You're My Best Friend (COTI Prestige #1)
Jun 29, 2021 10:10:46 GMT -5
Hyperion, MYŌJIN, and 2 more like this
Post by Adrien on Jun 29, 2021 10:10:46 GMT -5
Ooh, you make me live
Whatever this world can give to me
It's you, you're all I see
Ooh, you make me live now honey
Ooh, you make me live
You're the best friend that I ever had
I've been with you such a long time
You're my sunshine, and I want you to know
That my feelings are true, I really love you
You're my best friend
“I’ve gone through my entire life always feeling out of place and in situations that make me uncomfortable. It’s something I’ve spent twenty-seven years trying to overcome those feelings that have made me known as the Awkward One in wrestling circles.”
Adam Sanders sits with his legs crossed in the middle of a hallway in a college dormitory. He glances at the door to his left and then to his right. Several years ago, the room to his left was his. The right one was Betsy Granger’s.
“But now, I find myself in the most awkward situation I’ve ever been in: across the ring from my best friend in the entire world with a top championship on the line. But it’s just a match, right? On paper, in theory, this is just another opponent in just another match. But it’s not. It’s someone I love that I have to strike, that I have to slam to the mat, that I might have to drive headfirst into the mat to try to render her to the point where she cannot kick out of a pinfall.”
The AWF Prestige Champion reaches behind him and pulls out a photo inside a frame. It’s a picture of a younger Adam and Betsy, smiling in the very hallway he is sitting in.
“Not only that, this isn’t just another match. This is the final match in the history of the AWF. For the Prestige Title that I fought so hard for and took so long to win. And whichever one of us leaves with this has the opportunity to go after the X*Crown Championship, maybe as soon as taking on the winner from Night of Champions. I could have an opportunity to face off against MYOJIN. Or Subject #42. Or Aiden Merric. Or… maybe even, my mentor, Adrien Cochrane.
“There’s so much on the line with someone I care so much about on the other end of every move I make. And at the same time, I’m going to be on the receiving end of everything she can throw at me. And I saw how motivated she is for an opportunity at the X*Crown and to be the final champion in AWF. She has never had an opportunity like this before, and I know she is motivated to finally get that moment of the confetti falling from the ceiling and her music playing as she is handed her first-ever World Title, a moment a lot as I had at Road to Victory.
“Let me make this very clear right now: there is no one… NO ONE… I’d rather drop this championship to… than Betsy Granger. She deserves to be a World Champion. She deserves to be among the Prestige Champions in this company. She deserves to be an XHF Tag Team Champion as well, which is why that match is still getting every bit of effort I can give to make sure one of us is holding two belts by the end of the night.
“But then… I remember…
“I remember being in that ring in the End of Days semi-finals. I remember the stabbing pain in my chest. I remember feeling the heat of the flames. I remember losing so much blood at Battle for Hegemony when Alex Turner was being pinned. I keep going for these opportunities to win the X*Crown and I just can never punch my ticket to be in that big dance…
“This is my chance. This makes all of the pain I had to endure to get here worth it. This makes every missed opportunity make sense.
“If the match doesn’t go my way, there will be another chance for me one day. I know this isn’t the final straw. And the same goes for Betsy. If she doesn’t win this, she will get a World Title. She will get a shot at the X*Crown Champion. I’ll be as bold as to say she is absolutely a future X*Crown Champion. The time will come, even if I can’t predict when.
“Betsy, let me tell you what you already know. I love you. With all my heart, I do. You will forever be my best friend like you have been for almost eight years. I expect us to be kicking butt together for many years to come. But this match is just as important to me as it is to you. I can’t afford to go easy on you. If you win, I will hug you and congratulate you. But that will only be after I do everything I possibly can to delay your destiny for just a short while.”
Adam stands the picture frame up in the center of the hallway before rising back to his feet. The last thing the cameras see before fading to black is his back turned to head towards the exit.
I've been wandering round
But I still come back to you
In rain or shine, you've stood by me girl
I'm happy at home, you're my best friend
Ooh, you make me live
Whenever this world is cruel to me
I got you to help me forgive
Ooh, you make me live now honey
Ooh, you make me live
“So Heather and Andreas trained Betsy. It’s funny how all you kids basically grabbed your favorite wrestlers and decided to learn from them.”
Adrien Cochrane takes a sip of his tea while looking across his living room at the AWF Prestige Champion. Adrien was very familiar with the Lasiewicz family, seeing as he had been in the ring with both of them as teammates… And across the ring from Heather several times with the top championship on the line.
Adrien: “You and Kenzie grabbed me. Vivi grabbed Justin, which was miles better than her first choice. And Betsy apparently grabbed the Lasiewiczes. When you think about who each of you cheered the most for in the crowd, all of those make a lot of sense. It’s like that company, despite being closed for several years, still lives on through all the bonds that came out of that trainwreck.”
Adam: “I guess I wouldn’t know what was going on backstage since all I ever saw was what was on the screen or in the ring.”
Adrien: “Let’s just say EXODUS Pro was poorly run. I mean, after I fought for the ownership to keep the company and then fire me a few months later… what does that tell you? But I’ll never forget the friendships I forged there. I still get Christmas cards from Natalie Bateman and despite what happened in the ring all those years ago, Heather and I are friends again.”
Cochrane remembers the first time he tried forming a tag team. It didn’t end well for the Dropkick King when Heather seemingly became a different person once a World Title was within her grasp.
Adam: “So you know how Heather Lasiewicz would have taught Betsy how to wrestle, right? You can think of a few ways to maybe help mesh our styles a bit?”
Adrien: “For the tag team titles? I mean, I got some ideas on how to do that. But I’m quite surprised you didn’t start off with another question.”
It was Adam’s turn to take a quick sip from his own mug. He exhales softly as the French roast coffee flows down his throat and sends the necessary caffeine to his bloodstream.
Adam: “You mean… what kind of holes in her teaching for me to exploit so I can keep this?”
Adam glances down at the Prestige Championship on the top of his duffle bag by his feet. Cochrane places his mug on the coffee table before shrugging his shoulders.
Adrien: “I was just expecting you to be curious. I know, I know… there’s no one you’d rather lose that championship to. I saw the video when Eddie was editing it. I felt the same way when I dropped the Evolution Championship to Johnny Maverick. If I’m going to lose to someone, I’d rather it be someone who I love and respect. Johnny was and still is a brother to me. It’s why I’m glad he signed up for FWA and joined us at Call to Arms.
“And I know you’re thinking the same thing about Betsy. You two have been joined to the hip since you two met… before either of you ever stepped a single foot between the ropes. And let me stress to you right now, do NOT let this championship end this friendship. That almost happened with me and Heather and I cannot stress enough how much that hurts.”
The Awkward One simply nods his head. Thinking about a life without Betsy Granger in it was absolutely unpleasant in his mind.
Adam: “I don’t want this to come between us.”
Adrien: “And it’s what Horton wants. Yeah, the company is closing but…”
Cochrane looks over on his fireplace where the NGW Championship once sat before he used it to cash in for an X*Crown Championship match against Dylan Black… a successful cash-in at that.
Adrien: “One of you will have an amazing opportunity for you. And you won’t have to worry about a massive field of hungry competitors to get there either. You get the champion, alone in the ring.”
Adam’s eyes were on the championship again. The image of him standing in the X*Crown Vault, at least during Adrien’s configuration of the room, floods his mind before the front door opening snaps him out of it. The voice of the Manager Extraordinaire echoes through the atrium.
Eddie: “I come bearing gifts!!”
Eddie Walker walks into the locker room. It might be the first time Adam Sanders has seen Walker without having to use a cane to get around since the car accident last year. He’s moving as well as he did a year ago too.
Adam: “Wow, Eddie. You look incredible.”
Cochrane has already risen to his feet and given his best friend a hug. Once the hug was broken with Adrien, Eddie takes a seat next to the Awkward One. Adam hadn’t seen Walker in a couple of months so it was good to see the man who has been overseeing his career.
Eddie: “Well, look at you, kid! Trying to be all double champion and stuff!”
Adrien: “He can technically achieve that for at least a couple of hours if he and Betsy win the tag team match, regardless of what happens in the main event.”
Eddie: “When they win the tag match. When.”
Adrien: “Absolutely. Need a drink?”
Eddie: “Sitting next to Adam’s French roast and smelling it is making me want some of that. One sugar and one cream?”
The former X*Crown Champion gives a quick smile before turning on his heels and heading to the kitchen.
Eddie: “So, tell me, kid. How are you feeling about Clash of the Icons?”
Adam: “Well, I think Impossibly Awkward definitely has a good chance to take the tag team championship to AWF on its last show. Facing two former X*Crown Champions and legends in this Network won’t be easy, obviously, but I know we can give them a fight and get the win.”
Eddie: “And the other match? Sir Dropkicks-A-Lot isn’t in the room. You can be candid.”
Adam takes a deep breath before swallowing another gulp of his coffee.
Adam: “I do have some concerns. I want to win it. I really do. I want a chance to be X*Crown Champion. I gave everything I had in the End of Days tournament and the Battle for Hegemony qualifier. To not even have a shot at the belt after all these efforts is… disheartening.”
Eddie: “Hey, look at me.”
Adam’s big brown eyes glance up at Walker’s cool blue eyes.
Eddie: “I’m proud of you. Adrien is too, and I’m sure he has told you that. And let me tell you a dirty little secret that isn’t really a secret: Betsy is too. You had to go through the same struggles to win the Prestige… but it happened eventually. Whether or not you win the main event at Clash of the Icons aside, you are a future X*Crown Champion. If it takes another chance, then so be it. But remember when I said I come bearing gifts?”
Eddie reaches into his right pocket and pulls out a small red USB drive. Adam immediately knows what’s on it.
Adam: “You know I’ve likely seen all those matches already, right?”
Eddie: “Rewatch them then. You never know what you missed. Because I’m going to warn you now…”
Walker now pulls out a purple USB drive from his left pocket.
Eddie: “I have to be fair to her. She’s my client too. And you know she will study this until she collapses at her desk.”
Adam: “Probably. She’s really determined this time.”
Eddie: “It’s her first big opportunity like this. She really wants to finally break that ceiling. And I really hope she does at some point, whether it is now or later.”
Adam: “She deserves to be World Champion…”
Adam’s response was quick and left little room for Eddie to say anything more. Though there was a pause after Adam’s sentence, he continues after taking another sip of his coffee. His mug was nearly empty.
Adam: “She deserves to be X*Crown Champion too. But so do I, right?”
Eddie: “Absolutely.”
Adam: “And I’ve worked so hard for this, right?”
Eddie: “Affirmative!”
Adam: “So I gotta do this, Eddie. I have to…”
Adam takes the final sip of his drink before Adrien walks back in with a full mug for the manager. Adrien only catches the final words from Adam Sanders. The Dropkick King gives a warm smile as he hears Adam's declaration.
Adam: “I have to retain my championship against Betsy. I have to beat my best friend.”
You're the first one when things turn out bad
You know I'll never be lonely
You're my only one, and I love the things
I really love the things that you do
You're my best friend
Ooh, you make me live
I'm happy, happy at home
You're my best friend
Oh, you're my best friend
Ooh, you make me live
Ooh, you're my best friend
