"You were that broke once?"

"Uh-huh. The only thing keeping me going was my determination, heart, and a torn poster of Dominique Wilkins."

"Big fan of his?"

"Kind of.......Prayed to it a couple of times....But only because I was real desperate...."

———

"I just want things to be right please.....!"

16 year old me with that dreadful bowl cut hair and facial hair that would look better on a staunch, brash, 40 year old man in prison than some meek minded prepubescent teen complete with the scratchy, voice cracks. Down on my knees praying to a poster of Dominique Wilkins going to leap at the hoop.

"I have always believed in you!"

"(M/n)! Would you stop talking to that fucking poster??????!?!?!?"

"Shut up Axel!!!!!!!"

———

"Those were the old days...."

"Good old days?"

"Eh kind of.........My best days would be the ones where I rode a dirt bike through an open field then crashed and scraped my knee."

"I...........Can't tell if you're being sarcastic or not..."

"Both....."

"Great......."

"What about you? Had any best days once?"

"Too many........First time I rode a bike, I was 8 and at no point did I completely fall off the bike but I did crash into a phone pole and hit my head."

"Jeez.....That doesn't sound fun...."

"Yeah no....It stung more than it hurt......But that bruise was on my head for maybe another week after that before it started to go away."

      As me and Roxanne took a walk over to the Performance Center, I heard this faint yell behind me, my head tilted down as Roxanne says to me in confusion,

"Something wrong?"

"Yo (M/n)......What you doing bro??????"

"That is what's wrong Roxanne...."

Gary and Axel, my two friends now coming up to us, with Axel being Axel by wearing a SnapBack.

"Hey best buddy......Doing great....Fantastic and look who we got here!"

Gary just pointing at Roxanne as Axel got close to say,

"For the record, big fan of your work by the way...."

"Uh thanks?"

"Don't mention it....Anyways, what is up (M/n)? You doing good? Feeling good? What have you been doing?"

"Not much.....Just been having a chat with Roxanne......"

"About what?"

Roxanne chimed in to answer Gary's question for me,

"Just a little bit of our past.......Mostly about some accidents we had...."

Axel then decided to speak up and respond to Roxanne,

"My dad said I was an accident! Been a while since I've seen him............"

We all went silent after Axel's comment.

"What? That's what he told me......Is there something wrong?"

Leaning next to Gary, I ask him,

"Oh boy, should we tell him?"

"No, leave him be for now."

"Also why are you here?"

"Bored....Alyssa hasn't called me back yet so I just decided to hang out with Axel and you, but clearly looks like you're preoccupied....."

"I am........So uh......"

"What? You want me to go somewhere else?"

"Please......."

Gary looks at me just thinking about it, looking at Roxanne, then he just laughs.

"You remind me of me man......Ok......I got you...."

"Thanks bro...."

He and I fist bump as he leads Axel away from me and Roxanne.

"Well those two are quite interesting....."

"They're my friends alright.......Got any group like mine?"

"Similar.......But probably not as.....Fascinating as yours......"

"You still got some friends that you love......That's what matters."

"Indeed....."

"So.....What do you think we should do on this fine Thursday afternoon?"

"You wanna just loosen up the joints?"

"Sure.......Wouldn't hurt to move this body more...."

"You sound like you don't do that much."

"I do just acting old...."

"You're not old!"

"How would you know? How old do you think I am?"

"Early 20s."

"God damnit yep. 24."

"See you're fine. Both of us got mileage....."

"Good amount of mileage.....Even if my knees feel fucked when I go to bed...."

"Sheesh......How long has that been going on for ya.....?"

"Since I turned 21......Annoying as hell......"

"Well.....Then let's get you up to strength!"

———

      "Getting me up to strength" is a cute way of putting it, with Roxanne encouraging me like I'm Rocky about to fight Creed at the end of Rocky. I can even hear the motivational music, all I need  to do now is run up some stairs then jump up and down repeatedly. Aside from her, I held together well while I benched 75 pounds for 30 seconds.
      The feeling in my muscles, it gets my blood flowing, my palms callous and dry, and my biceps ripping themselves apart from the inside. After those reps, Roxanne decided to do some of her own, doing 50 pounds for 45 seconds. Raising up the bar then letting out an exhale, Roxanne looked determined, I was right there behind her, ready to help her if she needed me to. We continued on arms exercises for several more reps.
With our arms now tired and not wanting to be lifted anymore than slightly above our shoulders, we had sat down on a bench, my head having sweat falling down my face.

"You tired now?"

"Getting there....."

"Really?"

"No just.......Saying it....."

"Oh......"

      There goes the silence between us. It always seems to appear like this at late times.

"So you think you're gonna be brought up to NXT or?"

"Probably gonna be down at NXT. New guy, don't really have that name value compared to other guys like Cody."

"He returned. Not really a debut."

"I suppose but, that was the debut of The American Nightmare Cody Rhodes, no longer Dashing Cody Rhodes, Disfigured Cody Rhodes, Pedo Stash Cody Rhodes, or even Stardust."

"I'd say he looked more like an 80's pornstar than that."

"I guess so......."

"I see your point, but there is a possibility to be on other brands......! You and your friends could branch out!"

"Branch out? Being put on separate brands? Just imagine, me on NXT, Gary goes to Smackdown, and Axel goes to RAW. Quite a mixup for our group!"

"That would be a Superstar Shakeup!"

"........"

"Ya get it?"

      I get it......Referencing that god awful decision from back in 2019. Remember Lars Sullivan?

".....I get it.....I don't like it.....But I get it......"

Nudging my arm trying to get a laugh out of me, I just stick my tongue out at her.

"Bleh......"

"Worth a shot.....When would they ask you?"

"I don't know yet.....Maybe it'll be a call...A text.....Or I just go by the office to ask and then they'll set me up.......How did you come up?"

"Trained for about a week......Then did some vignettes before having a few televised matches in front of a crowd....."

"Sounds very formulaic....."

"It is.........But it can be fun too....."

"Fun how?"

"The people you meet....It is pretty cool...."

Roxanne puts her right hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah?"

"Nothing.....Just wanted to....."

      She brought me closer to her by pulling me in, mainly by pushing on my right arm with her hand as our heads bumped together. Then out of the blue, I asked Roxanne a simple but also very out of left field question,

"You ok?"

"Yeah I'm fine......Why?"

"Just.....Thinking about everything........."

———

"Hey bud......You ever had to just think about your past?"

"The hell? Why you gotta get so philosophical on me Drake?"

"I'm not! Just had these thoughts on my mind for a while.......Makes me think hard about my life and why I'm here....."

"Must be good......"

      Me and Drake just sitting out by a small lake, the sun directly above us, the blue sky having the nicest warm tint for a cool color, and the clouds were small and spread out. I stood up tossing a rock up into the air before catching it, doing it over and over again. Then as I stood there, Drake just gets onto his back, lying on the short grass.

"You ok?"

"Nobody knows (M/n)....."

"Huh?"

"Nobody knows the weight on my shoulders.....The thoughts in my head....Sometimes I wonder.....Can I do this?"

"Buddy.........I'm right here if you ever need help......"

"It's not that easy.........Just thinking about everything in my life.....From Gary...To you....To Daria.....One day....I hope her and I can have a big wedding....."

"Are you gonna wear your orange suit?"

"You know it!"

———

"Are you still thinking?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I zoned out......"

"You seem to do that a lot....."

"That a bad thing?"

"Not at all.......I have those little moments too....."

"What gets you thinking?"

"Music.....Food......TV Shows......"

"Sounds a lot like me......"

I ask if I could wrap my arm around her, she says yes as I pull her closer to her.......Then I realized,

"Wait........We're still sweaty........That doesn't make me happy......"

"It doesn't?"

"You bothered?"

"Not at all....Adds character when we're both like this....."

"Suuurreee it does......."

"Are you bothered by this?"

      I nodded to Roxanne, expressing my opinion on this.

"Well, why not take a shower?"

"Might as well head back to do it......"

"Wanna do it together?"

"..........If there was ever a time where I said no....I would please ask for you to slap me across the face and tell me, 'what is wrong with you?'."

"Says a lot...."

"Says a lot about what?"

"Just you......Let's me know more about you......."

"You not admire that about me?"

"It's charming......In an odd way....But I find it charming regardless....."

"Thanks....."

"Well.....The shower's not gonna get any hotter! Let's get a move on!"

———

"Axel......Yo Axel!"

"What? What?"

"What if you and I eventually convinced Barry to come back to the States?"

"Once his contract runs out?"

"Yep. That way.....We could form DOTU in the WWE. It would be phenomenal."

"Yeah for us.....Next thing you know.....We'll have an awful looking T-Shirt like The Corre."

"I'll be your End Of Days~!"

"A Musical Masterpiece.....Baron Corbin has got good taste....."

"Not even remotely the same theme song...."

"I know....It's called 'I Bring The Darkness (End Of Days)' not just End Of Days."

"The End Of Days is an Underrated Finisher by the way....."

"Indeed. Protect Your Finish."

"Who's got the best finish?"

"Damn.........I'm a bit of a basic guy.........Clothesline From Hell....."

"He hit people so stiff tho......I like it......."

"What about yours?"

"Stunner......Classic....."

"Johnny Ace's was amazing....."

"What? No!"

"I'm just teasing ya man! Of course, Stunning Steve's Stun Gun was the best!"

"Maybe you should just stop."

"I will once I get done with this cheeseburger...."

"You've been staring at it for five minutes....It will get cold and shitty by the time you start chowing down."

"But it's so beautiful! I don't want to ruin that!"

"Then take it home with you! Finish it later!"

"Jeez Gary tell us how you really feel for fuck's sake."

"Fuck you Axel......"

———

      That shower head again, water spraying down and onto me and Roxanne. I feel her nails clawing on my back delicately and deliberately.

"Don't hog all the hot water....."

"I'm not......Just........Letting it sink in for a minute....."

"One minute........"

      Roxanne leaned her head over my shoulder, placing her chin on my left shoulder to get some of the hot water on her face but also to be closer to me. Feeling her chest against my back, my body heating up not just from the hot water from the shower head but from the heat emitting from us.

"Try to cool down.....Let loose (M/n)......"

"Doing my best right now......"

"Look at who you're with though.......You don't have to be so on edge all the time....."

"Fine.........."

      Roxanne kissed my shoulder gently as I turned over to her to kiss her on the lips. We share it again as we took a long time getting out of that shower.

"Let me be there......"

"I......I love you Roxanne......."

"I love you too......."