Post by Tasmin Richards on May 17, 2018 0:51:10 GMT -5
“I’m proud of you….”
Her voice was a little lower than normal. Tasmin looked over at Amber and gave a large grin as her older sister moved next to her. Amber was dressed in black pants, boots and a white blouse, she looked all the professional she had been showing the world she was since becoming GM of NGW. And now they stood backstage, half a world away from their adopted home of America, even further from England. In the small country of New Zealand. Amber grabbed Tasmins hand and squeezed, Tasmin took a deep breath as she moved her long blond hair from her face, still wet with sweat. She looked over watching Jack Tillman disappear with some of the other NGW roster.
“I didn’t really do that much.”
“Stop…”
Amber put her hand up and shook her head moving back around in front of her baby sister who sat with her legs dangled down off an equipment case. Amber reached up grabbing Tasmin by the shoulders with a soft smile.
“You cannot downplay your accomplishments. I’m not saying be like Kayla and basically shove it in peoples faces day after day, I’m not saying be arrogant but do not ever look down upon something positive…..you did great and you have proven yourself. You’re a wrestler Tasmin, you’re not just some rookie, you’re not “the youngest richards”. You are your own person….”
Tasmin smiled again as her eyes sparkled, the smile though faded as she heard Kayla’s voice from down the hall and a loud thud of a full water bottle being tossed across the backstage area crashing into the face of an NGW official, Amber frowned and shook her head before mumbling under her breath, as Amber stepped away from Tasmin with a wink she walked past Jason Hunter who glared at Amber.
“Amber….”
“Jason….”
The pleasantries faded as Amber turned a corner and stopped placing her hands on her hips with a disapproving snarl.
“KAYLA!...TELL JAX TO PUT HIM DOWN!”
Jason chuckled and shook his head putting his arm around Tasmin who leaned against him, they stayed sitting there sharing a quiet moment before Jason looked around noticing no one was around kissing her on the forehead.
“Great job Tas….”
She blushed and cleared her throat wrapping her arms around him staying comfortable in the silence as the chaos unfurled around them.
------------------------------------------------------
“Round Two….”
Tasmin sat alone in the middle of the training ring that had soon become her second home. She pushed up from the worn canvas to her feet, her long blond hair flowing out from under a navy blue and white Dallas cowboys cap flipped backwards, presumably Jasons.
“This will be the second shot I have earned against Danielle Basch for the South Bay championship. The second. And make no mistake, I did EARN this. I earned the first one in that scramble. But people still laughed and questioned why I was there implying that it was my sister or Matt that got me in there, not my skill or win loss record. But what about this time?. What will the detractors say?. Truth is when I was selected as one of the two representatives of WCG to go to Strange Bedfellows I was shocked. It took time for the ideal to slowly set in and become a reality based thought.”
“I respect everyone in WCG and everyone in NGW. No matter the weight of their name or the current state of their career. I’m not someone who carries an ego into anything. I always stay humble and focused. I always pride myself on being nice to everyone and never bringing up things that shouldn’t be. And some of you look at that as a weakness. Jason has been vocal about issues when it has come to some people like Melina Wilson, but I never did. I don’t need to….”
“I’m young and I will make mistakes….”
“But is rookie really the name I should tag onto myself?”
“I grew up in and around this. When Amber got signed, when she was the first out of our family to get to that international level I came along and saw her, I was a kid and got a crash course in how brutal this business could be. How brutal Amber had to be and how brutal Kayla now is. And I promised I would never be like that. Not that Kayla doesn’t deserve what she has accomplished but we go about all of this differently. And I can tell you, I EARNED this….”
Tasmin puts emphasis on earned, she moves back and forth along the side of the ring, her right hand moving along the frayed red rope. Her upper body covered in a large, baggy MGK shirt sitting over the top of black short shorts showing off the few tattoos on her legs.
“One person I know who won’t say I didn’t earn it is Danielle Basch. I have had a fair bit to do with her over the last few months. From the small war Jason and I had with Danielle and her husband Donovan, to the singles match where I failed to beat Danielle. See one thing I know about Mrs Basch is that she never discounts people. Even in the less desirables she sees their value. And I also know she isn’t arrogant enough to see me as a threat….”
“Our first match I made mistakes, I wasn’t good enough and you beat me.”
“End of story.”
“I don’t make excuses. I don’t hide it, I’m not like some people around here and whine and bitch and say it doesn’t count. No that match at the end of February was a loss. But it was one I learned from. I had my first shot at gold, my first taste at gold and I wanted it so much more even after the match. I went back, I recentered and I have used it to rise back up and get better. And I am not the same woman I was three months ago. I’m better. I’ve improved. The question’s are….”
“Have I improved enough?...have I learned enough?...will it be enough?...”
She shrugs and laughs to herself.
“That’s what we’re going to find out in Oakland. This will be my second shot at you. And I don’t want to have to get to a third time as a charm…..I respect you Mrs Basch, but I’m coming for that gold….”