“LOOK OUT BELOW!” A deep thud, followed by a string of cursing greeted the AWA viewers to the familiar scene of everyone’s favorite fuck-up, Jalie Thomas. The most noticeable thing about this scene was Hobo Nick, dangling out the window of Cody Carson’s apartment in Yucca Valley, California. He had been attempting to drop a nineteen inch television onto a mattress in the bed of Jay’s truck. Unfortunately, he missed. The TV crashed to the ground just inches from Jalie. Luckily, it didn’t hit her. She did, however, get showered in shards of glass. A particularly long piece was now sticking out of her forehead by about two inches. Ignoring the blood running into her eye, she glared up at Nick.

“I swear to god I’m gonna FUCK YOU UP, NICK!” She threatened.

Nick raised his arm, flashing the peace sign with a feeble smile. Jalie shook her head slowly and Nick frowned. Seeing no other option, he proceeded to blame Cody.

“I only pushed it when he told me to. He was supposed to make sure you got your ass out of the way. Obviously he was only focusing on your ass, not whether it was out of the way or not…”

Jalie ignored him and made for the stairs. She ran up and threw open the door to the apartment. By the time she got to the bedroom, Nick was climbing out the window frantically.

“You don’t have anywhere to go, dude…” Jalie teased. Her victorious smile was replaced by a look of shock when Nick threw himself out of the window. She ran to the sill, peering down to see him lying on the pavement, his left leg sticking out at an unnatural angle. Jay had pulled the truck forward at the very last second and ruined Nick’s chances of landing on the mattress. The surrounding people: Cody, Carmen, and one of Jay’s girlfriends, Krista, were dead silent. Finally Nick lifted his arm and gave the thumbs up. They all breathed a sigh and went back to their conversations, not bothering to pick him up. Jalie lowered herself out of the window and onto a dumpster, hopping down. She crouched down beside Nick with a smirk.

“Well, I was gonna kick your ass but… You seem to have done a good enough job yourself. Ya fuckin’ jackass…” “Yo Lielee, you got glass in your head girl.” Jay called to her, climbing out of his truck. It was a classic Chevy; lowered and painted a deep burgundy to match the plush interior… Including the fuzzy dice. On the hood was a detailed painting of a latina woman, covering her assets with the flag of Mexico. Jalie stood and wiped the blood from her eye. Krista looked like she was gonna be sick. Carmen was busy adjusting her bra. Cody winced as Jalie pulled it out slowly and examined it.

“Leave it to Nick to come up with an injury I haven’t been afflicted with yet.” She noted, casually.

“You’re sick, you know that?” Cody told her. She smiled.

“Yes, and you love me for it.” She added.

Cody shook his head and went back inside the apartment. Carmen was eyeing a group of young guys by the pool playing poker.

“Hey Krista, you wanna learn how to land some free cash?” She asked.

Jay’s little blonde arm candy studied Carmen for a moment.

“You mean like an ATM? Cause my mom says they just give you money that’s already yours, it’s not really free.” She warned.

Carmen shot Jay a glance, raising her eyebrow.

“Hey, look who’s talkin’ Miss ‘If a rabbits foot is lucky then a whole rabbit must be a miracle’.” Jay taunted.

“Hey! You loved Mister Fuzzywubbles JUST as much as I did!” Carmen shot back.

“I picked up pellets for three fucking weeks, bambina. ‘Til the neighbors dog finally did the job I’d been dying to do and made a meal outta the little fucker.” Jay snickered.

Suddenly, he was knocked to the ground by a shot to the head with a discarded two by four. Jalie tossed it aside and made her way back into the apartment as Carmen led Krista off for a lesson in feminine wiles.

When Jalie found Cody upstairs he was leaning over the railing, watching Carmen flirt with the guys at the pool. His expression was odd… Blatantly jealous, yet attempting to disguise it with a look of distant carelessness.

“You need the bathroom or something dude?” Jalie asked. Cody snapped out of it and turned his attention to her.

“What? No… No I’m fine.”

“Why don’t you just take her back, man? You practically dry hump her every time you fucking look at her.” Jalie pointed out.

Cody laughed. “I don’t know. Just waiting to see if she’s back to normal. It kinda seems to good to be true.”

“I know what you mean, trust me.” Jalie assured him.

Cody’s expression darkened. He was looking down into the parking lot where a black Escalade had pulled in beside Jalie’s El Camino. Jalie followed his gaze and frowned.

“What the fuck is he doing here…?” She asked, more to herself than Cody.

Seth Thomas stepped out of the SUV and removed his sunglasses. He looked up at the balcony to see his wife and the man he used to count as his brother. He smirked at Cody and sauntered up the stairs. Jalie made a quick step between the two.

“You’ve got some fucking nerve showing up at MY goddamn house, you son of a bitch.” Cody snarled.

“You’ll get over it.” Seth said casually.

Cody made to lunge at him, but Jalie held him back with some difficulty.

“Cody, please,” she begged, “not now. If only for me. I don’t wanna see this.”

Cody appeared to be having some sort of internal struggle. And Seth making faces at him behind Jalie’s back didn’t help matters.

“I swear to God, Seth, I’m gonna fucking-”

“Ah ah ah, lucky for me I’m not a religious man. The only thing I worship is my gorgeous little wife here. So if you don’t mind, I’ll be taking her home now.” Seth informed him.

Jalie raised an eyebrow.

“Bullshit. She’s a grown woman and she can make her own decisions, so I say she’s staying right here.” Cody shot back.

“Enough!” Jalie threw her hands up in frustration. “I am not a goddamn trophy! Seth, I WAS gonna go home with you but now you’ve decided to make my decisions for me, I’ve changed my mind…”

Cody flashed Seth a superior smile. Jalie glared at Carson.

“And as for you, I’m not fucking staying with you either.” She told him, wiping the smirk off Carson’s face.

At this point, Hobo Nick came wobbling up the stairs. He’d found himself an old crooked crutch in a dumpster downstairs and was using it to support his bum leg. He stepped up by Jalie and shot the two men a cold look.

“Seth, go home. Cody, shut your mouth. Jalie, go inside.” He ordered.

Jalie turned, walking into her sister Carmen’s apartment and slamming the door. Nick turned back to Seth and Cody.

“You two got shit to deal with in the ring. Keep it away from the woman, she’s fucked up enough as it is. Now… Drop it.”

Seth made to advance on Cody anyway. Nick hit him in the shin with his crutch, making Seth yelp. Cody chuckled and received a shot to the shin as well.

“Start any more shit here and I’ll drop both your asses off the balcony.” Nick threatened.

Neither of them responded, but continued to eye one another.

“Alright, first one to start shit here has to share a room with me for a month.”

Both Cody and Seth grimaced. Seth placed his sunglasses back on and gave Cody one last sneer.

“My wife won’t always be around to save your ass, Carson…”

Seth headed back down the stairs. He was climbing into the escalade as Cody leaned over the balcony to yell at him.

“Your wife is Hobo Nick? Whoa, dude…”

Seth rolled his eyes and got in the truck, pulling out of the parking lot. Suddenly Cody got a shot to the back of the head with Nick’s crutch.

“Never insult me like that again.” Nick stated.

He hobbled off into Carmen’s apartment, leaving Cody rubbing the back of his head as the scene faded out.

Honestly people…

The kid looks like an eight year old with ‘roid rage. And I’m supposed to be on my guard. Bull. Fucking. Shit.

I wouldn’t be on my guard if I was a deer in hunting season. With pink fur… And reflectors on my ass. Because I am not a cautious person. I walk out with the intention of hurting whoever happens to be out there. Caution has nothing to do with it. Especially in the case of such a sad, sad individual.

And this kid is the AWA Continental champion? What happened to Arnette? How the hell did he lower himself to losing to this guy? Not that Arnette was that great to begin with, but he was a right sight better than The Rumbler.

Meh, but whatever. I’ll do what I need to week by week. I’m not out for glory, or gold, or money. I’m in this business because I genuinely enjoy hurting others. So whoever I face, it doesn’t really matter. Hell, besides, I already beat the shit out of this kid once before. I mean, you may wonder why he never tried to start shit with me after the whole ordeal with Cody’s stable. And me smacking him upside the head with a crowbar.

Why? Because I warned him. And so far, he’s listened. So he’s not a complete imbecile… And if nothing else, at least he’s got that going for him.