Post by Lissie Hope on May 2, 2019 13:30:52 GMT -5
In the ear of every anarchist
Who sleeps, but doesn't dream,
We must sing, we must sing, we must sing
___________________________
“You want beer or a Pepsi?”
Lissie Hope’s head popped out from the kitchen as she prepared a bag of popcorn and some drinks. The lights were dim; only a few candles rested on the table and the full moon hung overhead, the curtains drawn and the moonlight illuminating the living room. The sporadic gusts of wind blew into the open patio door.
“I’ll take a coke, sweetie,” Estrella Luiz said from the couch. She smiled as Lissie reappeared with all of the goodies for the night. “I love your new place! This view is incredible.”
Lissie’s first order of business when her bank account grew was to lease a beautiful new condo in the heart of the city. The skyline engulfed her on one side, the Mississippi River flowed on the other. She finally decided to allow herself to live in luxury, and it was something she was never going to take for granted.
“Thanks, girlie,” Lissie said, placing the items on the table. She plopped down on the sofa next to Estrella and kicked off her shoes, grabbing the remote from the end table. The Netflix logo appeared on screen and she audibly groaned.
“What’s up?” Estrella asked.
“Fuck Sam Kidsgrove,” Lissie replied with a chuckle, and started scanning the menu. “Actually,” she said, handing the remote over to Estrella. “You’re my guest tonight. You choose.” That southern hospitality was ingrained in her blood and Estrella’s warm smile was inviting. Estrella stuffed a handful of popcorn in her mouth and reached for the control.
Lissie took a sip of her IPA and watched Estrella flipping through the menu, the glare on the screen illuminating her beautiful facial features. Lissie fiddled with her hair a little and couldn’t help but smile a bit. When she noticed Estrella’s eyes glancing over, catching Lissie looking at her, she readjusted herself on the sofa and kept her eyes on the screen this time, not noticing Estrella flip her hair over her other shoulder, the skin on her neck and shoulder peaking out from her tanktop.
“So tell me, Lis,” Estrella said. “Why don’t you start seeing someone? You can get anyone you want--”
“Not true,” she silently thought to herself.
“--and I hate seeing you alone! You have a lot to offer, girl,” she finished.
“I don’t really do ‘relationships’. People are messy,” Lissie explained. “And I don’t have the time or the patience for that shit. I’ve learned that when you let people in, it gives them free reign over your heart, and more often than not -- they break it.” Estrella nodded quietly, slowly munching on a kernel.
“I know what you mean,” Estrella said solemnly, thinking of the disastrous ending to her own relationship. “I gave Robert so many chances but he just--”
She started to tear up and popped open the top of her soda. Her quick hand movements stirred up the contents quite a bit and the fizz escaped the top just enough to dribble some out of top. The shock resulted in another rapid movement, sending more sugary goodness out on to her hand.
“Dammit, I’m sorry!” she cried out, hoping none would land on the new couch. Lissie giggled and reached for some napkins, blotting out the minimal damage.
“It’s alright! It’s just a little,” and then she turned her attention to Estrella, drying off her skin. A slight touch of their hands but a hell of a lot of electricity. Lissie caught herself and handed her the paper towel instead. “Let’s just watch a movie.”
Mid-movie
“Michael Pitt is a beautiful man, good lord,” Estrella said, fanning herself a little. Lissie giggled and nodded her head, taking another sip of her IPA. She was starting to feel a little tingly with the alcohol and the sexual nature of the film. Estrella had switched over to bourbon and cokes and was starting to feel just as loose. “Just can’t take my eyes off of him!”
“I know the feeling,” Lissie said, gazing at the other end of the coach. She quickly shook it from herself.
“What’s that girl’s name? She’s gorgeous, too,” Estrella asked, remembering that Lissie played for that team.
“Eva Green,” she answered. “Estrella Luiz,” she secretly told herself.
“What a fantasy, right? I mean, going to a new country, meeting this totally sexy couple, having these exotic experiences. Ugh! So hot,” Estrella admitted, grabbing a hold of the blanket and bringing up to her neck. “What I wouldn’t give to have that kind of freedom in my sexuality!”
“I get it,” Lissie agreed. “But you do know they’re brother and sister, right? It’s kind of fucked up when you think about it.”
“I think the ones you have the closest connections to sometimes turn out to be your soulmates,” Estrella added, surprising even herself. Lissie readjusted in her seat and arched her back, feeling some tightness from Havoc. Estrella noticed and brought her feet up on the couch. “Here, turn around,” Estrella said, removing the blanket from Lissie. She obliged and felt Estrella’s strong fingers rubbing the small of her back. Her hands were soft, but her grip was stronger than Lissie expected.
“That feels great,” Lissie finally said, swaying her back in unison with Estrella’s fingers.
“You kicked ass at Havoc, Lis,” Estrella said, running her fingers up the arch of her back and onto her upper shoulder.
“We kicked ass,” Lissie corrected. “And we’re gonna be a hell of a team at Clash.”
It was then when Lissie felt the warm breath hovering over the back of her neck. The sensation was tickling, exciting, and the sense of urgency kicked in as she knew what was coming next.
RING
RING
RING
“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” she said quietly to herself, now realizing the two had actually passed out mid-movie and that all of the sensuality of that encounter was a figment of her imagination. She quietly walked to the deck, the floorboards creaking underneath. She slowly slid the glass door closed and stepped outside, cooling off with the night air.
“Dammit Robbie,” Lissie answered, reaching into her sweater and pulling out her smokes. The hiss of the first drag as she inhaled, letting it out slowly and watching it billow into the air. “It’s four in the morning,” she said, agitated about that and -- other things.
“I’m downstairs,” he replied. “Thought we’d go for a run before your photo shoot later,” he said, entirely ignorant of the fact that he interrupted that vivid dream.
“I’ll be down in ten,” she uttered before hanging up the call. She took a couple more puffs before putting it out in the ashtray. She slid back inside and into her bedroom, changing into a pair of running shorts. She fiddled with her hair in the mirror, now regretting that she didn’t doll herself up when she found out Estrella was going to visit her place.
When she reached the ground floor, Robbie was jogging in place, ready to get started.
“Sorry to wake you, sis, but you gotta get some cardio in,” he told her.
“Alright, dad,” she said sarcastically. “You know, I never asked you to get on my ass. I train every day.”
“Oh, I’m sure of it,” he replied. “But you know who kept you in line all these years, never letting you skip a workout,” he added. “And now look at you. You were a pretty awesome investment, if I may say so myself.”
“What are you talking about? I didn’t even come close to winning Havoc,” she said, a little disappointment in her voice.
“Nobody expected you to win Havoc,” he corrected. “But everyone expected you to put on a damn good showing. And you did,” he said, the pride evident in his voice.
“Let’s just get this over with,” she said. “I need to get back to the condo.”
While they jogged through the downtown streets, she thought back to Havoc. Entering in the mid-thirties, lasting until nearly the 50th entry. Eliminating Kennedy Matthews. Teaming up with Estrella and giving some superstars legitimate scares with near-eliminations. She wasn’t just the ‘flavor of the month’, as many had said. She truly did have an impressive showing, and she was beginning to take her stride up the ranks in AW. It would have been a crowning achievement to walk out with the win, but even amidst the disappointment of not fulfilling it, she knew her flame was just beginning to burn. And people wouldn’t have any other choice than acknowledge it.
They jogged for a few miles, finally coming to a rest as the sun began to rise. They took a moment to catch their breath as they sat on a park bench, overlooking the Mississippi River. It was a beautiful sight, the oranges and the purples hues in the sky beginning to shine on her city.
“I’m gonna have to get back pretty soon,” she told him. “Estrella came over last night, and she was still sound asleep when I took off.”
“Oh?” he said, inquisitively. A teasing smirk appeared on his face, but she quickly punched him in the shoulder.
“Nothing happened. It’s not going to happen,” she admitted, sounding a little more defeated than she wanted. “I think we’re going to make a damn good team,” she said, trying to steer the subject into a different direction.
“When are you going to tell her how you feel?” he said, not taking the bait. “How you really feel?”
“I’m not,” she answered, annoyed. “We’ve got a good thing going, and I’m not gonna fuck it up.” A pause. "At least, not how I do everything else," she thought to herself.
“The longer you keep it internalized,” he warned. “The worse it’s going to end up. You can’t be that foolish. It’s going to come out sooner or later.” A pause. “And the longer it goes on, you being the shoulder to cry on, the platonic best friend…”
“That’s all I want, Robbie,” she said, convincing no one.
“You’re a goddamn liar.”
They sat silent for a few minutes, just taking in the heavy conversation. She knew he was right, but she didn’t want to risk their friendship and their partnership by complicating their relationship. Lissie knew that Estrella had never seen her that way and would never cross that boundary. Lissie was coming to the realization that she needed to let those feelings go. It would only end in disaster, as all of the others in her past had. That seemed to be the arc of her life. And she had no idea if it would ever end up any differently for her.
“I’m heading back in,” she finally said. “Thanks for the run. The photo shoot is at two, see ‘ya there.”
The elevator ride seemed to last forever as she watched the floor numbers ascend. She paused nervously when the door swung open, her feet felt like anchors as she attempted to walk to her door. Her hand shook as she turned the key, uneasy and unsure about what the forthcoming conversations would entail.
She opened the door to the condo, expecting to see Estrella sitting on a barstool, helping herself to a cup of coffee.
Instead, there was a note left on the table.
Hey,
Sorry I didn’t say goodbye, I had to run!
Hope those photos turn out amazing!
Last night was fun, I promise I’ll stay awake for our next movie night!
Love you bestie.
--Estie <3
Death will give us back to God
Death will give us back to God
Just like the setting sun;
Is returned to the lonesome ocean.
______________________
Kennedy Matthews had it all.
The superstar boyfriend.
The loyal best friend.
The rising profile.
The entire package.
Because of her fucking self-righteousness and over-inflated ego, she’s on the verge of losing everything she worked for. Everything she has tried to build, everything she thought she’d earned; all of her hopes and dreams; her entire reputation is hanging on by a thread. And it will all come crashing down on her due to her own shortcomings.
It would be a story anybody could empathize with, if it weren’t so goddamn deserved. And self-inflicted. And fucking hysterical.
But while she loses it all, I am standing right there to pick up the pieces. The spotlight that followed her around for so long -- the one she did absolutely nothing with -- it now has a new muse. Like a thief in the night, that spotlight now surrounds me. I’ve taken it, and I’m running with it. Good luck catching me.
Axel Hanson.
Nyles Hendricks.
Warriors of the North.
You’re yet another pair of absolute nobodies that AW has laid up on the tee, and given me the club to send you into orbit. They keep setting you up only to fail at my hands -- ask Ryan Kincaid and Derrick Vayden.
But there’s a difference this time, boys.
I’ve got the best partner a girl can ask for on my side.
I’ll give you guys credit.
I assume you know each other, inside and out.
You should cherish the moment you find someone that you trust completely.
It doesn’t happen often.
You put your life in their hands.
Your essence; your well-being; your reputation; your career.
You ask them to put their life in yours.
When you forge that bond; that connection;
You do all you can to harness it.
You build it from the ground up.
You take that next step.
You set your goals in the crosshairs.
And you pull that fucking trigger.
You two have grown up together, and trained together, and worked together longer than anyone should be comfortable against. You have fought together, and hurt people together, and won together far more times to be completely devalued.
But these are the facts, fellas.
You ain’t done jack shit here.
Estrella and I are gonna keep it that way.
You’ve got size. And you’ve got power. You fight with reckless abandon. You don’t care if you make mistakes; you just want to inflict punishment. You might be those types to see a couple of lightweights on the other end of the ring and think you’re tailor-made to destroy us. You might see a couple pairs of tits and think there’s no way we belong in your presence.
Keep thinking that, though.
You’d be horribly, miserably wrong.
Estrella has done more in this business than you two could of ever dream of doing.
And I’m happy to jump along for the ride.
We’ve both got big goals in sight.
You two are just in the way.
Prepare to get run the fuck over.
Warriors of the North.
Pssh.
Meet the Mouths of the South… of the Border… or something.
Cute little nicknames aren’t really my thing.
Fucking up worthless pieces of trash like you are another story.
Now here’s something you may not know, but you’ll be making your debut in my neighborhood. I grew up not too far from where AW will set up camp for a night in Houston, Texas. This is my homecoming of sorts, and it’s just another point of motivation for me to continue on in my journey of taking this company by storm. Any and all opponents have already taken notice, and a couple of notable names have already set their sights on me in the process. Based on my impressive showing at Havoc, and my growing list of victories week after week, they have heard the message; loud and clear.
Lissie Hope has arrived.
What are they all saying about you?
Are they saying anything at all?
Does anyone even care?
The answer is a loud and resounding no.
A genuine who-gives-a-fuck.
I’m sorry to break it to you, but you’ve stupidly synchronized your arrival right when we’re getting an influx of WCF talent. So of course, you’re coming with little notoriety and minus-zero fanfare. You probably had it all planned it out, too; you’re gonna come in, kick some ass, get yourself known, and start climbing the ladder. But then you saw who you’re facing, and what other arrivals your battling, and now you’re only telling yourselves one thing.
‘Fucking hell.’
‘Jävla fan.’
‘We done fucked up now.’
I wish you boys the best. We’ll happily give you a swift kick in the ass before we show you the door; exiting just as fast as you came in. I don’t think there’s a single thing you do good enough to make this mark that I know you’re hoping for. You’re desperate to prove your worth and not live out what we all know to be true -- you’re a couple of afterthoughts. You’ve got no value. Even Vayden can hang his hat on the fact that he nearly defeated AW’s newest boyish heartthrob, CutieT, and crushed Dandyman’s balls. But the two of you?
You’re the Warriors of Nothing.
You’ll prove nothing.
Your strength? Nothing.
Your might? Nothing.
You are nothing.
You’ve got no heart.
And you’ve got no hope.
Let it be known. Call us what you will.
The Vi-Queens.
The Swedish Shithead Slayers.
The Estie and the Bestie.
La Princesa Preciosa and the Duchess of Debauchery.
Whatever you do, just don’t forget the names of those who ruined your career before you even began.
Estrella Luiz;
and Lissie motherfucking Hope.
We must stare into a crystal ball
And only see the past
And into the caverns of tomorrow
With just our flashlights and our love
We must plunge, we must plunge, we must plunge
___________________________________
___________________________________
“You’re getting better at this thing, sis,” Robbie said after pressing stop on his iPhone.
“Can’t wait to see what Estrella wants to add,” she replied. “I know this match means a lot to her. And I think we showed at Havoc that we have what it takes to click in the ring. We were doing some pretty good shit, and it came pretty naturally. I’m excited!”
“The only thing I worry about is that you gave them a lot to work with,” he warned. “You are feeding into their motivation, and now they are going to have something to prove. I just hope you didn’t piss ‘em off.”
“C’mon man, I ain’t scared of no one,” she said, taking umbrage with his warning. “I’d take a shit in their cheerios and sign my name on a napkin and it still wouldn’t worry me about these asshats plan to do.”
“Don’t underestimate anyone, sis,” Robbie said. “That shit will get you in trouble. Fast.”
Lissie was starting to get annoyed but kept her emotions in check. However, that wouldn’t last long.
“You touched on it,” Robbie began. “Are you planning on going home to check on ‘ma? You know, she asks about you all the time.”
Lissie doubled over, feeling the weight of the question in her chest. She hadn’t seen their mom or been back to Conroe, Texas ever since ‘pa’s funeral. Two long years and only a handful of minimal phone conversations. She didn’t like the fact that ‘ma was living in their old home, alone. But she also had no desire to go relive some of her biggest demons.
That wasn’t her home anymore.
It hadn’t been for a long time.
“To tell you the truth,” she finally started. “I don’t think I can. I hadn’t given it much thought, but I don’t think so, man.”
“I think you should.”
“Well that’s not up to you, okay?” she blurted, angrily. “I left it behind. Why do I need to go back?”
“Fuck, Lissie,” he said, disappointment in his voice. “It’s fucking mom.”
“You’re not telling me anything I don’t know,” she said. “Goddammit man. I just can’t do it. I can’t go back. I’ve already done everything I could to leave all that in the past, and to focus on my future. And now you want me to take two steps backwards? What the fuck man? Just leave me be, alright? If I change my mind, I’ll go. On my terms.”
“Alright sis,” Robbie said. “Good luck at Clash.”
And then we'll get down there
Way down to the very bottom of everything
And then we'll see it, we'll see it, we'll see it
Oh my mornings coming back
The whole world's waking up
This city bus is swimming past
I'm happy just because
I found out that I am really no one
Bright Eyes - "At The Bottom of Everything"
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Bright Eyes - "At The Bottom of Everything"
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