In the parking lot outside of her cheap motel is PJ Blake; frantically pacing from one end to the other, occasionally stopping to chew on her cuticles.

She has been this way since discovering she would be in a tag team match with Autumn Raven, but not just any ordinary tag team match like the others.  This time she will be responsible for either winning and becoming number one contender for the tag team titles or losing!

A cherry red Camero pulls up, a decent distance away from PJ and Nikki Cooper gets out of the passenger seat.  The Camero speeds off and Nikki starts to approach the frantic, very nervous looking PJ Blake.

"Well, aren't you a mess and a half."

Stopping, PJ turns to face Nikki.

"Huh?"

She says, confused, but then shakes her head.

"Oh hey, Nikki."

With a smile, Nikki lets out a sigh.  She approaches PJ, placing an arm around her shoulders and starts walking her away from the hotel to a nice little bar where the two grab a table and two drinks are brought to them.

"Now, why don't you tell good ole Nikki what has your knickers so twisted because you know there were cops waiting to take you in thinking you were on something."

PJ downs whatever drink is in front of her and runs her hands up over her face.  Nikki just stares at PJ, her eyes wide with amazement because PJ doesn't really down shots like that.

"Well, then... must be serious."

PJ's arms drop to the table and she stares at Nikki.

"This isn't good, Nikki."

"What isn't good?"

"I cannot believe this is happening... almost like-"

PJ sets back in her seat and starts muttering to herself.  Nikki orders a few more drinks for the table after downing the one brought for her.

"I can't, I just-"

Nikki stands up and slaps PJ across the face, drawing the eyes of everyone in the bar.  Nikki takes a look around and gives them a shrug.

"Mind yer business!  The girl is goin' through something!"

Nikki sits back down and grabs the one hand of PJ's that is still on the table and not holding the slapped side of her face.

"It's going to happen again, Nikki."

PJ pulls her hands back and covers her face with both hands, beginning to sob.  Nikki joins PJ on her side of the table and places an arm around her.

"She's going to do it again, I just know it."

Nikki sighs, continuing to console her associate / friend, who eventually is able to begin spilling her guts.

*** Seattle Washington [Years Ago] ***

Thomas "Drummer" Dragonali is standing ringside, watching two girls go back and forth, ready to take the other's head off, and he is holding a Singapore Cane in his left-hand.

"You two need to calm down, because you really do not want me getting in there and making you!"

The girls back up into opposite corners and quickly meet in the middle of the ring with a very aggressive tie-up.  Thomas slides into the ring and whacks them both in the head with his Singapore Cane.

"I don't know which one of you peed in the other's cheerios, but you will not be attemptin' to murder one another in MY ring because I don't want to pay to have the blood cleaned out of the damn canvas!"

PJ and this other girl pull themselves up to their feet.

"Now shake each other's fucking hand and go get cleaned up.  You smell like sweaty shit."

The two girls roll out of the ring and head to the locker room to get cleaned up.

*** Tavern [Present] ***

"So who is the girl?"

"Someone who hated me and for awhile brought out a side of me that I was not proud of."

Nikki lifts her head and lowers her head, slowly.

"Ah."

"Thomas saw something in both of us and he rode us a lot harder than his other students."

*** Seattle, Washington [years ago] ***

PJ arrives at a show just outside of Portland, Oregon.  She finds a corner and starts getting ready for whatever she has to do for the show.  A man in a suit approaches her wearing a headset and carrying a clipboard.

"Priscilla-Jasmine Blake."

Standing straight up, she freezes at the sound of that voice.  She slowly turns and then springs into a hug of this suited man.

"Ganky!"

"Quiet down, you don't see anyone else hugging the promoter do you... or calling him 'Ganky'?"

PJ pulls back and regains her composure / professionalism.

"You're right, G- Mr. Ransolver.  So, what do you got for me tonight?"

Derek turns and holds up the cllipboard.

"Well, after talking with your trainer, I was thinking that maybe starting you off here with a tag team match would be best."

"Cool, who is my-"

PJ's eyes catches the name on Derek's clipboard.

"You don't want-"

Derek nods his head.

"I- no- we do, Priscilla.  He also insisted I call you by your first name so you know just how serious we are."

"She hates me!"

"Well, the two of you better find a way to work that out because you are in a tag team match tonight.  Now, she already knows so I suggest you find her and try to workout some sort of strategy or agree to a cease fire."

PJ lets out a sigh.

"Okay, will do, Ganky!"

"Yeah, that's about right... good luck, Prissy."

Derek heads off, leaving PJ to get ready and do her thing before her match.

*** Tavern [Present] ***

"So did you two manage to work together or what?!"

PJ nods her head.

"Yeah, we were both professional and managed to get through the night.  We even won the match.  The crowd was behind us and for awhile we were a package deal.  I dare say we were even becoming-"

Nikki nods her head.

"Yeah, you two were becoming friends.  Thomas is a smart man with great instincts."

"We were even sharing motel expenses or saying one of us would get the room and the other would handle food."

"So what, she turned on you and made you swear off being in a tag team with anyone specific?"

PJ lets out a sigh.

"It's my fault really."

Nikki raises an eyebrow, intrigued.

*** Seattle, Washington [Years Ago] ***

"Lexi, I think Brenda Dragonali wants to talk about bringing us into the UWF for her tag team division."

"Oh girl, I'm there!  I met her once, she seems like a cool person to work for."

"Imagine being Thomas Dragonali's daughter."

"I will take my life... maybe yours, Ms. Wealthy Parents."

Fidgeting, PJ now feels slightly uncomfortable.

"Girl, are you still on the outs with your mom and dad?!"

Lexie springs up to her knees and pushes her friend.

"We are doing so good, they would be proud of you!"

PJ curls up, keeping her back turned from Lexie; really not liking this topic.

"My mom and dad were worried too and tried talking me out of this career path, but we still keep in touch and they are very proud of how far I have come."

PJ rolls around onto her back.

"Good for you, but my mom would probably have you shipped off to Moscow the minute she found out you had anything to do with any success I have found in pro-wrestling."

"Well, that sounds like an over exaggeration."

"Wanna bet?  If I call her and bring up your name and wrestling, I guarantee something happens."

"There was a time you were certain we wouldn't be best friends, like sisters almost.  So really, what's not possible for either of us, girl?"

PJ lets out a sigh.

*** Tavern [Present] ***

PJ folds one arm over the other on the table in front of her then slowly slinks her head down within them as Nikki just rubs her far shoulder.

"So, what?  I don't get-"

PJ pushes up and just takes a couple minutes to just stare at Nikki.

"You shouldn't get it because the rest... no- I refuse to speak about any of that again.  We were best friends and I-"

She stops suddenly, dropping her face back into her arm-nest.

"Well this is the first time Marisol or I have ever even heard you mention Lexi.  So I guess the two of you had a falling out."

PJ lifts her head, her make-up running and completely ruined by her tears.

"Ask.  My.  Mother."

PJ gets up and has a seat at the bar to toss back some drinks in peace and quiet.  Marisol soon enters and sits across the table from where Nikki joined PJ, both staring over at a seemingly broken PJ Blake.

"No luck I take it?"

"Something to do with a girl named Lexi."

Nikki and Marisol turn to face one another, a couple drafts brought over for them.

"That is all?"

"The two of them used to hate each other, then they were a great tag tream, and eventuall both a great tag team and best friends who shared the expenses.  She stopped after that point.  I guess it got too painful for her to think about, let alone talk about."

Marisol sighs.

"So we need to find this girl for the rest of the story then."

Nikki shakes her lowered head.

"Oh, you don't think so?  What would you have us do to help our new friend?"

Nikki picks up the glass in front of her and has a nice, long drink.

"I doubt finding the girl would accomplish much.  The last thing PJ told me was to ask her mother."

Marisol takes up the glass in front of her and takes a nice, long drink.

"I take it you know something, Marsy?"

"You could say that."

"Care to share?"

"PJ's parents are not supportive of her life choices, to get directly to the point."

"She has a tag team match coming up at Genesis."

"Then we-"

Stopping mid-speech, Marisol takes a look around for whatever reason.

"What's wrong, Marsy?"

"PJ is gone!"

Marisol and Nikki get up, leaving enough money to cover the beers before taking their leave to be confronted by some guy and PJ heading towards a creepy cargo van.

*** Seattle, Washington [Years Ago] ***

PJ is sat on a metal folding chair, taping her wrists up and making sure both are nice and tight, soon joined by Lexi.

"Hey girl, you ready for tonight?"

Seeming distracted, Lexi responds.

"What?  Oh- yeah!  Definitely ready for tonight."

PJ stands up and folds one arm over the other.

"What's wrong?"

Lexi shifts her eyes.

"With me? Nothing!  Why?  What have you heard?!"

"I have heard nothing, you're just acting funny, girl!"

"Oh, yeah- right- I'm just nervous about our match tonight.  This could be that big break we're both looking for and it's just-"

"It's major, that's for sure!  So I get where you're coming from, but we got this!"

"Yeah- we definitely shou- do have this!"

Lexi clings on after pulling PJ in with a hug.

"I love you P-Jizzy!  Just remember that!"

PJ hugs Lexi back, even more confused.

*** November 27, 2019 [Albuquerque, New Mexico] ***

"You took the payoff, didn't you?"

Marisol Fuller's voice whispers through the kitchen to a woman drying several dishes.  She drops the plate in her hands and doesn't even react as he falls and crashes against the floor.

"You don't know what you're talking about."

The woman says, collecting a broom and dustpan to clean up the mess.

"Maybe not, but what you did is still messing with someone that at one point you grew to absolutely adore and cherish."

The woman proceeds to clean up the shattered pieces of the plate.

"Just tell me why, nobody has to know I was here."

"I... I can't."

Marisol shrugs and then moves in, quickly having a knife to this woman's throat.

"Your precious life ends in one way or another, Lexi."

"I really... I can't!"

Lexie says with panic in her voice.

"PJ's mother, you- why?"

Marisol shoves Lexi forward and tucks away her little knife.

"Listen, all I can tell you is that it's the biggest regret of my life, but what's done is done!  I should have listened to PJ and just butted out."

Marisol lets out a sigh and turns to browse through Lexi's refrigerator.  Marisl pops a beer off the top of the refrigerator door and takes a drink.

"Help yourself."

"Thanks, all of this bullshit makes a girl thirsty."

Lexi lets out a sigh and starts stacking already stacked papers on the table near her.

"Listen, did Prissy send you?  Is she still upset?  I really am sorry, but-"

Marisol shakes her head.

"I just want answers because I want to help her move on.  Whatever happened between the two of you, I wouldn't care if not for it affecting her today."

"Is she still wrestling?"

Lexi says, sounding surprised.

"Yes, your former best friend managed to pick herself up and carry on doing the thing that she loves more than anything, but again, whatever went down between the two of you seems to be threatening that."

"I can't- her mother would-"

Marisol walks over to the table and has herself a seat; putting her feed up on the table and having another sip from the bottle in her hand.

"Do I look like I give a damn about her mother?"

"You should!"

"Try me."

"I can't!  I say one word about anything and my life is over!"

Marisol shrugs, enjoying a little more beer.

"I held a knife to your throat, clearly your life is at stake regardless."

"I love PJ, whoever you are-"

"A friend."

"Whatever, it broke my heart to just leave after we were offered a tag team contract.  We would have been so great, but you obviously know something about our girl.  What do you think it would do to her if I wasn't the bad person?  She already is on the outs with her parents-

"Now she's on the outs with her alleged best friend, who from what I can tell, took a check and sold her out."

Lexi shakes her head.

"It's not true."

Marisol stands up, quickly.  Lexi jumps, but all Marisol does is leave and hop in the driver's seat of some junky looking sedan without a license plate.  Marisol pulls out onto the road and speeds off, while also dialing up someone on her phone.

"Hey Nikki, it's Marisol.  No luck with Lexi.  She is beyond scared to utter a single thing."

*** Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ***

The door swings open and there stands Nikki and PJ.  Nikki helps PJ over to the bed and grabs the bedding to cover her.

"Leave us."

Nikki shrugs and lets herself out of the motel room, making sure the door closes behind her.

"Heh, never thought I would have to do this.  I actually thought you would go home because your mom was just so damn convincing."

She says after standing up and walking around to sit next to where she is laying on the bed.

"When you're ready we can-"

"Lexi- Lexi-"

Lexie takes her old friend's hand into both of hers.

"I-"

"Why did y-"

PJ rolls on her side away from Lexi, completely passing out.  Lexi lets out a sigh and makes sure her friend is comfortable.

*** Hours Later ***

After sleeping off whatever she was tossing back at the bar, PJ Blake sits up in bed and stretches out her arms and arches her back; hearing cracking noises and feeling better for the stretching.

"About time."

PJ's eyes widen and she completely freezes at the sound of Lexi's voice.

"Hey there, Prissy."

PJ pulls herself from her motel room bed and walks into the bathroom.

"I know, I deserve a lot worse, but can we-"

PJ talks from the bathroom.

"I dunno how you found me, but you can go back to wherever you came from."

Lexi walks over to the bathroom, the door promptly slammed on her.

"I just wanted to say, don't let our falling out affect your future tag team relationships.  I heard you had something come up.  I'm glad you're-"

The shower turns on and Lexi closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before letting herself out.  PJ opens the bathroom door to make sure her old friend has truly left, clearly using the shower to drown out the sound of her voice and get across her "go away" message.

*** V.Log ***

"The past couple of weeks have been... trying... shall we please keep it as simple as that?"

"Autumn, you deserve to know the truth because you're in this with me.  The truth is, I was in a tag team a few years back and things didn't turn out.  She hated me, I just tried to survive her, and then we became best friends.  You deserve to know why we haven't gotten together and talked over this match.  You deserve to know my reluctance after you came down to that ring and our 'tag team' was known to the world."

"Then this match was announced."

"We ran the western and northwestern scene for months.  Honestly, I believe my run with my old partner is half the reason I was offered a contract with CWF.  So, in an attempt to avoid all of the drams, let's just say my mother got involved and I had to pretty much start over.  Thomas was right though, the guy who trained me.  He had an instinct and it was right.  That fact makes all of this hurt so much more."

"We are a tag team though and you see what I have done thus far since coming to the CWF.  I am not the same, naive girl.  This is all on me and maybe I shouldn't be telling you, but here I am rambling on, doing it anyway because that's just the kind of person I am.  Transparency is kinda my thing, comes with that whole honesty thing, but that is why I have been holed up and downright distant since the announcement of this tag team number one contenders match we have been booked in."

"I will hold up my end of this tag team though because you are not Lexi.  You are not the girl who turned her back on me for some big payday."

"Ariel Shadows and Konrad Raab will not know what hit them when the two of us hit that ring and take them to their absolute limits!  Just look at what we put each other through each and every single time we step inside the ring AGAINST one another!  Now we are combining our skills, which shouldn't be too difficult because we have a few matches under our belt with one another."

"We are as good as the new number one contenders and whoever walks away with the CWF Tag Team Championships better be on the look out because you and I, Autumn Raven, are the two they WILL BE facing off against."

"I got your back and I will put my trust in you."

"You are not Lexi and history will not repeat itself."

"So let's go in there and make our match the best on the entire card.  Let's take Ariel and Konrad to a whole new level in the process of becoming the number one contenders to the tag team championships."

"Let's do this!"

~Fin.