12-11-2019, 08:38 AM
12-14-2019, 06:30 PM
[i]I remember the night I surprised everyone and showed back up at work. For me, it was finally a moment of happiness and remembrance of why I do what I do, and why it does truly bring me joy whether or not I'm successful at winning or not. The looks on people's faces, the sound of gasps as people see me walk out, and the love that was thrown my way, telling me that I still belonged. When all hell broke loose, it was like riding a bike and it was me back in my element.
And like I said, to all, it was a surprise.
you see, I literally didn't tell anyone. I didn't tell friends, coworkers, or even family. I said I had some business to tend to, and I promised everyone I wasn't doing anything drastic. I promised everyone I would keep in constant contact, and let them know I was ok at all times. I kept that promise and did everything I could to make everyone feel comfortable with me "on the loose," and knowing nothing bad was going to happen. Everyone was ok with this, except one person, and I guess I should have realized that beforehand, but hey, what can you do.
So fast forward to when my job is done, and I head to the back. I figure there are going to be some eyes on me, some whispers, some positive opinions, and some negative. I try to tune them out because, while a little disappointed that I couldn't finish as strongly as I wanted, I still did the best I had ever done. A couple of people came up to me, a couple spoke their minds, and others just acted like me being there was a routine part of the day. But once I gathered everything up and started walking toward the exit, I come around a corner and quickly am grabbed by my arm and yanked into another darker, more secluded corner of the arena. At first, I was ready to fight. Then I notice who has me by the arm, my sister, and I simply go along for the ride. Once we are out of eyesight and earshot, she spins me to face her, with a quite pissed look on her face.[/b]
Jordan Majors: What the hell, man?
Jake Starr: You know, it's good to see you, too!
Jordan Majors: Yeah, sure, but what the hell?
Jake Starr: Ok you're going to have to be a little more direct with your questioning, I think...
Jordan Majors: Out there... You... Showing up...
Jake Starr: Yeah... And?
Jordan Majors: Hello?! You don't think that would have been something of vital importance for me to know?!
Jake Starr: Umm... Why?
Jordan Majors: ... BECAU...
Jordan Majors: ... Because A) I'm your sister, and B) now we're both in the same wrestling promotion and the last I heard, you had zero desire to even step foot in a ring again.
Jake Starr: I guess things change...
Jordan Majors: You should have fucking told me!
Jake Starr: Then I wouldn't have been Mystery Entrant Number 4, and I've always wanted to be that guy!
Jordan Majors: Why? Just why? I was doing just fine without you!
Jake Starr: Yes, and?
Jordan Majors: So I didn't need you showing up to save me.
Jake Starr: You're right!
Jordan Majors: Then why... Are... You... Here?
Jake Starr: OH you should have asked... Mr. D and I had this thing planned out way back. You know, before I tried to off myself.
Jordan Majors: And why didn't you tell me that day in the park? Seriously?
[i]I could sense her frustration, and it made sense. She had every right to feel this way, and I didn't fault her for it. Yes, I had not told her about the plans that I would, theoretically, return to the company at this time. But I didn't tell anyone about it. I didn't want people knowing I'd be back, and getting assumptions about how things were going to role. For once, I wanted to call my own shots, and not be told if I was making the right decision, or if I should handle it another way. I simply called my boss, told him I was in, and that was that. I told him not to tell anyone, as I wasn't telling anyone either.
When family and friends saw me go out there and perform again, the worry that I was off potentially harming myself went away. They told me that they saw a smile on me they hadn't seen in years. They saw the renewed life I felt. They realized I needed to go there, alone, and be me, on my own. They realized I was truly doing something to make me happy that wasn't destructive behavior. They realized I was taking the steps I needed to for true salvation from the demons that had haunted me.[/b]
Jake Starr: You want to know why I didn't say anything?
Jordan Majors: Ugh... Please!
Jake Starr: Honestly because at that point, while D and I had the agreement, I wasn't in a place where I even wanted to be back. I didn't even think about it. I didn't even consider it. On that day, I wasn't coming back. On that day, I was still the suicidal guy that made stupid decisions. It's why I told you that I didn't care if you came here. It's why I said I didn't care what you did, and just wanted you to go be you and make your own path. Me trying to tell you to do thaT, then saying, "oh by the way, expect me back at Taking Hold," would have kept you thinking about it, and not about just doing your thing.
Jordan Majors: Then why not even come find me before the match here? Obviously we can find places to hide.
Jake Starr: Yeah but hiding with my sister in a dark closet isn't as fun as if it were...
Jordan Majors: Ok first, stop, second, ew...
Jake Starr: To answer is simple... You didn't need me as a distraction in your preparation. At the point I got here, I was going to be a surprise to everyone. Plus, you seemed to be doing well on your own, fighting your battles, and I wasn't going to try and distract you from that.
Jordan Majors: Yeah, but now what? What's your plan from here? What am I supposed to do?
Jake Starr: You do you. I'm not here to mother or protect you. You always told me, growing up, that you wanted to fight your battles and prove who YOU are, and not who people THINK you should be. So go do you. I have my own agenda, and right now I don't see how iyr oargs could cross, even.
Jordan Majors: And what agenda is that? Babysit me?
Jake Starr: Fuck no. You're my little sister, yes, but you have to be a big girl at some point. You can't assume I'm always here to save or protect you. Yeah, if shit hit the fan, I'd be out there in a heartbeat. But you have your wants. I have my wants. They don't interfere or impede the other so we just do our thing. I'm not going to be sticking my nose in your business and I know you don't want to get into mine.
Jordan Majors: And what happens if our paths cross?
Jake Starr: Welcome to SCW, then.
Jordan Majors: Really?
Jake Starr: You wanted to come here to face the best and prove yourself. If they don't know we are related, which I can tell you want to keep under wraps as long as possible, you run the risk of them throwing us at one another. That's the nature of this business. You hide stuff, it may turn around and bite in you in the ass next. Or they may decide there is no reason for Jordan Majors and Jake Starr to collide, and we never cross each other. But you have to accept that's part of the reality of this business. You're going to fight friends, you're going to fight family, you're going to fight foes. Hell, there may come a day we both are aiming at the same goal, and what then? Big brother just asks little sister to step aside? Little sister tells big brother he told her he wouldn't stand in her way so move? Neither of us would do that. Why? Because I already have the reputation of asking for title shots and telling people to move aside for me, and you're craving that legacy that is YOURS. So what would happen then?
Jordan Majors: ... We'd fight...
Jake Starr: Exactly... But it's business in that sense. If we don't try and fuck with one another, business is easy to handle and move on from. You mess with each other leading to that moment, it's hard to reconcile what could be said or done. Trust me, I've been down both paths. Making things personal makes this business eat you alive. You'll soon forget what it's like to be happy here. Ultimately, you'll lose yourself in the moment and watch someone buried deep come out that does and says things you wouldn't have even considered. So trust me... Right now, we don't have anything to worry about except doing our own thing. When that changes, we re-evaluate, and push forward.
[i]I could see in my sister's eyes that my appearance wasn't just the "surprise" I was hoping for, but something that caused her to really "think" deep down. I began to wonder if, maybe, I made the wrong decision in not telling her. But on the other hand, she wouldn't have performed so well herself if I had. She'd have been looking over her shoulder for the moment when I arrived, and then tried to focus on not looking so obviously concerned with it. It's something I toiled with but ultimately knew I handled right. I knew, deep down, she understood, even with her emotions flying as much as they were.[/b]
Jordan Majors: So what do we do now?
Jake Starr: Well, honestly I don't know what you have planned, but I'm about to leave our little hideaway here and go to my car, and head back to the hotel. After that, I'm going home, going to regroup and probably watch everything back and see how I looked versus how I felt, and then see what happens at Breakdown. I would assume you are going to meet up with your crew at some point...
Jordan Majors: Yeah but what do we do? How do we act?
Jake Starr: We act as strangers. You can act like you don't like me. You can do whatever you need to, in order to keep yourself comfortable. I'm not running out there to go "HEY EVERYONE SHE'S MY SISTER!" But I also won't let anyone fuck with you unnecessarily, I can say that now.
Jordan Majors: What do you mean?
Jake Starr: Remember what I said in the park?
Jordan Majors: When you decided to do your best impression of an apparition and vanish after saying something?
Jake Starr: Had a nice dramatic effect to it, didn't it?
Jordan Majors: Sure... But yes... I remember...
Jake Starr: I've meant it. Even when I was jaded, I kept up with you. I made sure you handled your business and that's why I know you don't need me to "save you" or "protect you," but I'm still your older brother, and if there's ever a moment I have to come out of the shadows, I'm not going to hesitate.
I have a lot of years to make up for not being there for you. I have a lot of fences to mend. But I also have a lot of respect for you and what you're doing, so I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize it, but I also won't stand idly if I know you need help...
Jordan Majors: Ok...
Jake Starr: Now... Am I allowed to leave, because this has been way more than 30 seconds in Heaven...
Jake Starr: ... By the way, you kicked some ass out there today. Won't lie, it was fun to be out there kicking ass along side my sister...
[i]When I told her it was a honor to be out there with her, I meant it. To share that with actual family is something I had never gotten to do with my dad because I was so fixated on not being seen as "his son." I avoided the notion of "father and son" being a billed headline for fans to see because I just wanted to be me. It's just like my sister. She wants to be her own brand, her own product, her own person, and doesn't want me to try and influence her career because of mine. I can respect that, and I will respect that. I truly don't know how much our paths will cross in the grand scheme. I don't know what she'll feel being in the same place as her brother. I don't know if my past accomplishments, which are definitely in my rear view, would somehow overshadow her, and not give her the chance she deserves. All I know is, right now, I feel ashamed for having not been there for her in the past, and all I want to do is begin that reconciliation process in my own head. She's been there for me, and told me the past is the past, but I feel that guilt and that shame. I have to be the one to remedy it.[/b]
Jake Starr: How does one define success? Is it by money? Is it by achieving more than others? Is it simply by achieving whatever goals you set for yourself? Whatever the case is, success is something that is not an OBJECTIVE notion. It isn't something that two people have to agree on, and define in the same manner. There's a reason for this, too. It's because success IS something that is personal. People can criticize others for not agreeing, but in the end, like I said, it's personal.
Since returning, many would say I haven't been successful in SCW. They would say I have fallen short of the expectations I set for myself at Taking Hold of the Flame. And to a degree, I would agree. I would say that I set the bar pretty fucking high by coming back out of nowhere, and almost winning the whole damn thing. That's not something many would expect out of me, but still it was something I am proud of myself that I was able to do something I had never done in SCW. After that, though, things kind of went into mediocrity, and you know, that's true on a basic win/loss level. And the old me would have done the same. I used to base my successes only on the obvious and basic of stats and measures, and you know, it broke me inside. It broke Jake Starr. It made me jaded toward everything this business had to offer because if I didn't win I was unhappy, I was angry, and I was throwing a fit. If I wasn't being blanketed with praise and reward, I didn't feel like I was successful in any manner. No matter what guys like David and Tommy would tell me, in my eyes I was still not successful and I was unhappy.
That's why right now, I couldn't be more proud of myself.
You see, the fact I haven't just shot to the top, I think, is a blessing. The fact that Jordan and I have not just immediately become the most dominant tag team, is a blessing. It's reminding me, and probably reminding US, that there is a lot in this business that needs to be looked at when deciding if you're successful or a failure. Since coming back, I feel successful. SCW is a premier organization with the best of the best, and just because I haven't won every single match doesn't mean I am not making strides in the right direction. It doesn't mean Jake Starr isn't becoming more dangerous. It doesn't mean the brother/sister duo isn't learning what it takes to begin using other teams as stepping stones to our greatness. Instead it says the knowledge we are gaining as individuals and as a team is going to begin to drive our path forward. Whether it's as a team, as independent wrestlers, whatever. We are receiving rewards each time we step into that ring alone or together. We are realizing where our faults are, and what we have to polish up in order to rectify them. That's not something I've ever embraced or cherished in the past. That's not something I've ever realized the true VALUE of. Now, however, I'm a different person. I'm a changed man. I'm someone who knocked on death's door and almost walked in. And I will tell you, it does make you a new man. It does change your outlook. You're not the same and if anyone says differently they've never looked at their own body from above, and seen doctors rushing in to try and save you. They've never seen that white light, the warmth, the comfort, and the scary realization you're questioning whether or not to go back. So when I say I have been successful you BETTER believe I know what I'm talking about from my perspective.
That's why what happened at the pay-per view was something that I am going to learn from. Like I said, a ladder makes a world of difference and a great equalizer, and would you lookie lookie, here's a cookie, and who is Tag Team Champions, again? Yeah, those girls. But you know, c'est la vie. It is what it is. Bitching and moaning or complaining about it wouldn't do me any good anyway. What it would do is simply make me sound like the old me, and ungrateful for the fact that I got to share the ring with my sister. It also would mean I didn't learn anything for the future, and I can promise you, I did. I learned a lot. Jordan and I learned a lot. We learned that in order to be Tag Champs, you have to catty bitches, and I guess that isn't our role.
So if you have to be a catty bitch, then we won't be Tag Champs, but what we can do is begin to usher in a new era of hell to be unleashed on the division until the need for catty bitches goes away. We can begin an era where the DNA of our family begins to show the world that every generation of this lineage is destined to dominate SCW at some point. We can begin to turn the tide on those who everyone has gotten sick and tired of seeing in the limelight every five minutes, and show the world that a new blood line of champion has risen from the ashes, brought along his equally talented sister, and also provided the cookies per usual.
Jordan Majors: What's with your obsession with cookies?!
Jake Starr: Don't like them? Don't eat them!
Jordan Majors: I didn't say I didn't like cookies...
Jake Starr: Then don't criticize me!
... And we begin ushering this in at Breakdown, when we go up against the Los Pinché Pendejos!
Jordan Majors: Jake... Not their name...
Jake Starr: It isn't?
Jordan Majors: No, stupid, you just called them "Fucking Pubic Hair."
Jake Starr: Is that what that means? Then who are they?
Jordan Majors: Las Bandidas de Gata Negra!
Jake Starr: Uhh....
... Ok apparently I was WAY OFF on their name. They are not "Pinché Pochos," or whatever I called them, they're the "Black Cat Bandits." So because of that, I must say, lo siento! Jeez, I really should pick up that book on "Spanish white people need to know before repeating."
Anyway!
So at Breakdown, we face off against Valerie and Marie, whose last name sounds a lot like a very bad Spanish slur that I do know! These two, like a lot of people on the roster that aren't old like me, I don't know. And that's OK. I won't go off on the same commentary about how it's fine I don't know them, it doesn't make them not talented, yadda yadda yadda. I've said that about a lot of people and the fact is, they know I'm not going out there and taking them lightly. They know Jordan isn't either. What they don't know is that we are coming out with a purpose this time. We're coming out to rewrite our vision of success. We have been right in the middle of the cream of the crop of SCW's Tag Team division, and we haven't faired as well. But we have found our weaknesses. We have found our strengths. We know what we have to improve on. And that's something ONLY WE can decipher. Everyone else, however, just sees us as losing, but don't feel where we feel we have come up short. So we are going out there to make sure everyone realizes that this family is learning and growing in strength.
And that's what we plan on doing!
We plan on going out there and defining success for us in one way... Victory. This isn't changing our whole outlook, and if we lose, we will have to learn from it and continue to grow. But now, now is the time for us to step up and begin to fight harder, fix the mistakes, and put the fear of god into these two gatos locos, and all of the other CATty bitches in SCW.
Heh... See what I did there? Punny!
Jordan Majors: ... Only if we couldn't see that joke coming a mile away...
Jake Starr: Hush! And by the way... Your Negative Nancy ways are going to be changing soon! So I suggest preparing to be a Petey Positive in the near future.
Jordan Majors: Whatever you say, Jake...
Jake Starr: Good! To the Gatos Gringas, I want you to hear me out. Jake Starr and Jordan Majors may not have the track record in this division to put the fear of the crying Virgin de Guadalupe in your soul, but I can promise that once the match begins, you'll be wiping the moco off of your face and praying to you dead abuela that you even survive, and not simply become another person celebrated at the Dia de los Muertos. Jordan and I are on a mission. We have a plan. And we've faced down the fact that we have a lot to work on. Now we bust our asses. Now we bust the asses of others. Now we begin to expect victory. So I hope you come into this match ready for a fight. I hope you come in hoping that you catch us off guard as others have so far. I hope you expect to simply be the next tag team that knocks off Jake and Jordan. Because when reality sets in, and success sets in for us, you're going to see that our lineage is one that does expect greatness... But at the same time is willing to work for it and not simply ask for it based on name. You're also going to find out that the two gringos across the ring from you have learned to embrace something from your culture...
VIVA LA RAZA!!
Jordan Majors: Aye caramba...
And like I said, to all, it was a surprise.
you see, I literally didn't tell anyone. I didn't tell friends, coworkers, or even family. I said I had some business to tend to, and I promised everyone I wasn't doing anything drastic. I promised everyone I would keep in constant contact, and let them know I was ok at all times. I kept that promise and did everything I could to make everyone feel comfortable with me "on the loose," and knowing nothing bad was going to happen. Everyone was ok with this, except one person, and I guess I should have realized that beforehand, but hey, what can you do.
So fast forward to when my job is done, and I head to the back. I figure there are going to be some eyes on me, some whispers, some positive opinions, and some negative. I try to tune them out because, while a little disappointed that I couldn't finish as strongly as I wanted, I still did the best I had ever done. A couple of people came up to me, a couple spoke their minds, and others just acted like me being there was a routine part of the day. But once I gathered everything up and started walking toward the exit, I come around a corner and quickly am grabbed by my arm and yanked into another darker, more secluded corner of the arena. At first, I was ready to fight. Then I notice who has me by the arm, my sister, and I simply go along for the ride. Once we are out of eyesight and earshot, she spins me to face her, with a quite pissed look on her face.[/b]
Jordan Majors: What the hell, man?
Jake Starr: You know, it's good to see you, too!
Jordan Majors: Yeah, sure, but what the hell?
Jake Starr: Ok you're going to have to be a little more direct with your questioning, I think...
Jordan Majors: Out there... You... Showing up...
Jake Starr: Yeah... And?
Jordan Majors: Hello?! You don't think that would have been something of vital importance for me to know?!
Jake Starr: Umm... Why?
Jordan begins to get even more visibly annoyed at Jake.
Jordan Majors: ... BECAU...
She realizes yelling would draw attention, and she goes back to the quieter voice she was using.
Jordan Majors: ... Because A) I'm your sister, and B) now we're both in the same wrestling promotion and the last I heard, you had zero desire to even step foot in a ring again.
Jake shrugs.
Jake Starr: I guess things change...
Jordan Majors: You should have fucking told me!
Jake Starr: Then I wouldn't have been Mystery Entrant Number 4, and I've always wanted to be that guy!
Jordan rolls her eyes.
Jordan Majors: Why? Just why? I was doing just fine without you!
Jake Starr: Yes, and?
Jordan Majors: So I didn't need you showing up to save me.
Jake Starr: You're right!
Jordan Majors: Then why... Are... You... Here?
Jake Starr: OH you should have asked... Mr. D and I had this thing planned out way back. You know, before I tried to off myself.
Jordan Majors: And why didn't you tell me that day in the park? Seriously?
[i]I could sense her frustration, and it made sense. She had every right to feel this way, and I didn't fault her for it. Yes, I had not told her about the plans that I would, theoretically, return to the company at this time. But I didn't tell anyone about it. I didn't want people knowing I'd be back, and getting assumptions about how things were going to role. For once, I wanted to call my own shots, and not be told if I was making the right decision, or if I should handle it another way. I simply called my boss, told him I was in, and that was that. I told him not to tell anyone, as I wasn't telling anyone either.
When family and friends saw me go out there and perform again, the worry that I was off potentially harming myself went away. They told me that they saw a smile on me they hadn't seen in years. They saw the renewed life I felt. They realized I needed to go there, alone, and be me, on my own. They realized I was truly doing something to make me happy that wasn't destructive behavior. They realized I was taking the steps I needed to for true salvation from the demons that had haunted me.[/b]
Hearing the question, yet again, Jake's joking manner finally turns a bit more serious.
Jake Starr: You want to know why I didn't say anything?
Jordan Majors: Ugh... Please!
Jake Starr: Honestly because at that point, while D and I had the agreement, I wasn't in a place where I even wanted to be back. I didn't even think about it. I didn't even consider it. On that day, I wasn't coming back. On that day, I was still the suicidal guy that made stupid decisions. It's why I told you that I didn't care if you came here. It's why I said I didn't care what you did, and just wanted you to go be you and make your own path. Me trying to tell you to do thaT, then saying, "oh by the way, expect me back at Taking Hold," would have kept you thinking about it, and not about just doing your thing.
Jordan Majors: Then why not even come find me before the match here? Obviously we can find places to hide.
Jake Starr: Yeah but hiding with my sister in a dark closet isn't as fun as if it were...
Jordan cuts him off.
Jordan Majors: Ok first, stop, second, ew...
Jake chuckles.
Jake Starr: To answer is simple... You didn't need me as a distraction in your preparation. At the point I got here, I was going to be a surprise to everyone. Plus, you seemed to be doing well on your own, fighting your battles, and I wasn't going to try and distract you from that.
Jordan Majors: Yeah, but now what? What's your plan from here? What am I supposed to do?
Jake Starr: You do you. I'm not here to mother or protect you. You always told me, growing up, that you wanted to fight your battles and prove who YOU are, and not who people THINK you should be. So go do you. I have my own agenda, and right now I don't see how iyr oargs could cross, even.
Jordan Majors: And what agenda is that? Babysit me?
Jake Starr: Fuck no. You're my little sister, yes, but you have to be a big girl at some point. You can't assume I'm always here to save or protect you. Yeah, if shit hit the fan, I'd be out there in a heartbeat. But you have your wants. I have my wants. They don't interfere or impede the other so we just do our thing. I'm not going to be sticking my nose in your business and I know you don't want to get into mine.
Jordan Majors: And what happens if our paths cross?
Jake Starr: Welcome to SCW, then.
Jordan is almost offended by Jake's reply.
Jordan Majors: Really?
Jake gets really serious.
Jake Starr: You wanted to come here to face the best and prove yourself. If they don't know we are related, which I can tell you want to keep under wraps as long as possible, you run the risk of them throwing us at one another. That's the nature of this business. You hide stuff, it may turn around and bite in you in the ass next. Or they may decide there is no reason for Jordan Majors and Jake Starr to collide, and we never cross each other. But you have to accept that's part of the reality of this business. You're going to fight friends, you're going to fight family, you're going to fight foes. Hell, there may come a day we both are aiming at the same goal, and what then? Big brother just asks little sister to step aside? Little sister tells big brother he told her he wouldn't stand in her way so move? Neither of us would do that. Why? Because I already have the reputation of asking for title shots and telling people to move aside for me, and you're craving that legacy that is YOURS. So what would happen then?
Even though the question was rhetoric, Jordan responds, looking down, and words softer.
Jordan Majors: ... We'd fight...
Jake Starr: Exactly... But it's business in that sense. If we don't try and fuck with one another, business is easy to handle and move on from. You mess with each other leading to that moment, it's hard to reconcile what could be said or done. Trust me, I've been down both paths. Making things personal makes this business eat you alive. You'll soon forget what it's like to be happy here. Ultimately, you'll lose yourself in the moment and watch someone buried deep come out that does and says things you wouldn't have even considered. So trust me... Right now, we don't have anything to worry about except doing our own thing. When that changes, we re-evaluate, and push forward.
[i]I could see in my sister's eyes that my appearance wasn't just the "surprise" I was hoping for, but something that caused her to really "think" deep down. I began to wonder if, maybe, I made the wrong decision in not telling her. But on the other hand, she wouldn't have performed so well herself if I had. She'd have been looking over her shoulder for the moment when I arrived, and then tried to focus on not looking so obviously concerned with it. It's something I toiled with but ultimately knew I handled right. I knew, deep down, she understood, even with her emotions flying as much as they were.[/b]
Jordan sighs before looking up at Jake.
Jordan Majors: So what do we do now?
Jake Starr: Well, honestly I don't know what you have planned, but I'm about to leave our little hideaway here and go to my car, and head back to the hotel. After that, I'm going home, going to regroup and probably watch everything back and see how I looked versus how I felt, and then see what happens at Breakdown. I would assume you are going to meet up with your crew at some point...
Jordan Majors: Yeah but what do we do? How do we act?
Jake Starr: We act as strangers. You can act like you don't like me. You can do whatever you need to, in order to keep yourself comfortable. I'm not running out there to go "HEY EVERYONE SHE'S MY SISTER!" But I also won't let anyone fuck with you unnecessarily, I can say that now.
Jordan Majors: What do you mean?
Jake Starr: Remember what I said in the park?
Jordan Majors: When you decided to do your best impression of an apparition and vanish after saying something?
Jake Starr: Had a nice dramatic effect to it, didn't it?
Jordan Majors: Sure... But yes... I remember...
Jake Starr: I've meant it. Even when I was jaded, I kept up with you. I made sure you handled your business and that's why I know you don't need me to "save you" or "protect you," but I'm still your older brother, and if there's ever a moment I have to come out of the shadows, I'm not going to hesitate.
I have a lot of years to make up for not being there for you. I have a lot of fences to mend. But I also have a lot of respect for you and what you're doing, so I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize it, but I also won't stand idly if I know you need help...
Jordan Majors: Ok...
Jake Starr: Now... Am I allowed to leave, because this has been way more than 30 seconds in Heaven...
Annoyed that Jake just took the serious moment and threw it to the side with his sarcasm, Jordan rolls her eyes and steps to the side. Jake grabs his bag and begins to roll it by her, but stops in front of her to deliver one final message.
Jake Starr: ... By the way, you kicked some ass out there today. Won't lie, it was fun to be out there kicking ass along side my sister...
Jake immediately turns and continues walking, not giving Jordan a chance to respond. He doesn't miraculously vanish, as she watches him approach the corridor he was snatched from, look both ways, and then make his exit toward the parking lot. She waits for about a minute before following suit, and turning in the opposite direction, back toward the locker room area.
[i]When I told her it was a honor to be out there with her, I meant it. To share that with actual family is something I had never gotten to do with my dad because I was so fixated on not being seen as "his son." I avoided the notion of "father and son" being a billed headline for fans to see because I just wanted to be me. It's just like my sister. She wants to be her own brand, her own product, her own person, and doesn't want me to try and influence her career because of mine. I can respect that, and I will respect that. I truly don't know how much our paths will cross in the grand scheme. I don't know what she'll feel being in the same place as her brother. I don't know if my past accomplishments, which are definitely in my rear view, would somehow overshadow her, and not give her the chance she deserves. All I know is, right now, I feel ashamed for having not been there for her in the past, and all I want to do is begin that reconciliation process in my own head. She's been there for me, and told me the past is the past, but I feel that guilt and that shame. I have to be the one to remedy it.[/b]
---------------------------------------------
Jake Starr: How does one define success? Is it by money? Is it by achieving more than others? Is it simply by achieving whatever goals you set for yourself? Whatever the case is, success is something that is not an OBJECTIVE notion. It isn't something that two people have to agree on, and define in the same manner. There's a reason for this, too. It's because success IS something that is personal. People can criticize others for not agreeing, but in the end, like I said, it's personal.
Since returning, many would say I haven't been successful in SCW. They would say I have fallen short of the expectations I set for myself at Taking Hold of the Flame. And to a degree, I would agree. I would say that I set the bar pretty fucking high by coming back out of nowhere, and almost winning the whole damn thing. That's not something many would expect out of me, but still it was something I am proud of myself that I was able to do something I had never done in SCW. After that, though, things kind of went into mediocrity, and you know, that's true on a basic win/loss level. And the old me would have done the same. I used to base my successes only on the obvious and basic of stats and measures, and you know, it broke me inside. It broke Jake Starr. It made me jaded toward everything this business had to offer because if I didn't win I was unhappy, I was angry, and I was throwing a fit. If I wasn't being blanketed with praise and reward, I didn't feel like I was successful in any manner. No matter what guys like David and Tommy would tell me, in my eyes I was still not successful and I was unhappy.
That's why right now, I couldn't be more proud of myself.
You see, the fact I haven't just shot to the top, I think, is a blessing. The fact that Jordan and I have not just immediately become the most dominant tag team, is a blessing. It's reminding me, and probably reminding US, that there is a lot in this business that needs to be looked at when deciding if you're successful or a failure. Since coming back, I feel successful. SCW is a premier organization with the best of the best, and just because I haven't won every single match doesn't mean I am not making strides in the right direction. It doesn't mean Jake Starr isn't becoming more dangerous. It doesn't mean the brother/sister duo isn't learning what it takes to begin using other teams as stepping stones to our greatness. Instead it says the knowledge we are gaining as individuals and as a team is going to begin to drive our path forward. Whether it's as a team, as independent wrestlers, whatever. We are receiving rewards each time we step into that ring alone or together. We are realizing where our faults are, and what we have to polish up in order to rectify them. That's not something I've ever embraced or cherished in the past. That's not something I've ever realized the true VALUE of. Now, however, I'm a different person. I'm a changed man. I'm someone who knocked on death's door and almost walked in. And I will tell you, it does make you a new man. It does change your outlook. You're not the same and if anyone says differently they've never looked at their own body from above, and seen doctors rushing in to try and save you. They've never seen that white light, the warmth, the comfort, and the scary realization you're questioning whether or not to go back. So when I say I have been successful you BETTER believe I know what I'm talking about from my perspective.
That's why what happened at the pay-per view was something that I am going to learn from. Like I said, a ladder makes a world of difference and a great equalizer, and would you lookie lookie, here's a cookie, and who is Tag Team Champions, again? Yeah, those girls. But you know, c'est la vie. It is what it is. Bitching and moaning or complaining about it wouldn't do me any good anyway. What it would do is simply make me sound like the old me, and ungrateful for the fact that I got to share the ring with my sister. It also would mean I didn't learn anything for the future, and I can promise you, I did. I learned a lot. Jordan and I learned a lot. We learned that in order to be Tag Champs, you have to catty bitches, and I guess that isn't our role.
Jake smirks.
So if you have to be a catty bitch, then we won't be Tag Champs, but what we can do is begin to usher in a new era of hell to be unleashed on the division until the need for catty bitches goes away. We can begin an era where the DNA of our family begins to show the world that every generation of this lineage is destined to dominate SCW at some point. We can begin to turn the tide on those who everyone has gotten sick and tired of seeing in the limelight every five minutes, and show the world that a new blood line of champion has risen from the ashes, brought along his equally talented sister, and also provided the cookies per usual.
Jordan is heard from behind the camera.
Jordan Majors: What's with your obsession with cookies?!
Jake Starr: Don't like them? Don't eat them!
Jordan Majors: I didn't say I didn't like cookies...
Jake Starr: Then don't criticize me!
Jake continues.
... And we begin ushering this in at Breakdown, when we go up against the Los Pinché Pendejos!
Jordan interrupts again.
Jordan Majors: Jake... Not their name...
Jake looks confused.
Jake Starr: It isn't?
Jordan Majors: No, stupid, you just called them "Fucking Pubic Hair."
Jake Starr: Is that what that means? Then who are they?
Jordan Majors: Las Bandidas de Gata Negra!
Jake Starr: Uhh....
Jake pulls his phone out and goes to Google Translate. After finding the translation, he looks up at the screen in shock.
... Ok apparently I was WAY OFF on their name. They are not "Pinché Pochos," or whatever I called them, they're the "Black Cat Bandits." So because of that, I must say, lo siento! Jeez, I really should pick up that book on "Spanish white people need to know before repeating."
Anyway!
So at Breakdown, we face off against Valerie and Marie, whose last name sounds a lot like a very bad Spanish slur that I do know! These two, like a lot of people on the roster that aren't old like me, I don't know. And that's OK. I won't go off on the same commentary about how it's fine I don't know them, it doesn't make them not talented, yadda yadda yadda. I've said that about a lot of people and the fact is, they know I'm not going out there and taking them lightly. They know Jordan isn't either. What they don't know is that we are coming out with a purpose this time. We're coming out to rewrite our vision of success. We have been right in the middle of the cream of the crop of SCW's Tag Team division, and we haven't faired as well. But we have found our weaknesses. We have found our strengths. We know what we have to improve on. And that's something ONLY WE can decipher. Everyone else, however, just sees us as losing, but don't feel where we feel we have come up short. So we are going out there to make sure everyone realizes that this family is learning and growing in strength.
And that's what we plan on doing!
We plan on going out there and defining success for us in one way... Victory. This isn't changing our whole outlook, and if we lose, we will have to learn from it and continue to grow. But now, now is the time for us to step up and begin to fight harder, fix the mistakes, and put the fear of god into these two gatos locos, and all of the other CATty bitches in SCW.
Heh... See what I did there? Punny!
Jordan again interjects.
Jordan Majors: ... Only if we couldn't see that joke coming a mile away...
Jake Starr: Hush! And by the way... Your Negative Nancy ways are going to be changing soon! So I suggest preparing to be a Petey Positive in the near future.
Jordan Majors: Whatever you say, Jake...
Jake Starr: Good! To the Gatos Gringas, I want you to hear me out. Jake Starr and Jordan Majors may not have the track record in this division to put the fear of the crying Virgin de Guadalupe in your soul, but I can promise that once the match begins, you'll be wiping the moco off of your face and praying to you dead abuela that you even survive, and not simply become another person celebrated at the Dia de los Muertos. Jordan and I are on a mission. We have a plan. And we've faced down the fact that we have a lot to work on. Now we bust our asses. Now we bust the asses of others. Now we begin to expect victory. So I hope you come into this match ready for a fight. I hope you come in hoping that you catch us off guard as others have so far. I hope you expect to simply be the next tag team that knocks off Jake and Jordan. Because when reality sets in, and success sets in for us, you're going to see that our lineage is one that does expect greatness... But at the same time is willing to work for it and not simply ask for it based on name. You're also going to find out that the two gringos across the ring from you have learned to embrace something from your culture...
VIVA LA RAZA!!
As the camera fades to black, Jordan can be heard one more time.
Jordan Majors: Aye caramba...
12-15-2019, 10:08 AM
December 1, 2019 - Philadelphia - Clarity
I walked backstage thinking about the match. There was a lot to process from the way it all went down. My body felt bruised, battered, and broken. Unlike anything I’d ever been through before. But there was a certain adrenaline in my veins. So many times before I’d left a match like this angry at myself for not accomplishing an ultimate goal. This time I felt a renewed sense or purpose. I see Jaina standing nearby getting ready to go on camera. I blow her a kiss and she grins and smiles back. I’m still looking back at her when I turn the corner and run into something so hard it almost knocks me down and out of my shoes. Somehow I stayed on me feet and turned around to see an all-too familiar dirty blonde with freckles and eyes and a smile that I’ll never be able to forget.
Jordan: Abigail! Oh!
Abigail: Were you even watching where you were going at all? What were you looking at?
She leans past me and looks down the hallway to see a producer talking with Jaina. She’s the only girl standing there among a group of three with the cameraman. Abi seems to study the scene for a moment longer before looking back at me and raising a brow. She crosses her arms, almost judging me.
Abigail: You’re fucking kidding me?
Jordan: What!?
Abigail: Don’t even, Jordan. I know you too well. You’re hooking up with Jaina. She’s a kid.
Jordan: She’s 18.
Abigail turns and looks at me, almost sternly. She shakes her head and starts to walk away from me. She seems pissed, but I don’t really understand why. It starts to irritate me, so I follow. I grab her shoulder and she whips back around to face me.
Abigail: What? We don’t have anything to talk about.
Jordan: That’s not true. We need to talk about this.
Abigail: What’s this?
I shrug and shake my head.
Jordan: Why the hell you’re so mad about Jaina.
Abigail just shakes her head at me. She looks annoyed. I know the look from every time I was going to go and talk to Bree while we were together or whatever you want to call it.
Abigail: I just expected a little better from you. That’s all.
Jordan: What does that even mean?
Abigail: Come on. I was suspicious of this already. But if I go back and count from the moment you started liking everything that girl tweeted I can see that you were with her when she was 17. Don’t you think that’s a little inappropriate?
I don’t say anything and she just smirks at me.
Abigail: So you’ve been keeping this from Bree this whole time, haven’t you? She’s going to murder you if she finds out.
I start to speak, but nothing comes out. Abigail’s eyes go wide.
Abigail: Bree knows!? They all know don’t they? The whole Lancaster family. Christ…
Abigail sort of turns to the side and looks away from me. I can tell she’s processing this information in her own way. She looks back over her shoulder at me and then faces me again.
Abigail: Can I just ask one question?
Jordan: Sure.
Abigail: When Owen and Jaina broke up, how long did it take for you and here to get together?
I try to think of what the best way to answer that could be. It was quick. We’d kissed before they broke up and it wasn’t long after that we had that night at the safe house. Just my pause and struggle to answer draws a huffy laugh out of Abigail.
Abigail: So this is a rebound relationship. And this is how you rebound from me? A kid? I expected to hear you were chasing Sierra Swann all over the world, but this? I can’t believe it. Does Owen know?
Jordan: I don’t really know. I think they talked after Apocalypse last month, but I’m not sure what they talked about.
Abigail: Wait, am I the only person not related to you or Jaina that you’ve admitted this to?
Again, I don’t really know what to say. I feel a little attacked. And a little confused. I can’t help but snap back.
Jordan: Stop. Stop this. I could have seen something really building between us, but you didn’t want it. We were labeled as friends with benefits at the biggest show of the year. Do you think I wanted that? I’d rather have just been your girlfriend and tag team partner than that. I thought I meant more to you.
Abigail: You did.
Jordan: I didn’t. If I did you wouldn’t have shut me out. And I wouldn’t have turned around and did it right back to you. We spent months hurting each other and what did it accomplish? You aren’t even working with Ravyn anymore and I get to wear a knee brace.
Abigail: So was it worth it?
Jordan: What?
Abigail: Fucking me as hard as ever just to win at Rise to Greatness?
Abigail has a wicked smile on her face as she finishes the question and I look down with my hands on my waist.
Abigail: As far as I’m concerned, we’re even. No hard feelings from me anymore. I hope you know I didn’t have anything to do with Ravyn and your knee. That was all between you and her. She doesn’t control me and I don’t control her at all. I forgive you for what you did at Rise to Greatness because I need to move on from all of this. I don’t want to fight you. Just do what you need to do and leave me out of it.
I’m taken back by the apology. I never expected this. But I agree with her. There was no reason for us to take this to the heights we did. She had me so fearful when she was cutting pink hair and sprinkling it around.
Abigail: And I’m still going to send you DMs when you post those damn thirst trap photos. Don’t act like you don’t know what you’re doing.
That elicits a giggle out of me and a calmer smile from Abigail. For a moment it flashed me back to the conversations we’d have on the road after a long day in the ring. She was the first person who was willing to take me under their wing and point me in the right direction with my career. She did it as a friend and a lover, even if we weren’t on the same terms when it came to that love. I’d fallen so hard and she clearly knew how to use that to her advantage. At least that’s how it felt.
Abigail: So are we cool then?
Jordan: Yeah, we’re cool. I forgive you, too.
Abigail: Good. Sup Jaina.
Abigail nods and turns and leaves our conversation immediately. I turn, shocked again, and see Jaina standing directly behind me.
Jaina: So… what was that all about?
Jordan: Nothing. Just a little chat.
I kissed Jaina’s cheek and headed toward Bree’s locker room with her in tow. We never held hands in public, just in case. We didn’t want anything to threaten our positions with the company. Of course little did I know that a few days later Abigail would be back to her curiously playful ways. And in doing so, she exposed the fact that Jaina and I were dating to the world of social media.
December 9, 2019 - Toronto
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. My eyes shoot open and I look around the room. My bed is smaller. Jaina is gone. Where the fuck am I? As I slowly begin to scan the room, I realize this isn’t my hotel room. My girlfriend isn’t here. I’m home, in Omaha, Nebraska. Goosebumps rise on my skin and the hair on the back of my neck stands up as a sound comes from the other side of a closed door. Lights are shining brightly on the other side of the door, managing to push through at the openings but not flooding this room. My room. I pull the covers up to my face like I did so many years ago. The door swings open and light blasts into the room, lighting up the bed in a bright glow. I pull the covers up, but I can still see the dark figure of the woman who stands in the doorway, backlit by a light I never remember being so bright. She slowly approaches as I hold the covers tightly against me. I could scream, but I can’t. It’s as if I know she’s coming for me, but a scream would make her approach even faster. As she reaches beside the bed, she holds a bottle high in the air. I know she’s going to strike me. I’ve lived this once and dreamt about it so many times. The inescapable nightmare of the time it happened outside of my head. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. She laughs at me as she prepares to strike. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. The bottle comes down toward me and I’m shaking so hard. “Jordan!? Wake up!?”
My eyes shoot open. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Jaina is shaking me and looking down at me with nothing but concern all over her face. “Jordan? Are you ok?” I turn away from her and see my phone is the cause of the buzzing. With one look at the name Christina, I ignore the call and drop the phone to the floor and turn back to Jaina, my breathing somewhat laboured.
Jaina: Jordan? What’s going on?
Jaina is sitting up and leaning over me. I look into her eyes and I sigh deeply.
Jordan: It was a dream. A bad one. One I’ve had a lot of times, but… not for awhile.
I let out another sigh and adjust the way I’m laying on my back against the pillow. Jaina cuddles against me, throwing an arm across my chest and laying her head on my shoulder.
Jaina: Do you want to talk about it?
My eyes trace invisible patterns on the ceiling as I try to decide my answer. But my eyes close and my heart chooses to open up for her.
Jordan: When I was a teenager, my mom got drunk. Well, you know she did it a lot. But one night, she came into my room. Every light in the house was on except my room. She was searching for something. She didn’t even remember what the next day. I hid under my blankets from her. Trying to ignore her and avoid her in case she lost it. She could see the outline of me and struck me in the head with a bottle. It knocked me out…
Jaina lifts her head from my shoulder and looks troubled by my words.
Jaina: You can’t be serious?
Jordan: I am serious. I had a concussion. A little cut on my head, too.
I pull back a little bit of hair on my forehead and run a finger across an almost non-existent scar along my hairline as Jaina watches.
Jordan: Bled all over the sheets, which she made me keep. Still had the stains the day I left for good. Just not something I want to remember, but it never goes away. It haunts me. Like it would happen again when I know it would never. Because I’ll never be in that situation again.
I turn my head to look at the clock for a moment and see it’s 3:30 in the morning. Jaina grabs my chin and redirects it back to looking at her where she plants a kiss on my lips. I smile and she smiles back.
Jaina: You can always tell me anything. Anything at all. My mom, she struggled really badly with alcohol for awhile. Like, it threatened to drive us apart. I can’t completely relate to what you went through, but I understand some of the feelings. I want you to feel like you can open up to me.
She looks at me with serious eyes. I nod.
Jaina: I mean it. Don’t ever close me out. Please.
My arm pulls her back in tightly against me and I plant a kiss on her nose. She lets out a giggle.
Jordan: Let’s try to get some sleep. Going to be a long day and then we have to travel.
We both close our eyes and a short time while I can hear that she is sleeping. The calm and her touch puts me back to sleep, too. My dreams aren’t so bad. But the morning comes and shoves us both awake. I reach down on the floor and pick up my phone. 15 missed calls? I open it up and see they’re all from her. And a voicemail. I stand up out of bed and walk into the bathroom and sit down on the toilet, punch in a few numbers and put the phone to my ear.
Christina: Hey Kylie, it’s your mom… I… well… I’m not doing too good. I need some money. If you could send me some… I just need some help. The meetings aren’t working and I stopped going. I saw you on TV the other day and thought, well, maybe you’d like to send some money your momma’s way so she can feel better. I can see you’re ignoring me like usual, though. Listen… no matter what, Kylie, I did love you. And I’m sorry. Bye.
The phone almost drops out of my hand as I sit there, expressionless. I delete the voicemail and stand up, going straight for my bag. I look over my shoulder out the door and dig out a bottle and shake four pills into my palm. I throw them in my mouth and toss my head back to swallow them before I flush the toilet and turn to look in the mirror. I have to sigh. I don’t know why she called me. I didn’t want anything to do with her. She didn’t love me. You don’t do those things to someone you love. She was messed up in the head. I shake my head and push away from the counter. Jaina is standing right there, looking at her phone. She looks shocked.
Jaina: Oh my god! They caught Ricky’s killer!?
Jordan: Wait, what?
Jaina: You’ll never believe who it is.
Jaina holds the phone up to me and I read the name. Immediately I start searching for some clothes to put on as Jaina watches me quizzically.
Jaina: What’s going on?
Jordan: We’ve got to go find Bree and Sienna. This is going to hurt them badly.
December 13, 2019 - Salt Lake City
I sat at a weight bench in a local gym looking at my phone. A towel draped over my neck kept sweat from running down my body after a decent workout. I knew I’d be doing very little between now and the tag match Jake and I had the following night in Salt Lake City. This place had a sort of beauty to it. I looked out the windows and could see right up into the mountains. Breathtaking view.
Jake: You’re reading about that guy, still?
Jake takes my phone out of my hand and walks forward away from me. I spring up and the towel swings off of my neck and to the floor.
Jordan: Hey!
Jake: This is garbage. Just forget about it. We’ve got better things to do. Like win matches together.
Jordan: It’s not garbage. That is really affecting my friends. They worked with that man that was arrested, and he killed a friend of ours.
Jake raises a brow at me as he hands my phone back and leans against another weight bench.
Jake: You didn’t even know that guy.
Jordan: Well, I… no… but…
Jake: You don’t even know the guy that was arrested. It’s funny though, you’re so immersed in their world. You’re like one of those people from that Christmas movie with all the girls.
Jordan: Christmas show with all the girls…
Jake: Yeah, you know. They’re mean and stuff.
Jordan: Are you calling me one of the plastics from Mean Girls? Seriously?
Jake: Mean Girls? What? I was thinking of Die Hard. You’re like one of the bad guys from that. And that Sienna girl is like Hans Gruber. A great Christmas movie.
I roll my eyes at him and sit down on the bench shaking my head. He always finds a way to talk shit about my friends. I feel like he’s trying to protect me most days, but it’s hard to tell. Back when I signed, he didn’t seem to care. When he returned to SCW, he didn’t care enough to tell me. And now he’s all about me and my business. It’s hard to keep up with. I wonder if, like Kandis had said before Clarity, he’s worried about me or about winning some matches.
Jordan: Why do you get so up in arms about them?
Jake points at my shirt and I look down. Of course he’s pointing at it because I’m wearing the newest Bree Lancaster shirt that promotes her Breemerica look at the US Champion. I cross my arms to cover what he’s still pointing at and look up at him.
Jake: It’s this shit right here. I wonder, why can’t you wear a shirt that features us. The one I designed but you shot down was great.
Jordan: Great!? It looked like you were looking at my ass and you had the PornHub logo remade to say StarrBros. I’m a girl, dude.
Jake: Well it was a mockup. I was just playing around on my phone and came up with it. It was all changeable. But that’s not the point. Also, I know you’re not a dude. I mean look at you, damn.
Jordan: Don’t be so fucking weird.
I roll my eyes and he laughs. I know I make mistakes just by selling his crude jokes. He doesn’t mean anything. He just likes to get a rise out of me. He’s too damn good at it.
Jake: What I’m trying to say here is don’t forget at the end of the day, this is what you have to worry about most. Your career centers around this tag team thing we’ve got going on right now. If you’re focusing on what Sienna and Bree are doing all of the time, you’re missing the point.
Jordan: What point?
Jake: The point that they aren’t all that concerned with what you’re doing right now and that you should be concerned more so about you than them. Do you think that they care one bit about what happens to you in the ring?
Jordan: I actually do.
Jake: Then where were they when Ravyn tried to break your leg? Where were they all those times Infamous was attacking you. This is as serious as you’ll ever get from me. Just making sure that you think about this.
I shake my head and sigh. He’s actually starting to annoy me. But the most annoying thing is that it makes sense. It’s something that I’ve tried to push back deep into my mind. But time after time, Jake is the one that comes through with a pry bar and pulls it right back out to the forefront.
Jordan: Let’s just drop this.
Jake: Nah, I don’t feel like dropping it.
Jordan: Don’t be a dick.
Jake: Look who you’re talking to.
I stare directly into his eyes and snarl. He simply smiles back and adjusts his weight to lean on an elbow against the equipment.
Jake: I’m trying to teach you the same thing I was when I beat you in the back with that chair before Clarity. You gotta get your priorities in line and I hope it’s more than licking the cracks of Sienna and Bree when you aren’t between the legs of Bree’s niece --
Smack! That was the noise I heard before I realized what had happened. I stood there looking at Jake, who had his face turned away, with a red handprint on his cheek. I realized that my temper had boiled over and I’d stood up and slapped him when he mentioned Jaina. Jake slowly turns back to me, nodding his head. I know he’s about to let me have it for the mistake I’d just made. My mouth is still hanging open in shock.
Jake: Where the fuck was that intensity at Clarity? We’d probably be drinking champagne and spilling it all over our brand new tag team titles? God damn, sis. That was a hell of a shot. Now I know what it takes to get you fired up.
Jordan: Don’t…
Jake holds his hands up and laughs.
Jake: Now I know your biggest priority when it comes to those women. It’s not them. It’s your little backstage announcer girlfriend. Should we get you a shirt with her on it?
Jordan: Please, stop it.
Jake goes quiet for a minute and shakes his head at me. I sit back down on the weight bench and let out a long, hard sigh. He kneels down next to me.
Jake: All I’m going to say is when the shit goes down some day, I want to know - without any doubt - that you have my back.
Jordan: You know I’ve got your back.
Jake: And my front?
Jordan: Jake!?
Jake: That’s my sister. Now get cleaned up. I want to explore this city and I can’t imagine the mormons like smelly chicks.
I roll my eyes once more as I stand up and gather my stuff into my bag and head to a locker room area.
Promo
A camera switches on and Jordan Majors walks in front of a view of the Rocky Mountains in Salt Lake City, Utah. She turns to the camera and gestures toward the range. The camera zooms in on her chest.
Jake…
The camera zooms out and centers on Jordan’s upper half with the mountains behind her.
When you think about how these mountains were formed, it’s pretty remarkable. The plates of the earth pressing into each other and pushing the corresponding land to move upward in these beautiful patterns that fill the skies of so many beautiful places around this country. But when I look at it, I’m reminded of the things that happen in our lives. How we can start out so far away from each other, but actions end up pushing us together. You see, I grew up not knowing who I truly was. And when I finally found out, few things really made sense. To learn I had a brother who was a superstar in this industry… it was incredible. Jake Starr was never one of my favorites, but there is no doubt at all that he’s one of the best the world has ever seen. At least in the top 100. But just knowing he was my brother, it meant nothing. We grew up in entirely different circumstances. He had a happy home. I had a dumpster fire that turned into a single mother that had no clue what she should be doing. Why am I going on and on about this? Because an event finally pushed us closer - me signing with SCW - and then another pushed us together. Back at Rise to Greatness I was faced with an unenviable choice. Do I take the lead of a woman who had been close to me, but not committed, and follow her down her path of personal darkness behind one of the toughest stables this company has ever known? Or do I try to trust in myself and believe that I am capable of defeating great odds to rise to the level of a champion. There was nothing on the line there. Nothing to truly lose. I rolled the dice and I hit it big. But nothing ever comes easy, does it?
What followed was a systematic version of stalking. Infamous played the role of vicious predators and I their unwilling prey. Because of them, I now wear a small knee brace when I go into the ring. I’m told it’s more of a precaution than anything else, but just imagine in your everyday life if you were to take a chance on yourself, you were successful, and then someone tried to disable you as a result. Mentally, it was difficult to comprehend. Even when I came back from that injury and chased Abigail from the ring, I stood there thinking about what the future might bring. There really was no way around it. Ravyn seemed clear that as long as she had the numbers advantage she would use it against me in full force until I stopped coming back to the ring to face her again. And to think, with a mindset like that she’s the one that has had the gall to refer to me as obsessed with her. I don’t think it takes a genius to see that she has been manipulating the facts in a way that most benefits her. It’s what she’s done for most of her days in this company. I’m staring face first at my rookie year coming to and end and she has to deal with the fact that she got caught by a rookie multiple times. She has to reconcile with that fact. That’s why she twists those facts and pretends this has all been about something I couldn’t let go. It’s hard for the average person to see or comprehend. But Jake Starr isn’t average, nor is he a person. I mean, he’s not average and he sees what’s really happened. The thing about him and I is I never wanted his help. I told him when I signed a contract here that I could handle myself and that I would do this all on my own. But the hard headed ones never know when to ask for help. When I got my knee ripped up, no one came to my rescue. Glory Braddock was already there and she managed to get the upper hand. Jake looked at the facts and he knew it had to be him. The next time they tried to do their worst, he came running to the rescue. It was an unexpected moment, but it showed that even in our circumstances, as wild as they are, that sibling bond will never be broken.
So where does that bring us today? These mountains are so close they’re practically hugging. And that’s how we are. Wait, not hugging constantly. We’re close. Like, not that close. He’s my brother and we fight together. Damnit. I’m getting off track. The more we fight together, the stronger we get as a team together. His resume is unquestionable. He’s accomplished so much in his time in this company and really overall in the industry. But I have a long, long way to go to meet his accomplishments. I never allowed myself to look up to his abilities in the past, but now I do. I’ve learned from him. I can feel myself turning into a more capable wrestler in the ring. I’m finding new ways to use my unique set of athletic abilities and mix them with what he’s shown me. Not only does that make me more capable, but more complete. I didn’t expect this, but it seems like this is what I needed all along. Fighting side-by-side with Jake has been an important moment in my career. Jake? Why are you laughing? Mountains hugging? Motorboats? Oh my god! Stop! Ignore him!
Ok, moving on… this week we fight the Wet Bandits. I’m not good with spanish, but it might even be the Wet Black Bandits. Las Bandidas de Gata Negra? Maybe it’s the Wet Black Cat Bandits? I only really speak english. Either way, we’re going to beat them down so hard this week. We’ve gotten really tired of people trying to push us around. We’re one of the best teams this company has to offer right now. And no cats are taking us down. Wet or otherwise. I really feel like I’m getting this wrong. Either way, we’re ready for anything they can throw at us. These cats don’t know what they have coming for them. Jake Starr is the chairman and I am one of the most up and coming stars in this whole business. The Jake and Jordan Connection -- working title everyone don’t hold us to that -- are only getting started with what we will both accomplish in the next year. Even with everything that has happened recently, I feel so confident. Every time I step out of the ring, I’m anxious for the next time I’m going to be back in there. That’s a huge change for me from where I was months ago. Even a year ago. Almost no one remembers the brown-haired girl that walked in her talking about outworking everyone and winning matches through sure will and determination. Most want to remember that Jordan Majors that stood there offering Peyton Rice a hefty wad of $100s for the TV Championship. So many people remember the Jordan Majors that walked into Rise to Greatness as an afterthought and shocked the whole damn industry. And now as we’re winding down my first full year here, I look back and I hope they remember me most for what I am right now. An ass-kicking, beautiful blonde that’s just getting started and gets everyone excited when they think about the things she could potentially accomplish in the future. Because that’s how I see myself right now. No matter what anyone will tell you, no matter what Infamous or Peyton Rice want to say about me, you all know one thing remains true at the end of every single event. Jordan Majors is money. She’s one of the most-see talents, one of the most beautiful women and one of the best personalities any one of you fans will ever see grace this company. You can bank on it you lovely bitches.
Jordan turns around and looks at the mountains as the camera slowly zooms in toward her lower half before going black.
I walked backstage thinking about the match. There was a lot to process from the way it all went down. My body felt bruised, battered, and broken. Unlike anything I’d ever been through before. But there was a certain adrenaline in my veins. So many times before I’d left a match like this angry at myself for not accomplishing an ultimate goal. This time I felt a renewed sense or purpose. I see Jaina standing nearby getting ready to go on camera. I blow her a kiss and she grins and smiles back. I’m still looking back at her when I turn the corner and run into something so hard it almost knocks me down and out of my shoes. Somehow I stayed on me feet and turned around to see an all-too familiar dirty blonde with freckles and eyes and a smile that I’ll never be able to forget.
Jordan: Abigail! Oh!
Abigail: Were you even watching where you were going at all? What were you looking at?
She leans past me and looks down the hallway to see a producer talking with Jaina. She’s the only girl standing there among a group of three with the cameraman. Abi seems to study the scene for a moment longer before looking back at me and raising a brow. She crosses her arms, almost judging me.
Abigail: You’re fucking kidding me?
Jordan: What!?
Abigail: Don’t even, Jordan. I know you too well. You’re hooking up with Jaina. She’s a kid.
Jordan: She’s 18.
Abigail turns and looks at me, almost sternly. She shakes her head and starts to walk away from me. She seems pissed, but I don’t really understand why. It starts to irritate me, so I follow. I grab her shoulder and she whips back around to face me.
Abigail: What? We don’t have anything to talk about.
Jordan: That’s not true. We need to talk about this.
Abigail: What’s this?
I shrug and shake my head.
Jordan: Why the hell you’re so mad about Jaina.
Abigail just shakes her head at me. She looks annoyed. I know the look from every time I was going to go and talk to Bree while we were together or whatever you want to call it.
Abigail: I just expected a little better from you. That’s all.
Jordan: What does that even mean?
Abigail: Come on. I was suspicious of this already. But if I go back and count from the moment you started liking everything that girl tweeted I can see that you were with her when she was 17. Don’t you think that’s a little inappropriate?
I don’t say anything and she just smirks at me.
Abigail: So you’ve been keeping this from Bree this whole time, haven’t you? She’s going to murder you if she finds out.
I start to speak, but nothing comes out. Abigail’s eyes go wide.
Abigail: Bree knows!? They all know don’t they? The whole Lancaster family. Christ…
Abigail sort of turns to the side and looks away from me. I can tell she’s processing this information in her own way. She looks back over her shoulder at me and then faces me again.
Abigail: Can I just ask one question?
Jordan: Sure.
Abigail: When Owen and Jaina broke up, how long did it take for you and here to get together?
I try to think of what the best way to answer that could be. It was quick. We’d kissed before they broke up and it wasn’t long after that we had that night at the safe house. Just my pause and struggle to answer draws a huffy laugh out of Abigail.
Abigail: So this is a rebound relationship. And this is how you rebound from me? A kid? I expected to hear you were chasing Sierra Swann all over the world, but this? I can’t believe it. Does Owen know?
Jordan: I don’t really know. I think they talked after Apocalypse last month, but I’m not sure what they talked about.
Abigail: Wait, am I the only person not related to you or Jaina that you’ve admitted this to?
Again, I don’t really know what to say. I feel a little attacked. And a little confused. I can’t help but snap back.
Jordan: Stop. Stop this. I could have seen something really building between us, but you didn’t want it. We were labeled as friends with benefits at the biggest show of the year. Do you think I wanted that? I’d rather have just been your girlfriend and tag team partner than that. I thought I meant more to you.
Abigail: You did.
Jordan: I didn’t. If I did you wouldn’t have shut me out. And I wouldn’t have turned around and did it right back to you. We spent months hurting each other and what did it accomplish? You aren’t even working with Ravyn anymore and I get to wear a knee brace.
Abigail: So was it worth it?
Jordan: What?
Abigail: Fucking me as hard as ever just to win at Rise to Greatness?
Abigail has a wicked smile on her face as she finishes the question and I look down with my hands on my waist.
Abigail: As far as I’m concerned, we’re even. No hard feelings from me anymore. I hope you know I didn’t have anything to do with Ravyn and your knee. That was all between you and her. She doesn’t control me and I don’t control her at all. I forgive you for what you did at Rise to Greatness because I need to move on from all of this. I don’t want to fight you. Just do what you need to do and leave me out of it.
I’m taken back by the apology. I never expected this. But I agree with her. There was no reason for us to take this to the heights we did. She had me so fearful when she was cutting pink hair and sprinkling it around.
Abigail: And I’m still going to send you DMs when you post those damn thirst trap photos. Don’t act like you don’t know what you’re doing.
That elicits a giggle out of me and a calmer smile from Abigail. For a moment it flashed me back to the conversations we’d have on the road after a long day in the ring. She was the first person who was willing to take me under their wing and point me in the right direction with my career. She did it as a friend and a lover, even if we weren’t on the same terms when it came to that love. I’d fallen so hard and she clearly knew how to use that to her advantage. At least that’s how it felt.
Abigail: So are we cool then?
Jordan: Yeah, we’re cool. I forgive you, too.
Abigail: Good. Sup Jaina.
Abigail nods and turns and leaves our conversation immediately. I turn, shocked again, and see Jaina standing directly behind me.
Jaina: So… what was that all about?
Jordan: Nothing. Just a little chat.
I kissed Jaina’s cheek and headed toward Bree’s locker room with her in tow. We never held hands in public, just in case. We didn’t want anything to threaten our positions with the company. Of course little did I know that a few days later Abigail would be back to her curiously playful ways. And in doing so, she exposed the fact that Jaina and I were dating to the world of social media.
December 9, 2019 - Toronto
Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. My eyes shoot open and I look around the room. My bed is smaller. Jaina is gone. Where the fuck am I? As I slowly begin to scan the room, I realize this isn’t my hotel room. My girlfriend isn’t here. I’m home, in Omaha, Nebraska. Goosebumps rise on my skin and the hair on the back of my neck stands up as a sound comes from the other side of a closed door. Lights are shining brightly on the other side of the door, managing to push through at the openings but not flooding this room. My room. I pull the covers up to my face like I did so many years ago. The door swings open and light blasts into the room, lighting up the bed in a bright glow. I pull the covers up, but I can still see the dark figure of the woman who stands in the doorway, backlit by a light I never remember being so bright. She slowly approaches as I hold the covers tightly against me. I could scream, but I can’t. It’s as if I know she’s coming for me, but a scream would make her approach even faster. As she reaches beside the bed, she holds a bottle high in the air. I know she’s going to strike me. I’ve lived this once and dreamt about it so many times. The inescapable nightmare of the time it happened outside of my head. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. She laughs at me as she prepares to strike. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. The bottle comes down toward me and I’m shaking so hard. “Jordan!? Wake up!?”
My eyes shoot open. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Jaina is shaking me and looking down at me with nothing but concern all over her face. “Jordan? Are you ok?” I turn away from her and see my phone is the cause of the buzzing. With one look at the name Christina, I ignore the call and drop the phone to the floor and turn back to Jaina, my breathing somewhat laboured.
Jaina: Jordan? What’s going on?
Jaina is sitting up and leaning over me. I look into her eyes and I sigh deeply.
Jordan: It was a dream. A bad one. One I’ve had a lot of times, but… not for awhile.
I let out another sigh and adjust the way I’m laying on my back against the pillow. Jaina cuddles against me, throwing an arm across my chest and laying her head on my shoulder.
Jaina: Do you want to talk about it?
My eyes trace invisible patterns on the ceiling as I try to decide my answer. But my eyes close and my heart chooses to open up for her.
Jordan: When I was a teenager, my mom got drunk. Well, you know she did it a lot. But one night, she came into my room. Every light in the house was on except my room. She was searching for something. She didn’t even remember what the next day. I hid under my blankets from her. Trying to ignore her and avoid her in case she lost it. She could see the outline of me and struck me in the head with a bottle. It knocked me out…
Jaina lifts her head from my shoulder and looks troubled by my words.
Jaina: You can’t be serious?
Jordan: I am serious. I had a concussion. A little cut on my head, too.
I pull back a little bit of hair on my forehead and run a finger across an almost non-existent scar along my hairline as Jaina watches.
Jordan: Bled all over the sheets, which she made me keep. Still had the stains the day I left for good. Just not something I want to remember, but it never goes away. It haunts me. Like it would happen again when I know it would never. Because I’ll never be in that situation again.
I turn my head to look at the clock for a moment and see it’s 3:30 in the morning. Jaina grabs my chin and redirects it back to looking at her where she plants a kiss on my lips. I smile and she smiles back.
Jaina: You can always tell me anything. Anything at all. My mom, she struggled really badly with alcohol for awhile. Like, it threatened to drive us apart. I can’t completely relate to what you went through, but I understand some of the feelings. I want you to feel like you can open up to me.
She looks at me with serious eyes. I nod.
Jaina: I mean it. Don’t ever close me out. Please.
My arm pulls her back in tightly against me and I plant a kiss on her nose. She lets out a giggle.
Jordan: Let’s try to get some sleep. Going to be a long day and then we have to travel.
We both close our eyes and a short time while I can hear that she is sleeping. The calm and her touch puts me back to sleep, too. My dreams aren’t so bad. But the morning comes and shoves us both awake. I reach down on the floor and pick up my phone. 15 missed calls? I open it up and see they’re all from her. And a voicemail. I stand up out of bed and walk into the bathroom and sit down on the toilet, punch in a few numbers and put the phone to my ear.
Christina: Hey Kylie, it’s your mom… I… well… I’m not doing too good. I need some money. If you could send me some… I just need some help. The meetings aren’t working and I stopped going. I saw you on TV the other day and thought, well, maybe you’d like to send some money your momma’s way so she can feel better. I can see you’re ignoring me like usual, though. Listen… no matter what, Kylie, I did love you. And I’m sorry. Bye.
The phone almost drops out of my hand as I sit there, expressionless. I delete the voicemail and stand up, going straight for my bag. I look over my shoulder out the door and dig out a bottle and shake four pills into my palm. I throw them in my mouth and toss my head back to swallow them before I flush the toilet and turn to look in the mirror. I have to sigh. I don’t know why she called me. I didn’t want anything to do with her. She didn’t love me. You don’t do those things to someone you love. She was messed up in the head. I shake my head and push away from the counter. Jaina is standing right there, looking at her phone. She looks shocked.
Jaina: Oh my god! They caught Ricky’s killer!?
Jordan: Wait, what?
Jaina: You’ll never believe who it is.
Jaina holds the phone up to me and I read the name. Immediately I start searching for some clothes to put on as Jaina watches me quizzically.
Jaina: What’s going on?
Jordan: We’ve got to go find Bree and Sienna. This is going to hurt them badly.
December 13, 2019 - Salt Lake City
I sat at a weight bench in a local gym looking at my phone. A towel draped over my neck kept sweat from running down my body after a decent workout. I knew I’d be doing very little between now and the tag match Jake and I had the following night in Salt Lake City. This place had a sort of beauty to it. I looked out the windows and could see right up into the mountains. Breathtaking view.
Jake: You’re reading about that guy, still?
Jake takes my phone out of my hand and walks forward away from me. I spring up and the towel swings off of my neck and to the floor.
Jordan: Hey!
Jake: This is garbage. Just forget about it. We’ve got better things to do. Like win matches together.
Jordan: It’s not garbage. That is really affecting my friends. They worked with that man that was arrested, and he killed a friend of ours.
Jake raises a brow at me as he hands my phone back and leans against another weight bench.
Jake: You didn’t even know that guy.
Jordan: Well, I… no… but…
Jake: You don’t even know the guy that was arrested. It’s funny though, you’re so immersed in their world. You’re like one of those people from that Christmas movie with all the girls.
Jordan: Christmas show with all the girls…
Jake: Yeah, you know. They’re mean and stuff.
Jordan: Are you calling me one of the plastics from Mean Girls? Seriously?
Jake: Mean Girls? What? I was thinking of Die Hard. You’re like one of the bad guys from that. And that Sienna girl is like Hans Gruber. A great Christmas movie.
I roll my eyes at him and sit down on the bench shaking my head. He always finds a way to talk shit about my friends. I feel like he’s trying to protect me most days, but it’s hard to tell. Back when I signed, he didn’t seem to care. When he returned to SCW, he didn’t care enough to tell me. And now he’s all about me and my business. It’s hard to keep up with. I wonder if, like Kandis had said before Clarity, he’s worried about me or about winning some matches.
Jordan: Why do you get so up in arms about them?
Jake points at my shirt and I look down. Of course he’s pointing at it because I’m wearing the newest Bree Lancaster shirt that promotes her Breemerica look at the US Champion. I cross my arms to cover what he’s still pointing at and look up at him.
Jake: It’s this shit right here. I wonder, why can’t you wear a shirt that features us. The one I designed but you shot down was great.
Jordan: Great!? It looked like you were looking at my ass and you had the PornHub logo remade to say StarrBros. I’m a girl, dude.
Jake: Well it was a mockup. I was just playing around on my phone and came up with it. It was all changeable. But that’s not the point. Also, I know you’re not a dude. I mean look at you, damn.
Jordan: Don’t be so fucking weird.
I roll my eyes and he laughs. I know I make mistakes just by selling his crude jokes. He doesn’t mean anything. He just likes to get a rise out of me. He’s too damn good at it.
Jake: What I’m trying to say here is don’t forget at the end of the day, this is what you have to worry about most. Your career centers around this tag team thing we’ve got going on right now. If you’re focusing on what Sienna and Bree are doing all of the time, you’re missing the point.
Jordan: What point?
Jake: The point that they aren’t all that concerned with what you’re doing right now and that you should be concerned more so about you than them. Do you think that they care one bit about what happens to you in the ring?
Jordan: I actually do.
Jake: Then where were they when Ravyn tried to break your leg? Where were they all those times Infamous was attacking you. This is as serious as you’ll ever get from me. Just making sure that you think about this.
I shake my head and sigh. He’s actually starting to annoy me. But the most annoying thing is that it makes sense. It’s something that I’ve tried to push back deep into my mind. But time after time, Jake is the one that comes through with a pry bar and pulls it right back out to the forefront.
Jordan: Let’s just drop this.
Jake: Nah, I don’t feel like dropping it.
Jordan: Don’t be a dick.
Jake: Look who you’re talking to.
I stare directly into his eyes and snarl. He simply smiles back and adjusts his weight to lean on an elbow against the equipment.
Jake: I’m trying to teach you the same thing I was when I beat you in the back with that chair before Clarity. You gotta get your priorities in line and I hope it’s more than licking the cracks of Sienna and Bree when you aren’t between the legs of Bree’s niece --
Smack! That was the noise I heard before I realized what had happened. I stood there looking at Jake, who had his face turned away, with a red handprint on his cheek. I realized that my temper had boiled over and I’d stood up and slapped him when he mentioned Jaina. Jake slowly turns back to me, nodding his head. I know he’s about to let me have it for the mistake I’d just made. My mouth is still hanging open in shock.
Jake: Where the fuck was that intensity at Clarity? We’d probably be drinking champagne and spilling it all over our brand new tag team titles? God damn, sis. That was a hell of a shot. Now I know what it takes to get you fired up.
Jordan: Don’t…
Jake holds his hands up and laughs.
Jake: Now I know your biggest priority when it comes to those women. It’s not them. It’s your little backstage announcer girlfriend. Should we get you a shirt with her on it?
Jordan: Please, stop it.
Jake goes quiet for a minute and shakes his head at me. I sit back down on the weight bench and let out a long, hard sigh. He kneels down next to me.
Jake: All I’m going to say is when the shit goes down some day, I want to know - without any doubt - that you have my back.
Jordan: You know I’ve got your back.
Jake: And my front?
Jordan: Jake!?
Jake: That’s my sister. Now get cleaned up. I want to explore this city and I can’t imagine the mormons like smelly chicks.
I roll my eyes once more as I stand up and gather my stuff into my bag and head to a locker room area.
Promo
A camera switches on and Jordan Majors walks in front of a view of the Rocky Mountains in Salt Lake City, Utah. She turns to the camera and gestures toward the range. The camera zooms in on her chest.
Jake…
The camera zooms out and centers on Jordan’s upper half with the mountains behind her.
When you think about how these mountains were formed, it’s pretty remarkable. The plates of the earth pressing into each other and pushing the corresponding land to move upward in these beautiful patterns that fill the skies of so many beautiful places around this country. But when I look at it, I’m reminded of the things that happen in our lives. How we can start out so far away from each other, but actions end up pushing us together. You see, I grew up not knowing who I truly was. And when I finally found out, few things really made sense. To learn I had a brother who was a superstar in this industry… it was incredible. Jake Starr was never one of my favorites, but there is no doubt at all that he’s one of the best the world has ever seen. At least in the top 100. But just knowing he was my brother, it meant nothing. We grew up in entirely different circumstances. He had a happy home. I had a dumpster fire that turned into a single mother that had no clue what she should be doing. Why am I going on and on about this? Because an event finally pushed us closer - me signing with SCW - and then another pushed us together. Back at Rise to Greatness I was faced with an unenviable choice. Do I take the lead of a woman who had been close to me, but not committed, and follow her down her path of personal darkness behind one of the toughest stables this company has ever known? Or do I try to trust in myself and believe that I am capable of defeating great odds to rise to the level of a champion. There was nothing on the line there. Nothing to truly lose. I rolled the dice and I hit it big. But nothing ever comes easy, does it?
What followed was a systematic version of stalking. Infamous played the role of vicious predators and I their unwilling prey. Because of them, I now wear a small knee brace when I go into the ring. I’m told it’s more of a precaution than anything else, but just imagine in your everyday life if you were to take a chance on yourself, you were successful, and then someone tried to disable you as a result. Mentally, it was difficult to comprehend. Even when I came back from that injury and chased Abigail from the ring, I stood there thinking about what the future might bring. There really was no way around it. Ravyn seemed clear that as long as she had the numbers advantage she would use it against me in full force until I stopped coming back to the ring to face her again. And to think, with a mindset like that she’s the one that has had the gall to refer to me as obsessed with her. I don’t think it takes a genius to see that she has been manipulating the facts in a way that most benefits her. It’s what she’s done for most of her days in this company. I’m staring face first at my rookie year coming to and end and she has to deal with the fact that she got caught by a rookie multiple times. She has to reconcile with that fact. That’s why she twists those facts and pretends this has all been about something I couldn’t let go. It’s hard for the average person to see or comprehend. But Jake Starr isn’t average, nor is he a person. I mean, he’s not average and he sees what’s really happened. The thing about him and I is I never wanted his help. I told him when I signed a contract here that I could handle myself and that I would do this all on my own. But the hard headed ones never know when to ask for help. When I got my knee ripped up, no one came to my rescue. Glory Braddock was already there and she managed to get the upper hand. Jake looked at the facts and he knew it had to be him. The next time they tried to do their worst, he came running to the rescue. It was an unexpected moment, but it showed that even in our circumstances, as wild as they are, that sibling bond will never be broken.
So where does that bring us today? These mountains are so close they’re practically hugging. And that’s how we are. Wait, not hugging constantly. We’re close. Like, not that close. He’s my brother and we fight together. Damnit. I’m getting off track. The more we fight together, the stronger we get as a team together. His resume is unquestionable. He’s accomplished so much in his time in this company and really overall in the industry. But I have a long, long way to go to meet his accomplishments. I never allowed myself to look up to his abilities in the past, but now I do. I’ve learned from him. I can feel myself turning into a more capable wrestler in the ring. I’m finding new ways to use my unique set of athletic abilities and mix them with what he’s shown me. Not only does that make me more capable, but more complete. I didn’t expect this, but it seems like this is what I needed all along. Fighting side-by-side with Jake has been an important moment in my career. Jake? Why are you laughing? Mountains hugging? Motorboats? Oh my god! Stop! Ignore him!
Ok, moving on… this week we fight the Wet Bandits. I’m not good with spanish, but it might even be the Wet Black Bandits. Las Bandidas de Gata Negra? Maybe it’s the Wet Black Cat Bandits? I only really speak english. Either way, we’re going to beat them down so hard this week. We’ve gotten really tired of people trying to push us around. We’re one of the best teams this company has to offer right now. And no cats are taking us down. Wet or otherwise. I really feel like I’m getting this wrong. Either way, we’re ready for anything they can throw at us. These cats don’t know what they have coming for them. Jake Starr is the chairman and I am one of the most up and coming stars in this whole business. The Jake and Jordan Connection -- working title everyone don’t hold us to that -- are only getting started with what we will both accomplish in the next year. Even with everything that has happened recently, I feel so confident. Every time I step out of the ring, I’m anxious for the next time I’m going to be back in there. That’s a huge change for me from where I was months ago. Even a year ago. Almost no one remembers the brown-haired girl that walked in her talking about outworking everyone and winning matches through sure will and determination. Most want to remember that Jordan Majors that stood there offering Peyton Rice a hefty wad of $100s for the TV Championship. So many people remember the Jordan Majors that walked into Rise to Greatness as an afterthought and shocked the whole damn industry. And now as we’re winding down my first full year here, I look back and I hope they remember me most for what I am right now. An ass-kicking, beautiful blonde that’s just getting started and gets everyone excited when they think about the things she could potentially accomplish in the future. Because that’s how I see myself right now. No matter what anyone will tell you, no matter what Infamous or Peyton Rice want to say about me, you all know one thing remains true at the end of every single event. Jordan Majors is money. She’s one of the most-see talents, one of the most beautiful women and one of the best personalities any one of you fans will ever see grace this company. You can bank on it you lovely bitches.
Jordan turns around and looks at the mountains as the camera slowly zooms in toward her lower half before going black.