Sorry for the delayed post. I got really sick with pneumonia which caused me to miss classes and not write. Hopefully I will start getting on a schedule and get the chapters out more regularly. We are still setting up the rising action of the plot of Pierce's story. There is still a lot to be discovered about who Pierce is so stick with us and enjoy.
After a few days of trying to talk myself out of it, I showed up at the WWE Performance Center. To be blatantly blunt about it, the place was freaking huge. Walking through the front doors was like walking through the gates to a professional wrestling empire – which for all intents and purposes, that's exactly what I was doing. I'd go out on a limb and say it was easy to identify me as a newbie since I could feel my eyes wide as saucers, my jaw dropping to the floor, and stopping in my tracks. There was so much to take in: all the training wrestlers, the trainers themselves, and the equipment. The grandeur was rather impressive and blew my previous gyms out of the water.
My gawking began drawing attention to myself, and one of the many people milling around approached me.
"This is a private facility not a public gym," the guy said gesturing to my workout bag and exercise attire.
"Roman Reig- err, Joe told me to come by and ask for him. So, here I am, and I'm asking for him." The disdain on his face turned to confusion. "Chop, chop. I don't have all day. The sooner you get him, the sooner I'm out of your hair."
He huffed and disappeared further into the body of the building. A few minutes later, the powerhouse of the Shield emerged.
"Geez, put that smile away. Either the brightness is gonna blind me or the gloating is gonna make me wanna leave," I smirked.
"Gloating? I'm not gloating. I'm just happy you decided to check the place out. How about I give you a tour before we get you a new career?" Joe said.
I sighed rolling my eyes and followed the man back through the Performance Center. The equipment was state of the art, wrestlers I watched on T.V. were everywhere, and any normal person would have been taking it all in and paying at least a little attention. Me? I was riveted until I caught a glimpse of a specific person. After that, I couldn't keep my eyes away while he was in sight and couldn't help but want to return to wherever he was at. Before even asking who this wrestler was, Joe had taken me to meet with those who would be in charge of my future in the WWE: the Divas' trainer, Sarah Del Rey, Mark Carrano, the Senior Director of Talent Relations and Jane Geddes, the Vice President of Talent Relations.
"Hey Mark, Sarah, Jane," Joe started. "How's it going?"
"Pretty good. Is this the girl you were telling us about?" Mark said.
"Yes it is. Meet Pierce. Pierce, meet your future bosses and trainer."
"Umm, hi there. I'm Pierce Gardner. Never actually mentioned my last name to Joe. Sorry." I was mumbling and fumbling over my words. These three held my only hope of a future in their hands. I suddenly felt like a child again trying to impress my parents and teachers.
They responded in a chorus of various greetings then Jane asked, "How'd you come by the name Pierce? Not exactly a typical name."
"Oh, well it wasn't the name I was born with actually, but I changed it after I turned eighteen. I was a different person back then, and well, things change."
"We wouldn't have to think too hard about your ring name, then. Joe, Colby and Jon told us about how you took down a guy who was harassing you, and that is what got them thinking you should join the WWE. Joe also mentioned your previous career in kickboxing, so to get a sense of what you can do before meeting you, we managed to find and watch some video of your matches. Very impressive. But this is wrestling, not MMA. And despite the recommendations, you still have to go through the same process as everyone else to join the WWE roster. Sarah and Joe will administer the physical portion then there's the paperwork and medical information. Good luck; it was nice meeting you." Mark Carrano was not messing around and was all business. He and Jane said their goodbyes and moved on to their other responsibilities.
"Warm up, and we'll get ready to go," Sarah said.
"Wait, we're starting now? Today?"
"Yup. They said you're good enough, so we should get this show on the road." She turned and headed to an empty ring in the back. I glanced at Joe, blank eyes and lips parted on a gasp, then hurried after the woman.
After several hours of ring work involving endurance, skill and adaptability, the audition was finally over. Sweat dripped down my face and chest in streams. My hair had gone from a high, tight ponytail to a tangled rat-nest bun atop my head. Air was rushing in and out of my lungs with labored breaths. Gawd, I'm out of shape, I was thinking to myself. I glanced up to see Joe smiling while looking over the trainer's shoulder as she jotted down final notes on her clipboard.
"That's it for now. You still have to fill out the paperwork, and then we'll get back to you. Joe will see you out." Sarah Del Rey turned and left, back in the direction we had entered from.
"Well? How'd I do?" I asked Joe.
"Pretty good. We'll see, though. Let's get you water, and once you've cooled down and I know you're not going to pass out, you can fill out the paperwork and be on your way."
"That's it? I don't get to know what's going on? Come on! I have nothing right now and not even a place to go back to. When exactly am I supposed to find out if I'm hired?"
"Pierce, calm down. You were great, but it is a formal application process."
"I wouldn't have wasted my time if I didn't have a guarantee."
"I don't see any reason they wouldn't be signing you within the next week or two. You were good, and you'd be good for the company. You're just what they need to spice up the Divas division. Just be patient, and it'll work out." Joe walked off in search of a bottle of water for me as I wiped the sweat from my body with a towel.
I could feel the tension building in my body as I left the Performance Center a couple hours later. On the way back to my hotel room, I reviewed the audition in my mind, dissecting every detail. The technical skill was easy and every exercise and move was executed precisely – aside from once where I tripped when my shoe became untied. As an INTJ personality, the adaptability portion was also a breeze. I knew that for sure, but it had been a while since I'd had a good work out so I was a little slow on the endurance portions and I was breathing heavily.
What those wrestlers do in the ring is pretty heavy on the athleticism. They weren't kidding when they said it was a different world from MMA, but I kept going back to the endurance and that trip. Those would be the parts that would lose me the job. I did my best but little things like that can stand out as huge negatives. I hope they take into account my defective shoelaces and the break I'd taken from my previous trainings. If it was my career again, my endurance would build back up and I'd be able to go for hours and hours like the Energizer bunny. If I'd been smart, I'd have been practicing the last few days while I'd been debating the audition.
Now I was just left to sit by the phone and wait. Unfortunately, I couldn't exactly stay at a hotel forever. The closer it got to the end of my stay, the more my anxiety heightened while waiting for the call. The guys had managed to coax me out a few times for lunch, encouraging me to keep holding on to hope. They seemed to think I already had the job, but that wasn't super comforting since I was about to lose where I was living and didn't have any other hope to go to aside from a friend's couch in Washington.
The last day of my "vacation," I was packing up my belongings to check out of my hotel room when my phone rang. A blocked number lit up my phone, and I swiped across the screen and said, "Hello?"
"May I speak with Pierce Gardner?" a voice on the other end of the line asked.
"This is she," I responded.
"Hello, this is Mark Carrano from the WWE. We met a few days ago when you applied for a position as a wrestler with us. I would like you to come to my office. There's a few things I need to discuss with you about your application. We have some concerns."
My heart stopped while he was talking, and it was a chore to not drop my phone from my ear. Here it is, I thought. This is where it all falls apart. Concerns: the reasons I can't be a vet.
I hope you like the chapter. I'm already set to continue the journey. Props to UntilNeverDawns as an editor and friend! If you haven't already, check out her story Edge of Destruction which also has Pierce with a growing role. Let me know what you're thinking! Thanks for reading!