Post by gvb on Dec 9, 2022 17:26:46 GMT -6
The Blooze Bar was filled to capacity. Two hundred teenagers had gathered to see Faking Poetry, one of one of the hottest bands in the Phoenix Area, playing live. The main act was not yet on stage, but the atmosphere was already electric, thanks to the support band that was now rocking the stage.
Severed Wings, that was the name written on the bass drum. The bassist/lead singer, a young girl with pink and black hair, was wearing a sleeveless shirt that had the initials S and W printed on the back by way of scars on the shoulder blades. The front was depicting a wingless angel bleeding from their back as they plunged from the heavens.
“Thank you!” She shouted in the microphone while the guitarist, on his knees next to her, kept shredding his guitar. “My name is Alice, Luka at the lead guitar, Tommy rhythm guitar and our drummer, Nick!” A round of applause followed the introduction of the band members. “We are Severed Wings, and if you enjoyed us, give us a follow on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, check out our music on Spotify and all that. We also have some merch, like this shirt Tommy personally designed so, if you want, come find us.”
“We still have a few minutes before leaving the stage to the band y’all came to see. Can’t blame you, Faking Poetry fucking rocks!” Luka echoed her words with a brief guitar solo, and judging by the crowd’s reaction it was straight from Faking Poetry’s repertoire. “So we’re going to play one last song, but don’t worry, it’s going to be a slow one. A ballad so you can stop jumping like crazy and save some for FP. It’s also the first time we’re gonna play it live so… Anyway, here it is: Falling From The Shoulders Of Giants.”
Definitely a stern contrast with the band’s usual sound. A melancholic melody that emphasized the young singer’s voice: unexpectedly graceful, in clear contrast with the screaming that characterized their concert so far. Add to that the fact that she seemed to really feel the lyrics she was singing and you get a haunting, chill-inducing performance. And it couldn’t end in any other way than a heartfelt round of applause for the young band.
It wasn't until that moment, at the very end of their gig that she spotted a familiar face in the crowd. A man in his forties among teenagers, short tidy hair in a sea of colored mohawks and other bold haircuts. As youthful as he may be, he definitely looked out of place there.
“Uncle Robb!” She greeted the man who was clearly waiting for her with a surprised but warm smile. “Sorry it took me so long, but we had to clear the stage and set up the merch stand… I didn’t even know you’d come here, what a surprise!”
Uncle Robb was none other than Robb Hardy, former wrestler and current General Manager of Empire Pro, the Canada based sister company to Liberty Pro, owned by Chuck Matthews. And Alice just called him uncle, does that mean…
“Hey, Wagner. Veggie burger and fries?” Nick The Drummer asked her.
“Just give me a minute guys, my uncle is here.” She glanced quickly in Robb’s direction. “I’ll join you later, ok?”
Robb furrowed his brow and titled his head as he looked at his niece. “Wagner, huh?” He laughed and shook his head. “Actually, the veggie burger is catching me by surprise more so than that. I guess a lot has changed since… Yeah.”
Robb shook his head and waved his hand. “But I’m not here to talk about that. I came here for the show, which was fuckin’ sick. That last song almost had me in tears but I swear to god, you better never repeat that!”
“You tell me… It was so hard, I never thought I could make it till the end.” She had to stop to greet a guy, roughly her age, who wanted to congratulate her. At that moment, she noticed the members of Faking Poetry entering on the stage.
“We should get out, it’s gonna get very loud very soon here! And besides, we don’t want anybody to recognize you, right?” She said with a wink. The duo started to make their way to the exit. She immediately spotted her uncle’s car in the parking lot and chose it as the perfect place to continue their conversation. She sat on the hood, like she did so many times while waiting for him to drive her home after training at Nightfall. He used to scold her for it, but tonight he didn’t say a word.
“That’s kinda why I’m going with mom’s last name. Saves me a lot of awkward questions I don’t have the answers for. I wanted to start anew, that’s why I came here. I don’t need people to twist the knife in wounds that haven’t healed yet.” Alice let out a sigh, looking down at the tip of her boots. Another gesture her uncle was quite familiar with. “But no, I’m not vegetarian. Their burgers suck, last time I ate one I felt sick for two days. Hard pass.”
A clear attempt at lightening a mood that, between that last emotional song, seeing her uncle after almost two years and speaking about her past had become a bit heavy. Robb laughed about the veggie burgers before there was a silence in the air for a moment. He knew that he had to choose his words wisely when talking to Alice about everything that’s happened.
Robb sighed before he took a seat next to Alice on the hood of the car. “You know, I was in your position before. Having someone in your life that you love so much and you look up to them and then it turns out that they aren’t the person you thought they were.” He shrugged before continuing on. “McKena and Junior’s mom, Cassandra? I’ve never told you why we divorced but I'll tell you now. It’s because she faked her death.”
Robb stood up from the car hood and stood in front of Alice. “I know this story sounds ridiculous. Honestly? It’s still hard for me to believe. But even though Cassie and I went to middle school and high school together, even though we were inseparable during that entire time, all the way through marriage?” He scoffed and shook his head. “I never truly knew her. Her father was a part of the CIA and because of some highly classified bullshit, him and all of his family had to disappear for awhile. But that didn’t include me, Mac or Junior.”
Robb placed his hand on Alice’s shoulder as he looked into her eyes. “I’m telling you all of this so that you can understand that, while our situations are different, I know how you feel. And I also know that running from things doesn’t heal the wounds. I ran from how I felt because of what Cassie did. I let my hurt and paranoia ruin my relationships later on. With Veronica and then Jade and others. It controlled my life for almost two decades.”
He sighed and shook his head. “Please stop running. Please don’t let this control the narrative of your life. Because you’re not a Wagner.” He leaned in and shook his head. “You’re a fuckin’ Hardy.”
Alice listened to her uncle closely, without saying a word. The silence lasted a few long moments before Robb finished speaking, until Alice found the words.
“That song… I wrote it thinking of him.” She blurted out, her voice broken by a whirlwind of emotions that surged within her. “One year and half, I thought it wouldn’t hurt anymore. I thought I got over it, that I had moved on. But every time I read it, when we put music to words, when we rehearsed it… It’s always a punch to the stomach.”
Raising her arm, Alice wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, smudging the eyeliner. “He was my hero, you know? I know he wasn’t perfect, but with me? He was the kindest person I ever met. When he and mom split up, I never even questioned who I wanted to live with. And you know I always fucking adored mom, and how much seeing them part ways hurt me.”
“But Will… Dad… I knew my place was with him. We shared a dream, he was so proud every time you or Chris told him about my progress, and I was so happy. Happy to just see him happy.”
Robb shook his head. “It’s not going to magically go away, Alice. He’s your father. Hell, he’s my brother and you know what? It kills me every day that things came to this because I’m the one who was supposed to steer him in the right direction. It doesn’t matter how old we get, it still lands on me and I let it happen. I was complacent. I…”
Robb stopped talking for a moment and he sat back down next to Alice. “I’m sorry that I let it happen. I brought him in as an enforcer, I encouraged him to do a lot of the shady shit he did. It falls on me. So if you want to take it out on somebody, stop taking it out on your dad and put it on me. Because at the end of the day? I’m still the leader of this entire family. Will, Nick and everyone else? They all look toward me.”
He sighed and shook his head before pointing at Alice. “Even now, all you kids look towards me and I don’t know why? Because I’ve fucked up a million times too. But y’all have given me chances over and over. And I hope you still do give me a chance now. But I also hope that one day, you can give your father a chance again as well.” Robb leaned in close and whispered. “Because even though you haven’t spoken to him? He’s going to be filled with pride and joy when I go visit him and tell him about your performance.” Robb forced a smile, clearly he felt a ton of guilt over the situation but it was time he made things right, especially with Alice, who he missed dearly.
“And... Are you?” The strong girl that was standing on the stage like she owned it, so confident and bold under the spotlights all of a sudden was gone. Under the pale lights of the parking lot, she was just an eighteen years old girl who grew up with a single dad she eventually came to despise. She asked that question looking at her uncle with glossy eyes. “Even if I gave up on the family’s business?”
“Is that a serious question?” Robb smiled widely and shook his head before he wrapped his arm around Alice and pulled her in for a hug. “I’ll always be proud of you, kiddo. I just don’t want you to do anything that you’ll regret later on. Which is why I want you to come to the next Empire show this weekend. If it doesn’t bring back any feelings of your love for the sport? Then I’m fine with that and I’ll be fully supporting this chapter of your life. You got that?” Robb smiled genuinely. He wanted to show Alice that there was no pressure for her. It was just a simple offer.
She hesitated. It had been a year and half since she last watched a wrestling show. That show. Ever since then, ever since her run from Nightfall, from her family, from her dream, she forced herself to never look back, even if that meant cutting ties with her beloved uncle and cousins. She had moved on, found a new passion in music and while she regularly hit the gym, that was merely to keep herself in shape. “I…” She tilted her head to the side, leaning against her uncle’s shoulder.
You can’t run from your past. Nor you can run from your destiny.
As she closed her eyes, those words seeped through her mind. One of the first things her uncle said when they reconnected on Twitter.
She didn’t think his idea of “her destiny” matched her own. And yet, here she was, considering accepting his offer.
She needed to know. She had to go, to prove to her uncle that he was wrong.
Or maybe to convince herself that he was right.
“I guess it can’t hurt.” She finally said with a long sigh.
Severed Wings, that was the name written on the bass drum. The bassist/lead singer, a young girl with pink and black hair, was wearing a sleeveless shirt that had the initials S and W printed on the back by way of scars on the shoulder blades. The front was depicting a wingless angel bleeding from their back as they plunged from the heavens.
“Thank you!” She shouted in the microphone while the guitarist, on his knees next to her, kept shredding his guitar. “My name is Alice, Luka at the lead guitar, Tommy rhythm guitar and our drummer, Nick!” A round of applause followed the introduction of the band members. “We are Severed Wings, and if you enjoyed us, give us a follow on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, check out our music on Spotify and all that. We also have some merch, like this shirt Tommy personally designed so, if you want, come find us.”
“We still have a few minutes before leaving the stage to the band y’all came to see. Can’t blame you, Faking Poetry fucking rocks!” Luka echoed her words with a brief guitar solo, and judging by the crowd’s reaction it was straight from Faking Poetry’s repertoire. “So we’re going to play one last song, but don’t worry, it’s going to be a slow one. A ballad so you can stop jumping like crazy and save some for FP. It’s also the first time we’re gonna play it live so… Anyway, here it is: Falling From The Shoulders Of Giants.”
Definitely a stern contrast with the band’s usual sound. A melancholic melody that emphasized the young singer’s voice: unexpectedly graceful, in clear contrast with the screaming that characterized their concert so far. Add to that the fact that she seemed to really feel the lyrics she was singing and you get a haunting, chill-inducing performance. And it couldn’t end in any other way than a heartfelt round of applause for the young band.
It wasn't until that moment, at the very end of their gig that she spotted a familiar face in the crowd. A man in his forties among teenagers, short tidy hair in a sea of colored mohawks and other bold haircuts. As youthful as he may be, he definitely looked out of place there.
“Uncle Robb!” She greeted the man who was clearly waiting for her with a surprised but warm smile. “Sorry it took me so long, but we had to clear the stage and set up the merch stand… I didn’t even know you’d come here, what a surprise!”
Uncle Robb was none other than Robb Hardy, former wrestler and current General Manager of Empire Pro, the Canada based sister company to Liberty Pro, owned by Chuck Matthews. And Alice just called him uncle, does that mean…
“Hey, Wagner. Veggie burger and fries?” Nick The Drummer asked her.
“Just give me a minute guys, my uncle is here.” She glanced quickly in Robb’s direction. “I’ll join you later, ok?”
Robb furrowed his brow and titled his head as he looked at his niece. “Wagner, huh?” He laughed and shook his head. “Actually, the veggie burger is catching me by surprise more so than that. I guess a lot has changed since… Yeah.”
Robb shook his head and waved his hand. “But I’m not here to talk about that. I came here for the show, which was fuckin’ sick. That last song almost had me in tears but I swear to god, you better never repeat that!”
“You tell me… It was so hard, I never thought I could make it till the end.” She had to stop to greet a guy, roughly her age, who wanted to congratulate her. At that moment, she noticed the members of Faking Poetry entering on the stage.
“We should get out, it’s gonna get very loud very soon here! And besides, we don’t want anybody to recognize you, right?” She said with a wink. The duo started to make their way to the exit. She immediately spotted her uncle’s car in the parking lot and chose it as the perfect place to continue their conversation. She sat on the hood, like she did so many times while waiting for him to drive her home after training at Nightfall. He used to scold her for it, but tonight he didn’t say a word.
“That’s kinda why I’m going with mom’s last name. Saves me a lot of awkward questions I don’t have the answers for. I wanted to start anew, that’s why I came here. I don’t need people to twist the knife in wounds that haven’t healed yet.” Alice let out a sigh, looking down at the tip of her boots. Another gesture her uncle was quite familiar with. “But no, I’m not vegetarian. Their burgers suck, last time I ate one I felt sick for two days. Hard pass.”
A clear attempt at lightening a mood that, between that last emotional song, seeing her uncle after almost two years and speaking about her past had become a bit heavy. Robb laughed about the veggie burgers before there was a silence in the air for a moment. He knew that he had to choose his words wisely when talking to Alice about everything that’s happened.
Robb sighed before he took a seat next to Alice on the hood of the car. “You know, I was in your position before. Having someone in your life that you love so much and you look up to them and then it turns out that they aren’t the person you thought they were.” He shrugged before continuing on. “McKena and Junior’s mom, Cassandra? I’ve never told you why we divorced but I'll tell you now. It’s because she faked her death.”
Robb stood up from the car hood and stood in front of Alice. “I know this story sounds ridiculous. Honestly? It’s still hard for me to believe. But even though Cassie and I went to middle school and high school together, even though we were inseparable during that entire time, all the way through marriage?” He scoffed and shook his head. “I never truly knew her. Her father was a part of the CIA and because of some highly classified bullshit, him and all of his family had to disappear for awhile. But that didn’t include me, Mac or Junior.”
Robb placed his hand on Alice’s shoulder as he looked into her eyes. “I’m telling you all of this so that you can understand that, while our situations are different, I know how you feel. And I also know that running from things doesn’t heal the wounds. I ran from how I felt because of what Cassie did. I let my hurt and paranoia ruin my relationships later on. With Veronica and then Jade and others. It controlled my life for almost two decades.”
He sighed and shook his head. “Please stop running. Please don’t let this control the narrative of your life. Because you’re not a Wagner.” He leaned in and shook his head. “You’re a fuckin’ Hardy.”
Alice listened to her uncle closely, without saying a word. The silence lasted a few long moments before Robb finished speaking, until Alice found the words.
“That song… I wrote it thinking of him.” She blurted out, her voice broken by a whirlwind of emotions that surged within her. “One year and half, I thought it wouldn’t hurt anymore. I thought I got over it, that I had moved on. But every time I read it, when we put music to words, when we rehearsed it… It’s always a punch to the stomach.”
Raising her arm, Alice wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, smudging the eyeliner. “He was my hero, you know? I know he wasn’t perfect, but with me? He was the kindest person I ever met. When he and mom split up, I never even questioned who I wanted to live with. And you know I always fucking adored mom, and how much seeing them part ways hurt me.”
“But Will… Dad… I knew my place was with him. We shared a dream, he was so proud every time you or Chris told him about my progress, and I was so happy. Happy to just see him happy.”
Robb shook his head. “It’s not going to magically go away, Alice. He’s your father. Hell, he’s my brother and you know what? It kills me every day that things came to this because I’m the one who was supposed to steer him in the right direction. It doesn’t matter how old we get, it still lands on me and I let it happen. I was complacent. I…”
Robb stopped talking for a moment and he sat back down next to Alice. “I’m sorry that I let it happen. I brought him in as an enforcer, I encouraged him to do a lot of the shady shit he did. It falls on me. So if you want to take it out on somebody, stop taking it out on your dad and put it on me. Because at the end of the day? I’m still the leader of this entire family. Will, Nick and everyone else? They all look toward me.”
He sighed and shook his head before pointing at Alice. “Even now, all you kids look towards me and I don’t know why? Because I’ve fucked up a million times too. But y’all have given me chances over and over. And I hope you still do give me a chance now. But I also hope that one day, you can give your father a chance again as well.” Robb leaned in close and whispered. “Because even though you haven’t spoken to him? He’s going to be filled with pride and joy when I go visit him and tell him about your performance.” Robb forced a smile, clearly he felt a ton of guilt over the situation but it was time he made things right, especially with Alice, who he missed dearly.
“And... Are you?” The strong girl that was standing on the stage like she owned it, so confident and bold under the spotlights all of a sudden was gone. Under the pale lights of the parking lot, she was just an eighteen years old girl who grew up with a single dad she eventually came to despise. She asked that question looking at her uncle with glossy eyes. “Even if I gave up on the family’s business?”
“Is that a serious question?” Robb smiled widely and shook his head before he wrapped his arm around Alice and pulled her in for a hug. “I’ll always be proud of you, kiddo. I just don’t want you to do anything that you’ll regret later on. Which is why I want you to come to the next Empire show this weekend. If it doesn’t bring back any feelings of your love for the sport? Then I’m fine with that and I’ll be fully supporting this chapter of your life. You got that?” Robb smiled genuinely. He wanted to show Alice that there was no pressure for her. It was just a simple offer.
She hesitated. It had been a year and half since she last watched a wrestling show. That show. Ever since then, ever since her run from Nightfall, from her family, from her dream, she forced herself to never look back, even if that meant cutting ties with her beloved uncle and cousins. She had moved on, found a new passion in music and while she regularly hit the gym, that was merely to keep herself in shape. “I…” She tilted her head to the side, leaning against her uncle’s shoulder.
You can’t run from your past. Nor you can run from your destiny.
As she closed her eyes, those words seeped through her mind. One of the first things her uncle said when they reconnected on Twitter.
She didn’t think his idea of “her destiny” matched her own. And yet, here she was, considering accepting his offer.
She needed to know. She had to go, to prove to her uncle that he was wrong.
Or maybe to convince herself that he was right.
“I guess it can’t hurt.” She finally said with a long sigh.