[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 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]
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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...