Scene One
The scene faded in to the backyard of the Thomas' home. In the illustrious setting five of the six active members of Wicked Intentions were lounging around the bong shaped pool - one of the many unique instalments prior to their inheritance. Jalie was in a baby blue bikini top with a pair of dark blue guys swimming shorts on; her matching thong peaking out from the back. Cyprus was in a yellow floral print bikini top with a matching sun skirt over the bottoms. Kendra was in a black and white string bikini. Seth was in a lounge chair wearing a pair of red and white swimming shorts, a white beater and a pair of black flip flops. Orphan sported only a pair of black and silver swimming shorts.
"Cannonball!"
Orphan quickly jumped up and charged for the pool. With reckless abandon he hurled himself into the water in as tight of a ball as he could. The girls were impressed by his form, distance and technique; which they kindly displayed on the cards they held up. Jalie a seven. Cyprus a seven point five. Kendra a perfect ten. The other girls glanced over to her. Kendra gave them a smile and a slight shrug. Cyprus reached over and pushed her into the pool.
"There is no room for bias in this pool!"
Jalie announced as she stood up. She took off the swimming shorts and stepped back. In no time she lunged herself into the water in a very awkward manner, almost like a bird being shot from the sky. Taking a big gulp of air as she surfaced, she yelled towards Seth.
"What do you think, honey?"
Seth reached next to him and picked up the stick with a sign on the end of it. Clearly, he gave her a ten. This spawned grunts and moans of disagreement to which he responded by turning the sign around to display a giant middle finger. He set the sign back down and sipped on his iced tea.
"I think she's fucking the judge."
Orphan complained. Jalie climbed out of the pool and laid back down next to Cyprus. Kendra and Orphan remained in the pool, splashing around with each other. With everybody else preoccupied, Seth had a moment to think to himself. Things aren't all that bad. Even without the Youngblood title, my career in the AWA is still on the rise. It's been shaky to this point but I feel things are really going to look up, especially with the Continental title in my near future.
"Whatcha' thinking about, babe?"
Seth jerked back to reality, looking at his wife squinting in the sun. She could tell from the distant look on his face he was in deep thought about something.
"Tuesday night."
He sipped on his iced tea, not elaborating on the subject. Jalie got up and walked over to Seth.
"You're not worried, are you?"
She asked as she straddled him on the lounger. Seth let out a chuckle as she drummed on his stomach.
"Not at all. Got the game plan up here."
Seth tapped the side of his head with confidence. Jalie grinned and raised her eyebrows.
"Is that so, mister mastermind?"
"Indeed it is. It's not going to be easy, but I'm confident we can pull it off."
"And what is this elaborate plan of yours."
Jalie wiggled a little and put her hands on her hips.
"It's not exactly rocket science. Everybody knows that Scotty's not a hundred percent after his collision with that car."
"So you're going to eliminate the sick one then take down the bigger threat."
Jalie nods her head and crosses her arms.
"Exactly. Normally I'd say Simon would be the better one to take out first because, let's face it, even though Scotty's a lot of brawn he doesn't exactly have Simon's brains. But with the giant bulls-eye on Polo's back it weighs in differently. Scotty will fall quicker than usual then the numbers will eventually catch up with Simon. I don't care who you are, no matter how good you are inside that ring, you can't fend off two guys forever. It's not a matter of getting it done quickly. The longer the match goes the more it'll favour Lance and I."
"Not to mention the fact that you two are infinitely more talented than them… Well, at least you are. Lance is learning our ways, though. I rather think he's become our bright-eyed student. They're just too cocky for their own good… It'll probably end up fucking them over. Scotty's still high on himself for holding the Chaosweight title, like it's some tremendous achievement. I held that title… And consequently forfeit it because it's a joke. Polo, for one, can't even get into his own girlfriend's pants, and he wants to try and be a badass. It's laughable. Both of them are just long-winded, monotone slutbags who are jealous of the fact that we have real charisma. Polo wants to say we don't pull ratings… Which is bullshit, and he knows it. Anyone who has to resort to an Ace Ventura line is clearly at the end of their rope."
Seth rubs his hands over Jalie's hips and smiles. He could tell she was starting to get worked up on the matter and didn't want to ruin the fun. That was the point of the day - to relax and have fun. At least it was, until Jalie said these five words.
"Have you talked to Chris?"
Seth's smile faded. It'd been something he'd been putting off for the last couple weeks. He knew the problems it would start and he didn't really want to go through with it, but he knew he had to. It would give him closure to a past he'd been running from for ten years. He let out a sigh. Jalie didn't need an answer, she already knew.
"Babe, you need to quit putting it off. I've told you it was your decision but you kept insisting on it, so if you're going to do it, do it. I'm tired of seeing you wallow around every time it's mentioned."
She runs her hands through his hair and cups his face.
"It'll be better the sooner you get it over with. And besides, even if Chris doesn't want to believe you, at least you tried. After all, this is what you've wanted, isn’t it? You're burdening yourself with something that wasn't your fault and it's time that people actually listened to you. I just don’t want to see you weigh yourself down with this any longer than what you have to. You have good friends, a multi-million dollar home that we didn't have to pay a cent for, and a loving wife who's with you every step of the way. You're career in AWA is really taking off. You have all these things to look forward to."
She leans forward and kisses him.
"Awe, come on. Let me see that smile."
Not able to control it, Seth let out a little smile. This sparked an even bigger one from Jalie followed by another kiss. Jalie springs up and holds out her hands for Seth.
"Come on, I'll come with you."
He reluctantly took Jalie's hands and stood up. Jalie lead him off towards the house and entered through the glass doors in the kitchen. Seth let out a sigh as Jalie grabbed the cordless phone from the wall in the dining room and set it on the table. She grabbed his shirt to pull him down and gave him a kiss.
"You're doing the right thing."
She caressed his face and gave him one more kiss. Wanting him to feel as comfortable as possible, she left the room to give him some privacy. She knew it wasn't going to be easy for him and didn't want to make it more awkward than it had to be. Seth picked up the phone and let out a sigh. What am I going to say? All sorts of possibilities began to flood his mind, which only made things worse. The phone rang only for a few seconds, but it seemed like an eternity. Let the machine get it. He figured it would be better if it could be put off a little longer, but that's never the case. Just as Seth finished his plea he heard his brother's voice on the other end.
"Hello?"
Fuck.
"Hey Chris, uh, what's up?
He tried to sound as casual as possible so not to alert his brother of anything. Struggling on how to go about things made it harder to get even the mundane things out.
"Eh, nothing much. I just dropped Denise off at the doctor's office. How about you?
The mention of her name made Seth tense up even more. He could tell the hesitation on his end had Chris a little suspicious. Hoping it would help his mind function more clearly, he took a seat at one of the dining room chairs.
"Look, Chris, there's something I need to talk to you about."
Seth's heart sank at the realization this was all taking place. He had promised he wouldn't bring up the past anymore once Chris forgave and forgot about what he assumed happened that night. Seth felt guilty enough that he gave in and accepted the blame. He was the one who took the lighter in the room. He was the one who escaped. That's all anybody would acknowledge when he would try to explain.
"I don't really know how to go about this…"
Seth confessed. He had been trying to prepare for this over the last week but it didn't make a difference. He let out a deep breath before continuing.
"It's about Denise."
There was silence on the other end of the phone. Not just any silence - that silence where you can almost swear you hear the person's heart beating faster.
"What about Denise?"
He recognized the tone in Chris' voice. It wasn't so much of an inquiry as an accusation. What could his little brother tell him about his fiancée he wouldn't already know?
"I know I promised not to bring this up again…"
"Then don't."
Chris knew where he was going, and Seth knew he wasn't interested in hearing about it.
"Will you just give me a minute to explain?"
"Explain what my fiancée had to do with what you did? It was ten years ago, let it go."
"I did, until you introduced me to her."
"What does Denise have to do with you burning our house down?"
"I'll explain it if you give me a fucking chance to."
Chris was furious that not only did Seth start to bring all of this up again but the fact that he was trying to drag Denise into it as well. How could she possibly be involved in it? Seth was getting frustrated with his brother's lack of patience.
"Why should I? I can't even fathom why you would try to pull something like this."
"Give me five minutes to explain. No interruptions."
Silence fell on both ends once again. This was the signal for Seth to go on.
"That night, when I got home, mom and dad were already fighting. I headed upstairs to see what was going on. That's when that woman I told everybody about came running down the stairs.
"The imaginary one."
"For fuck sakes…"
Seth pulled the phone away from his ear and closed his eyes. It was all he could do not to throw the phone across the room, hoping that somehow it would find it's way to his brother. Why is it so fucking hard for him to listen…? Seth took a deep breath and put the phone up to his ear.
"Are you done being a dick?"
"The clock's ticking."
Apparently not.
"That woman I saw running down those steps is the same woman you introduced me to at the barbeque."
"Don't be ridiculous."
"Quit interrupting me."
"How long do you expect me to sit here and listen to this shit?"
"For another two minutes and forty-six seconds, according to my watch."
Seth didn't bother checking, he knew it didn't really matter. It was more out of frustration that he threw a random number out.
"That look in her eyes, that marking on her chin. Those are not things that I would easily forget, ten years past or not. I'm telling you, it's her."
"What's the point of all this, anyways? What's bringing all this back up going to solve?"
"Because it'll prove that I didn't do it."
"So you're trying to say that she set fire to the house? Don’t be ridiculous."
"I'm not. It was… It was mom."
Seth slumped back into the chair. This was the first time he ever said it. It was almost as though a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, but at the same time a new one replaced it. Chris wasn't buying it.
"First you try to place the blame on Denise, and now you're saying mom killed dad and herself? You're a real piece of work, Seth."
"Listen, da-"
"No. I'm through listening to this bullshit. I gave you five minutes and all you've succeeded in doing was pissing me off. Great job, I might add."
Seth went to argue back but winced when the sound of the phone slamming on the other end rang through his head. He clicked the phone off and tossed it on the table. What a fucking mess. Seth ran his fingers through his hair and took a long, deep breath. He rested an elbow on the table and massaged his forehead, trying to collect his thoughts. Now what am I going to do? With a swipe of his hand Seth knocked the phone off the table and stood up. The only thing he could think to make himself feel better was to scream. He tilted his head back and did just that.
"FUCK!"
Seth stormed out of the dining room and the scene faded out. Scene Two - Match Talk
The scene faded into an empty locker room. Seth was sat in a steel chair with his duffle bag propped up on the bench next to him. The camera moved closer as he began the process of removing tape from his hands and wrists. Sweat dribbled down his face as he sat there in a pair of athletic shorts and trainers. After running his hands over he his head he finally acknowledged the camera.
"Scotty Polo is a truly amazing person, isn't he? He can go from a complete pussy to a self-proclaimed baddass and back again in less time than it would take the average person to tie their shoes. Here is a man that likes to toss around selective pictures and give a little lesson on winning. What he lacks is the whole truth. Let me explain…"
Seth shuffled through his duffle bag and pulled out a few pictures.
"In order to effectively inform your audience you must present them with the whole picture. Yes, I lost to a cardboard box at Lost Souls. Yes, I was irate afterwards and apparently stormed past Simon's locker room in my rage. All mistakes. I'm not afraid to admit when I make a mistake. But what about you Scotty? I have a few pictures here of my own that I printed off from AWA.com."
Seth held one of the pictures up to the camera.
"This here is Mr. Polo laying in the middle of the street in Phoenix. And who’s that on top of him? That would be Christian Barrows. Now, contrary to what Scotty may like to admit this resulted in a win for Barrows, which happened just last week."
Seth tossed the picture and held another one up to the screen.
"This here is Mr. Polo arguing with Callisto. What is happening here is that Callisto doesn't approve of what Scotty is about to do with her latest fling. Rather than getting the job done like any professional would have done, he allowed himself to be distracted long enough for this to happen."
Seth tossed that photo away and held up another.
"There here is Mr. Polo in mid-flight. After allowing himself to be distracted he was pushed into traffic which resulted in him getting hit by this car. Not only did his mistake have a serious effect on himself and the match, it also had it's effects on her."
Seth now held up a picture of Sinnamon.
"Here is his girlfriend standing off on the sidewalk in the middle of freaking out. What a piece of work she is. Not only is Scotty having to share her with Callisto, he doesn't even pull rank on her. She did nothing to keep Callisto from getting to Scotty, which ultimately lead to the accident. So in essence I could say that it was her fault for not standing up for Scotty, which even Simon himself told him. Not only is she the cause for his accident, she doesn't even put out for him. Yes, this is a man who will defend the woman up and down but doesn't get any for it. I would call him whipped, but that requires pussy. Sorry Scotty, you don’t count. Why does he defend her? Be cause he loves her. It's pathetic seeing a grown man like him turning into absolute mush over her. Grow a fucking set."
Seth tore the picture in half and tossed them behind him. His next picture was one of Simon and himself.
"This here is what happened the last time Simon and I met. I beat him at his own game. Not once did I resort to what he would consider "cheating" and I still beat him. And now he has no respect for me? Care to explain that one for me? You swear up and down about how you respect me in that ring until I beat you cleanly. That is what's commonly known as a sore loser. You can bitch about how Orphan didn't do shit being the referee, but it was true. We both had to put up with him at the time but in the end it was me reversing the Overnight Sensation and getting the one, two, three. Not happy about it? Then go play a little game of hide and go fuck yourself."
Seth tossed the picture down and now sat upright.
"Winners don't go easy on their opponents. Winners don't allow themselves to be distracted by their girlfriend's girlfriend. What a winner does is win at all costs. That is what I do. Perhaps you should learn to do the same."
Seth now relaxed and sat back in his chair.
"It's not about how many wins you have, it's about where thos wins came from. You can go around and beat jobber after jobber, week in and week out and it won't get you anywhere. I, myself, have a pin fall victory over the current World champion in Alex Wilkins. The only two-time champion in AWA history, I might add. The former World champion and arguabley the greatest Youngblood champion in Angela Jameson. And finally, I have a couple ticks against the current Continental champion, Simon Sensation. That, my friend, speaks for itself."
Seth scratched his chin momentarily, collecting his thoughts before he continued.
"Speaking of Simon, how are you doing? The last time I saw you, you were throwing a weighted cardboard box at me. I tried to find you afterwards but I couldn't. I never really pictured you as the kind guy to hide behind Lexus' skirt, but stranger things have happened."
Seth gave a smug smirk and shruged his shoulders.
"Although I must say that I am glad you've strayed from your goody ways and realized that winning takes a certain measure of fortitude to do what is necessary. You know that after our last encounter that beating me straight up wasn't as easy as you thought. I pulled a page out of your book and now you're trying to beat me at my own game. Are we witnessing the moral downfall of Simon Sensation as we know it? Wouldn't you have to run to confession if you poked Orphan in the eye or kicked me the shin?"
Seth's eyes widened and he covered his mouth in horror.
"You give a lecture several weeks ago about what a champion should be and the moral fibre they should posses and now you turn around and resort to my type of actions? The ones you crucified in that very speech? You're nothing but a hypocrite on a mental high. Go ahead, live it up. Shine that title up real nice and take it everywhere with you. The fact of the matter still remains that the last win you have is against Jimmy Stryker. Prior to that I believe you were beaten by not only myself but Alex as well. Bitch about how they came about but it doesn't change the fact that you lost to the both of us. In fact, I get to boast about a win in both cases, since it was my team that won that match. Doesn't it piss you off that lately you just can't seem to get rid of that one person that stands for everything you hate? How can you go around and consider yourself so much better than me when I hold two victories over you in our last two encounters. Is it because you have that Continental title you cherish so much? The title reign that only justifies two wins over Stryker? I wouldn't be too proud about that. But still you keep on like you're the only person in this place worthy enough to lace their boots. Like everybody should kiss your ass because you believe that you're the saving grace for the AWA. Here's a little piece of reality for you."
Seth sat up in chair once more, giving the camera his undivided attention.
"Get the fuck over yourself. You haven't done shit lately to merit that title you hold so dearly. The excuses can only pile up so much before overwhelm you and somebody noticed that you're not quite as good as you thought you were. You keep stepping on everybody's toes, well, I'm the type of person to stomp on them, poke you in the eyes and walk away with the victory while you piss and moan about how I cheated to do it. There's people like you, who believe things should be the way they want them to be. Then there's people like me ,who accept the way things are and still get the job done. I'm not buying your shit, Simon. And soon enough I'll be taking that piece of gold away from you. Mark my words.
The camera slowly backed away and faded out.