"So, what do you want to talk to me about?" Alexa asked as they neared the car that Tamina was driving.
"It's about Batista." She replied, "I'll explain once we get into the car and start driving."
"Isn't he amazing? He says he can talk to Triple H and get me on the main roster soon." Alexa said with a huge smile on her face.
Tamina didn't respond, she just open the driver side door and got in. As soon as they both were buckled in, she started the car and began to drive. The first few minutes of the car ride was filled with silence, as Tamina tried to think of how to tell Alexa what Batista was doing. She knew how much Alexa wanted to be on the main roster, and what she was about to tell her would crush the 22-year-old.
"Did he say how he would go about getting you on the main roster? What would he say to Triple H?"
"He said he wasn't sure yet, that me and him would need to meet and talk more in private." Alexa answered her, "how come you're asking? Is there something wrong?"
"Yeah," Tamina said with a sigh. "I'm concerned about this, normally talking about being on the main roster does not involve kissing someone. It's not up to Batista to decide on who is called up or not, it's up to the coaches in developmental and also Triple H."
"How did you find out anyway? Who told you where we were?"
"That doesn't matter. Alexa, he is using you."
"No he is not, he says he likes me and that I am a great Wrestler." She said, glaring at Tamina.
"For the past few nights, he has tried to get me to have sexual relations with him and I have refused every time. Today when I walked in the arena, he told me that if I didn't give into him then he would hurt one of you guys." Tamina told her, hoping she would believe what she was saying.
"You're kidding me right?" Alexa asked in disbelief, "he's not like that, he's my friend. He would never hurt me or anyone for that matter."
"Alexa, have I like to you before?"
"No, but…
"When you came up to the table, your face looked frightened. Your friends are not supposed to make you feel afraid. Why were you frightened?"
Alexa turned her head away, hiding the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. "I don't want to talk about it."
"Alexa, what did he do or say to you? You can tell me." Tamina said, placing a hand on the younger girls shoulder.
"I said I don't want to talk about it. Please, just drop it."
"The mother instinct in me won't let me, please just tell me. If you tell me, I can make sure it doesn't happen again-
"I said drop it!" Alexa shouted, closing her eyes tight. "He didn't hurt me, I didn't say no or push him away."
"What do you think of the match I had with Sasha tonight?"
"it was good, you did great out there."
"and Sasha?"
"she did great too."
"I wish I had more time to help train you guys. You guys are the next generation of divas, and I can't wait to have all of you on the main roster one day. Hopefully, I can be around to face all of you at some point."
"Can we stay at my house? I live in tampa." Asked Alexa.
"Sure, is there any reason why you don't want to stay at the hotel?"
"No, I just want to go home." Alexa replied softly, looking down at her hands which were shaking.
Tamina nodded, and took note of how Alexa's hands were shaking and how she was avoiding eye contact with her. She could tell that Alexa was scared, and that she wasn't going to talk about what happened right away.
It shocked her, how much concerned she was showing for the younger girl. Most people had never seen this softer side of her, she never let it show on or off camera. But Batista had gotten to her, more than anyone had. He had managed to do something that no one had done, he was breaking down her hard exterior. It was beginning to scare her, how she was easily able to fight in a physical altercation but felt powerless in this situation.
"Are you going to say anything to coach Sara?"
"What would I say to her?" Tamina asked, hoping that Alexa would open up a bit more about what happened.
"About me and Batista."
"What about it? You said nothing happened. If nothing happened, why would you be worried about me saying something to her?"
Alexa went silent.
"Would you like me to say something about Batista to coach Sara?"
Alexa still remain silent, but Tamina saw a few tears escape her eyes. After a few more minutes of silence, Alexa slowly nodded her head as more tears fell.
Okay, what would you like me to say to her?"
Once again, the car ride filled with silence as Tamina waited for Alexa to respond. She knew that patience was key in this situation. If she continued to press Alexa, she might shut down and never talk about it. "You can tell me anything you want to, you don't have to tell me everything."
"He found me in the women's locker room." Alexa said just above a whisper.
Tamina just continued to drive, hoping that Alexa would continue on her own. When 20 minutes past with no words spoken, she nodded signaling for her to continue.
"I feel so dirty, so ashamed. Why do I want to protect him? Why am I afraid to tell?"
"Because you think of him as a friend, and you don't normally want to tell on your friends. You want to be there for them to protect them. You might be afraid to tell because if anybody finds out, he might get into trouble." Tamina replied, trying to validate Alexa's feelings.
"Why do I feel so dirty and ashamed? Have you told anybody what he's doing to you?"
"Because you feel like he has taken advantage of you, and you feel ashamed because you went along with it, even though a part of you didn't want to." Sighing, she continued . "Yes, I have. I told Stephanie who insured my safety just like she can ensure your safety. If you let coach Sara talk to her, then Stephanie can help you too."
"Will anybody else find out? I don't want any of the other girls to find out. They will call me a slut." Alexa said, crying once again. "I'm not right? This doesn't make me a slut, right?"
Pulling off to the side of the road, Tamina turned the car off and pulled Alexa into her arms. "No, this does not make you a slut. If anything, it makes you strong because you got through this and you're telling me what happened. You are a strong, wonderful person who is one hell of a fighter. Don't ever think of yourself as anything but that. You did absolutely nothing wrong."
"Yes I did, I didn't stop him, I didn't push him away. I'm such a weak person. I couldn't even say no. I couldn't cry." Alexa said, as she sobed in her arms.
Stroking the young girls long hair, Tamina began to gently rock her, trying to give her as much comfort as she could. "You don't have to say no or physically fight back for it to be against your will."
"I'm a professional wrestler, how can I not fight back? How could I let this happen to me? Why am I so stupid?"
"Alexa, you're not stupid. If anything you're very smart. Honestly I wouldn't have done what you did, I would've been the stupid one and fought back." She whispered in her ear, as she made soothing circles on her back.
"He told me I was pretty, that I was beautiful... He made me feel special, and then it changed when we went to his car."
"How so?"
Tamina could feel the other girl start to shiver as she was remembering what happened. "It's okay, you're safe now. You can tell me," she whispered.
"I can't do this… I'm too scared."
"It's okay to be scared, you have a right to be scared. He's not here, it's just me and you. The doors are locked, the windows are up, nobody is around, he can't hurt you. You're safe with me."
"He… Started to play with my hair, and then… he told me he could get me on the main roster soon, but that I'd have to show him how much I wanted it." She squeezed Tamina's hand.
"You are doing really great, you are really brave . Can you tell me more? You can tell me. It's okay. What did he mean by what he said?" Tamina encouraged.
"He didn't say anything, he just put his hand under my shirt. I couldn't move, it was like my body was frozen."
"Sometimes when we are in a situation where we cannot fight or flee, our body will freeze to protect us from further harm."
"Your body wouldn't have done that, you said you would've fought back."
"I say that now, because I am not in that situation. If I ever was, I don't know what I would do. We can say we will do this or that in any given situation, but in less the situation happens we really have no idea what our bodies will do."
"He touched me, everywhere. And then he started to kiss me and I was stupid and kissed him back." Alexa said, as she squeezed her eyes shut, "my body betrayed me, I responded to his touch."
"Alexa, did he rape you?" She asked her softly.
Alexa shook her head, "he put his mouth on my private."
"Alexa, that is rape."
"No, it wasn't. It's not supposed to make you feel good, your not supposed to respond to something you don't want."
"Alexa, your body doesn't know that this is force."
"Words came out of my mouth that I didn't want. I begged him not to stop, but I wanted it to. I wanted it to stop."
"That doesn't make a difference Alexa, it was still rape."
"Are you going to tell coach Sara?"
"I will tell her that he threatened me with harm to one of you guys, but it's your choice to tell her what happened to you." Tamina replied, stroking Alexa's hair.
Nodding her head, Alexa wiped tears from her eyes. "What will happen if I tell?"
"I'm not going to lie to you and say he won't get in trouble, because he will. But if you tell, you will be standing up for yourself and other girls in the locker room."
"Will I get into any trouble?"
"No, you won't. I will be there to support you and to defend you. I can be in the room when you talk to Coach Sara if you want me to be."
"Yes, I would like that. Can we start driving now?"
"Are you okay? We can sit hear for as long as you need."
Yeah, I'm okay. I just want to go home."
Tamina nodded and started the car. As she drove, she couldn't help the anger that grew within her.
Parking the car in the driveway, both girls got out and headed up to the porch. Tamina could tell that Alexa was exhausted, and she didn't blame her. It sickened her what Batista had done to Alexa. The worst part about this? She felt like she was to blame. It was her rejection of Batista's advances that caused this to happen.
"I want to take a shower, I want to be clean." Alexa said, shaking.
"I would advise that you not take a shower right away, they will need evidence and if you take a shower his DNA will be gone. However, it's your choice if you want to take a shower or not." Tamina replied.
"I want to take a shower."
"Okay, you can. Do you need me to do anything?"
"Just please don't leave."
"I won't leave you. You're okay."
"Thank you," Alexa replied going into the bathroom and shutting the door.