Distracted

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Off Camera

January 14^th, 2014

Boston, Massachusetts

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Marie finds herself in a slight dilemma.  Whenever she wanted to go out with her boyfriend, Damian Daniel Toole, for the past several months she has always managed to get her sister Jessica or their aunt Kayla to watch over her son, Sean.  Tonight, though, Kayla is busy doing who knows what and Jessica declined because she is going out with her own boyfriend, Steven Bauer.  Thus Marie is stuck looking after Sean herself.  She is certain her boyfriend, Damian Daniel Toole, who competes in an indy league under the moniker “Mr. DDT”, will understand.  At least, she hopes he will understand. 

With no one to watch Sean, Marie has to stay home, and Damian will have to settle for hanging out with her at her place in Boston, Massachusetts.

Marie is in her bedroom, checking herself out in the mirror.  She is making sure everything looks perfect for her man.  Her long sleeve black sweater fits nicely and is warm in this cold northeastern weather.  Her knee length black leather skirt with black flats completes the outfit.

“Mommy!”

The high pitched sound of her son’s voice echoes throughout the home.  Marie quickly drops what she is doing and exits the bedroom and makes a beeline down the hall, towards her son’s room.  The pushes the door open and finds her son sitting on the floor playing with his train set.

“Is something wrong, sweetie?”

“No.”

“Then why’d you call me?”

“I just wanna know if Auntie Jessica is gonna come over.”

“No, darling.  Auntie Jessica is busy tonight.”

“Oh…does that mean Kayla is coming?”

Again Marie shakes her head.  “No, sweetie, she’s busy too.”

“Who’s gonna be with me tonight then?  You going out, right?”

Marie has to admit that she is impressed by how observant young Sean Connor Jones really is.  For a three year old to pick up that quickly the patterns of his mother, for him to know, almost instinctively, what is going on, that speaks of how intelligent he is.  That intelligence definitely will prove useful when he grows into an adult.

“Not exactly.  Damian is coming over here tonight to hang out with mommy.”

“Oh.” Sean responds, sounding kind of disappointed.

“What’s wrong, Sean?” Marie asks as she kneels down so that she is eye level with her son.  She pats him on his head, ruffling his hair.  “Don’t you like Damian?”

“I…uh…I guess…”

“Great!” She leans over and kisses him on his cheek. “Then we’ll all be fine, right?”

“Right.”

Marie stands back up.  “You stay up here and play, Sean.  I bet you won’t even notice Damian here.”

“….kay.”

“I love you, Sean.”

“I love you too, mommy.”

A warm, motherly smile slides across her face as Marie turns and makes her way out of her son’s bedroom, shutting the door behind her.  Seeing Sean in there playing is a reminder of how much of a blessing having Damian around truly is.

Sean is the result of Marie being raped.  The only ones who know this are those closest to Marie.  Her deep seeded religious convictions could not allow her to terminate the pregnancy that resulted from it.  It wasn’t her son’s fault that she was raped.  Why take it out on him by not giving him a chance to live his life?  Some women think otherwise and that’s their choice.  Marie respects that choice.  But she had her choice as well and she chose to keep Sean.

But because a rapist was the child’s father, a rapist who since has been killed, Sean has grown up all three of these years without a real father figure in his life.  Marie feels her son needs a father figure in his life to teach him how to be a man, something she has a mother feels she cannot do.  She hopes this relationship with Damian will continue to grow, will continue to blossom.  Damian may be just the person Sean needs in his life right now, just as Marie needs him.

Just as she starts back down the hallway she hears the doorbell ringing.  Her eyes light up like a Christmas tree as she turns towards the stairs and bolts towards them.  She heads down the stairs, sometimes going two or three steps at a time, excited to see her man.

Once she gets to the bottom of the steps she quickly heads to the door.  And swings it open.  She smiles broadly upon seeing Damian Toole standing there, dressed only in a pair of jeans, a white wife-beater, black boots, and a black leather jacket.  Marie doesn’t seem to notice, or care, about the angry glare that seems to be etched across his rough exterior.

“Hi, Damian!” Marie greets him cheerfully, leaning in with a kiss on his cheek.

“Yeah, whatever.” He pushes on past her, not even bothering to reciprocate the show of affection as he enters the home.

“Is something wrong?” She asks curiously, finally beginning to notice that something may not be right with Damian.

“Is something wrong?” Damian repeats.  “I mean, there’s a lot that’s wrong with this situation, babe.  Where do you want me to fucking start?”

Marie takes him by his arm and leads him into the living room.  “Come on, Damian, let’s sit down.”

She leads him to a plush black leather sofa.  Damian sighs as he sits down first and then she sits down next to him. “Talk to me, Damian.  What’s wrong?”

“A lot.”  He growls. “But first thing is why do we have to be here?”

She was hoping he’d be a bit more understanding.  Unfortunately it didn’t turn out like that.  Damian had his heart set on going out dancing with Marie and then spending the night together at his place.  That did not come to be when both Kayla and Jessica said they couldn’t watch after Sean.

“I’m sorry, but Jessica and Kayla couldn’t watch Sean.”

“Damn!” He exclaims.  “Jessica AGAIN is ruining things for us!”

He glowers at Marie.  “Why the hell can’t you stand up to your own sister?  Are you fucking scared?”

“Jessica just wants some time to herself.”

“Yeah, well what about OUR time to OURSELVES?” Damian demands. “You’re worthless, you know that?”

“I’m sorry.” Marie says, lowering her head in shame.  “I didn’t think you’d mind.”

“Right, you didn’t think.”

“Huh?” Marie’s head shoots up.  “What was that?”

“Nothing.” He grunts. He then looks her up and down and shakes her head. “And why did you have to wear THAT sweater?”

She looks down at herself.  “Is something wrong with it?”

“Yeah, it covers up ALL my favorite parts.”

“Oh…” her voice trails off.

“Look, I don’t know what’s gotten into you today, this isn’t my thing.  You and me, just hanging out,” he shakes his head “it’s not cool, babe.  I mean, was that little peck on the cheek at the door the best you can do?”

“Um…”

He chuckles, shaking his head.  “No, it’s not the best you can do.  I’ve experienced the best you can do and when you are at your best…”

He whistles.  “Oh MAN are you great when you are at your best.”

He reaches down with his right hand underneath her skirt and directly to her crotch. “Why don’t you and me just get undressed right now and you can show me how good you are when you are at your best?”

Marie wriggles uncomfortably.  This situation isn’t exactly what she was expecting today.  She was expecting Damian to be acting like this.  And as much as she enjoys making love to Damian, she certainly doesn’t want to do anything right now with Sean in the house.

“But Damian, Sean is in the house and…”

“So?  YOU let your damn sister ruined this night for us.  The least you can do is make it up to me by doing what I know you’re oh so good at.”

Damian places his strong hands on her shoulders.  “You know I love you, right Marie?”

“I love you too, Damian.”

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On Camera

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No one is perfect.  We all have our flaws but that isn’t something to be ashamed of; it’s what makes us human.  If we were all perfect, it would be quite a boring world to live in.  I have come a long way in my professional wrestling career and, hell, even my whole life.  I have come a long way from the little girl looking on at her mother with awe-struck eyes at what she could do in the squared circle to the woman I am today, the athlete that I am today who can do just as much inside the ring as her mother could; some would go as far as to say that I can do MORE than what my mother could do.

That being said, I would not a change a damn thing about how I got to this point.  I’ve learned a great deal, I’ve gained much experience from the mistakes I have made.  My flaws make me stronger.  And I will keep those mistakes and those flaws close to my heart as I proceed through this Best of Five Series with Katelyn Buehler.

Katelyn knows better than most about some of the mistakes I’ve made.  But as she said, I’ve grown since then and I have become a better, tougher person as a result.  Now I’m in a member of the roster of Supreme Championship Wrestling and I am a former Television and United States Champion.  And I am already one match ahead of Katelyn Buehler in the Best of Five Series.

Two more wins and it is over.  Will it be a clean sweep?  I won’t guarantee that.  But what I can guarantee is that at the end of the day, The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling will still be the most sparking diamond of them all, even if it isn’t a flawless diamond.

See you at Unflawed, Katelyn.

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Off Camera

April 4^th, 2018

Post-Breakdown

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The clicking of heels on asphalt is heard off in the distance.  The two silhouettes of a male and figure can be seen.  Light from tall lampposts shined own on them and one could see that this is SCW Superstar Marie Annabelle Jones and her husband, Arthur Pond.  Like the gentleman that he is, Arthur is carrying his wife’s bags.  Marie is dressed in a knee length black skirt, black patent leather pumps, a red blouse, and her signature black leather jacket.  Arthur, for his part, is wearing khaki dress pants, brown loafers, and a Carolina blue button up shirt.  Looking into the eyes of The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling you would notice that she is distant.  The red headed Boston native is clearly distracted by something.  And it doesn’t make sense, no sense at all, because tonight she got a big win over Katelyn Buehler to kick off their Best of Five Series.

Only Arthur is close enough to Marie to know the truth and yet even he isn’t sure right now as to what is going on behind the eyes of his lovely wife.  The truth is that Marie’s personal life is, yet again, coming back to haunt her.  Or in this case, it’s a demon from her past that is coming back to haunt her.  A demon she thought she had gotten rid of; Damian Daniel Toole.

Toole was Marie’s good friend in school and later on boyfriend.  It was the same sad story that we hear all too often; Toole was abusive, both physically and emotionally, towards Marie.  But Jones put up with the abuse.  She kept taking it week in and week out because she was desperate to give her son, Sean Jones, a father figure.  After many other failed relationships, Marie felt that Toole might be her only hope.

Damian Toole was not interested in being a father.  He wanted Marie for little more than a fucktoy and nothing else.  It took Jessica, Marie’s sister, to convince Marie that Damian was no good for her.  And it took a great deal of convincing.  It was no easy feat on Jessica’s part.  But Marie does owe a great deal to Jessica.  It was Jessica who convinced Marie to finally stand up to Damian and dump him.  Marie felt invigorated and free after dumping Damian.  She had no idea what being with Damian had done to her psyche.  She felt liberated.

But now all of those terrible thoughts and feelings are coming rushing right back to the surface.  Damian Toole recently attacked Marie’s husband Arthur.  Damian is back and Marie has an idea what he wants.

Marie has remained silent for the entire walk from the arena back through the parking lot.  It is Arthur who breaks the ice, looking over to his lovely wife with a warm smile on his face.

“You did good tonight, Marie.” He says as he leans over and gives her a kiss on the cheek. “You really took down Kate.”

“Sure.” Marie says, sounding somewhat absent-minded.

“That Ave Maria you delivered was a pure thing of beauty!” He exclaims as he tries to sound excited and tries, unsuccessfully, to pump up his wife. “Two more of those in a row and you have a clean sweep, babe.”

“I guess.”

Clearly Marie is not in the right mindset right now and anyone could see it, even if they were clueless to the circumstances.  Arthur definitely has an idea of what is going on but he decides to pressure her for more details.

“You guess?!” Arthur exclaims.  “You were coming off losing the SCW Television Championship to Beard.  Your critics thought you were down and out but what did you do?  You bounced back after beating Katelyn Buehler, your old sparring partner from IWC and former World Champion.”

Arthur smirks knowingly and winks at his wife, who still doesn’t look his direction. “I’d say this was definitely a good start to this best of five series.”

“Yeah, I suppose it is if you look at it like that.”

Marie sighs and nods her head.  Clearly she is not as enthusiastic as Arthur is.  To be perfectly honest, Arthur never was big on his wife’s wrestling career.  He hates seeing her get hurt for a living. But if it’s what she loves to do, if that’s her passion, then he’s willing to support her until the end.  That’s why this is so troublesome.  Marie is always passionate about the sport.  The fact that she is disinterested and disconnected means that there is a problem.

“Ok, stop right there.” Arthur stops walking and sets down Marie’s bags.  He turns Marie around to face him, placing his hands on her shoulders.  They gaze into one another’s eyes.  “You won tonight. You’re always on cloud nine when you win a match, whether it’s a dark match, house show, or a main event championship match.  That’s just who you are.  So I know that you should be excited, Marie, especially after beating someone the caliber of Katelyn Buehler.  Beating her was something you’ve always wanted.  Wasn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Marie sighs and nods her head “it was one of my goals.  Ever since our rivalry in IWC when I was with Silas World, I wanted a chance to face Buehler one more time, just the two of us, no shenanigans.  I wanted to prove that I could beat her.   Tonight I did beat her.”

“Exactly.” Arthur points out.  “You should be thrilled right now.  But you’re not.  At least you don’t look it.”

“Looks can be deceiving.”

“Tell me what’s wrong.” Arthur asks sternly.  “Tell me what’s bothering you.”

An uneasy grin forms on Marie’s face, but it is a sad grin; no happiness is on this face.  She runs a hand through her long ginger locks of hair.

“Am I that obvious?”

“Marie, you’re my wife.  We’ve known each other for a damn long time now.” He kisses her on the lips. “You can’t get anything by me.  So tell me what’s bothering you.”

“Well, I suppose you’re right...I guess I am a little distracted…”

“Distracted by what?” Arthur asks with an arched brow.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Arthur Pond.”Marie says with a frown. “I think you know what’s distracting me…or rather, who is distracting me…”

“Damian Toole.” Arthur answers her question with a stoic voice.  Marie nods her head. Arthur rolls his eyes. “Not him again…Marie, don’t worry about that asshole.  You have no need to worry about him any longer.”

“It’s easy for you to say!” She exclaims. “I mean, what else do you expect from me but to be distracted when my abusive ex-boyfriend shows up out of nowhere?”

“But he’s not a part of your life anymore.  You dumped him.  He’s gone.”

“Is he?  He got pretty damn close to me by attacking you in Hyde Park.  What if I’m next, Arthur?”

“Then get a restraining order.” Arthur suggests quickly. “It’s that simple.”

“It ISN’T that simple!” Marie shakes her head as tears well up in her eyes.  “Damian WANTS to be in my life…”

Her voice trails off as she fights to keep from breaking down emotionally.  The last time she felt this weak and vulnerable was when she was dating Damian.  She hates this feeling.  Marie Jones reaches up and wipes some of the tears out of her eyes.  Arthur embraces her in a tight hug in an attempt to comfort her.

“I’m sorry, Marie.  I’m sorry.”

“You don’t know what it was like, Arthur.  How could you know what it was like?  Damian Toole was a very possessive and very jealous human being.  He told me I was worthless, pathetic, and that I was only good for giving him blowjobs and being his personal fucktoy.  And I…” she buries her face in her hands “…I believed him…”

“He lied to you, babe.” Arthur embraces her tightly. “You are a wonderful human being and you are so much more than the horrible things he said about you.”

Marie looks back up at Arthur.  Her eyes are red from the tears.

“He didn’t want me getting close to any other man.  Any male friend I had was subject to being targeted by Damian.”After breaking the embrace, Marie gasps and points a finger at Arthur.  “That’s why he went after you!”

“Marie, wait second…” Arthur’s voice trails off.

“He’s jealous, he’s possessive of me, and he wants me back!  I just know it because I know him!  I’m the reason you were attacked!” She buries her face in her hands and again starts crying. “It’s all my fault!”

“Stop with that ridiculous talk, Marie Annabelle Pond!” Marie is stunned to hear her married name called out, one of the few times it is ever utilized and it is enough to shock her back to reality as she stares into Arthur’s intense eyes. “It isn’t your fault that maniac attacked you.  Do not blame yourself for that.”

“But it’s true…he wants me back…”

“No it isn’t.  And for the record, he can want all he wants but he will never ever have you.  Understand?”

“I guess…” Marie wipes some tears out of her eyes and embraces her husband.  She suddenly gasps as she sees a familiar male figure step out of the darkness from behind one of the vehicles and out into the light of the lamppost. “…Damian!”

Damian Toole is wearing torn denim jeans, black boots, and a white wife beater.  He slowly and cautiously approaches Marie and Arthur.  For his part, Arthur Pond immediately steps between Marie and Damian to ensure that if Damian wants, he’d have to go through Arthur first.

“Marie, can we talk?” Damian, the rough around the edges abusive ex attempts to sound calm and collected as he makes his approach.  Marie, on the other hand, is not so calm as she backs away quickly.

“No!” She shakes her head vehemently.  “Absolutely not!  Go away!”

“Get away from her, Damian!” Arthur snaps back with venom as he gets up in Damian’s face. “She is not your girl anymore, you sick bastard!”

“Oh so he does have a voice.” Damian chuckles. “Last I saw you, I was pummeling you so bad we didn’t get a chance to talk.”

“Leave him alone, Damian!” Marie shouts.

“I’ll get to you in a moment, sexy-thing.”

“You have no right to call her that anymore, asshole!”

“Did someone say you could talk?” Damian demands angrily.  “This is between her and me, loser.”

He pushes Arthur down to the ground.  He hits with a thud.  Damian then gets up close to Marie, backing her up against the side of a nearby car so that she can’t get away.

“Leave me alone!” Marie shouts. “HELP!”

“Look, I know I was a fucked up mess awhile back but I changed.” Damian insists, despite the fact that Marie isn’t exactly listening through her screaming.  “I got help.  Just give me a chance to prove myself!”

“HEY!” Arthur scrambles back to his feet and charges Damian. “I said get away from her!”

Arthur tackles Damian to the ground and the two begin to roll around on the ground, throwing punches.  Security by this time has heard the commotion and immediately swarms the scene.  Marie can only watch in horror as her husband and ex-boyfriend both are dealt with by security.

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On Camera

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So the Best of Five Series between Katelyn Buehler and The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling is well under way and after Breakdown in London I went up one to nothing over Buehler and in doing so I exorcised some demons from my past.  I proved to myself and all of my doubters and critics out there that I am a major player, a future SCW World Champion, and that I am damn sure not the whiny little diva of the Independent Wrestling Cartel.  I am The Phoenix of Supreme Championship Wrestling!

Oh it felt good, damn good, to exorcise those demons and shut those doubters up for good.  But there is another advantage beyond that; or at least, people claim there is an advantage.  Whether it’s a playoff series in the NBA, NHL, or Major League Baseball, commentators and so-called “experts” will always comment on the importance of winning the first game of a playoff series, the implication being that winning the first game of a series gives a team some sort of psychological advantage.

Objectively, there is some advantage to winning the first game or match of a series. After all, you're up 1-0 in the series instead of being down 1-0, and you now only have to win two out of the remaining four in order to win the series.

And therein lies your dilemma, Katelyn.  Do the math and you’ll see that you have to beat me three out of the next four matches if you hope to win it all. I just need two more wins.  Advantage Phoenix.  But if you think I’m going to let this advantage go to my head, if you think I’m going to sit back and take it easy because I am ahead in the series then you’re still thinking of the OLD Marie Jones.  If you think I’m not going to take this match just as seriously as I took our last encounter then you still don’t understand just how much I’ve changed, even though you claim you have.

I don’t care about any advantages I have from being up one match to nothing.  Hell, I’m treating this match as if it’s still nothing to nothing.  So why do I bring up the advantage at all?  Because I am determined to shock the world in this series.  I am determined to make the ultimate impact in this series and prove to everyone in Supreme Championship Wrestling that Marie Annabelle Jones is FOR REAL!

No one will look past me and no one will ever doubt my world title credentials here in SCW when this series is over, because I am going to do everything within my power to beat you three straight matches and end this damn thing on a clean sweep.

Am I going to guarantee a clean sweep?  No, I’m not that arrogant.  But you can expect that I will bring every ounce of effort and energy within my body in an attempt to make it happen!  And if you hope to drag this out beyond match three, Buehler, then you’re going to have to really earn it.  You’re going to have to go to places you haven’t been to in a long time, because that’s exactly where I’m going to take you and where I’m going to take myself.

I’m taking my game to a whole new level at Unflawed.  You told me via social media that I was better than when we last fought in IWC?  I’m glad to hear you say that, but watch now as I raise my game and raise my performance level in each proceeding match in this series.  You’re going to get a new and improved Marie Jones with each match in this series.

Fact is that seeing the same old same old Marie Jones for five matches in a row doesn’t mean a damn thing in the grand scheme of things, even if I were to win the series that way.  I’m going to shock the world, entertain the fans, blow the roof off of arenas, and raise the bar of greatness each and every time I set foot inside that ring in this series between you and me, Buehler; because I’m not looking for a mediocre performance, I’m not even looking for a good performance.

I’m looking to have the best damn performance anyone could possibly have at Unflawed, at Breakdown, at each and every SCW event until this has ended and my arm is raised in victory, until all of the eyes of the SCW universe are opened and recognize that Marie Annabelle Jones is The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling.

Any loss at all, any stumble along the way, means I’ve failed in that quest.

Am I setting a high bar?  Damn right I am setting a high bar, because that’s who I am.  The Jones Family seeks only greatness.  We reach for the highest of the highs because we are competitors and we are all passionate about competition.

You are one of the best competitors I’ve been in the ring with, Katelyn.  That’s why I wanted this Best of Five Series.  I know this series could do wonders for either one of our careers.  Unfortunately for you, the spoiler alert is that I am going to win this series.

You’re already in the hole, Katelyn.  Now that hole is going to be dug deeper when I beat you at Unflawed and go up two matches to none.  Are you prepared for that inevitability?  Are you ready for what will happen next?  You told me after I beat you in London that it was “Game On”…will it still be “game on” after I beat you at Unflawed?  Are you still going to be that confident?

I hope you are.  I truly hope you are.  I want the best Katelyn Buehler has to offer.  I want the former IWC World Champion.  So if I do end up with a clean sweep, I want to know that I did it against the absolute best there is.  This series is my opportunity to prove that I have a legitimate claim to being among the best in this company.  By earning a decisive victory in this series, I will be able to make that case.

That’s what this Best of Five Series is about to me.  It’s about making that next big step in my career.  It means taking one more step closer to the main event.  And more than anything, it means proving that I belong.  Thus I cannot sit idly by and relax just because I have a one to nothing lead.  In fact, if anything, it means I have to fight even harder than before.

The pressure is on me, Katelyn, not you.  I won that all important first match and while that feels good, I know that the rug can easily be jerked out from under you, just as it was when I lost the Television Championship in my first title defense and how I lost the United States Championship in Puerto Rico.

I look back at those losses as learning experiences.  I realize how important it is to never ever rest on your laurels.  I rested on my laurels before and it bit me in the ass.  I swear to you that I will not rest on my laurels at Unflawed.  I will win because I have to win, Katelyn.  I have no other options.

We will bring down the house, just as we did in London, and if by chance you do win, know that you beat me at my best. But also know that I will retool, refocus, and learn from my mistakes.  Understand that even if you do manage to drag this out beyond match three, I will still be the one standing victorious with my hand raised when the series is over.

Whether it takes three matches or all five matches, the spoiler alert is that Marie Annabelle Jones will be your winner.

Past Mistakes

So what’s next for The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling?  What is my next move in Supreme Championship Wrestling?  There are those who argue that I still need my signature win.  There are those who say that I still need that one win that says I have arrived and I am a threat to anyone and everyone I step into that ring with.

I disagree.  Just look at what I’ve done since arriving in SCW and you will see the record of a woman who has racked up a string of signature wins.  As United States Champion I beat Regan Street and Tyler Tucker in a triple threat.  In the world title contender series I defeated Ace Marshall and Christy Matthews.  As Television Champion I defeated Donovan Kayl in non-title action.

Be honest with yourselves; The Phoenix has racked up signature wins.  That’s not the problem now.  That is no longer the goal.  The goal now is to take that next step.  The goal now is to finally reach up and grab the one achievement I have desired since signing with this great company.

The SCW World Championship.

Katelyn Buehler and I are both former World Champions in other companies.  We have history against one another.  And at the end of this best of five series, one of us will continue our path to greatness here in SCW while the other will suffer a setback.

This isn’t about signature wins; this is about a turning point in the SCW careers of myself and Katelyn Buehler.

I have to win.

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Scene 1

Off Camera

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Trafalgar Square is a public square in the City of Westminster, Central London, built around the area formerly known as Charing Cross. Its name commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar, a British naval victory in the Napoleonic Wars with France and Spain.  Enormous Nelson’s Column towers high into the air commemorating Horatio Nelson’s naval victory over the French off Cape Trafalgar in 1805.  There are four monumental bronze lions which are set at each of the four corners of the plinth of the column. But the column isn’t the only beautiful thing to look at here in Trafalgar Square.  The square has two large fountains and a number of statues.  Off in the distance one can easily see the National Gallery.  It’s over by one of the fountains that we find Marie Annabelle Jones and her half-sister, Jessica Jones Lasiewicz.

The elder, redheaded, Jones is wearing an ankle length floral print black maxi skirt, a pair of wedge heels, and a red blouse.  She is wearing her signature black leather jacket and her long red hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length.  Jessica is dressed far more comfortably in denim jeans, black boots, and a long sleeve black sweater.  Her long black hair hangs unrestrained to shoulder length.  Jessica is here just tagging along with her sister Marie, who is the one who actually has business here in London.  Supreme Championship Wrestling has come to London to present its brand of competition and wrestling and it is for those reasons alone that Marie is here; competition and wrestling.  She wants to match herself against the best wrestling has to offer, specifically the best SCW has to offer.

Ever since her arrival in SCW, Marie has proven time and time again that she belongs in the upper crust.  Have there been bumps in the road along the way?  Sure, of course there have been.  But she has beaten the top names in the company, names like Ace Marshall, Christy Matthews, and Donovan Kayl.  Marie has been a United States Champion and, most recently, a Television Champion in SCW.  The Phoenix has nothing to prove to anyone in Supreme Championship Wrestling.

Still, despite her accomplishments, Jones still has yet to get to her ultimate goal.  It’s the one goal she has had since arriving in SCW, something she has always had her sights set on: the World Championship.  Marie came to SCW with the desire of getting a fair opportunity to one day be world champion again.  But she needs to earn that title opportunity, it won’t just be handed to her.  She knows how close she is and she knows that one big win could cement herself into the world title picture.  One signature win could open the eyes of any and all remaining critics and doubters.

That signature win could come in the form of not just one win, but three wins over Katelyn Buehler.  Buehler is another who held world championship gold elsewhere but has had a rough go of it in SCW.  The two have quite an extensive history back in the old IWC and now that rivalry is being renewed in SCW, but in a more professional sense, to see who is the best in a Best of 5 Series.

And the similarities between the signature win that the beautiful architecture of Trafalgar Square commemorates and the potential signature win Marie has coming to her if she can manage to over Katelyn Buehler three times out of five is not lost on either Jones herself or her sister, Jessica.

“It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Marie says, absent mindedly staring out at the fountain.

“It is, but you’re not telling me anything I don’t already know.” Jessica responds. “My dad used to take me here all the time.  He wanted to fill my head with the stories of Horatio Nelson…”

Jessica’s voice trails off as her eyes roll.  Marie notices this and giggles.

“I take it you weren’t one for the history behind this place?”

“Not exactly.” She shakes her head. “I enjoyed the birds, the pigeons. I still remember coming here with dad, buying seed, and feeding the birds.  Not so much anymore, though.”

“Speaking of Nelson,” Marie points over to a column not too far away, a column surrounded by lion statues “that’s him, isn’t?  Or it’s is column, anyway.”

“Yeah, that s right.” Jessica nods her head and begins to make her way towards the column.  Marie follows suit.  The two women stop at the column and look up at the statue of Horatio Nelson at the very top.  Marie’s eyes grow wide and a smile forms on her face.

“Your dad is right, Jess.  This is an awesome sight.”

“I haven’t always agreed with him, but you’re right Marie, this is an awesome sight to behold.  I can’t argue with him on that one.” Jessica looks over at Marie inquisitively. “You do know the story of Nelson, don’t you?”

“Of course.” Marie answers, nodding her head. “Don’t forget, our mom was married to your dad for a time and so I heard some of these stories myself straight from him.  Napoleon was marching across Europe and Britain was one of the last remaining bastions of freedom.  The decisive British victory spectacularly confirmed the naval supremacy.  During the battle, Nelson was shot by a French musketeer; he died shortly thereafter, becoming one of Britain's greatest war heroes.”

“Impressive.” Jessica nods her head, grinning knowingly. “You sure know your history, sis.”

“I also know that this battle was a turning point for the British and French in the sense that it confirmed that Napoleon could not and would not take Britain.  Conquering Britain would be one goal that he would not be able to achieve.”

Marie looks back up in the sky at the Horatio Nelson statue.  Jessica does the same and then looks back at Marie.  She notices how she stares intensely at the statue.  Jessica hears her older half-sister taking a deep breath and sighing.

“Are you ok, Marie?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Marie looks back at Jessica. “I just can’t help but think that I’m the verge of something great, Jess.  Look at what all I’ve since arriving in SCW.  I’ve beaten former world champions, I’ve beaten living legends like Donovan Kayl, I’ve held the United States and Television Championships.  But every single time it appears as if I will turn a corner and get my just due credit as a legitimate, credible main event player, the road becomes longer, more obstacles get thrown up in my way.  Every time I get close to that signature win, it appears as if it become more and more elusive.”

She shakes her head with disappointment. “I’m honestly not sure what else I can do, Jess.”

“You can stop whining.” Jessica says rather coldly, but Marie is rather used to her sister being like that. “That would be a helpful start.  Secondly, look at what you HAVE done.  You’ve done in a shorter amount of time what some in SCW have never.  Two championship wins, a victory over world champions, and quite honestly, I’d say a win over Donovan Kayl on the grand stage of a pay per view would be a signature win.  If it’s a legitimate, signature win you want, I’d say you got several of those.  If you want to be taken seriously with respect in the locker room, you got that too.  So be honest with me, Marie.  What do you really want right now?”

Marie stares into the intense eyes of her sister Jessica, ignoring the passers by on either side of them.  It’s as if no one else exists but them.  Marie finally sighs and nods her head, relenting after what seems like an eternity.

“Alright…I want a world title shot.”

“Who doesn’t?” Jessica chuckles.

“I’m serious.” Marie retorts somewhat offended. “I came to SCW with that purpose always in the back of my mind.  I felt UWA was treating me unfairly.  UWA was granting anyone and everyone rematch after rematch but when I lost the UWA World Championship not only was I not granted a rematch but I was not even booked on television for months.  I was left off of the next pay per view, Sectioned.  I signed an SCW contract with the understanding that I would be treated fairly, that I would get a fair opportunity, which is all I wanted from the start; a fair opportunity to once again become world champion.”

“Ok, ok, I get it.” Jessica says, trying to calm her agitated sister down. “But you do understand that you have to earn it.”

“I do.  And that’s why this Best of Five Series against Katelyn Buehler is so damn important to me.  You’re right, Jess, I have been on a roll.  I beat Ace Marshall and Christy Matthews, I won the United States and Television Championships, I beat Donovan Kayl.  But I need to keep winning and keep winning big if I am to get that opportunity I want so badly.  I have to win, Jess.  I just have to.”

Jessica smiles warmly at her sister.  Then she reaches out a hand and places it on Marie’s right shoulder.

“And I’m sure you will.  Just don’t doubt yourself.  Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Jessica shakes her head. “It’s unnecessary, Marie, especially considering you’ve been doing such a great job lately.”

“In the ring, maybe, but outside the ring not so much.” Marie sighs and shakes her head. “I didn’t tell my son the truth about his father, and did everything I could to avoid telling him the truth about his father, all because I was afraid to talk to my own son.”

“You were stuck between a rock and a hard place, sis.  I think anyone can understand the tough decision you had to make.  It was completely understandable.”

“Would you say the same thing about my judgment regarding Kimberly?” Marie asks.  She points a finger at Jessica. “You were the one who said you didn’t trust Kim.  You said you didn’t think she deserved to be a part of the family and…”

“I was wrong.”

Hearing that causes Marie to back up ever so slightly, primarily out of surprise.  She didn’t expect to hear that coming from Jessica.

“What did you say?”

“I know, it’s hard to believe, but I was wrong.” Jessica chuckles. “Me being wrong; hard to believe, right?  But the point is I judged Kimberly based upon her past, a past that is wrought with violence and psychopathic tendencies, a past that is a story of a sociopath hell bent on destroying our family.  I was right to judge the way I judged her but you took a risk, not out of naiveté but out of a familial love that perhaps I don’t have, or at least have as much of as you.  You loved her enough to take a risk on her and as it turns out you were right to do so.  Is she eccentric?  Yes.  But from what I’ve observed she cares about this family.”

Jessica smirks knowingly. “I could learn a thing or two from you about caring for your fellow human being.”

Jessica and Marie embrace in a tight sisterly hug.  After breaking the hug Marie chuckles lightly.

“I appreciate the sentiments, Jess.  I just worry, y’know?  And maybe I’m worrying over nothing.  But I do worry about some of the decisions Kim is making.”

“Like what?”

“Her new boyfriend, John Ortiz.” Marie sighs. “I haven’t even met him, Jess, but from what Kim has told me, he strikes me as a dangerous person.”

“Oh and Kim isn’t?” Jessica remarks with a smirk on her face. “Marie, you helped her all you could.  You gave her the mental help she needed, help she still receives from Dr. Warren.  She’s a contributing part of society now.  An adult.  She has to make her own decisions and make her own mistakes, paying the consequences of those mistakes, just like any other normal person.  You had to pay the consequences of your mistakes and no one rushed in to save you, did they?  So what makes her any special?”

Jessica always was a bit harsher and blunter than any of the other Jones women.  She gets it from her father, “The Polish Spirit” Andreas Lasiewicz.  Still, Marie can’t help but think that Jessica does have a point here.  Kimberly should learn from her mistakes.  Experience is the best teacher; Marie’s own mother taught her that.  Marie has had to learn from experience before.  The many mistakes she made growing up helped mold her into the person she is today.  Despite the mistakes, Marie wouldn’t change a thing.

“Yeah, I did make quite a few mistakes in my time.” Marie remarks, nodding her head. “You were there to rub it in most of the time, if I recall.”

“I didn’t like rubbing it in, but you’re right.  I did.”

“Bullshit,” Marie says smirking “you loved it.  You really loved rubbing it in about Damian Toole.”

“Oh please, don’t bring him up again.”

“Once again, you were right about him.  I was wrong.  I should’ve listened to you.”

“It doesn’t matter now.” Jessica shakes her head. “He’s gone and you have someone much better in your life, someone willing to accept both you AND your son Sean.”

“Yes, Sean…” Marie’s voice trails off as a smile creeps across her face “…Arthur is so good with Sean.  He really is the perfect man.”

“See what I mean?  You learned from your mistake and that experience helped you find the right guy.  Speaking of which, where is my brother-in-law and my nephew?”

“Arthur took him sight-seeing around London.  He said he’d call me later to let me know how things were going.”

As if on cue Marie’s iPhone starts going crazy.  Marie chuckles as she takes it in her hand. “I guess that’s him, then.  Hold on a sec, Jess…”

Jessica nods her head and watches as Marie presses a button and then places the phone to her ear.

“Hello?.......Yes, Arthur, it’s me, just calm down, I….” Marie’s eyes grow wide as she continues to listen “….WHAT?!”

“What is it?” Jessica asks. Marie holds up a hand to hush her.

“Ok, I’ll meet you back to the hotel as soon as I can.  Bye.”

Marie hangs up the phone and sighs with exasperation.  Jessica, for her part, has remained silent through the whole ordeal but is still curious about what is going on.

“What is it, Marie?  What’s going on?”

“Arthur was attacked in a park.  He had Sean with him so he didn’t fight back.”

“Did the authorities get the guy who did it?”

“No clue.” Marie shrugs her shoulders. “Arthur didn’t share much information.  He just said I needed to hear this myself, alone.”

==========

Scene 2

Off Camera

==========

The lobby of this hotel in London, England is quite exquisite.  The floor was tiled in fine marble, which made every step echo. A chandelier made rainbow colors dance across the luxurious lobby. Embroidered silk sofas surrounded a large, flat-screen television. The twin doors that led into the lobby were a pristine white with golden handles. The desk was made of amber-colored wood and a green granite top. Exquisite paintings hung from the rich, red walls. Even the door hinges were engraved with swirls and elegant designs. Music played in the background, even though the only person around to hear it is the attendant at the desk.  The music is soft, the colors gentle to the eye and the large dining room is set up and ready for dinner tonight.

Silence never lasts forever.  The silence of this hotel lobby ends abruptly when Marie Annabelle Jones comes bursting into the lobby furiously, with a concerned, nervous look on her face.  Immediately the redheaded Boston native makes her way over towards the elevators.  As soon as she gets to the elevator doors Marie presses the button calling for the elevator and the door opens.  Marie enters the elevator and then Marie presses the button for the elevator to go up.  The door closes and the elevator begins to rise.  The face of Jones is stoic and serious the entire way up.  She doesn’t make a sound as she ponders what may come next.

Marie has reason to be nervous.  Her husband, Arthur Pond, was out with her son, Sean Connor Jones, when he was attacked without warning.  Her husband being in trouble is bad enough but her son being in danger as well is enough to make any mother upset beyond belief.  And she still does not know who the assailant was or if he got away or if the authorities have him in custody.  Arthur would not give away any details.  He just said Marie had to hear it for herself; face-to-face.

As soon as the elevator reaches the second floor it comes to a slow stop.  The doors open and Marie Jones exits the elevator.  The Phoenix turns and begins to head down the hall.  Marie soon comes to a hotel room door, presumably her own.  Marie then takes her keycard and inserts it into the door slot and then once she hears it unlock she pushes the door open.

“Arthur?  Sean?” Marie shouts as she enters the room, letting the door shut behind her.  She finds Arthur sitting in a chair by the window.  A light is on as he reads a newspaper.

“Arthur?” Marie asks as she approaches his chair. “Where’s Sean?”

“Sssshhhh….” He says silently urging her to be silent “…he’s in his room, asleep.”

“Is he ok?”

“He’s fine.”

“What about you?”

Arthur places his newspaper down and stands up out of the chair.  He turns around to face Marie.  Immediately she gasps at his right eye, which is blackened, most likely from the attack earlier.

“I’m fine, Marie.”

“Like hell you are.” Marie snaps back at him, motioning to the black eye. “That thing looks terrible.”

“It looks bad but trust me, I’ve had worse.”

“So what happened?”

“Not really an interesting story.” Arthur says bluntly. “It was rather straightforward.  Sean and I were taking a stroll through Hyde Park.  Few people were around the time.  Come to think of it, I don’t remember anyone being around at the time.  That’s why his attack came as a surprise to me.  He tackled me to the ground and starting throwing rights.”

“My God,” Marie holds her hand over her mouth “did he escape?”

“I managed to kick him off of me but that wasn’t going to stop him; at least, it wouldn’t have stopped him.  He looked ready to pounce again but some other guests at the park spotted the disturbance. I think he was worried he’d get caught so he ran off.”

“He didn’t hurt Sean, did he?”

“No, he never touched him.”

“I’m just glad both of you are ok.” Marie kisses Arthur on the lips. “You had me worried when you called and told me.”

“We’re ok, Marie.  Both of us are.”

“Nearly ok.” She touches his right eye. “Does it still sting?”

“A little” He admits with a chuckle. “But I’ll live.”

“I am glad you are ok, though.” Marie repeats. “But why would he attack you?  Hell, why would anyone attack you?  Was he trying to rob you or something?”

There’s a long pause as Arthur stare into Marie’s eyes.  Finally he sighs and shakes his head.

“It isn’t as simple as that, Marie.”

“Then make sense of it to me, Arthur.  Why would some maniac just attack you in the park?”

“Sit down.” Arthur commands, pointing to the king sized bed.  Marie nods her head and sits down on the edge of the bed.  Arthur walks over and places a comforting hand on her shoulder.

“This isn’t going to be easy for you to hear, but you deserve to know.”

“Know what?”

“You deserve to know who attacked me, Marie.  And when you hear his name, I think you’ll know the answer as to why he attacked me.”

“Who attacked you?” Marie asks, growing more and more frustrated with Arthur’s delaying.

“It was Damian.  Damian Toole.”

==========

On Camera

==========

I’ve never been one for the NBA, NHL, or even Major League Baseball; sorry, but pro-basketball and hockey have never been my things, and definitely not baseball.  I am slightly into college basketball thanks to my sister Jessica’s obsession over the Duke Blue Devils basketball program and I am a big fan of my hometown New England Patriots NFL program.

There is one thing I can say for the NBA, the NHL, and MLB that the NCAA and the NFL could, perhaps learn a thing or two from.  In the NCAA and in the NFL, on any given day any team on their game can beat anyone, or any team with a lot of luck can beat anyone.  Just look at University of Maryland Baltimore County and their victory over Virginia.  A team that barely made the NCAA Tournament beat the best team in the nation.  Do you think they could’ve done that again?  Do you think they could’ve beat Virginia four times, the way you have to do in the NBA playoffs?

In a way, the NBA and NHL and MLBA playoffs truly showcase who is the best because you have to win a series.  It’s not just a one and done.  The last one standing at the end of the series can truly claim to be the best of them all, without question.

That’s what makes this Best of Five Series between you and I so special, Katelyn.  We are evenly matched, I think you’ll agree with that.  We have both held world championships in other companies and either one of us could easily become SCW World Champion if given the opportunity.  And on any given night, I could beat you or you could beat me, depending on which of us is on top of our game that particular night, and maybe even depending upon who has a little more luck than the other.

And we’ve tangled before, haven’t we Katelyn?  It was Invictus 2, May 4^th of 2015, and you and I were a part of a four way dance for the IWC World Championship.  So many wild cards and x-factors were thrown into that match; among them being the other two opponents, Taylor Chase and Serenity.  Who knows who would’ve won between the two of us in a one on one scenario, Kate?  That night Serenity managed to get the win after you did the heavy lifting.

There was also special referee Brittany Lohan.  Special referees are, perhaps, the biggest wild cards of them all because you never know what they’ll do.  You never know if they have an agenda.  Perhaps I would’ve won had I not been such a bitch to Brittany.  I was misguided back then; young and immature.  But I’ve grown since then.  I’ve learned from the mistakes I made and I am a better competitor and a better person for it.

There was one other time we did battle, this time in Global Championship Wrestling, but once again shenanigans, corrupt twisting of the rules, and a strange masked ninja lady who turned out to once again be Serenity kept the fans from seeing just who really was the best on that particular night.  I mean, yeah, I may have officially been declared winner, but I refuse to count that.  Not the way I won it, not by a cheap disqualification victory.

Yes, Katelyn, we do have a checkered past with one another.  A history marred in controversy.  We never have truly determined the better athlete, despite the many times we’ve battled toe to toe in the center of the ring.

Ah but that’s the beauty of our Best of Five Series.  There will be at least three, maybe as many as five matches between the two of us, Kate.  Will there be some shenanigans, wild cards, x-factors that could affect one of the matches?  Perhaps.  But all of them?  Unlikely.  No one can claim shenanigans, outside interference, or anything else in a Best of Five Series.

A Best of Five Series will truly eliminate any and all doubts and questions regarding the outcome of the battle.  A Best of Five Series will truly eliminate any and all doubts and questions regarding who the better athlete really is.  And maybe, finally, once and for all, we can see which of us is the better athlete.  Once and for all we can see who is better, Katelyn Buehler or Marie Jones.  That’s what I want and that’s what our fans want.  That’s what the SCW fans want to see.  They want to see Katelyn Buehler do battle with The Crown Jewel of Professional Wrestling in a classic, in an epic Best of Five Series that no one will soon forget.  And yes, we will tear the house down.  We will steal the show each night we compete.

Unfortunately, it won’t end well for you, Kate.

I’m not going to be arrogant and claim I’m going to win this via clean sweep.  It is highly unlikely that anyone can beat a former world champion like yourself in a clean sweep three straight matches.  So I’m under no illusion of pulling off that feat.  But a Best of Five Series is a marathon, not a sprint, and I’m prepared to go the distance.  If I have to wrestle all five matches against you then I am prepared to do that.  And whether it takes three matches, four matches, or all five matches, I will win the Best of Five Series.

I’m going to win because, quite simply, I want it more and I need it more than you.

This series is a turning point for both of us, Katelyn.  I don’t think anyone will deny that.  You need this as a signature win to prove you can win when it counts.  But I’ve been where you are right now.  I was in a situation where I needed a big win to prove I belonged.

But I got those wins, Kate.  I beat former world champions here in SCW and I don’t care what anyone else may say about me or my abilities, I have already proven that I am a future world champion.  One shot is all I need.  Just one opportunity and it doesn’t matter who the champion is, I can and I will get the job done.

This is a turning point for me in the sense that I know how close I am to proving to SCW management that I deserve an opportunity.  I just need to keep winning, I need to keep beating top athletes like yourself, I need to keep getting these signature wins, and eventually I’ll get my shot.

But I can’t afford to let up.  I cannot afford to take my foot off of the gas pedal.  I need to keep going straight forward as fast as I can down this highway to success here in Supreme Championship Wrestling.  Right now that highway has you in my way, as an obstacle I have to overcome.  And I know that one setback, one loss, will delay me from getting what I want.  Or worse, it could potentially keep me from getting it altogether.

I signed to SCW because I wanted to be a World Champion again and I believed SCW was the place to do it, because I knew I’d get treated fairly and because here in SCW is where you find the toughest competition in all of professional wrestling.  When you are the SCW World Champion you can truly say you are the best.

That’s what I want, Katelyn, and I know that if I can just get through you, if I can just beat you three times out of five, then I can advance my career and move on forward towards that ultimate goal.  Because I am close, I am so damn close that I can taste it.  I can feel it.  And I am not ready to take a step back for anyone, not even for someone I respect like you.

I’m going to beat you, Katelyn, because I have to beat you.  I have to beat you more than anything you can ever imagine.  This is just match one, Katelyn.  This isn’t just a one and done.  I may beat you on Breakdown but I understand that doesn’t mean anything until the rest of the series plays itself out.  You could beat me on Breakdown and yet, still, I will just as confidently and proudly declare that I will win in the end, because this isn’t one strike and you’re out.  This isn’t single elimination.  This is Best of Five.  Only the strong will endure through the entire series and survive.

This is going to be a taste of what you can expect throughout the series.  Good luck…

…you’ll need it.