Jeremy pulls his car into the parking lot of HWA Headquarters and sits there, engine running, staring at the entrance. A few trucks are in front and he sees that the moving process has been well underway packing things up for the big move and wrapping it up for the long day. A week ago, they had officially been told about the new state-of-the-art headquarters. The building dwarfed this little two-story place and had amenities that made their mouths water. Butch told them about on-site nutritionists, physical therapists, and sports medicine professionals. It had a freakin’ cafeteria and juice bar, a sauna, a large swimming pool, and Butch personally designed the gym himself. Multiple rings, brand new and expanded equipment, a track built around the perimeter of one of the gym floors and the list goes on. A week ago he was more excited than he had been in a long time. A week ago, he had been told that he and Sean Parker would be locking up at Havoc. Like he and Matt prior to the Reunion show, Jeremy and Sean had faced off on numerous occasions before, but never like Havoc was going to be. This was a dream match. This match had played out in both their heads countless times over the last year, the prospect of going before a massive audience, the bright lights of the arena shining on them, the booming vibrations of the music, the smell of lingering pyro smoke in the air.
The first full show of HWA’s return, he was ready to eat it all up. But, that was all a week ago. Today he’s here in the parking lot in the middle of the night, sitting in his car like a stalker with the engine still running and debating if he’s even going to go inside and get a late exercise session in. It was late and there probably wasn’t anyone there anyway, that’s really why he came at this time to avoid everyone and just let off some steam in private. Sean had seemed to go off the rails, got himself put on the sidelines for Havoc and just like that, the dream match was taken away. Jeremy shuts the engine off, gets out of the car and decides to go inside. Other than the movers the place was as quiet and empty as he expected. Butch had given them all the run of the place through midnight most days and this was one of the few times he took advantage of that. Just down the hall from the gym was a room about the size of a small office. It had some basic recording equipment, and a green screen they used to practice the art of cutting a promo on camera. Most of the room had already been packed up and there wasn’t much to really use but he didn’t need it anyway. He just wanted to vent and didn’t need it recorded anyway. He cut the lights on and stood facing the large window where the projection of a crowd would be displayed to give a sense of an audience. He paces back and forth a moment, eyes staring from “the camera” to the floor as he paces.
(Jeremy): A few days ago, you were saying how sorry you were Sean for taking your frustrations out on me. I guess it’s my turn to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry I looked up to you. Sorry I trusted you. I’m sorry I believed you were someone I could lean on. Sorry I thought you were my friend. I’m sorry I was so excited for HWA’s big mainstream return because right now I’d give my left nut for it to just go back to being a small little company with a Youtube channel and a couple hundred views a week, and us eager wanna-be wrestlers busting our ass to make it. It was simpler then wasn’t it?
Jeremy stops pacing the floor and looks straight into “the camera.”
(Jeremy): But here we, at the doorstep to fame. The lights shining down bright on us…no wait…not me…on you…and for the first time in its illumination I can see you for who you really are. You’re a selfish bastard Sean, that’s what you are. I can’t recall Butch or Wisdom ever asking much from you, and the one time they did, the one time…you just couldn’t be bothered. Sean Parker did what Sean Parker wanted to do. You jumped AC James at the Reunion on the night when we were all supposed to shine the brightest and you cast a dark cloud on the night and the reputation of this company we worked so hard to rebuild.
You didn’t even have the guts to lie about it either, you just went MIA so you could avoid even being asked. You come back rough me up, then come back again with your half-assed apology and then what do you…you throw a temper-tantrum in the boss’ office and storm off again. I’m not going to speak for Matt, or Sarah or Michelle, but I thought we were supposed to stick together Sean, but everything you’ve done lately tells me you don’t care about us. You just proved that people in this business ultimately only care about themselves. You didn’t stop to think about what your actions meant for this company at the Reunion show. You didn’t stop to think that your little outburst could have seriously injured me. You didn’t stop to think about what damage your words would have last week. And when you turn and walk away from everything in what seems like Sean Parker’s new modus operandi, who’s left but us to deal with the consequences?
Jeremy is clearly upset, the frustration in his face and body language are very apparent.
(Jeremy): I worked my ass off the last few years. You knew what it meant to us, to all of us to be put on the card for the first Havoc back on tv and it wasn’t Wisdom or Butch that took that opportunity away from me…it was you! You’ll be off brooding and not giving a damn and I get to show up and do general PR, because I don’t have a GODDAMN match anymore! Why am I here Sean? What am I doing here huh? I get my degree at the end of this year, and right now the stars in the sky seem a whole lot closer than getting to be a superstar here. Maybe I should thank you. Maybe the worst lesson you taught me is actually the best lesson. Maybe I should just make my money these next months and be on my way. I mean, what am I getting myself into? World Champions like Maniac back in the company, guys like Stu-E Price and William Draconis and Fallen with decades of experience over me. Bryan Deas, Buff Bridges and god know who else waiting in the wings, and I can’t even begin to showcase what I can do. There’s nothing worse than a competitor who doubts themselves, but that’s what you’ve made me do Sean. The drama is already kicking off around here and we haven’t even had a full wrestling show.
That guy that showed up at the Reunion going on about being Eddie Phoenix’s son, you and AC James at the Reunion, Brandi Rhodes getting out of hand with Michelle and Wisdom, hell I just heard about Maniac causing some kind of scene a damn hotel somewhere. How do I know we won’t get shut down again before we even get started? At this rate, months from now CBS could pull the plug and this company may not survive a second shut down and I’ll have wasted other opportunities out there waiting for me. Did you know SpaceX just launched a new Starship rocket earlier today? The damn thing exploded, but do you realize how monumental that launch was? I have a buddy who works there, there’s an opportunity there for me to be part of a team of people working towards common, singular goals. They succeeded together, and today they failed together. I thought that was going to be us here in HWA, but maybe this isn’t for me.
Jeremy is shaking his head, a more somber tone in his voice and more relaxed body language.
(Jeremy): I’m sorry I thought to take a chance at doing something I never believed I’d do in life but thank you Sean. Thank you for showing me what this business is all about. I didn’t belong in WWE’s performance center, I don’t get to belong at Havoc, and I probably just don’t belong here altogether. So, yeah…Thank You!
Frustration setting in again, Jeremy storms out of the room flipping a chair over on his way out. He heads straight back down the hall on his way out the building. On the other side of the large glass window he was talking into stands Red Dragon, having caught Jeremy’s entire “promo” unseen. He pulls his phone out and makes a call.
(Red Dragon): Sorry, I know it’s late…I didn’t wake you did I?
(Butch): No, we were just about to wind down. Something wrong? Everything ok with the move today?
(Red Dragon): Yeah, yeah…that’s all fine! It’s Jeremy…he was just here, you’re going to want to hear this.
Red Dragon begins to give Butch an account of Jeremy’s “promo” / private venting session. Meanwhile in the parking lot, Jeremy gets in his car. It was 11:01 p.m. and feeling quite depressed and vulnerable he headed out for Pink’s on LaBrea Ave that was still open thinking his woes might be comforted by a glutenous couple of hotdogs or burgers and a Strawberry Fanta. He rarely ate garbage like this but right now he didn’t give a shit, and unlike Sean at least him not caring isn’t going to hurt anyone but himself, and the scene fades to black.
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