Lessons From History

I had two goals heading into this World Title Contender Series.  The first goal, the primary goal, was to become number one contender for the SCW World Championship.  The second goal was simply to prove to the SCW universe that I have arrived.  The second goal was to earn the respect of each and every individual who wrestles for Supreme Championship Wrestling.

No, I didn’t become the number one contender for the SCW World Championship, but based upon my performance throughout this series, I believe it’s safe to say that I have earned the respect of the SCW locker room.  It is safe to say that I have proven to the athletes who compete in this company that I am a threat, that I am a force to be reckoned with, and that someday I will be SCW World Champion.

In other words, I have silenced my critics.

Well, maybe there is still one critic, but that critic is an individual whose opinion I don’t really value.  Christy Matthews has already proven to me through the actions she’s taken throughout this series that her opinions are not to be taken seriously, because she clearly doesn’t take any of this seriously.

If she’s the final critic I have to silence then so be it, but truth be told, I don’t need to prove myself to her.  All I want to do is shut her mouth and send her self-entitled ass packing to the back of the line. And that’s exactly what I intend to do at Learning From History.

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Scene 1

Off Camera

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The World Championship Contender Series didn’t turn out the way Marie Annabelle Jones had hoped.  At the end of the day it was Bree Lancaster, not Marie Jones, who won the title shot.  But Marie is grateful for one thing at least; she proved that she is a major league player in Supreme Championship Wrestling.  She defeated two former world champions in the form of Ace Marshall and Christy Matthews to get as close as she did to earning that world championship match.  She may not have a title shot, but she earned the respect of nearly everyone in the SCW locker room.

Nearly everyone; there is still one person left to deal with, one critic left to silence and that individual is Christy Matthews, a person whom Marie still takes great issue with due to her approach to this entire contenders series.  But Marie will get the opportunity to deal with Christy at a later date; specifically at the Learning From History pay per view.

Dealing with Christy isn’t the only thing on the mind of Marie Jones at this moment.  She still worries about her mother, the matriarch of the Jones family Angelica Jones, who has recently showed signs of mental instability.

Up until this point, Marie has been told not to worry too much about her mother.  Her husband Arthur, her aunt Kayla, even her parish priest seems to suggest that others can take care of Angelica and that diverting all of her time and attention onto her mother could be detrimental to other aspects of her life; namely, her wrestling career.

Marie understands the gravity of the situation and what that would mean.  She only just recently took the steps necessary to get closer to a future world title shot.  She earned the respect of the SCW locker room.  To lose that now could mean she never gets it back.  And yet, she has always believed that family comes first.  She had always believed that she should look out for family before anything and everything else in her own life.

“I can’t believe my mother!  I just can’t believe her!”

And based on the upset voice of Marie Annabelle Jones, it seems as if this situation has taken yet another strange turn.  The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling is pacing the carpeted floor of her living room.  She has no shoes on but does wear a knee length black skirt and a long sleeve red sweater. Her husband, Arthur Pond, sits in a comfy chair directly across from his pacing wife.  A smirk is on his face.

“You seem upset.”  Arthur answers back.

“Of course I’m upset!” Marie exclaims as she stops momentarily to stare down her husband. “My mother is on the verge of snapping.  She is on the verge of a mental and emotional breakdown.  And I want to help her,” she points a finger at Arthur “but you and my Aunt Kayla and even my own priest and so many others think I should just leave well enough alone.  Each and every one of you think I should stay out of it and let her descend into madness!”

“Now Marie,” Arthur sighs and shakes his head “that’s not what we suggested.  We merely suggested that you find a happy medium, a balance between your family life and your professional life.”

“Or in other words, ignore my mother’s problem.” Marie sneers as she resumes her pacing.

“No, what we…or at least what I mean…is that you should find a balance and not to ignore either one.  Consider this, Marie, people are really starting to sit up and take notice of you since you beat the likes of Ace Marshall and Christy Matthews, two former world champions, in that triple threat match.”

“It didn’t do me any good.” Marie snaps back as she continues to pace the floor. “I still lost the series to Bree.”

“True, but you proved yourself a worthy contender.  You proved that you a threat to be taken seriously.  And to any other doubters out there, those few individuals, you will silence them by beating Christy Matthews one on one at Learning From History.”

Marie lets out a big sigh of exasperation.  She stops pacing and again turns to face her loving husband, whom she knows only cares about her and only wants to see the best for her, but she feels he just cannot understand the conflict that she is going through right now.

“All of that is true, I get that, and believe me, I look forward to teaching Christy a lesson, but I’ve always put loyalty to family above anything else.  The Jones family as a whole has always had each other’s back and I want to do what I can to help my mother in her own time of crisis.  But I was told not to worry about it, not let it get to me.  I was told to focus on the contender series and that my mom would be fine.  And then what did I learn?”

“I know…” Arthur remarks; nodding his head with a frown, almost as if he anticipates the worst and is bracing himself for it.

“My mother spoke with Kimberly…” she throws her arms up into the air out of frustration “…KIMBERLY of all people!”

Kimberly Williams is the identical twin sister of Marie Annabelle Jones.  On top of that, Kimberly had also just been through her own mental crisis.  It was for that reason that Angelica chose to open up to Kimberly first as opposed to anyone else in the family.  That knowledge doesn’t make it any better for Marie, who flipped out when she learned of the meeting between the two.

“And what is it about Kimberly that disqualifies her from talking to Angelica?”

“Seriously?” Marie blinks furiously, seemingly stunned that Arthur would pose such a question. “You are seriously asking me that?”

“Yes.”

“Fine.” Marie sighs deeply. “How about I start out with the fact that she, herself, only recently got medically cleared by a psychiatrist?”

“That should make her immensely qualified to speak to someone who is questioning their own mental instability, I would think.” Arthur retorts.

“Ok, how about the fact that I’m her daughter?”

“So is Kim.”

“But I’ve been there for mom far longer than Kimberly has.  They only recently discovered one another, Arthur.  Why go to her?  Why go to Kimberly instead of me?!”

“You’re not going to like my answer.” Arthur stands up out of his chair and places both of his strong hands upon his wife’s shoulders. “But your mother, as strong as she tries to appear, has gone through hell throughout her life.  She hides it well but I’m sure she’s hurting a great deal for many reasons.  And with you, while it is true that you and her have a greater history together, maybe even a stronger relationship together, Angelica made sure to protect you, some would argue that she tried to shelter you from certain problems of the real world, because she didn’t want you to endure the same kinds of problems that she had to endure.  She wanted you to have a better life than she had.”

Arthur smiles and nods his head. “And she should be commended for that, but Kimberly went through hell her life as well, and that makes her more qualified to help your mother than you are.  Besides, you’re right about the fact that Kimberly hasn’t had a chance to bond with Angelica in the same way you have.” He leans over and kisses Marie on the cheek. “So wouldn’t this be a great opportunity for Angelica to bond with the daughter she never got a chance to know?”

“I guess…” Marie’s voice trails off, pausing to think about things for a moment; finally, she nods her head “…I guess you’re right.  I hate to admit it, but you’re probably right.  I just hate the fact that…” Her voice trails off again as she shakes her head “…I hate the fact that I wasn’t there for mom.  It makes me feel guilty, you know?”

“I know but you can’t be the hero all of the time, Marie.  Sometimes you have to stand back and let others be the hero.  Sometimes you have to let others save you.”

“That’s hard to do, Arthur.” Marie says with a playful half-grin and a wink. “And you should know, because we’ve been together long enough that you should know me and know how I am.  I have that infamous Jones stubborn streak running right through me.  I won’t just let go that easily.”

“I do know, but you also need to know that it’s healthier for you if you just let go.  I really think this is one situation you don’t need to involve yourself in.  Your mother will get the help she needs.  Believe me.”

“I’m sure she will, but I just…” Marie shakes her head with exasperation written across her face.

“But what?” Arthur asks. “What else do you need, Marie?”

“I just need to know if my mom is ok.  That’s all.”

“That’s easy.” Arthur says with a knowing grin of his own. “Just ask Kim.”

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Scene 2

Off Camera

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It’s been a few hours since Marie and Arthur had their talk about Marie’s mother, Angelica Jones.  Marie’s primary concern was the fact that Angelica went to Kimberly first instead of Marie.  It shook Marie up to think that Angelica trusted Kimberly more on this issue than Marie herself.  And while Arthur seemed to explain the situation well enough, The Phoenix still wants to hear it for herself.  She wants to hear it straight from the source.  And while Angelica Jones may not be here, the next best thing still does live with Marie and Arthur…

…Kimberly Williams.

The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling ascends the stairs to the stairs to the second level of her home in Boston, Massachusetts.  When she reaches the second level it isn’t a long walk down the hall until she reaches the bedroom door of her identical twin sister.  Marie knocks on the door hoping to get Kimberly’s attention.

“Kim…are you awake?”

“Yeah, I’m awake.  Seriously, it’s just seven at night.”

“Oh, right…” Marie sighs “…uh, may I come in?”

“Sure.”

Marie pushes the door open and steps inside.  She finds Kimberly sitting on the end of her bed with her back turned towards Marie.  She walks up to the bed and sits down on the other side of the bed, with her back turned towards Kim.

“Arthur and I are thinking of going out somewhere tonight.  Do you want to come?”

“Nah, you and your boy toy have fun by yourselves.  I may find some rotten food and throw it at old people.”

“Be serious, Kim.” Marie says, rolling her eyes.

“I am being serious.” Kimberly remarks with a nasty snicker. “Throwing things at old people is fun!”

“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.” Marie responds.

“So much frustration in your voice, sis.” Kimberly swings her feet back onto the bed and turns around to face Marie.  Kimberly slowly crawls over so that she is side by side with her identical twin. “Are you upset about something?”

“No.” Marie snaps back quickly. “I’m fine.”

“I’ll give you credit for one thing, babe.  You are a spectacularly BAD liar.” Kimberly says, winking at Marie.

“I’m not lying!”

“Another spectacularly bad lie!”

“No, I’m not lying.” Marie insists, shaking her head.

“Look, we’re not just sisters, but we’re twins.  I think I know you better than anyone else.  Hell, I WAS you for a few months during that stage when I was kinda crazy and sorta, kinda kidnapped you and stuff.”

“You did kidnap me, Kim.” Marie says, frowning. “There is no ‘sorta’ or ‘kinda’ about it.”

“Whatever.” Kimberly says, rolling her eyes. “Point is, I know you.  And I know when you’re lying.  So just give it up already and tell me what’s up.  I’ll keep bothering the hell out of you until you tell me.  So you may as well just get it over with and tell me.”

Normally the Jones stubborn streak would kick in and cause Marie to fight back but logic tells her that Kimberly is right.  Her twin sister may act like she’s crazy but she’s very shrewd and very smart.  She knows what she’s doing and she can figure out someone rather quickly.  Kimberly, no doubt, already knows for a fact that Marie is lying.

“You saw mom…”

“Yeah, I did.” Kimberly remarks with a confused look on her face. “What’s your point?”

“How is she?”

“She’s fine, all things considered.” Kimberly says, shrugging her shoulders, as she isn’t quite sure what Marie wants to know. “More than anything else she’s scared.”

“What is she scared of?”

“The mental hospital.  She was locked up once before, as you know, and she’s afraid of being locked up again if she were to go get professional help.”

“Yeah, that’d make sense.” Marie says, nodding her head.

“I think she’ll do the right thing, though.”

“You mean she’ll get the help she needs?”

“If that’s what’s best for her, then yes.”

“Of course it’s what’s best for her, Kim!” Marie exclaims.

“Who am I to be the judge of that?” Kimberly asks with a wink.

“It’s just that…” Marie sighs and shakes her head “…look, just so long as mom is fine, I’m ok.”

Marie hops up off of the bed and starts to walk out but Kimberly, sensing that her twin sister is still hiding something, rolls off the bed and follows her.

“Marie, wait!” Kimberly rushes to the door and shuts the door before Marie can even open it. “We need to talk.”

“We’ve talked, Kim.” Marie responds calmly. “There’s nothing else to talk about.”

“Oh sure there is.” Kim responds with a sly grin. “We could talk about what is really bothering you.”

“There’s nothing bothering me.”

“Sure there is.” Kim grins knowingly. “In fact, I bet I can guess what it is.”

“No you can’t!”

“Ah-ha!” Kimberly starts jumping up and down excitedly. “You admit something else is bothering you!”

“I admit nothing!” Marie vehemently shakes her head.

“Oh there you go lying again.” Kimberly playfully touches Marie on the nose. “Lying isn’t good, sweetie.  Didn’t mommy ever teach you that?”

“Why don’t you tell me?!” Marie exclaims loudly and angrily. “You seem to talk to her more than me lately!”

“And there we go.” Kimberly says confidently. “Therein lies our problem.”

“Huh?  What are you…?” Then it hits Marie and her look of confusion contorts as she realizes what just happened. “Oh, right…yeah…”

“So, would ya mind filling in the details before I embarrass you further?”

Kimberly takes Marie by her hand and guides her back over to the bed.  The twin siblings sit back down on the edge of the bed.  Marie sighs and nods her head.

“I admit, Kim…it bothered me when I learned that mom asked you to talk to her about her problems and not me.”

“Why would that bother you?”

“I’ve been around her more than you, Kim.  She’s always been there for me and whenever she’s needed me I was there for her.  I guess I was jealous of you.”

“Jealous?” Kimberly is stunned and yet also apparently pleased just so slightly. “You were jealous of me?”

“Yeah.”

“All this time I wanted to be you, I was jealous of the relationship you had with our mom, and now this one time you are jealous of me.” Kimberly chuckles. “I hate it for you, but it does kinda feel sweet.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Sorry,” Kimberly quickly states “but seriously, there’s no need to feel jealous.  Trust me, as someone who felt that very same feeling for the longest time, there is no need to feel that way.  Mom probably still loves you more than me, anyway.  It’s just that my unique experience when it comes to mental instability made me more suitable to help her, you know?”

“I know, and I also know that you needed this time to bond with our mother; so I am happy for you, Kim.  It ‘s just difficult to accept that I have to share her.”

“What do you mean?  You always had to share her.  There’s Jessica, our half-sister, remember her?”

“Yes,” Marie nods her head “but she’s always been a bit of a loner.  Plus she still has a biological father who is very much active in her life.  I only had mom so I kinda hogged her to myself.” Marie grins sheepishly. “I guess I’ll have to learn to share her.”

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On Camera

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This contender series has come and gone and while it did not go my way, I still am damn proud of what I did.  I fought with the best of them in the battle royal at The Future Is Now to earn my spot in the series.  And unlike SOME PEOPLE I actually tried in the battle royal.  I fought my ass off in that battle royal.  And while SOME PEOPLE took shortcuts throughout the series and lost, I fought my ass off each and every step of the way, and while there were some instances that I lost, there was one big match I won and that was the time I defeated not one but TWO former world champions in the same damn match.

No, I did not become number one contender to the world championship, but I am a former United States Champion and in the process of this contender series I proved that I can hang in the main event scene and that someday soon I will be SCW World Champion.  Even in defeat I still earned the respect of the SCW locker room because of what I managed to do in this contender series.

While we’re talking respect, Christy Matthews, I can honestly say that I have lost all respect for you.  I will tell you why in a moment but first let me just state for the record that I think the name of this upcoming pay per view, Learning From History, is an appropriate name.  I am a student of the game, Christy.  I have studied the past, I have studied the illustrious history of Supreme Championship Wrestling, and more specifically, I have looked at those who have held its top prize, the World Championship, and what I noticed that each and every one of them have in common is a drive and determination to be the best.

You used to have that drive and determination.  The fact that you once held that championship is proof positive of that.  But either you forgot the lessons of history or you’ve just stubbornly chosen to ignore them, either way you are no longer that person you used to be.  You no longer have that same drive and determination that made you a world champion, that made you one of the best.

This has nothing to do with taking shortcuts, by the way.  You mentioned taking shortcuts and how that’s “no big deal”…you mentioned that the Jones family does it all the time…and you know what, I won’t deny that.  The Jones family knows every dirty trick in the book.  Hell, we invented some of them.  So yeah, we have taken shortcuts before, but what you did during the contender series is not just merely taking a shortcut.

You were choosing not to compete at all until it suited you.  That’s something less than “a shortcut”; it’s something worse.  Because not competing shows me and it shows everyone else that you don’t give a damn whether you win or not.

All you did throughout this series was prove that you no longer have the heart to keep you going in this business.  All you proved was that you did not have that same drive and determination that made you great.  And because of that you have lost the respect I had for you and I’m sure there are others in the locker room who no longer respect you either.

You clearly have not learned from history, because if you had learned from history then you would have known that you need to fight like hell each and every night in order to get that golden ticket to greatness.  If you want to be champion, you need to show that you still have the drive and determination to do what’s necessary to get things done.

But hell, you weren’t doing a damn thing in the contender series.  In fact, looking back at things, I made a mistake in choosing to eliminate you.  I should have eliminated Ace instead and let you be a part of the triple threat against Bree and myself.  Then I know it would’ve just been one on one me against Bree because you damn sure would’ve sat on your fat dumpy ass and did nothing while Bree and I fought to see who was the best.

You can’t be bothered to actually DO anything, can you?

There’s an old saying, Christy.  And I hope you listen to this and listen well.  But that old saying goes, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.”

I have been an active wrestler since 2007 and I have damn sure learned the lessons of history.  I know how cutthroat this business is and I know what it takes to get ahead.  I also know that each company is its own distinct animal and I have just about figured out how to get along in Supreme Championship Wrestling.  You could say I’m evolving my game.

But you, you’re regressing.  You have not learned a damn thing since the last time you were a title holder in SCW.  You’re getting worse.  Instead of earning your opportunities by fighting, by busting your ass, and earning it the hard way, you expect sit idly by and have the opportunity fall into your lap.  Seriously, how else did you think you would earn a title shot if you were just going to not do anything throughout this contender series?  Were you seriously expecting Mr. D to just hand you a title shot because your name is Christy Matthews?

It doesn’t work that way you self-entitled bitch.  You earn your way in Supreme Championship Wrestling.  You once believed that but now you’ve forgotten it.  Perhaps it’s time for a refresher course and I’m just the teacher to drill those lessons into your skull.

And the best way I know how to drill those lessons into your skull is by driving your head into the mat with an Ave Maria.  Or maybe you’ll figure out that something’s wrong with your approach if I humble you and make you tap out in front of the entire world at Lessons From History?

However this ends, whether by a pin fall after the Ave Maria or a tap out from the Angel’s Arch, either way you will learn to respect me and you will learn to respect this industry because I will beat that respect into you.

Finding Balance

Just when you think I’m down for the count, just when you think I’m done for, I rise back up from the grave, just like The Phoenix that I represent.  You can’t kill The Phoenix and you can’t kill Marie Jones.  My career with SCW seemingly hit a skid after losing the United States Championship but I now find myself in a race with four other of the best SCW has to offer with the right to compete for the SCW World Heavyweight Championship on the line.

This race began at The Future Is Now and while I may be lagging behind I am not about to rest on my laurels and I am not about to give up.  I’ve run into some troubles, I’ve run into some bumps in the road, but I’m going to refocus and redouble my efforts. I am more determined than ever to make sure the world recognizes that I am not only a force to be reckoned with but I am a future world champion.

In 2017 I won singles gold in UWA, GCW, and SCW.  Definitely nothing to be ashamed of.  But I want more because I know I am capable of so much more.  So now that the new year has been ushered in, 2017 is gone and 2018 has arrived, I am ready to put the past behind me and look forward to the future.

What I want for the future, my future, is to take the next step in my career with SCW.  I am ready to win another world championship, the most coveted world championship in professional wrestling.  And no one will stop me, not even Ace Marshall or Christy Matthews.

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Scene 1

Off Camera

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Our Lady of the Annunciation Catholic Church towers high into the Boston, Massachusetts sky, looking ever so regal and majestic with its gothic architecture.  Standing outside, in the parking lot area, looking up with awe struck eyes at this awesome building, is Marie Annabelle Jones.  Despite being raised  Roman Catholic, despite being raised in this specific church, Marie is still impressed each and every time she sees the magnificent structure that now stands before her.  White marble steps lead up to a pair of impressive large brown oak doors.  The sides of this building are beautiful red brick that towers high into the sky, topped off by a white cross at its peak.  Jones wears a long flowing black maxi skirt, black high heeled pumps underneath, a white silk blouse, and a matching floral print black blazer.  Her long red hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length.

The parking lot is practically empty with the exception of a handful of other vehicles.  Marie is the only person standing outside of her vehicle as she still stares at the awesome structure.  It’s approximately one hour before the start of mass and that is when the local priest tends to do confession.  She is here not just for that purpose, but for another reason; something else is troubling the mind of Marie Annabelle Jones on this day.

She notices another vehicle rolling into the parking lot.  Marie decides then to go ahead and make her way towards the church. It is best that she not get behind a long line of people wanting to go to confession.  Jones walks across the parking lot and up to the marble steps that lead to the front door.  Jones pulls the doors open and steps inside into the narthex where she immediately sees the vestibule, a large, standing font or pool used to perform the sacrament of Baptism.  Smaller, wall-mounted holy water fonts are found near the interior church doors.

The Phoenix approaches the inner doors, touches the holy water with her fingers, and makes the sign of the cross on her forehead and bows her head and mutters a low, quick prayer to herself, before entering the church sanctuary itself.  The sanctuary is carpeted with red carpeting which is very soft and comforting.  Two columns of pews are on either side of Jones as she looks down a long center aisle that leads up to the front of the church, the altar.  The altar and the pews are separated by a rail where worshipers may kneel if they so choose.  The altar itself is just behind the rail, as is a crucifix which is mounted on the wall.  Finally a pulpit is to the left.  Behind the pulpit is a beautiful life-size statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  On the opposite side of the Mary statue is a life sized statue of Joseph, holding the infant Jesus.

Instead of going up front, however, Marie turns to the right and walks over to find the confessional booths.  She steps inside, pulling the door shut behind her.  She kneels down.

“Bless me, Father, for I have sinned.  It has been…um…” Marie stutters, holding back out of embarrassment, but the priest on the other side of the confessional booth will not let her off that easy.

“Yes, what is it?”

“…uh, it’s been two years, three months, and four days since my last confession.” Marie sighs, her face turning red, despite the fact that no one can see her, not even the priest who can only hear her.

“I see.” There is a touch of disappointment in the priest’s voice. “That isn’t very good, I hope you realize this.”

“I do and I know I should’ve been going all along, Father.  And that’s part of my confession, because I know that since my last confession I’ve been placing my career ahead of my life.  Only recently have I realized what my obsession with my career, my wrestling, has done to me, specifically to my relationship with my family.”

“Tell me, what has happened to you and your family?”

“Where do I begin?” Marie chuckles lightly. “There’s my husband, who nearly left me because I put almost all my focus on wrestling and nowhere near enough focus on our marriage.  I haven’t been the mother I should have been to my son, Sean, who I admit I have been neglecting.”

Tears form in Marie’s eyes as she slowly recounts the events of the past year or so that involve her family and loved ones to this stranger, this priest.

“My twin sister Kimberly, I’ve gone out of my way to help her find mental peace, mental sanity, but I didn’t go far enough.  I didn’t make her feel welcome, I didn’t make her feel like a part of the family.  She still feels as if she’d have been better off if she had kidnapped me and taken my place.  She recently attempted to kill herself.  I blame myself for that…” her voice trails off as she struggles to find the words.

“My sister Jessica grew extremely jealous of me and I couldn’t for the life of me see why.  But that jealousy led her to join a cult.  That cult twisted her mind and now she’s out, she’s free from the cult, but her mind may never recover from what they did to her, and I feel I could’ve stopped it had I been there for her.”

Marie reaches up and wipes some of the tears from her eyes. “Oh and I can’t forget about my mother.”

“Your mother?” The priest asks, inquisitively. “Go on.”

“You should know her.  Angelica Jones.  The most famous member of this church.” Marie chuckles. “She’s nearly lost it.  She may have lost it.  And I can’t help but think about how I told her that I didn’t want to be the next Angelica Jones, but the first Marie Jones.  Everything she’s done for me and I threw it all back in her face.”

Marie pauses, bows her head, and awaits the priest’s judgment.  She can hear him sighing from behind the screen on the other side of the booth.

“Well, I can understand how troubling it must be to watch your family go through all of this, and while perhaps sin may have and probably did contribute to this, I wouldn’t entirely lay the fault of this at your feet.”

“But Father,” Marie protests “my family is coming apart at the seam and it is all my fault!”

“Not all of it.  What you’re feeling is guilt.  You feel like you could have and should have been there more for them.  But that is correctable.  And some of it may have happened anyway, with or without your presence.”

“So what should I do now?” Marie asks.

“For your penance just say three Hail Mary’s for your family.  Also try to find a nice, healthy balance between your career and your family.  You cannot ignore your career but as you well know ignoring your family could also lead to some bad consequences as well.  Understand?”

“Yes, Father.” Marie says, nodding her head.

“Excellent.  Then say your Act of Contrition.”

“O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended you, and I detest all my sins because I dread the loss of heaven and the pains of hell, But most of all because they have offended you, my God who are all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of your grace, to confess my sins,to do penance, and to amend my life. Amen”

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Scene 2

Off Camera

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It is a bright and sunny day in the metropolis of Boston, Massachusetts, the home and seat of power for the famous Jones wrestling family.  The scene is that of a house, in Boston, Massachusetts; a large house but not overly so, in Victorian fashion.  Based on its outward appearance you can tell the person living there is “well-off” but doesn’t like to flaunt it, for it is somewhat modest.  There is a sidewalk that leads to a parking area where a red 2015 Ford Taurus is parked.  The driver’s side door opens and the leader of the ginger nation, Marie Jones herself, steps out into full view.

The beautiful redhead has a lot to think about now that she has completed her first confession in over two years.  Marie’s confession, her situation, involves her own family.  Between the mental issues that plague two of her sisters and perhaps her mother nearly ready to snap at a moment’s notice herself, Marie feels as if this family is about to tear apart and she cannot help but blame herself for it.  The priest can tell her all day long that she shouldn’t feel guilty over this turn of events, that it isn’t entirely her fault, but it’s easy to say that. Marie can’t make herself believe it.  And Marie still wants to do something about it.

Confounding things is the SCW Contendership Series that Marie is participating in.  She qualified due to the battle royal at Future Is Now but since then lost a triple threat to Ace Marshall and Alistair Allocco.  Now she faces the challenge of yet another triple threat, this time against Ace Marshall and Christy Matthews.  And who knows what next week will hold for The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling?  This latest installment of the contendership series is just a further test of Marie’s will.  Can she keep up the pace in the contendership series and pull her family back together at the same time or is Marie Annabelle Jones trying to take on too much at one time?  Is she spreading herself too thin?

Jones begins to make her way from the vehicle up the sidewalk to the front door of her Boston, Massachusetts home.  She knows her husband, Arthur Pond, should be home by now, so the door should be unlocked.  Sure enough, she just simply turns the door knob and it opens right up.  Marie steps across the threshold and shuts the door behind her.

“I’m home!” Marie shouts, loud enough that hopefully her husband will hear her.

“I’m in the living room.”

Marie nods her head and begins to make her way down the hall, makes a right, and enters a room; apparently the living room.  Its walls are beautifully decorated in a lavish French styling, it had a large, silvery grey, silky carpet, and the furniture was covered with dark green silky material.  Into this reticence pieces of futurism, Omega cushions and Van-Gogh-like pictures exploded their colors.

The furniture was high end and bespoke.  Every piece was hardwood and harked back to the Victorian era, but not a scrap in the house was more than a year old. The fabrics were spotless and color-coordinated in muted natural hues.  It looked comfortable and practical but by no means plush. It was the perfect place to entertain polite company.

Sitting on the comfortable, cream colored sofa is Arthur Pond.  Upon hearing his wife enter the room he turns his head to see her.  Their eyes meet and he smiles warmly, motioning for her to join him on the sofa.

“Did everything turn out ok with the priest?”

“Confession, you mean?” Marie sighs and nods her head. “I guess…”

Her voice fades off and Arthur notices it.

“But you don’t feel satisfied with his answer, do you?”

“No.” Marie shakes her head. “Am I that obvious?”

“You are very obvious, sweetheart.” Arthur smirks.  Again he motions towards her. “Come over and sit down.”

Marie nods her head; perhaps she should just rest.  She walks over to the sofa.  Arthur stands up and immediately greets her with a tight embrace and a romantic kiss on the lips before gently guiding her bottom down onto the sofa.

“Stay there, I’ll be right back.”

Arthur walks off and exits the living room from another door.  Marie brings her legs and feet up onto the sofa as well, curling up into a ball as she lies down.  She thinks about her situation and her options, which she admits are very few.  A few moments later Arthur emerges with a glass of what appears to be red wine.  Marie looks at it and then back up at Arthur.

“Wine?”

“Yes, you look like you could use it.”

“Thanks…” Marie responds with a grin as she begins to sip on the glass of wine.  Arthur sits back down on the sofa next to his wife Marie and looks at her lovingly, with care in his eyes, wondering what might be wrong with her.

“So, how did the confession go?” He inquires. “Tell me all about it.”

“The priest thinks I’m being too hard on myself.  He says it isn’t entirely my fault.”

“Oh really?” Arthur grins knowingly. “Isn’t that what I told you before you even left the house?”

“Not the time to brag, Arthur.” Marie retorts with a frown on her face.

“Fair enough, but still the fact remains that I told you that you shouldn’t go around blaming yourself for this and your priest agrees with me.  It takes more than one person to hold a family together, Marie.  It is truly sad to see what is happening to the individual members of your family, but you can’t honestly believe that you and you alone could’ve made a difference in the lives of your entire family.”

“Maybe not, maybe I just don’t have the time because I’m stretching myself too thin?” Marie suggests. “I mean, think about it, I’m trying to be a good member of the Jones family and at the same time I’m trying to be The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling.  Something has to give, doesn’t it?”

“I hope you’re not actually thinking what I think you’re thinking.” Arthur states with a frown on his face.

“I am.” Marie nods her head. “Maybe my wrestling career has gotten in the way of my personal life?  It wouldn’t be the first time.  I nearly lost you because wrestling got in the way.”

“But have you really scaled back at all?” Arthur shakes his head. “No, you haven’t.  You’re still wrestling anywhere and everywhere, house shows for SCW, Breakdown, house shows for GCW, you’re doing it all, babe…” he leans over and kisses her on the lips “…and I couldn’t be prouder of what you’ve done and what you continue to do.  And more importantly, you do it all while still making this relationship we have great.”

Arthur runs a hand through Marie’s long red hair. “That should prove to you that you can handle both, you can handle the personal and professional.  Your priest was right, Marie.  This breakdown of your family isn’t entirely your fault.”

“They haven’t broken down yet, Arthur.” Marie says, sipping her wine and then shaking her head. “And if I have my way, they won’t.”

“Marie, no…”

“There’s still time for me to do something about this, Arthur.  I can bring us together.  I can…”

“You’ve done enough.” Arthur states definitively, interrupting her.

“My sister Jessica is losing her mind, my mom is losing her mind, yet you say I’ve done enough?!”

“Yes, because look at what you did for Kimberly.”

“Right, the same Kimberly who tried to kill herself, who recently told me she still wishes she were me!”

“She’s healing, Marie.  She’s been sick for a very long time and it will take just as long in order for her to heal.  But you got her on the right track, you have begun that healing process by getting her the help she needed, taking responsibility for her, and by accepting her as she is into your life.  She appreciates that more than you could ever know.” Arthur reaches out and places his hands on Marie’s shoulders. “Don’t focus on what you haven’t done, focus on all of the great things you have done.”

“It’s easy for you to say, Arthur.” Marie says with a sigh. “You’re not a Jones.”

“Then tell me.” He folds his arms over his chest. “Tell me what being a Jones is all about and what that has to do with anything.”

“Being a Jones means that we have to stick together.” Marie begins with a defiant, almost proud tone of voice. “When my mother was thirteen years old, a terrible tragedy struck that separated her and my aunt Kayla.  Their parents, my grandparents, had abandoned them and they thought the other was dead but thankfully they managed to find one another.  Slowly but surely the Jones family would rise to prosperity again as both mom and aunt Kayla found their way to professional wrestling.  And with that memory etched forever in our minds, we swore never to give up on each other.” Marie takes another sip of her wine.

“You see, Arthur?  Do you see why I can’t just give up on them?  There has to be something else I can do.”

“Sure, I get it, but are you prepared to do whatever it is you feel you need to do at the expense of perhaps your wrestling career?  Remember you are in a contendership series, Marie.  Think of what that means for your career.”

“I know but I let my career get ahead of my family once and I know the consequences.” She shakes her head. “I don’t want that to happen again.”

“But what about the consequences of sacrificing your career?” Arthur asks. “You may not get another chance like this in SCW for a very long time.  You shouldn’t go to one extreme or the other.  What you need to do is find a healthy balance between work and family.”

“You still don’t get it.” Marie shakes her head.

“Maybe I don’t, but surely there is someone who does, someone else who can talk some sense into you before you go do something rash.”

“Who?”

“Maybe the one member of your family who isn’t going through any major issues right now.”

“Really?” Marie scoffs. “Here I thought I was the only member of my family not going through major issues.”

“No,” Arthur shakes his head “there is one more.”

==========

Scene 3

Off Camera

==========

Marie and Arthur don’t live too far away from the rest of Marie’s family.  They are very close and they remain in close proximity in Boston, Massachusetts.  So it shouldn’t be any surprise that a few minutes drive away is the home of Kayla Jones.  Arthur Pond was right, Kayla Jones also seems to have her head on straight. She also seems to have her bearings.  No major issue or crisis seems to bother her right now.  Perhaps Kayla is the one other Jones with a clear head who could relate to what Marie is going through right now and could offer her some much needed advice.

This is what brings Marie to the home of Kayla Jones on this day.  Kayla and her niece are in the dining room, which is quite exquisite. The walls were covered with a shimmering gold paper and in the middle of the ceiling above the carved oak table was a candelabra. Down the center of the table was a runner with Celtic design woven in gold and green into the fabric itself. At the end of the table were floor to ceiling french doors, left slightly ajar to let in the scented summer air. The polished silver cutlery was heavy to the hand and shone brightly in the early evening light. At each place stood a tall empty wine glass and there were beautifully folded napkins to match the runner. All that was missing was the food and the guests, but there are no guests coming.  This is just all for show; Kayla, after all, enjoys the finger things in life.

“Find a seat, Marie.” Kayla states, motioning to the table. “I’ll get the wine.”

“No thanks, Aunt Kayla.” Marie answers, declining the offer by shaking her head. “I just through sharing a bottle with Arthur.”

“Fair enough.” Kayla grins knowingly. “But I hope you don’t mind if I have some for myself.”

“Knock yourself out.”

Kayla reaches into the refrigerator and produces a bottle of Cabernet sauvignon.  Smiling pleasantly, the elder Jones pours some of the wine into a glass.  She places the bottle of wine back into the refrigerator and then takes her glass of wine and sits down at the table across from her niece.

“You never did tell me the purpose of this trip.” Kayla begins, breaking the ice. “Not that I’m complaining, I always love it when you visit, but you never do visit,” Kayla winks at Marie “so you can see why I might be confused.”

“Yeah, I do,” Marie answers with a chuckle “and you’re right, I came here with a purpose.  I need your advice.”

“I’ll help you in any way I can, Marie.” Kayla takes a sip of her wine.

“Mom is losing her mind, I think we both can see that…”

Kayla sighs and nods her head, agreeing with her niece.  Marie then continues.

“…then there’s Kimberly, who has always had a hard time remaining stable, and while I’ve tried to help her, it’s obvious that she still isn’t completely well…”

“Do we even know if she’ll be better at all?” Kayla asks.  As soon as she says this she notices Marie wince.   Feeling a tinge of guilt, realizing that Marie does care about Kimberly even if Kayla herself may not trust Kimberly, Kayla shakes her head. “Sorry, Marie.  That came out wrong. I didn’t mean it.”

“No, it’s ok aunt Kayla, because you’re right, we don’t know if Kimberly will ever be ok.  Then there’s Jessica, who is suffering from a mental break of her own.”

“You’re right, it doesn’t look good for the Jones family right now.” Kayla remarks. “So what’s your point?”

“I can’t help but feel partially responsible and I want to help in some way.”

“Oh Marie,” Kayla chuckles and shakes her head “first of all, you being responsible for any of that is laughable.  Your mom snapping the way she has is because of what we found out about our parents, your grandparents.  That secret is what caused her mind to go.  Not you.  There were also outside forces impacting both Kimberly and Jessica.  You had nothing to do with that situation, either.”

“But couldn’t I have made a difference had I been there for them?”

“Perhaps, but you shouldn’t feel guilty for it.” Kayla takes a sip of her wine.

“Regardless, I was taught by mom that we as members of the Jones family need to be there for one another and I want to do something make this better.  But…” Marie sighs and shakes her head “…the priest and Arthur both are warning me against that.”

“Are they really warning you against that?” Kayla asks. “I find it unlikely that Father would suggest you ignore family.”

“But Arthur did specifically tell me that if I put too much time into this, if I invested too much effort into fixing the family, that my career might suffer.  Aunt Kayla, I’m prepared to make whatever sacrifice is necessary to help this family, to help my mom and my sisters.”

“I see.” Kayla answers with a warm grin. “Well, now that I know the whole story let me disappoint you by saying that I agree with Arthur and Father.”

“What?!” Marie exclaims. “You can’t be serious!”

“Very.” Kayla states. “Look, family is the most important, but your career ranks right on up there.  And if your mother was in her right mind, I don’t think she’d want you to sacrifice what amounts to a world title shot for her.”

“But…”

“Listen to me, Marie.” Kayla states strongly. “You came in fourth place in that battle royal to qualify for the contender series.  You qualified but you placed FOURTH.  Then you lost a triple threat against Alistair and Ace.  I would be damn proud to say that my niece was the SCW World Champion but to even get the title shot, let alone win the title, you need to pick up the pace in this contender series.  You can’t let yourself be distracted.”

“But I can’t ignore my family.” Marie insists.  “Never again ignore my family.  I did that before it cost me.”

“No one is asking you to ignore your family.  I think we all just want you to find a balance between your family and your career.”

==========

On Camera

==========

Everyone has heard the story of the tortoise and the hare.  This metaphor will probably be viewed by some as overdone but I can’t help but make that comparison to the contendership series here in Supreme Championship Wrestling.  The five of us involved in this series are in a race and the winner of that race will have the opportunity of a lifetime; the chance to compete for the SCW World Championship.

Now currently Bree Lancaster and Alistair Allocco are leading that race but I’m not going to focus on them, at least not right now.  There’ll be a time and a place for me to focus on the leaders but right now I want to focus on Ace Marshall.

You see, just like the hare, Ace Marshall doesn’t seem to have a care in the world.  He’s hopping along in this series, with no real sense of what is truly at stake here.  Sometimes one wonders if he even gives a damn at all about any of this.  Hell, he himself has admitted that he doesn’t care, and that he really does this because everyone else in this industry cares too much.

Now I could appreciate his message to a degree, at least in the sense that there are things in this life more important than your career, or in our case more important even than being world champion.  I’ve often had to remind myself that family and friends should come before being the world champion.  What’s the use in gaining the world yet losing your soul, right?

That being said, however, I must side with my mother when she said in the lead up to the End of the Year Battle Royal that as a competitive sport, this sport of wrestling is ultimately about winning and if you are not here to win, if you are not here to be the best, then you are in the wrong damn industry and if Angelica won’t escort your ass out of my sport, then I will.

You see, Ace, your carefree…or maybe, I should say “never-give-a-damn”…attitude will cost you, just as it cost the hare.  The hare thought he had things well in hand.  He thought he couldn’t lose.  He thought of this as one great big game because, of course, who can beat him?  Who can outsmart him?  The hare wasted valuable time and he got beat by the tortoise.

Let me tell you what your situation is, Ace.  On Breakdown a couple weeks ago you thought you could sneak in the back door and do what?  Double team me?  Get Alistair to lay down for you?  Neither happened.  Your plans didn’t work out.  Alistair wasn’t going to have any of it and instead of a double team what you got was chased away from the action by Giovanni Aries, whom you also seem to have pissed off.

In fact, you seem to be pissing a lot off lately.  You seem to be making a lot of enemies, Ace.  Now I understand that pissing people off is your shtick.  Not something I’d be proud of but hey, if that’s your thing then go for it.  And you may be having a blast pissing people off right now, but I do ask that you listen to me for just a little moment as I attempt to explain the reality of the situation to you.

That’s right, I want to help you.  For some reason, my sister likes you.  And even though you and her both call me a prude, I take no offense and I’m always glad to help someone in need, someone who has gotten off the beaten path.  So here’s some free advice, take notes, Ace.

My advice is that you need to consider taking things seriously.  I mean, you may be having fun now, but the more people you piss off, the more enemies you’ll make, and the more enemies you’ll make, the more isolated you’ll become.  Eventually your only ally will be Cassidy Carter.

And she won’t be able to save you from everything.

No doubt my advice will fall upon deaf ears and that’s ok, because you’re living a lie.  Just like the hare, you think you have things well in hand, but at least the hare WAS leading the race most of the time.  Are you in the lead?

No.  Bree Lancaster is in the lead.  Are you at least in second place?

No.  Alistair Allocco is in second.

You are in the middle of the pack.  You find yourself in third place of a field of five.  And on Breakdown you are facing the fourth and fifth seed in this contenders series.  Now think about that for a moment. Take a moment to let that sink in, because that feeling of dread you have is the sudden realization that you have to win on Breakdown just to MAINTAIN your spot.

Do you understand yet, Ace?  You win on Breakdown and you MAINTAIN your spot, you can’t even move up in the ranking.  But if Christy Matthews or myself win, then we jump ahead of you.  You lose your spot.  If you lose, then the middle of the pack hare falls behind the tortoise.

Maybe that will bring you back to reality, or maybe you really don’t care? Maybe you lose on Breakdown to Christy or myself and you’ll still shrug your shoulders and not give a crap about anything at all except having fun.

If that’s the case, get out of my ring and out of my sport because these are high stakes on Breakdown, and while I can’t speak for Christy Matthews, I can guarantee you that I will not be taking anything or anyone lightly.  This is my opportunity to jump ahead in the contender series, this is my opportunity to finally prove that I can hang in there with the best of the best SCW has to offer.

Because yes, as insane as you are, as much of an asshole as you can be sometimes, you are one of the best SCW has to offer.  Two straight Rise To Greatness main events…multiple time world champion…you really are awesome.

It’s too bad you waste that talent by joking around and turning this sport into a joke.

Now then, Christy Matthews; I’m sure you are taking this very seriously.  Your record speaks for itself as a warrior who takes this sport very seriously.  You a former world champion in your own right; and of course I can’t forget to mention your epic run with the Adrenaline Championship.

What surprises me about you, though, is why you’d want to settle for the number five spot in the battle royal that started this whole thing at The Future Is Now?

As a competitor I don’t get why you wouldn’t at least try.  But then again, you so vainly told all of us in the battle royal that winning was pointless.  You so arrogantly said that finishing top five was good enough.  I guess you are so confident in yourself and in your abilities that you thought you could win your way through the field?

You had a chance to prove your theory right and slingshot yourself right to the top spot but you got beat by Bree.  If that was your thought process then I guess you’re sunk.  You’re still at the bottom of the barrel.

No, I don’t feel dumb. I feel offended.  I feel offended that you think you can just spot the rest of us the top four spots while you walk away from an opportunity.  In a sense, that makes you worse than Ace Marshall.  You walked away from an opportunity.  At least he’s showing up and sticking it out for the long haul.

In most versions of tortoise and the hare, the overconfident hare gets a brilliant head start and takes a nap at the finish line, allowing the tortoise to catch up and win.  But you’re took a nap at the starting line.  You’re so cocky that you think you can just sit and do nothing and victory will fall right into your lap.

You don’t appreciate the opportunities that are given you.  You have a feeling of entitlement, a feeling of entitlement that is so great that you think all of the opportunities will just magically appear for you out of thin air.

What you’re going to find out is that there are those who appreciate any and every opportunity they have.  You may think those opportunities are dumb, you may think those opportunities are not worth fighting for, but there are those of us who will bleed, sweat, and pay the price for each and every opportunity that comes.

I could have left that battle royal just like you did but what would I have proven?  I would have proven that I was a damn coward just like you.  Instead I stayed behind and fought for the mere chance that I could’ve made further waves and more impacts, just for the chance to prove that I can hang in the main event scene here in SCW.  I stayed behind and fought Ace, Alistair, and Bree because fighting is what I do and damn do I love every second of it!

And on Breakdown I am going to enjoy kicking your ass, kicking Ace’s ass, and regaining the momentum.

So Ace, Christy, come ready and come with your A-Game, because the way I see it, neither one of you have proven to me that you give a damn about this, and yet you two are both facing a very determined Marie Annabelle Jones; determined to finish the race.

Which brings me to another metaphor for this contender series, one I will proudly sound out to the highest heavens when this series has ended, regardless of the outcome; and it comes from second Timothy chapter four verse seven…

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”