A New Odyssey RP #2

[Deleted]

Thursday, January 26, 2012
Confidence and inner harmony prevail. You can move forward with creative projects and express yourself more easily and comfortably now. Your efforts are well received at this time.

[/quote]

Blaine Harrison
Well that's the end of that plan...

I say looking out of the window of my Rahway motel room. I had wanted to tour some of the sights of the city, visit the arts center and maybe shoot a promo a little out of town in front of the state prison so I could weave some Scott Reave jokes in there. Instead I'm looking out over Edgar Street and watching the cars slowly drive by in the pouring rain. An occasional asshole driver who thinks they can drive just as fast as usual and beep their horn at anyone showing caution on the road.

Jenny
We can always just shoot the second promo in here.

There are dark grey clouds as far as the eye can see over the fields across the road. Not even a shimmer of light peeking through.

Jenny
Did you hear me?

Blaine Harrison
I suppose we'll have to. Don't want to ruin my hair.

I joke; it lifts my spirits slightly but this whole deal of not being able to contact Pierre is weighing heavily on my mind. The fact that he's changed his phone number and e-mail in the last few weeks without telling me is cause for concern. Despite all we've been through he's still one of my few good friends. Someone I thought, contrary to the evidence presented throughout our friendship, could be there for me whenever I needed him. Not somebody who'd vanish without a trace. Again. I can't even get him on Twitter because he doesn't use it and he doesn't have a Facebook either.

Jenny
Oh yeah, like that could be ruined!

She laughs as she ruffles my hair. I forgot I'd put a hat on during our drive from the airport and I do have a serious case of hat hair.

Jenny
Penny for your thoughts?

Blaine Harrison
What?

Jenny
You're distracted, we're stuck in this room unless we want to get soaking wet ... Do you want to talk about whatever is bothering you?

Blaine Harrison
No, thank you...

Jenny
Oh come on, Blaine. We're friends aren't we? We work together, I'm living in your spare room for the time being, we're together on the road. You can talk to me.

She's sitting on the bed behind me; from my position leaning forward with my hands gripping the window sill I can see her reflection in the glass pane. She looks sincere, like she really either wants to be or already thinks she is my friend.

Jenny
Is it something to do with Dianna?

Blaine Harrison
Yeah...

Not technically a lie.

Jenny
And...

Blaine Harrison
It's our first Valentine's Day together, I just don't want to fuck it up.

Jenny laughs as she stands up and walks over to where I am by the window. She places a hand on my back and her head on my shoulder as she tries to comfort me.

Jenny
Trust me, Blaine, that girl is crazy about you! You're going to that concert together aren't you? I don't think, short of making out with another girl in front of her, that you could do anything to make her hate you...

Blaine Harrison
That doesn't mean I can't worry...

Jenny
Oh, man up!

A slap hits me around the back of the head as Jenny playfully laughs. She walks away and grabs a bottle of beer from the six pack we picked up at the Wawa on the way here. Jenny hands that beer to me before taking one for herself. Then she picks up the camcorder out of my duffel bag and points it at me.

Jenny
I know what'll get your mind off your problems.

She must have hit record because it (the camcorder) makes that annoying little beep and the red light switches on. I hastily straighten my hair and turn around to face Jenny and the camera.

Jenny
Blaine Harrison, in just a few days you'll be competing at the Rahway Rec Center in a tournament to decide the first ever FRONTIER Grappling Arts Champion! In three words or less, how do you feel about your chances.

Blaine Harrison
Fair to middlin'.

Jenny
Is that it? Not something like "very, very excited" or "I'm gonna win".

Blaine Harrison
Fine. I think my chances are 'very good'.

Jenny seems to be getting frustrated so I smile coyly to let her know I'm just ragging on her. Perhaps I need to work on my tone of voice.

Jenny
That's better! We've already seen you talk about three of the other people in this tournament, but we haven't talked about the other four. You know, Scott Reave, Michael Tomkins, Chandler Scott and Jacques Mercier.

Blaine Harrison
I talked a little about them...

I say overly defensive for what I meant. Twenty bucks only gets you so much of a person's time, I just couldn't fit all that I wanted in.

Jenny
Lets start with Scott Reave--

Blaine Harrison
Lets not. I told Reave a few weeks ago that his day would come; nothing has changed since then. He tried to break my arm and put me out of action. Since then he's been beat by Mercier and Tomkins. I've main evented against Jared James in a helluva match. I thrashed Elliot Black in under two minutes ... It's unlikely that we're going to meet on this night. It's unlikely that I'm going to get to give Scott Reave what he deserves for his disrespect. I don't want to waste my breath on him...

Jenny
Ooookay.

She elongates the 'oh' sound. Did I sound too nasty in my last sentence; sure I hate the guy for his actions but I don't want to convey to the fans that I'm a bad guy. I'm not. I certainly don't want them to think so.

Jenny
So if it's 'unlikely' that you'll face Scott Reave, that means you're predicting Michael Tomkins will get through to the second round.

Blaine Harrison
Judging by form. Two wins on the trot against big names. I mean no disrespect when I say his methods were dirty. But there's no amount of Lysol that could make those wins clean. That's not Tomkins's fault; I'd blame Timmy Brown. He reminds me of your father when he was a manager.

Jenny rolls her eyes; she knows exactly what I'm referring to. When Papa Zellor managed his sons the Midnight Cowboys and helped them cheat their way to several tag titles across the American Midwest over the last few years. Cut from the same cloth as Timmy Brown.

Blaine Harrison
But the kid is tough, I'll give him that. Despite the endings, his matches against Reave and Flener showed us that he's a solid little wrestler--little wrestler? He's bigger than I am. But he's technically sound, albeit with a few rough edges.

Jenny
Would you say you're looking forward to possibly facing Michael Tomkins?

Blaine Harrison
I always like a challenge.

I laugh as I say that.

Blaine Harrison
I'd like the chance to step into the ring with 'The Rogue', I think it'd be a well fought contest. Much like Jared James, Tomkins is one of the people here I'd face any time, anywhere and it'll be a five star contest. If that match should happen this week at '2012: A New Odyssey' then, you know, awesome. The Rahway fans get an excellent show.

Jenny
And that's we're all about here in FRONTIER! Chandler Scott...

Blaine Harrison
Oh yeah, pound-for-pound of the best dirty cheaters in the business today.

Jenny
He had some harsh words for you in his promo this week. Have you had a chance to catch that?

Blaine Harrison
We watched it together, Jenny...

Oh dear. Jenny shoots me the 'wtf' look as I finally cotton on to what she was aiming for.

Blaine Harrison
Ahh, yeah, I've seen it. "Wouldn't it be great if a member of The Harvard Connection won the title?". I mean if he accuses me of performing verbal fellatio on Jared James, then his promo is the definition of verbal self fellatio isn't it? Boasting about how he's smarter, faster, stronger than the rest of us. I graduated high school, I got a few misdemeanours along the way and we're in the same place in our lives. The only difference is that I'll leaving Rahway as the FGA Heavyweight Champion.

Jenny
And that leave Jacques Mercier. 'Black Magic', what are your thoughts about him?

Blaine Harrison
Hmm...

I'm stalling. I haven't got a clue; besides knowing that he helped save my bacon last week on Combat I don't know that much about Jacques Mercier. I was too busy preparing for my match against Jared to watch him in action against Scott Reave, I only know the outcome of the match. What the hell can I say?

Blaine Harrison
Well anyone that can beat Scott Reave is a worthy opponent in my eyes. If our paths should cross in this tournament I'll do my damndest. This is my chance to achieve what I set out to do for myself here in FRONTIER and that's to be the best I can be. And nothing says 'the best' like the top prize in the promotion!

Jenny
There you have it folks, straight from the mouth of the future FRONTIER Grappling Arts Champion, 'Metal Heart' Blaine Harrison!

She shuts off the camcorder and puts it back next to the duffel bag and the laptop on the bed. She grabs another beer and hands it to me, which is when I realise I've drank the first one she gave me without even realising I was doing so.

Jenny
There, that's ten minutes without worrying about your problems with Dianna.

Blaine Harrison
Thank you. I think.

Jenny
Trust me, Blaine. Whatever you've done has worked, she's crazy about you and you're worrying for nothing.

If only you knew the truth, Jenny, you wouldn't be saying that.

Blaine Harrison
Jenny, can I trust you with a secret?

What am I doing? I don't let people in, it's not something I do.

Jenny
You've known me since we were eight, Blaine--I knew you when you were Ben! You can trust me with anything.

Blaine Harrison
And you won't tell a soul.

Jenny
I promise not to tell anyone!

I take a long sip from my beer before I start to tell my story to Jenny. I spill my guts about everything; she's left aghast several times throughout my recalling of the last two years. I would be too. I'm not proud of everything I've done, certainly not in relation to what I'm telling her now. She soon understand why her father had urged her not to push me to talk about my personal life. After fifteen minutes of sitting there and listening to me explain the dilemma I've found myself in, Jenny hugs me, taking my head as she cradles it in her lap. I lay there in silence, a weight off my shoulders as finally I've found someone with whom I can share my emotions and feelings.