I stood up from my chair picking up my bag to prepare to leave with Jeff to the show.
"We have to pick Matt up along the way." Jeff said as I wasn't sure why we were carpooling but I couldn't complained and it saved them on gas since we were all going to the same place. I walked out of the front door first so Jeff could lock up behind us as I headed towards his car and Jeff was close behind me before he popped the trunk of the white vehicle we would be taking allowing us to set the bags we were taking with us into the empty space. I slid into the back seat so Matt could claim the passenger seat for the drive and buckled up as I looked out the window as I heard Jeff sliding the seat belt across himself as well. Jeff started the car and began pulling out of the driveway driving the short distance to Matt's house where Matt was waiting outside his house with his own bags. Jeff popped the trunk from inside the vehicle as Matt slid his bags into the available space in the trunk before he claimed the passenger seat in Matt's car. Jeff waited until his brother slid the seatbelt on before he resumed driving towards wherever this event was to take place today. I looked out the window watching the greenery fly by us as Jeff was driving. I kind of zoned out their conversation as I was trying to focus on tonight and think of what could happen today, my mind was going 1000 times light speed with so many thoughts at this opportunity. Excitement, nerves, anxiety, calmness, and many others were going through me at once that I couldn't select just one as to what I was particularly feeling right now, just unsure what was to take place and the uncertainty was the worst part, filtering into all these different feelings as well. I felt that the car came to a stop in the middle of a parking lot that was pretty much empty besides our car and perhaps one or two others, which could or couldn't be strange for this city. I let out a sigh as I unbuckled my seatbelt and pulled the lever to be able to push my door open allowing me to climb out of the vehicle walking the short distance to the trunk where I was able to grab the backpack pulling it onto my back as I watched and waited for the brothers to settle their bags on their shoulders before they both slammed the trunk shut as I followed them towards I'm presuming the venue would be. I was a good few feet behind them clenching onto the straps of my bag unsure where I was going or what to expect, I was just going along with this just for the ride. I walked into the door that Jeff propped open with a rock into a big gymnasium, I wish that my old high school had this big of a gymnasium but it failed to compare. I looked around the empty building as I spun around just once before I turned to face forward as the two men both had their hands on their hips discussing something. I slowly walked over to one of the pulled out bleachers sitting on the front row crossing my legs as I waited to be instructed.
"Get up sweet cheeks, we got work to do." Jeff said sarcastically as I chuckled and rolled my eyes.
"Sweet cheeks?" I asked as he chuckled too.
"You heard me, come on." He said as I sighed. I got up putting my bag aside so it won't get in the way any. "You can go put that in the women's locker room."
"Which is where?" I asked not knowing my way around this area.
"I'll show you." Jeff said as he led me towards where the locker room areas would be as I stepped into the empty locker room that I knew that the high schoolers used before their physical education class. I put my bag down in the corner before I walked back out the door seeing Jeff standing there with his hands shoved into his pockets waiting for me.
"Awe, you waited up." I said chuckling.
"Absolutely, I want you to begin by setting up the chairs. Matt and I will focus on unloading the parts for the ring with the guys and setting that up." Jeff said as I nodded.
"How many chairs do we need?"
"Every single one of them, five rows back on one side and seven the other ways." Jeff said as I nodded as I wasn't sure how many in each row but I was sure that I could figure that out once I began to unfold the chairs. I walked into the room seeing two racks filled end to end with different colored metal folding chairs that needed to be unfolded. I pulled one off at a time unfolding it and carried two unfolded chairs at a time to set up row by row. As I was setting up rows, I was trying not to get in the way of the long lumber, tall and heavy metal polls or other things that were beyond heavy being carried in by the few men that were. I knew that Jeff and Matt didn't drive the ring here, so the two other men helping drag or carry these pieces in had to be those that used their trailer to bring these pieces over for us to use. I wasn't sure why I couldn't be of use as to bringing in these pieces or parts since I've helped replace the wood within the ring or help set it up in the training dome multiple times but who was I to argue with my bosses for the day? When I reached the last two chairs, I carried to the farthest corner where they were needed as I sighed and wiped my brow looking at the ring that was just finished being assembled. Well, at least the frame of it and the last wooden piece was put into its spot in the squared metal frame. I headed towards the ring where I began helping them pull the thin padding over the wooded area making sure it was clipped down before we slid the actual matting on top of it then tied that with the long white string. At this moment, more men began to show up to either help finish getting our things ready for the show or to begin rehearsing or practicing for matches tonight. As more men arrived they began helping put the finishing touches on the ring as the apron curtain was soon added to do the last finishing touch that was added to the ring itself. I stepped back some and just stared at the ring itself in disbelief that I was here. I was here in a gym, where some smaller independent wrestling shows take place in nowadays, working my first show. Well, not working it the way I wanted it to be, but I was working it. I was helping out and I needed to start at the bottom and hey, even those that are booked on the show were helping put things together because that is what you needed to do in order to pay your dues from my standpoint. I climbed up the bleachers there were further pulled out sitting at the top watching as the two men in the ring were doing some variance of warm-ups in different corners unsure if they were going to be competing against each other or who any of these people really were. I was not one to really watch independent wrestling, I watched what was on my television which was WWE or TNA, other than I was and am clueless. I got up heading back down the bleachers going towards the female locker room for the night using the bathroom and as I walked out of the stall I saw another female in there tossing her bag onto the ground. I simply smirked before I stepped in front of the sink beginning to wash my hands.
"Hi, I don't think we have ever met." The lady spoke nicely as I glanced to her before I looked back ahead shutting the water off. "I'm Mia." She said as she stuck her hand out to shake mine.
"Let me dry my hands first but I'm April." I said as I reached for the brown paper towels and grabbed enough to dry my hands thoroughly.
"Oh, you aren't my opponent tonight?" She asked.
"Not that I know off, I was just the handy help or stage hand…I was brought in as well to step in if someone didn't show…" I said shrugging my shoulders as I tossed the damped used towels into the trash bin.
"Well, we'll see as it gets closer to show time. Is this your first show?"
"To help or perform in? Yes. But I've been to a lot of live events, but nothing like this. I've only been to like WWE type events, none of this independent type deals." I said honestly and felt awkward and nervous to being truthful about that to someone like her. She was more muscular than me and I became very self-conscious about not having more muscles like her.
"Well there are a lot differences but similarities. I am sure, regardless of what you are doing tonight, you will enjoy yourself. I'm presuming you are trained if you are an understudy."
"Exactly that but I'm still in training from my understanding. I haven't really been told, here you graduated with a fancy diploma. But I have demo DVDs and resumes that I will be sending out later this week." I said truthfully.
"That does help some, but what is better is going in for auditions or just going to local shows and introducing yourself or word of mouth, like just meeting people like myself. I've gotten into some of the places I am now from friends or auditions I've been to. It also depends what you want out of this industry, do you want it as a career, a second job or just a hobby? There are different types around here." Mia explained and she began to seem very wise, someone that I could like being around. I sat onto the wooden bench getting a lot of advice and wise wisdom from Mia as she was changing and stretching waiting for the other girl that was to perform tonight to arrive.
"I should go check to see what the status of your opponent is. You need anything? Water?" I asked as I stood up pushing my fingers through my hair as I looked to Mia as she was stretching her legs.
"Water please and thank you." She softly said as I nodded as I headed out of the tiny room but I was sure it was more spacious than what the male's locker room was right about now since there was two of us opposed to possibly eight or more of the men. I walked into the gym seeing they had set up these curtain things for the wrestlers to make their grand entrance and to hide off the backstage area as I pushed through the curtains knowing that I would get back through trying to find either one of the Hardy boys but couldn't find them as I saw someone talking and controlling the line of fans that were already filing up. I turned around heading back where I came, as I was walking back I grabbed two bottles unsure what to think since it seemed like it was close to show time. I walked up to the door for the male's locker room nervous about wanting to knock on the door. I sucked it up and just rapidly knocked on the colored door waiting for an answer when the door was opened by Matt whom slid out to chat with me.
"Any word on the other girl?" I asked curiously before sipping from my own bottle of water and leaving the one in my other hand untouched for Mia.
"Right, she texted saying she got double booked for today so you're up tiger." Matt said with a smile and patted me on my shoulder before he went back into the men's locker room leaving me there frozen in my track. 'I'm wrestling today?' I just thought to myself not believing it as I slowly turned around walking back to the woman's locker room still frozen and mind boggled. Stage fright, nerves, anxiety, uncertainty and other feelings beginning to fulfill my body as I walked into the locker room where Mia was jump roping which seemed kind of weird but who was I to judge?
"So?" Mia asked as she stopped and wrapped the rope around her neck to rest on her shoulders.
"You're looking at your opponent…please take an easy on me, you can quite literally break me in half." I said without really thinking as she just laughed her girly laugh as I just chuckled when I knew I wasn't joking. Mia went into talking with me about what I am confident in doing and what I don't know yet, which was barely anything. I was just trying to remember the match move for move.
"Relax, you don't have to remember every move. We will communicate in the ring and do it on the fly if we need to." Mia said, 'Do it on the fly?' I thought to myself unsure what that meant since I was unsure if I could do that as I dug into my bag pulling the gear Jeff got done for me pulling it on my body. It felt oddly really snug, and I didn't even want to question how Jeff knew my measurements. I began stretching, think of it as just another training session and the audience is just my classmates. I paced around trying not to psyche myself out in this match as I followed Mia out of the locker room as we got to the backstage area helping each other stretch.
"April…what music do you want to use?" Jeff asked as I drew a blank staring at him with bugged out eyes.
"I don't know Jeff, I really don't have a character developed yet." I said as I pushed a hand through my hair as Jeff smirked.
"Do you trust me?" Jeff asked as I looked at him questionably.
"No, I don't."
"Really? After all of this, you don't?" Jeff asked as he had a point as I sighed.
"Fine…I trust you Jeff, just don't make me look stupid." I said pointing at him in a threatening manner as I went back to stretching with Mia. I didn't even know who was winning tonight much less had I thought of a signature/finishing move to use so what if Mia asked me to perform that? "I don't know if I am ready for this Jeff…" I said softly as I stepped up beside Jeff who was busy doing something at that moment.
"You got this." Jeff said confidently without even stopping what he was doing.
"I don't know if I can perform with Mia, I'm not ready…I don't have a character, a theme song, a finishing move…I don't even know who is winning tonight and I'm so nervous I can't even remember what move sets we are performing tonight." I said as I wasn't sure what I was doing dressed in this attire Jeff got done for me and ready to go on any minute as Mia's music had hit watching her walk through the curtain.
"Just go with the flow, you know what you are really good at and when you are in the ring you will figure it out. You have that wrestler's sense. I have confidence in you, so does Matt, and everyone else. You got this. Just go with what feels right." Jeff said as I sighed as I walked towards the curtain taking long deep breaths trying to calm my nerves in disbelief that I was about to do this. When I heard Mia's music had ended knowing that I had left my music decision up to Jeff, so when the music finally had hit I wasn't sure how to feel about it right about now but I shouldn't be thinking about my music right about now. I let out one last deep breath pulling the curtains open stepping out into the ramp area we created earlier with the only barriers we could. I wasn't sure to be the heel or the face so I didn't slap any hands as I walked the length of the entrance and walked around the ring to the side to the right of me jumping onto that apron looking out amongst the small crowd we had drawn tonight slowly standing to my feet extending my arms out on the top rope leaning back against it before turning to slide between the middle and bottom rope before I walked to the turnbuckle climbing onto the middle one doing some random pose for no apparent reason jumping off the turnbuckle turning to face Mia whilst Shane Helms was doing the ring announcing tonight, I hadn't seen him come in or arrive today. Shane walked over whispering in my ear asking what name I was going by and I hadn't thought about it honestly.
"April." I said, when in doubt go with what you know. I figured, what better character or persona to go by other than yourself? Shane nodded as he went back to where he was standing doing the normal ring announcing besides cutting it short not knowing most of our stats as Mia and I walked closer to the center face off before we backed up after the ref spoke towards both of us to put on a nice clean match, blah blah blah. I leant back against the turnbuckle, my nerves had subsided and excitement had overturned those feelings quickly. I was having my first match, not in training, but in a wrestling show.