A New Odyssey RP #1

[Deleted]

Monday, January 16, 2012
Shared enthusiasm for some project or athletic event is accentuated now. This is a good time to coordinate your efforts with others and really get something started.

I've been up half the night worrying. That's not usual. Few things bother me enough to keep me awake but this isn't just anything. This is a kind, loving gesture from my girlfriend which has the distinct possibility to blow the lid off all the secrets I've been hiding for the last six months. Well, not all, but the biggest and the most important ones. Dianna noticed I was up, tossing and turning through the night and she complained that she had to be up to go to work in the morning; she didn't bother to ask me what was wrong, mainly because she knows that doesn't get an answer. I'd have just assured her I was fine and said little else in response.

But Dianna was up and about early this morning - for her anyway. I had gone for a run before sunrise and had eaten breakfast before she woke up and then I had to drive her to work. So it's shortly after nine in the morning, the day after Dianna told me that she's got us tickets to see Pierre LaFontaine in concert.

Blaine Harrison
Here goes nothing...

I say to myself as I sit Indian style on my bed, cell phone in hand. I type 743 into my phone book and it finds Pierre's number. My thumb hovers over the green call button at the bottom of the screen. Besides that brief meeting when I did the 'Behind The Music' video I haven't spoken to Pierre for the best part of ten months. Not since he called off the tour and checked himself into rehab, all but disappearing from my life for the third time that year. I had to hear about it from Pierre's girlfriend. Not him, his bloody girlfriend and that faux English accent she uses to make herself seem more cultured. My phone goes to sleep as I stew in rage and I have to repeat my previous steps to find Pierre's number one more time.

Here goes nothing.

I press the 'call' button and hold the phone to my ear and take a deep breath as I wait for Pierre to pick up the phone. We'll make some small talk, pretend to give a crap about how each other are doing even after he bolted ASAP from our last meeting. Then I'll ask him, if he sees me at the show next month not to say anything that could cause me upset.

"I'm sorry, the number you have called could not be connected."

Blaine Harrison
The fuck!?

"I'm sorry, the number you have called could not be connected."

The lady's voices repeats herself before I press 'end call'. That was his number last month. Frustrated, I go onto my e-mail and try to send a message to him. I'll just ask him to give me a call so we can talk; I'll mention that my girlfriend has bought me tickets for his show next month and we should catch up. Oh and by the way, please don't ruin my life ... That bit may need rewording. I hurriedly type the e-mail on my phone as quickly as the badly calibrated touch screen will allow me and I send it away.

Blaine Harrison
Shit...

It bounces right back. Address not found. How do you get in touch with someone if they've changed their phone number and e-mail address?

---

Friday, January 20, 2012
You are compassionate, sympathetic, and highly emotional now. Also, your imagination is activated and you may be inspired by some unusual daydream or fleeting thought.

Blaine Harrison
I had a dream the other night...

The scene opens in Chase Palm Park in Santa Barbara where Jenny and I are sat on the concrete rim of the fountain. We've got some sort of palm tree behind us in the background; unfortunately it doesn't block out the sun, which means the aviators I'm wearing are completely necessary. Pedestrians mill around nearby us but have enough courtesy not to pass between us and the camera that we're paid some geeky looking teenager to hold for us.

Blaine Harrison
I'm not talking about something like slaying dragons or Princesses who are in another castle, no. This wasn't a nice dream. I mean, in this dream The Harvard Connection members, Preston and Chandler proved me right when I alluded to them being cowards. They showed the world their true colours when they sneak attacked Jared and myself in the middle of our match! This was a world where people like Jack Flener and Scott Reave, two of the lowest of all the low lifes in the history of time thought they could join in this sneak attack and play the number games ... Come on, that's not a nice place to be.

Jenny
I don't think that was a dream, Blaine.

Blaine Harrison
What do you mean?

Jenny
That's what happened at the end of the last edition of Wednesday Weekly Combat...

I feign a look of shock, tapping my palm against my forehead in mock horror of the nightmare scenario I described. I take a moment, shaking my head in disgust at what went down last week in New Jersey. I remove my aviators and tuck them into the collar of my black v-neck tee. Resting my hands on my cargo short clad legs I look over to Jenny, who's wearing a green and white striped vest and jean shorts.

Blaine Harrison
You're right ... I'm just lucky there are people like Mike Tomkins and Jacques Mercier in FGA who are willing to stand by Jared and I as we fight the evil doers. People who'll stand up and be counted when it matters. Unfortunately though, people I may have to go up against at '2012: A New Odyssey'.

A heavy sigh escapes my lips as I look concerned.

Blaine Harrison
You know, if I get past the first round.

Jenny
Against Jack Flener?

Blaine Harrison
Exactly. I mean, if we believe what he says then the rest of us bottom dwellers who don't deserve to be in the ring with him. How can I compete with a God among men? How could I possibly defeat a three time World champion! A four time tag champion! Someone who's in the Hall of Fame in two separate promotions!

Beat.

Blaine Harrison
Like Michael Tomkins did?

I giggle and a smirk crosses my face; Jenny doesn't look too impressed at the joke. She's kinda right, I shouldn't joke about cheating, not when I deplore it.

Jenny
Don't joke about that stuff, Blaine. I'm not going to cheat to help you win like some people...

Blaine Harrison
Fine by me. You see, Jack, it's all well and good having these accolades to boast about. Ask me how proud I am about my tag team championship down South in Peach State Wrestling and I'll damn near talk your ear off about how proud I am. About how much that belt, that victory and those title defences mean to me. Ask me about how much every match I've ever won means to me and you won't be able to shut me up. It's why when people like The Harvard Connection decide to stick their nose into my business that it bothers me. Because it ruins what I'm striving for. It ruined mine and Jared's match, it ruined the fans' enjoyment of that match. Hell, it ruined the show. But if I'm going to boast about these achievements, these accomplishments and I'm going to hold them over people ... I'm damn well going to back up those words with my in-ring actions! Nothing against Michael Tomkins, damn fine competitor and if Timmy isn't at ringside I look forward to the possibility of facing him in this tournament. But by all rights you should have had that kid schooled in under five minutes, Jack. That match should have over quicker than that rambling bout of verbal diarrhoea you made us all suffer through earlier in the night.

I pause for a moment. I don't want to rag on Jack Flener for too long; the man doesn't really deserve my attention and is possibly one of three opponents I could face at the upcoming show. I need to give them some air time as well.

Blaine Harrison
You see, Jack, this coming Wednesday night at '2012: A New Odyssey' I'm going to back up these words. I'm going to give you a helluva match, man. You want to side with the likes of Scott Reave and The Harvard Connection, then you have to suffer the consequences! I'm calling it now, under eight minutes and I'll have knocked you out cold with a Metal Heart Suplex. Pinned you for the one, two, three and I'll be the man moving on to the second round of this title tournament.

Jenny
And who would you want to face in the semi finals?

Damn, it's almost like that was a scripted question. Except she was meant to say "like" not "want", make me seem more polite and less pushy. But I'll let it slide...

Blaine Harrison
I would like to face--

Okay, maybe not let it slide completely.

Blaine Harrison
--Preston Blake. I mean, Jared James would be a nice opponent. We could give the fans the repeat of last week and we'd tear that ring up like nobody has ever seen before. But that match will come in time. I'll pester the higher ups myself if I have to, but I will meet Jared James again inside that squared circle. But in this tournament, I want Preston Blake inside that ring. I want retribution for his actions last week; there are always consequences for your actions, Preston. Newton's third law, each action has an equal and opposite reaction. You interfere in my match. You ruin the Monroe fans' enjoyment of that main event. You ruin that show. Somebody has to ruin your night. If you should be so lucky as to defeat Jared James ... you know, how you and Chandler have both failed to do so in previous weeks ... then I'll happily face you in that ring. You want me full of fire, Preston?

Rhetorical question; I'm recalling the promo they cut before the last show where they implied I was being overly kind to Jared James. I believe the term was "verbal fellatio".

Blaine Harrison
I'll bring the fire! You want me riled up and ready for action, I'll be damn well ready to give you every thing I've got in that ring! That's if, and a mighty big if, you can get past Jared. It doesn't matter to me to much who I face in the semi-finals. If I beat Jack Flener I'll be ready for either one of you. Whether it be the high flying contest that Jared is sure to bring or the more mat based technical approach that Preston is more likely to use, I'll be ready. I've been running through possible scenarios in my head ever since this card was announced. I've been scouting you both since I signed for FGA. Believe me, I'm ready for you both.

I can see the kid holding the camera is getting fidgety; I can only imagine what he's actually recording when I speak. My words over the image of that busty woman in a low cut top just don't portray the same message. And heaven help me if he's focusing on the group of teenage girls behind us to our left.

Blaine Harrison
That just leaves the final.

Jenny
Against one of four people. Scott Reave, Michael Tomkins, Jacques Mercier or Chandler Scott...

Blaine Harrison
That's just too good a choice. Any one of them would be a worthy competitor--

Except Scott Reave, the dishonourable coward doesn't deserve to be earning a paycheck as a professional wrestler, let alone be signed for FGA and competing with the rest of us. Not that I can say that on camera.

Blaine Harrison
Lets just say that by time, after having wrestled two matches against some of the best wrestlers in independent wrestling today let alone in FGA, I'll be digging deep. The final of this tournament will be a match that separates the men from the boys! It'll be a real test of mettle. Who'll be able to go a third match in one evening?

Jenny
That's a lot to ask for from anybody.

Blaine Harrison
Tell you what, guys, let me think about it and I'll get back to you later.

I say with a wink at the camera before signalling to the geeky kid to stop recording. He hands the camera back and asks for the twenty bucks we promised him, which I gladly pay before he runs (or awkwardly jogs) away from us. What a strange kid.

Jenny
What a weirdo...

Blaine Harrison
Lets see what he recorded.

Jenny continues watching as the kid runs down the path. I open the camera screen up and watch back what's actually been recorded. Under my breath I curse something; he's managed to zoom in really close and alternate between our faces as Jenny and I were talking, occasionally sneaking a peek down Jenny's top. I need a real cameraman.