Post by Applesauce on May 18, 2022 17:53:48 GMT -5
OFF-CAM
AN UNWISE CELEBRATION
“Hey everybody, listen up. I want to say a couple things and then I’ll let you all get back to playing grab-ass or whatever.”
Buster Gloves stands next to a group of pro-wrestlers at the end of an in-ground swimming pool. He’s shirtless, in board shorts, and has the blue and gold Level Up Wisdom Championship over his shoulder. One other wrestler near him also holds a championship belt over his shoulder.
“My name is Buster Gloves. I just want to thank my new friend, Tony Savage, for inviting us to destroy his beautiful rental beach house. If you came out here today to see Tony, then you already know he’s a star. A world champion at UGWC. A golden sun god with washboard abs. Appreciate you bud. I’ve only known you a little bit, but you’re a good dude. Be proud of what you’ve accomplished. You deserve it.”
Buster claps for Tony who raises his hand in appreciation.
“If you were desperate enough to come here in support of me, you might want to reconsider some of your life choices. Haha. Seriously, I really appreciate each of you coming out in support. The work that we are doing, means something. This belt, it’s more than a blue ribbon, it’s a symbol. It feels like I’m carrying a community with me. Thank you for being there. I will make you proud.”
“So, listen, the coolers are stocked. Food is being catered by Merv’s Burger Joint. There’s a volleyball court on the beach. Diving board in the pool. And champagne in the hot tub. There’s plenty of good music, good food, good times. Enjoy yourself. It’s on Uncle Tony’s credit card. I love you all and THANK YOU!”
At the Doom pay-per-view Buster had honorable win over Ahmya. One of the best in the business. It was Buster’s 10th win at Level Up. And the first time he pinned someone in a singles or doubles match. The title was created to be held by the company’s most technical wrestler. And holding it has become one of the greatest honors of Buster’s life. Buster and Ahmya showed a large amount of respect for each other during and after the five-star match, ensuring that a rematch would be booked at some point in the future.
Every champion at the CAPC adds prestige to the gym. Most coaches at the gym have been champions before. All except for one. The head submissions coach, a Mr. William Bernard Glover, better known by his ring name, Buster…Gloves.
...
By 1pm in the afternoon, over 50 wrestlers and friends were at the party. By 3pm, most of them were completely drunk, some of them were half naked, and a couple were about to cause trouble and ruin the day for everybody.
...
Buster Gloves and fellow CAPC coach Tony Savage are locked in a lengthy game of cornhole against 2 of their favorite students. As it turns out, none of these men are very good at the game. The students were either too nervous or too drunk to play it well. Buster and Tony on the other hand, were sober, had been for years, and just weren’t any good.
The game stopped being fun about ten minutes ago. At this point, each of the men just wanted the match to be over. They could have just called it a tie, but pride was getting in the way. The score was locked at 20 when another student by the name of Maverick Sands interrupted.
“Hey Coach, you might want to go check on Riley. She’s kind of getting out of control.” Says Maverick.
“I’ll be there in just a minute. Just need one more point.” Replies Buster.
“If you want to quit, I’ll take the win.” Suggests Tony Savage.
Buster declines as he misses another throw. “I’m no quitter. Hey, Mav, I’ll be there in a minute.”
In fact, it IS only another minute before the game ended. All of a sudden, and for reasons totally unrelated to the warning about Riley, Tony Savage just can’t throw anything close to the board and loses the game. Buster shakes hands with the other three players and then jogs barefoot inside the beach house.
A game of beer pong is going on at the dining room table. The music is loud, and crappy. Riley is in worse shape than he expected. Completely drunk. Smeared make up. Shirt missing.
Maverick Sands stops Buster before he gets to Riley. “She was starting trouble with a couple in the kitchen and then grabbed the girl by the hair.”
“Who was it?”
“I dunno. A couple locals. Took a couple of us to get her off the girl. That’s when I ran out to grab you.”
“Thanks Mav. I owe you one.”
Buster starts towards Riley, who is just wearing a black lacey bra and cut-off shorts. She’s hanging over another male student from Buster’s class. When the student sees Buster coming, he shrugs Riley off of him and walks away.
“Riley! What are you doing?!”
“Oh, hey Bubba”, she says as she takes a drink of pink wine from a clear bottle.
“Put your shirt back on.”
“You’re not my real dad!”
“Fine, have it your way. Let me talk to you in private for a minute.”
“Oooh, are you gonna punish me now Daddy? Have I been a bad girl?”
Buster puts a hand on Riley’s back and guide’s her towards a bedroom. Once he closes the door, Riley turns around and gets on her knees and grabs at Buster’s waistband. He swats her hands away.
“What the hell Riley?”
“Take off your pants. I want it.”
“No! Absolutely not! We’re gonna talk about this.”
Riley winces with a look of disgust on her face. She stands up and puts her t-shirt back on. “What’s your problem?”
“I hear you’re starting fights and then I come in and you’re taking your clothes off in front of everyone?!”
“Oh relax. I was just having some fun.”
“Do you think embarrassing me in front of my friends is fun?”
“I think that YOU don’t know how to have fun. You weren’t paying me any attention, so I had to make my own fun.”
“What was fun about getting in a fight with a stranger?”
“She was fat and he was cute. I told him that he should break up with her.” Riley shrugs.
“You didn’t even know them. Why would you do that?”
“Well that’s not entire true. I did fuck that guy a few weeks ago.”
“Jesus. You sure get around, don’t you?”
“That was a long time ago, before you and I had sex. It’s not fair for you to judge me on what I did before we started dating.”
“You’ve only been here 2 months. How many other guys have you slept with?”
“You don’t want me to answer that question, Buster.”
“Oh my God. That’s disgusting.”
“Fuck you. You’re old! I was really happy before I met you and now, I’m fucking miserable.”
“Why are we together than?”
“You tell me!”
“I don’t know. I thought you were fun. I was attracted to you.”
“I could have had any guy in this shitty beach town, but I picked you Buster. You should be grateful.”
“Grateful for what? You’re killing me! Do you know what this party meant to me? I just wanted to take one moment for myself and celebrate something really big in my life and you had to steal that from me. You couldn’t even give me one day.”
“Everything isn’t about you Buster! I’m a fucking princess. You need to give me more attention.”
“No. We’re equal partners.”
“Well, you’re an idiot then. Nobody has ever taken me for granted like you have. I’ve never had to pay my own way before. I’ve never had to drive a guy somewhere. You should just do things for me. I’ve had guys propose to me and they would have done anything for me. What kind of man are you anyway? You’re pathetic.”
“You know what? We’re done. It’s over.”
“Fine. If that’s what you want. I’ll find somebody else. But don’t come crawling back after you figure out your problems. I won’t wait for you.”
“I won’t be coming back. You’re fucking evil.”
“I’ll fuck whatever I want. By the way, I think it’s really scummy of you to groom your students the way you did with me. I’m sure your boss would love to hear about it.”
“Fine. Do whatever you need to do. Just stay away from me.”
Buster exits the room, but Riley can’t resist shouting more things at him as he walks away.
“No problem, Needle Dick. I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole!”
OFF-CAM
10:00 PM SAME DAY AS THE PARTY
<SMS TEXT MESSAGE FROM BUSTER GLOVES TO EMILY SIMMS>
Buster: Hi Em. Can you talk?
Emily: Hi Buster. What do you want?
Buster: I’m sorry to bother you like this, but I’m going through something, and I just need someone to tell me I’m not the *sshole.
Emily: But you are an *sshole.
Buster: I know. I know. And I’m sorry about how things went. Things just got twisted.
Emily: Why don’t you talk to your girlfriend about it?
Buster: That’s the thing. I don’t have a girlfriend. I tried to make things work with Riley, but I think we’re too different. I wanted to be a good guy and treat her nice, but it’s almost like she thrives on chaos. She needs it. Know what I mean?
Emily: Yeh. Actually, I do.
Buster: I don’t know what to do. Deep down, I know that she needs someone like me, to take care of her and give her the support she needs, but she says things that are just horrible. And she does things that are so disrespectful.
Emily: Sounds like you’ve already made up your mind.
Buster: That’s the thing. I know she’s bad for me. She’s not what I need. What I need is… someone more like you Em. I know I shouldn’t say that because you’re involved with someone else, but it’s true.
Emily: I don’t know what to say right now. I’m literally shaking.
Buster: It’s true. It should have been me and you, together the whole time. It’s just the timing was all wrong. The distance is all wrong.
Emily: Why are you telling me this now?
Buster: I need you to tell me to break up with her.
Emily: Why??? You said you were already broken up.
Buster: I don’t know. I just do.
Emily: I can’t you what to do. You have to decide that for yourself.
Buster: I just know that things don’t feel right with Riley. I was trying to turn her in to something that she isn’t. And I’m just now realizing that she’s not going to change.
Emily: Do whatever you want Buster. I don’t care.
Buster: You’re still responding to my messages. You must care at least a little bit.
Emily: I guess I’m just too nice of a person to ignore you. I always seem to let people take advantage of me.
Buster: You’re right. You deserve better. I hope you find it. That’s what I’ve always wanted for you.
Emily: Well, I don’t know what I deserve anymore.
Buster: What about Duncan? You two are back together, right? I saw your tweets. It seemed like you’ve rekindled that now that he’s a big champ and all.
Emily: It’s not like that. We’re just friends. There will never be a Duncan and Emily. That window has closed.
Buster: So, what now? What are you going to do next?
Emily: Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve been really confused lately about what I’m supposed to be doing with my life. I’m going through a phase where I’m trying to find myself again. It’s really frustrating and empowering at the same time.
Buster: You’re going to figure it out. You’re going to find your forever.
Emily: I hope you’re right.
Buster: Hey, I probably shouldn’t say things, but I’m going to say it anyway. I miss you Em.
Emily: …
Emily: …
Emily: …
Emily: I miss you too.
Buster: Thank you for listening to me. You always have a way of making me feel better.
Emily: Glad I could help.
Buster: I think I should get going, but if you ever want to chat, send me a text.
Emily: k
Buster: Goodnight.
Emily: Goodnight Buster.
OFF-CAM
A COUPLE DAYS LATER
8:15 PM
While sitting on his couch watching the Spiderman Movie with his sons, Buster’s cell phone rings.
Buster: Hello?
Dad: Buster? Can you hear me?
Buster: Yeh. I hear you just fine. What’s going on?
Dad: I’m not doing so good.
Buster: What happened? Where are you?
Dad: I’m on the floor. At home. I can’t get up.
Buster: What do you mean? Did you have an accident? What happened?
Dad: I don’t want you to freak out. I already called an ambulance. I just wanted to tell you myself.
Buster: Are you drunk? You don’t sound right.
Dad: I’m not drunk, you asshole. Somebody broke into the house and attacked me.
Buster: Like you caught them stealing stuff?
Dad: It wasn’t like that. He knocked on the door and just barged in when I opened it up. He pushed me down and started talking all crazy.
Buster: That doesn’t make any sense.
Dad: He was targeting me… To get to you.
Buster: To get to me? What the fuck?! I don’t have any enemies. Who was it? Who did this to you?
Dad: He didn’t tell his name. It’s not someone I’ve seen you win before. But I think he’s a wrestler.
Buster: Did he say anything to you?
Dad: He was just talking a bunch of shit about you. So I called him some names and took a swing at him with a bat. But he was too fast. That’s when he started beating on me.
Buster: We have to call the police…
Dad: No! William! YOU handle this. That man came over here to send you a message. You take care of it or he’s going to make your life hell. I’m afraid he’ll come after the kids next. You have to find this guy and kick his ass.
Buster: I don’t even know who we’re dealing with.
Dad: He said you’d know who he is if I told you one specific thing.
Buster: What is it? I’ll destroy the bastard.
Dad: He said to tell you that “It’s time to wake up, the dream is over, and he’s the one that killed it for you.”
Buster: The Dream Killer. I know who did this. I’m gonna take care of it. I promise.
Dad: That’s the ambulance. I’ll call you later Buster. I love you son.
Buster: I love you too, Pop.
ON-CAM PROMO
THE DREAM WORLD
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
― Socrates
The wrestling world is consumed with athletes trying to learn HOW to win, HOW to retain, HOW to get revenge, but how many of them are actually concerned with WHY winning is important?
The fatal mistake that people make is mistaking intelligence for wisdom. The intelligent thing for me to do would be to convince people why I’m a worthy WISDOM Champion and why I’m going to retain my title at EXP 25. But what’s the use? This isn’t the INTELLIGENCE Championship. A wise man doesn’t waste words. A wise man shows the truth, and lets the world learn it on their own.
You gain wisdom through experience. Through pain and trauma. Wisdom comes from a deeper understanding of things. It’s not based on facts or science or evidence. It’s not your job, your college, or your car. It’s about who you are at your core and how you share that with the world. At Jason’s core, he is pure evil. And he seeks to create a legacy for himself. But evil cannot create, it can only destroy. In its simplest form, evil is destruction.
Let me reveal the truth about Jason. He’s insecure. He doubts himself. And he knows that in a match of skill and athleticism, he loses to me every time. But losing a championship match would be a massive setback in his career here at Level Up. This is his shot. So, he’s gotten extremely desperate. He’s not wise enough to know my weaknesses, so he’s trying to outsmart me with head games. He wants to attack me where I am most vulnerable… my family.
So, Jason Ryan attacks my father. A retired electrician in his sixties. He intimidated him and beat him in his own home. Left him there to die. Because he thought that was the intelligent thing to do. A lesser man would take the bait. He would go into a rage. Throwing away the game plan. Losing focus of the prize. But I’m no fool. My father has the same resolve that I do. He would be disappointed in me if I let this brainless attack cost me the championship. He wants me to outclass Jason Ryan and kill HIS DREAM of ever becoming a champion at Level Up.
There’s no amount of fear tactics that are going to distract me from my mission. What Jason wants is for me to react, out of character, and make a mistake. But I’ve been here before, in the dark days, where I felt helpless, and I lost control. My gut is telling me to stay the course. Because thoughts have power and when you make measured decisions with deliberate actions, you manifest the outcome that you desire.
I won’t underestimate Jason’s ability. But, he lacks the heart of a champion. He’s seeking to win this championship because he was never given his big pay-per-view match versus Brandon Hendrix at Doom. He was promised blood and now he’s coming to collect. He doesn’t understand that winning this way, tarnishes his legacy. It’s an asterisk. And if he does find a way to win this match, the wrestling world won’t respect him for the way it was done. There be no Valhalla for Jason if he continues on this path. Only shame and dishonor.
He needs to be humbled. To be held accountable for his crimes. Somebody has to do it on behalf of Level Up and I accept this responsibility. If nobody stops this terrorist soon, he’s going to do something much worse. With stone hands and dragon feet I will deliver a message of mercy to this dreamer and drive him back to the mid-card from whence he came.
I’ve made plenty of mistakes in the past. In the ring. In life. In love. I’ve been naïve and reckless. But I learn from my mistakes. I own them. I grow. And I don’t make the same mistake twice. I’ve faced monsters, and cheaters, and liars throughout my life. I see Jason for what he is. A frustrated boy who only wants somebody else to feel as bad as he does. He doesn’t understand that he doesn’t have to be so angry. He doesn’t understand that he has the potential to do good. Somebody needs to discipline him. Break him down. Take inventory of the pieces and then build him back up as something stronger than before.
They say that there are only three things that reveal the truth: small children, drunk people, and yoga pants. This Tuesday at EXP 25 in Chicago, I reveal the truth about Jason Ryan.
EPILOGUE
OFF-CAM
TWO DAYS BEFORE EXP
<INCOMING SMS MESSAGE FROM RILEY HEART>
Riley: Hey Bubba.
Buster: …
Buster: …
Buster: …
Buster: What do you want?
Riley: I want you on top of me.
Buster: You’ve got to be kidding me. We’re done Riley. You really fucked up.
Riley: You’re still mad about that? Let’s kiss and make up.
Buster: It’s after midnight. I’m already in bed.
Riley: So what, Boomer? I’m in bed too. And I’m naked. And all I want is you.
<Riley sends Buster a lewd image of her nether regions.>
Buster: …
Buster: I’m still pissed off at you. We broke up.
Riley: I don’t care if you’re mad at me. Just forget about that for a couple hours and spend the night with me. I don't want to be alone.
Buster: This is a terrible idea.
Riley: Are you coming or not? Don’t leave me alone tonight.
Buster: You’re the worst.
Riley: And you can’t get enough of it. If you’re here in the next 20 minutes, I’ll let you do that thing you wanted to try.
Buster: I think I hate you Riley.
Riley: Love. Hate. Same thing. Get in your truck and get over here.
Buster: Fine. Leave your front door unlocked. I’ll be there in a little bit. This doesn’t mean we’re back together.
Riley: Yay!
AN UNWISE CELEBRATION
“Hey everybody, listen up. I want to say a couple things and then I’ll let you all get back to playing grab-ass or whatever.”
Buster Gloves stands next to a group of pro-wrestlers at the end of an in-ground swimming pool. He’s shirtless, in board shorts, and has the blue and gold Level Up Wisdom Championship over his shoulder. One other wrestler near him also holds a championship belt over his shoulder.
“My name is Buster Gloves. I just want to thank my new friend, Tony Savage, for inviting us to destroy his beautiful rental beach house. If you came out here today to see Tony, then you already know he’s a star. A world champion at UGWC. A golden sun god with washboard abs. Appreciate you bud. I’ve only known you a little bit, but you’re a good dude. Be proud of what you’ve accomplished. You deserve it.”
Buster claps for Tony who raises his hand in appreciation.
“If you were desperate enough to come here in support of me, you might want to reconsider some of your life choices. Haha. Seriously, I really appreciate each of you coming out in support. The work that we are doing, means something. This belt, it’s more than a blue ribbon, it’s a symbol. It feels like I’m carrying a community with me. Thank you for being there. I will make you proud.”
“So, listen, the coolers are stocked. Food is being catered by Merv’s Burger Joint. There’s a volleyball court on the beach. Diving board in the pool. And champagne in the hot tub. There’s plenty of good music, good food, good times. Enjoy yourself. It’s on Uncle Tony’s credit card. I love you all and THANK YOU!”
At the Doom pay-per-view Buster had honorable win over Ahmya. One of the best in the business. It was Buster’s 10th win at Level Up. And the first time he pinned someone in a singles or doubles match. The title was created to be held by the company’s most technical wrestler. And holding it has become one of the greatest honors of Buster’s life. Buster and Ahmya showed a large amount of respect for each other during and after the five-star match, ensuring that a rematch would be booked at some point in the future.
Every champion at the CAPC adds prestige to the gym. Most coaches at the gym have been champions before. All except for one. The head submissions coach, a Mr. William Bernard Glover, better known by his ring name, Buster…Gloves.
...
By 1pm in the afternoon, over 50 wrestlers and friends were at the party. By 3pm, most of them were completely drunk, some of them were half naked, and a couple were about to cause trouble and ruin the day for everybody.
...
Buster Gloves and fellow CAPC coach Tony Savage are locked in a lengthy game of cornhole against 2 of their favorite students. As it turns out, none of these men are very good at the game. The students were either too nervous or too drunk to play it well. Buster and Tony on the other hand, were sober, had been for years, and just weren’t any good.
The game stopped being fun about ten minutes ago. At this point, each of the men just wanted the match to be over. They could have just called it a tie, but pride was getting in the way. The score was locked at 20 when another student by the name of Maverick Sands interrupted.
“Hey Coach, you might want to go check on Riley. She’s kind of getting out of control.” Says Maverick.
“I’ll be there in just a minute. Just need one more point.” Replies Buster.
“If you want to quit, I’ll take the win.” Suggests Tony Savage.
Buster declines as he misses another throw. “I’m no quitter. Hey, Mav, I’ll be there in a minute.”
In fact, it IS only another minute before the game ended. All of a sudden, and for reasons totally unrelated to the warning about Riley, Tony Savage just can’t throw anything close to the board and loses the game. Buster shakes hands with the other three players and then jogs barefoot inside the beach house.
A game of beer pong is going on at the dining room table. The music is loud, and crappy. Riley is in worse shape than he expected. Completely drunk. Smeared make up. Shirt missing.
Maverick Sands stops Buster before he gets to Riley. “She was starting trouble with a couple in the kitchen and then grabbed the girl by the hair.”
“Who was it?”
“I dunno. A couple locals. Took a couple of us to get her off the girl. That’s when I ran out to grab you.”
“Thanks Mav. I owe you one.”
Buster starts towards Riley, who is just wearing a black lacey bra and cut-off shorts. She’s hanging over another male student from Buster’s class. When the student sees Buster coming, he shrugs Riley off of him and walks away.
“Riley! What are you doing?!”
“Oh, hey Bubba”, she says as she takes a drink of pink wine from a clear bottle.
“Put your shirt back on.”
“You’re not my real dad!”
“Fine, have it your way. Let me talk to you in private for a minute.”
“Oooh, are you gonna punish me now Daddy? Have I been a bad girl?”
Buster puts a hand on Riley’s back and guide’s her towards a bedroom. Once he closes the door, Riley turns around and gets on her knees and grabs at Buster’s waistband. He swats her hands away.
“What the hell Riley?”
“Take off your pants. I want it.”
“No! Absolutely not! We’re gonna talk about this.”
Riley winces with a look of disgust on her face. She stands up and puts her t-shirt back on. “What’s your problem?”
“I hear you’re starting fights and then I come in and you’re taking your clothes off in front of everyone?!”
“Oh relax. I was just having some fun.”
“Do you think embarrassing me in front of my friends is fun?”
“I think that YOU don’t know how to have fun. You weren’t paying me any attention, so I had to make my own fun.”
“What was fun about getting in a fight with a stranger?”
“She was fat and he was cute. I told him that he should break up with her.” Riley shrugs.
“You didn’t even know them. Why would you do that?”
“Well that’s not entire true. I did fuck that guy a few weeks ago.”
“Jesus. You sure get around, don’t you?”
“That was a long time ago, before you and I had sex. It’s not fair for you to judge me on what I did before we started dating.”
“You’ve only been here 2 months. How many other guys have you slept with?”
“You don’t want me to answer that question, Buster.”
“Oh my God. That’s disgusting.”
“Fuck you. You’re old! I was really happy before I met you and now, I’m fucking miserable.”
“Why are we together than?”
“You tell me!”
“I don’t know. I thought you were fun. I was attracted to you.”
“I could have had any guy in this shitty beach town, but I picked you Buster. You should be grateful.”
“Grateful for what? You’re killing me! Do you know what this party meant to me? I just wanted to take one moment for myself and celebrate something really big in my life and you had to steal that from me. You couldn’t even give me one day.”
“Everything isn’t about you Buster! I’m a fucking princess. You need to give me more attention.”
“No. We’re equal partners.”
“Well, you’re an idiot then. Nobody has ever taken me for granted like you have. I’ve never had to pay my own way before. I’ve never had to drive a guy somewhere. You should just do things for me. I’ve had guys propose to me and they would have done anything for me. What kind of man are you anyway? You’re pathetic.”
“You know what? We’re done. It’s over.”
“Fine. If that’s what you want. I’ll find somebody else. But don’t come crawling back after you figure out your problems. I won’t wait for you.”
“I won’t be coming back. You’re fucking evil.”
“I’ll fuck whatever I want. By the way, I think it’s really scummy of you to groom your students the way you did with me. I’m sure your boss would love to hear about it.”
“Fine. Do whatever you need to do. Just stay away from me.”
Buster exits the room, but Riley can’t resist shouting more things at him as he walks away.
“No problem, Needle Dick. I wouldn’t touch you with a ten-foot pole!”
OFF-CAM
10:00 PM SAME DAY AS THE PARTY
<SMS TEXT MESSAGE FROM BUSTER GLOVES TO EMILY SIMMS>
Buster: Hi Em. Can you talk?
Emily: Hi Buster. What do you want?
Buster: I’m sorry to bother you like this, but I’m going through something, and I just need someone to tell me I’m not the *sshole.
Emily: But you are an *sshole.
Buster: I know. I know. And I’m sorry about how things went. Things just got twisted.
Emily: Why don’t you talk to your girlfriend about it?
Buster: That’s the thing. I don’t have a girlfriend. I tried to make things work with Riley, but I think we’re too different. I wanted to be a good guy and treat her nice, but it’s almost like she thrives on chaos. She needs it. Know what I mean?
Emily: Yeh. Actually, I do.
Buster: I don’t know what to do. Deep down, I know that she needs someone like me, to take care of her and give her the support she needs, but she says things that are just horrible. And she does things that are so disrespectful.
Emily: Sounds like you’ve already made up your mind.
Buster: That’s the thing. I know she’s bad for me. She’s not what I need. What I need is… someone more like you Em. I know I shouldn’t say that because you’re involved with someone else, but it’s true.
Emily: I don’t know what to say right now. I’m literally shaking.
Buster: It’s true. It should have been me and you, together the whole time. It’s just the timing was all wrong. The distance is all wrong.
Emily: Why are you telling me this now?
Buster: I need you to tell me to break up with her.
Emily: Why??? You said you were already broken up.
Buster: I don’t know. I just do.
Emily: I can’t you what to do. You have to decide that for yourself.
Buster: I just know that things don’t feel right with Riley. I was trying to turn her in to something that she isn’t. And I’m just now realizing that she’s not going to change.
Emily: Do whatever you want Buster. I don’t care.
Buster: You’re still responding to my messages. You must care at least a little bit.
Emily: I guess I’m just too nice of a person to ignore you. I always seem to let people take advantage of me.
Buster: You’re right. You deserve better. I hope you find it. That’s what I’ve always wanted for you.
Emily: Well, I don’t know what I deserve anymore.
Buster: What about Duncan? You two are back together, right? I saw your tweets. It seemed like you’ve rekindled that now that he’s a big champ and all.
Emily: It’s not like that. We’re just friends. There will never be a Duncan and Emily. That window has closed.
Buster: So, what now? What are you going to do next?
Emily: Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve been really confused lately about what I’m supposed to be doing with my life. I’m going through a phase where I’m trying to find myself again. It’s really frustrating and empowering at the same time.
Buster: You’re going to figure it out. You’re going to find your forever.
Emily: I hope you’re right.
Buster: Hey, I probably shouldn’t say things, but I’m going to say it anyway. I miss you Em.
Emily: …
Emily: …
Emily: …
Emily: I miss you too.
Buster: Thank you for listening to me. You always have a way of making me feel better.
Emily: Glad I could help.
Buster: I think I should get going, but if you ever want to chat, send me a text.
Emily: k
Buster: Goodnight.
Emily: Goodnight Buster.
OFF-CAM
A COUPLE DAYS LATER
8:15 PM
While sitting on his couch watching the Spiderman Movie with his sons, Buster’s cell phone rings.
Buster: Hello?
Dad: Buster? Can you hear me?
Buster: Yeh. I hear you just fine. What’s going on?
Dad: I’m not doing so good.
Buster: What happened? Where are you?
Dad: I’m on the floor. At home. I can’t get up.
Buster: What do you mean? Did you have an accident? What happened?
Dad: I don’t want you to freak out. I already called an ambulance. I just wanted to tell you myself.
Buster: Are you drunk? You don’t sound right.
Dad: I’m not drunk, you asshole. Somebody broke into the house and attacked me.
Buster: Like you caught them stealing stuff?
Dad: It wasn’t like that. He knocked on the door and just barged in when I opened it up. He pushed me down and started talking all crazy.
Buster: That doesn’t make any sense.
Dad: He was targeting me… To get to you.
Buster: To get to me? What the fuck?! I don’t have any enemies. Who was it? Who did this to you?
Dad: He didn’t tell his name. It’s not someone I’ve seen you win before. But I think he’s a wrestler.
Buster: Did he say anything to you?
Dad: He was just talking a bunch of shit about you. So I called him some names and took a swing at him with a bat. But he was too fast. That’s when he started beating on me.
Buster: We have to call the police…
Dad: No! William! YOU handle this. That man came over here to send you a message. You take care of it or he’s going to make your life hell. I’m afraid he’ll come after the kids next. You have to find this guy and kick his ass.
Buster: I don’t even know who we’re dealing with.
Dad: He said you’d know who he is if I told you one specific thing.
Buster: What is it? I’ll destroy the bastard.
Dad: He said to tell you that “It’s time to wake up, the dream is over, and he’s the one that killed it for you.”
Buster: The Dream Killer. I know who did this. I’m gonna take care of it. I promise.
Dad: That’s the ambulance. I’ll call you later Buster. I love you son.
Buster: I love you too, Pop.
ON-CAM PROMO
THE DREAM WORLD
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.”
― Socrates
The wrestling world is consumed with athletes trying to learn HOW to win, HOW to retain, HOW to get revenge, but how many of them are actually concerned with WHY winning is important?
The fatal mistake that people make is mistaking intelligence for wisdom. The intelligent thing for me to do would be to convince people why I’m a worthy WISDOM Champion and why I’m going to retain my title at EXP 25. But what’s the use? This isn’t the INTELLIGENCE Championship. A wise man doesn’t waste words. A wise man shows the truth, and lets the world learn it on their own.
You gain wisdom through experience. Through pain and trauma. Wisdom comes from a deeper understanding of things. It’s not based on facts or science or evidence. It’s not your job, your college, or your car. It’s about who you are at your core and how you share that with the world. At Jason’s core, he is pure evil. And he seeks to create a legacy for himself. But evil cannot create, it can only destroy. In its simplest form, evil is destruction.
Let me reveal the truth about Jason. He’s insecure. He doubts himself. And he knows that in a match of skill and athleticism, he loses to me every time. But losing a championship match would be a massive setback in his career here at Level Up. This is his shot. So, he’s gotten extremely desperate. He’s not wise enough to know my weaknesses, so he’s trying to outsmart me with head games. He wants to attack me where I am most vulnerable… my family.
So, Jason Ryan attacks my father. A retired electrician in his sixties. He intimidated him and beat him in his own home. Left him there to die. Because he thought that was the intelligent thing to do. A lesser man would take the bait. He would go into a rage. Throwing away the game plan. Losing focus of the prize. But I’m no fool. My father has the same resolve that I do. He would be disappointed in me if I let this brainless attack cost me the championship. He wants me to outclass Jason Ryan and kill HIS DREAM of ever becoming a champion at Level Up.
There’s no amount of fear tactics that are going to distract me from my mission. What Jason wants is for me to react, out of character, and make a mistake. But I’ve been here before, in the dark days, where I felt helpless, and I lost control. My gut is telling me to stay the course. Because thoughts have power and when you make measured decisions with deliberate actions, you manifest the outcome that you desire.
I won’t underestimate Jason’s ability. But, he lacks the heart of a champion. He’s seeking to win this championship because he was never given his big pay-per-view match versus Brandon Hendrix at Doom. He was promised blood and now he’s coming to collect. He doesn’t understand that winning this way, tarnishes his legacy. It’s an asterisk. And if he does find a way to win this match, the wrestling world won’t respect him for the way it was done. There be no Valhalla for Jason if he continues on this path. Only shame and dishonor.
He needs to be humbled. To be held accountable for his crimes. Somebody has to do it on behalf of Level Up and I accept this responsibility. If nobody stops this terrorist soon, he’s going to do something much worse. With stone hands and dragon feet I will deliver a message of mercy to this dreamer and drive him back to the mid-card from whence he came.
I’ve made plenty of mistakes in the past. In the ring. In life. In love. I’ve been naïve and reckless. But I learn from my mistakes. I own them. I grow. And I don’t make the same mistake twice. I’ve faced monsters, and cheaters, and liars throughout my life. I see Jason for what he is. A frustrated boy who only wants somebody else to feel as bad as he does. He doesn’t understand that he doesn’t have to be so angry. He doesn’t understand that he has the potential to do good. Somebody needs to discipline him. Break him down. Take inventory of the pieces and then build him back up as something stronger than before.
They say that there are only three things that reveal the truth: small children, drunk people, and yoga pants. This Tuesday at EXP 25 in Chicago, I reveal the truth about Jason Ryan.
EPILOGUE
OFF-CAM
TWO DAYS BEFORE EXP
<INCOMING SMS MESSAGE FROM RILEY HEART>
Riley: Hey Bubba.
Buster: …
Buster: …
Buster: …
Buster: What do you want?
Riley: I want you on top of me.
Buster: You’ve got to be kidding me. We’re done Riley. You really fucked up.
Riley: You’re still mad about that? Let’s kiss and make up.
Buster: It’s after midnight. I’m already in bed.
Riley: So what, Boomer? I’m in bed too. And I’m naked. And all I want is you.
<Riley sends Buster a lewd image of her nether regions.>
Buster: …
Buster: I’m still pissed off at you. We broke up.
Riley: I don’t care if you’re mad at me. Just forget about that for a couple hours and spend the night with me. I don't want to be alone.
Buster: This is a terrible idea.
Riley: Are you coming or not? Don’t leave me alone tonight.
Buster: You’re the worst.
Riley: And you can’t get enough of it. If you’re here in the next 20 minutes, I’ll let you do that thing you wanted to try.
Buster: I think I hate you Riley.
Riley: Love. Hate. Same thing. Get in your truck and get over here.
Buster: Fine. Leave your front door unlocked. I’ll be there in a little bit. This doesn’t mean we’re back together.
Riley: Yay!
