Dakota POV

It was a nice day when I woke up the next morning, unlike the somewhat droll and dry weather last night. My eyes hurt a little and produced a few light tears when I opened my shade to see the sun beaming into my room.

Dakota: "God, isn't that a sight for sore eyes."

I rub them ever so gently as I look away and see all my clothes just plopped onto my floor. With my shirt upside down and my pants and underwear laying next to a chair in the corner.

Dakota: "Yep, that looks like a me thing to do."

My feet drag me to my closet as I toss some clothes on to see if they matched. Needless to say, they didn't.

Dakota: "Welp....in for a penny."

My phone rings as I look and see it's from Tegan. I pick up and she immediately screamed into the phone. It frightened me at first and almost broke my left ear drum.

Tegan: "RISE AND SHINE SLEEPYHEAD! YOU UP AND ABOUT YET????"

Dakota: "No. I got a noise complaint from someone saying they heard a very loud person shouting during a call."

Tegan: "You're such a puss!"

Dakota: "Puss? What about you? Are you even ready?"

Tegan: "I......am driving.........right now...."

At this point, I knew she was bullshitting me, it was just a matter of when she would admit that she was lying.

Dakota: "Ahh, fuck, guess I got to get going to eh?"

Tegan: "Absolutely. In fact, I'll come by and pick you up."

Dakota: "You sure?"

Tegan: "It's fine. Just a few minutes. I got plenty of time to kill."

As I talked to her, I ran down the stairs and ran out the door and went into my car.

Dakota: "Ok then. I'll just wait right outside. See ya in a few minutes."

My thumb taps the hang up button as I drive towards Tegan's house.

Tegan POV

Tegan: "B-Bye? That's weird. She hung up pretty quickly. Maybe she's just eager to get out there."

My hands tap the wheel while watching the red light not turn green.

Tegan: "I'm telling ya man, every third blink is slower."

The 90s weren't good to me were they? They were, but maybe too abrupt. And wonky at the same time.

Johnny POV

The clock struck 8:00 and I heard a clicking sound coming from keys shifting inside a lock. The doors to the performance center were open. Candice walked in before me, she wanted mainly to get in and get started early. But I still remained curious as to why she would act so quickly.

Johnny: "Honey, something wrong? You're moving a lot quicker than usual. Need to get something done or what?"

At first, she ignored me, not saying a word, and just kept walking, so I repeated myself. She finally answered, I knew she was going to to since she turned her head acknowledging that I said that.

Candice: "Nothing. Just getting prepped is all. Why ask?"

Johnny: "Just curious is all."

Candice: "Fair enough."

(M/n) POV

My clock kept ringing and ringing nonstop. As it all echoed back at me. I cover my ears not out of pain but of annoyance and anger.

(M/n): "Alright fine! Shut up alarm clock!"

I push down on the button as to not break it and then I toss the sheets back over my head. Then I feel myself drift into sleep again.

(M/n): "Peace and quiet. Gotta love it."

...

...

...

.....I feel like I'm forgetting something.....ahh, it's alright. Must be noting important for me to focus on.

...

...

.................

...

(M/n): "CRAP! I HAVE TO BE AT THE PERFORMANCE CENTER BY 10:30!!!!! NO TIME MUST GO NOW!!!!"

Dakota POV

I arrive at Tegan's house as I grin like a supervillain when he captures the hero as I pull out my phone and call her. Then a click and a hello came as I let her have it.

Dakota: "Hey numb nuts, time to get out of there. I am sitting out here for ya."

Tegan: "What are you talking about? I'm waiting outside YOUR home right now!"

Dakota: "You were SERIOUS?"

Tegan: "Yeah!"

Dakota: "Well why did you sound so....sarcastic or like you were lying?"

Tegan: "I was on the road! Trying to avoid traffic, you know like a normal person would do!"

Dakota: "You suck."

Tegan: "You're a jerk."

Candice POV

The time read 8:16 while more and more started to slide in. Many of whom looked tired and decrepit. Including Indi, she was one of the worst looking ones in my opinions. Her baggy eyes, her constant yawning and her wavy hair looked like stitched up mess.

Indi: "Why don't you look horrible this morning?"

Candice: "Because I am very concerned with how I look when I wake up."

Indi: "How?"

Candice: "It's not hard. In fact, you get used to it as soon as it starts."

*DOORS OPEN*

The doors flung ajar, revealing (M/n). Who resembled a zombie straight out of a grave to a T. With him pulling his eyelids open and seeing his glaring red eyes.

(M/n): "What time is it?"

Candice: "8:18. I assume that you just got here because you had something important around this time?"

He nods bowing down looking at his toes. I felt slightly bad but he would recover. I knew he would.

???: "Hey, hey, hey, guess who is back? It's you again (M/n)!"

The woman of green hair and extreme stunts and tanks arrive next to me on my left. Shotzi smiled as she then made an eugh sound while smacking the new kid across the face a few times much to his "delight".

Shotzi: "Geez man, you must've not gotten a whole lot of sleep last night. Poor guy."

(M/n): "I'll live."

Shotzi: "Living is the best you can muster? Look at you, you're a mess!"

(M/n): "Why are you so concerned?"

Shotzi: "Because, I can't have everyone in a bad mood all the time! Come here! I'll help get you back up into a ready to take on anything personality!"

The Filipino woman leads (M/n) to a nearby bathroom to aid in getting him un tired. Johnny walked back to us shortly after this giving us a odd look not knowing of what happened with Shotzi.

Johnny: "You two look like I just missed something important.............What?"

(M/n) POV

(M/n): "You know you don't have to help me right?"

Shotzi: "You currently look like you're both dead inside and out. So I plan on changing that!"

I roll my eyes as she smacks me in the face a few more times while splashing water on me as well.

(M/n): "Ok. Now you are just making a mess everywhere."

Shotzi: "Shut up I'm trying over here! Please let the artist work on her art!"

Dakota POV

Dakota: "You did one thing! One thing! Where you should have at least ACTUALLY told me!"

Tegan: "What did you want me to do? Drive out in the middle of the open and potentially get either killed, injured, or arrested!"

Dakota: "Neither of them. Because I would have heard it, plus you drive to slow."

Tegan: "Hey let's not point fingers at people who like to stroll!"

Dakota: "Yeah more like a snails pace if ask me."

Tegan quivers her lip a little and opening the doors for both herself and me. Most of the people in the center were already beginning to work out. It was quite strange but I ignored it. Not really paying attention to my surroundings, as I laid down my bag and Tegan laid hers on top of mine just to piss me off.
She laughed behind my back as I kick hers off and continued to walk forward.

Candice: "Something up with you?"

Dakota: "Not really no."

The lavender haired woman just leaned against a treadmill cross armed and holding a half full bottle of water. On the treadmill was Candice's tag partner Indi. I saw her running at a speed of 5. A scale that went all the way up to ten. Candice chimed in that she was just warming up a little.
She said it mainly because Indi was wearing earphones and not even looking directly at us. Which if she were to look would be to her left.

Candice: "You must be in a happy mood."

Dakota: ".....Absolutely. Nothing but gumdrops and rainbows."

Tegan: "Wouldn't that be something great?"

Dakota: "Yes......Yes it would."

Me and Candice just look at Tegan with a deadpan stare. She just kept giving her version of a deadpan stare but.....stopped as she laughed at us.

Tegan: "Seriously, isn't it supposed to be something great?"

(M/n) POV

(M/n): "So......how was it for you when you debuted?"

Shotzi: "It was pretty good I guess. Maybe a little nerve racking but you get used to it."

Shotzi meticulously combed my hair with me almost being like I'm at the barber all over again, the only thing I was missing was a chair, even more awkwardness and my mother wishing I had gotten my hair to be even shorter. My mind began to change about Shotzi though, originally, I just thought she was cool chick but that later changed to a little annoying and now back to cool. It was a bit of a stretch to call her an acquaintance but to be fair, I have only actually known her for just a few minutes.

(M/n): "I get that. Say, maybe this wasn't a bad idea. Plus you remind me a lot of a barber I once had when I was just wee little child."

Shotzi: "Aww how sweet! All I'm doin is the stuff I usually do. Go balls deep!"

(M/n): "That's a party foul."

Shotzi: "Nope! Never was!"

She rubbed my hair while pulling my eyes open again and splashing me.

Shotzi: "You still don't look all that awake in there."

(M/n): "I'm trying in here."

Shotzi: "You're not trying hard enough is what it looks like to me."

(M/n): "I'll keep it up though. Mainly to almost be like you. Maybe I could be your male counterpart."

Shotzi giggled in an actually cute way. I didn't know how to react to that. I was taken aback by that sudden voice change. The ballsy badass knew what I was thinking and immediately switched the subject to something else.

Shotzi: "So, um.....nice weather?"

(M/n): "Yes....yes it is."

The awkwardness grew more again. No longer feeling natural between the two of us. Despite how much I actually wanted to try and spark a conversation with her, at the time, I knew better than that. With her, it was different, there was just some kind of magnetic presence about her that drew me in to speak with her more.
So I did, and to tell the truth, I grew more fond of her, cause I know, that deep down, when people share some awkward moments more than positive moments. It makes those positive moments all the sweeter. Especially knowing, of how I remembered those awkward moments more looking back.

(M/n): "Nice shirt. Where did you get it?"

Shotzi: "Just a thrift store. I can point you there later."

(M/n): "Sure. Once I get my vignette finished, maybe we could do that."

Shotzi: "That'd be great."

Shotzi smiled, a more genuine smile than a lot of the other people I have met. I even crack one too. Looking at her shirt and laughing, seeing the mostly violent design of Slayer.

(M/n): "You must be a fan. Just like me."

Shotzi: "Yep. Been one ever since I was a child."

She slaps my face from side to side as she now sees my eyes are clearer and less bloodshot. I felt more confident than usual. Mainly because I had a new respect for a wrestler and for a woman who I grew to appreciate as she did with me.

Shotzi: "I think you're ready."

I was......but after this, sadly, this was the moment everything changed. For better......

.....and for worse.

TO BE CONTINUED IN CHAPTER 5......

Update- Sorry if the chapter was a little off trajectory. If you enjoyed it please let me know. Comment and upvote if you want. But please comment so that way I can hear your thoughts. Thx.

-Memey45