~Tuesday May 18, 2010~

"What are you doing?" Adam called as he stepped out of his car, looking over at Skylar, who was sitting in the only grassy area she could find, with books surrounding her. Her hand going crazy writing in a notebook.
She pulled the ear buds from her ears when she saw a shadow, looking up at him.

"Oh, hey." She said, starting to pack her books up.

"I guess you didn't hear me?" He laughed.
"What are you doing?"

"Sorry. It's finals week. Chemistry is one of the finals I have tomorrow. It's my worse subject." She told him, standing up and grabbing her bag. He walked with her to her car as she exchanged bags.
"I was cramming."

"You really are still in high school? I didn't believe Hyde when he told me." Adam smiled, making Skylar lose her train of thought.
His smile reached all the way to his blue eyes, that were staring right into hers.
She just nodded.
"Sorry. You just seem more mature than most of the other students here."

"No, it's ok." She smiled slightly, shaking her head, trying to remember what they were talking about.

"Where do you go to school at?" He asked as he was unlocking the door to let them in.

"Upper Darby." She answered.

"And you're really a cheerleader?" He asked.

"I was." She told him.

"Were you any good?"

"I was captain of my team since I was freshman, and had an athletic scholarship to college. So, yeah, I'd say I was good." She smiled.

"You're giving up a scholarship for wrestling?" Adam asked.

"Yeah. This is what I want to do." She told him.
"I was naive to the real world of wrestling until about a year ago. That's when I found out about schools, and other ways to make a living wrestling outside of WWE."

"What do the people who care about you think about you wrestling?" He asked, she just shrugged. He decided to leave it at that.
If people wanted to talk then they would.
"Go get changed, I'll meet you out here. Then we'll see if anyone else shows up. If not looks like you get a private session." She smiled at him and headed to the bathroom to get changed.
When she walked out he was in the middle of the ring stretching. After watching him in his tights for a minute, she dug her pads and shoes out of her bag, tossing it to it's normal place.
"Come on. Warm up." He called, hearing her bag hit the ground.
She climbed in the ring and started stretching. He watched as she went through her routine, something that she seemed very comfortable with, like she had been doing it for years.
"I take it your warm up for wrestling isn't much different from what you did for cheering?"

"Not really. Cheering, running. Whatever. As long as I get my muscles going." She said, pulling her leg up behind her.

"That's right, you're a runner too. I remember you saying that yesterday." He said.
"How are the legs?"

"Sore." She smiled.

"What time did you get here?" He asked her, looking at the clock.
"You haven't seen anyone else, have you?"

"I came in right after school. I had an interview in town and came straight from that, so about 3:45." She said, switching positions.
"The only person I've seen is you, but I had my nose in the books, as you saw when you pulled up."

"It's after 5, so I guess it's just you."

"Sorry." For some reason she felt like she needed to apologize for it being just her.

"I'm not." He smiled, making her mind go blank again.
"Tie up. You guys have done those, right?"

"Yeah, we've done the basics."

"Ok. Tie up, let's work on submissions and reversals. Good?" He asked.

"You're the teacher." She smiled, tying up with him.
After a solid 45 minutes of him showing her different holds, he had her call a few spots out of the tie up.
She made a few calls, making them small, and not leaning into him enough.

"You have to lean in. Don't be afraid to get close." He told her.
"Sliced bread. I'm calling."

"Me?" She asked, her eyes almost popping out of her head.
He nodded, leaning forward, locking arms with her.

"Headlock, into sliced bread." He said softly, looking her in the eyes.
"I got you. No worries."
The tone of his voice made her trust him. She pulled him into a head lock, and went towards the corner. She felt his hand go around her waist and the other on the back of her upper thigh to help support.
"Up and over, pin 2 count." He said as her feet hit the ropes. As they landed, she crawled over and covered him.
"One, two." He counted out loud, then kicked out. Skylar rolled over, catching her breath as he did the same.
"Coleateral, then into figure four." He said as he rolled towards her, sitting up, then standing.
He bent over, grabbing two big hands full of her hair.
"Grab my hands." He told her before he started pulling her up. He slung her arm over his neck, putting one arm behind her neck, and the other between her legs, lifting her easily off the ground. He held her there for a minute.
"Don't tense." He told her, before turning her over and slamming her back on the mat.
Her hands flew to her back as she arched off the mat, screaming.
"Nice sell." He grinned, standing up and walking over to her, stomping her knee, then putting her in the figure four.
"Sell it." He said.
"When I tighten my legs, everyone in the crowd can see it." He tightened and she slapped her back to the mat.
"Good. Reverse." He told her. She nodded and started to get the momentum to roll over.
"Stop. Listen." He said, catching sight of the clock.
"Everyone is going to start showing up soon. Time to end the match."

"Ok." She said.

"Once you reverse, I'm grabbing the ropes, so break the hold. Stand up with your back to me. Superkick to the back of your head. You'll go forward and bounce off the ropes. When you bounce off cross your arms low. You're going to back into the Florida Key for the three count. Ok? You got it?"

"Yeah. I got it." She said. He nodded cuing her to reverse the hold.
She rolled over, hearing him groan. Then he crawled to the ropes, she released her legs and slowly climbed to her feet, her back still to Cole. She felt the contact at the same time the sound of him slapping his leg echoed around the empty room. She stumbled forward to the ropes, bouncing off as his body pressed against hers, his hands grabbed her wrists, which were crossed over her abdomen.

"Bend your knees, let me carry your weight." He said into her ear.
"Tuck your head, you'll land on your shoulders." She followed his lead as he bend his knees, then her shoulders were on the mat.
"One. Two. Three." Adam called, then he let go of her arms and she let her weight carry her to the mat.
She sat up, breathing heavy. She wiped the sweat off her face.
"As you learn more moves, calling will be easier for you. But you can't be scared of being close. Leaning in." He told her, sitting up in the ring, his leg stretched out and pressed against hers.
"Did you see her Hyde?" Cole called a huge smile spread across his lips.
She turned her head to see Hyde leaning against the wall next to his office.
Skylar had been oblivious to the fact that there were anyone else in the world but her and Adam.
That alone made her blush. She was glad about the fact that she had been through a match, and the flushing wouldn't be seen by anyone.
"She looked good, right?"

"Yeah, She really did." Hyde grinned at her.
"I was impressed when I saw your car out there. But seeing you in the ring, Skylar, you're going to do really good."

"Thanks." She said softly.
"Thank you Adam, for taking the time to help me."

"Ah, you're welcome Sky. Anytime." He smiled, reaching over and patting her leg.
"I'm gonna go talk to Hyde." He smiled at her as he slid out of the ring.
She climbed out and grabbed her water bottle, going to the drinking fountain, which was next to Hyde's office, to refill it.
"Sky, you coming early tomorrow?" Adam called from Hyde's office when he saw her walk by.
After filling her bottle she turned and stuck her head in the office, leaning against the door frame.

"Unless my chemistry final kills me, which is entirely possible, I'll be here if you will." She said, taking a long drink from her bottle.

"When is your last final?" Adam asked.

"Friday. I'm off Thursday though." She said.

"Yeah? What are you going to do? Sleep in?" Adam smiled at her.

"I have to finish packing." She said.
"Which reminds me. Hyde I can't be here Thursday of next week."

"Why the fuck not?" He asked.

"Graduation." She said.

"Wait, why are you packing? Are you moving?" Adam asked her.

"Yeah." She said.

"You know, you really don't give out much information." Adam said making her smile.

"I guess I don't." She laughed.
"I found a small apartment here in Philly, so I'm moving as soon as it's ready."

"What? You and some friends getting a place together?" Adam asked, making Skylar shake her head.

"It's a small place. My living situation isn't great right now."

"What? Mommy and Daddy not happy with your wrestling career attempt?" Hyde joked.

"I don't live with my parents. My dad took off before I could walk, and my mom died 3 years ago."

"Damn, Hyde. That's wrong." Adam said.

"No, I didn't know. I'm sorry Skylar." Hyde said.

"No worries. It's not something I like to talk about. No one really knows." She smiled weakly at them.
"I got shipped here to live with my mom's stepsister. We don't get along, so."

"Shit, Sky. That's rough." Adam said.

"That's life. It's not always fair." Skylar shrugged.
"My mom was sick a long time before she passed. She told me to always follow my dreams. That's what I'm doing, and my aunt doesn't see it that way."

"Why's that?" Hyde asked.

"I gave up a free ride to college to chase my dream here." Skylar told him.

"What?"

"You didn't know that?" Adam asked him.

"Anyway, enough about me. I just wanted to let you know I can't be here. If you want me to put in some extra hours on another day I can."

"I'll let you know, but if you're coming all week to train with Cole, that's going to put you ahead of the game anyway."
She nodded, waved her hand and walked back into the main room.

"We got a lot of the locker room here tonight so that we can actually get some moves down tonight." Hyde said from ringside.
"Cole will demonstrate in the ring. I'll be coming around to help everyone. Listen, no slamming on the concrete. I mean it. I'm not in the mood to clean up blood tonight." Hyde yelled.
"Take it over Cole."

"Alright, everyone pair up." He said.
Skylar looked around, not really knowing who to pair with, but the choice was taken away from her when three guys from the roster walked up to her at the same time.
"Back off Sky, guys, she's in the ring with me tonight." Cole said, motioning her into the ring.
She breathed a thanks as she stepped through the ropes.
"Don't thank me yet, you're the crash dummy tonight." He smiled at her.
She lost count of how many moves they had gone through during the first hour. The second hour was nothing but learning slams.
By the end of the night she felt like she had been in a car wreck.
Her body had bumps and bruises, her muscles ached.
"Before we head out, who's willing to take a Panama Sunset?" Cole asked.
He looked around the room, and not one person stepped forward.
His eyes landed on Skylar last.
"Do I even have to put it as a question to you?" He knew she was so eager to learn that she would do anything.

"I'll do it." She said, pulling her body away from the corner she had been leaning in.
He smiled at her, as she straightened her body, knowing every movement caused pain.

"Alright." He smirked, climbing up on the ropes.
"When I come down, your hands go to the back of my knees. You have to do as much work as I do. Bend your knees, and spring up. I hit the mat first. Tuck your head. Ready?" He asked, she nodded making him laugh.
"Of course you are, but I think we're good for tonight." Adam smiled.
"Reminder, I'll be here at 5 again tomorrow. Anyone is welcome to come."