Eventually
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Vince, Linda, Shane and Stephanie hadn't seen her since was 13. She didn't really want to see them again, but she's 16 and her family although dead made it clear they wanted her to be given to her godparents for some of their infamous McMahon "tough love". Tough love or life she'd always dreamed of?
Chapter One – Upstart?
"What if is ay I'm not like the others? What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays, you're the pretender, what if I say I will never..."
"Surrender? I'd say handicap match if you wrestled my dear!" Vince beamed down at the young "upstart", as her mother had called her shortly before this all began, it had been 3 years, 3 long years since he'd seen his darling god-daughter. In those three years she had changed, almost unrecognisable to them now, except for the sparkle in her green eyes and her somewhat at-awe-with-everything-all-the-time-look she had. Her hair was once long, blonde and wavy, now knotted up into dreadlocks tied up in a high pony-tail with a piece of what looked like black tights. Baggy, ripped up denim jeans hanging low enough compared to her black polo shirt to see she was wearing black boxer shorts with "Disinterested" written on the waistband.
"Ha, ha, lucky for me then isn't it, Vince?" She was nervous, it was written on her face and in her body language. He gave her a tight hug, followed in turn by Linda, Shane and Stephanie. She greeted them all with a "Nice to see you again." and a smile.
"I love those shoes Roxi!" Stephanie exclaimed,
"Thank you! They're my latest purchase, and my babies, my Black DC Skater shoes." She said, showing them off a bit more to Steph.
Shane interjected, "Right, let's get the upstart home shall we?" Roxi stopped walking,
"What is it?" Shane looked at her, Roxi looked around and realised this was no place to defend herself,
"Nothing sorry, I thought I saw someone I knew, which obviously would be a bit strange" She laughed it off, vowing to talk to them afterwards.
Following a delicious roast chicken dinner at the house Roxi would now call home, Vince, Linda, Shane, Marissa, Stephanie, Paul and Roxi were all sat on various chairs and couches around the family room. Roxi spoke up,
"I don't want to bring the mood down, but I have to say, what you said about me being an upstart before Shane, is not fair. I know you were joking but you don't know what went on between me and her. What she said I am, is a lie."
"Well, Roxi, let's hear your side of the story." Paul said, leaning towards her, wanting to hear what had happened. Everyone in the room nodded and leaned in also.
"Well, when my dad died, as you know she married what idiot millionaire boy man thing Gary. He hated me and so convinced my mum that the only way I would ever grow to be a respectable woman was to leave me to my own devices, no money, no presents, and no love basically. So I was left to fend for myself. After a while I fell out of the habit of acknowledging her really and so when she threw Gary out, which she did at random times, she'd try to be my mom again. I hated it, I couldn't stand the restrictions she'd put on me...Curfews, bed time, internet time allowances, no band practises, no after school hanging-out, no going out with friends without telling her who I was with, where I was going and what time I would be back etc. This led to arguments in which things were said and done that were for the most part unforgettable and in some cases unforgivable. My school grades were straight As, I never acted out at school, which she attributed to the fact I apparently did 'doss' subjects like art and music. This is why she took me out of school aged 16, literally weeks before she, in my opinion pathetically, killed herself. I wasn't the upstart, basically, she provoked me." Immediately, Roxi simply folded her hands on her lap and bowed her head. "Everyone thinks I'm an upstart." She added with a whisper.
"Well we don't! Well, at least I don't." Vince stated heatedly, everyone else agreed in that she was no upstart. Steph sat next to her and gave her a hug which she readily returned.
Linda said, her voice beginning to break, "Why didn't you say something when we saw you Roxi?"
"I didn't want to change, Linda. I still don't want to change." She replied, looking Linda in the eye.
"No one will ask you too. It sounds to me like your mother was making excuses for her behaviour by blaming yours." Linda retorted gently.
Shane changed the subject, asking Roxi what she was into now; he assumed it was different to what she was into aged 13.
"Well, erm, I listen to most music, mainly rock, metal and punk. But I also dabble in other genres, but not rap and rarely hip-hop! Obviously I still watch wrestling; I'm a big fat wrestling geek. I don't drink, I don't do drugs, and I don't smoke. I hate the idea of being dependent upon something or someone, but I don't mind other people drinking, doing drugs or smoking even around me, as long as they don't expect me to do it too." She shrugged, not really knowing what else to say about herself, she hated talking about herself.
"Roxi, did you want to go back to school and graduate?" Linda asked carefully,
"No. No, I don't. I never liked the school establishment. I prefer to sit around, listen to music, draw and write. I've read all the textbooks on all the subjects I would have done. I already know it." Everyone looked at her, realising in one second this was a girl who knew too much for her age, perfect for being on the road with the WWE, she wasn't vulnerable.
"In that case, would you like to tour with me on the road? To occupy your time, make some new friends?" Everyone in the room looked at her expectantly, willing her to say yes. Instead, Roxi hugged Vince, which was all the answer he needed. Everyone laughed at her outburst of emotion; she was beginning to feel at home and it was clear she was going to fit in perfectly.
When Roxi thought everyone was asleep, she got up. Creeping down the stairs to the kitchen she paused, thinking she'd heard someone following her, but it was just a grunt coming from Vince and Linda's bedroom. It was 3AM and she couldn't sleep. Roxi could never sleep; she was an insomniac, the bags under her eyes remained well hidden by her makeup. She sat on one of the breakfast table stools and watched the clock in front of her whilst thinking about where she was in her life now.
'I suppose really self, it's all worked out quite well hasn't it? This is a new chance for you, Roxi, you have to take it. Be yourself; remember what Lewis Carroll once wrote "Be sure the safest rule is that we should not dare to live in any scene in which we dare not die" Do not try to fit in, if you belong in this world, you will blend in with little problem. You know this. Ah, what're you talking about self? Everything will be fine, they're gone now. Why can't you sleep? You have nothing to fear, no one will smother you in your slumber. For fuck's sake you're 16 not 60, these things shouldn't bother you! SLEEP DAMMIT!'
"Ugh, what's the use? You're never going to sleep, just get a drink." She said to herself, resigning her mind and body to another sleepless night. Still, it was a chance to explore! Exploring was fun. She did it all the time.
After getting a glass of milk, she headed out of the kitchen into the living room. The walls were adorned with pictures of the family, the grandchildren, the pets, everything. There was even a picture of the whole family and her when she was 13. Her with her blonde pigtails and denim dungarees on, she laughed to herself, oh how she had changed. She looked down at her sleeping shorts and massive hardy boys t-shirt. Then it hit her, she was going on tour with these guys, the people she had watched on TV were suddenly going to go from strangers to people she knew, she would actually meet them. She would scream if she was alone, which she wasn't. The whole family had stayed at the house that night, she didn't want anyone to wake up and disturb her exploration.
She finished her drink and put it in the kitchen. Then, continued her self-guided tour. She found the downstairs toilet, living room, lounge, one of the 3 study's they said they had all on the bottom floor, the only floor in the 3 storey mansion that didn't have a bedroom on it, but the last cluster of rooms on that floor were to her, her salvation and gold mine. She found the library, which lead off into a room adorned with pictures of wrestlers and every issue of WWF/WWE magazine ever printed along with all the DVDs they'd produced, and off that room was a huge cinema style room to watch them all on.
"This...is...awesome." She whispered in awe to herself, feeling like a giddy school girl.
"It is isn't it?" She jumped and nearly screamed. Vince had woken up and found her ambling around. "I thought I heard someone go downstairs and when I didn't hear them come back up I decided to investigate. I had a feeling it was you, exploring." She giggled. She always had the compulsion to explore. He chuckled as well. "You should go to bed, Roxi, try to sleep before we head out tomorrow." She looked down,
"I can't sleep. I'm an insomniac, it was brought on not long after my mother married Gary, I feared for my life, the only time I was vulnerable was when I slept. I've tried telling myself it's all over, but I am not listening." She laughed a bit, but Vince did not join her.
"Perhaps, darling, you should see someone about that?" He leaned towards her,
"Maybe, in time, I will learn to sleep. I need time to adjust to them not being there. I need time to forget."
"If you say so darling, but I will be watching you carefully on this tour." She nodded as did he, before he wrapped his arm around her and directed her up to her room.
A/N: Please read and review! It would mean so much.