Threaded Mode | Linear Mode

Shawn Warstein · (03-09-2020)

Chicago, Il
7:30am

….Bzzz….Bzzz….
….Bzzz….Bzzz....

“What the fuck.”

I glance over to the clock on the side of the bed, and it reads 7:30am. A deep sigh follows. I slowly sit up and hang my head.

“Who the fuck is calling this early in the morning.”

I roll out of bed and don't even bother to check my phone, as I stretch and make my way towards the bathroom. I flip the light switch on, and walk up to the sink and turn on the faucet. My head is pounding from the night before. As I place my hands into the sink, the cold water rushes over them. I scoop my hands and in one swoop splash the water over my face.

….Bzzz….Bzzz….
….Bzzz….Bzzz….

The buzzing echoes in the bedroom. I grab a towel and wipe my face as I walk back into the room. I drape the towel over my shoulder and grab my phone. The two messages from Atara pop up.

“Well that’s a pleasant sight to see.”

I toss the phone on the bed and take a deep breath. For the first time in a long time, I actually feel relaxed. Sure I’m awake way too early, but I’m not in pain. I don’t need to take a myriad of prescriptions to just feel okay, not even normal just okay. I can wake up in the morning and actually feel like everything is going to be fine.

I quickly get dressed l, grab my phone and head out to the kitchen. It’s nothing fancy, I am still a bachelor. Just a clean no nonsense kitchen, fridge, stove, island, and the best part.

The coffee machine. Not one of those stupid keurig’s that pollute the planet more than anything. Not just a classic coffee machine, no this one is perfect. It’s well worn and makes my coffee perfect every time. I flip the machine on as I stare aimlessly out the window above the sink.

There’s so much going on in my life right now that it’s really difficult for me to comprehend. I’m a double champ. I can basically pick my spot for a Uni run. I’m on one of the best runs of my career, and to top it all off there’s Atara. What that is going to become I don’t have a clue, but there’s something about her, I just can’t describe it. The calming tone of her voice, the aroma that follows. The feeling when she looks up at me. It’s as if I don’t have a worry in the world. It’s as if the world stops around us, making sure that every moment is one not to be forgotten.

….Bzzz….Bzzz….
….Bzzz….Bzzz….

I snap out of my daze and check my phone. A quick message from Atara, and an even quicker response from me. It wasn’t long before my phone rang.

“Hey, what’s up?” I said as I leaned up against the counter.

“Just finished packing. Getting ready to go out to breakfast. So what are you doing?”

“Cool. Right now nothing, but later I don’t know. I’ll probably stay in today, Noah’s gone for a few days. I’ll lay low.” I begin to drum my fingertips against the counter top.

“Anything else?”

“Not that I can think of, maybe go out for dinner.” Yeah I know what she’s aiming for, but sometimes it’s fun to mess with her a little bit. When the timers of her voice changes is really something to behold.

“Really?”

“What?” Here we go. The bass is going to come and then a quick reassurance and all will be fine. Simple harmless fun.

“What time are you picking me up from the airport?”

“Yeah….. Your flight gets in at five right?”

“Ohhhh now you remember.” A sigh of relief is heard from the other end, as I let out a small quick laugh.

“Like I could forget you.”

“Just don’t be late. I’ve gotta go. I’ll see you later tonight.”

With that she hung up and I sit down on the couch. I take a sip of my coffee, and just smile. There is no particular reason, I’m just happy for once. With everything I’ve dealt with it’s nice knowing that the end is near.

I’ll finally be able to go out on my own terms. Last time left a bad taste in my mouth, it tarnished my legacy, and above all else it broke me. Over the past year I’ve attempted to rebuild myself. There have been ups and downs. There have been more ups and SHE is a big part of that.

I never know the best way to put this kind of information out to the public, it’s always weirded me out. I pull out my phone and send the tweet. You all know the tweet I’m talking about, I’m not going to drag on about it.

It didn’t take long for the notifications to pour in. From everywhere. The front office. The boys and girls in the back. From Splat. I wonder if I’m making a mistake in doing it like this, but the one thing I do know is that I can't keep going on like this. She has become too important and the constant struggle between the two of us made the decision very clear.

….Bzzz….Bzzz….
….Bzzz….Bzzz….

I grab my phone and blindly answer it in hopes that it was Atara just so I could hear her voice one more time before my day truly begins. I wish that I didn’t.

“Hello”

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?

“Oh shit…”

“Oh Shit is right! You can’t do this now! Not when…”

“Not when what? You’re about to get your last payout from the divorce? Yeah Jules, I can.”

“Oh sure, make everything about me….”

“Well yeah that’s the only reason you’re calling me right? The cash cow is about to be led to the slaughter and you can't handle it. Bye Jules.”

“Oh you think I don’t know you’re at home?”

I didn’t allow her to finish whatever tirade she was about to go on, and hung up the phone. I drop my head into my hands, and chortle.

Of course the second everything starts going my way SOMETHING has to happen. I was finally ready to be me again, and then this bitch had to call my phone. I know that nothing good is going to come of this but there isn’t anything I can do about it.

Chicago, Il
6;35pm

There Jules and I sat in the living room. Arguing about everything and anything. I absolutely loathe it when she’s around. She is the bane to everything good in me. When I’m around her or even talking to her, something snaps in my brain. I lose sight of everything that I built. Literally the last time we were in the same room, we were finalizing our divorce papers. I signed them quickly and thought that would be the end of it all, boy how I was wrong.

A little fact about me that not everyone knows, I have a son. Well one that’s not Noah. His name is Jacob. I haven’t seen him since he was three. Jules decided that it would be better if he didn’t know that his dad was a raging drug abuser, and generally an asshole to everyone around him. In hindsight I never should’ve signed away my parental rights, but I did. Then Jules just now hits me with this,

“You know I was honestly thinking about bringing Jacob…”

I was dumbfounded. I didn’t know how to react or what to say. All I know is that I felt that tweak go through my body and eventually explode out of my mouth.

“Are you fucking kidding me? I have begged and pleaded with you to let me see him, and you say that to me now?! What the fuck is wrong with you?”

I was honestly expecting Jules to laugh.

That’s what she usually did when I would fly off of the handle. I’m not going to lie, it threw me off for a moment. Then she calmly smiled.

“Yes. I was. Then I decided to talk to you first about this whole retirement thing, and well now I can see that I made the right call not bringing him. You think you’ve changed but you’re still the same old Shawn.”

I take a deep breath, and before I say anything the front door bursts open. Atara power walks into the living room dragging her bag behind her.

“What the hell Shawn?! I thought you were coming to get me? I waited for an hour before I called an Uber…. Don’t you answer your phone?” I was honestly just waiting for her to take a breath before I said anything. Unfortunately for me Jules decided to break the tension in a way only she can.

“Who’s this bitch?”

Atara was taken aback. She tilted her head towards Jules and snarled. It was kind of hot if I’m being honest.

“I could ask the same thing…”

That’s when it backfired on me, not that I caused any or all of this, but yup this was totally my fault from all angles. They both whip their faces towards me as I sip my drink. I reach out my hand.

“Jules this is Atty,Atty this is my ex wife.”

“Oh you’re the Ex? Yeah you can leave now.”

“Atty just go put your stuff in the room, it’s back there…”

“Yeah I know where it’s at.” Atty smiles never breaking eye contact with Jules. Jules huffs and breaks away, turning her attention to me. Atara eventually disappears into the back.

“Yeah I’m glad I didn’t bring him.”

“Just tell me what I need to do….”

Jules smirked and shrugged her shoulders.

“Well having whores walk around the house isn’t a great start. And this talk of retiring isn’t helping.”

“Listen I don’t know what Atty and I are, but she’s not a whore as you eloquently put it.” stand up from the couch and hang my head. “And you don’t have a say in what I do anymore.”

“As the CEO and business manager of all of your LLC’s I do and if either of those things are true the next time I stop by…”

‘Yeah I know, you’ll threaten to take something away that I’ve never had to begin with.”

“Don’t tell me you’re going to choose her over your own blood…”

“I think you need to leave.”

Jules stands up and heads towards the door. She turns to look at me, but I just shoo her away with my hands. She huffs and walks out the door, slamming it behind her.

I begin to head down the hallway towards the bedroom. I pause for a moment. Hesitating as my hand falls on the door knob and then I open the door. Atara is standing there. I can clearly tell she’s upset just from her body language alone. Her bag is open on the bed and strewn about.

“Well?” She holds her hands up in a quizzical manner.

“Sit down, relax, and just let me explain.”

The Afterthought

Yeah. Every single one of you heard me correctly. My time here is at its end. I know that most of you are happy that it’s happening. I can hear all of you now.

“Finally I will get my opportunity!”

“I will be able to shine without the large shadow cast over the XWF!”

“The title scene will finally be open, because no one here can possibly beat the Greatest XWF Wrestler of all time!”

Why thank you! I know that I’m the greatest, it’s just nice to know that my accolades haven’t gone unnoticed this entire time. I sound insane when I say it, but when everyone else says it….

It really warms my cold heart. Knowing that the records I hold right now can and will never be broken. And I will guarantee everyone this… if this place is still around in 2030 don’t think I won’t come back and add another decade to the unbreakable one already. This is one of the final two stops before I’m officially done here in the XWF, so what amazing talent did they set me up with in a match?

Olive Pendersomething?

Like here’s the thing…. I don’t even know enough about you to talk about you. Like Atty pointed out to me when she posed the question…

“Dove, who’s Olive? And why does she claim to know you?”

I honestly was taken aback. Were you someone I fucked in the past? No you’re not my type. I prefer the mentally stable and not people who create fictional friendships where there are none.

Then I thought to myself,

“Well you have done a lot of drugs, maybe you do know her, but can’t remember her.”

Yet that just turned out to be fucking false. I tried to do some research as I always do on people that don’t even register a blip on my radar. Do you want to know what I found?

Nothing.

Not a single fucking thing of relevance. I thought it was odd, so I asked Noah, and the same thing. I asked Vinny, he didn’t even realize that you were signed here. Theo unfortunately didn’t answer my call but I’m sure it would’ve been the same. It’s all too convenient that there isn’t anything around that says anything of note about you.

And that’s just it isn’t it?

You probably think you’re going to come in here under the radar and sneak a win. Yet I think you’re going to be more like Az in that you won’t say a fucking word.

You’re too afraid to say anything. Much like everyone else in the fucking place. You’re all afraid to step up. Only one of you have had the balls to say anything, and his dance card is full. And let me be first to tell everyone out there.

I’m sorry.

I’m sorry I’m not the man to take that tile off of him. I wanted so badly to do so, but I was too busy making two title scenes more relevant than his. I’ve known I was leaving for a while now, and wanted to leave the XWF title scene in a better place than it was when I came back. No tag division to speak of. An X-Treme title that got passed around more than a blunt session with Geri.

This has all been a roundabout way to tell you Olive… I’m not going to lose to you. If you think Theo and Vin are going to let me lose this title weeks before their biggest payday with me, you are sadly mistaken. The headlines are going to read….

“XWF Legend Walks away with both titles in his possession.”

Not

“Some Random broad lost her title at March Madness”

Just ask yourself this…

Which show are you buying?

“Oi Cunt you forgot about me!”

I walk into frame and look at Noah with a confused look on my face.

“What are you talking about?”

“You get to pick my stipulation against that fucking gravel eating, window licking, moronic mouth breather.”

“Oh… wait you’re fighting the love child of Gilly and A random short bus rider?”

“Yeah Kieran Overtons”

“Yeah he weighs over a few tons..”

“Just get to the point Dad.”

“Fine for you two…. you will battle…..”

Insert Horrible Noah Drumroll…

“A Tron Light Cycle Race. The only way to win is…. well if you haven’t seen the movie go check it out. It’s dope and really cool.”

“Sick!”

Noah and Myself do our secret handshake, and then I pause for a moment.

“Does this mean you get to pick mine?”

“Yup!”

“Well what is it then?”

“Spoilers.”

Threaded Mode \| Linear Mode I’ve got 99 problems, but you ain’t one...
Author	Message