Check Your Head

Taylor tried to hold back, for Clyde's sake, but she wasn't going to take this bullshit.

"Hold on, I'll bake you some fucking cookies," she growled back. "Congratulations. You can do a lot of horrible shit and still be better than someone. Look, I really didn't call you to fight. I don't think you're a bad guy, but you've got your head up your ass. You need to check yourself, because I'm seeing you do shit that... You're losing your head. Get it back. Don't fuckin' turn into another crazy bitch because some other bitch went nuts on you."

Clyde sneered on the other end as he heard Taylor's sarcasm. He didn't know what she was going for. A lecture in an attempt to make him feel guilty and surrender or something? She claimed she didn't call for a fight and that apparently he wasn't a bad guy.

He rolled his eyes at hearing that. Every five minutes he was doing something wrong. She probably saw him as nothing more than a child. But upon being told by Taylor to not be a crazy bitch because of his crazy bitch, it kind of hit him. He didn't even consider it could happen until Taylor pointed it out. More of the guilt came pouring in soon after regarding Emily.

And he got quiet. He realized what Taylor was trying to do aside from the lecturing. And maybe he needed it.

"That ain't gonna happen..." He said firmly after that long pause.

"Well..." Taylor said, and the combativeness in her voice was replaced by a softer, more understanding tone. "It's just... You know I have a thing for kids like that, though, right? Like, I don't know how old she is, if she's in Friction she's got to be at least eighteen, but she looked maybe sixteen. I just get really protective."

She sighed, and struggled to get back on point. "I just don't want you guys to turn into bad guys. Like... That Aussie chick with the tattoos, I get that you're pissed at her, but it's like you guys just want to double team her and murder her. I saw what they did to Bonnie, and you, and that's fucked up, but... Going revenge crazy isn't helping anyone."

"...Yeah..."  Clyde knew Bonnie would never go out of her way brutalize Emily, but he wasn't certain if she knew that her actions would still hurt her like they did.

But at hearing that he and Bonnie were double teaming, Clyde opened his mouth to say something but was quiet. He had let Bonnie and Jocelyn fight until his sister was in trouble, he didn't let her fight her own battle. Maybe that was why she wanted him away during her match with Jocelyn.

"...I don't normally jump in like that but... Damn! I hate sittin back and watchin'! I see Bonnie fight Allison or Jocelyn and get in a tough spot, like, damn. I gotta do somethin'! I've dealt with Gatt's people before, that was bad but those two are the worst." Clyde muttered into the phone, starting to calm down now, eased by Taylor's softer tone, sensing a genuine care from her desire to not see him and Bonnie become assholes.

"I think my sister needs to hear this too. I know ya said you don't know her but...  I get more worried about her going nuts than ma'self. And Allison got her stressin." He stated. "But I guess I'm just gon' have ta' learn ta not jump in? I dunno man. I've heard its my fault this mess started 'cause I jumped in ta' try and save Bonnie when Allison was stranglin' her in their match. But I can't help it!"

"I mean... I'm gonna help Bonnie. She's gon' help me. But we're not gonna do what they did ta' us. Ya know?" At least he hoped not. He always pictured using a double team finisher on Allison, the crowd cheered and then they'd go home. That was the plan. Why wouldn't it go that way?

"Dude, I didn't mean about that match," Taylor said. "That bitch was way over the line, I would've shut her the fuck down. Well... Maybe. It's so hard. It's sooooo hard, like with Akashi's matches, or... Cassie. To know how to let them fight their own fights, even if they get hurt. I hate it."

Even just thinking about Cassie during her Dark Angel problem immediately got Taylor choked up. She cleared her throat and tried to continue like she was fine.

"This'll probably sound crazy to you, but I think I kinda like Jocelyn. I think she looks awesome with her hair and the tattoos, and she's totally intense. She does bad stuff, though, but... I dunno, man, just be really careful about giving people what they deserve, because I sure as shit hope I never get what I deserve. Like, what if I had done something like what Jocelyn did, back in New York, and you didn't know about it? Would that change everything?"

"Oh." Clyde muttered as Taylor corrected him, making him feel really good that Taylor didn't stand for Allison's actions either. At least somewhat. He was glad she understood him at least.

Although Clyde made a face when he heard Taylor express her liking of Jocelyn. He saw no appeal in that woman. But when Taylor told him to be careful about giving people what they deserve, he got quiet and listened to what the friction star had to say, her point of view making his eyes widen a bit.

"Man..." He said. "I... Uh... I dunno." He just couldn't fathom Taylor handcuffing him while she and Akashi double teamed Bonnie. "...I don't think so. I kinda see you as you are now, ya know? Like if ya did bad shit I guess it don't matter, if you've changed yer'self and... uh, left that behind." It was new territory for him to think this way. He always knew people weren't just black and white, but it was easy to classify them as such. Taylor's example really made him think hard on it.

Now he really didn't want Bonnie to do something revenge crazy.

"Right! So what if Jocelyn did that, but you and Bonnie are still after her trying to kill her? I mean, we both know what that's like. I know what it's like to have coming to beat the shit out of you and you can't do anything about it. She's not backing down, which means she's a fighter, and I love that because it shows that she's taken a lot of shit in her life and she isn't content to just sit there and take it. Ya know? And that tall chick, Jocelyn just came out to protect her when you..."

She took a breath. "Sorry, I just mean that, like... You came after her with a chair, and if Jocelyn's her friend, then of course she'll come help. That doesn't mean anything she actually did was right. I'm not saying anything they did was okay, but... It's really complicated, I know. Smarter people could probably figure it out and stuff, but us dummies just have to keep it simple. Check your head, that's it."

"Guess we'd be the assholes." Clyde stated, though a bit curious in regards if Taylor thought he and Bonnie would have a ten minute stomping session on Jocelyn. Had they come off as that vengeful and aggressive?

"I let go of Bree jumpin' me when I heard she left King." He said.

Still, Clyde knew where Taylor was coming from... Even though it really hurt his head. "I just wanna fight." He said bluntly. "In the ring. One on one." He added. "I don't know if Allison is... Or was all that bad back in the day. She told me about her start in wrestling and how hard she had it, the things the other girl's would do to her. I ain't thought too much on it, but i guess it doesn't' seem to odd that she'd return the favor for bein' torn up back in the day. I know I feel like that when I think of... Work." He then sighed deeply, feeling much better now about everything.

"I'll check my head. And Bonnie's. 'Less you wanna do that? You might be better at tellin her this stuff than me. 'Course she don't really know ya at all."

"Yeah, man. Nobody's perfect, but everyone comes from somewhere." Taylor felt good for having got through that part of the conversation relatively unscathed. It was an accomplishment for them both.

"Oh, um..." She said hesitantly. "I... Well, she doesn't know me, and everything, and not for nothing but you probably didn't give me a glowing fuckin' recommendation, ya know? I dunno if she'd wanna talk to me or anything. I mean, I will, if you want, but like... I don't want to kick your sister's ass or anything." Then, suddenly, her tone brightened considerably. "Oh! Dude, I'm having a party after Avalanche for when I have the title, because that's totally gonna happen, no joke. Maybe she could swing by the house and hang out for a while and we could talk a little there? That might work a little better than just her and me getting into it."

"Y...Yeah..." Clyde didn't see himself as a saint at all. But he recalled a time where he happily cheated left and right. Now he just wanted Mercy back.

"Well... She remembers what ya did ta' her clothes. She didn't really care. Or... She don't no more at least. "But she ain't like me! She's more calmer." Clyde remarked. He didn't need to give her a recommendation after that funny bit, still Clyde didn't want his sister and Taylor fighting.

But hearing there was a party, Clyde's eyes perked up. "I'm sure, she'd like that." Clyde felt she needed it. "She's been under a ton of stress, I think a friendly lil' outin' would be good for her! She's normally always in good spirits. Ever since Allison she ain't been. I want her ta' be happy, I think you'd be best in helpin her. Lord knows I can't." Clyde stated.

"And good luck at Avalanche man, I mean... I know we ain't always been... Well, I know Im far from y'alls best friend and shit but I hope you win and thanks fer... Uh... " He didnt' know to word it. Thanks for caring? Thanks for thinking about us? thanks for...

"...Thanks fer callin."