Get Carter #2: Catching Up

[Emily Carter]

(Standing by on the blue and black Skype call screen are Jessie Pederson and Emily Carter.)

"Joining me right now is LDFC trainee, Emily Carter! Emily, how are you doing on this Friday?"

(Carter waves at her webcam.)

"I’m doing great, Jessie! I’m about to go and get ready for a night out. But I can always make time for LDFC."

"That’s good to hear. First off, I’ve got to ask is how is your shoulder doing? We all saw what happened last week on Pride when you were attacked post-match by The Crimson Baroness. You looked to be in pretty rough shape there."

"Well, I’m not gonna lie. I was in quite a bit of pain. My hurt was hurting so bad, Jessie! But after some rest and a couple ice packs, I was fine by Friday."

"So you’ve got a clean bill of health?"

(Cater nods)

"Yes, ma’am! I’m happy to report that my arm is feeling pretty good now. You won’t see me milking any injuries here. I’ll leave the theatrics, the lying and the cries for attention to The Drama Queen of LDFC."

(Carter smirks at her not so subtle dig.)

"Very well. I’ve also got to congratulate you on making it to the Quarterfinals of the UK Cup. How does it feel?"

(Carter smiles over the accomplishment. But she knows her work there is far from done.)

"Aw, thanks, Jessie! It feels great! I didn’t think I’d be able to get this far, you know? When the Rookie X Cup was announced, I had just completed LDFC’s first tryout camp. I didn’t have any formal training. As much as I wanted to be apart of that tournament, I knew that I wasn’t ready. So when I heard that SSWA was having an even bigger tournament, I knew I couldn't let the chance pass me be. I just had to take it, you know? Though there’s a part of me that feels like even though I’ve got more training under my belt, I still don’t belong. Look at the names that were and still are apart of this tournament. That’s why it’s such a shock to have made it this far. I just beat former Rising Star Champion, Jay Harris! Can you believe that?! He’s such an accomplished wrestler in SSWA and elsewhere. Words can’t describe how I felt hearing my name announced as the winner."

"Well, we’re all very proud of you at LDFC and hope that you make it all the way."

"Thank you! It means a lot to have that support. I enjoy participating in LDFC. But wrestling in SSWA, there’s more eyes on me, you know? It’s a much bigger stage. One of my good friends told me that I put too much pressure on myself. But I feel like when I’ve got all of my peers, my friends and my family watching, I have to succeed. That’s why I’m determined to bring that cup home. As great as it was to beat Jay Harris, losing to Macy Dover taught me so much more. Even though I’m going in there against more experienced wrestlers, I’ve got to take advantage of every opportunity if I want to win."

"Speaking of opportunities, you’ve got the chance to face another relative newcomer in Skylar Cloud. Your thoughts?"

"Skylar. She’s… interesting, to say the least. I’m not sure I’m down with #GettingPMS and #ReachingForTheSkylar, but I’m all for positive thoughts. I think we’re somewhat alike in that regard. I want to get ahead by doing things the right way. You don’t have to take the easy way out. You don’t have to lie, cheat and steal to get success in this line of work. That may be good enough for some people. But not me. I’d rather fight with honor, respect and dignity than resort to cheap tactics to win. As long as Skylar’s on the same page, I’ll have no problem shaking her hand."

"But she should know this. Her Skylar Systemic may work for her. But it’s not for everyone. I don’t need her guidance or her patronizing me like she did her past opponents. What I need to know is if she’s going to agree to an honest match. As much as my arm was killing me last week, what hurt me even more was knowing that I lost due to outside interference and cheating. I can handle a loss. But I can’t respect someone that has to resort to those means. If Skylar’s half the woman she claims she is, she’ll fight me on the up and up."

"Well, we're looking forward to your upcoming match. Thank you for your time, Emily. Take care."

"You too!"

(Carter brings her fingertips to her mouth before blowing a kiss to the camera.)