Post by Danielle Basch on Aug 25, 2017 0:57:57 GMT -5
Stuft Pizza
El Segundo, CA
Thursday, August 24, 2017
We open on a quiet corner in Downtown El Segundo, where a bluish-grey building sits across the street from the Civic Center. From that point on, all of Main Street is blocked off to allow room for the weekly Farmers Market. From inside, Danni LeBlanc emerges through the front door, a large paper plate in her hand. In the other, she’s holding a half-eaten slice of their Mr. Meat pizza. She takes a healthy bite of the meaty slice, only noticing the camera crew as she’s chewing.
Danni: What? I’m hungry! And when you’re hungry, you have to do what you have to do in order to satisfy that hunger. In some cases, satiating that hunger is easy. Granted, in this case, I’m gonna have to hit the gym hardcore after I finish. And I don’t just mean because of the dress I’ll be practically pouring myself into in a few months...
She tilts her head to the side, smirking before taking another bite of her pizza.
Danni: But the way I see it, after Crossroad: Rise, I think I’ve earned a little treat, seeing as I’ve finally erased a part of my life that never should have happened. Does Zane Story still live and breathe? Unfortunately, yes. But as far as I’m concerned, that jackass is essentially dead to me. Granted, I can’t go back and change what happened at Hype 4, but I can’t help but feel a sense of vindication. I made him pay for coming between me and the South Bay Championship, and now that that’s over, I can move on to the next thing...
She crosses the street, walking past the first few booths of the Farmers Market. The scent of barbecued pork and kettle corn fills the air, but thanks to the pizza she’s carrying, Danni doesn’t even pay them any attention. Instead, she heads to the Civic Center courtyard, where several vendors were set up with all manner of handmade goods; everything from jewelry to scented candles. She stops at a jewelry booth, perusing the various handcrafted offerings.
Danni: That’s right, folks. I’m FINALLY getting my shot at the South Bay Championship! No ladders, no dealing with a ring full of people, and most important of all, no bullshit. This time, it’s just me and the champion, one on one, the way it’s supposed to be.
Yeah, it would be easy if that were the end of it, but as we all know, life isn’t easy. If the champion that I were facing this Saturday was someone I despised, then I would relish the opportunity to take the championship and rip it right off of their waist, but that’s not the case.
One of the neighborhood kids rides down the sidewalk on his bicycle, nearly crashing his bike into the trash can beside a nearby shuttle stop. He manages to stop in time, waving at Danni with a sheepish smile. She smiles back, mouthing the words “watch out, kid.”
Danni: This time, I’m dealing with a different kind of hunger, one that can only be satisfied with championship gold, and I can’t let the fact that you and I are friends keep me from doing what I need to do. I’ve already said that there have been too many times where I’ve come within a hair’s breadth of a championship, only to have it ripped away from me. Well, I’m through talking, Ruby. It’s time I finally did something about it.
At Crossroad: Rise, I can’t tell you if I deliberately set out to put that human pile of bird shit on the shelf, but now you see what I can do when I’ve been pushed to my limit. But by that same token, it’s the nature of the business we’ve brought ourselves into. When the bell rings, everything outside the ring gets pushed aside... weddings, relationships, and even friendships. Hell, I’ve even seen a husband and wife go to war over championships before. The point is, I always leave the fight where it belongs... in the ring. The only thing I want to take with me after this is all over is that championship belt you’ve got around your waist.
She spots a half wall off behind the booths, so she walks over and takes a seat, setting down the plate with her slice of pizza. As she sits, passers-by pause to wave at their town’s resident celebrity.
Danni: It seems only fitting that we come to where it all began, to the very same venue where the first episode of Hype aired, to have a match like this. What better place for two of West Coast Genesis’s originals to go toe to toe and show everyone else that two people can step through those ropes, rip each other’s hair out, and still walk out as friends?
She pauses, pursing her lips as she pulls a piece of pepperoni off of her pizza, taking a second to look at it before popping it into her mouth.
Danni: Okay, so maybe the bit about ripping each other’s hair out is a little overdramatic, but then again, whatever puts asses in seats, am I right?
She smirks, shrugging her shoulders a little.
Danni: There’s only one thing that I can say to you right now, Ruby. As far as our friendship goes, nothing is going to change. But let’s be honest; we’d both be doing the championship a HUGE disservice if we didn’t go out there and give it everything we’ve got. I expect you to do whatever you have to do to keep that title, just as I plan on doing everything within my ability to take it from you, friend or not. And well, since we’re in the main event, I guess we’re just going to have to get in that ring and blow the fucking roof off of the Long Beach Convention Center!
As she speaks, the sound of a cheering crowd can be heard just off screen. The camera pans around to show a growing cluster of the town’s denizens. She stands in front of the crowd, slowly backing up until she’s standing right in front of them with her arms outstretched.
Danni: We both have tons of people cheering us on, Ruby, but nothing would put smiles on the faces of the people you see standing behind me than to see me walk these streets with the South Bay Championship belt draped proudly over my shoulder, and I don’t intend to disappoint them!
The crowd continues to cheer, even as a familiar face appears at the back of the crowd. Towering over the locals, Donovan Basch works his way through the crowd, holding Danni’s slice of pizza in his hand. Or rather, the crust. Seeing the remains of her lunch in her beloved’s hand, she frowns.
Danni: You ate my pizza?
Donovan doesn’t say anything; he’s too busy chewing. He just shrugs as Danni turns around and looks into the camera, shaking her head and sighing.
Danni: Oh well... I’ll see you on Saturday, Ruby!
She waves at the camera before turning around and grabbing Donovan by the wrist and dragging him over toward the jewelry booth. He quickly swallows the food in his mouth and voices a mild protest.
Donovan: You know we don’t have that much trunk space, right?
His words fall on deaf ears as Danni begins conversing with the vendor.
END
