Author's Note: I have finally finished my first year of college (still having no idea what to do with my life). I'll have more time to write now, which is always good.
Warning: This chapter contains mature content dealing with eating disorders. If you are sensitive to such material or consider it a "trigger," please do not read ahead. I care more about my readers than how many views or reviews this little chapter can get. I do not, under any circumstances, encourage anorexia or bulimia. I am not trying to say that TNA or WWE encourage this behavior either. However, in the world of entertainment, the pressure of a good image is encouragement enough. Please, please seek help if you are suffering from an eating disorder.
Disclaimer: I do not own WWE or TNA nor do I own any of the wrestlers or anything else associated with the two companies that are mentioned in this story. I do, however, own my character Emily Audrey Pierson any other characters that I will state are mine throughout the story.
Because Impact Wrestling was going to be in New York for another week, Emily was able to stay in her apartment for one more week. After that, Kurt advised her to tell her superintendent that she wouldn't be able to be there for a while and pay her rent in advance. She did so, at least three months worth of rent that she had saved up just in case. She laid in her bed on the Saturday afternoon after her first promo. On Friday, she stayed over at Gail's hotel room because they both really did get shit faced drunk. They could barely get up from the bed until finally giving up and called Lauren to bring medicine. But she was finally back home, dragging her feet to her bed immediately after coming home, and not sure of what to do. The girls were all busy, Lauren and Jamie had a photo shoot for the new Knockouts calendar coming out this summer. Gail went to the gym for training but Emily was planning on going later today. She rolled over in her bed, the sheets tousling underneath, and laid on her stomach reaching for her phone that laid on her bedside table. It seemed so far, she stretched her arm farther and finally reached it, taking it in her hand and opening it, seeing she had a message.
Hey baby girl. You up for some good ol' New York pizza? My treat.
-Mark
She smiled and laughed as her stomach growled, answering loudly.
"Alright, shut up already," she told her stomach, patting it. She texted him back.
You know my love for pizza. What time?
-Em
Not too long after she hit send and finally got up from her bed, she got a reply from Mark, asking if around 4 was good for her. She now sat on her bed, rubbing her face groggily and looked at the clock on her bedside table behind where her phone was. It was half past noon and Emily texted Mark back saying that 4 was all fine and dandy. She stood up, her bare feet hitting the cold floor, and walked to the shower
After her shower and breakfast (yes, at 12 in the afternoon), she headed down to the gym for a quick workout. It kept her awake and alert, even rather smelly, by the end of it at around 3. Coming back to her apartment, taking yet another shower. As she dried her hair, she heard her phone ring.
"Hello?" She said as she picked it up on the second ring after a struggle to balance the blowdryer and phone.
"Baby girl, it's Mark," she heard his deep New York accent say.
"Hey Mark, what's up?"
"We still on for pizza? I'm starving right 'bout now." Emily chuckled as her stomach growled.
"Same. Wanna go an hour early?"
"Of course," he said, "Where's good for you?"
"There's a badass pizza place not too far from your hotel. Called Mizzoli's Pizza. Want to go there?" The wrestler agreed and the two hung up. She quickly headed down to her car that was in the apartment building's parking garage and started towards the pizza place, knowing how horrible traffic was.
After staring at four red lights, yelled at some stupid yellow taxis (bastards were always taking advantage of the road) and looking out at some of the large buildings in the city, Emily finally made it. She parked her car in front and headed inside. She smelled warm cheese and pizza crust. There was a large counter at the end of the room with some black stools and saw a husky Mark at the end of it. She walked to him, sitting in the stool next to him, spinning to face him. He smiled at her warmly, opening his arms for a hug.
"Hey baby girl," he said, releasing her from his bear hug, "I ordered a pepperoni if you don't mind. How'd it go with Gail?" He added as she nodded.
"How'd you know?" She said, looking at him curiously. He chuckled.
"I know all and see all," he said causing her to laugh, "Kenny said he saw you and Gail drinking like fish at the hotel bar." Emily laughed again.
"We were celebrating my contract signing," Emily explained, "I think I deserved a drink or two or five." Mark let out a chuckle.
"Of course you do, it's been months since I've seen you in action," he smiled, his eyes were glazed as he gazed at the pizza oven in front of them, "damn you were good. Anyway, how have you been?" He asked as their order of a pie of pepperoni pizza came to them steaming hot.
"Good," she said, "I've been doing a whole lot of nothing," she said.
"Nothin' but drinking, eh? Come on and eat baby girl, you're lookin' skinny as a twig," he said, taking a large slice and stuffing it in his mouth with a content smile. With a chuckle and a smirk, she reached for the slice next to the empty area where Mark's slice had once been. Being a husky Italian in the heart of New York, Mark had always worried for her weight, urging her to eat at any possible moment. Compared to him she was a twig ready to snap. But, in her defense, she did put on some pounds and curved out her body in the right places since they last saw each other. She was damn proud of them too. In the WWE, while they may not have encouraged bulimia and anorexia, they still wanted their Divas in shape and (preferably) skinny and their Superstars in their peak of physical health, strength and stamina. Sure, they had their plus sized women, and even plus sized men, but the ideal for all entertainment businesses is the best/unique looking characters. Emily didn't compare to the likes of Kelly Kelly or Trish Stratus.
She remembered the days in the bathroom, both in her old apartment or on the road, staring at herself in the mirror and hating what she saw. Her eyes were sunken and soulless. Her hair was a dull stringy black, barely reaching her shoulders, dry and beginning to fall out in small numbers. With each meal she ate (it'll go right to my thighs, my ass or my stomach), the worse she felt because she knew how to take care of it. One or two fingers. Down the throat. In her locked bathroom, with something loud to drown out the wretched sound. She wanted to be as good looking as Kelly Kelly and as thin as Michelle McCool. Emily the Diva was just average in appearance. Emily the person felt disgusted because the people only cared for her storyline, not for her beauty like the others. She wasn't happy before and she wasn't happy after her purge. She felt skinnier though, she felt horrible and weak, but she was good enough to continue her wrestling career. How she managed to get the Diva's Champion in that time was beyond her. How she managed to win the crowd was completely over her head. But they cheered like beautiful melody during the taping of the show. Em-il-y, Em-il-y, Go Go Em-il-y. They loved her and she loved them. When she heard them cheering, she felt beautiful and strong. Backstage, she was a feeble little plant, withering away. What made her start vomiting her guts out almost everyday (on some days she just chose not to eat or work out until she passed out), is a long and extensive list of reasons, one of them being the company and their already gorgeous and fit line of Divas.
No one knew, no one except Jackie. She knew from the start of it all, she noticed how truly dead she looked. Girl, you look like a walking corpse. A walking corpse, both in and out. Mark isn't stupid though, Emily knew he had his suspicions too. Pinching her skin, feeling only a tiny layer of flesh and bone he used to say, "You gotta eat more baby girl, I can't feel that muscle anymore." Mark would take her out to lunch, like today, and expect her to eat the majority, if not all, of the food she ordered. When she ordered with him or with Jackie, it couldn't be light. Oh no. You need meat on them bones. She was grateful, at the time and even still, that she has such caring friends. Emily was so engrossed in her thoughts, she didn't realize she already finished her second slice and was reaching for a third. Mark let out a deep, hearty laugh .
"Good! You're eatin' more than me for once," he said, wiping his hands of grease of pizza sauce.
"So," Mark continued, "When's the big comeback to the ring? Didya talk to Angle yet?" Emily shook her head, chewing on a large piece of crust, trying to talk.
"Heh idn't ell meh ye." Mark smiled.
"Who taught cha manners baby girl? Swallow first." She did so, and repeated herself.
"He didn't tell me yet. I'm not sure when I start. I hope it's soon."
"Kurt knows you, Em. He knows what you're capable of. You'll be in the ring in no time." Mark leaned forward for his drink, a Coke, and took a sip of it.
"I hope you're right," she said, wiping her hands after finishing her last pizza slice.
"Anyway, enough about work. How are you and Jamie?"
It hadn't come as a shock to find out that Jamie Lynn and Mark were dating. They seemed very close when he introduced him to her on her first day. They've been dating for almost a year now, and they're still very compatible. Emily smiled, remembering the pink in Mark's cheeks when he first told her. A big guy like him, getting gushy over-literally-a beautiful person like Jamie. It was too cute for words but his expression seemed to sum it up pretty well.
"We're better than ever. I love that gal," he said with a smile, "She makes me happy and she's really excited about you working here."
"She's sweet, I like her-" Mark laughed, taking another sip of soda.
"I'm glad I got your sign of approval," he said sarcastically. The two continued to chat and catch up, sometimes going back to work but Emily tried to avoid it. She wanted to be back in the ring badly and each time it was brought up, her heart skipped a beat. It was best not to get too excited or anxious, God knew how she usually gets. A bit eccentric and overly...jumpy. Jumpy was a good term for her, nervous or not.
Emily listened earnestly to Mark's stories and news, but her cellphone suddenly, and obnoxiously, beeped loudly on the counter. She had a text message. Emily ignored it, thinking it rude to interrupt. Emily listened to Mark's tale of a rowdy fan a few weeks ago that tried to jump in the ring.
"That little bastard was clever - I'll give 'im that. Fast too when he slipped under the ropes." Her phone beeped again like a dog barking and begging. Give me love, woman!
"Check it out," Mark said in the middle of his story, "it could be important."
"Sorry," she said only as she reached for her phone. She had just two text messages from two different phone numbers.
Hey Emily!
Get your ass up from bed, I know you're still sleeping.
- Your bitch friend, Jackie
With a chuckle and a mental note to call Jackie when she got home, Emily checked her other message.
Hey Emily.
I heard you celebrating your contract signing last night with Gail. Damn you were loud. Congratulations! Care for more drinking and celebrating with me and Matt later today?
- Jeff Hardy
Emily smiled, closing her phone and setting it on the table. Mark looked at her curiously and concerned, waiting for her to tell her she had to go to the hospital or cry in his arms. She shrugged it off with with a wave of her hand.
"It's nothing," she explained.
"Who was it?"
"Just my friend Jackie, remember the girl I told you about? My co-worker back at the Color Circle? Yeah, her. She's like my mom, tellin' me to get out of bed." Mark gave a hearty laugh.
"You're usually in bed now? That's all gonna change baby girl. Out on the road, nice hotels, you'll be jumping out of bed everyday. You remember." She did. She was in the middle of reminiscing the different cities as Mark was getting up from his seat. He had to leave because he promised to meet Jamie after her photoshoot. The two old friends said goodbye and Emily headed back to her car. Rolling up the windows, and turning up the heat just a bit, she reached for her phone again.
"I'd better call Jackie before she worries," she thought out loud." Before that, though, she remembered Jeff's message. Reply, she mentally told herself. It was a reunion type of day, even if she never spoke to Jeff before as she typed her reply and putting her phone down. Still, it was the thought that counted.
A/N: Thank you for reading this chapter. I'm sorry if the pieces of Emily's past dealing with eating disorders were disturbing for some of you. My writing took on a mind of its own and I quite like it. Please favorite, if you enjoyed it, and follow it to find out when I post another chapter. Review and tell me what you honestly think about 'To The Top Turnbuckle." Much love, my dear readers :)