Post by Sloane Taylor on Aug 14, 2022 16:03:15 GMT -5
Sloane knew she never needed an excuse to travel back to her home city. All she’d ever need to tell Seb was that she wanted to go home and he’d move heaven and earth to make sure she got there. She loved New York; it was new and exciting and filled with possibilities. It was an amazing place, even without the fact that she and Seb had finally finished making their penthouse into their home. Still, despite everything being so amazing, there were times when Sloane lay in bed staring at the ceiling thinking about home.
Chicago had been the only city she’d known until she was twenty two years old. There had been no vacations, no work trips. She couldn’t even remember going anywhere else in Illinois. Until the first time she stepped on a plane with Seb back in 2019 and flew to London of all places, Sloane had never even so much as considered leaving the city she knew and loved.
And now she lived somewhere entirely new.
It was so much easier for her to deal with the twinges of home sickness by traveling back to Chicago with Seb everytime he had a booking for UGWC Synergy. This week was no different - on Sunday they’d taken an early flight, giving themselves the day to spend with her mom in the house she too had finally turned into a home. It was amazing to see how happy she was with her porch and her garden. And best of all, not having to pay for rent had meant she could finally scale back to just working one job.
She looked so happy and content, spending previously unheard of days off pottering around and creating the most amazing yard for her to sit in with her new extended family. Seb and Sloane would be there every couple of weeks, and Kit was still living at home for now, his girlfriend having moved in too so they could save some money for their own place.
Seb’s grandfather, Bastian, would be there almost the entire time Seb and Sloane were home. They’d mused that perhaps he was there even more often than they were being told. Seb had pointed out a few telltale signs that he was spending more time in the Taylor household than either he or Nina had admitted. It was amazing to know how they’d look after one another.
Late Sunday afternoon, Sloane found herself sitting comfortably in Nina’s garden while she was inside making a late dinner for everyone. Kit’s girlfriend was working, so Sloane’s little brother was bugging Seb about a blog he was about to post about the future of professional wrestling. Seb had rolled his eyes, but she caught his smile - she loved how well Seb and her brother got along. They disappeared inside, leaving Sloane and Bastian outside in the warm glow of the evening.
Sloane leaned back, her eyes closed and her face turned skywards.
“Penny for them?” Asked Bastian.
Sloane blinked open her eyes, turning around and smiling as Bastian settled into a seat next to her.
“Hey Gramps,” she said, reaching out to hold his hand. “How ya doing?”
“Oh you know, can’t complain. Lumbago driving me insane and my knees aren’t what they once were. Thank goodness I’m single.” He said with a chuckle.
“Gramps!” Said Sloane before covering her mouth and descending into a fit of giggles. “You’re terrible.”
“Oh I’m sure I would be now, I’m out of practice. But Maurice used to tell me that if I’d charged by the hour, I’d have to book one hundred appointments a day,” Bastian said with a chuckle.
“I wish I’d had the chance to meet him, he sounds amazing,” Sloane said softly, giving Bastian a little squeeze.
“Oh he was, my dear,” Bastian said, pressing his lips together as his eyes filled with tears. “No one could ever compare.”
“Is that why you’ve never tried to find someone new?” Sloane asked.
“Between my knees and my inability to bend at the waist, I’d be neither use nor ornament,” Bastian said with a chuckle.
“You know there’s more to life than that,” Sloane admonished, swatting him on the arm.
“Will you please allow me to use humor as a defense mechanism?” Said Bastian. “It’s how I’ve survived so bloody long.”
“Oh… Right… Wait…” Said Sloane, her eyes widening in realisation. “Well now I know where Sebastian gets it from.”
“Now you know.” Said Bastian with a smile, before his face darkened slightly. “Speaking of Sebastians… How are things with my wretched son?”
“Hey, be nice,” she scolded. “He’s been amazing actually - he’s really trying, but Seb won’t hear of it.”
“Smart boy,” said Bastian quietly.
“Gramps, I’m serious. He’s been great with me, really supportive, and even when things have gone wrong, he’s gone out of his way to make sure that I don’t feel like I’ve done something wrong,” Sloane protested. “I really think he wants to make amends.”
“I know you like to see the best in people, my dear, but you have to understand that leopards are not known to change their spots. My son has spent years portraying exactly who he needs to be in order to get those important to his cause on side. He creates an air of security while simultaneously pushing them towards whatever his end goal is.”
“It’s not like that… It’s more real… It’s…” Sloane began, realising that no matter what she said, she would sound naive. “It doesn’t matter. I appreciate you looking out for me Gramps, and I promise, I’ll try and watch for signs.”
“Trust Seb - he may be rash and make mistakes, but he grew up with his father’s manipulation. He learned to spot it long before I ever did,” said Bastian.
“But how can I trust him when he’s so quick to assume the worst?” Asked Sloane.
“When you’re dealing with Sebastian Everett-Bryce II, the worst is often the best you can expect.” Bastian returned the squeeze of Sloane’s hand. As he did, the back doors opened again.
“... My point is that you can’t just write a blog where you predict that Larry Tact is the future of professional wrestling. Spreading nonsense like that is dangerous,” said Seb.
“He did WHAT?!” Sloane exclaimed, her eyes wide for a moment before narrowing.
“I didn’t JUST say him, I also included you, Seb, Catalina Cortes… I just pointed out that the Game Changers were making their mark in Level Up,” said Kit with a shrug.
“Beckett Taylor, you do not inflate the ego of the man whose head is the size of one of the floats at the Thanksgiving Parade,” Sloane said firmly with her hands on her hips.
“Ha. Good one,” Seb said, offering a high five which she happily accepted.
“Sorry, sis, but you can’t expect me to just pretend he isn’t impressive just because you’re fighting him for the next couple of weeks. The guy has been the Power Champion for eight months. He beat the current Final Boss Champion for the title. AND he made it to the final of Wrestlestock, which is more than can be said for Mr. Chaos over here,” Kit said, nodding at Seb.
“I resent that,” Seb replied before pointing at Sloane. “That was her fault.”
“Excuse me?!” Sloane protested.
“You did beat him, Sloane.” This from Kit.
“Oh… Right,” said Sloane before breaking into a wide smirk. “Carry on.”
“Point is, I call it how I see it. The moment I start letting sentiment into my work is the moment that people won’t want to read it anymore,” Kit said.
“I guess that’s fair,” Sloane admitted, albeit sulkily.
“So Synergy tomorrow and then straight out to Detroit?” Asked Kit.
“No, we’re flying out to Colorado to visit Kat - she’s not long out of surgery and can’t move around much,” said Seb.
“Then we have to fly back to New York for my lesson,” said Sloane, beaming.
“What lesson?” Asked Nina as she made her way out, with her apron strings pulled tight around her back.
“Ballet lessons,” Seb supplied with a smile.
“Oh how wonderful!” Proclaimed Nina. “Who’s teaching you?”
“Thad Duke.” Said Sloane with a wide smile. She couldn’t help but catch both Kit and Bastian glance in Seb’s direction when she said Thad’s name. “What?”
“Nothing,” said Kit.
“Nothing at all,” said Bastian.
“Whaaaaaat?” Asked Sloane again, her face darkening.
“They’re checking for my reaction to you being taught what is arguably the most romantic form of dance by my best friend,” Seb with a smile. “Who often alludes to his desire to gain a more carnal knowledge of you.”
“Sebas…” Began Sloane.
“... Tian!” Finished Nina.
“He has a point, mom,” Kit put in.
“Ohmygodhedoesnothaveapoint!” Said Sloane. “We’re just friends. We’re all just friends. And yes there’s a little playful back and forth but it’s just…”
“Bants,” said Seb with a smirk.
“Yes! That!” Said Sloane. “He learned ballet and said it helped him a lot with his footwork in wrestling, so I want to learn too.”
“Plus you always wanted to learn when you were younger, we could just never afford the lessons,” Nina said a touch sadly.
“Exactly!” Said Sloane, looking at Seb and giving him a “told-you-so” nod.
“Who are you trying to convince?” Asked Seb with a chuckle. “I never said I have a problem with it.”
“Oh… Right.” Sloane turned to Bastian and Kit and delivered the same nod.
“Just one small tip…” Said Seb as he stood up from his seat to go and get himself another drink from inside.
“What’s that?” Asked Sloane.
“If he tells you that ballet is easier when you’re naked, that’s a lie,” Seb said as he leaned down and pressed a kiss on the top of her head.
Bastian and Kit broke into fits of laughter while Nina did her best to maintain her composure. Sloane scowled at him as he walked away before turning his head to face her and winking. She bit her lip as he turned back away.
She couldn’t stay mad at him.
The move had given Sloane an opportunity to look through some of the things that her mom had found while packing. Taking some time away from the group, she sunk onto the bed that had moved from that small apartment to this amazing house. Next to her was a small box that had her name written on the side in marker with stickers of flowers and hedgehogs and swans. She ran her finger over the stickers before leaning forward and setting up her phone on the table in front of her.
“My dad was a huge wrestling fan. He loved the business. Every kind of promotion he could see, especially the ones based in Chicago. Every now and again he’d find a way to get a few tickets from a friend or by scouring the message boards to see if anyone had any spares. What that meant was that my mom would shake her head when he’d arrive home twenty minutes before the doors were meant to open and whisk me and Kit out the door.” She let out a little chuckle before pulling the box up onto her knee. “We’d be out so late, we’d be falling asleep on the way to school. More often than not, my mom would get a call to say that the school was worried about one or both of us. Mom would have to patch things up and promise it would never happen again.”
Sloane pulled open the box and slipped her hand inside. When she pulled it out, she held a thick wad of ticket stubs.
“And then a couple of weeks later, we’d rinse and repeat,” she said with a chuckle. “Kit might have been too young to remember, but I never forgot.”
She pulled out a program from a supershow event they’d all gone to together.
“My mom came to this one. Dad came home a week before and told us all how he’d won a radio competition and that all four of us could go. It was so much fun, and for the briefest of moments, my mom fell in love with the business too. Then we got home and reality hit - dad hadn’t “won tickets” to the event. He’d spent the rent money.” Sloane said with a little laugh. “They fought so hard. I remember taking Kit into my room and turning up the radio really high so he couldn’t hear them.”
“When he died, I told myself I’d never lose the love for what we do, I’d love it like my dad did. That I’d always remember the fan in me, even when I made it to the places I wanted to be. I remembered that the day I walked into Level Up - I remember the feeling of walking out in front of that crowd. The buzz of that first time. And you know what? My dad would have loved Level Up too, he’d have thought it was so much fun. That it was the perfect place for someone like me, someone whose head is every bit in the clouds as his was.” Sloane said as she picked up a baseball cap that had belonged to her dad that had the logo from a promotion that didn’t even exist anymore.
“But the difference between me and my dad is that my high hopes have a tendency to become reality. I wanted to be a wrestler, and I made it. I wanted to compete at Wrestlestock, and I won the whole thing. I wanted to win the Cooperative Championships with my best friend and we won them. I wanted to be a World Champion and I achieved it. I wanted to main event the UGWC and Carnage joint Pay Per View with Catalina Cortes, and we blew the roof off the house.” Sloane said with a smile.
“So when I tell you that I want to win the Level Up Power Championship? You’d better pay attention. When I tell you that I want to stand arm raised, next to Seb and the woman I competed with at Incursion last year? You’d better start making plans for how you’re going to deal with that.” Sloane said with utmost determination. “I know people look at me sometimes and think I’m too small, or I’m not strong enough, but I’m fearless and I’m determined. If any of the Game Changers need evidence of that, they need only ask Larry. He’s had the pleasure of standing across from me twice this year, and both times he’s lost.”
“Coming back to wrestle wasn’t a hard choice for me, but leaving the safety of UGWC to come to Level Up and test myself against some of the very best in the world? Well, that wasn’t an easy decision to make. But I’ve been here for a couple of months now, and I can tell you without any doubt that I am determined to make sure that when my time is over in Level Up, no one will forget my reign as the Sky Queen. For me, for my family, and for my dad who I know would give anything to be standing in line trying to find tickets for any show that I was on.”
“This week, the three of us are here to prove a point, that we’re not just the new kids on the block, but we’re the future of Level Up Wrestling. The Mauler of Markham Square, Super Smash Cat, and The Sky Queen are about to show the world that the game isn’t for changing. It’s to be won,” Sloane said, sliding the lid of the box back into place.
“And win we will,” she said with a smile. “I’d bet my Queendom on it.”
Sloane leaned forward and pressed the record button on her phone to stop the recording before sitting back and running her hands over the lid of the box.
“I miss you, dad,” she said, lifting the box up and kissing it. “I love you.”
And she slid the box back under the bed where it came from.
“What’s happening here?” Seb asked as, for the fourth time, Sloane reached out to knock upon the locker room door of one Catalina Cortes. And for the fourth time, she pulled back her hand at the very last moment. “Please tell me you’re not actually intimidated by her.”
“I’m not!” Said Sloane. “I’m just…”
“You’re just what?” Asked Seb, leaning against a nearby wall.
Sloane stepped away from the door and towards her boyfriend-cum-six-person-tag-team-partner.
“She’s amazing and talented and kind of like me in a lot of ways, but also really different in some other ways. And sometimes I worry that people will compare us,” said Sloane.
“People will compare you,” Seb said. “What about it?”
“Do people compare you to anyone?” Sloane asked.
“Pretty much every attractive British man in existence, yes,” said Seb before counting out on his hand. “Killian King, Gabriel Baal, Nathaniel Dixon…”
“Okay, fine, you’ve made your point,” said Sloane. “But my point is that… I fought her when I represented UGWC and I lost…”
“Because Donovan Hastings is a lying, cheating, conniving scumbag,” Seb said simply.
“And she almost beat Duncan at Super Adventure Island while I…” Sloane trailed off.
“Sloane… Just because you’re two talented wrestlers who have had somewhat similar paths, doesn’t mean you’re anything alike.” Said Seb. “She’s got this whole… Kind of bubbly, but also kind of willing to carve out your liver with a letter opener thing going on. Whereas you’re…”
“I’m what, Seb?” Sloane asked. “What’s the end of that sentence that isn’t something less than how you’ve just described her?”
“You’re Sloane Taylor. The Sky Queen. You’re the PWV Disavowed Champion. And most of all, and I mean this most of all, you’re the next Power Champion.” Said Seb with a smile. “All Catalina’s got going for her is the chance to say “Hey, did you know that Seb beat me before he went on to become the Final Boss Champion?”
“You’re getting a little ahead of yourself there, Sebastian Everett-Bryce,” Sloane scolded lightly. “Power Champion would be amazing…”
“Right?” Said Seb. “Power Champion, Disavowed Champion, pretty trophy boyfriend… How could anyone look at you and Catalina and assume that she’s better off?”
Sloane let out a little chuckle.
“I’m not worried that they’ll think she’s better off. Or that she’s better. I’m more worried that people will see us as interchangeable. That people will use our similarities as a stick to beat us with… As if we’re not individuals, but just… The two blonde bubbly girls who are pretty good in the ring.”
“You’re more than pretty good,” Seb admonished, leaning down and whispering in her ear. “Legend has it, you’ve beaten Sebastian Everett-Bryce more than once… And not many people can say that.”
“Stahhhp.” Sloane said, laughing and swatting him on the arm. “I just want to stand out. I want us both to. I like Catalina, and I don’t want either of us to be cast aside because of the other.”
“This still doesn’t explain why you won’t knock on her door,” said Seb. “It’s not like she’s going to be pissed off at you for that.”
“I’m just worried that…” Sloane began before biting her lip.
“What is it?” Seb asked, reaching out and placing his hands on her shoulders.
“What if we’re wearing a similar outfit Seb? I’m not sure I’m ready to see that…” Sloane said.
“You have got to be kidding me!” Said Seb.
“No! It’s important, Seb!” Sloane said.
“You’re telling me that with the Game Changers, The Power Championship, and us teaming with a woman whose arse I have to kick in a couple of weeks, your biggest worry is if your outfits clash?!” Seb asked.
“They don’t.” Came a voice from behind Sloane. Seb slowly raised his eyes to see Catalina leaning against the frame of her locker room door.
“Catalina…” Said Seb. “Have you been there long?”
“Long enough,” Catalina said as Sloane turned to face her. “Hey.”
“Hey!” Said Sloane, beaming. “Oh my god you look amazing.”
“You too. Wanna come in?” Asked Catalina.
“Sure!” Said Sloane walking towards the locker room. Cat stepped aside and let Sloane pass, but as Seb reached her she stepped back into the door way.
“Not you.” She said with a smile. “See you in the ring, pretty boy.”
Seb opened his mouth to protest, but the door closed in his face and Catalina turned around and smiled.
Chicago had been the only city she’d known until she was twenty two years old. There had been no vacations, no work trips. She couldn’t even remember going anywhere else in Illinois. Until the first time she stepped on a plane with Seb back in 2019 and flew to London of all places, Sloane had never even so much as considered leaving the city she knew and loved.
And now she lived somewhere entirely new.
It was so much easier for her to deal with the twinges of home sickness by traveling back to Chicago with Seb everytime he had a booking for UGWC Synergy. This week was no different - on Sunday they’d taken an early flight, giving themselves the day to spend with her mom in the house she too had finally turned into a home. It was amazing to see how happy she was with her porch and her garden. And best of all, not having to pay for rent had meant she could finally scale back to just working one job.
She looked so happy and content, spending previously unheard of days off pottering around and creating the most amazing yard for her to sit in with her new extended family. Seb and Sloane would be there every couple of weeks, and Kit was still living at home for now, his girlfriend having moved in too so they could save some money for their own place.
Seb’s grandfather, Bastian, would be there almost the entire time Seb and Sloane were home. They’d mused that perhaps he was there even more often than they were being told. Seb had pointed out a few telltale signs that he was spending more time in the Taylor household than either he or Nina had admitted. It was amazing to know how they’d look after one another.
Late Sunday afternoon, Sloane found herself sitting comfortably in Nina’s garden while she was inside making a late dinner for everyone. Kit’s girlfriend was working, so Sloane’s little brother was bugging Seb about a blog he was about to post about the future of professional wrestling. Seb had rolled his eyes, but she caught his smile - she loved how well Seb and her brother got along. They disappeared inside, leaving Sloane and Bastian outside in the warm glow of the evening.
Sloane leaned back, her eyes closed and her face turned skywards.
“Penny for them?” Asked Bastian.
Sloane blinked open her eyes, turning around and smiling as Bastian settled into a seat next to her.
“Hey Gramps,” she said, reaching out to hold his hand. “How ya doing?”
“Oh you know, can’t complain. Lumbago driving me insane and my knees aren’t what they once were. Thank goodness I’m single.” He said with a chuckle.
“Gramps!” Said Sloane before covering her mouth and descending into a fit of giggles. “You’re terrible.”
“Oh I’m sure I would be now, I’m out of practice. But Maurice used to tell me that if I’d charged by the hour, I’d have to book one hundred appointments a day,” Bastian said with a chuckle.
“I wish I’d had the chance to meet him, he sounds amazing,” Sloane said softly, giving Bastian a little squeeze.
“Oh he was, my dear,” Bastian said, pressing his lips together as his eyes filled with tears. “No one could ever compare.”
“Is that why you’ve never tried to find someone new?” Sloane asked.
“Between my knees and my inability to bend at the waist, I’d be neither use nor ornament,” Bastian said with a chuckle.
“You know there’s more to life than that,” Sloane admonished, swatting him on the arm.
“Will you please allow me to use humor as a defense mechanism?” Said Bastian. “It’s how I’ve survived so bloody long.”
“Oh… Right… Wait…” Said Sloane, her eyes widening in realisation. “Well now I know where Sebastian gets it from.”
“Now you know.” Said Bastian with a smile, before his face darkened slightly. “Speaking of Sebastians… How are things with my wretched son?”
“Hey, be nice,” she scolded. “He’s been amazing actually - he’s really trying, but Seb won’t hear of it.”
“Smart boy,” said Bastian quietly.
“Gramps, I’m serious. He’s been great with me, really supportive, and even when things have gone wrong, he’s gone out of his way to make sure that I don’t feel like I’ve done something wrong,” Sloane protested. “I really think he wants to make amends.”
“I know you like to see the best in people, my dear, but you have to understand that leopards are not known to change their spots. My son has spent years portraying exactly who he needs to be in order to get those important to his cause on side. He creates an air of security while simultaneously pushing them towards whatever his end goal is.”
“It’s not like that… It’s more real… It’s…” Sloane began, realising that no matter what she said, she would sound naive. “It doesn’t matter. I appreciate you looking out for me Gramps, and I promise, I’ll try and watch for signs.”
“Trust Seb - he may be rash and make mistakes, but he grew up with his father’s manipulation. He learned to spot it long before I ever did,” said Bastian.
“But how can I trust him when he’s so quick to assume the worst?” Asked Sloane.
“When you’re dealing with Sebastian Everett-Bryce II, the worst is often the best you can expect.” Bastian returned the squeeze of Sloane’s hand. As he did, the back doors opened again.
“... My point is that you can’t just write a blog where you predict that Larry Tact is the future of professional wrestling. Spreading nonsense like that is dangerous,” said Seb.
“He did WHAT?!” Sloane exclaimed, her eyes wide for a moment before narrowing.
“I didn’t JUST say him, I also included you, Seb, Catalina Cortes… I just pointed out that the Game Changers were making their mark in Level Up,” said Kit with a shrug.
“Beckett Taylor, you do not inflate the ego of the man whose head is the size of one of the floats at the Thanksgiving Parade,” Sloane said firmly with her hands on her hips.
“Ha. Good one,” Seb said, offering a high five which she happily accepted.
“Sorry, sis, but you can’t expect me to just pretend he isn’t impressive just because you’re fighting him for the next couple of weeks. The guy has been the Power Champion for eight months. He beat the current Final Boss Champion for the title. AND he made it to the final of Wrestlestock, which is more than can be said for Mr. Chaos over here,” Kit said, nodding at Seb.
“I resent that,” Seb replied before pointing at Sloane. “That was her fault.”
“Excuse me?!” Sloane protested.
“You did beat him, Sloane.” This from Kit.
“Oh… Right,” said Sloane before breaking into a wide smirk. “Carry on.”
“Point is, I call it how I see it. The moment I start letting sentiment into my work is the moment that people won’t want to read it anymore,” Kit said.
“I guess that’s fair,” Sloane admitted, albeit sulkily.
“So Synergy tomorrow and then straight out to Detroit?” Asked Kit.
“No, we’re flying out to Colorado to visit Kat - she’s not long out of surgery and can’t move around much,” said Seb.
“Then we have to fly back to New York for my lesson,” said Sloane, beaming.
“What lesson?” Asked Nina as she made her way out, with her apron strings pulled tight around her back.
“Ballet lessons,” Seb supplied with a smile.
“Oh how wonderful!” Proclaimed Nina. “Who’s teaching you?”
“Thad Duke.” Said Sloane with a wide smile. She couldn’t help but catch both Kit and Bastian glance in Seb’s direction when she said Thad’s name. “What?”
“Nothing,” said Kit.
“Nothing at all,” said Bastian.
“Whaaaaaat?” Asked Sloane again, her face darkening.
“They’re checking for my reaction to you being taught what is arguably the most romantic form of dance by my best friend,” Seb with a smile. “Who often alludes to his desire to gain a more carnal knowledge of you.”
“Sebas…” Began Sloane.
“... Tian!” Finished Nina.
“He has a point, mom,” Kit put in.
“Ohmygodhedoesnothaveapoint!” Said Sloane. “We’re just friends. We’re all just friends. And yes there’s a little playful back and forth but it’s just…”
“Bants,” said Seb with a smirk.
“Yes! That!” Said Sloane. “He learned ballet and said it helped him a lot with his footwork in wrestling, so I want to learn too.”
“Plus you always wanted to learn when you were younger, we could just never afford the lessons,” Nina said a touch sadly.
“Exactly!” Said Sloane, looking at Seb and giving him a “told-you-so” nod.
“Who are you trying to convince?” Asked Seb with a chuckle. “I never said I have a problem with it.”
“Oh… Right.” Sloane turned to Bastian and Kit and delivered the same nod.
“Just one small tip…” Said Seb as he stood up from his seat to go and get himself another drink from inside.
“What’s that?” Asked Sloane.
“If he tells you that ballet is easier when you’re naked, that’s a lie,” Seb said as he leaned down and pressed a kiss on the top of her head.
Bastian and Kit broke into fits of laughter while Nina did her best to maintain her composure. Sloane scowled at him as he walked away before turning his head to face her and winking. She bit her lip as he turned back away.
She couldn’t stay mad at him.
The move had given Sloane an opportunity to look through some of the things that her mom had found while packing. Taking some time away from the group, she sunk onto the bed that had moved from that small apartment to this amazing house. Next to her was a small box that had her name written on the side in marker with stickers of flowers and hedgehogs and swans. She ran her finger over the stickers before leaning forward and setting up her phone on the table in front of her.
“My dad was a huge wrestling fan. He loved the business. Every kind of promotion he could see, especially the ones based in Chicago. Every now and again he’d find a way to get a few tickets from a friend or by scouring the message boards to see if anyone had any spares. What that meant was that my mom would shake her head when he’d arrive home twenty minutes before the doors were meant to open and whisk me and Kit out the door.” She let out a little chuckle before pulling the box up onto her knee. “We’d be out so late, we’d be falling asleep on the way to school. More often than not, my mom would get a call to say that the school was worried about one or both of us. Mom would have to patch things up and promise it would never happen again.”
Sloane pulled open the box and slipped her hand inside. When she pulled it out, she held a thick wad of ticket stubs.
“And then a couple of weeks later, we’d rinse and repeat,” she said with a chuckle. “Kit might have been too young to remember, but I never forgot.”
She pulled out a program from a supershow event they’d all gone to together.
“My mom came to this one. Dad came home a week before and told us all how he’d won a radio competition and that all four of us could go. It was so much fun, and for the briefest of moments, my mom fell in love with the business too. Then we got home and reality hit - dad hadn’t “won tickets” to the event. He’d spent the rent money.” Sloane said with a little laugh. “They fought so hard. I remember taking Kit into my room and turning up the radio really high so he couldn’t hear them.”
“When he died, I told myself I’d never lose the love for what we do, I’d love it like my dad did. That I’d always remember the fan in me, even when I made it to the places I wanted to be. I remembered that the day I walked into Level Up - I remember the feeling of walking out in front of that crowd. The buzz of that first time. And you know what? My dad would have loved Level Up too, he’d have thought it was so much fun. That it was the perfect place for someone like me, someone whose head is every bit in the clouds as his was.” Sloane said as she picked up a baseball cap that had belonged to her dad that had the logo from a promotion that didn’t even exist anymore.
“But the difference between me and my dad is that my high hopes have a tendency to become reality. I wanted to be a wrestler, and I made it. I wanted to compete at Wrestlestock, and I won the whole thing. I wanted to win the Cooperative Championships with my best friend and we won them. I wanted to be a World Champion and I achieved it. I wanted to main event the UGWC and Carnage joint Pay Per View with Catalina Cortes, and we blew the roof off the house.” Sloane said with a smile.
“So when I tell you that I want to win the Level Up Power Championship? You’d better pay attention. When I tell you that I want to stand arm raised, next to Seb and the woman I competed with at Incursion last year? You’d better start making plans for how you’re going to deal with that.” Sloane said with utmost determination. “I know people look at me sometimes and think I’m too small, or I’m not strong enough, but I’m fearless and I’m determined. If any of the Game Changers need evidence of that, they need only ask Larry. He’s had the pleasure of standing across from me twice this year, and both times he’s lost.”
“Coming back to wrestle wasn’t a hard choice for me, but leaving the safety of UGWC to come to Level Up and test myself against some of the very best in the world? Well, that wasn’t an easy decision to make. But I’ve been here for a couple of months now, and I can tell you without any doubt that I am determined to make sure that when my time is over in Level Up, no one will forget my reign as the Sky Queen. For me, for my family, and for my dad who I know would give anything to be standing in line trying to find tickets for any show that I was on.”
“This week, the three of us are here to prove a point, that we’re not just the new kids on the block, but we’re the future of Level Up Wrestling. The Mauler of Markham Square, Super Smash Cat, and The Sky Queen are about to show the world that the game isn’t for changing. It’s to be won,” Sloane said, sliding the lid of the box back into place.
“And win we will,” she said with a smile. “I’d bet my Queendom on it.”
Sloane leaned forward and pressed the record button on her phone to stop the recording before sitting back and running her hands over the lid of the box.
“I miss you, dad,” she said, lifting the box up and kissing it. “I love you.”
And she slid the box back under the bed where it came from.
“What’s happening here?” Seb asked as, for the fourth time, Sloane reached out to knock upon the locker room door of one Catalina Cortes. And for the fourth time, she pulled back her hand at the very last moment. “Please tell me you’re not actually intimidated by her.”
“I’m not!” Said Sloane. “I’m just…”
“You’re just what?” Asked Seb, leaning against a nearby wall.
Sloane stepped away from the door and towards her boyfriend-cum-six-person-tag-team-partner.
“She’s amazing and talented and kind of like me in a lot of ways, but also really different in some other ways. And sometimes I worry that people will compare us,” said Sloane.
“People will compare you,” Seb said. “What about it?”
“Do people compare you to anyone?” Sloane asked.
“Pretty much every attractive British man in existence, yes,” said Seb before counting out on his hand. “Killian King, Gabriel Baal, Nathaniel Dixon…”
“Okay, fine, you’ve made your point,” said Sloane. “But my point is that… I fought her when I represented UGWC and I lost…”
“Because Donovan Hastings is a lying, cheating, conniving scumbag,” Seb said simply.
“And she almost beat Duncan at Super Adventure Island while I…” Sloane trailed off.
“Sloane… Just because you’re two talented wrestlers who have had somewhat similar paths, doesn’t mean you’re anything alike.” Said Seb. “She’s got this whole… Kind of bubbly, but also kind of willing to carve out your liver with a letter opener thing going on. Whereas you’re…”
“I’m what, Seb?” Sloane asked. “What’s the end of that sentence that isn’t something less than how you’ve just described her?”
“You’re Sloane Taylor. The Sky Queen. You’re the PWV Disavowed Champion. And most of all, and I mean this most of all, you’re the next Power Champion.” Said Seb with a smile. “All Catalina’s got going for her is the chance to say “Hey, did you know that Seb beat me before he went on to become the Final Boss Champion?”
“You’re getting a little ahead of yourself there, Sebastian Everett-Bryce,” Sloane scolded lightly. “Power Champion would be amazing…”
“Right?” Said Seb. “Power Champion, Disavowed Champion, pretty trophy boyfriend… How could anyone look at you and Catalina and assume that she’s better off?”
Sloane let out a little chuckle.
“I’m not worried that they’ll think she’s better off. Or that she’s better. I’m more worried that people will see us as interchangeable. That people will use our similarities as a stick to beat us with… As if we’re not individuals, but just… The two blonde bubbly girls who are pretty good in the ring.”
“You’re more than pretty good,” Seb admonished, leaning down and whispering in her ear. “Legend has it, you’ve beaten Sebastian Everett-Bryce more than once… And not many people can say that.”
“Stahhhp.” Sloane said, laughing and swatting him on the arm. “I just want to stand out. I want us both to. I like Catalina, and I don’t want either of us to be cast aside because of the other.”
“This still doesn’t explain why you won’t knock on her door,” said Seb. “It’s not like she’s going to be pissed off at you for that.”
“I’m just worried that…” Sloane began before biting her lip.
“What is it?” Seb asked, reaching out and placing his hands on her shoulders.
“What if we’re wearing a similar outfit Seb? I’m not sure I’m ready to see that…” Sloane said.
“You have got to be kidding me!” Said Seb.
“No! It’s important, Seb!” Sloane said.
“You’re telling me that with the Game Changers, The Power Championship, and us teaming with a woman whose arse I have to kick in a couple of weeks, your biggest worry is if your outfits clash?!” Seb asked.
“They don’t.” Came a voice from behind Sloane. Seb slowly raised his eyes to see Catalina leaning against the frame of her locker room door.
“Catalina…” Said Seb. “Have you been there long?”
“Long enough,” Catalina said as Sloane turned to face her. “Hey.”
“Hey!” Said Sloane, beaming. “Oh my god you look amazing.”
“You too. Wanna come in?” Asked Catalina.
“Sure!” Said Sloane walking towards the locker room. Cat stepped aside and let Sloane pass, but as Seb reached her she stepped back into the door way.
“Not you.” She said with a smile. “See you in the ring, pretty boy.”
Seb opened his mouth to protest, but the door closed in his face and Catalina turned around and smiled.