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X-treme Wrestling Federation »   » Archives » Relentless Day 1 RP Board 2020
Garrett Returns: RP #1
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Thaddeus Duke Offline
Lionhearted
Management Lv. 2


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XWF FanBase:
Some of everyone

(cheered; very rarely plays dirty but isn't lame either; many likable qualities)


#1
09-14-2020, 08:15 AM


John Adams Academy || New Haven, Connecticut



I sit quietly in my cap and gown as the Headmaster speaks, thinking to myself about how far I have come in my personal journey to not only better myself, but to have some semblance of a normal life. Graduating high school is a big deal to me. I went to school here just to know what it was like to be a normal kid because I never had that opportunity. Through my time here, I met a couple of rather amazing people. Two best friends. One I miss terribly. I’d like to think he’s here watching, but I don’t believe in the afterlife. Once you’re gone, that’s it. Eternal darkness and nothing else. The other? Garrett Wentworth. I love him too. Right now he hates my very existence and I don’t blame him for it. It is my fault and no one else’s.

To be honest, I wasn’t even going to come today. I didn’t have the courage to face Garrett and be seated next to him. Lizzy talked me into it. Frankie sits with Jim in the balcony of this air conditioned but still kind of stuffy auditorium. My dad’s here somewhere. Even my uncle Theo and to be honest, that really means so much to me. Despite being here physically, I’m not here mentally. My worries rest entirely with Elizabeth. She’d gone to New York earlier to get some things from Alister’s place. I tried to cancel my commencement speech and she wouldn’t hear it. I felt like I needed to go with her. For moral support? For protection? She denied me at every turn. I even offered to send Mufasa with her. She laughed, and denied that too. One thing she can never be accused of is lacking courage.

She has the courage to confront her husband and here I am afraid to face my boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend. He’s more than that though. He’s my friend and I still love him. It’s just that, I’m not his friend.



Four Days Ago

I sit on the sofa in the residence watching TV like a normal person as I unwind from a particularly tedious day as leader of the Illuminatus Nation. Liz curled up beside me, Frankie lying on the floor playing something on his iPad and using Mufasa as a pillow. Mufasa is the more subdued of the two lions but he must sense a need for love in Frankie because ever since he came here, Mufasa doesn’t leave his side for too long. I don’t know what I did to get so personally lucky. I’ve tried to be ‘normal’ for almost my entire existence but somehow, nothing gives me normalcy like unwinding in front of the television with the woman I love and the nine year old boy I’m raising. So, of course it’s gonna be interrupted right?

The intercom phone rings from its position on the end table. I look at it, noticing its the Gate House.

”What is it?” I ask after hitting the appropriate button and muting the TV.

”Sir, there’s a Garrett Wentworth here requesting access,” Karen, the Gate House security chief says. I’m reminded that I told her I’d find her a job more fulfilling than boring Gate House chief. I will fulfill that promise, but what’s more pressing is Garrett.

I look at Liz, perplexed as to why he’d show up unannounced.

”Oh my god,” she says with a smirk. ”I’m gonna meet the boyfriend!” she says with probably a little too much excitement.

”Whose boyfriend?” Frankie asks without adverting his eyes from his game.

”Mine,” I tell him honestly. I’m not going to lie to him or protect some false sense of ‘what ought to be’. Love is love and it isn’t required to fit into some arbitrary box. I will raise him that way. Despite his own future sexual desires, he will learn to accept people as they are and not try and force others to conform to his ideal view of the world.

Frankie stops all movement and slowly turns to look at me.

”You like boys?” he asks.

”Bring him up, please Karen,” I finally answer her. ”I do, Frankie.”

”But that’s...”

”Just love, kiddo.”

”Boys can love other boys?”

”Of course, and girls can love other girls.”

For what it’s worth, I don’t pick up any hints of what direction Frankie will go when he hits that age. He’s still young yet. Boys are cool, girls are still annoying. That’s good though because I’m not ready to help him navigate that part of life just yet.

The knock comes at the door and my heart races. I hesitate, but Liz shoves my shoulder, urging me to the door. With my hand on the knob, I sigh deeply and open it. There he stands in all his beautiful glory and I’m flooded with regret and memories of a journey that started with me just trying to be there for him as he comes out to people he loves but ended up making me question my own view of things and ultimately saw him and I become… something so much more than just friends.

[Image: gwtm27B.jpg]


I don’t regret that part. He’s cute and I do love him, but obviously not as much as I should have.

”You’re busy, so I’m gonna make this short,” he says with a shaky voice.

”Don’t be silly,” Liz interrupts him. ”Garrett, come in honey, have a seat.”

”I don’t think I will ma’am, but thank you.”

I roll my eyes and grab him by his shirt collar and pull him into the residence. I nod at Karen and close the door behind me.

”I know you hate me Garrett,” I begin as he fixes his shirt collar. ”You have every right to but I need you to know how sorry I am for...”

”Just stop Thad,” he interrupts, holding up his palm. ”I didn’t come here to chat or catch up or for you to apologize. I came here because John Adams is having commencement in a few days and a lot of people were requesting your presence, so here I am.

“Despite my better judgment, I’m here to ask you to come and speak at commencement.”


”What’s commencement?” Frankie interrupts.

”Oh yeah, Garrett this is Liz and the little guy is Frankie,” I say, introducing my family. ”This is Garrett.”

”Hi Garrett, what’s commencement?”

”It’s a ceremony for high school seniors that are graduating.”

”Frankie honey, let’s leave Thad and Garrett alone to talk for a bit.” Liz takes Frankie and heads into the other room. Mufasa follows Frankie.

”They didn’t have to go Thad, I’m not staying any longer than I have to.”

I search for words but nothing comes. I’m equal parts embarrassed, ashamed, guilty.

”Man I gotta go, you gonna come or not?”

”Of course, I’ll be there,” I answer him.

”Good,” he says as he turns for the door.

”You don’t have to go. Stay, let’s talk.”

”There’s nothing to say,” he says, his voice cracking beneath the weight of emotion he’s been trying desperately to hide.

”Let me hear it,” I say to him as he opens the door. He pauses a second and I know I’ve got him. ”You have things weighing you down, Garrett, that have weighed you down for months.

“Close that door, turn around, and tell me all the things you’ve wanted to say to me.”


He closes the door, but doesn’t turn around. He wipes what I assume is a tear from his eye.

”I loved you,” he says muffled by his overwhelming emotion. ”You helped me get through the hardest thing I have ever done when I was coming out. You weren’t like me but you went to my families house with me. You went to Pride with me. You mocked the hecklers that were making fun of us.

“You kissed me for fucks sake Thaddeus.

“That’s when I knew I loved you.”


I place my hand on his shoulder. He reaches up and rips my hand away.

”Don’t fuckin’ touch me!” he yells as he turns around to look me in the eye.

”I didn’t feel anything then,” I reply to him honestly. ”I was just being a friend.”

”Never?”

”No I mean at the parade, I didn’t feel anything for you. I was only trying to make the hecklers as uncomfortable as possible.

“It was that night in your room.

“You were lying on the bed and I was playing on my phone on the floor. You leaned over and hugged my neck and thanked me for being there for you. You smelled of Irish Spring and I just remember that that was the moment I started wondering if I was into guys because I felt totally into you.”


”Clearly that didn’t last.”

I say nothing.

”Then you died.” His face is beet red and it occurs to me what this is really about. It’s not the failed relationship that hurts him. It happens to everyone. ”I was flipping channels and I was just about to text you. I knew you were heading to Virginia to see your dad.

“I knew you were flying.

“Illuminatus One plunges into Long Island Sound.”


”There’s nothing I can say...”

”Your plane was blown out of the fucking sky! Everyone thought you were dead, Thaddeus! I thought you were dead! No calls! No texts telling me you got out and were okay! You didn’t think enough of me to let me know you were safe! You just let everyone think you were dead and went about your life anonymously without a fucking single thought about any of us!”

I told Jim. But I’d rather not mention that now.

”I mourned you Thaddeus! The guy I loved blown to bits and you allowed me to mourn and grieve and cry myself to sleep at night!

“FUCK YOU MAN!”


He throws himself to the floor, seated against the wall. There’s nothing I can say that’ll make me right. I wasn’t. There’s nothing I can say that’ll make him feel okay with what happened or why I did what I did. It was selfish of me and I’ll regret it until the day I actually do die. I didn’t consider anyone’s feelings then except for my own.

I lean down and sit beside him, pulling his head to my shoulder. He resists a moment, but relents. He clutches my hand with his and I thought he was going to tear my hand off of him like earlier, but he just squeezes tight and cries on my shoulder.

”Garrett,” I begin, choking back emotion. ”You have every right to hate me and I get it. If someone had done that to me...” I pause. ”No apology is going to change what I did, man. I know it doesn’t mean anything but I didn’t not care.

“I saw you many times leaving flowers for Curt at the cemetery. So many times I wanted to get out and run to you, but I was ashamed.”


He looks up at me.

”You were there?”

I only nod.

”Nothing will change what I did, Garrett. I don’t know how to apologize for it, I don’t know how to even begin to beg your forgiveness for it. I hurt you so bad by it.”

He stands up and wipes his eyes before starting for the door again.

”I love you Garrett. I never didn’t,” I say as I stand up too. ”I have no right to ask, but I’m going to anyway. I know you can’t right now, but I’m asking you to find it in your heart to forgive me for what I did. You didn’t deserve to be tossed aside like that and I surely don’t deserve to have it, much less ask for it.”

”You’re right,” he says as he opens the door. ”You don’t deserve it.”

Just like that, Garrett Wentworth is gone.



Present Day

I can’t help but look at him. He’s beside me and he hasn’t uttered a word to me and hasn’t so much as looked at me. I deserve his hatred. It hurts of course, but I was so extremely selfish to think that letting people that loved me think I was dead was something good to do. It wasn’t, obviously. That hurt him so terribly and I’ll never be able to wrap my head around the fact that I allowed myself to do it. Not to him. Despite his introduction into my life; trying to out me at school as Thaddeus Duke instead of the pseudonym I used as Jack Fitzgerald, he really is a good guy. I say I’m a good guy. I think I am, but my actions at times suggest otherwise.

Even good people do bad things to those they love. This commencement for John Adams Academy was delayed due to the virus that has gripped the world, but part of me regrets being here. I hurt him so badly and I don’t even forgive myself for it yet I’m asking him to.

What the fuck have I done?



Relentless.

Guys, I made it to a second straight pay per view. Are you shocked?

I’m sure some people are.

‘How long will it be until flaky Thaddeus Duke, flakes?’

I got news for you, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m not going anywhere. Not now. Not anytime soon. The flaking days are over and I’m barely even warmed up. I said I was here for the long haul and I meant it. I’ve reclaimed my love for this business and it’s now right where it belongs- near the center of my universe.

For a long time, I’ve been mocked and ridiculed for simply me being me. For having the audacity to carry the same last name as my father while also trying to do what he did and leave a lasting impression in the hearts and minds of wrestling fans all over the world. It used to bother me. It used to piss me right the fuck off when someone would say ‘oh you’re living off your daddies name.’ But you know what? My father was fuckin’ great. Anyone who claims otherwise, is a fuckin’ fool. See, I used to almost regret not changing my name when I entered wrestling because of the obvious comparisons.

There is no comparison. Sebastian Duke and Thaddeus Duke are entirely different people with entirely different styles and entirely different methods of operation. I am my own man and I always have been.

Greatness is the only similarity.

I take my share of losses like most do in this business, but the one thing that always remains the same is when you see my name on the fuckin’ marquee, the stadium is filled, the crowd is loud, the television ratings and pay per view buyrates go up, because I give everything I have and then some to those that pay to see me do what I do better than anyone else in that ring.

The fans know what I am, and that’s what matters to me.

If it sounds like I’m inflating my own ego then you’re probably right. No one in the industry is gonna put me over in the ring skills department because that’s just not what we’re supposed to do so, here I am putting myself over. There isn’t a soul on this planet that can do the things I do in the way that I like to do them when the bell rings and I go to work. No one.

Certainly not Chris Page.

Page thinks that because he handcuffed me to the ropes which allowed him to climb a ladder and win the TV title that that somehow means he’s better than me. The fact of the matter is real simple: I beat me. Chris Page didn’t.

The fact of the matter is I challenged Chris Page to a match at Relentless and he refused stating he had ‘nothing to prove’ but I wholeheartedly disagree. He claimed he had nothing to prove, but in reality, he’s now aware of what I can do in the ring and he wanted no part of him becoming second best.

That’s the truth of it.

Here’s the reality check, Chris. Anytime I’m in that ring, whether its you staring across from me, or Bourbon or Chaos or anyone else, there is nowhere to go for you except second best. First is already taken and I’m not giving it up.

I have a renewed sense of focus, a renewed purpose and that’s not good for anyone but me. I’m stronger, faster, smarter and more determined than I’ve ever been. So you can paint your face with the false bravado and claim you have nothing to prove.

You do.

You know it.

And you know you’ll fail to deliver on being the best because I’ve already planted the doubt in your mind that you’re better than me. No one is, Chris. That’s not ego, it’s straight fact. If you refused to believe it before, you’re absolutely gonna believe it at Relentless when I beat you like the bitch you are.

You could have manned up and accepted the challenge, but that’s not you. It took me kicking your teeth down your throat for you to finally accept and that tells me that I’m in your head.

Congratulations, Chris Page. You’re the next contestant on the I’m Better Than You world tour. You better bring your A plus game Page, because I have nothing but an A plus game.

[Image: wgqr9W2.png]
74-31-1
Semi-Retired


1x  XWF Universal Champion || 3x  XWF Xtreme Champion || 1x  XWF Supercontinental Champion (First)
1x  XWF Hart Champion (Last) || 2x  XWF Television Champion || 1x  XWF Tag Team Champion
1x  OCW Savage Champion || 1x IIW Tag Team Champion  || 2x  SOTM (9/20, 7/21)
2021 Male Wrestler of the Year (shared w/ Alias) || XWF Hall of Legends
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