Post by Gem on Aug 8, 2014 22:45:30 GMT -5
His shadow pierced my hours-long meditation with a surprise appearance.
Gliding down the steel rail along the brick wall, he gleefully put his arm around my shoulders and welcomed me like one of his old buddies. Still not having gotten over the sneaking suspicion that there was more than what he was telling me, I was hesitant to react in any way that would encourage him. It made me feel bad to be the sort of ice queen he imagined me to be, but Father always told me to go with my instincts and protect myself.
Grant was such a special guy. It's true that my interaction with people not connected to my father was still limited, but he just seemed so much more genuine than anyone I'd met, even through PCW. It was hard to tell though, because I wasn't sure if it was a rouse to gain my trust, or if this was the kind of person he really was. I didn't understand; I could figure out my enemies within seconds, but someone with friendly intentions was a complete mystery.
"How's your preparation for Psycho Lady going?" he teased, knowing full well it would get a rise out of me.
"Psycho Lady, hilarious. She screwed me out of keeping my winning streak alive last week, and of finally putting The Bear away for good. How do you think it's going?"
Continuing to be playful, he stepped in front of me, using a strand of my hair to cover his eye. "Come with me if you want to live!"
I shoved him away. "What does that even mean, Grant?"
"Don't you... The Terminator... I thought you..."
"Terminator?"
Grant shook his head. "Sometimes I forget how young you are. It's a movie from the early 90s, hun." He sighed, a bit exasperated, and I could tell my defensiveness was frustrating him.
Movies were not something to which Father had exposed me much. The modern technology I encountered in the arena was definitely culture shock I wasn't expecting. Father's movie collection mostly revolved around vintage classics that he played on a projector, so the ideas of the movies Grant had probably seen didn't occur to me. "I never really watched movies as a kid," I lied.
"Why don't we go see one then? Have you ever been to a theatre?" he asked.
"What, like a date?" I accused.
He froze, looking around as if he expected something terrible to happen. "No, that's not what I meant..."
"What are you trying to do here, Grant? Lure me in with a movie and then try to make your move? Is that what guys like you do? Pretend to be super nice until you've got me right where you want to?"
Grant leaned up against the brick wall, nearly smashing his head against it. "I swear, I close my eyes and I hear your aunt talking."
"And what the hell is wrong with my Auntie?" I demanded.
"Have you ever seen her around a guy who isn't your Father?"
I was about to snap back before I realized that he was right. Auntie Dee had never been much for socializing, and I guess Father had kept me under a similar social microscope. Maybe he was afraid I'd end up a wingnut like my opponent this week, I don't know. If that's what prevented me from chewing wallpaper and spewing nonsense, I was all the more grateful, but this seemed to be unusual from his perspective.
"Don't get me wrong, your Aunt is a badass bitch," Grant stated, even cracking a bit of a smile, "But there aren't exactly a lot of guys lining up to take her out."
"Why is that such a bad thing, Grant? Maybe not all of us want to be swooning over King Charming!"
"Prince," he corrected.
"Prince? What does that mean?"
"It's Prince Charming who sweeps the women off their feet," Grant repeated.
"That... That's not the point, Grant!" I turned away from him, staring back at my altar of concentration. Alexa was out there, crocheting with strings that weren't even there, and she was gunning for me because... Hell if I know. I'm another female? Made about as much sense as anything else she did. I loved having Grant around, but I couldn't keep letting him distract me from my objectives. I didn't have to be just like father, but he had taught me to be an efficient assassin, and I wasn't about to lose the skills that had made me Queen of the Underground, even if I had no idea what that actually meant.
Grant sat down on the concrete steps that led down to the corridor. I could tell I was frustrating him even more with my resistance, and it made me feel even worse. The guy was trying, and I'd been nothing but cold to him despite his consistency. "Gem, I don't know what you want from me. I've been nothing but a friend to you, but your father's paranoia seems to have taken you over. That's what did him in eventually, he alienated himself from everyone. You're amazing, beautiful, and one of the most talented young wrestlers on this roster, but you're turning yourself into your own biggest enemy. I asked if you wanted to go see a movie, not if I could take you back to my place and do anything inappropriate. Seriously, lighten the fuck up, girl."
Grant started to turn away back toward the exit, and I tried to stop him. "Grant!"
"No, seriously..."
"Grant!" I screamed.
He turned around and saw the tears streaming down my cheeks. Dammit, I didn't cry in front of anyone except Father. What was wrong with me? He put his arm around the back of my shoulders like the day he rescued me, and suddenly I began to feel safer once again. "Most people... They get to figure this stuff out as they grow up, so by the time they're my age, they understand the subtle nuances. I don't. I was raised by my isolated father to do nothing other than destroy targets and complete objectives. You're the first person I met on my own, and I'm trying my best to learn what I'm doing here. This isn't easy, okay?"
Grant finally released his grip, though part of me wished he didn't. "It's okay, hun. Look, we'll work together on this. I mean, you don't have to let any of your opponents know this. Let them think you're a silent killer. Far as I can see, that reputation won't do you any harm."
"I'll need any help I can get against Alexa," I admitted. "I don't know what kind of weakness crazy has, but I've got to treat her like any other opponent. Silently strike, and complete the mission. I can't let her unpredictability intimidate me."
"Now see, how can you talk about that so flawlessly, and yet get freaked out if I ask you to go see a movie?"
I started to respond, and then stopped. He was right, as always. "Fine, let's go see a movie. What would you like to see?"
"It's hard to figure out. With so many sequels out there, we'll have to find you something original." Grant momentarily looked into his phone. "Actually, I know the perfect thing. I think the main character will remind you of your father."
I hesitated. Why would he say that? Why bring my father up again after talking down his social isolation? Then I told myself to let it go. Maybe Grant was right, I needed to relax outside of the ring a bit before I literally turned to ice before everyone's eyes. Couldn't have crazy chick going around with an icepick and not be able to protect myself, now could I?
Gliding down the steel rail along the brick wall, he gleefully put his arm around my shoulders and welcomed me like one of his old buddies. Still not having gotten over the sneaking suspicion that there was more than what he was telling me, I was hesitant to react in any way that would encourage him. It made me feel bad to be the sort of ice queen he imagined me to be, but Father always told me to go with my instincts and protect myself.
Grant was such a special guy. It's true that my interaction with people not connected to my father was still limited, but he just seemed so much more genuine than anyone I'd met, even through PCW. It was hard to tell though, because I wasn't sure if it was a rouse to gain my trust, or if this was the kind of person he really was. I didn't understand; I could figure out my enemies within seconds, but someone with friendly intentions was a complete mystery.
"How's your preparation for Psycho Lady going?" he teased, knowing full well it would get a rise out of me.
"Psycho Lady, hilarious. She screwed me out of keeping my winning streak alive last week, and of finally putting The Bear away for good. How do you think it's going?"
Continuing to be playful, he stepped in front of me, using a strand of my hair to cover his eye. "Come with me if you want to live!"
I shoved him away. "What does that even mean, Grant?"
"Don't you... The Terminator... I thought you..."
"Terminator?"
Grant shook his head. "Sometimes I forget how young you are. It's a movie from the early 90s, hun." He sighed, a bit exasperated, and I could tell my defensiveness was frustrating him.
Movies were not something to which Father had exposed me much. The modern technology I encountered in the arena was definitely culture shock I wasn't expecting. Father's movie collection mostly revolved around vintage classics that he played on a projector, so the ideas of the movies Grant had probably seen didn't occur to me. "I never really watched movies as a kid," I lied.
"Why don't we go see one then? Have you ever been to a theatre?" he asked.
"What, like a date?" I accused.
He froze, looking around as if he expected something terrible to happen. "No, that's not what I meant..."
"What are you trying to do here, Grant? Lure me in with a movie and then try to make your move? Is that what guys like you do? Pretend to be super nice until you've got me right where you want to?"
Grant leaned up against the brick wall, nearly smashing his head against it. "I swear, I close my eyes and I hear your aunt talking."
"And what the hell is wrong with my Auntie?" I demanded.
"Have you ever seen her around a guy who isn't your Father?"
I was about to snap back before I realized that he was right. Auntie Dee had never been much for socializing, and I guess Father had kept me under a similar social microscope. Maybe he was afraid I'd end up a wingnut like my opponent this week, I don't know. If that's what prevented me from chewing wallpaper and spewing nonsense, I was all the more grateful, but this seemed to be unusual from his perspective.
"Don't get me wrong, your Aunt is a badass bitch," Grant stated, even cracking a bit of a smile, "But there aren't exactly a lot of guys lining up to take her out."
"Why is that such a bad thing, Grant? Maybe not all of us want to be swooning over King Charming!"
"Prince," he corrected.
"Prince? What does that mean?"
"It's Prince Charming who sweeps the women off their feet," Grant repeated.
"That... That's not the point, Grant!" I turned away from him, staring back at my altar of concentration. Alexa was out there, crocheting with strings that weren't even there, and she was gunning for me because... Hell if I know. I'm another female? Made about as much sense as anything else she did. I loved having Grant around, but I couldn't keep letting him distract me from my objectives. I didn't have to be just like father, but he had taught me to be an efficient assassin, and I wasn't about to lose the skills that had made me Queen of the Underground, even if I had no idea what that actually meant.
Grant sat down on the concrete steps that led down to the corridor. I could tell I was frustrating him even more with my resistance, and it made me feel even worse. The guy was trying, and I'd been nothing but cold to him despite his consistency. "Gem, I don't know what you want from me. I've been nothing but a friend to you, but your father's paranoia seems to have taken you over. That's what did him in eventually, he alienated himself from everyone. You're amazing, beautiful, and one of the most talented young wrestlers on this roster, but you're turning yourself into your own biggest enemy. I asked if you wanted to go see a movie, not if I could take you back to my place and do anything inappropriate. Seriously, lighten the fuck up, girl."
Grant started to turn away back toward the exit, and I tried to stop him. "Grant!"
"No, seriously..."
"Grant!" I screamed.
He turned around and saw the tears streaming down my cheeks. Dammit, I didn't cry in front of anyone except Father. What was wrong with me? He put his arm around the back of my shoulders like the day he rescued me, and suddenly I began to feel safer once again. "Most people... They get to figure this stuff out as they grow up, so by the time they're my age, they understand the subtle nuances. I don't. I was raised by my isolated father to do nothing other than destroy targets and complete objectives. You're the first person I met on my own, and I'm trying my best to learn what I'm doing here. This isn't easy, okay?"
Grant finally released his grip, though part of me wished he didn't. "It's okay, hun. Look, we'll work together on this. I mean, you don't have to let any of your opponents know this. Let them think you're a silent killer. Far as I can see, that reputation won't do you any harm."
"I'll need any help I can get against Alexa," I admitted. "I don't know what kind of weakness crazy has, but I've got to treat her like any other opponent. Silently strike, and complete the mission. I can't let her unpredictability intimidate me."
"Now see, how can you talk about that so flawlessly, and yet get freaked out if I ask you to go see a movie?"
I started to respond, and then stopped. He was right, as always. "Fine, let's go see a movie. What would you like to see?"
"It's hard to figure out. With so many sequels out there, we'll have to find you something original." Grant momentarily looked into his phone. "Actually, I know the perfect thing. I think the main character will remind you of your father."
I hesitated. Why would he say that? Why bring my father up again after talking down his social isolation? Then I told myself to let it go. Maybe Grant was right, I needed to relax outside of the ring a bit before I literally turned to ice before everyone's eyes. Couldn't have crazy chick going around with an icepick and not be able to protect myself, now could I?
