Thinking About The Future: Part 8

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Thinking About The Future

Part 8 ; Scene 1

Off Camera

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Supreme Championship Wrestling’s tour has come to Canada.  Breakdown last night was live from Montreal and now tonight’s house show is in Colsee Pepsi in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada.  This is one thing, at least, that Angelica Jones of The Sisterhood definitely loves about this leg of the tour.  Quebec is often known as French Canada and Angelica thoroughly loves the French culture.  Angelica’s younger sister, the other half of The Sisterhood, Kayla Jones, would definitely disagree with this.  She can take or leave the French culture.

That’s just one item of disagreement that Angelica and Kayla have.  The Sisterhood have healthy disagreements from time to time.  That’s perfectly normal.  They’re just different people.  Angelica is more intense and explosive, at times even more emotional, whereas Kayla’s style of offense consists mostly of strikes and she relies on her never say die attitude.  One thing they do have is a shared goal to return to the top of the tag team division in Supreme Championship Wrestling.  When they failed to win a tag team tournament to become number one contenders in a quicker manner, it became apparent that they would have to earn their way back to the old fashioned way; through hard work, fighting from the bottom up.

Donovan Kayl and Rocky O’Reilly were beaten by The Sisterhod.  Derek Adonis and Manvel were defeated by The Sisterhood.  Things definitely starting to look bright for Angelica and Kayla as they fight to get back into title contention.

But The Sisterhood isn’t the only tag team looking for a return to the tag team title contention.

Sloan Sawyer and Diana Weston, together known as The Daughters of Darkness, have been campaigning for a tag title shot, telling anyone and everyone who will listen that they were cheated by The Honour Code and by SCW out of their rightful tag team title shot, all the while saying the word “totes” every other minute.

The constant whining of The Daughters of Darkness did eventually get the better of The Sisterhood, prompting them to interrupt Sloan and DIana in one of their daily bitch-fests.  What followed was an impromptu tag team match between the two teams, a match that ended in a draw.

As per the usual The Daughters of Darkness complained about being cheated.  Claiming the referee didn’t see them enter the ring before the ten count was registered.  Nevertheless, the count was made and the decision was rendered.  And nevertheless, more complaining and more bitching from Sloan and Diana would follow.

Angelica Jones is not one to make excuses.   She just wants to fight and leave it all in the ring.  And if you recall from earlier, she is also the more intense and emotional member of the Jones siblings.  Unfortunately, that emotion can sometimes get the better of the eldest members of the Sisterhood.   In order to shut up Sloan and Diana, they agreed to a rematch in which the Daughters would get to choose the special guest referee…

…a fact that does not sit well with Kayla Jones, Angelica’s sister.

Kayla Jones is the sister that we currently see stepping into the Colsee Pepsi here in Quebec City, Quebec for this House Show in SCW that will begin soon enough.  The younger Jones sibling is wearing a black knee length skirt, black flats, and a red floral print silk blouse.  Her long red hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length.  Following closely to her right is her future husband, Trenton Snow, wearing khaki pants and a nice button up shirt.  He is carrying a black bag which, no doubt, contains Kayla’s wrestling attire.

The look on Kayla’s face is one of angst and frustration.  That angst and frustration comes from the fact that she will have to compete against The Daughters of Darkness with a referee hand-picked by Sloan and Diana.  It makes no sense to put themselves in this situation and yet here they are, stuck in this situation, all because of Angelica and her uncontrollable emotions.

The siblings need to talk about this beforehand.  Kayla turns to her right and looks at Trenton.

“Does my sister know I’m here?”

“No.  I’m not even sure she’s here, to be honest with you.”

Kayla sighs and nods her head.

“Oh she’s here.”

“How do you know?”

“I talked to her before I left.”

“Ok; do you want to let her know we’re here?”

Kayla shakes her head.

“No, I want to surprise her.”

Trenton stares deep into Kayla’s eyes and he can sense that she has something in mind for her older sister and it isn’t anything good.  He has been dating Kayla long enough to have seen how she and her sister are when they argue.  They argue exactly the same way as they fight; full on with the intent to win.  It definitely is not a pretty sight.  Kayla can sense that Trenton does not feel comfortable about all of this.  So she holds out her hand.

“Give me the bag.”

Trenton sighs and hands over the bag.

“Thanks, Kay.  No offense, but I don’t want to be around when you and Angelica have at it.”

“I understand.  You go get some coffee for us.  Angelica likes hers black.  Put extra cream and sugar in mine.  Hopefully we’ll have hugged it out by the time you get to the dressing room.”

Trenton snickers.

“I hope so.”

Kayla smirks as she watches her future husband walk off in search of the coffee.  Kayla then turns and walks the other direction in search of her and Angelica’s dressing room.  Angelica will be there and they need to have a word, not just about the situation regarding The Daughters of Darkness, but perhaps about the future of The Sisterhood.

No, The Sisterhood is not in any danger, but Kayla definitely wants to make sure that in the future there will be no instances such as this one where Angelica’s mouth (or even Kayla’s for that matter) get them into trouble.

Jones continues to walk down the hall.  She passes several other wrestlers and officials along the way, ignoring most of them.  But one particular voice is unable to be ignored…

“Aunt Kayla!”

Kayla stops and turns.  She smiles upon seeing her niece, Marie Annabelle Jones, walking towards her with open arms.  The two embrace in a tight hug.

“You’re late, Aunt Kayla.”

“I know, don’t remind me.  Congratulations on your successful start in SCW.”

“Thanks, but I have a long way to go.”

“Of course, but still, you did beat Hannah War and Kara Abheri.  That’s something to be proud of.”

Marie grins.

“Thanks, Aunt Kayla.”

“Where’s your mom?”

Marie points down the hall.

“Down the hall, third door on the right, that’s your dressing room.”

Kayla nods her head.

“Thanks, Marie.”

With that niece and aunt say their goodbyes, hug one more time, and then Kayla walks down the hall towards the dressing room.  Turning to the right she spots the door Marie was motioning to.  At least she is quite certain it is.  She can, after all, hear Angelica’s voice from within but who is she talking to?  Kayla decides to find out by pushing the door open and walking in unannounced.  She finds Angelica on her knees holding a set of Rosary beads in her hands.

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”

“Uh…Angelica?”

Angelica isn’t ignoring her, but she is so focused that she doesn’t even notice or hear Kayla Jones.

“Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.”

“Angelica?”

Still, no luck…

“Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee, blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.”

“ANGELICA!”

That did it.  Startled back to awareness, Angelica jumps up and turns around, she smiles as she spots her sister standing there just within the dressing room.  Kayla stares at her dumbfounded, wondering what the hell she just walked into.

“Oh, hi Kay!  How long have you been there?”

“Not long…”

Angelica shrugs her shoulders.

“Oh, ok.  Well sorry, I didn’t realize you were here.”

She holds out the Rosary, offering it to Kayla.

“Do you want join me?  I’m on the 4^th Glorious Mystery?”

Kayla sighs and pushes the hand, and the Rosary, away.

“No thanks, Angel.  I think we have more pressing matters to discuss right now.”

“You mean The Daughters of Darkness?”

“Bingo.”

Angelica sighs. Kayla sets the bag down on the floor and grabs Angelica by her arm and drags her over to a nearby bench.  The sisters sit down on the bench and Kayla looks directly into Angelica’s eyes.  The elder Jones can sense that something is amiss.

“What’s wrong, Kay?”

“Do you even have to ask?  Seriously?”

Kayla sighs and shakes her head.

“Angelica, we are in a bad situation right now where we are facing Sloan and Diana, a good tag team.”

“They are a good tag team but they are not great.  They are not you and me, they are not The Sisterhood.  We are great.”

“Good, great, whatever.  Point is, they are talented.  But here they are in a position where we have to face this good team and that good team gets to pick the referee for the match.”

She points a finger at Angelica.

“And that’s your fault.”

Angelica sighs and nods her head.

“Yeah…”

“You really need to learn to control your emotions, sis.  Yes, Sloan and Diana are annoying, but had you not opened your mouth we wouldn’t be in this situation that we find ourselves in right now.”

“But we can beat them.  It doesn’t matter if they have a guest referee, guest ring announcer, guest whatever.  We can beat them.”

Kayla rolls her eyes.

“It does matter.  You can’t just be tough, you also have to be smart.  And the match you talked us into just was not smart.”

Angelica stands up.  She stares down at her sister Kayla for a few moments until Kayla eventually stands up as well.  The siblings are eye to eye and that is when Angelica speaks up.

“Are you saying I’m dumb?”

Kayla shakes her head.

“No, you’re not dumb.  But…”

“But what?”

“…you did make a dumb decision.”

“I made a dumb decision?”

Angelica shakes her head.

“No, I think I did the right thing.  Let’s face facts here, sis, someone has to stand up and tell Sloan and Diana to shut their mouths and if no one was going to step up someone needed to step up and shut their damn mouths physically.  Be honest with me, would anyone in SCW have shut them up?”

Angelica waits for an answer but Kayla remains silent.

“No, they wouldn’t.  Mr. D wasn’t going to do anything, at least.  SCW and Mr. D were content to let them whine all the time and, quite honestly, the entire locker room was getting sick of hearing them bitch.  We just so happened to be the ones who decided to try and do something to stop them.”

“Ok, that sounds great Angel, but what now if we lose?”

“We lose, but at least we tried to do something.  Someone has to do something, Kay.  Someone has to stand for something or you’ll fall for anything.  That’s how the song goes, right?  And you know, I thought that maybe, just maybe, you stood for something.  But I’m dumb for standing up for something.”

Kayla suddenly feels terrible for what she just said, or tried to say, to her sister.  She lowers her head.

“I…Angel, I’m sorry…”

Angelica smiles as she places a hand on her younger sibling’s shoulder.

“Look, we can’t let this stupid argument split us up, ok?  We can’t let it hurt our cohesiveness.  Remember, we have a closeness and a unity that Sloan and Diana will never have.  And we have a respect for the tradition of pro-wrestling that they do not have.  Just keep it together, you and I, and we’ll get through this.”

Kayla nods her head.

“Yeah, you’re right.”

At this time the door opens, interrupting the sisters in their conversation.  They turn and find Trenton walking in with two cups of coffee.  He smiles uneasily and nervously.

“So, is the knock-down, drag-out over yet?”

Kayla chuckles as she walks over and takes her cup of coffee out of his hand and then gently kisses him on the lips.

“Yeah, it’s safe.”

“Knock-down drag-out?”

Angelica walks over and takes her cup of coffee from Trenton.

“What gave you the idea our conversations were that bad, Trenton?”

“You and Kayla are Jones women.  Anyone who has observed you over any period of time would notice that.”

“That may be true, but we’re good now.  Right, sis?”

Kayla nods her head.

“Right, one hundred percent.”

Kayla says this, trying to sound as confident and sure of herself as she can, but the truth of the matter is that she isn’t so confident.  She still isn’t sure facing The Daughters of Darkness with their own guest referee is a good idea, and she isn’t sure she and Angelica are even on the same page right now.  This is a situation that definitely needs to be resolved sooner rather than later.

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On Camera

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The camera feed begins to roll.  Kayla Jones steps into view and turns to face the camera.

“Whiny, childish, petulant little children; do those words remind you of anyone?”

Angelica Jones steps into view next and she stands to her sister’s right.

“They should.  Those words could be used to define many people in this great sport of professional wrestling.  After all, it seems that any time you don’t get your way, any time you don’t get what you want, you just throw a temper tantrum, like a spoiled brat, hoping that mommy or daddy will cave in to your childish demands.”

Kayla shakes her head.

“But we’re not going to start out by naming any names, although I’m quite certain you could think of someone in Supreme Championship Wrestling who fits that description.  Instead we’re going to do some introspection and focus on the one and only team that matters right now and that’s The Sisterhood.”

“Kayla is right, we’re going to turn this around and focus on just the two of us, because being childish, throwing tantrums, and everything we just described, it wasn’t too long ago that those very words were used t o describe the two of us.  Free Botswana, remember that?  We held ridiculous protests and threw what amounted to childish temper tantrums all because we didn’t get the tag team title shot we felt we deserved.”

Angelica turns to look at Kayla.

“Are we proud of that, Kayla?”

Kayla shakes her head.

“No, we’re not.  We’re not proud of it in the least.  We couldn’t see it but we were acting childish, like a pair of spoiled brats, and it took several other great superstars in this company calling us out on it, calling us out for our childish antics, for us to get the picture.  Because in case you don’t know, The Sisterhood has competed in several companies in its career.  Together we are multiple world tag team champions.  We are PROUD athletes and PROUD competitors.  To be called children was an insult at first…”

She sighs.

“…but it slowly sunk in that they were right, we were acting like children.  We had earned that title of spoiled children and if we wanted to get rid of it, we needed to change our act.  We needed to turn ourselves around.”

Kayla turns to Angelica who picks things up.

“Free Botswana had to go and our childish ways had to go.  We had to start taking things seriously and when we did change, when we started taking things seriously, Supreme Championship Wrestling also started to take us seriously and they gave us the opportunities that we felt we had earned.  Now we didn’t capitalize on those opportunities and become two time SCW World Tag Team Champions…”

Angelica grins.

“…not yet anyway, but at least we were given the opportunity and that’s all we wanted.  We just wanted an opportunity.”

Kayla points a finger at the camera.

“That brings us to you, Sloan and Diana.  You two seem to just want an opportunity at the tag titles.  You feel you earned it and you deserve it and that you’ve been cheated out of your opportunity by Supreme Championship Wrestling.  And hell, I can respect that.  I can respect your desire to get that title shot, I think Angelica and I would even go as far as to say that you two even deserve a tag title shot in the near future.”

“And Kayla and I are definitely not going to question whether or not you were cheated out of your opportunity.  Kayla and I have been around this sport long enough that we’ve been the victims of bad officiating not just once but many times over.  God knows, and we can attest to it, that bad officiating happens.  So we damn sure will not stand here and dispute your claim of bad officiating screwing the two of you over.”

Angelica turns back to Kayla who picks things up.

“There is a right way and wrong way to go about solving these kinds of problems, ladies.  And I’m telling you right now that the method you have chosen to solve your problems is not going to work.”

Kayla motions to herself and to Angelica.

“We know it won’t work because we’ve been there and we’ve tried it.  The crying and whining, bitching and moaning, the games and the gimmicks, you’re just a watered down version of what we were not too long ago.  And perhaps that’s another reason why Angelica and I are looking forward to this match on Supreme Saturday so much.  You two remind Angelica and myself of us during that whole free Botswana run.  The same kind of childish antics that made us look like spoiled children are making YOU look like the spoiled children.”

Angelica turns and looks at Kayla.

“Did we actually act like them?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

Angelica sighs.

“It’s sad, and embarrassing, really, to think that we actually acted like petulant little children in the same way you currently are.  It embarrasses me to think that we once acted as bad as you are.  You now stand where we once stood, whining about how God and everyone is being unfair to you and cheating you out of your title opportunities, and it embarrasses me knowing that was me and  Kayla, that was The Sisterhood saying all of those things not too long ago.”

A look of intensity grows in Angelica’s eyes.

“But it also provides motivation.  We already were motivated to defeat you simply because defeating you advances us closer to our overall goal of getting another shot at the SCW World Tag Team Championship.  But now we’re motivated to defeat you because defeating you, in a way, exorcises those demons of long ago.”

Kayla nods her head.

“You’re just a second rate Free Botswana Sisterhood.  That’s all you are with your whining, bitching, and moaning and blaming all of your problems on someone else, whether it be Shaun Cruze or AJ Helms or Mr. D and SCW management or a referee and until you look in the damn mirror and start taking responsibility for your own actions and for your own failures, you will never move past where you currently are.  You’ll be stuck in neutral.”

Kayla motions to herself and Angelica.

“But my sister and I have thrown the car into high gear and we are moving forward fast and furious towards our own goals.  Getting through you, like Angelica said, is going to be like exorcising a demon.  So defeating you isn’t just about proving our case for a tag title shot, it’s about once and for all wiping our memory of that time.”

Angelica nods her head.

“So you go ahead and try to earn your title shot by whining and complaining to anyone who will listen.  Spoiler alert; no one is listening to you.  No one cares what you have to say.  While you complain and whine all day long, me and Kayla will be fighting our way to the top and we will earn our tag team title shot the old fashioned way; through hard work and perseverance.”

Angelica turns to Kayla who picks things up.

“No one doubts what you’ve done since coming here to SCW.  You have definitely made an impact in the tag team division.  You nearly won that tag team tournament and some would argue that you should have won it.  Hell, even Shaun Cruze, one half of the WINNING TEAM in the tournament, says you should have won it.  Don’t you think that with reactions and praise such as that, you Sloan and Diana would have gotten a tag title shot real soon?  Patience was all that you needed…”

Kayla sighs and shakes her head.

“…but patience was too much to ask for you, ladies.  Patience is a virtue, Sloan and Diana, and it can help you go far.  Unfortunately you’re unwillingness to bend, your unwillingness to even wait, shows what kind of people you really are deep down inside.”

Angelica nods her head.

“People like that eventually have an unwelcome visitor known as karma.  And you know what they say, karma is a bitch.  Karma is a bitch and so are we.  Supreme Saturday, Sloan and Diana will face The Sisterhood in tag team action.  And you, just like the spoiled brats you are, cannot compete without a handpicked referee.  Fine, ok, but tell me something ladies; how do you think it will look if we beat the hell out of you and the only way you walked out of there with a win is because you had a handpicked referee in your back pocket?  I mean, sure, you’ll have the win under your belt, but you will have earned nothing and if you think that’ll get you closer to a tag title shot you have another thing coming.”

Kayla nods her head.

“You want to legitimately prove your case?  Beat Angelica and I straight up.  No guest referees, no games.  And for the love of all that is holy, please shut the hell up because your constant griping about the same old shit is growing oh so annoying.  It’s like nails on a chalkboard.”

Kayla shudders.

“But that’s fine, because I know come Supreme Saturday it all comes to a head.  Daughters of Darkness and The Sisterhood.”

“What’s so dark about them anyway?”

“What do you mean?”

“They’re the daughters of darkness…what’s so dark about them?  From what I’ve observed they’re a pair of clowns who talk like valley girls.”

“Totes!”

Angelica winks.

“Exactly.”

The pair high five.  Kayla then continues.

“Supreme Saturday, Sloan and Diana against Angelica and Kayla, and if you can sleep at night knowing it took having your own handpicked special referee in your back pocket to win this thing, then so be it.  But know this, you have backed The Sisterhood into a corner and you know what they say about cornered animals; that is when they are the most dangerous.  Angelica and I are cornered and at Supreme Saturday we will be at our best and we will be dangerous.”

Angelica looks over at her sister Kayla.

“And what else are we going to do them, sis?”

“I was just getting to that.”

Kayla looks directly at the camera, a smirk forming upon her face.

“We’re going to kick your teeth, right down your throat!”

Thinking About The Future: Part 6

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Scene 1

Off Camera

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Angelica Jones and her sister Kayla had been discussing the reunion of The Sisterhood ever since July, in the lead up to the SCW Rise To Greatness pay per view event.  And yes, they did lose to the Honour Code in one of their first matches back as a team, but ever since then the sibling duo has been on fire with wins over Adrenaline Rush, Donovan Kayl & Rocky O’Reilly, and Manvel & Derek Adonis all in SCW, and then when they took their talents to the UWA, they proved just as successful, defeating Gavin Taylor and Clarence Whitman.  The momentum is solidly in the corner of The Sisterhood as they attempt to achieve a feat that is unheard of in pro-wrestling circles today…

…they want to win and hold the SCW World Tag Team Championships and UWA World Tag Team Championships simultaneously.  How things will go in SCW remains to be seen, but at least in UWA part of that goal is nearing a completion as Angelica and Kayla, after their victory over Taylor and Whitman, have now taken one step closer towards a tag title opportunity.  Now they are scheduled to face The Heartbreakers, Niles Gray and Corey Zenner, and the winners will go on to face The Ginger Nation for the UWA World Tag Team Championship.

It isn’t about ego for the Jones siblings.  It’s about challenging themselves.  They want to see if they can pull off something that many think is impossible, considering the incredible amount of talent in the tag team divisions of both SCW and UWA.  Angelica and Kayla know they are good.  Everyone admits they are good.  Their tag team accomplishments prove that.  But just how good are they?

This is also about giving back to the fans of both the SCW and UWA.  When The Sisterhood turned over a new leaf no one except the fans bothered to give them a second chance.  Only the fans accepted them back with open arms while their colleagues backstage still looked at them with skepticism.  The Sisterhood’s own personal redemption journey, a journey that began before Rise To Greatness even, would not have been possible without the fans, and the siblings want to give back.

Competing against Niles and Corey of The Heartbreakers on Outbreak for an opportunity to become number one contenders to the UWA World Tag Team Championship is an opportunity to not only take the next step towards their ultimate goal of becoming tag team champions again, but also is another opportunity to give back to the fans by putting on a hell of a show.  And win, lose, or draw, The Sisterhood truly are riding high on a cloud nine.  They truly are excited.

And yet, even if the skies appear to be clear and sunny, there is always a dark cloud somewhere over the horizon.  Things may not be truly as good as they appear for the Jones women.  Perhaps there is something underneath, just waiting to boil over?

You wouldn’t expect that from the current party atmosphere that seems to permeate the auditorium out by Jones Incorporated Headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts.  It’s just before dusk and a few people are heading inside.  Music can be heard from the outside.  Inside, one can see that this truly is a party.  A variety of songs from across a wide variety of genre’s are being played, mostly songs that can be danced to; some slow dances, some fast, exciting dances.

The setup inside is rather simple.  The auditorium itself, which is typically utilized for the modeling branch of Jones Incorporated, has been cleared out to allow for dancing.  Long tables with a simple red tablecloth line the walls.  Snacks, drinks, and other refreshments are on these tables.  On one end of the auditorium, hanging high above from the ceiling, is a banner that reads “Happy Birthday Angelica and Kayla Jones!”

Angelica Jones is sitting against a wall.  The redheaded matriarch of the Jones family is wearing an asymmetrical black hem dress with pyramid golden studs that add a gleam and an edge to the waist-nipping ruching at each side.  Her feet are encased in red high heeled pumps.  Sitting to her right are Sister Maria, Angelica’s childhood friend and Catholic Nun, is wearing denim jeans, a nice simple white silk blouse, and the headpiece of her nun’s habit.  Audrey Russo, a new student of Angelica and Kayla, is sitting to Angelica’s left wearing a sleeveless golden beaded tank dress with a scalloped hemline.

For Angelica, this is more than just a mere birthday celebration.  In a way, it is like a rebirth.  It hasn’t been that long ago that she finally rid herself and her psyche of the infamous Dragon; the part of her personality that made her, in many ways, a monster.  But now she is no longer a monster.  Now she is free.

Not everyone shares that sentiment.  Sister Maria has recently spoke to Kayla about her reservations regarding Angelica’s recent transformation.  While it seems on the outside that Angelica has indeed changed, Sister Maria seems convinced there is one more thing left to do before she can truly be rid of The Dragon.  What that thing is remains to be seen.  Sister Maria has confided with Kayla and Kayla alone but Kayla has said nothing…

…perhaps Kayla is afraid of that next step?  Perhaps she isn’t sure Angelica is ready for it?

“May I have your attention please?!”

The booming voice comes from the front of the auditorium, a balding round man stands in front of a podium with a microphone in hand.  He stands underneath the banner that reads “Happy Birthday…” as he speaks to the many guests in attendance tonight.  The music slowly dies down.

“Tonight is a special night for two incredible women who have made this great company possible.  First, Angelica Jones!”

With a wave of his hand he motions towards Angelica.  Immediately a spotlight shines down upon her.  Angelica smiles politely as she waves at the guests, all of whom applaud quite loudly for her.

“And let’s not forget our wonderful CEO, Kayla Jones!”

With another wave of his hand a spotlight shines down to the center of the dance floor where we find Kayla Jones and Trenton Snow standing.  They had been slow dancing before the round man took the stage.  Trenton is wearing a black and white suit combo while Kayla is decked out in a body con asymmetrical silhouette long sleeved v-neck sheath red dress.  Her feet are encased in gold colored high heeled pumps.  Much like Angelica before, Kayla politely waves and she receives an applause from the guests, possibly louder than the one Angelica received.

“Happy birthday to both of you!”

The man leads the guests in another round of applause for Angelica and Kayla.  Angelica and Kayla are little over one year apart but they do not usually celebrate them at the same time.  This is a special occasion in which Jones Incorporated wanted to honor the sibling pair for everything they have done.

It isn’t long before the music kicks back in.  Kayla and Trenton resume their slow dance, as do the other guests who had been dancing.  Audrey looks at them longingly and sighs.

“They do look great together.”

Angelica nods her head.

“You’re right, Audrey. And I am truly happy for her.  She’s been through hell, she’s had two failed relationships, and if anyone deserves some happiness, it’s my sister.”

Audrey nods her head in agreement.  She had been told about what happened to Kayla and Angelica in their childhood.  Angelica and Kayla lost their innocence at a very young age.  Angelica, at the age of thirteen, was tied up and forced to watch as their mother was raped and murdered.  Kayla, while in foster care, was beaten and molested by an abusive drunk.  They had to learn to fight to survive and that is what attracted Audrey Russo to them.  Audrey is also a fighter.  She is also looking for an escape from a bad life.  She is also looking for a way to survive.  While not much details are known yet about Audrey’s past, it is becoming abundantly clear that Audrey’s path is mirroring that of Angelica and Kayla.  Audrey definitely understands where Kayla Jones is coming from.

“But what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Your sister is out there enjoying herself.  At least it appears as if she’s enjoying herself.”

Audrey motions to Angelica.

“But you’re here with the rest of us wall flowers.”

Angelica chuckles lightly.

“Wall flower?  Perhaps.  But Kayla deserves happiness.  Me?”

She shrugs her shoulders.

“I’m not sure.  I did some terrible things in the past, Audrey.”

“Ridiculous.”

That’s Sister Maria, who interjects with a hand placed on Angelica’s shoulder.

“That was all The Dragon.  That was not you.”

“Maria is right.  You can’t keep blaming yourself for the past.  You have to focus on the present and look to the future.”

Angelica smiles politely.

“Maybe you guys are right…”

“Of course we’re right.  Besides…”

Audrey gazes deep into Angelica’s eyes.

“You and Kayla survived so much.  You didn’t let anything kill you or destroy you.  You just kept fighting and you made something of yourselves.  Between modeling and pro-wrestling, you two saved yourselves.  You are an inspiration to many…”

Tears form in the brunette’s eyes.

“…but most especially you are an inspiration to me.”

“An inspiration?  Maybe.”

Angelica sighs.

“But you have to remember that this business, especially wrestling, is cutthroat.  I was never a model, that was Kayla, so she’d have to talk to you more about that, but I can tell you more about the wrestling side of things and I can tell you that this sport can easily change a person.  You can go in with the best of intentions but if you’re not careful it can bring out the worst in you.”

Angelica chuckles.

“I am evidence of that.  But at the same time, wrestling is truly the sport where dreams can come true.  A little girl whose mother was taken from her by a psychotic killer used wrestling to not just bring herself back from the brink but to become heavyweight champion of the world.  To this day the daughters of that mother are still competing and are now one step away from getting a tag team title opportunity in UWA.  That is the American dream, Audrey.”

Angelica’s moving speech is interrupted with the arrival of Kayla Jones and her fiancée Trenton Snow.  The slow dance has ended and a faster song is being played.  The two of them have decided to sit this one out.  Kayla motions towards the dance floor.

“Go on, Angelica.  Get out there.”

“Not right now.”

“You’ve been sitting out nearly every song, sis.”

“I know, I just don’t feel like dancing right now.”

“I don’t care what you feel like.”

Kayla grabs her older sibling by the arm and pulls her to her feet.  She shoves her towards the dance the floor.  Trenton, Audrey, and Maria all laugh as they watch.

“Get out there!”

Angelica rolls her eyes.

“Fine!”

Kayla smirks as she watches her older sister disappear onto the dance floor.  Kayla then sits down in the chair that Angelica had been occupying.

“That sister of mine really needs to loosen up a bit.”

“Perhaps she’s concerned about your upcoming match against The Heartbreakers?”

Trenton offers this suggestion and Kayla shrugs her shoulders.

“Possibly, but this is our birthday celebration.  There will be plenty of time to prepare for that match.  Our birthday is just one time a year.”

Audrey nods her head in agreement with her friend and mentor Kayla.

“I agree with you, Kayla.  Birthdays are supposed to be special and besides, the whole company went to great lengths to put this event on for you two.  You should enjoy it.  I mean, it was pretty darn nice of them to do this.  It looks like they went to a lot of trouble.”

“Right…”

Kayla rolls her eyes and sarcasm drips from her voice.  Audrey notices this immediately.

“What’s wrong?  What do you mean?”

“Audrey, one thing you need to learn about the modeling industry…or any business for that matter…is that you can’t trust anyone.  There’s politics involved in the modeling industry, just as there is politics involved in pro-wrestling.”

“But Jones Incorporated seems to be treating me fair.”

“Between me and my foster brother Oliver Hardy we keep them in line.  We run a tight ship.”

Audrey nods her head in agreement.

“Makes sense.  Angelica did mention how things got rather cutthroat in wrestling.”

“It’s more than just cutthroat.  People in this industry will betray you for the pettiest of reasons.  I’ve witnessed home invasions, kidnappings, and brainwashing in the wrestling business all for the sake of getting an advantage over an enemy.”

Audrey’s eyes grow wide.

“It almost sounds like you’re trying  to talk me out of being a wrestler.”

“Maybe I am…I don’t know right now.  I just…”

Kayla sighs.

“I just want you to know what you’re getting yourself into.”

“Kayla if I may…”

Sister Maria interjects, causing Audrey, Kayla, and Trenton to turn their attention to her.

“…but I do not believe that was the message you were sending young Audrey here not too long ago.”

“It wasn’t?  Well maybe I was wrong then?  This business is tough and Audrey needs to know that.”

“I agree, but ultimately it’s her decision; her choice.  Free will, you know?  Your job, as well as your sister’s, is to provide her with that opportunity if he chooses to take it.”

Kayla sighs.  She shoots straight up out of the chair and glares angrily down at Sister Maria.

“Look, Maria, Audrey wants to become a wrestler.  That’s fine.  But Angelica and I are the wrestlers here.  You are a nun and you have no experience with which to speak on this matter.  Why don’t you stick with what you know, religion, and I’ll stick with what I know, wrestling?  Does that sound good to you?”

Trenton grabs Kayla by the shoulder.

“Are you ok, babe?”

Kayla shakes her head.

“No…no I’m not!”

Kayla storms away.  Trenton calls out after her…

“Kayla, wait!”

It’s too late.  Kayla has already exited the auditorium.  Angelica, though, has made her way over now, after seeing the whole debacle go down.

“What happened?  Where’d Kayla go?”

Trenton shrugs his shoulders as he looks at Angelica.

“She just left.”

Angelica turns and looks at Sister Maria who shakes her head.

“I’m sorry, Sister Angelica.  I believe I may have upset her.”

“No, don’t apologize.  It’s not your fault.  My sister can be kind of moody like that.”

Trenton chuckles lightly.

“I haven’t even seen her that moody before.”

“Let’s just go after her, ok?  And you’re going with me, Trenton.”

“Ok, but we don’t even know where she went.”

“I know of a few places.”

==========

Scene 2

Off Camera

==========

We open outside of an empty lot.  Traces of burn marks are still all over the grass, a few small pieces of rubble remain from a house that once stood here, a mixture of broken red brick, wooden frames and shattered glass.  It seems as though this mess has been in the midst of being cleared away, yet at the moment there are no workmen in sight.  At the spot where the old house was, a new one had been built.  A traditional three story townhouse fronted by a patio with large grandiose windows.  Almost all of the physical damage that had occurred here has been repaired, but the mental and emotional damage is much harder to erase and much harder to repair…

…just ask the young woman who spent most of her teenage years in the house that once stood here, namely Kayla Jones, who stands outside the gate that once served as an entrance to the front yard when she was just a teen living in this foster home…

…this is the familial home of Oliver Hardy Sr.  This is the place where she was sent to after her mother died and her father and sister both disappeared.  Her guardian, Oliver Hardy, was an abusive drunk who routinely beat and molested her and her foster brother Oliver Hardy Jr.  These were definitely not the best of memories.

And yet, for some reason, Kayla feels drawn back to this place.  Among the many places she could have visited for solace, to find time to think, this was the last place her older sister Angelica Jones expected to find her, and yet Angelica, sitting in Trenton Snow’s parked car, sees her there just outside of the gate.

“Where is this place?”

Trenton asks curiously.  Angelica, without turning to face him, answers quietly.

“That’s where Oliver Hardy’s home once stood.”

“Oh…sorry I asked.”

“You didn’t know.  It’s ok.”

“But why would she want to come here?”

“I’m not entirely sure myself.  But I’m damn sure going to find out.”

“Do you want me to come?”

Angelica shakes her head.

“No.  It’s probably best if I take care of this one myself.”

“Sure.  Good luck.”

Angelica opens her door and steps out of the car.  She shuts the door and slowly approaches her sister.  Angelica is cautious in her approach, almost as if she is approaching an animal and she doesn’t want to startle it.  As she gets closer Angelica does finally break the silence.

“Mind if I join you?”

Kayla sighs and shakes her head.

“Go ahead.  It’s a free country.”

Angelica stands next to her sister at the gate.  The two siblings stare at the newly built home before them for several seconds in silence before Kayla speaks up.

“How did you find me?”

“Well I tried your home first, you weren’t there.”

Kayla can’t help but smirk.

“I wanted to get away from all of you.  You should have known that I wouldn’t go to the most obvious place to find me.”

“True.  So then I tried mom’s grave.”

Kayla sighs and nods her head.

“I admit that I did consider stopping to chat with mom, but I figure she didn’t need to hear my issues.”

“Well I knew you and your foster brother Oliver had been trying to rebuild that bridge he burned long ago, so I called him and asked if he knew of any places I could find you.  He told me that you and him had been meeting here from time to time to talk about the past.”

Kayla rolls her eyes.

“I’m going to kill that snitch.”

“We’re just worried about you, Kayla, that’s all.  So is Trenton, he came too.”

“He did?”

Angelica nods her head.

“He’s in the car waiting.”

Angelica places a hand on her sister’s shoulder.

“Why did you come here?”

“I have my reasons.”

Kayla turns and stares deep into Angelica’s eyes.

“Did I ever tell you how old I was when Oliver Hardy first had his way with me?”

“No, but I don’t…”

“Fourteen.  I was fourteen when he first took my innocence.”

Kayla laughs sardonically.

“But that’s just the fucked up luck of the Jones women, right?  Girls are supposed to fall in love and lose their virginity to the man they love when they are older.  I lost mine to an alcoholic bastard when I was fourteen.  That’s how life treated us.”

Kayla points a finger at Angelica.

“And you…you were there with mom when that guy broke into our house.  It probably would’ve been more merciful just to kill you but mercy wasn’t in his vocabulary.  He tied you up and made you watch as he raped and killed our mother.  You spent time in a psychiatric ward, away from your family, because you were trying to protect your children.  You were kidnapped and brainwashed, turned into a monster forced to do the bidding of a malevolent asshole.”

Kayla sighs.

“Look, I do apologize for snapping at your friend, for snapping at Sister Maria, but I do not apologize for what I said to Audrey.  This business we are in is cutthroat and she needs to know exactly what she’s getting herself into.”

“With all due respect, out of all of those memories you brought up, all of which were bad memories, only one of them involved the cutthroat nature of pro-wrestling.  It’s been almost a decade since I was brainwashed into a violent monster so that I could be used to help conquer a wrestling company.  But that is the one thing that had anything to do with wrestling.”

Angelica gazes at Kayla with skepticism written on her face.

“Are you sure this only has to do with Audrey becoming a wrestler?  Is there something else you need to tell me?”

Kayla stares into Angelica’s eyes.  The siblings know one another oh so well and they know when the other is lying.  Despite this, Kayla takes the risk…

“No…there is nothing else I need to tell you.”

“I don’t believe you, but you know I’ll be there for you whenever you are ready to talk about this.”

Kayla shakes her head.

“There’s no need to talk about anything, sis.  I’m fine, we’re fine, and right now, we don’t need to focus on any of this crap.”

She holds up one finger.

“We are one step away from earning a shot at the UWA World Tag Team Championships.  Only Corey and Niles stand in our way.  Pretty boy Heartbreakers, newcomers to the game, stand in our way.  You saw them on Outbreak.  You saw how they put away The Burns Brothers.  They could do that to us.”

Kayla shakes her head.

“We cannot let that happen.  We already let a shot at the SCW World Tag Team titles slip through our fingers.  We can’t let this one slip through our fingers.”

Kayla takes her sister’s hands into hers and squeezes them tightly.

“So promise me, promise me you’ll just forget all of this, forget it ever happened, and let’s just focus on getting the job done.”

Angelica nods her head.

“Yeah, ok, I promise.”

Kayla embraces Angelica in a tight hug.

“Thanks, sis.  Those tag titles are coming home!”

==========

On Camera

==========

A bright, warm sun blazes down upon the Uprising Network Arena, the Quarantine Zone, in New York on this lovely day.  The sky is a boyish bright blue and a flag of the United States waves proudly in that blue sky in front of the entrance to the Quarantine Zone.  But right now we have a zoomed out view of the famous arena, catching a glimpse of a good piece of it.  The camera now zooms in closer towards the front entrance.  As we get closer we see Kayla Jones step into the scene from stage right.  The redhead is wearing an elegant shift dress with sheer peasant sleeves and latticework panels. Black stockings run all the way up the dress and they blend in almost perfectly with the black dress itself and the black high heeled pumps that comfortably encase her feet.  She faces the camera.  Her usual pleasant smile is not here.  She is all business.

“Angelica and I told you that The Sisterhood was coming back with a vengeance and yes, admittedly there have been bumps, twists, and turns  on that road back, but we have fought our way back against anyone and everyone that promoters can think to put up against us.  It didn’t matter who the opposition was and it didn’t matter if we won or lost, we held our heads high and we competed because that’s what we do.  We’re proud athletes and we are fighters.  We refuse to let anyone or anything stop us on this road back, a road that began in SCW.”

She holds up one finger.

“We were given an opportunity to earn a tag title shot in a tournament, but lost in the first round to the Honour Code.  But we didn’t let that get us down.  We kept moving forward.”

She holds up another finger.

“We beat Adrenaline Rush at a House Show.”

She holds up a third finger.

“We had a tag title opportunity against Autumn Valentine and Gable Winchester, only to be defeated.  But still, we didn’t get down, we were not depressed.  We kept fighting.”

She holds up a fourth finger.

“We defeated Rocky O’Reilly and his mentor Donovan Kayl.”

She holds up a fifth finger.

“We defeated Manvel and Derek Adonis.”

She motions to her surroundings.

“And then we came here, to the Quarantine Zone.  We came to UWA.  Now you may be asking me ‘why, Kayla, why would you and your sister want to put all that extra effort and stress upon yourself?  Isn’t SCW enough?’”

Kayla shrugs her shoulders.

“Perhaps it is for some teams but for Angelica and I, for The Sisterhood, we want to be challenged.  We do not want to take the easy path.  We want to climb the tallest of mountains and conquer the highest of peaks.  We do it out of the spirit of competition.  We do it because we know between SCW and UWA, you will find the best tag teams in all of pro-wrestling, and we want to compete alongside them and become tag team champions again by beating the best.”

Kayla pauses momentarily and stands there with her arms folded over her chest.  It isn’t long until she is joined on the scene by her older sister, Angelica Jones, who steps into view from stage left.  Angelica is wearing a lavender tank dress that features a pleated stretch lace bodice and a skirt that flutters at the hem.  Angelica is wearing a matching lavender long sleeve jacket styles in a stretch lace with a scattering of sequins.  Her feet are encased in strappy silver sandals.  A pair of sunglasses cover Angelica’s eyes.

“Sophie James and my daughter Marie Annabelle Jones have been UWA World Tag Team Champions for nearly a year now.  They’ve beaten back all comers and it is quickly becoming apparent that Helms and Bryant were running out of quality challengers for the champs.  Why else would they go on a huge recruitment drive to find new tag teams?  And when new teams finally came along, why else would they book a tournament to crown new number one contenders?”

Angelica smirks.

“At least the rubbish is gone.  Mr. Ego Gavin Taylor expected his partner Clarence Whitman to play a role in his chicanery but it didn’t happen.  Whitman happens to be a better person than that and wasn’t about to help Gavin cheat us our victory.  I’m sorry, Gavin, but even your manipulations and trickery will not defeat The Sisterhood.”

Angelica chuckles.

“And I can’t forget about The Burns Brothers.  Those two behemoth lummoxes thought they could muscle their way through the tag team division but they quickly got ousted by a pair of good looking Heartbreakers.”

Kayla shoots Angelica curious gaze.

“Good looking?”

“Yeah…”

“I dunno if I agree.  Maybe decent looking.”

Angelica rolls her eyes.

“Point is, the tag team trash has been taken out and that leaves the only two teams standing who can give The Ginger Nation a run for their money and that would be The Heartbreakers and The Sisterhood.  And as for the looks?  Well the looks have nothing to do with winning and losing, right Kayla?”

Kayla nods her head in agreement.

“That’s right, this isn’t a question of who looks the best but rather it is a question of who can endure and who can survive. Who can endure the punishment and the abuse the other team is prepared to dish out, who can survive the onslaught, and more importantly, which team will do what is necessary to pick up the win.”

Angelica nods her head.

“Right, and even if it WAS a question of looks, then The Sisterhood would STILL rank right on up there.  Kayla here being a model and all.”

Kayla elbows Angelica in the side.

“Shut up!”

“Sorry.”

Kayla sighs.

“Anyway, you did defeat The Burns Brothers and that was impressive, looking past you would be dumb on our part, so do not think for one second that The Sisterhood are looking past you in any way.  We’ve seen what you can do and we know that is only the beginning of your potential, untapped potential.  Trust me when I say we’ll be ready for you on Outbreak.  But also understand that Preseton and Luther Burns are not Angelica and Kayla Jones.”

Angelica Jones shakes her head.

“Unlike Bigfoot Burns and Sasquatch Burns, who may have power but lacks intelligence and are both as slow as a box of rocks, my sister and I are strategic ring generals and we can keep up with you move for move, hold for hold.  We can match you in the sky and on the ground.  We can go all night long.”

Kayla snickers.  Angelica looks at her curiously.

“What?”

“What you just said sounds so dirty.”

“Get your mind out of the gutter.”

Angelica turns back to face the camera.

“I’m not going to stand here and state that you’re facing your superiors, inferiors, or even equals.  As far as I’m concerned, and I think Kayla would agree with me on this one, we should just let that be decided in the middle of the squared circle.  What I am going to tell you is that you have tougher competition this time, boys.”

Kayla nods her head.

“Let me spell it out for you this way, Corey and Niles.  Angelica and I have been in this position many times now. We’ve been so close to getting back to the top of tag team wrestling only to have it taken away from us, either because we screwed it up ourselves or because we got beat.”

She shakes her head.

“That isn’t going to happen again.  We’re focused and more disciplined than ever before.  We are not going to screw this opportunity up.  And while we can’t guarantee victory, we can guarantee that we are going to throw everything we have at you two.  We can guarantee that you will get the absolute best of The Sisterhood, because this is something we need.  We have worked hard, we have busted our asses, and we are ready to return to the top of the tag team mountain.”

She holds up one finger.

“Only one obstacle stands in the way of us and an opportunity to compete against The Ginger Nation for the UWA World Tag Team Championship.”

She points that finger at the camera.

“And that’s you two.”

“Kayla and I versus Corey and Niles.  The Sisterhood versus The Heartbreakers.  The winners compete for the UWA World Tag Team Championships.  The losers…well…they buy drinks later…”

Angelica snickers.  Kayla nods her head.

“…right, and the losers will also get their teeth kicked right down their throat!”

“Oh good, I thought you had forgot your signature catchphrase.”

“Shut up, Angelica.”

The camera fades to black.