sit there staring blankly into Michelle's eyes for a moment, but don't move. She sighs. ::
“In private?”
“Oh. Right. Rodd, excuse us for a moment.”
:: Michelle and I get up and walk into the kitchen. I'm sure Rodd would still be able to hear our conversation, albeit with muffled tones. ::
“What are you doing?”
“What?”
“You're going to let him stay here?!”
“Well babe, I can't just kick him out on the street, can I?”
“Why not? He's not your problem, he's a grown man.”
“Well, yeah, but he's also my Christmas present.”
“Oh Justin, don't be so stupid. That is not a Christmas present! It's dead weight that Gator no longer wanted to be carrying around.. a lot of dead weight.”
:: I lean back and look through the kitchen door, into the living room. Rodd is staring at the doorway, and gives me a weak smile and a wave. I nod my head awkwardly and half wave back. I look back at Michelle, who is standing there with her arms folded and her eyebrows raised. ::
“Okay, look. I'll tell him that he can stay here for a couple of nights, but that he has to either find his own place or go back to France or wherever he is from.”
:: Michelle clicks her tongue and rolls her eyes. I grab the left side of her face softly with my right hand and look into her eyes. ::
“Babe, look, I promise it'll only be for a couple of nights. Come on, don't you feel sorry for the poor guy? Imagine if somebody dropped you off on a strangers doorstep in a foreign country.”
:: I can see Michelle considering my words. After a moment, a small smile breaks across her face. ::
“Oh my god, what would everyone in the XWF say if they knew what a soft touch the real Justin Sane was?”
“Being a soft touch has nothing to do with it. I'm just not an asshole.”
“Haha, I know baby. Okay. Two nights, but then he has to be gone.”
:: I lean forward and press my lips softly against Michelle's. After a second, I pull away and smile at her. ::
“Promise.”
:: She smiles and we both make our way back into the living room where Rodd is still sitting on the sofa, looking nervously up at us. Michelle and I retake our position on the sofa opposite him. I rest my elbows on my knees and place my palms together, leaning forward so that my jaw rests on my hands. ::
“Okay Rodd, so here's the deal. I don't need a camera man, BUT, I.. we understand you have nowhere to go. So, since you are a friend of Gator's, we are going to allow you to stay here with us for a couple of nights. Now this arrangement is only temporary, you understand? You need to find another place or some way back to wherever it you're from.”
:: Rodd nods eagerly. ::
“Ah, 'sank you so much! I promise, I 'vill be no trouble.”
“Good.”
“Uh, Monsieur Sane? Parlez Vous Francais?”
“No, I don't speak French.”
:: Rodd looks surprised, and confused. ::
“Ah, but 'zen.. 'ow did you know what I said?”
“I use to listen to a lot of Art vs Science.”
“Is 'zat a band?”
“Ummm.. yes Rodd. That's why I listen to them.”
:: BING! My phone goes off. I immediately stop talking to Rodd and check it. I sit there texting for a few moments. ::
“Hey Rodd, since you're here, why don't you go and grab Michelle and I a beer from the fridge?”
“Oh, oui. I can do 'zat. Should I grab three?”
“Three? Why would you grab three? There's only two of us.”
:: Rodd sheepishly nods his head and gets up off the couch, making his way to the kitchen. I chuckle to myself and then call out over my shoulder. ::
“I'm only kidding man, grab yourself a damn beer. Then maybe you can set this camera of yours up, I've got a few choice words for that Fernando punk.”
“Oh, baby, speaking of Austin Fernando.. did you see his latest video on the XWF Network?”
“Which one? There's like twenty of them. I'm so sick of seeing him on TV, running his mouth. That's why I refused to turn it on today, I'm sure there's more.”
“Haha. I know, but it was kind of interesting.. I mean, all that stuff with his girlfriends family coming down, and her mom wanting to leave her brother with Austin to be trained as a pro wrestler.”
“Oh yeah, I saw that. Smart kid, even he realises that Fernando doesn't stand a chance against me this Monday night. Still, it was like watching paint dry. Boring as fuck.”
“You know I like that kind of thing because I'm a girl. You just hate it because he's your opponent.”
“No, I hate it because it's stupid, pointless and completely irrelevant.”
:: Rodd shuffles back in with the beers, already cracked, and places them down on the table. ::
“Coasters, Rodd, please.”
:: Rodd nods apologetically and grabs the coasters from the centre of the table, placing one in front of each of them and then placing the beers on top. I pick mine up straight away and take a swig. Michelle picks hers up, but doesn't drink yet. ::
“I guess in a way it is, but I don't know, I didn't think it was too bad. Anyway, what about his girlfriend, Olivia? I can't believe he hasn't met her father before and they have been together for 18 months!”
“How do you know how long they have been together?”
“Read it on the website.”
:: Michelle takes a drink from her bottle, her blue eyes looking at me over the top of it. I smiled at her, then chuckled softly. ::
“You know, sometimes I think you do more scouting of my opponents than I do.”
“Well then, I guess that's why we make such a great team.”
:: I tilt my bottle towards her. ::
“I'll drink to that.”
:: Clink. Michelle toasts me and we each take a drink. I look over at Rodd, who has an empty beer bottle in front of him on the coaster, and another one in his hand. He looks instantly ashamed. ::
“I drink a lot when I get nervous.”
“Well, no more until you've finished filming this for me! You know how to upload it to the XWF website I take it?”
“Oui, but ov'course! I 'ave done for Monsieur Gator on many occazeeons!”
“Great. And try to lose the French tone, I don't like it. Michelle baby, could you give us ten minutes while we shoot this?”
“Sure.”
:: Michelle leans in and kisses me, those soft, pouty lips pressing against my own and then peeling away delicately. She gets up, beer in hand, and leaves the room. I turn back to Rodd, who already has the camera up on his shoulder. I take another drink from my bottle ad place it back down on the coaster. I allow myself to sink back into the black, leather sofa and throw my right arm up over the back rest. Rodd gives me the thumbs up, and I am cleared for take off. ::
“Austin, Austin, Austin. What did I tell you a few days ago? Stop running your mouth and making yourself look like and absolute fucking spastic. Seriously, if you'd spent half as much time this week actually thinking before you spoke, as you have playing janitor and babysitter, then I might not have so much cause to call you out on every fucking stupid remark you have made. Firstly, it's not that the XWF universe can't get enough of you. On the contrary, I'm sure that they, much like myself, are sick to death of having you rammed down their throats every other day. Ever heard the term, less is more? Just because you take a damn camera man with you everywhere you go and force yourself upon the wrestling world every single day, it doesn't make you relevant. In fact, it has the opposite effect. People become bored with you very quickly, they lose interest and they cease to care about anything you have to say. That's the difference between you and I, Fernando, because when I talk – the whole fucking world stops to listen.
See, I have earned that, because every time I say something I follow through with it. I told the world that at War Games I was going to be the man who snared victory for Team Eli, that I was going to make an impact the likes of which the XWF had never seen – and I did. I pinned Azrael Erebus and saw to it that Eli James was no longer the Universal champion. I told the world that I would take victory against that pretty boy, rock star wannabe, Vinnie Lane – and I did. I told the world that at Madfare I would annihilate four other men, shut Ghost Tank up once and for all, and then take a #1 contenders contract for the XWF Television Championship that I have no intention of using – and I did. Do you see a pattern forming here, Austin? Are you beginning to understand why when I talk, everyone takes notice? It's because I back up every last fucking thing I say.
You, on the other hand, come out and make a bunch of outlandish claims about how good you are with absolutely nothing to back it up. Honestly, I am yet to decide whether you are cocky, arrogant, or just plain stupid. It's probably a combination of all three. You said that deep down inside, everybody has accepted the fact you will soon be Universal Champion? That management has accepted it? Just where the fuck do you get your information from? I've got a news flash for you, kid. There isn't a damn person on this planet who believes you will become the XWF Universal Champion before yours truly. All this shit you talk about being the golden child of this industry shows me just how incredibly misinformed you really are. What the fuck have you done to be considered anything other than cannon fodder? Not a damn thing, that's what. You had one match, which you lost to Hysteria. You can sugar coat the fuck out of your loss, talk about how it was in an elimination chamber and you were in first.. or how after the match, you were the last man standing. The fact is though, Fernando, when it was all said and done.. you lost. You failed.
While we are on the subject of your self-indulgence, could you please explain to me how you are now considered to be the fastest rising star in this business? With everything that has transpired? You do understand that victories equal success, right? Something you are yet to experience here in the XWF. Shelling out money for a gym in hicksville and running a day care centre does not make you the fastest rising star in the XWF. You can film as many episodes of Days of Our Lives as you like, but you're still just some punk-ass bitch at the bottom of the food chain, trying to make name for himself by going after the biggest dog in the yard.”
:: I reach down and grab the beer in front of my, taking a drink and savouring the bitter, malty liquid as it settle on my palate. I consider my my next words carefully, something Austin is unfamiliar with, before continuing. ::
“I'm glad you had a chance to catch the latest episode of Insane TV, by the way, but clearly you learned nothing from it because the next time you opened your mouth it was the same old shit you've been saying for the last week. I guess that's the other problem with trying to get your face out there every single day, huh Austin? You really don't have much to say and you just end up repeating yourself. All week long you've spoken about me providing you with a little 'entertainment'. Tell me, what exactly is entertaining about having your teeth kicked down your throat? You really are one of the dumbest fucking people I have ever had the displeasure of listening to. In what world do you have the right to talk to me like I'm the pretender and you are the contender? At the start of the week, I had no real issues with you. You were just some punk kid who was unfortunate enough to be found standing between me and what is rightfully mine. Now, that's changed.
You called me out, Austin. You put yourself on a pedestal and tried to lay claim to my title as the fastest rising star in this business. Thing is, it doesn't take a genius to figure out which one of us is the real deal and which one is just scripting fiction. You say that on Monday night, I'm going to be walking out with a broken neck? No offence, but if I broke my neck, pretty sure I wouldn't be walking out. Just another in a very long line of stupid and inaccurate remarks that you continue to make. You say that you are going to show the world what a fraud Justin Sane is? Go ahead. I'm begging you to try. I'm not the one who is calling themselves the saviour of a company that clearly needs no saving. Save your self-indulgence for behind closed doors with a bottle of lotion and a box of tissues, because nobody gives a fuck about your hopes and dreams out here in the real world.
In all honesty Fernando, I could spend far more time picking apart everything you say and making you look foolish, but the fact of the matter is, I don't have to. You do a good enough job of that by yourself. I mean, you used the words 'generic' and 'cliché' so much in your promos this week, that they almost became original.. but not quite. Everyone already understands that this match is nothing more than a foregone conclusion. That's how tournaments work. You put the big seeds in first round matches against nobodies, because everyone wants to see the big time players in the main event. The seeds advance, the scrubs go nowhere, and everybody is happy. There is no upset brewing, Austin. There won't be any revolution, and you'll have to find some other moniker to go by instead of calling yourself the “turning point” of this company, because after two losses in two weeks, your stocks will be about as low as the US Dollar.
The clock is ticking, Fernando. Sooner than you think, you're going to have to man up and eat those poisoned words you've been spitting for the past seven days. Don't worry, I'll be sure to 'entertain you', as requested. Just do me one favour out there – pay attention. After this Monday night, hopefully you will have learned what it takes to be the beast at the top of the food chain. Remember, Austin, you asked for this. You honestly think you have what it takes to take down the insane one? You don't. At Madness, you will become a believer, just like the rest of them. Because when it's all said and done? Mark my words, you will take the pledge.. of insanity.”
:: I sneer into the camera for a moment, before Rodd switches it off. ::
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