Picture Your Ego Behind Your Belt
Chapter Seven
Cricket had shivers trace down her spine, as she heard that someone outside was desperately trying to find her. She really wasn't sure what was happening, she just knows that this is where she is supposed to be. The room was a dark room, but there was nothing inside. Nothing to actually be considered a photography actual dark room, except the fact that she couldn't see her hand in front of her face. So in all truth it was a dark room.
Waving her hand frantically across her face, she was trying to keep her cool, and she tried to position herself so that it would make it look like she was doing something if anyone opened the door.
"Cricket!" someone bellowed from outside the dark room, Cricket slowly opened the door and quickly escaped from the small entrance she gave herself.
"Sorry! I just got to be careful, ya know? I don't want any light ruining the development of my photos. Also this isn't my usual dark room, but I guess I have to get used to it." Cricket smiled as she brushed some imaginary dirt from her pants.
"Oh my Cricket! So you don't know?" Aksana said in a slightly frantic tone, accent included. Off camera she and Cricket had bonded closely. After their first encounter they both talked to each other about their past storylines with Cesaro. It was then Cricket realized that she was such a joy to be around.
"What do I not know?" Cricket felt her heart drop, she was so out of the loop, she had no clue what was happening so whatever was on her face was a true genuine reaction.
"Just follow me, someone told me that Christian has been attacked. Come on hurry." Aksana was just ready to take off when Cricket grabbed her by the elbow.
"Aksana just tell me where this happened and I will go see for myself."
Aksana was reluctant to let anyone go, but she told Cricket what she the information and Cricket broke into a wild sprint. The cameras turned off and Cricket smiled.
"Cut!"
"Did I do that correctly?!" Cricket spoke unsure, her hand behind her head and she looked towards the cameramen, who nodded their heads, packed up and left for the other location.
"Cricket that was great!" Aksana gave her approval and the two of them went to the other location to shoot the backstage scene.
"So I heard that this next one was going to be a surprise so you have to get ready and hopefully you can do it on the first take and get that genuine reaction."
"Let's hope so."
Walking quickly Aksana and her got the cameramen in record time. The plan was for Cricket to run in to the area where Christian was "attacked" and then see how Cricket was going to plan accordingly.
"Alright on my mark…and…action"
Cricket counted for three for an appropriate pause and then broke out into a sprint. The camera followed her closely. Stopping on a small "X" in black tape she searched around the large hallway.
"Christian? Christian! Hello! Are you hurt? Someone told me that you were injured?"
"Hello bug."
Cricket turned around, Cesaro stood his championship belt glistening, and it must have been polished on a daily basis. Crickets guess was that Cesaro was probably polishing his beloved belt with every chance he got.
"What are you doing here? Someone told me that Christian had been attacked. Is that true?"
"Nope, I'm sorry that was a lie."
"What do you me-"
Cricket was angry, she was furious. Her camera had been taken away from her by Cesaro, after he left her with a cheap shot to the head with that stupid shiny title. Her forehead slightly bruised from the blow, she was told to wait behind the black curtain for her match. Alicia Fox was her opponent next and they stood side by side waiting for one person to be called out then the other. They shook hands and quickly hugged before Alicia came out first.
Cricket walked out slowly, she had no camera to take a picture of the crowd with, and her mind was going rampant. Cricket had a raging headache, she gently touched her head and felt a bump swelling against her skin.
She knew her match was going to be bad, and in the end it was. Alicia Fox beat her with a clean pin fall.
Cricket stood backstage watching the RAW screen as Cesaro made his was up to the ring, grinning and smirking he took slow steps.
"Oh Cricket!" Cesaro mocked on the microphone.
"I know you are back there! I'm so sorry about your loss to Alicia tonight, also I'm sorry that your camera was stolen, but it's not stolen, I simple borrowed it for tonight, see? It's right here." Cesaro held Cricket's camera by the strap and was swinging it back and forth.
"If you want it, come and get it, bug."
It only took a few moments, but Cricket got the clear to walk past the black curtain. There Cricket stood at the top of the ramp, about to make her way down when Cesaro stopped her.
"No, no no, that's not how this is going to go, I want you to play fair."
Cricket was suddenly held down by Jack Swagger, his face plain and stale as he looked out to Cesaro. Zeb Colter nowhere to be found.
"Now that I'm sure that you are going to play fair, I want to say something. Earlier today, we found out once again, that you betrayed me."
"What? Cesaro! How would I betray you? You lied to Aksana and me, you told her that someone was attacked, I would have gone to help anyone! Now please Cesaro drop my camera!" Cricket screamed trying to force her way away from Swagger but he secured her in place.
"Drop the camera? Ok, if the lady says so." Cesaro dropped it and Cricket watched it bounce onto the mat.
Cricket screamed.
"Cesaro stop it! PLEASE! Not my camera. Please not my camera." Cricket pleaded, genuine tears falling down from her face. Cricket didn't know what was happening, if this was fake then it hurt so damn much.
"Ladies, and gentlemen if you are joining us on Monday Night RAW then this was not the right time to expect something peaceful. Currently we have Antonio Cesaro with Cricket's camera on the floor. Previously held by Cesaro he had let it drop to the mat right in front of Cricket.."
"What do you want from me Cesaro!?"
"It's nothing difficult, I want you to apologize to me. Tell me that you were wrong."
Cricket was crying, her whole body leaning over Jack Swagger's secured arms. She was hoping in the back of her mind that he was ok holding her weight like that.
"I'm sorry Cesaro!" Cricket screamed, a microphone still nowhere near her.
"Tell me that you were wrong for betraying me."
Cricket bit her lip but complied with his orders.
"I was wrong for betraying you."
"Ok, good enough. Jack let her go."
Cricket looked up enthusiastically, but then Jack tightened his grip around her, Cricket gasped in his hold.
"No."
Cesaro raised a boot and he dropped it at the base of Cricket's camera. Cricket's knees gave out in front of her and she fell to the floor, she dangled over jack's iron like arms as she cried.
"What a despicable thing."
"Ladies and gentlemen Cricket is absolutely heartbroken."
"Just look at her face, as Cesaro stomps on her camera."
"Cesaro is destroying Cricket's life, her livelihood."
It was all going so slow in Cricket's mind as Cesaro stomped on her camera.
Cricket was just about to drop to the ground when Swagger's grip released and she was pushed forward. Cricket scrambled to run down that ramp. She didn't even care about Cesaro, her smashed camera was all she could think about. Cricket stood over the broken pieces and then dropped down to her knees. Slowly picking up the pieces, one by one.
Two gentle hands touched her shoulder, but Cricket didn't even look up.
"Cesaro is going to pay for this."
