WRESTLING WITH PERSONAL AFFAIRS
Apocalypse was a PPV that had the vast interest of Peyton Rice for many reasons. The beautiful TV Champion was a bit torn, she had both her best friend, the challenger being Owen Cruze and a man she sees as a little brother though a lot of people are saying they are a lot more which is not the true. The other part of the match was none other than her boyfriend who he recently asked Peyton out, the World Champion, Alistaire Allocco. She watched, even stated that this match was one where it wasn’t about who walked out a champion, it was about the fans who deserved an incredible wrestling match. It inspired Peyton, to see how hard both of them worked to get to this main event at Apocalypse was the right message to people like her, young athletes that at times didn’t know if they really belonged or not. Peyton struggled with her confidence in the ring this past year in the SCW, each match she was becoming more comfortable and seeing what these two did only made her smile…
But unfortunately, at the end, there needed to be a winner and a loser.
Apocalypse
Baltimore, MD.
9.22.19
After Owen Cruze had won the World Championship there was excitement in the air. Peyton had been watching from the back along with other wrestlers who competed that night or were not in action. Wearing jeans, open toed sandals and a black halter top, with her long sandy blonde hair hanging down and nails polished white, the gorgeous Peyton with the TV Title in tow was torn by the result, she was ecstatic for Owen but at the same time, upset for Alistaire. She quickly ran to Alistaire’s locker room but on the way there Owen Cruze came through the curtain where some were there including Sasha and Aaron Blackbourne to congratulate him. She waited a minute until their eyes locked, she then smiled and ran to him with a huge hug though he was sweaty….
Peyton: “Congratulations, I am so proud of you, Owen. You two went out there and not only stole the show, you inspired us wrestlers that are here for one thing and that is to wrestle. To see you and Ali out there in the middle of the ring give it your all was an awesome sight to see, thank you so much for that. You did it Owen… your dad is smiling down on you right now.”
He was teary eyed, full of emotion which made Peyton also get a emotional. She had been there for the ride, seen what Owen went through, how this kid skipped EMERGE and went straight into the SCW with no fear, learned his way up the ladder with every win and loss, that was what Owen Cruze did and now it has paid off after almost two years. She hugs him again; they embrace as he whispers in her ear…
Owen: “Thank you…. Thank you for always being here and believing in me, if it wasn’t for you, I don’t know where I would be at times, always keeping my head straight. I know how difficult this is too, the relationship you and Ali have….”
Peyton: “Win or lose, I would have been here no matter what Owen, you can believe that. You’re like my best friend, my little brother, I don’t care what anyone thinks we are, I know what we are and that is good enough for me, right?”
Owen: “Right… good enough for me too.”
Peyton: “Listen, you go out tonight and celebrate, have a great time, I need to be with Ali right now, I hope you understand.”
Owen: “Totally.”
She planted a kiss on his cheek and smiled, backing up as he too smiled before being flanked by other wrestlers and officials, Sasha looked on, she nodded to Peyton who gestured back and left. For Peyton it was history, Owen was one of the youngest World Champions, he had finally made it to the top and for her that was an amazing feat especially for the young man. Peyton quickly headed over to Ali’s locker room, she opened the door and didn’t see him there, Adam Allocco was there though, he was looking for him, walking out of the showers….
Peyton: “Mr. Allocco?”
Adam: “Peyton, beautiful! Hello…. Have you seen my son?”
Peyton: “No, I came straight here after the match, I mean I ran into a mob in the back and Owen, stopped to congratulate him, then came here. I haven’t seen Ali, is his stuff still here? I mean he didn’t leave with his wrestling gear on, did he?”
Adam: “I don’t know, I came in here and he’s gone, everything is gone. Damn it, I shouldn’t have been flirting with that pretty chef in catering. I haven’t seen you all night.”
Peyton: “I was in catering earlier Mr. Allocco and then interviewed. After that I went to see the match with some of the other wrestlers in the viewing room. I mean, yeah…. So sorry we didn’t cross paths.”
Adam: “I thought maybe you were with Owen and… well, if you are going to be my future daughter in law, we need to work on our relationship here, maybe play some Gin Rummy or Bingo….”
Peyton stops him right there….
Peyton: “… Mr. Allocco, I like your son very much, I am falling for him if that is what you are asking, let us hold off on the wedding bells for a sec, yeah? I was not with Owen before the match, I supported both competitors, but you know exactly who I wanted to win, I was pulling for Ali, I know how hard he worked to get here and the same with Owen. I am happy that they both went out there and had a wrestling match, it means more to me than anything right now. Please don’t try to stir trouble between your son and I, I’m here for him, I give you my word. We need to find him.”
Adam: “I like you Peyton, you are a sweet gal, beautiful…. Smart….. beautiful…. Talented…. Beautiful….”
Peyton: “Okay… okay…. I get it. Let’s find him, that is all I care about right now and Mr. Allocco, all I want to say is that I promise that I will NOT hurt your son, I care too much about him to ever do anything like that. I have learned a lot about myself in the last year, made some very poor choice, messed up a lot of things because I believe too much in the good nature of people, your son is a good man, I always saw it in him, no matter what happened tonight you should be proud of him, he was awesome out there.”
Adam: “I am proud of him Peyton and I am starting to understand and realize what he sees in you besides, well the model looks and the…… yeah….”
She blushes a little and shakes her head, giggling some but extremely concerned about Alistaire. Peyton nods and starts to look around, she notices that all his things are gone, turning to Mr. Allocco….
Peyton: “Would he have gone back to his hotel room?”
Adam: “Probably, I will look for him here, why don’t you head back to the hotel and see if you can find him?”
Peyton starts texting, there is no answer, she then even calls, and the phone goes straight to voicemail. She sighs, worrying about Ali, nodding to Adam and agreeing with his plan….
Peyton: “I’ll head over there now and see if I can find him, please call or text me when you do.”
Adam: “I will, you do the same.”
Peyton: “Promise.”
As she walks out, Adam gets her attention….
Adam: “Oh and Peyton.”
Peyton: “Yes, Mr. Allocco?”
Adam: “Thank you for being there for my son.”
She smiles, before walking out and not showing the concern that she feels for her boy friend right now. She knew that he was upset, what she didn’t know was just how upset he really was. Taking a quick breather, she heads out of the arena….
Three Hours Later
She checked the hotel room, she even went to her hotel room, there was nothing. She decided to go out into the Inner Harbor by herself and look around, it wasn’t the safest of places outside it’s inner circle, so she stayed within the vicinity. Peyton was really upset; a lot of the other wrestlers went out and celebrated Owen’s victory and she felt like that was a missed opportunity had she known that Ali was going to do this to her. It was already a waste of a night, it was 2 am and the Harbor still had plenty of patrons out, but the bars were closing, and it was time for her to head back. She continued to text and call Ali but there was nothing. She walked back to her room.
It took her a good ten minutes, open the door and kicked off her sandals. She was exhausted, laying in the bed, she didn’t get under the sheets, still in her clothing, her head hit the pillow, staring at the alarm clock….
Peyton: “Ali where are you?”
She had received a text from Adam Allocco who couldn’t find him either, she began to worry, the last time someone she cared about went missing, they turned up dead and a place like Baltimore is not the safest place to be at the time of night. Peyton’s eyes started to tear up a little thinking about something happening to him like it did Ricky…..
And after about ten minutes she closed her eyes and cried herself to sleep.
Five Hours Later
Peyton was upset, she had not seen Alistaire Allocco all night. She wanted to be with him, get the chance to talk or just be supportive but instead, he decided that it was a good idea to just leave after the PPV and not tell anyone where he went. The two had become a couple and it hurt Peyton. She called and text him, ending up falling asleep in her hotel room waiting for Alistaire to show up and he never did, her phone in hand, not even under the covers still dressed in her going out clothes. She woke up early, undressed and decided to take a shower after checking her phone and seeing no message. After what happened to Ricky Octavius, some really bad thoughts started to creep into her head as Baltimore is not the safest of cities.
Renaissance Hotel Inner Harbor
Baltimore, MD.
The Next Morning
7:00 AM
The hot water trickled down her back, hands planted firmly on the tiles, her legs spread apart, the shower hid her tears, trying to figure out why she does this to herself. She though different of Alistaire and yet he would hurt her like this over a match. All she cared about was that he was okay. The bathroom started to steam up, she was unaware that the front door open and it was Alistaire Allocco who walked in, looking around for Peyton, he noticed her clothing that she was wearing at the arena on the bed. Alistaire heard the shower, he slowly walked over to the door and stopped, seeing Peyton taking a shower, he was mesmerized by her beauty. He couldn’t stop thinking about her and what she meant to him, why did he disappear last night, he was upset but he didn’t think for one second what it could do to her, he was being selfish and after becoming a couple, the last thing he should have done is left Peyton hanging and wondering where he went, especially after what she went through with Ricky. He continued to watch for a few minutes more before she finally shut the water off and grabbing her towel, he watched Peyton slowly dry herself, wrapping the towel around her and then grabbing the second one and fluffing her hair before tying it over her head. She steps out and is startled when she sees Ali standing there in front of her by the doorway….
Peyton: “Ali!?”
Alistaire: “Hey Peyton….”
Peyton: “Hey…. I…..”
*SLAP*
Peyton quickly slapped Alistaire across the face after the night he put her through, worrying about everything, for her the emotions really took a toll, she automatically started to tear up as he stood there rubbing his chin, knowing that he had screwed up but losing the title was something he needed to handle alone, he just never communicated that to Peyton….
Peyton: “You can’t call me!? You can’t at least text and tell me that you are okay, so I am not here in bed crying my eyes out wondering if you are dead in some alleyway! Was it really that hard Ali to take ten seconds out of your busy night and at least let me know you are still alive!? What is wrong with you! I was searching out in that Inner Harbor by myself until 2 am!”
Alistaire: “You weren’t celebrating with Owen?”
Peyton: “What? Really!? Are you being serious right now!? I was looking for you! I cried myself to sleep last night, Alistaire! I remember it was like 2:30 am and when my eyes opened again it was 7! How dare you do that to me and your dad, I am sorry that you lost the World championship, but I wanted to be with you, Ali! I wanted to share those moments, win or lose, with you!”
Alistaire: “I know Peyton, I just couldn’t do it. I needed to be alone. To figure out how I felt, and I didn’t know what else to do.”
Peyton: “Where were you!?”
Alistaire: “I found a small bar, sat there and did nothing, when it closed down I decided to go back to the hotel, I stood by your door for almost an hour, pacing back and forth, I was going to use the key you gave me then and decided to let you sleep.”
She shakes her head in frustration, her eyes start tearing up, a few trickles down her cheek….
Peyton: “Let me sleep!? I thought you were dead! The last time I waited for someone who disappeared and call me back, he ended up dead and I can’t take that again, Ali! I can’t and it was selfish of you to do that to us! You asked me out, we ARE a couple now and you have to trust me, confide in me when things go wrong just like I would with you. I would NEVER in a million years disappear on you like that. We all have a way of dealing with things but Ali, this isn’t about just you anymore, this is about US unless you want it to be about just you!”
He quickly shakes his head…
Alistaire: “No… no…. no…. no…. Peyton, no! I was taken by emotions, I fought so hard for that title, I couldn’t bear to let you see me a failure and …..”
She walks up to him and cups his face with her smooth hands, still very angry and upset, she tries to at least comfort him some because she can see the pain, he is putting himself through as well…
Peyton: “…. NEVER. Never would I ever see you as a failure. What you did out there last night inspired me. It reminded me why I became a wrestler in the first place and yeah, you lost to Owen but that doesn’t mean you won’t get another chance Ali or were a great champion. I didn’t fall….”
She stops herself and looks away, Ali places his hand under her cheek and turns her toward him….
Peyton: “…. I didn’t fall for you because you are a world champion wrestler, I fell for you because you are a good person and you make me laugh, you make me feel alive and when I’m around, I feel like the prettiest girl in the room just in the way you look at me.”
Alistaire now starts to tear up, he lowers his head shamefully and nods before finally starting to cry a little, Peyton grabs and embraces him….
Alistaire: “I am sorry….. I am so sorry….”
Peyton: “It’s okay…. You are here where you belong, and I can’t be any happier. You scared the shit out of me, Ali. I only curse when I get upset and damn it, I had so many thoughts running through my head. I went to every bar, every restaurant inside the Harbor and I couldn’t find you. Last night should have been a night we spent together, win or lose. I’m your girlfriend now, I want to be a part of your life. Through the wins, the losses, it doesn’t matter, we need to be there for each other.”
He backs up some, their eyes meet…..
Alistaire: “I ….. I….. I’m tired….”
Peyton: “Okay…..”
She slowly starts unbuttoning his shirt and takes it off, he stands there allowing her, as he kicks off his shoes. Peyton unbuckled his pants, taking them off and leading him to the bed in his boxers. He sits down, she then lays him in the bed and covers him up and laying behind him, realizing that she is naked, his eyes widen, his first thought was to jump out of bed, there was no way that he could resist her beauty, the temptation was too much, lucky for him though, he was too tired and fell asleep quickly. Peyton spooned him, her arm body on his, she closed her eyes and smiled….
Knowing that he was okay….
And that is all she cared about at this very moment before also falling back asleep.
SCENE FADES
SERENITY
The Scene Opens….
Industrial-chic Bricktown is a lively entertainment district, with repurposed warehouse spaces home to restaurants, piano lounges and chic wine bars. An eclectic mix of shops sell clothing, home decor and specialty food items like gourmet condiments and handmade chocolate. The Bricktown Water Taxi takes riders along the Bricktown Canal for tours and dinner cruises. Bricktown is situated just east of the Downtown Business District in Oklahoma City and was the city’s first warehouse and distribution center, established shortly after the famous Land Run in 1889. Here is where we find the gorgeous Television Champion, Peyton Rice. The young woman has had a very emotional few weeks watching her boyfriend the then World Champion, Alistaire Allocco and her best friend, Owen Cruze go at it in the Main Event of Apocalypse of the World Championship. After it was over, Owen Cruze became the champion and it was Peyton who was torn between the two, she supported both though and had to deal with the aftermath which she handled very well.
Now it was time to defend her Television Championship again, she had been impressive since well before RTG XVI. The title began to define the young woman that at one point was looking for her place in this world. Now her challenger was none other than Abigail Lindsay. For Peyton this was somewhat personal, after Abigail attacked her right before RTG XVI to get to Alistaire and siding with Infamous. Peyton was jumped and attacked mercilessly. Peyton fought back best she could but at the end she found herself at the short end of the stick until Alistaire, Adam Allocco and John Goddard came out to help the young Peyton from suffering a serious injury and it was that act alone which really fired Peyton up to the point that when she did see who the opponent was for the TV title this week, she was motivated to the point the extra work put in, signs of this being the toughest match she’s had and considering the greats she has defeated so far to retain the belt, it was saying a lot and Peyton was taking this challenge very seriously….
Because this match wasn’t going to be about wrestling, it was about the games Abigail played. She had done them with Peyton, with Alistaire, a woman like Abigail Lindsay had NO limits, she was ready to do anything and everything to not only tale the TV Title from the beautiful Peyton Rice, but also try to embarrass and humiliate her no matter how many times Abigail says there is no issues between her and Peyton. Wearing jeans, a long sleeve loose blue blouse, open toed heels with her hair hanging down and nails polished white. With the TV Title resting on her shoulder, she walks down the streets of Bricktown, looking around for a moment before focusing on the match at hand in which we are going to see a different side of Peyton, a more serious and focused young woman. The camera starts to record….
REC:
After a few moments, Peyton lowers her blue lens glasses, ready to speak as she starts to talk in her sexy and very girly voice….
“Bricktown, an incredible and unique experience here in Oklahoma City. I love the little boutique type places where one can come and enjoy these great little places in all the cities we travel. The culture, the architecture and design, the overall history is just another perk of this job besides entertaining all of you, the fans. As I walk down these streets, meeting the great fans, I think about how lucky I am, the chance I get to bring some joy in others lives, I have been given that power, I don’t know why but I’m blessed because of it. This business continues to be a learning experience for me. There are times when I find it difficult to separate my emotions from the task at hand. There are others where I’m so invested in what’s happening in a match or feud, I learn to appreciate what the sport does for me as a person. It is a natural state of maturation, how I was three years ago, wow… to even think I have been wrestling already for three years but only nine months of the SCW…. It’s really like night and day. Back then it was about being in the ring as a new wrestler, learning the ropes, seeing these superstars in person and wondering if you could ever compete with them. Being starstruck at times is kind of childish and fangirling may also fall into that category but as a kid who wasn’t even twenty-one years old and seeing myself on TV was weird and at the same time so cool, it took a while to get over the fact I WAS a professional Wrestler.
The people I trained with, the friends I made, it was what this profession was all about. For me though my ride in the SCW has been one where I needed to grow up fast. I’m not saying I wasn’t an adult already, what I am saying is that it took me a long time to realize just how cutthroat it could be. I wasn’t swimming in the coral reef anymore, I was in shark infested waters, every time I made a mistake or thought a different way, there they were smelling blood and I think that alone started opening my eyes to the reality in the SCW, you have to watch your back at all times….
Which is why Alistaire Allocco versus Owen Cruze was a breath of fresh air.
I loved it, taking me back to when wrestling was wrestling, those two guys put everything on the line out there, one my best friend, who like a little brother has been there for me and to see him compete for another World Title when he lost to Sienna Swann the first time was amazing. The other is my boyfriend who yes, I am dating and he worked so hard to become World Champion that it broke my heart to see him lose after winning Taking Hold of the flame and surviving Rachel Tatum Lee to Main Event, RTG XVI where he pinned Syren for the World Title and seeing how he lost at Apocalypse, I could only feel for him and be happy for Owen at the same time….
And it was a good problem to have.
It motivates me even more; it makes me want to go out there every single night and do my best so that one day I can be a World Champion too. It’s a breath of fresh air knowing that the sport still can be pure and abut competition….
A notion I know will not be the case with Abigail Lindsay.”
Peyton knows that Abigail poses a different kind of challenge, one that if not careful, much like Damian Angel right before Apocalypse, Peyton could find herself without a Championship. Abigail likes to make things about herself and the young rice how dangerous that makes her opponent this week. With the title in hand, Peyton looks back at the camera and speaks while walking down the sidewalks of Bricktown….
“No one ever said that life was fair. I have had to deal with some pretty tough things this past year now that I reflect on it all. My older sister is off to Tombstone, she found her calling after being trapped in a life of drugs, alcohol and too much partying, I’m glad that she is able to find peace though even I know that she’s always been selfish when it came to her, seeing what she could do for my dad would have been nice. The coma and this whole incident with Kelcey Wallace have ran me ragged, I tired so much to see her best I could until I couldn’t anymore. She had disappeared, I really don’t know much more about it but not having her around has really taken a toll on me mentally. I have tried my best to stay afloat without her guidance and mentoring, so far I did what I could but I have this sinking feeling it will catch up with me. Losing Ricky Octavius was probably the worst feeling I ever had, I loved him so much and made a lot of mistakes that I cannot fix….
I think regret has taken its toll on me to the point that I don’t even know if that part of my life, I will ever get over especially seeing men I trusted, friends I thought I had trying to pry long after his death all for a little shock value and to make heads out of tails? It’s wrong and these are the times when I hate this sport, when I wonder why I came to wrestle, yet again watching the Main Event of Apocalypse is a reminder there is still good in the business, we need to make the best of it. I know what I need to do, it’s tough when a person like myself hears and sees what people say about me, how I have a good head on my shoulders and the talent to be a World Champion one day, I just need to believe in myself.
They do, they never stopped believing which to me means more than being a part of the SCW which I would never trade for anything. The Television Championship is the reason why I love to wrestle, week in and out, I am in the ring defending this title against the best this company has to offer and now I am staring down at a woman that doesn’t really care about the nature of the business, a sociopath that is in it for herself and using Infamous as a springboard to get her agenda done. I have my hands full this week and to know I must look over my shoulder every waking second, knowing that anything could happen to cause me to lose what I hold so dear to me elevates my game up just a little more.
I may forgive a lot of things, but I never forget….
And Abigail Lindsay or “Serenity”?
I’m ready for you.
I knew this day would come when you and I faced each other again like we did for this same championship the week before RTG XVI. For a month after the biggest event of the year, all I thought about was that night, it was the first time in my career I was assaulted by a group of former World Champions, including you Abi, no one will forget your run as IWC World Champion either. What you are is a talented wrestler that maybe doesn’t know her place in this world, I’m no psychologist but I can see at times this crossroad made by you, where teetering between right and wrong has become the issue. You’re impulsive, do things before thinking things through, I have never seen a woman more conflicted and irresponsible than you.
Sad thing is I have seen glimpse of the good you can do, instead there is this misconception, an aura you’ve created to say differently, afraid to speak your mind and show your true emotions because it deemed as weak and the last thing you ever want to be looked upon is being weak. Well, let me tell you who I am….
… I don’t need to, why? You damn well know who I am Abigail and what I am capable of doing and that worries someone like you. I won’t break, I can’t allow my morality be clouded by carnal desires just to have some fun at others expense….
I’ll leave the games to you, I’ll just end them.”
Behind her blue colored lens, the gorgeous Peyton Rice is not a fan of Abigail. She remembers the attack like it was yesterday and feels it was cowardly. Peyton now knows she gets a chance at a little revenge as she continues to climb that ladder of success in the SCW. She is coming close to becoming the longest reigning TV Champion of all time but for Peyton she only cares about one thing…. Doing the sport, she loves right. Turning she continues to speak…
“Do you know how it felt Abigail, when I look at a woman like you with the upmost respect not just because you are a Lohan and your sisters are standup people, Brittany took part in Training me, Dawn is a woman that even if she at times questions her own morality, the truth is she is still a good person deep inside and every person is entitled to make a mistake. You on the other hand, have the ability to make a difference in this business, the talent and charisma, the power of words and instead you consistently become a hired gun, a follower, align yourself with people who have no interest in wrestling for the spirit of competition, instead all they care about is themselves. I was shocked and disappointed at the same time when I was attacked by you Abi and Infamous.
They don’t care about the SCW as a whole, they care about themselves even after this company put Syren and Ravyn into the Hall of Fame. Are we really going to “Join them if we cannot beat them” scenario? I have seen the best in this business make choices they regretted, maybe I am beating a dead horse and you will not listen to anything I say but guess what? For years all you have done is sell yourself short, followed the pack and fixate yourself on one thing, this time it was Raven. Why? Why attack me? To distract Alistaire?
Did you watch Rise to Greatness and Apocalypse? Did beating me up help? No, it motivated Alistaire even more and for me as well because tomorrow night, I am coming to kick your ass. That is right, I said it and I mean every bit of it. I keep thinking to myself, this is what its going to take, there could be a chance you will listen. Forget New Eden, forget The Unforgiven, forget Infamous, be a strong woman and stand up for yourself! Sadly though, you probably won’t and that’s fine. See this Television Championship? It’s not the gold that matters, it’s the meaning behind it, the wrestler who wears it and the person who is willing to grind it out every week to defend it like me. I don’t care about breaking records, I care about honoring those that gave me the chance to do some good, to live out a dream, to help me when I was down, like the fans and my friends. I don’t know where you slipped or went wrong, Abigail, what you did to me along with Infamous was a motivating factor, it opened my eyes and allowed me to learn on the job that not everyone here is ready to dedicate themselves to the better of the company on not their own agendas.
This TV title is still about one thing, WRESTLING, not games so I challenge you Abi to make it about that, beat me on your talent and wrestling skill and not on some stupid games or your “friends” so to say. Abigail, you jumped me with the intent of hurting me bad just to send a message to Ali?
Then I will show you just how what I will do to defend this title and show the entire SCW and some don’t need an army to get things done. Abigail, bring your best, you’ll need it.”
Brushing her hair back, Peyton lowers her sunglasses, she holds up the TV Championship as her eyes narrow….
“Abigail, you can become Serenity, whatever your heart’s desire, come tomorrow night, it won make a difference….
The one lesson you’ll take from this, is my kindness is never a weakness….
And I’m not just another “Pretty” face.”
She stares into the camera for a moment before pushing her sunglasses back up to her eyes, holding the title proud and finally cracking a smile…
FADE TO BLACK
/REC
Peyton Rice 