Team Player

FLASH!

Lights are flashing repeatedly; these are the bright flashing of camera lights as they snap pictures of their current model.  The current young lady modeling a classy, elegant little number is none other than Julia Braddock.  She is wearing a bright, chipper smile, but it is forced.  Anyone who knows her knows it is forced.  She feels fake.  She feels like this whole thing is just a charade, as if she’s just being used by her manager Mason Van Stanton.  And it’s no surprise that she feels this way.  She never wanted to be back with Mason in the first place.  She’s agreed to the terms of a new contract with Mason simply to ensure he would never get his hands on the Braddock Wrestling School.

Julia never should have agreed to put the school on the line in her match against Mason’s wife Destiny Van Stanton.  But her emotions, specifically her anger, got the best of her and she agreed just to get Destiny in the ring.  Just to get revenge.  She should’ve known to expect anything. She should’ve been better prepared.  But she wasn’t.  She fell right into their trap.  Now she’s stuck.  But she resolves never to let herself become the person Mason Van Stanton claims she truly is.  She resolves to be better than that.

“Ok, stop!  Stop right there!”

Julia knows she should keep her pose but she can’t help but roll her eyes as she hears the voice of her agent, Mason Van Stanton, shouting out at the photographers to cease and desist.  He rushes up into the camera shot and waves his arms like a madman.

“The photo shoot is over!”

“But Mr. Van Stanton, we need to get a few more shots and…”

“No, you don’t!” He continues flailing his arms. “You’re done.”

“You’re embarrassing yourself, Mason.” Julia complains, placing her hands on her hips. “Hell, you’re embarrassing me!”

“Don’t care.” He shakes his head before spinning around to face Julia.  He points back to the dressing room. “Leave, we’re done here.”

“Why?”

“Just go!”

Julia doesn’t like this arrangement one bit, and this is why.  It’s almost like he owns her.  But he doesn’t own her.  He is just a manager, an agent, and it’s time he remembers that.  Julia marches up to him and slaps him across the face.

“You’re my agent, Mason. You do not own me.  Remember that.”

With that said, and satisfied that she has thoroughly made her point, she spins and marches away from Mason who continues to berate the photographers.  Julia heads towards the dressing room.  She opens it up and steps inside.  Immediately she sighs with frustration as she finds Destiny Van Stanton sitting there, almost as if she is waiting on her.

Destiny is the last person she wants to see right now.  Between Mason and Destiny, it was Destiny who has been taking advantage of this one-sided arrangement the most.  Julia didn’t realize it until just a few months ago, but Destiny had always felt unappreciated by The Braddock family.  Thus she was easily convinced by Mason’s charm.  Mason and Destiny hatched their plan to trick Julia and now Destiny has the opportunity to turn the tables on Julia.

“Great, you’re here…” Julia’s voice trails off as she walks over and has a seat on a nearby bench.

“Nice seeing you too, Braddock.” Destiny quips.

“What are you doing here anyway?  You don’t like me.  Is your husband making you keep an eye on me?”

“That’s funny, Julia.” Destiny chuckles. “To think any man, even Mason, could tell me what to do.  You want to know why mine and Mason’s relationship works so well?  He treats me as an equal.  Men in the past wanted to either put me on a pedestal or treat me as a sex object.  All I ever wanted is equality.  Isn’t that the goal of feminism?”

“Supposedly.” Julia answers, rolling her eyes.

“Mason listens to me and gives me the respect I deserve.  In turn I listen to him and give him the respect he deserves.  We have a great relationship as a result.” Destiny smirks as she reaches out and touches Julia on the nose. “You know, you’d do well to do the same.  This whole experience wouldn’t be so miserable for you.”

“What are you suggesting, Destiny?  Are you suggesting I respect him?  He’s trying to ruin me and my reputation.  You’re trying to do the same thing and don’t deny it.”

“Fine,” she nods her head “I admit, at first this was all about ruining you, destroying you, and ruining your entire family.  That’s why I was pissed off with Mason when he suggested the whole notion of giving you an out of your little agreement.  After I beat your ass I wanted to close up that damn school and legally make the Braddock name penniless.  I was furious when Mason gave you an out but then it hit me….”

“You realized you could treat me like crap and get away with it?”

“No.  I realized that Mason was right.  I have no need to hate you because you’re a victim of the same poison that twisted my mind.  That same poison that made me weak and corrupted had also made you weak and corrupted.  This was a chance for the two of us to, you know…” Destiny shakes her head “…oh just forget it.”

“No, what is it?  What were you going to say?”

“I just thought that maybe we could be friends again.”

“Friends?” Julia opens her eyes with wide-eyed shock.

“I knew you wouldn’t get it.”

“Excuse me for not buying into your little sob story about wanting to be friends, not when you and Mason tried to destroy my family only to settle on just ruining me in particular.”

“Listen to me, Braddock!” Destiny exclaims, standing up suddenly. “You think your family is so great?  You still drink that Braddock kool-aid?  Well let me ask you this; where was Glory when you were fighting for the entire family?  She was busy chasing Chantelle Chambers and the world title, leaving you all on your own.  Where was Glory when you lost that match?  No where to be found.  Yet you made the sacrifice and why?  To save her?”

Julia bows her head in shame.  She doesn’t want to admit it but Destiny raises some very valid points.

“Mason can be a jerk at times.  I can be a bitch at times.  But Mason busted his ass to get you this Heritage Championship Match at Survival of the Fittest.  He busted his ass to get you these promotional deals with all of these major companies.  Do you want to know why?”

“Why?”

“Because whether you realize it or not he believes in you.  He sees you as the GODDESS and ROYALTY that you truly are.  That is the REAL Julia Braddock; not the humble WELCOME MAT who lets her sister Glory walk all over her.  A member of wrestling’s royal family.  He’s not asking you to do anything outside of your morals or ethics.  If you want to be little miss goodie goodie in the ring and play by the rules, fine.  That’s your business.  He just wants you to carry yourself like the STAR that you are and not like Glory’s sidekick.  I was Glory’s sidekick for a long damn time before I saw the truth.” Destiny shrugs her shoulders. “But what do I know, right?  I’m just trying to destroy you and ruin you.”

Destiny starts to walk way but then Julia stands up and places a hand on her shoulder. “Destiny, wait…”

Destiny turns around and is met by a hug from Julia Braddock. “Now Destiny, this doesn’t mean we’re friends.  You and Mason were very deceptive and manipulative with me.  You brutalized my father just to provoke me.”

“Sooooo…” Destiny looks on with a confused look on her face “….what’s this about then?”

“It means that maybe it’s time I tried to be a team player.” Julia smirks.  Destiny in turns smiles devilishly.

“Excellent.”