X-treme Wrestling Federation

I have no idea why my keys are still in my hand.

I slide them into my pocket and continue forth down the hall on this amazing journey of dreadful anticipation, each step bringing my closer to my apartment where Kara's no doubt reveling in whatever this profession was that she had picked out for me. Without thinking, I grab at a clump of hair behind my ear and twirl it around my index finger until a few strands break free from my head and stay stuck between my thumb and forefinger. Last time I made my way down this hall, there was no underlying nervousness, no real cause of tension; and yet there I was, stumbling over my feet and feeling just about ready to vomit. What a difference a day can make, I guess.

Finally, I make it all the way down the almost endless hallway, right to the door leading into my apartment. With a steady hand that feels like a godsend in this situation, I reach out and grip the handle, letting out a sigh that was trapped in my lungs for far too long and push the door while walking forward, only to walk headfirst into it. Right, turning the handle would help me avoid possible brain damage. This time I actually do turn the handle and push open the door, waiting before I walk so I don't run right into a repeat, and the door slowly swings open.

Okay, that was easier than I made it out to be.

I walk into the main room of the apartment, and immediately feel something off about the atmosphere. Nothing I could easily put my finger on and determine. Of course not; that would imply things could be simple. As I make my way further into the room, I begin to notice something that conflicts with what I assumed would be the case when I walked in; Kara was nowhere to be found. Likely, she was in the kitchen, eating pieces of dry cereal out of the box instead of the way they should be consumed, but that was largely irrelevant at the moment.

"Kendall?" she asks, with her mouth obviously full.

"No."

"Vewwy funnay," she chokes out before swallowing the clump of whatever it is in her mouth. I hear the rustling over her putting whatever box of cereal it is she's eating straight out of on the counter and then her footsteps across the tile of the kitchen floor. I'm too familiar with this routine; I raise one finger in the air and point it at the wall that blocks me from the kitchen right as I hear her footsteps stop and start again, moving away from the doorway that connected the main room and the kitchen, back to presumably the kitchen counter.

Cue her rummaging through the box again and pulling out another handful of whatever cereal it is.

Okay, now she's definitely coming out.

"I oughtta strangle you right now. You're lucky I have Fruit Loops."

"Right. Thank the Lord that you're busy shoveling store brand, generic Fruit Loops knock offs into your mouth or else I'd surely be in for a rude awakening."

"Isn't that what I just said?" she asks before shoving the handful of colorful cereal into her mouth. "Also, don't knock the Fruit Circles."

One of Fruit Circles flies from her mouth and lands at my feet, the actual empty circle getting impaled by the carpet. I actually start to laugh. I don't know why; the silliness of this whole situation, the fact that my mom though I cared in the slightest about her and my father's doomed to fail again relationship, or the fact that there exists a product called Fruit Circles and better yet, Kara bought it and loves it.

"So, what's this big reveal you have planned for me?" I ask, forcing myself to stop laughing. Kara swallows and clears her throat.

A few seconds pass as she waits for some form of imaginary drum roll. An action that totally contradicts the monotone she delivers the news in.

"Porn."

"I hate you."

She bursts out laughing, seemingly unable to keep up her facade of candor any longer. Shortly thereafter, I do too. This time, I do know what I'm laughing about however, so I guess that makes this fit a little better? I don't even know. She takes a few steps closer to me, putting her hand down on my shoulder and reverting back to a serious face, no longer laughing or even showing any evidence that she's laughed in her entire life.

"Professional Wrestling."

"Pornography sounded more accurate."

"Oh shit, now you have jokes?"

"What? Did you just realize?"

"Obviously."

"Seriously though, what is it?" I don't think I'm doing a good job of hiding my lack of patience. I'm gritting my teeth, and trying my hardest not to ball my hands into fists. Not because I'm afraid I'm going to use them, but because if they aren't balled, I can't. So in a way, I am afraid of that being a possibility. What a roundabout way of reaffirming my own suspicions.

"Seriously though, Professional Wrestling."

"Stop-"

"No, seriously. You obviously have some anger issues-"

"I do not! Even if I did, what does that have to do with anything?" It's only after I say that, that I realize just how stupid that sounds. Kara just glares back at me like I have multiple screws loose, which to be fair I probably do. Albeit not necessarily in the areas she's thinking right now. Not like I'm giving her evidence on the contrary.

"Mhm?"

"Anyway..."

"As I was saying; you obviously have some anger issues..."

I groan.

"...And, it just so happens that there's a certain wrestling company that tends to overlook certain aspects about its talent. For example, the mental state of whomever they hire."

"That sounds terribly irresponsible."

"Just the place a girl like you needs in order to get a job, it seems."

"That was not my fault!"

"Whatever."

She realizes that her arm's been on my shoulder for the entirety of this back and forth, and awkwardly lowers it to her side. I take this silence to let the news sink in. A Professional Wrestler? What? Suddenly, I wish I hadn't dropped out of college. I don't know why of all times I'm thinking this, seeing as though the thought never crossed my mind the entire time I've been unemployed but now that a job is staring me in the face, I regret it. Typical.

"So, explain this to me again; how did this come to be an option?"

"Why, you interested?"

"No, I'm asking for a friend."

"Fuck you too. Jacob's cousin works for them, he can get you hired with ease."

"What company is it?"

"They've been on the news a lot lately. The one that does all the weird shit. XWF I think it's called."

Excellent.

"Excellent."

She raises an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

I smile. "Yes."

"Shit, while I have you in an odd mood, I have to ask something else; you wanna go out with Jacob and I tonight?"

"Yeah, sitting in some restaurant, reading over the menu word for word while you two make out the whole time doesn't sound like a fun time to me."

"Good. That's not what we're doing."

"Oh, really? What is it, then?"

"That part's a surprise."

Of course. I lean against the wall.

"Right."

"Just trust me. When have I ever steered you wrong?"

"For starters..."

"In the last twenty four hours?"

I got nothing. I say nothing.

"Right. Just come along. I'm sure you'll love it."

'Okay," I say, before heading to the kitchen.