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Minka Arzegotti · (02-25-2016)

{I got off the flight in Sydney. This was my best lead yet. For months I've been looking all over for him. For my big brother, Luca. He'd been gone for so long, and all we'd seen of him had been fleeting glimpses on television, either in wrestling matches or on the evening news as a person of interest. It had been breaking mom's heart for years now... and it finally did the trick. Now I had to make sure he found out what had happened. What his choices did to her, and to me.}

"Thank you,"

{I smiled back at the young guy who handed me my train ticket to Brisbane. He was cute, and I think he thought I was too. I looked away when he kept looking in my eyes, because his were such a nice shade of blue that I couldn't take it. I've never had a real boyfriend, other than Declan in freshman year, but that was so juvenile and innocent. Grown up boys wanted much, much more than I was ready to give anyone. Besides, I was here for a reason, not to play the naive Juliet to some vacation Romeo.}

{The train ride was six hours long, and I nodded off while looking out the window and watching the coast speed by. I dreamed of finding my brother. I dreamed both of slapping him across the face and of burying my face in his shoulder, crying, hugging. He broke my heart when he left me at home with no one else there but mom and her occasional lover. I needed to get to the Gold Coast before my lead died off like so many others had before it. I needed to find the person who Luca had been travelling with, teaming with, and spending so much of his free time with.}

"Austin Fernando."

"I'm sorry, honey, he's not been here in a while. We've been running the AWE shows without him for months. Still use his name, though.."

{The older man pointed to a posterboard hung over the wall of the gymnasium. There was Fernando, posing with the other AWE wrestlers. I'd never looked at him much before, but with him looming over everything like that it was hard not to notice him. Not to see how handsome he was. My heart sped up a little and I started breathing a little quicker than I wanted to. It made me dizzy.}

"You alright, love?"

{But I wasn't. I was exhausted. Frustrated. Scared. Lonely. And now, I was having an anxiety attack and hyperventilating in front of a complete stranger while staring at a gigantic cutout of my missing brother's extremely attractive best friend.}

{I blacked out.}

Minka Arzegotti · **02-27-2016, 10:34 AM**

"Are you alright, love?"

{I finally open my eyes and see the concerned older man standing over me. In a moment of shock, I try to jump up and make sure I'm not being attacked or taken advantage of... but I'm fine. My clothes are still on, even my shoes. He's put a blanket over me and set me on a threadbare couch in his gym office, and now he's holding a plastic cup of water out to me after filling it from the cooler. He looks a little hurt that my first reaction was distrust, but also like he completely understands.}

"Can't never be too safe, I know. Here. Have a sip and try to get yourself together. You're lucky a I caught you, that floor is hard."

"Thank you."

{I take the cup and sip it, looking over the rim as the man unpauses his laptop computer screen. I see Austin Fernando on the screen and I almost choke on the water. Coughing, I cover my mouth and try to ask what's going on, but all I can do is point at the computer.}

"This is the XWF site, love. I was going to try and help you out. Looks like they've already been informed you're on the loookout, though."

"What, how?"

"Beats me. Happened whenever Austin was here too. It's like they can see everything.

{Luca wasn't crazy. Or maybe he is, and I just am too. They really can see your every move, hear your every thought. I thought it was just ghost stories when he told me about it the last time we talked. Just an effort to scare his little sister one last time. But there's no other explanation for how Austin could have known I was looking for him. Unless... unless I was being followed.}

"He... he didn't say anything about me?"

"Seems not, sheila. But someone else did."

{He plays another stream. This one shows a beautiful blonde girl, maybe my age or close to it. She's laughing at me, though. Making fun of me. Doesn't she understand How difficult this has all been for me and my family? How hard it was to even try and find Luca? I've come all this way, thousands of miles from my home, my life, and all she can do is laugh at me. I won't cry though. Not here, not now.}

"She's so pretty."

"Ah, yeah, she is that. I wouldn't mind a little... ah... well, never mind that."

"What's her name?"

"Her? She's Rebel Star, I think her name is. She's new. Only seen her a time or two. She had a match against ol' Fernando last week, she did."

"Did she win?"

"Sort of. Not really, if you ask me, but technically, yeah."

"I wonder if she'd like me better if we really talked. I love her hair. Do you think she could make my hair look like that?"

"I don't know..."

{He's uncomfortable. Girl talk isn't his specialty, apparently. I can't help but chatter on when I'm nervous though, and her hair... her hair really was so pretty. And she may have had a point about getting to those wrestling shows. If I could find a way in, somehow.}

"Where is the XWF now?"

"Fernando has a match in San Diego on Wednesday. That girl is scheduled on the weekend in Las Vegas."

"Okay. Good. I can do that. Thank you so much, mister... uh..."

"Albright. Name's Albright. I own the gym."

"Got it. Thank you so much Mister Albright, and thank you for the water, and... everything."

"Not a problem, lass. Good luck to you."

{I gather myself and I leave. I'm going back to America.}

St. Diabolicus · **02-27-2016, 05:05 PM**

She best not interfere in my future endeavor to win the tag team titles.sneersI'd hate to have to tear that pretty little face of hers from her dainty little skull.Pauses to thinkNo, I take that back, it would be quite enjoyable. What say you Adam?

What is it with you and dismemberment? I'd much rather treat her to dinner and Motley Crüe tribute band.

Shut up Adam. Why do I even bother with you?

Threaded Mode \| Linear Mode Dear Luca, It's me, Minka...
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