Damn, am I good or what. I told you it'd be up by Friday and here it is, Friday afternoon. Thank you all so much for the positive feedback I got on Trish's chapter but I hope you guys like this one just as much. I like to hear from ya!

*Disclaimer* This is not a biography of John Cena's life. I do not know how he grew up but I'm almost certain this didn't happen. It's all fiction so please don't take this information and post it on a site or group saying this is how he grew up because it didn't really happen. Thank you.

*~*~*~*~*~*

*

I try not to think

About the pain I feel inside

Did you know you used to be my hero?

*

"I want to be a professional wrestler."

The conversation around the dining room table came to a halt as everyone in the family looked at eighteen year old John Cena.

"You.you want to do what?" His dad sputtered out while his mom remained silent and his younger sister giggled.

John looked around and swallowed dryly. "I want to be a wrestler, like Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair."

"So are you going to go to college for this?" His mom asked finally, setting her glass on the table and folding her hands.

"I don't think so. There's this training facility in Tennessee that I applied to." He started off nervously. "And I got the acceptance letter yesterday in the mail. If it's okay with you guys I'm going to start in the fall."

"Absolutely not." His dad said automatically. "I will not have my son running around, acting like a Hulk Hogan wannabe.

John rolled his eyes. "Dad there can only be one Hulk Hogan. And I don't see why it should be a problem. This is my life-not yours."

"That may be, but I'm looking out for the family and I don't want you to be an embarrassment to them all." He countered. "Can you imagine what your grandmother would think if she saw you wrestling on TV? She'd think you were a complete failure."

"She already thinks you're a complete failure." John muttered and his dad's face turned red with anger.

"You know what? I don't care what you do with your life." He thundered. "You can make a complete ass out of yourself for all I care, but get out of my house and don't you even think about coming back!"

*

All the days you spent with me

Now seem so far away

And it feels like you don't care anymore

*

"So how are things going over there?" John's mom whispered into the phone.

He looked around the dorm he had to share with two other guys and shrugged. "They're going okay I guess. The trainers are saying I'm progressing really fast. Mom, why are you whispering?"

"You're father doesn't think I should be getting in touch with you." She replied. "He kept mentioning something about how this was your decision and if you felt ready to leave home then you shouldn't expect calls or any other type of contact."

"But that's stupid. Why-"

"I'm not going to argue with him about this." She interrupted him. "Now tell me, are they feeding you alright? I could send you one of those care packages with cookies and soup and fried chicken or something."

"Fried chicken?" John asked skeptically. "No thanks Mom, trust me, that's not necessary."

"Would you even know if you were malnourished?" She quipped.

"I'm not going to have to worry about that." John said. "When I get hungry, I eat. I'm still living off that 32 pack of those Ramen noodles that you bought me before I left. I'll be fine. But how's everything going over there? I mean, besides Dad acting like a complete ass."

"We're holding up." She said. "John, I have to go. You're father just walked in and he looked like he had a bad day. I love you sweetie, I call you next week."

"Love you too Mom. Bye."

*~*~*~*

"Congratulations John. We've looked over and over your videos and recommendations, and we feel that you have what it takes to become a WWF wrestler."

John sat, dumbfounded, as the two men in front of him broke the news and slid a written contract over in his direction. "You're hiring me?" He said finally.

"We believe you would be a good asset to the company. So yes, we're offering you a position in the company."

"But out of all those guys and girls out there, you chose me?" John repeated, more for his benefit then anyone else's. He shook his head and cleared his thoughts and he turned back to the men with a smile on his face. "I mean, of course I'll take your offer. This is incredible; I'm in shock right now I think." He shakily signed his name on the line and the jumped up, shaking their hands. "Thank you so so much, you have no idea how much this means to me."

*

And now I try hard to make it

I just want to make you proud

I'm never gonna be good enough for you

I can't stand another fight

And nothing's alright

*

John knocked on the front door of his house a few days later, more excited then nervous at the idea of seeing his father. He bounced from one foot to another nervously and looked up when the door was opened.

His mom's mouth dropped open when she saw him and she threw her arms around his neck, covering his face and cheeks with kisses. She then held him away at arm's length. "Look at you, you look so in shape happy and excited and I don't remember the last time I saw you looking like that."

"Jill, who's at the door?" His dad asked as he came around the corner, his voice fading when he caught sight of John standing there with his bags in one hand and a piece of paper in the other. "What the hell are you doing here? We both agreed you were to never set foot in this house again."

John turned to his mom, completely ignoring the words that came from his dad's mouth. "The WWF offered me a contract and I accepted. I'm officially wrestling for the greatest sports entertainment business in the world."

"I'm so proud of you John." She said, reaching up and kissing him on the cheek.

"John, I'd like to talk to you for a second in the study." His father said tersely. He swallowed nervously and followed the man into the room.

John shut the door behind him and turned back around and was immediately backhanded by his dad. He shakily put his hand to the side of his face and blinked back tears as he looked at his dad, confusion filling his eyes.

"I told you to never come here again." His dad said dangerously, approaching John. "And you completely disobeyed me and now you have to be punished. But none of your training will work here, since wrestling is nothing but fake." And with that, he grabbed John by both arms and threw him against the stone wall, his head bouncing back and hitting a jutting piece of rock.

John felt the blood that was dripping from the back of his head, heard his mom calling out in concern, and his dad's reply that they were both fine. But after that his vision turned black and he faded into darkness as he felt a pair of hands tighten around his throat. Before he was completely out of it, he promised himself one thing:

He would bounce back from this and prove all of them wrong.

*

'Cuz we lost it all

Nothing lasts forever

I'm sorry

I can't be perfect

*

"We just saw Brock Lesnar break Zach Gowen's only good leg/ Well I guess Zach should cut his losses and learn to walk on wooden pegs/ It ain't no secret, everyone knew he was gonna get smoked like a joint/ Forget his handicap, Zach sucks because he's from Detroit/ The only time you people look good is at nighttime during a blackout/ This ain't Joe Louis Arena, it's the World's Biggest Crack house"

John Cena stood confidently in the ring with a microphone in his hand and fans cheering from all sides. He had a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach and ignored it.

"And please read between the lines, because I'm giving y'all the middle finger/ Detroit's got more white trash than Jerry Springer/ The best part about this city is that I'm leaving here tomorrow/ You think I suck? Well I know you swallow/ WORD LIFE!"

And as he stood there waiting for his opponent for the evening to come out, a million emotions assaulted him at once. There was still a small scar at the top of his neck from the stone and also one right below his left eye from his dad's angry backhand. He had never felt more scared in his entire life and not just for himself, but for his mom and sister as well. What happened to them when he was away/

John leaned against the ropes and rested his head in his hands, trying to block the impending headache. So what if he had proved them all wrong like he intended to? It had cost him the only male, authority figure he had in his life and to his father, he might as well be dead.

*

Now it's just too late

And we can't go back

I'm sorry

I can't be perfect

*

*~*~*~*~*~*

Now I do apologize if mentions of child abuse offends someone, that was not my intention nor was it the main focus of the story. I hope that didn't taint the good things you were thinking before reading that part but if it did, once again, I apologize.

NY BrAt 007