Post by Julianna DiMaria on Dec 2, 2017 0:13:44 GMT -5
“The Point of No Return”: Part 1
Date: November 28, 2017
Christy: You know, I’m still surprised that you actually chose to NOT spend time with your parents for Thanksgiving…
Christy, along with Ally, are sitting next to Julianna DiMaria as the West Coast Champion expresses an angry pout on her face.
Julianna: After the way they treated me after I won the West Coast Championship, why in the world should I?
Ally: They ARE your parents, after all.
Julianna scoffs at the notion.
Julianna: Since when?
Christy: Since the day you were born.
Ally: Christy, I don’t think she meant literally.
Christy: Oh. Right.
Julianna: You two really don’t know the true story of why things with my parents have gone down the way that they did. The way they placed even MORE expectations upon me when I won the West Coast Championship was merely the straw that broke the camel’s back. Really, this whole thing started with the All-Female Invitational…
Ally: Oh did it?
Christy: What happened?
Julianna: I will never forget how they were on my ass throughout that tournament. It was just hours before I met… you know….
Christy: Karari?
Julianna nods.
Julianna: It was your typical “you’re doing great, BUT…” conversation… except this was a little more intensified.
Julianna’s eyes narrow with anger as she begins to recount the story of a conversation she just had with her parents hours before the sweet sixteen round of the All-Female Invitational…
Flashback…
Event: AFI Round of 16
Julianna sits alone, making some final preparations mentally for her match against Karari Makelah. But, she’s not alone for much longer as both of her parents enter the room with her.
Mr. DiMaria: Jules?
Julianna looks up, obviously trusting both of her parents at this point.
Julianna: Yes?
Mrs. DiMaria: Do you have the time to talk for a few minutes?
Julianna: Sure… I guess.
Both of her parents walk in, shutting the door behind them. Julianna isn’t quite happy to see them in the room with her, but nonetheless, she’s not protesting nor is she expressing disgust with their presence.
Mr. DiMaria: So, you’ve really been kickin’ some ass in that All-Female Invitational, aren’t ya?
Julianna: Two down and four to go. What can I say, really?
Julianna slightly smirks, obviously showing a little bit of pride in what she’s done in the tournament so far.
Mrs. DiMaria: For all of the flak you’ve gotten from some people who don’t think you’re a real wrestler, you’ve sure proven them wrong. Beating a former Redemption champion in Jack Tillman down in Mexico was one thing, but you’ve really come through in this tournament so far.
Mr. DiMaria: That Tegan Blackwell… I love how she was actin’ like you were going to be some easy win because ya got the look of a fashion model. But nah, you took her to school, made her sleep with the fishes and turned her into your own bitch! Strictly brilliant, just like I taught ya.
Mrs. DiMaria: And Ashley Marie Chase for all she’s done and for her notorious family legacy wasn’t a match for you at all. You made HER look like the rookie and you have shown that you’re quite the natural at this. It seems like the higher the stakes, the better you are. I’m not surprised that you’ve made it this far in the tournament.
Mr. DiMaria: Nah, not only are we not surprised, we expected it.
Julianna: Right, well… thanks.
Julianna is hardly naive about anything, well, in her own mind at least. But one of the things that she has stubbornly grasped is the notion that someday her parents would come around and actually treat her like their daughter, not like the professional wrestler that they envisioned her as from the moment she was born. This naivety is once again about to let her down.
Julianna: I just… want to do my best… you know?
Mrs. DiMaria: So far, so good, young lady.
Mr. DiMaria: Yep and with the way things are shakin’ out, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’re going to the next round.
Julianna: I plan on it.
Mrs. DiMaria: Oh it’s not just that, Julianna. We’re expecting you to go all the way to the final four of this tournament, at least.
Julianna begins to wince with some nervousness at this point and she can already feel that pressure on her shoulders from both of her parents.
Julianna: You’re… EXPECTING…
Julianna pauses and sighs, realizing that her parents weren’t going to give her the one thing in her life that she had always wanted: a validation that she would be good enough for them.
Julianna: Right… the final four… what makes you expect that, if I may ask?
Mrs. DiMaria: Look at the bracket. Eliza Valentine is another family legacy reject, you know, like the woman you just beat, and Gina Neon isn’t anyone to REALLY worry about since she doesn’t take her own career all that seriously.
Julianna: Uh-huh…
Mr. DiMaria: Ya ain’t gonna get a challenge until the final four when you’re likely facin’ one of Merlot Ayano or Amy Jo Smith. There’s no doubt you’ll face one of Eliza or Gina and win to face one of them. But, of course, you got your opponent for this round… what’s her name again? Karari Makelah…
Mrs. DiMaria: WHO?
Julianna doesn’t react as both of her parents have a brief chuckle to themselves.
Mr. DiMaria: Exactly. Jules, there’s no reason in the world why you should be losin’ to someone like her. I mean… SERIOUSLY! This girl should be a walk in the park!
Julianna: Dad, she DID get this far…
Mrs. DiMaria: Okay, but who has she beaten exactly to get this far with you?
Julianna: She did just beat Jess Hardy…
Mr. DiMaria scoffs.
Mr. DiMaria: So? Has she lit the world on fire in WCG? Nah! Not one bit. That was an easy one. And this Mercedes girl that she beat in the first round ain’t the Mercedes that people know about in the Redemption universe, ya know. In other words…
Mrs. DiMaria: She hasn’t beaten ANYONE worth bragging about. So, when you put all of THAT together, considering the way we’ve raised you and trained you, how in the world are you going to lose to someone like that?
Mr. DiMaria: Yeah! Karari is the kind of wrestler we would never even take into our academy at all, let alone someone with a chance in hell of graduating.
Julianna: Yeah. So… you think I’m going to beat her.
Mr. DiMaria: Nah… we KNOW you’re going to beat her.
Mrs. DiMaria: Actually… no we don’t know you’re going to beat her.
Mr. DiMaria: Huh?
Mrs. DiMaria: We EXPECT you to beat her.
Mr. DiMaria: Oh yeah! That’s right. No seriously, Jules, we didn’t put all this time and effort into ya just so you can go and lose to someone like that. She’s not even close to bein’ in your league.
Julianna just sits there and raises her eyebrows, seemingly worried and afraid of the words that she just heard. The 22 year old rookie, obviously still in a part of her career where fluidity and uncertainty are the prevalent parts of her career due to her youth and inexperience as it pertains in relativity to her undoubtedly prodigal talents, isn’t going to say it, but she’s starting to feel the pressure now. It’s one thing for her parents to believe that she is going to beat Karari Makelah in the round of sixteen, but to EXPECT IT? Some inner thoughts are running through her head. “How mad are they going to be if I don’t win?” ashe asks herself mentally. She looks down on the floor, processing this entire conversation.
Mrs. DiMaria: Let’s just say that if you lose this match to her, we are going to be SEVERELY disappointed in you.
Mr. DiMaria: Yeah. Seriously. Are ya gonna let some sob story come outta nowhere and beat ya?
Julianna shakes her head, doing everything she can to hide the cracking that she’s undergoing as a result of the pressure by her own parents.
Mrs. DiMaria: We want to hear you say it. You’re not going to let her beat you, are you?
Julianna: No…
Mr. DiMaria: No... ?
Julianna: I’m not going to let Karari Makelah beat me to go to the quarterfinals of the All-Female Invitational. I’ve heard you both loud and clear. Like Dad just said, I’m a league or two above her and the last thing I am going to do is let some walking toothpick beat me. I could care less about her, her background or anything she is all about. You both have my promise that I AM going to beat her and when it comes to beating Eliza or Gina, whomever may meet me in the quarterfinals, I am going to beat one of them as well. So, neither of you have anything to worry about. I’m going to win. You both taught me too much to falter now.
These bold words from the upstart rookie out of San Diego bring a slight smirk out of both of their parents’ faces.
Mr. DiMaria: Now that sounds like the daughter we raised.
Mrs. DiMaria: You told us exactly what we needed to hear from you. You’ve got this in the bag, 100 percent. Show that reject what it takes to be a REAL wrestler and nothing less than that.
Julianna stands up, looking both of her parents in the eye.
Julianna: There’s no question that I will! The only question that’s really up in the air is how long it’s going to take. Trust me, when I’m done with her, she’s going to WISH she had any family with a pair of living shoulders to cry on… or she can cry on some graves… whatever…
Julianna smirks and laughs.
Mr. DiMaria: We’ll be there watchin’ ya dominate this whore biscuit.
Mrs. DiMaria: Whore biscuit? Oh my god, you Italians and your lingo…
Julianna’s mother rolls her eyes and begins to walk out of the room.
Mr. DiMaria: Germans… they don’t understand good humor… ya know?
Mrs. DiMaria: I heard that!!!
Julianna’s father laughs and leaves with her mother and at last, Julianna is alone again. However, the future WCG West Coast champion sighs and looks down on the floor, clearly having some semblance of doubt in her mind, though she wasn’t going to show it in front of her parents.
Julianna: Guess I got to live up to another one of their expectations, huh? I’d hate to think about their reactions if I don’t do so… but I’m not going to think about the negative. I need to beat this stupid girl, that’s all I should be focusing on.
Julianna continues to make her preparations for her AFI match with Karari Makelah…
End Flashback…
Ally: Damn, girl! You can cut the tension with a knife.
Ally and Christy shake their heads as Julianna finishes telling the tale.
Christy: Not that it excuses anything, but I can kind of understand why things went horribly wrong that night.
Ally: Yeah, and why you treat your loss to her like if it was the worst thing ever.
Julianna: Yeah…
Julianna sighs and shakes her head before she continues.
Julianna: All that pressure on me… but that wasn’t even the worst part.
Her eyes begin to narrow as they well up with tears.
Julianna: It was… after the fact…
Christy and Ally widen their eyes, knowing that there’s still the other part of the story that is yet to be told…
To be continued...
Date: November 28, 2017
Christy: You know, I’m still surprised that you actually chose to NOT spend time with your parents for Thanksgiving…
Christy, along with Ally, are sitting next to Julianna DiMaria as the West Coast Champion expresses an angry pout on her face.
Julianna: After the way they treated me after I won the West Coast Championship, why in the world should I?
Ally: They ARE your parents, after all.
Julianna scoffs at the notion.
Julianna: Since when?
Christy: Since the day you were born.
Ally: Christy, I don’t think she meant literally.
Christy: Oh. Right.
Julianna: You two really don’t know the true story of why things with my parents have gone down the way that they did. The way they placed even MORE expectations upon me when I won the West Coast Championship was merely the straw that broke the camel’s back. Really, this whole thing started with the All-Female Invitational…
Ally: Oh did it?
Christy: What happened?
Julianna: I will never forget how they were on my ass throughout that tournament. It was just hours before I met… you know….
Christy: Karari?
Julianna nods.
Julianna: It was your typical “you’re doing great, BUT…” conversation… except this was a little more intensified.
Julianna’s eyes narrow with anger as she begins to recount the story of a conversation she just had with her parents hours before the sweet sixteen round of the All-Female Invitational…
Flashback…
Event: AFI Round of 16
Julianna sits alone, making some final preparations mentally for her match against Karari Makelah. But, she’s not alone for much longer as both of her parents enter the room with her.
Mr. DiMaria: Jules?
Julianna looks up, obviously trusting both of her parents at this point.
Julianna: Yes?
Mrs. DiMaria: Do you have the time to talk for a few minutes?
Julianna: Sure… I guess.
Both of her parents walk in, shutting the door behind them. Julianna isn’t quite happy to see them in the room with her, but nonetheless, she’s not protesting nor is she expressing disgust with their presence.
Mr. DiMaria: So, you’ve really been kickin’ some ass in that All-Female Invitational, aren’t ya?
Julianna: Two down and four to go. What can I say, really?
Julianna slightly smirks, obviously showing a little bit of pride in what she’s done in the tournament so far.
Mrs. DiMaria: For all of the flak you’ve gotten from some people who don’t think you’re a real wrestler, you’ve sure proven them wrong. Beating a former Redemption champion in Jack Tillman down in Mexico was one thing, but you’ve really come through in this tournament so far.
Mr. DiMaria: That Tegan Blackwell… I love how she was actin’ like you were going to be some easy win because ya got the look of a fashion model. But nah, you took her to school, made her sleep with the fishes and turned her into your own bitch! Strictly brilliant, just like I taught ya.
Mrs. DiMaria: And Ashley Marie Chase for all she’s done and for her notorious family legacy wasn’t a match for you at all. You made HER look like the rookie and you have shown that you’re quite the natural at this. It seems like the higher the stakes, the better you are. I’m not surprised that you’ve made it this far in the tournament.
Mr. DiMaria: Nah, not only are we not surprised, we expected it.
Julianna: Right, well… thanks.
Julianna is hardly naive about anything, well, in her own mind at least. But one of the things that she has stubbornly grasped is the notion that someday her parents would come around and actually treat her like their daughter, not like the professional wrestler that they envisioned her as from the moment she was born. This naivety is once again about to let her down.
Julianna: I just… want to do my best… you know?
Mrs. DiMaria: So far, so good, young lady.
Mr. DiMaria: Yep and with the way things are shakin’ out, there’s no doubt in my mind that you’re going to the next round.
Julianna: I plan on it.
Mrs. DiMaria: Oh it’s not just that, Julianna. We’re expecting you to go all the way to the final four of this tournament, at least.
Julianna begins to wince with some nervousness at this point and she can already feel that pressure on her shoulders from both of her parents.
Julianna: You’re… EXPECTING…
Julianna pauses and sighs, realizing that her parents weren’t going to give her the one thing in her life that she had always wanted: a validation that she would be good enough for them.
Julianna: Right… the final four… what makes you expect that, if I may ask?
Mrs. DiMaria: Look at the bracket. Eliza Valentine is another family legacy reject, you know, like the woman you just beat, and Gina Neon isn’t anyone to REALLY worry about since she doesn’t take her own career all that seriously.
Julianna: Uh-huh…
Mr. DiMaria: Ya ain’t gonna get a challenge until the final four when you’re likely facin’ one of Merlot Ayano or Amy Jo Smith. There’s no doubt you’ll face one of Eliza or Gina and win to face one of them. But, of course, you got your opponent for this round… what’s her name again? Karari Makelah…
Mrs. DiMaria: WHO?
Julianna doesn’t react as both of her parents have a brief chuckle to themselves.
Mr. DiMaria: Exactly. Jules, there’s no reason in the world why you should be losin’ to someone like her. I mean… SERIOUSLY! This girl should be a walk in the park!
Julianna: Dad, she DID get this far…
Mrs. DiMaria: Okay, but who has she beaten exactly to get this far with you?
Julianna: She did just beat Jess Hardy…
Mr. DiMaria scoffs.
Mr. DiMaria: So? Has she lit the world on fire in WCG? Nah! Not one bit. That was an easy one. And this Mercedes girl that she beat in the first round ain’t the Mercedes that people know about in the Redemption universe, ya know. In other words…
Mrs. DiMaria: She hasn’t beaten ANYONE worth bragging about. So, when you put all of THAT together, considering the way we’ve raised you and trained you, how in the world are you going to lose to someone like that?
Mr. DiMaria: Yeah! Karari is the kind of wrestler we would never even take into our academy at all, let alone someone with a chance in hell of graduating.
Julianna: Yeah. So… you think I’m going to beat her.
Mr. DiMaria: Nah… we KNOW you’re going to beat her.
Mrs. DiMaria: Actually… no we don’t know you’re going to beat her.
Mr. DiMaria: Huh?
Mrs. DiMaria: We EXPECT you to beat her.
Mr. DiMaria: Oh yeah! That’s right. No seriously, Jules, we didn’t put all this time and effort into ya just so you can go and lose to someone like that. She’s not even close to bein’ in your league.
Julianna just sits there and raises her eyebrows, seemingly worried and afraid of the words that she just heard. The 22 year old rookie, obviously still in a part of her career where fluidity and uncertainty are the prevalent parts of her career due to her youth and inexperience as it pertains in relativity to her undoubtedly prodigal talents, isn’t going to say it, but she’s starting to feel the pressure now. It’s one thing for her parents to believe that she is going to beat Karari Makelah in the round of sixteen, but to EXPECT IT? Some inner thoughts are running through her head. “How mad are they going to be if I don’t win?” ashe asks herself mentally. She looks down on the floor, processing this entire conversation.
Mrs. DiMaria: Let’s just say that if you lose this match to her, we are going to be SEVERELY disappointed in you.
Mr. DiMaria: Yeah. Seriously. Are ya gonna let some sob story come outta nowhere and beat ya?
Julianna shakes her head, doing everything she can to hide the cracking that she’s undergoing as a result of the pressure by her own parents.
Mrs. DiMaria: We want to hear you say it. You’re not going to let her beat you, are you?
Julianna: No…
Mr. DiMaria: No... ?
Julianna: I’m not going to let Karari Makelah beat me to go to the quarterfinals of the All-Female Invitational. I’ve heard you both loud and clear. Like Dad just said, I’m a league or two above her and the last thing I am going to do is let some walking toothpick beat me. I could care less about her, her background or anything she is all about. You both have my promise that I AM going to beat her and when it comes to beating Eliza or Gina, whomever may meet me in the quarterfinals, I am going to beat one of them as well. So, neither of you have anything to worry about. I’m going to win. You both taught me too much to falter now.
These bold words from the upstart rookie out of San Diego bring a slight smirk out of both of their parents’ faces.
Mr. DiMaria: Now that sounds like the daughter we raised.
Mrs. DiMaria: You told us exactly what we needed to hear from you. You’ve got this in the bag, 100 percent. Show that reject what it takes to be a REAL wrestler and nothing less than that.
Julianna stands up, looking both of her parents in the eye.
Julianna: There’s no question that I will! The only question that’s really up in the air is how long it’s going to take. Trust me, when I’m done with her, she’s going to WISH she had any family with a pair of living shoulders to cry on… or she can cry on some graves… whatever…
Julianna smirks and laughs.
Mr. DiMaria: We’ll be there watchin’ ya dominate this whore biscuit.
Mrs. DiMaria: Whore biscuit? Oh my god, you Italians and your lingo…
Julianna’s mother rolls her eyes and begins to walk out of the room.
Mr. DiMaria: Germans… they don’t understand good humor… ya know?
Mrs. DiMaria: I heard that!!!
Julianna’s father laughs and leaves with her mother and at last, Julianna is alone again. However, the future WCG West Coast champion sighs and looks down on the floor, clearly having some semblance of doubt in her mind, though she wasn’t going to show it in front of her parents.
Julianna: Guess I got to live up to another one of their expectations, huh? I’d hate to think about their reactions if I don’t do so… but I’m not going to think about the negative. I need to beat this stupid girl, that’s all I should be focusing on.
Julianna continues to make her preparations for her AFI match with Karari Makelah…
End Flashback…
Ally: Damn, girl! You can cut the tension with a knife.
Ally and Christy shake their heads as Julianna finishes telling the tale.
Christy: Not that it excuses anything, but I can kind of understand why things went horribly wrong that night.
Ally: Yeah, and why you treat your loss to her like if it was the worst thing ever.
Julianna: Yeah…
Julianna sighs and shakes her head before she continues.
Julianna: All that pressure on me… but that wasn’t even the worst part.
Her eyes begin to narrow as they well up with tears.
Julianna: It was… after the fact…
Christy and Ally widen their eyes, knowing that there’s still the other part of the story that is yet to be told…
To be continued...