Exiled on Asshole Island

Having finagled a pass for the night from the administration, Reign and Sammy find themselves enjoying a gourmet meal at the local Shake Shack. Dressed in an oversized hoodie, Reign's mind seems far far away as she dips a fry in her chocolate shake and leaves it there so long that it disintegrates.

Sammy tilts his head, examining Reign. He waits a bit to see if she’d finally come to, even making a few faces but nope, nothing. Finally he calls out to her.

Sammy Grimes:
“Earth to Reign! Do you plan on eating your fries or are you going to dip them in your shake and let them get soggy one at a time.”

Reign Reyes:
"Huh?!"

Reign blinks up at him before sighing and staring down into her polluted shake.

Reign Reyes:
"Fuck."

She scowls.

Reign Reyes:
"Sorry. My head's not in this. There's something I need to talk to you about."

Sammy Grimes:
“I already told you, stay away from my butt! No butt stuff!”

He said playfully but others heard him and are looking awkwardly in their direction. Sammy simply looks at them with a grin and waves.

Sammy Grimes:
“Anyway, what were you wanting to talk about?”

Reign barely reacts to the notion of ass play or the eyes staring in their direction.

Reign Reyes:
"I can't do this anymore."

Sammy is taken aback.

Sammy Grimes:
“What?”

He blinks and shakes his head.

Sammy Grimes:
“What the hell do you mean?”

Reign furrows her brow for a second but then realizes how it sounded.

Reign Reyes:
"Oh! No. Not that. Not like... us. Us I can handle. I meant this whole thing with everyone at the Academy acting like they're on some moral high ground while I'm off by myself, exiled on asshole island."

She mashes a fry against the table top.

Reign Reyes:
"I'm sick of explaining and trying to play nice. I did the math. I understand why Ava's mad. I owned up to my mistake and I'm willing to put in the work to try and mend that divide, but she's not having it. Every single person in that building... save for you... is acting like I'm the one who put her in that hospital bed. Somehow the words I spoke are a million times worse than Saoirse's actions."

She sits back, giving up on any attempt to eat.

Reign Reyes:
"I'm done. I need to take my mother's advice and lean into it. They want a villain? I'll give them a villain."

His eyes widen.

Sammy Grimes:
“You’re starting to sound like Julian. A villain?”

He thinks it over and nods.

Sammy Grimes:
“I’m good with it if that’s what you think you need to do. You know what’s best and I won’t judge. To be honest, I think I need to lean into my asshole side more as well.”

Reign stares at him for a long moment, her dark eyes scanning back and forth.

Reign Reyes:
"I'm not asking you to take this ride with me, Sammy. You have to do you. For me leaning into it means with Ava too. I'm done apologizing. Never in a million years did I mean for the things I said to reach the level they have. But now? It's the perfect story. If Ava manages to come back EVERYONE is going to want to see her beat my ass. If they hold that match at the Academy, people will be begging Gian for tickets. If they put it on an MWE show, it could make main card. Think of what it could do for both our careers. I'm tired of the Karens of MWE looking down their noses at us. I want them to wish they were us. I can get there with Ava. Hell, I may even be able to get there with Alice, but I have to play the part... even if it's ugly."

Sammy is unsure about it all. This is deep, dark even.

Sammy Grimes:
“Oh… uh… well…”

He pauses and sighs.

Sammy Grimes:
“Do you think it has to get that serious, babe? It’s just the Academy. This isn’t the big leagues yet. Why burn everything down before we actually get started? Do you really want to do something you can’t take back?”

Reign exhales and shrugs.

Reign Reyes:
"Everyone's acting like I already did. So like Mom said, why not lean into it? And honestly? The... it's just the Academy ...attitude is exactly my point. You may be fine with it... and I'm not judging you for it... but I'm not fine. I'm not okay with it just being the Academy. I want it to be more. I believe I'm capable of helping to make it more. Which is why the notion that I'm only in it for myself kills me. Yes I held a match to that interview we did but the end result was fire for all three of us. Heck, if you ask me it even elevated Jelena. I don't want to rise by myself. It's not even possible. I need others to rise with me. You. Ava. Alice. Whoever. I took a page out of your brother's book and told people to hate me and how did they respond? With a lecture."

Reign slams her hand down on the table.

Reign Reyes:
"Why don't they understand, Sammy?! Why?!"

He takes it all in and nods.

Sammy Grimes:
"Yeah, well, I guess they won't understand until you lean into it. So, it sounds like that's what you need to do and it also sounds like you've already made your decision. You're just saying it out loud to me so that you can hear it for yourself. But it's what you want and I'm not going to stop you. I'll support you. In everything."

He reaches his hand over and grabs hers.

Sammy Grimes:
"So, go do your thing and make them understand. Or even force them to."

She draws another deep breath.

Reign Reyes:
"You know that knee I hit your sister with? The one that caused her initial concussion... and the one I accidentally hit you with during our match?"

She doesn't wait for him to respond, she knows he knows.

Reign Reyes:
"I've been practicing it... a lot. I want to use it as my finisher... and I may augment it, a little."

Sammy looks unsure for a moment before he realizes that this is what she truly needs to do to lean into it.

Sammy Grimes:
"Makes sense. Would make for a killer finish too."

She stares for another long moment before floating this nugget out there...

Reign Reyes:
"I want to call it the CTE. Do you know what that means?"

Sammy closes his eyes for a moment and takes a deep breath before exhaling slowly and nodding.

Sammy Grimes:
"Yup. I know what it means, Reign."

She wrinkles her nose, wincing a bit at his reaction. This time she truly is looking for approval.

Reign Reyes:
"Are you going to be okay with that?"

He swallows hard and nods.

Sammy Grimes:
"I said I'd support you. So yes. If that's how you want to lean into it, then by all means, go ahead."

Reign exhales a little but also realizes she's putting Sammy in a shitty position.

Reign Reyes:
"If it gets to be too much you'll tell me, yeah?"

Sammy shakes his head.

Sammy Grimes:
"You do what you have to do, Reign. It's your career. You wouldn't try and control mine, so why should I do the same to you? At the end of the day? I know who you are and I love you. So do what you have to do. Whatever comes my way? Comes my way. Can't be worse than being kidnapped thanks to having Gavin as an older brother."

Reign counters.

Reign Reyes:
"I disagree. Ava's already treated you unfairly over this. I know that for you, losing her would be worse than anything Jack did to you. So I'm not messing around when I say this... if you need me to pump the brakes you tell me. Hell, we could even have a safe word. You yell out applesauce and I will stop and turn on a dime. Turn that evil shit off right then and there... at least I’ll try to."

Sammy slams his hand on the table this time.

Sammy Grimes:
"No!"

He stood up and leaned over the table, a fire in his eyes.

Sammy Grimes:
"Don't you fucking dare. You want this, Reign. You want it more than ever now and I can see it. The conviction in your eyes? It's undeniable and I won't be the one to hold you back. I fucking won't. So fuck your safeword and just do you. For you."

He sighs.

Sammy Grimes:
"Not for me or anyone else. For Reign."

She flinches at first but then a smile curls to life at the corners of her mouth. Leaning in she steals a kiss and then steals one of his fries, it seems her appetite has returned.

Reign Reyes:
"I love you, Sammy Grimes."

He sits back down and smiles widely.

Sammy Grimes:
"I love you too, future Mrs. Grimes."

Still munching on the fry she leans back in the booth and squints at him across the table.

Reign Reyes:
"So what were you saying earlier about butt stuff?"