California Friends

Season 3, Episode 9: The Goodbye Of The Sweet Girl

Starring~ Melina Perez, Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, Eve Torres, and Nattie Neidhart.


It was another typical California afternoon. The shadows were beginning to set on the NXT building, where Melina spent most of her time. She loved the environment, despite not having many friends, she loved being a part of the wrestling.

Melina was minding her own lonesome business, but a distracting noise was getting in the way. She could hear something 'click-clacking' on the floor, it sounded like bitch-heels.

Carmella and her posse stopped in front of Melina. "Hey Melina, you need some makeup, or do you not wear any for your matches," Carmella mocked Melina, with a hand full of foundation powder. "Maybe that's why you're so unpopular with the crowd," she continued mocking.

Melina crossed her arms and shook her head, but the power trio weren't backing off. Carmella blew the powdered foundation that was on her hand into Melina's face, "Ooops, I was just trying to blow you a good luck kiss," Carmella taunted Melina. "Because I heard a little rumor that you were also into girls..."

Melina was very close to losing it, but she didn't. She simply wiped her face with the nearest towel, except they weren't done. Summer and Alexa had a handful of foundation powder too, Summer and Alexa both 'sneezed' at the same time.

All of the foundation was all over Melina's face and hair, "You bitches," Melina roared. She got up and shoved Carmella back, "I warned you and your little sheep friends," Melina yelled into their faces. She pushed Carmella again and all three backed up, shocked.

The power trio didn't look so powerful anymore. "Ugh, whatever," Carmella said, rolling her eyes and walking away as if she didn't care. Summer and Alexa followed, both still gasping and scared that Melina would run after them.


Unlike Melina, Nattie was prepared for the mean people. She was reading through her reviews about the match she had at NXT, about 96 of them were positive and Nattie couldn't help but to jump up and down.

Hours later, Brett called Nattie and Nattie was dying to tell somebody about the positive reception her comeback match had. Brett, however, had something else in mind to talk to her about. "I want you to come to Canada, the wrestling promotion you were previously in is slowly growing and this time I really do think it's going to take off," Brett told his niece.

Nattie was speechless, she had taken his offer before and it did come with many lessons she would have never learned if she hadn't gone back to Canada, but Nattie couldn't run from it all again. If she kept living life like that, she would be running away forever.

"I'm sorry, but no! I'm staying here and I'm embracing the situation I'm in... without Tyson and without any friends and without wrestling... and well, without anything really," Nattie explained to him. "It sounds crazy, but it's crazier to run," she said.

Brett was not expecting her reaction, he was surprised. "Well then, good luck Nattie! I love you and I believe in you," Brett told her.

Nattie stopped him, before he could hang up. "Oh and remember that match I had in NXT, people actually had a lot of good things to say about it," Nattie told him. "I just had to tell somebody," she gushed.

"I'm proud of you and I believe in you," he empowered her.


It has been over a year since Eve last considered returning to the ring. Eve had been fighting to avoid ever stepping foot in a ring again, but she couldn't fight the ultimate fighter- her friend Cherry. Eve always secretly had wrestling in the back of her mind, but she did her best to push it away as much as she could, out of fear and regret.

That was finally about to end, Eve was going to end it herself. "This is Eve Torres and I'm calling because I am really considering a return to the ring," Eve began typing up the email.

"I know the company has attempted to stay in touch with me and I know the company has tried in the past to recruit me back into the ring, and all I did was push and deny... I'm really sorry. So when you get a chance, it'd mean a lot to me if you could accept me again with open arms if I do decide to return," Eve typed up, with tears running down her cheeks.

Eve sent the email and she rested her head on the table, she couldn't fight the tears. It was an emotional moment.


Melina finally thought she was safe, until... "Melina, can I please see you in my office," Stephanie said from her office door. Melina immediately walked to her, "Yes, what's this about," she asked nervously.

Melina was convinced it was about the incident that took place earlier, but to her surprise, it wasn't.

"We like your fire, we want to move you up into an actual storyline," Stephanie announced. "We will be partnering you up with a returning wrestler, she's an old friend of your's I believe, so get ready," Stephanie told her.

Melina didn't take anything for granted anymore, she was happy to just to be there... but to finally have a story to share with the audience, she was breathless. "Thank you so much," Melina exclaimed as she shook Stephanie's hand. "Great, now go prepare yourself, I want you two to go in for training," Stephanie told Melina.


Nikki and Brie had lost contact for about a month over the business and craziness of their lives, but they decided to meet each other for lunch at the NXT performance center. "Hey, how has my sister been," Nikki asked. Brie cautiously walked towards her for a hug, but Nikki pushed away.

Brie could feel the tension, she feared Nikki knew what Brie didn't want to tell her.

"Brie, first tell me, why are going back to NXT," Nikki asked suspiciously. "I left the WWE for a short break because I had lost my title and I was on the verge of having a meltdown... but why'd you leave Brie," Nikki asked her sister.

Brie shook her head, she didn't want to lie, so she made her answer vague. "I felt it would be wrong for me to be there, in WWE, without you," Brie told her. Nikki didn't believe her, she sarcastically chuckled and shook her head.

"You dumb fucking bitch... I know you got an abortion, don't even ask how I found out, but you never planned on telling me did you," Nikki broke the thin ice that Brie was hiding on top of.

Brie's felt that ice break under her, she turned around, refusing to even argue with her about it. "Brie I deserve to know about stuff like this, I am your sister," Nikki yelled, pulling Brie by the arm. Brie turned around and pushed her off, "Let go of me," Brie demanded with her shaky voice.

"No, why didn't you tell me," Nikki continued to ask. Brie didn't want to answer, but she had to, Nikki deserved that at least. "Because you had a miscarriage and I didn't want you to feel bad or hate me," Brie admitted.

Nikki shoved her against the door, "I wouldn't have hated you, but now I do. You never told me, because you don't think I can handle the truth," Nikki said. Brie stuck her hand out and took Nikki's sunglasses off, "Look at you, you're drunk in the middle of the damn day... if I told you about this, who knows Nikki," Brie explained to her angry and hurt sister.

Nikki violently shoved her face to the side. Brie pushed her away, but Nikki held onto her hair... a group of strangers walked out from the building and the two sisters finally cut the fight. "I'm hurt Brie, I'm hurt you didn't tell me," Nikki finally started calming down.

Nikki walked away, without even looking back for an apology. "Nikki, I was trying to protect you," Brie pleaded, but her sister didn't stop for even a second.


Nikki started crying the second she got in her car. She rested her head on the steering wall, the afternoon sunset was so beautiful, yet life had gotten to be so ugly and she didn't understand why that was.

She wiped her tears and then sped away from the parking lot and into the traffic. Blasting the music and being about fifteen percent intoxicated. Brie watched from the side of the curb, she couldn't see clearly through the dark tinted windows, but she knew Nikki was hurt... no matter how much she tried hiding it.

Brie watched as her lost sister sped away, she cried and couldn't stop herself from doing so. It was a tragic story, one Brie wanted to avoid, but the beginning of the story began playing out right in front of her eyes.

From behind Brie, came Melina. She opened the performance center's front door to find Brie standing there, "I guess your my partner now... again," Melina said, to both of their surprise.

Brie quickly wiped her tears before turning around to face an old friend. Brie only faintly smiled, "Yeah, Stephanie told me," Brie said. Melina was clueless to the mess that transpired minutes ago.

"Well let's go train, I heard we're having an amazing storyline," Melina told her. Brie nodded and walked along her, "So, how have you been, it's been forever," Brie asked.

It wasn't the overly-excited reunion some people have or the emotional dramatic reunion, it was just a simple reunion with the sunset painted over their heads. Both women had gone through too much and Brie tried making small talk, regardless of the troubles that were haunting her head.


For Eve, it also felt like a simple afternoon. Until, she got a call that would indeterminately change her forever.

"Cherry passed away about forty minutes," Randy announced to Eve.

Eve froze, everything felt unreal and it was all playing out in slow-motion. "I'll be there in five," Eve told him with her voice dropped an octave down. She dropped the phone and slowly fell to her knees.

The tears ran down and Eve could not grasp the idea of her friend being gone forever. Eve just couldn't believe the day had come, she wasn't prepared for the ending that came with every beginning.

"Why," Eve cried out. She held onto her soul and bawled, it was the end of a beautiful friendship. The death of a sweet, sweet girl was the birth of another's humbleness and kindness.


Published On April 28, 2016.