Can you walk away?

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Scene 1

Off Camera

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At the End of the Year Special Jessica Lasiewicz defeated Amanda Blaze and Tina Valentine to become the new IWC Queen of the ring Champion.  The irony in this outcome is that Jessica did not really want the championship, not at first anyway.  The championship itself was secondary to a more important goal the young Polish superstar had on her mind.  Yet here she now stands atop the women’s division in the Independent Wrestling Cartel.

Irony has seemed to follow the younger Lasiewicz everywhere she goes and it all boils down to the fact that she just does not fit anyone’s mold of what a wrestler should be.  Jessica is not driven by dreams of championship glory; she is driven by doing what is right and wrong.  Established rules of the wrestling company do not concern her.  What concerns young Jessica are the rules established by the higher moral authority she adheres to.  You may also think a girl like Jessica with the influences she has in her family would be quite a happy person, and yet she is rather depressed, pessimistic, and a real downer almost all of the time.  Want more irony in the life of Jessica Lasiewicz?  Try the fact that she and Kyle Butler are now best friends.

Kyle, along with his best friend Neil Newman, once tormented Jessica Lasiewicz in the wrestling company Global Championship Wrestling.  The funny thing is, Kyle had, and still does have, a legitimate crush on Jessica.  They went back and forth, tit for tat, humiliation after humiliation, including a period in which Jessica had to serve as Kyle and Neil’s personal cheerleader.  It went on for months from both parties until the very bitter end.  But now the rivalry is over.  They are friends now.  But that’s all they may ever be.  Kyle is dating someone else and Jessica is engaged to marry Steven Bauer.

Still further irony is that Jessica herself is now a cheerleader for the Duke Blue Devils, willingly, albeit as part of a bet with a new friend, a bet to see if she has upbeat optimism hidden deep down within that cold, hardened heart and black soul.

Her new friendship with Kyle Butler and her cheerleading duties with the Duke  Blue Devils, though, have to take a backseat to her duties as Queen of the Ring Champion in the Independent Wrestling Cartel.  For it is on the next RIOT that she will have to represent the division, facing Mary-Allison Chainz in what will be Chainz’s IWC debut.

That’s the problem with being a champion, everything else has to take a backseat.  That includes Jessica’s duties as a sister.  She didn’t want to get the title shot at all because she wanted to focus on getting her sister out of The Good Movement  and now out of Silas World.  But now that she is champion and has to face Chainz in a non-title match, well, that will have to be put on the backburner until she has dealt with the IWC newcomer.

It’s only a couple hours before the basketball game pitting Jessica’s school, Duke University, against the alma of Neil Newman Boston College.  Hence why Jessica is seen ready for action, in her cheerleading uniform.  Jessica has invited Neil and his tag team partner, Kyle Butler, to come to the game and watch.  Being a Duke cheerleader Jessica was able to procure good tickets for the pair and, before the game can proceed, she has been giving Kyle a tour of the campus, where the pair happens to meet up with Neil, the third member of their group, standing a few feet down the hall talking to a gentleman in a Boston College t-shirt, a rarity on the Duke campus on this particular day.

“Is that Neil?”

“Yep, that’s him... maroon and gold clad. Meh.” Kyle says..

“All alone amongst a sea of black and blue.” Jessica says, grinning wryly. “Braver than most, I’ll give him that.”

“Agreed. Could be worse. He could have wore Carolina blue.”

The raven haired beauty sneers. “...he’d be a dead man.”

Kyle nods. “He annoys me half the time. I’d be lost without.”

“Well let’s go see what he’s doing.”  Jessica suggests. “Before I have to go and catch up with the other cheerleaders.”

The pair make their way down the hall and approach Neil with his companion.

“Hey guys.” Neil beams. “Just catching up with an old teacher of mine. Mr. Arris, this is my good buddy Kyle Butler. Don’t mind him, Ohio State gave Alabama the business. Roll Tide right Kyle?”

Kyle sneers. Neil ignores his snarkiness and points at Jessica.

“... and this is our mutual friend Jessica. My wife doesn’t like her. She’s cool in my book, minus her appreciation for Blue Devils.”

“What can I say, Neil, my parents were both dominant athletes, so of course I’d like a dominant school like Duke, who is undefeated 12 and 0 so far and we haven’t won a game by less than double digits this season!  WHOO!”

She cups her mouth with her hands. “Did I just whoo?”

Neil furrows his brow. “Um... yeah... you did. Are you ok? Perfectly natural to feel nervous. Boston College will put an end to your streak. I was a champion college wrestler back in the day. My presence will uplift my team. Since I am here I will see if they will allow me to give the pre game pep talk.”

“I bet you’d love that.” Jessica snickers. “But they’ll a LOT more than just a pep talk from you to overcome my Blue Devils.”

“Ok guys, school pride is great and all, can we agree the action will be settled on the court? Besides, Neil... Duke is the better team. Proven fact.” Kyle chimes in.

Neil rolls his eyes. “Sellout.”

“Am not!” Kyle barks.

Neil sighs. “I’m your best friend, you are supposed to support my team.”

“Right, the same college who tried to roll into Bama believing they were kings of the wrestling mountain. How did that work out?” Kyle smirks.

“We tied, remember.” Neil sighs.

“But my college still won. Roll Tide Neil.” Kyle fist pumps.

Feeling left out of the conversation, Mr. Arris finally chimes in. “Glad to see all three of you are in the college spirit. Kyle, Jessica, nice meeting you. I will excuse myself. I have to meet up with a few of the faculty. Have a nice day. Enjoy the game.”

As Mr. Arris walks off Jessica turns to look at Kyle and Neil. “I think I like it better when you two are arguing amongst yourselves.  I know I preferred it that way when I was your cheerleader back in GCW.”

Kyle chuckles. “That always set us apart, Neil. You think that is why we were so good? People thought we would spend more time arguing then kicking their buts?”

Neil pondered. “Maybe. We had our run. It was nice. But you two..” Neil pointed to Kyle and Jessica... “... are going to make a fantastic team in your own right.”

“I just find this whole thing incredibly ironic.  Not just the fact that Kyle and I are now a tag team with not one but count ‘em TWO” holds up two fingers “shots at the tag titles, but there’s also this…”

She spins around in her cheerleader uniform “...which YOU haven’t even mentioned yet, Neil.  Kinda surprised.”

Neil was so caught up with arguing with his best friend he did neglect to notice the cheerleading outfit Jessica is wearing. He looked at Kyle. Looked back at Jessica. The normally quiet Neil Newman is rendered a tad more silent than usual.

“I....” Neil scratched his head. “Am I living in the Twilight Zone? I don’t get it. Kyle, what did you do?”

Kyle holds up his hands. “Can’t blame me for this.”

“Kyle isn’t to blame.  It’s all me.” She says, smiling sheepishly. “It’s part of a bet I made with a new friend of mine who happens to be the cheerleading captain.  You know how much of a downer and pessimist I am about...well...everything?”

Neil nods. “True.”

“Well she thinks she can not only bring out the optimist in me, but that I’d be so much one I’d make a good cheerleader.  I don’t buy it.  If she’s right, I join the squad permanently.  If I’m right, she buys me dinner.”

Jessica holds up one finger. “She’s got ONE month to prove her point.  And that month is up as of...today I think.”

“Ah. I see. So, who is going to win the bet?” Neil inquired.

“Honestly,” she shrugs “dunno.  She and I have to talk about it later.  Still, win or lose,, I think even going through with this bet has been a big step for me.”

“Good to hear.” Neil directs his attention to Kyle. “Can’t believe you kept this a secret from me.”

“We wanted to surprise everyone. And it worked. The look in your face is priceless.” Kyle smirks.

Neil nods “I’m definitely surprised. Don't let Crystal find out, she might get jealous.”

Kyle shudders. “No mention of the crazy bat shit girlfriend. Ok. I can’t take her randomness anymore. This is my day of peace. Please. No mention of Crystal, ok.”

“Crystal... clear.” Neil chuckles.

Kyle snarls.

“I hate things aren’t working out well for you two.” Jessica says consolingly. “Crystal seemed like such a sweet person.”

“She was until my best friend’s wife screwed her up. Hope the effects on her psyche aren’t permanent. I’m afraid she enjoys being this way. Not sure what I’m going to do. I don’t want to wake up one day with a limb chopped off.” Kyle shudders again.

“Right now all you can do is be there for her.” Jessica remarks. “That’s what I’ve been doing with my sister, for the most part.  I want to save her from making more mistakes and being in Silas World is a big mistake.  But I can’t do much about that except be there for her.”

Jessica sighs. “Unfortunately being Queen of the Ring Champion is a little distracting…”

“A distraction with having. Dear lord, Tina is such a disrespectful loudmouth attention, glory seeking witch. About time someone put her in her place albeit for a few seconds. IWC has a real champion now. Silver lining in everything.” Kyle beams.

“Yes, that’s true, but still there’s just too many distractions!” Jessica is growing slightly more frustrated. “Do I get to fight Silas World and try to show my sister the error of her ways?  No, instead I’m up against Mary-Allison Chainz.  And then there’s the cheerleading which is yet another distraction!”

She shakes her head, laughing lightly under her breath. “Maybe I’m not cut out for the cheerleading stuff after all.  Still a bit of a pessimist.”

Kyle rest his hand on her shoulder. “Babe, it takes time to overcome already established habits. You built up a wall of pessimism your entire life. One month is not enough time to undo that. I’ve seen you make progress. Baby steps. You have me, you have Neil. I suppose you have Steven. I won’t talk about him. Still tough seeing you two together. I’m managing one day at a time.”

“Yeah, Steven…” her voice trails off as many thoughts flow through her head, not all of them pleasant “...at first he seemed very nice, like a total gentleman.  Ever since Tamara Todd popped back up, he’s changed.”

She shakes her head. “Look, I know I’m attractive.  I don’t flaunt it like a Kennedy Street or some others in our business but I know I’m attractive.  I thought Steven wanted both the attractiveness and the me that’s on the inside.  Lately he seems more focused on protecting his prized piece of ass and not so much caring about what’s going in my life.”

Tears are forming in her eyes. “Kyle, you’re the only one outside of family who seemed to give a damn about what I’m trying to do for MYSELF with this cheerleading experiment.”

Kyle wipes the tears from Jessica’s face. “Everything will work out. You are too awesome of a person for it not too. Focus on today. Cheer on your Blue Devils like today was your last. After the Blue Devils win, we’ll celebrate... without Neil. But only if Neil promises to avoid being a sour puss. The only thing right now that will make me feel better about Bama losing is Boston College losing.”

Kyle can’t see Neil Newman roll his eyes. “Not going to happen. Anyway I’m going to pump my team up. See you out there.”  

Neil walks away leaving Jessica and Kyle alone in the hallway. “Thanks, Kyle.  And I’m sorry for unloading on you about Steven.  He just…”

She shakes her head “...nevermind.”

“It’s ok. You can depend on me.”

She embraces him in a hug.  “Good to know.”

After breaking the embrace she smiles up at him. “You’d better go find your seat so you can watch the Blue Devils mop the floor with BC.  And I’d better catch up with the cheerleaders.”

“I’ll have the best seat in the house. See you out there.”

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Kyle Butler

On Camera

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“I can’t speak a great deal about Mary Allison Chainz. I am aware she is a second generation wrestler. She has taken a sabbatical to two. As a wrestler I can’t make an accurate assessment. Some people are world beaters outside IWC. Jumping into the chaotic environment IWC is known for? Completely different animal. Someone who has done pretty well in that environment? My good friend and QUEEN OF THE RING CHAMPION BABY, Jessica Lasiewicz.”


“I’m proud of her. Becoming Queen of the ring Champion was awesome. The previous champion was a loud mouth annoying troll who loves the sound of her own voice, and the sight of her own tweets. Bet everyone in IWC is glad she doesn’t have that title anymore to placate her ego. Jessica wilk be a great Queen of the Ring Champion, She cares about the business. She knows what it takes to hold a title with honor. Most champions would complain competing against a newcomer as their first match as champion. Jessica is a cut above the normal competitor. She gets it. She understands.”

“Mary-Allison, for your sake, you better come prepared. Don’t believe you have this match in the bag. I noticed your tweets. Diva, all the way. Understand the magnitude of the match you were placed in. This is your chance to make an impact. Not everyone receives a chance like this. Show the champion her proper respect. If you don’t Jessica will run all over you. She’ll beat you anyway. If you heed my warning, you’ll give Jessica the match she deserves.”

“Get’er Jessica.”


“ROOOOOOOOL TIDE BABY!”

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Scene 2

Off Camera

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The game has ended and to say that the Duke Blue Devils put on a dominant performance would be an understatement.  Jessica’s school gave Boston College a major beating, winning the game by a margin of twenty-three points, which turns out to be the thirteenth straight win for The Blue Devils.

When it comes to plying her craft, Jessica Lasiewicz wants to be just as dominant as Duke has been this season.  She wants to put her opponents through hell, make them earn each and every inch they gain through blood, sweat, and tears.  Jessica may be unorthodox in many ways, but there is one way in which she is very much like every other professional athlete and that is the fact that she is a very proud wrestler.  She grew up in a proud wrestling family with two loving parents with twenty-five world championships between them.  They have ingrained in her a love for this business and a strong desire to do the very best she can.

That means Mary-Allison Chainz will be in for a real fight coming up on RIOT.  Chainz is making her IWC debut against the reigning Queen of the Ring Champion, and that in and of itself could prove intimidating to any newcomer, add to that the fact that she is facing The Morning Star and it could be overwhelming.  Jessica fully intends on taking advantage of that by putting on as much pressure as she can.  Duke didn’t let up when they got a good lead over Boston College.  Duke kept it up, they kept up the pressure, and Jessica intends to keep up the pressure on Chainz when their match on RIOT begins.

Speaking of Duke, now that the game has ended everyone is preparing to make their leave, cheerleaders included.  Jessica is sitting on the bench by herself, last one to leave, just as it is when she’s at professional wrestling events.  The raven haired beauty is packing away the last of her cheerleading uniform in her gym bag and is zipping it up.  She is dressed in her street clothes, which consist of a knee length black skirt, black boots, and a purple long sleeve shirt.  Her long black hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length.

“Knock, knock, sunshine!”

Lasiewicz turns towards the voice.  She watches as her good friend, Candra Stevens, walks into the room, wearing an orange sun dress, flip flops, and a black lightweight jacket.  Jessica shoots right up off of the bench, walks over, and embraces Candra in a hug.

“Hi there, girl!” She exclaims loudly. “I didn’t see you out there!”

After the embrace is broken Jessica puts her hands on her hips and mockingly chides her. “Me and the other girls missed you.”

Candra sighs, shrugging her shoulders. “Sorry, but I was feeling a little under the weather.”

She places a hand on Jessica’s shoulder. “But what about you?”

“Me?”

Candra nods. “Yeah, you…”

She winks “…or did you forget our bet, silly?”

“I did not forget the bet.” Jessica says, laughing despite herself. “In fact, I’m glad you came.  We need to settle that, don’t we?”

“Indeed we do.”

Candra motions to the bench.  Jessica sits down first followed by Candra who sits to her right on the bench.

“So tell me, Jess, did this month-long experience change you any?”

Lasiewicz turns and looks away from Candra, staring off at the wall emptily. “I don’t know…”

“Oh?”

“I know what you wanted to do, Candi.  I know you wanted to change me, to show that I’m not this depressed downer.  And if it’s any consolation, you’ve made more progress with me than anyone else in my life ever has.”

Jessica shakes her head. “But a cutesy cheer skirt uniform doesn’t change who I am.”

Candra sighs, nodding her head. “You are absolutely right, Jess, the uniform does not change who you are.”

She places an arm around her shoulder. “But it DOES help to bring out ALL of you…”

Jessica furrows her brow. “What do you mean by that?”

“You’ve had some bad things happen in your life, girl.  I get it.  Your mom and dad both have gone and freaked out from time to time.  Friends and family both have stabbed you in the back.  And that kinda stuff makes it sooooooo easy to be such a downer all the time.”

Jessica frowns. “I hate it when you psychoanalyze me.”

Candra playfully shoves her. “You only hate it because I’m right!  You’re not destined to be a downer, girl!  You have a cheery, upbeat person hidden deep inside ya, you just have to focus on the good things in life.”

“And you think cheerleading does that?”

“I do,” Candra responds with a nod of her head “and I think you do too.”

“So you’re a mind-reader AND a psychiatrist?” Jessica says with a laugh.

“Nope, I just pay very close attention.” She points a long slender finger at Jessica. “And I saw YOU with two hunks in the hallway.”

“Who do you…” she snickers as the realization comes over her “…wait, Neil and Kyle?”

“Is that what you call them?” She says with a wink.

“I was just hanging out with friends.  Nothing more.”

“And you wore that cheerleading uniform with pride!  Were there anyone else in the audience?”

“Um, my mom and my aunt…”

“Exactly!” Candra exclaims. “No negative thoughts, no pessimism, none of that nasty stuff. You were happy and proud out there to perform before your friends and family.”

“You do have a point...” A smile slowly forms on her face. “…maybe I have changed.”

“I know you have.” She embraces Jessica in a hug. “Which is why I wanted to come and accept your surrender!”

“Surrender?” Jessica breaks the embrace and stares directly into her eyes. “Who says I…”

A closer examination of Candra’s face reveals a dark, slightly swollen area under her left eye. “What’s wrong with your eye?”

“Oh, um,” she quickly turns her face away “nothing.”

“Hey wait a minute…” Jessica tilts her head to one side “…if you were sick, you shouldn’t even be here, let alone have been here the entire time and seen me talking to Kyle and Neil.”

Candra quickly stands up and starts to walk away. “I gotta go…”

“Candi!  Come back!”

She stops and turns to face Jessica. “Jess…I’m sorry, I really am sorry…you’ll make a great cheerleader.”

With that, Candra makes her exit, leaving Jessica alone and dumbfounded.

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Candra Stevens

On Camera

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Hi there, wrestling world!

This is my own version of a pro-wrestling world debut and I am happy to be making my debut by talking about my bestie, Jessica Lasiewicz.

Jessica is one of the most talented, athletic young women I’ve ever met.  She’s fast, agile, and very intelligent.  She is very good at what she does.  And that’s just from a few months of getting to know her.  And you know what else I learned about Jess?

She doesn’t give up on anything she sets her mind to.  She overcomes the odds.

Jessie never wanted to be the IWC Queen of the Ring Champion, she wanted to help her family instead, and I think that’s admirable.  Jess now realizes that as champion she can do some good.  She can be an example for the women in IWC and all over the wrestling world.  And that’s also very admirable.

Mary-Allison Chainz is also making her own debut in IWC but in a much more physical and violent fashion.  I’ll leave the physicality and violence to you girls, and I’ll wish you the best of luck, but I know neither of you need it, especially not Jessie.  She has trained her ass off for this moment, this opportunity to carry the women’s division on her back and make it into something better, raise it up and make it into the best women’s division in wrestling.

So good luck, ladies!  Give it your all and do the women of IWC proud!

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Jessica Lasiewicz

On Camera

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The camera feed begins to roll. 

“Irony is just honesty with the volume cranked up.”

At this time the lovely female form of Jessica Lasiewicz steps out into the full view of the camera.  She is wearing a knee length long sleeved black dress and black high heeled pumps.  Her long raven black hair is left to hang unrestrained to shoulder length.  The IWC Queen of the Ring Championship title belt is draped over her right shoulder, proudly displayed for all the viewers.

“George Saunders was a writer, not a professional wrestler, but I think those words of his seems to describe my current career in the Independent Wrestling Cartel.”  She shuts her eyes and lets out a slight laugh, shaking her head, before patting the newly won title belt with her left hand.

“For weeks I told everyone how I did not want this.  I really didn’t want it…not at first…”

She looks back up at the camera, eyes open now. “Things changed, the landscape and situation changed when I realized that I could do some good with this championship, that I could do good as Queen of the Ring Champion.”

A grin forms across her face. “And that’s exactly what I did.”

“At the End of the Year Special I burned Tina Valentine’s world to the ground.   She had turned the women’s division into a joke of a division.  I burned it all to the ground at the End of the Year Special and now I am in the process of rebuilding it and reshaping it into an image that the women of IWC can be proud of.  And it all starts with its leader.”

Jessica points at herself with her thumb. “Me.”

“This championship belt,” she holds it high over her head “means that I have a duty, a responsibility, to set high standards for the women’s division in IWC, not just wrestling standards in terms of being the best, but moral and ethical standards, establishing some sense of right and wrong.”

Jessica sets the title belt back over her right shoulder. “People these days don’t have a fucking clue what winning a championship actually means.  They get all drunk with the glitz and glamour that goes along with it, they cry out like children in a candy story; I WON A TITLE!  YAY ME!”

She shakes her head. “Winning a championship isn’t about the glitz or the glamour and any celebration that goes along with winning it should always be tempered with the sobering reality that you now have a heavy duty resting upon your shoulders.  Tina Valentine never understood that sobering responsibility.  It could be because she was never sober to begin with.  Point is that she only cared about what the championship and the division could do for her when in reality she should’ve been focusing on what she could do for the championship and the division.”

“I understand, all too well in fact, what it means to be champion because I grew up in this business.  That’s part of the reason why I was apprehensive about becoming Queen of the Ring Champion.  I knew that becoming champion would mean I would be committing myself to leading the women’s division, to helping the women’s division, distracting me from what I really want to do, which is to slowly dismantle Silas World piece by piece, thus removing my sister from that demon horde.”

She shakes her head. “But since my priority right now has to be with the women’s division, I’ll be moving forward until I am given what I want, until I am given a piece of Silas World to destroy.  Until then, I move on to Mary-Allison Chainz.”

“I admit, Allison, I like you and your attitude.  You seem to have a good head on your shoulders.  You’re not some black-eyed dimwit shouting GOOD and you’re not a white girl pretending to be black.  You just are who you are, you make no apologies for it, and you seem to take this business seriously, you seem to have a real respect for this business, something that is rare in an industry where cults and harems are the norm.”

“You and I, Mary, are what I envision for the future of the women’s division in IWC.  No brainwashing cults, no Silas World harems, just the best women in pro-wrestling laying it all out there on the table, putting it all out there on the line, to see who is really the best women’s wrestler in the world.”

She points a finger at the camera. “And I believe you have that same vision for women’s wrestling, Mary.  From what I hear on twitter, what I’ve read, from my, admittedly few, encounters with you, I believe that you have that same vision for women’s wrestling in the Independent Wrestling Cartel.”

“And that is why on RIOT, when you make your debut, I will bring everything down to bear upon you.  Every ounce of fury and rage that I can muster from The Morning Star will come to bear upon you, Mary.”

Jessica shrugs. “Why is this?  Because I want to put you through hell.  I want to put you through hell not because I hate you or have anything against you.  I want to put you through hell because that’s what you can expect in IWC.”

“You have entered a world that is, for all intents and purpose, the fucking twilight zone with Aiken Frost brainwashing women right and left and Silas Mason the pimp daddy to boot.  This is not normal, Mary.  This is not what you were led to believe in terms of pro-wrestling.  Any kind of training you endured heading into this is cake compared to the nightmare you will endure having to climb to the top here in IWC.”

“The question isn’t can you beat me…” she shakes her head “...the question is can you walk away?  You may be able to beat me, you may not be able to beat me.  That’s why we’re having the match.  What I want to see is if I can break you.  I want to see if I can make hurt you so bad that you cannot walk away under your own power.  And if you can’t walk away under your own power, then you need to walk away from IWC period.  If you can’t walk away under your own power then you need to reassess your future.”

A sincere smile forms upon her face. “If it’s any consolation, I do believe in you.  Paul Garrett doesn’t hire no talent hacks.  Paul Garrett isn’t called a genius for no reason.  If he believes in you then I believe in you and I believe you will be able to pass this test, your first major test in your IWC career.”

“Come and place ya bets, Mary.  Dobranoc…”