Okay guys, here it is... the third chapter. This chapter goes into italics later on, which means it goes into third person. Anyways, enjoy!

"What?"

"You heard me. That's your debut match."

"Against Trevor?"

Hunter places a hand up, "Hey, you're fine. It's a non-title match, and it's only to show your skills against the talent of Trevor."

"It's going to be a spotfest."

"Not all spotfests are bad though Isaac."

I smooth out my leather jacket then my trunks, "Fine. I'm excited for it."

"You don't sound excited."

"No, I am. I'm ecstatic. I just didn't expect it."

"I'm sure you can handle it. You guys have been sparring all week."

I nod, agreeing with Hunter, but not completely shaking away my nervousness.

"When I came to NXT, I did so to prove myself," Ricochet says, standing in the middle of the ring with the NXT North American championship around his waist, talking to the crowd of Full Sail, "and prove myself I did. In a few short months, not only did I impress all of you," the crowd cheers along with him, "I defeated Adam Cole at Takeover: Chicago to become NXT North American Champion."

The crowd cheers more as Ricochet stands there and takes the atmosphere in, "Now, the Undisputed Era… is behind me. I no longer want anything to do with them… nor do I want to hear about them ever again."

"Now, it's time to get interesting. I said I want to prove myself, and I have, but I want others to prove themselves...so, without the title on the line, I want anyone and I mean ANYONE to come down here and step into the ring with the One and Only."

"Well, Ricochet has laid down the challenge," Mauro Ranallo says, "I wonder who it is?"

"There's only one way to find out!" Percy Watson adds in excitement.

"No matter who it is though, it's going to be exciting." Nigel McGuinness says.

A theme song comes on and no one responds, until the name pops onto the titantron, followed a small pop, and Isaac "Ruin" Ruiz stepping slowly onto the stage.

"Oh my god! It's Ruin, the newest signee from the indies!" Mauro yells.

"Oh boy!" Percy adds in exasperation, with Nigel saying, "Isaac Ruiz is the youngest signee ever by WWE! He is only 19 years old!"

"You're right at that Nigel," Mauro says, "and the Full Sail crowd seems to know him by heart as he is getting a warm reception."

Ruiz walks down the ramp, looking at the crowd and gauging their receptions, high fiving the ones who stick their hands out, then approaching the metal stairs, grabbing the microphone next to it. He walks on the apron, mindlessly scraping his boots against the apron and looking Ricochet in the eye as he steps through the ropes and onto the NXT black canvas.

Ruiz smoothes out his leather jacket, talking as soon as his theme goes off, pointing a thumb towards the ramp, "I couldn't help but hear you in the back, but… I was just minding my business you know, having some delicious catering…", the crowd chuckles, "and I heard you issue a challenge. Since I'm new here, I can't help but to prove myself. See, I'm what you call underutilized and underrated. No one casts an eye towards me, no one saw me as a real contender. Now, I'm in a new place, with new faces, and I have nothing but obstacles. So, the only way I can overcome my doubters…", Ruin points towards Ricochet, "..is by stepping up to the North American champion. So, what do you say champ?"

"Ruiz does a prove a point," Nigel says, "he's a newcomer, and he does have to prove himself."

"In front of a loyal Full Sail crowd no less." Percy says.

Ricochet seems to think about, "You know, I like you Ruiz. You have a no bull attitude. Plus, you like to earn your opportunities. So, I'll do it. Let's have our match."

Both men shake hands, then start taking their jackets off. "Oh, here we go. We have a match ladies and gentlemen!" Mauro says.

"What a debut match for Ruiz," Nigel says, "he's going against the NXT North American champion!"

The bell rings and immediately Ruiz charges Ricochet, delivering a running hurricanrana and sending Ricochet halfway across the ring, making him roll out of the ring.

"Ruiz coming right out of the box! He's looking to prove himself to the NXT Universe…" Mauro begins to say, but is interrupted as Ruiz runs the distance between the ropes and lands a upper rope suicide dive, "oh Mamma Mia! Ruiz with the move to the outside, totally making the One and Only unprepared!"

Ruiz grabs Ricochet and puts him back into the ring, climbing the apron and running up the turnbuckle.

"Ruiz already has a sinister plan in mind, as he looks to go through the air!" Mauro says.

"It looks like Ruiz wants to end this early and make a huge statement!" Percy adds.

Ruiz waits for Ricochet to get up, and dives towards him in a Frog Splash formation, landing it and crushing Ricochet on the mat, giving him a pin attempt, which Ricochet pushes out of after a quick one count, and Ruiz applies a headlock as Ricochet stays on the ground.

"Ruiz definitely made the right choice Nigel with attacking right out of the box, because the NXT North American champion is already on the ropes!" Mauro says.

"For sure Mauro, and it looks Ricochet might not get out so soon if Ruiz keeps this pressure up!" Nigel responds.

The headhold continues to be applied for a few minutes as Ruiz applies it every few seconds to keep the high flyer down, but after a while, the crowd starts to get involved, pumping up Ricochet to stand him up and hit Ruiz in the sternum with a few elbows.

"The Full Sail crowd helping Ricochet as he looks to get back in this…" Mauro says as Ricochet eventually gets Ruiz's grip off, then takes off towards the ropes, where Ruiz is waiting bent over, but Ricochet rolls over him, backs touching, and Ruiz turns around to a step up enzuigiri, does a complete 360 turn, then gets hit with a stand up dropkick, falling onto the mat with a thud.

Ricochet does a kip up and a scream towards the crowd, "The champion looks like he has gotten his groove back! Ruiz is now the one in trouble." Mauro says.

"Ricochet!" chants begin through Full Sail, as he begins to gain his confidence back and as Ruiz tries to regain his composure. Ricochet stands in a corner, with Ruiz on the other side in another one. Ricochet has a running start and does a jumping clothesline into the corner.

Ruiz sells the move, "Ricochet with the flying clothesline to Ruiz!" Mauro says.

He runs to the ropes and bounces off the middle rope, and delivers a flying uppercut onto Ruiz's chest.

"Ricochet flying through the sky, taking Ruiz off his feet! Going for the cover, and Ruiz kicks out at 2!" Mauro says as Ruiz's shoulder sits up on the 2 count.

"Ricochet has been given a tough challenge tonight gentlemen," Nigel says, "something he was not quite expecting."

"Ruiz is showing why he was signed, and why he belongs here in NXT." Percy adds.

Ricochet picks up Ruiz, taking him to the ropes and pushing him to the other side, looking for a clothesline, but Ruiz ducks and does a slide/back flip combo, sticking the landing, getting a huge pop from the Full Sail crowd and landing a stand up enzuigiri to the side of Ricochet's head.

"Oh my god… what was that! Ruiz with the incredible move… what in the hell was that? I've never seen anything like that!"

The entire crowd stands as Ruiz takes advantage by placing Ricochet in a suplex position, then flipping his body midair into a Turntable Backbreaker, making Ricochet flail in pain onto the mat near a turnbuckle.

"Ruiz with that incredible sequence of moves and… oh no, Ruiz is looking for the top again and this time, the Full Sail crowd is telling him to go for it!" Mauro says.

"This looks like the endgame for Ricochet!" Percy adds.

"Ruiz is looking for the upset!" Nigel says as Ruiz climbs towards the top, and with Ricochet not moving at the bottom, Ruiz does what he needed to do. He stands fully up and puts his arms out, the crowd telling him to just jump off, and Ruiz jumps in the air, landing a perfect Phoenix Splash right onto the middle of Ricochet's torso with a pop from the crowd.

"Ruiz… oh my god! Ruiz with the perfect Phoenix Splash, and into the cover for the upsettt… oh god, Ricochet kicked out just in time!"

The crowd gets loud as Ruiz stays on top of Ricochet with his shoulder up, gaping at the referee, holding three fingers up, stating his case. As Ruiz argues with the ref, Ricochet regains his senses and hooks Ruiz's arms into a small package. "Ricochet with great veteran presence… and just like that, Ricochet has taken the win away from Ruiz!"

The bell rings and Ruiz sits up in disbelief as he knows he lost an opportunity, grabbing at his hair. His theme plays and he's announced as the winner, but he's wobbly getting up from the ropes. Ruiz looks at him and Ricochet looks back.

"You've got to admit gentlemen, Ruiz went and had one HELL of an effort against the NXT North American champion in his debut. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Isaac Ruiz has my respect." Mauro says.

"Agreed Mauro. This kid has a bright future." Nigel responds as the two men who had a war met in the center of the ring.

Ruiz wipes his chest from all the excess sweat, breathing heavily as Ricochet looks at him and exchanges a few words, exchanging his title belt between his hands, and leaving one out for Ruiz to shake.

"Ricochet is giving out his seal of approval. It's Ruiz's decision to see if he'll take it."

Ruiz looks at his outstretched hand, then back at his face, then shakes his hand, nodding at him. The respect line has been drawn.

"Let's go!" I say as I walk backstage into the seating area with Trevor, looking at him, "that's how a fucking match is supposed to go!"

Trevor laughs, hugging me, pushing me away gently, "You're pretty good… are you sure you haven't been wrestling longer?"

I laugh back, "It feels that way sometimes."

We run into Austin and Britt, who congratulate me on a great first match, but I didn't see Cheree. "Where is Cheree at?" I ask, wiping the sweat off my forehead with a towel.

Britt shrugged, "She said she wasn't feeling good shortly before your match ended. She went to the loo or something along those lines. Good match by the way."

I shrug back, smiling, "Thanks," as Trevor says, "I wonder how you say restroom in New Zealand?"

I laugh and the rest join, "That was out of the blue."

"I'm just wondering!"

"I pretty sure it's just restroom. But it's two words…" Austin answered, holding up two fingers.

"Where'd you learn that from?" I ask.

"Cheree. Duh."

"Of course… wait, you asked her that?" Britt says, looking at him.

"What? I was curious too!"

"You're disgusting."

"But you still love me."

"Yeah," Britt rolls his eyes, trying to hide her smile, "I still do."

"You guys are so cute…" Trevor says.

"I want to barf," I say, getting a chuckle from everybody.

"You'll think different when you get there," Britt answers.

"If I ever will," I mutter under my breath.

Cheree walks in, holding her stomach as Austin nods to her, "You good?"

"I don't know. I feel a little weird."

"Are you sick?" I ask.

She nods, "I think so."

I walk over to her and place my hand on her forehead, "You are a little hot, and you are shaking."

"She must have a fever," Britt says, coming beside me and feeling her, "for sure. Cheree, you might want to go home sweetheart."

"I took the bus here today. My car is currently in the shop."

"When do the buses close?" Trevor asks, pulling his phone out.

"Around 10." Austin answers.

"I'm not going to make it in time."

"I'll take you," I say without thinking.

She looks at me, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I just got my car last week, so I kind of want to show it off…"

"You want to show it off but you don't want me in there?" Cheree asks, no doubt baiting me with puppy eyes.

"How about I want both?"

"How about I want this conversation to end so I can go home?" Trevor asks.

I stick a middle finger at him and he swipes it away, "Asshole."

"Damn, Trevor, you ruined a great bonding moment." Austin says sarcastically.

Trevor shrugs, "I didn't know."

Britt, Austin and Trevor leave and is now just me and Cheree by ourselves.

I stick my elbow out to her and she just looks at it, "Come with me my lady."

Cheree rolls her eyes but can't help but smile, "Why thank you."

The entire car ride to Cheree's was silent and uncomfortable, and I don't know why.

I thought Cheree and I would at least say something to each other, but she didn't say anything to me, so I then thought she didn't want to talk to me.

I was just going to say her being sick was the excuse.

When the GPS takes me to her apartment parking, I shift the gear and the car stops and I look over to her, "Home sweet home."

Cheree is leaning back on the passenger seat, looking at me and then at her building, unbuckling her seatbelt, "Thanks for taking me Isaac, I appreciate it."

She opens her door to get out but I stop her, "Wait, Cheree… what's wrong?"

"I'm sick and I don't feel good. I just need to get inside."

"I know that, but you didn't talk the entire ride."

Cheree looks at me and then shuts the door, sighing, as I ask, "Will you tell me please?"

"Fine," she says, "sometimes, if I talk to somebody, I won't be able to stop talking…"

"So?" I interrupt. "What if I want you to just talk?"

I didn't believe that was the real reason she didn't talk, so I just looked at her until she said something, and it took her a while, "Isaac… when I talk, sometimes I let out things I don't want people to hear."

"Like, secrets?"

"Yeah."

"Cheree, I'm sorry, I don't believe you…"

"Fine Isaac… you want to hear the truth?! I like you!"

I look at her, "Huh?"

She crosses her arms, looking out the front windshield, "You heard me."

I sigh, looking out my window, "How long?"

"Since the first time I saw your face."

I look back at her, and this time she is crying, but slightly, and I don't know why.

I lean in, rubbing my thumb against her soft cheek, rubbing the tear off, 'Why are you crying?"

She shrugs, "I just didn't expect to tell you this early."

"Well… I'd rather you tell me now then later."

"Why? So you can not talk to me anymore?"

I think about my answer carefully, "No… so I can know you better."

Cheree looks at me, "Why?"

"Because, just maybe, someday, I'll like you too."