...i am the way of the future...
[[San Francisco]]
[[Four thirty in the afternoon]]
[[An unfamiliar living room. It's messy. Well, that's an understatement. Books and magazines are strewn across the living room. But the figure reclining in the chair doesn't seem to notice or care. She's too engrossed in her book.]]
[[Harry Potter and the Something of Something Else. Yes. She reads Harry Potter. Doesn't everyone? Okay, so maybe not. But she reads. A lot, as evidenced by the stacks of books. Stacks and stacks of books. She looks up from her book, her hair pulled back in a pony tail. She's wearing sweat pants and a plain cotton t-shirt. She looks almost raggedy. But that's okay too. She's just hanging around the house.]]
[[She looks up and smiles. It's not a sweet smile, but it's a lot less sour than it has been in the past. Some might even think it a bit ironic.]]
Angelica: So I get a call about a week ago. A voice I don't know on the other end. A number I don't recognize. I know the area code, but that's by pure dumb luck. Arizona. I think 'who in the name of god do I know in Arizona'? Turns out it's no one I know. Some voice on the other line - a lawyer or talent scout or some such I guess - tells me he's got a contract with some upstart organization in Southern California. I try to hold back the laughter at this point, because I know just about everyone in the wrestling business down there. I answer quite kindly no - after all, what would Lisa use as her claim to fame if I came back and took away the whole "I was the last person to beat Frost" song and dance.
What? You didn't think I was watching Lisa? Trust me, I've been watching. For the last little while anyways. You see I left this sport to move to greener pastures. Left it because I never really enjoyed it. Left it because I had a family. And none of us wanted to really be a part of all this anymore. So I left. Retired. Moved to San Francisco, with my sister and brother and husband and various and sundry extended family, and tried to forget wrestling.
Obviously it didn't take. But I've moved away from my narrative. The guy insisted that I take a look at the contract. He mailed it to me. I ignored it on my coffee table for a few days. And then I signed it. And as I sit here, with this camera in my face bothering me I'm left to wonder why. When I left this community I left it with a clean cut. Sure, not all of us could stay away - and I won't lie and say that didn't make me mad. But is it worth it?
Not a chance. Wrestling ruins lives. It turns us all into frigging soap opera characters and then rips our hearts out to boot. Last time I retired and came back I did it for my family. This time it was supposed to be a clean break. But the claws of this sport run deep. Deeper than you think. Marcus couldn't stay away. Kyle virtually ran to sign a contract with the IWL. And now I'm in for another trip round the bend.
In the meantime, don't get the wrong impression. I'm not here to ride out the length of my contract, collect on the hype and cash out. That's not how I got to where I am today. Not that I'm not surprised to be here of all places - given my history. Of course, if I recall correctly Jeff sometimes lets his emotions get the better of him. Why else would he let Kyle get the drop on him? I mean come on. Tommy Riley? Couldn't you smell that jacket the minute he walked in the arena?
Old joke. New people take note. I like old jokes. They make me laugh. They remind me of my misspent youth.
Speaking of Kyle though - Kyle - you're a fuck-up. A real fuck-up. You had everything you wanted. Or that's what you told me. Maybe you lied. Maybe you hated yourself too much to enjoy that kind of thing. Trust me - I get self-loathing. But now you're slumming with my father's old associates? How far are you going to let yourself go?
Yeah, I think I'm done here for now. I've got a match in... oh... about a month or so, but I'm sure those wild and crazy people I'll be beating to a pulp have got better things to do for the next couple weeks. I'll keep myself occupied with getting myself back into game shape, shaking off the ring rust and dropping names like crazy.
[[Fade]]