Breakdown 6-22-23 #2
June 9
Santa Barbara
Valentine Home
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It took a few days for Sydney and Uncle Corey to get things settled enough to come out from Florida. Sydney had to get off work, Uncle Corey had doctor's appointment he couldn't miss. It hadn't taken much for Sydney to convince her dad to make the trip, he very much wanted to see his sister again while he still could. Tommy of course had no problem taking the plane to go get them. It's smaller than the one he used to share with David Helms, when they blew up and David sold his half of their business dealings, Tommy had agreed to let David keep that plane, then just bought a smaller one once the financials were settled. He wasn't hauling half of Los Angeles with him every time the wheels went up so downsizing from a twelve seater to a six made sense. Although it was smaller, it was just as comfortable, and Uncle Corey didn't have any problems during the flight.
We got home and got them set up in the guest rooms. Uncle Corey wanted to take a nap, so we left him to that. Tommy had to get to Ante Up for his class, so Sydney and I sat outside near the pool in our swimsuits, enjoying the weather and a few beers. I had promised to tell her everything about my attempts to stop shutting people out, which meant explaining the recent development with Drake. And that meat telling her everything about the video. When I was done, she was speechless for a bit, and finished her beer, before saying anything.
“Wow, I picked a hell of a time to have moved home, didn't I?”
“Stop, you moved months ago. All of this just happened.”
“Yeah, but... I could have been here. For you, you know?”
“And done what? Cringed with me in person instead of over the phone?”
Sydney smirked. “I meant that maybe if I had been here... you wouldn't have put yourself into the position to be taken advantage of. We could have talked more, you know?”
It was true that there were things I could talk to Sydney about that I couldn't with anyone else. But... “I don't know, Syd. I don't think anyone could have stopped me from doing what I was doing. I mean, I knew Tommy didn't like it and I still did it.” I shrugged.
“You were pushing boundaries, that's all. You and I don't do that. I'll call you on your shit just as fast as you'll call me on mine.”
“I won't argue that. I just don't want you to feel bad for leaving. You had to. Life is what it is, and I'm used to rolling with the punches.”
Sydney grabbed another beer from the cooler sitting between our chairs. “Tell you what, you're handling it a hell of a lot better than I would be. I'd become a hermit.” She cracked open the beer and took a long drink.
“That's where we're different. You have a sense of shame. I don't. My only concern is how all of this is going to affect my family. I mean, Tommy's kids are teenagers. And my niece?” Tommy still hadn't had Kirsten or the kids over. I think they all wanted things to settle down a little before trying to speak to me about things. I was fine with that, I wasn't super looking forward to Kirsten's side-eye or Taylor's eight-thousand questions. As for Nate and his kids? I was actively avoiding that. Nate wasn't happy with me at all and we fought over the phone last time he called. He put himself lower on the priority list with that shit.
“I don't even know what to say to that.” Sydney shook her head.
“Yeah? Me either.” I downed the rest of my beer. “So... forget me for a minute. Are you ready to see your aunt tomorrow?”
Sydney sighed, and set her beer down on the table. “I don't know. It's so crazy. I grew up hearing stories about 'missing Aunt Carla,' then you turned up, and all of a sudden Aunt Carla wasn't missing anymore. But now....” Sydney shook her head.
“Now she's almost gone and you barely had time to get to know her...” I spoke so quiet I barely heard myself. Sydney gasped.
“Oh. Kandis. I'm so sorry... of course you understand, she's your mom. There I go speaking without thinking.”
I looked up at Sydney and she seemed near tears. “Hey. Don't do that. You're allowed to be upset, too. You knew more about her than I ever did, you have more.... invested.”
“Maybe. But she's your mother.” She gave me a look that suggested nothing more needed to be said.
“Yeah. My mother. That I thought was dead for most of my life. Except she wasn't, she just pretended to be so I'd have a chance. And just when I was getting to really see her for who she is, instead of this shape I always had in my head... she's dying for real. Syd, I gotta be honest with you... I don't know how to handle this. I thought finding out she was alive was a mindfuck. What am I gonna do when she actually dies?”
“I wish I knew what to tell you. I was young when my mom passed, I didn't really get it, you know? Your situation is so unique. Haven't you ever lost anyone?”
I sat back in my chair and thought. Lost friends? Sure. Lovers? Of course. But lost anyone to death?
“No....” I shook my head slowly. “I've never had anyone I cared about die on me.” Thirty-six years old and dealing with this for the first time in my life. Just when I think there's nothing left of my shit upbringing that can fuck with me, something else I have zero experience in slams me back to childhood.
“Wow.... I can't imagine how hard this is for you.”
“I don't even know how hard it is. Or will be. I'm terrified of finding out.” Shit. I said the quiet part out loud. I downed the rest of my beer, but there's no such thing as unspeaking words.
“Hey, look at me.” I turned my head slowly towards her. “You're not doing this alone. You know that, right?”
All I could do was nod. Even though I've been with Tommy for four years now, had known Sydney for two years... it was still hard for me to believe that I didn't have to fight everything by myself. I had to be reminded. I gave her a smile.
“Yeah... I think I might finally be starting to believe that.”
“Well, believe it.” I cringed, Sydney had no way of knowing how those two words grated my insides. “I'm serious. You were never alone, K. You just wanted to be to protect yourself. You don't have to do that anymore.”
I just nodded. I was done with this conversation.
I stood up, and stretched a little. “I think the pool looks a little empty.” I could feel Sydney watching me as I walked over to the edge of the pool on the deep end, and just dropped myself in. I swam underwater to the shallow side before coming up. When I did, Sydney was walking down the steps.
“Couldn't let you have all the fun.” She smiled as she pushed off the steps and started to swim across.
ON CAMERA
Y'all found out, didn't you?
Kandis laughs with a smirk, sitting on a weight bench sideways. She's in workout gear, hair up in a messy top bun.
SCW kept fucking around and fucking around... acting like I was just screaming into the wind and nothing I said mattered and I would never get what I wanted, get my due.
But at Taking Hold of the Flame? You found out.
Exactly how hard I would push, how far I would go... to take what's mine.
I strolled out to the ring, number forty! And I tossed out one after the other, until it was just me and Gavin. Talk about your full circle moment, huh?
Kandis chuckles to herself a little.
But my night wasn't over after that. Nah... I had to stick around and watch the main event. Would I go on to face Adam Allocco... or Selena Frost? For the first time ever, I was happy to see Selena win. Fucking ecstatic that she became World Champion. This is the match I wanted. This is the match I was supposed to have over a year ago. Except now it's bigger. I can't even be mad about the tournament anymore. Nah, Selena got to the finals and beat Allocco to become Champion again, getting her win back. And that's fine, that's alll good. Glory wanted to rattle on about fate... well fate decided that I needed a grander stage to claim the World Championship for myself, and there is no grander stage than Rise to Greatness.
But, there's a lot of time between now and July twenty-third. I didn't expect to just coast from here to there and not have to get in the ring at all, and I didn't have to wait long to get my hands dirty again. Glory Braddock and I meet again.
Glory...
Kandis shakes her head.
I really think that when Asher and The One tossed you out on your ass, you must have actually hit your head, because I can't believe you really said all of those words that have nothing to do with reality. Maybe before you start running your mouth you should make sure you know what you're talking about first. For starters, I actually have won a singles championship here. I held the Television Championship for a few weeks until I was screwed out of it... but it was still a longer reign than your so-called World Championship run! I even got to take the belt home, while you never even physically held the World Championship belt. Never found out what the gold feels like, what the leather smells like. I don't think anyone except you considers those five minutes in the middle of a gauntlet match a real reign. You really only care about it because it's technically on the record books and leaves you with one more championship to go before you can be a Supreme Champion.
Kandis laughs to herself a little.
I find it highly fucking amusing that the one championship you need, is the one that I have the most experience with. Maybe that's why you're facing me. Maybe it's a test for you. Can you hang with one half of the greatest tag team SCW has ever seen? Can you beat her, the number one contender to the World Championship?
Lemme answer that for you right quick. No.
No, you can't.
You're cut from the same cloth as Selena, Glory. You're trying to make everyone believe that you're doing the Supreme thing out of some respect for competition or some bullshit, when everyone knows it's purely an ego-stroke. And if anyone knows about stroking egos, it's me. You can't bullshit a bullshitter, doll. You're listing all of your accomplishments for your own benefit, because in this bout between you and me? None of it matters. It's all bullshit as far as I'm concerned.
Speaking of bullshit, let me clear something up for you, since you can't seem to see through your ego. Just because you saw me and Tommy on Twitter talking about breaking the Tag Title reign record, doesn't mean I'm looking past Rise to Greatness and trying to focus on two things at once. Has Tommy been to an SCW show lately? Do you see even see him listed on the active roster? No.. you don't... because not only is he not cleared yet, there isn't even a timetable for that. We were talking about some time in the undefined future, when he is ready to return at my side, and when that happens? Every Tag Team in this company knows it'll be over for all of you. And that's why you read too much into those tweets, doll. Because you're anxious about your dumb little Supreme aspirations and you're afraid that we might break a record before you get your giant gold star.
Kandis puts her hands out, palms down, motioning in a calming gesture.
Settle down, doll. We're not coming for the Tag Titles just yet.
I have something much more pressing to take care of, some unfinished business. Make no mistake Glory, and everyone else listening for that matter. I told you before the Flame and I'm gonna say it again for the learning impaired.... there is nothing else I care about in SCW right now than becoming World Champion.
Nothing.
I did what I had to do to get my shot. Did I get a lucky draw to enter at forty? Did I give someone with access some... oral encouragement to switch a few numbers around for me?
Kandis shrugs with a smirk.
I told you, I didn't care what I had to do, to get my shot. And when Rise to Greatness comes around, I don't care what I'll have to do to take the World Championship.
Do you really think I'll give a shit what happens to you, Glory? You're the first speedbump in my way on the road to Greatness, and if you think you're going to slow me down at all, you're going to find out just how wrong you are. Bring your experience, bring your technical skills, bring your list of titles you've held so you can point at it in my face as if it means anything right now.
None of that is gonna matter when my patella kisses your frontal bone.
Kandis pats her knee along with the words. She smirks as the video cuts.