She didn’t want to admit but Michelle had been rattled by Alexis’ little game at superiority. Her neck was sore, almost feeling like she had a pinched nerve, and she hadn’t seen it yet, but Sean had remarked on her bruising. Clearly she had lost all focus at this point and was making her way to the locker room. She absolutely loved the new facility, the private locker rooms we’re assigned and were small, but there were a lot of them and all you needed to do was snag an unoccupied one. The 10x10 rooms had a shower, comfortable seating, little closets and monitors showing HWA programming. You could even browse HWA’s vast library on the CBS steaming service. As she makes her way into her locker room her thoughts turn back to Alexis. She opens her closer and pulls out a bible, flipping through the pages she finds a specific verse and gets down on her knees to pray.
(Michelle): Heavenly Father, I ask that you look down upon Alexis Rose. She is troubled Lord, and her actions are a cry for help from the almighty. Something must be missing in her lord, which is why she must feel the need to put herself above others. If she is lonely, she will be welcomed. It says right here…
Michelle traces her finger along the page.
(Michelle): ….yes, it says right here in Romans 15:7. “Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.” I welcome her to HWA. I welcome her as you have welcomed others and welcomed me. Bring peace to her woes that she might look into the mirror and see your work through her. That she might be fulfilled by the glory of God, rather than seeking to be filled by the recognitions of man. In Jesus name I pray…Amen!
Michelle gets up from her knees, and grunts feeling a little pull in her neck. She turns to the mirror for the first time seeing herself. She was suddenly even more embarrassed than before, thinking of Sean. Oh goodness…Sean! Here he comes and sees her in a vulnerable moment, and she could hardly speak. Did he really just ask her out? What did she say? She couldn’t even remember. The last half hour seemed almost like a blur. Everything except…. “except he touched me,” she thought. His hand. She places her hand on her shoulder where he touched her lost in thought. “How crazy would it be if I um…em… asked you out?” he said. “I’d love that,” she replied. What’s wrong with me? she thought. I can’t go out with Sean, he’s…well he’s Sean. She felt a pit in her stomach, what was she thinking saying yes, now she had to tell him that she made a mistake and couldn’t go. No, she can’t do that, that would be terribly rude after she said yes already. He said “lunch, or coffee, or something?” What was “something”? Was it some sort of code? She pulls out her phone and goes to a website called “Urban Dictionary” that Sarah suggested she use to become familiar with some of the terms she might her that she didn’t know the meaning of. People seemed to have a habit of saying things, but the things they say mean something else, which doesn’t make sense. Why not just say what they mean instead. It was very confusing to her.
She opens the webpage and types in “or something” and scrolls through. Nothing here helped explain what Sean meant. If anything she was more confused, the last line read “Used cleverly to include any other possible definition, therefore guaranteeing that you are being, technically speaking, honest, truthful, and direct.” She knew he was being honest but “or something” could be anything according to this. Was she overthinking this? She was becoming quite nervous, and her hands had begun to sweat. The way he held her hand, the genuine look of concern on his face for her made her feel…she wasn’t sure how to describe it, but in a word, she felt…flushed. She knew she liked him, but why now, why all of a sudden? They’ve been training together for a long time. They’ve sparred with one another at the old training facility, why all of a sudden does Sean Parker light her up from the inside out? She tried to put everything out of her head as she undressed, and hopped in the shower. Shortly after she was changed and her bag was packed, she went back out into the gym. Sean told her that Butch was coming and wanted to speak with her. He needn’t make such a fuss, she was fine. Alexis was just acting out, poor thing. They probably have a lot in common, maybe she misses her family too. Sarah was just finishing up with she makes her way over seeing her waiting as Erica heads to a elliptical machine.
(Sarah): You ok?
(Michelle): I’m fine, really.
(Sarah): I swear, I’ve had just about enough of that girl already. You’d think she would be grateful to be here, but she acts like she’s doing us a favor.
(Michelle): I’m sure she means, well. She’s probably just as nervous as we are.
(Sarah): Umm, No! That little heffa…
Michelle gets a confused look on her face that Sarah is very familiar with by now and feels the need to explain.
(Sarah): No, not like the cow…like…well you’d freak if I said the B-word…so…anyway…she knows exactly what she’s doing. She might as well hold her leg up and pisses, she’s trying to mark what she thinks is her territory. She’s showing her ass, and she has another thing coming if she thinks we’re going to keep letting this crap slide.
(Michelle): I don’t want to cause any trouble.
(Sarah): Michelle, we’ve talked about this. You can’t be this naïve with people. Maybe she’ll turn out to be nice, but she hasn’t done anything since she stuck her nose in our match at Havoc that suggests she’s out for nothing more than herself.
(Michelle): Maybe she just needs a friend.
(Sarah): Maybe she just needs her ass kicked.
Michelle seems torn, and not to press here further Sarah changes the subject.
(Sarah): So what did Sean say? When we walked away you were about as red as Valentines Day candy.
(Michelle): Nonsense, I was not.
(Sarah): Girl, who you playin? Just get to know each other is all I’m saying.
(Michelle): I don’t know. He asked me out, for lunch or coffee, “or something.”
(Sarah): That’s great, see I knew you two had some sparks.
(Michelle): I don’t even know what “or something” is!
Sarah laughs causing Michelle to giggle. Sarah thought how good it was to see her laugh and smile, she could be a little too reserved at times.
(Sarah): It just means, whatever…like you could go for lunch, or go for coffee, or go for a walk…just whatever…he doesn’t mind as long as you just hang out together.
(Michelle): Well in that case maybe he’ll come to bible study with me, he could get to know me that way…that’s “whatever” isn’t it?
(Sarah): Lord girl, do you want him to run in the opposite direction? He wants to get to know you, not Jesus. Well…I don’t mean that he doesn’t want to know Jesus…I mean he’d just like to spend time with you where you can sit and chat together, or walk.
(Michelle): He said he’s never dated anybody. Remember his accident? I guess he didn’t have a girlfriend before.
(Sarah): Look, Sean is a nice guy. He’s cute and he seems to be into you, and you know like him too.
Color fills Michelle’s face as she blushes. Turning her head to the side a little embarrassed.
(Michelle): I do like him, but what if he doesn’t like me, or what if I don’t like him once we start getting to know each other.
(Sarah): That’s what dating is, no one is going to guarantee that you’ll like each other in the end in that way, but at least you can still be friends.
(Michelle): This is just…this is a lot. We had such a great match at Havoc, then Alexis pops up, now I have this…thing, and seeing Sean in a new light. I’m looking forward to next Havoc and its just a lot all at one time.
(Sarah): This is what we signed on for. Sensei told is about this, Butch and Wisdom from day one of that CBS deal has been on us about what to expect. Like it or not our faces are all over the globe. Did you hear we start touring at next Havoc? I heard Wisdom was going to make announcement soon….we’re going to Chicago.
(Michelle): Chicago? That should be fun, I always wanted to try some of the pizza I saw on tv. I remember when I was a little girl we were watching something on tv and I saw one. I asked my mom if we could get one and my dad scoffed. Mom said that the “devil made those pizzas and put blood on the top which is why we couldn’t see any cheese or toppings.”
Michelle bursts out in laughter shaking her head. Michelle smiles gingerly.
(Michelle): I was little, I didn’t know any better. I guess it was my folks way of having us not want some things. I certainly didn’t want any of that deep dish pizza anymore. At least not until I was older and realized there was no such thing as evil devil pizza.
(Sarah): Well, we’ll definitely go get some when we get to Chicago. Even better, maybe Sean will take you out for pizza?
(Michelle): Oh my goodness. I couldn’t eat that in front of him. I would make a mess of myself.
(Sarah): I don’t think he’d care, besides it would be cute to enjoy that first experience with him….the pizza I mean.
(Michelle): I don’t know…maybe…we’ll see.
Sarah walks away briefly going over to one of the treatment stations and brings back an ice pack. She puts it on Michell’s shoulder blade near her neck.
(Sarah): Here, this will help a little, switch to a heat pack when you get home.
Michelle nods.
(Sarah): Alright, the boss is probably on his way and he doesn’t need to know I’m an inch away from kicking his new recruit right out the door. I better go occupy myself before he reads me.
Michelle gives Sarah a little hug and she heads back off heading downstairs where the track is, for her last round of cardio. She looks over at one of the monitors and see’s the new Funko Pop commercial for the HWA New Blood Series. She smiles seeing her model alongside her friends Matt, Sarah, Jeremy and can’t help but notice that Sean’s is right beside hers. She blushes again as the scene fades to black.
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