Post by ajknight on Nov 22, 2018 19:46:08 GMT -5
"They had to have the weigh-ins so close to Thanksgiving!" AJ says carefully measuring out his plate, as he goes to sit down to eat with his family. "Pretty much national eating day and I can't enjoy it!"
"Adam, you always come in inside that weight limit. What are you so worried about?"
"I come in right at 220, I eat a big lunch then I probably don't make weight. It happens the day of the match too, so I can't exactly do the whole dehydration thing they do in most combat sports either!"
AJ digs into his plate shoving his mouth full of turkey and potatoes, his mind wandered. Promoting his first show ever, and fighting a giant eunuch the next day (Something he never thought he would say), facing down a tournament of some of the most skilled Jr. Heavyweight wrestlers on the face of the planet, prepare to face down his former best friend and do all of it with an injured knee. The fact he'd kept that last part under wraps up to this point was impressive. It still hurt like a bitch but he was able to walk on it, and he'd fight through it. Being out of the ring the last few weeks have given him some time to heal, but still it wouldn't be pleasant to go through the tournament once people got wind of that, suddenly his sister piped in.
"You've got a lot on your plate right now, Adam."
AJ looks down at his plate confused.
"We have very different meanings of 'a lot'. This is..."
"Metaphorically, Adam. You always do this, you get everything going on at once and you just start falling apart. Remember what happened over the summer."
AJ rolls his eyes, "I'm not a kid Susan, I know what I'm doing."
She tilts her head at him "I know this Ben thing's getting to you Adam. You're not dealing with it the way you need to. Same thing with your knee. It's worse than you're letting on, I can tell. I'm the one person you can't fool AJ. You're not giving it enough time. I wish you'd pull out of this tournament. It's only going to get worse."
AJ looks down on his food. "It's a different world in the ring Susan. Self care is important but if you let people know you're hurting, they'll be all over you. You can't show weakness."
She shakes her head at him. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard Adam you know better than that. There's something else here isn't there?"
AJ shakes his head, trying to avoid eye contact with his sister. She is not making it easy for him. "Come on, Adam, stubbornness runs in our family, you're not winning this one. So spill it."
AJ sighs. "Did anyone ever tell you that you're a pain?
Susan gives him a familiar looking smirk. "I learned from the best, little bro."
AJ shakes his head. "Alright fine, you win."
She chuckles. "Always do."
He shrugs "I don't know, it's just. I can't let him think he got one over on me. He won last time we fought but, for Sword of Lite, I want to prove he won the battle but not the war. Show him I'm still standing and I'm not hurt."
"But you are hurt!"
"Yes but he doesn't know that!
...and plus..."
A long pause takes over the conversation.
"I've hit a hell of a skid since July. I had the world on a silver platter then, now... I just can't catch a break. I lost the title, my best friend... Or at least who I thought was, and threw away my best chance to get the belt back on pure impulse. I need this right now... Just to know for sure...
Just to know for sure if I still belong at this level. Or if I'm just a one hit wonder who got led to great things by a puppet master."
Now it's all out there. How much the last few months have taken from him.
"So that's what it's all about?"
"It's 15 of the best in the world. I want to see if it's 16 after all. I have to do this. I have to know for sure."
"I know you do Adam, just be careful." She embraces him. Sending him off to war with the world and with himself. One he had to win.
"Adam, you always come in inside that weight limit. What are you so worried about?"
"I come in right at 220, I eat a big lunch then I probably don't make weight. It happens the day of the match too, so I can't exactly do the whole dehydration thing they do in most combat sports either!"
AJ digs into his plate shoving his mouth full of turkey and potatoes, his mind wandered. Promoting his first show ever, and fighting a giant eunuch the next day (Something he never thought he would say), facing down a tournament of some of the most skilled Jr. Heavyweight wrestlers on the face of the planet, prepare to face down his former best friend and do all of it with an injured knee. The fact he'd kept that last part under wraps up to this point was impressive. It still hurt like a bitch but he was able to walk on it, and he'd fight through it. Being out of the ring the last few weeks have given him some time to heal, but still it wouldn't be pleasant to go through the tournament once people got wind of that, suddenly his sister piped in.
"You've got a lot on your plate right now, Adam."
AJ looks down at his plate confused.
"We have very different meanings of 'a lot'. This is..."
"Metaphorically, Adam. You always do this, you get everything going on at once and you just start falling apart. Remember what happened over the summer."
AJ rolls his eyes, "I'm not a kid Susan, I know what I'm doing."
She tilts her head at him "I know this Ben thing's getting to you Adam. You're not dealing with it the way you need to. Same thing with your knee. It's worse than you're letting on, I can tell. I'm the one person you can't fool AJ. You're not giving it enough time. I wish you'd pull out of this tournament. It's only going to get worse."
AJ looks down on his food. "It's a different world in the ring Susan. Self care is important but if you let people know you're hurting, they'll be all over you. You can't show weakness."
She shakes her head at him. "That's the dumbest thing I've ever heard Adam you know better than that. There's something else here isn't there?"
AJ shakes his head, trying to avoid eye contact with his sister. She is not making it easy for him. "Come on, Adam, stubbornness runs in our family, you're not winning this one. So spill it."
AJ sighs. "Did anyone ever tell you that you're a pain?
Susan gives him a familiar looking smirk. "I learned from the best, little bro."
AJ shakes his head. "Alright fine, you win."
She chuckles. "Always do."
He shrugs "I don't know, it's just. I can't let him think he got one over on me. He won last time we fought but, for Sword of Lite, I want to prove he won the battle but not the war. Show him I'm still standing and I'm not hurt."
"But you are hurt!"
"Yes but he doesn't know that!
...and plus..."
A long pause takes over the conversation.
"I've hit a hell of a skid since July. I had the world on a silver platter then, now... I just can't catch a break. I lost the title, my best friend... Or at least who I thought was, and threw away my best chance to get the belt back on pure impulse. I need this right now... Just to know for sure...
Just to know for sure if I still belong at this level. Or if I'm just a one hit wonder who got led to great things by a puppet master."
Now it's all out there. How much the last few months have taken from him.
"So that's what it's all about?"
"It's 15 of the best in the world. I want to see if it's 16 after all. I have to do this. I have to know for sure."
"I know you do Adam, just be careful." She embraces him. Sending him off to war with the world and with himself. One he had to win.