Fun in the Sun

Valley was still processing, trying to put everything together, doing everything she could to wrap her head around what was being told to her. She didn’t like the idea of management using her as a tool to push their agenda, hated the idea of being a tool to push a wrestler out, but…

”That sucks, but yeah - if it’s his time, it’s his time.” She sighed as a warm wind blew in from the ocean, making their blond hairs flit about. ”He seemed like a nice guy, smart, athletic. He shouldn’t have trouble finding work back in the States, and maybe it was best this happened with me, right? Some of the Tension girls can be serious maneaters, would’ve done a lot worse to him than I would’ve.”

Alaina shook her head and looked at Valley with an eyebrow raised. "If only you knew the life he went back to. He deserved better than to be a stepping stone. I know you didn't mean for that to happen but... shit." Alaina said, still at a loss for words as she looked over at Valley. She wasn't sure how to convey how she felt. The ice stare and her folding her knees to her chest as she sat, gripping her hands together tightly, her muscles tensing showed precisely how she felt by way of her body language.

"I know some women are nasty, but nothing in the ring can be as bad as feeling forced to leave it behind."

They were doing okay, right up until that last bit there at the end.

Valley’s brows furrowed as she came to the realization of what Alaina was saying, what she was accusing her of doing, whether she meant to or not. She didn’t want to overreact - she knew the Amazon was sweet, kind, probably the nicest person to ever grace the Friction halls. But when she was wrong, she was wrong, and she was dead wrong, here.

”Alaina,” She sat up,propped on her elbows. ”No one forced Charlie out of the AFW, he left. We didn’t have a loser leaves town match or anything - he lost, and made an adult decision. If he’s not feeling wrestling anymore, that’s all there is to it. Better he quit than keep on doing something that isn’t fulfilling him.”

Alaina rolled her eyes. She must have done a horrible job explaining herself or something. "Your body never gave out on you. Was a lot of it his own doing? Yes. I know you have seen people come and go and have sent more people packing than I can count." Alaina said knowing full well that Valley was like amazonian kryptonite. "I know you have accomplished more than I probably ever will at the rate I am going, but you are mixing up wanting to do something with not being able to do something. I can only hope you never have to feel the way I do about someone jumping ship." Alaina said, her arms flexed as she held one hand in the other with a death grip, her knees still folded to her chest as her feet tapped on the towel.

Valley was quick to shake her head at that. ”I never sent anyone ‘packing’, Alaina. I do my matches, sometimes I win, sometimes I lose. If people can’t handle that, it’s on them. We all have to make our own decisions and live with them in this business.”

Valley sat up all the way now, crossing her legs so she could look Alaina head on. ”I was in the ring with Charlie. He was able. He just didn’t have the will anymore. He realized that and went home. Simple as that.”

Alaina's voice was now louder, and sounded like it had a slight edge to it. "Will?! You talk like you know exactly what he is thinking. Do you eve really know or give a damn!?" Alaina said, sitting upright and then standing to her feet, looking a bit angry as well as confused. She wasn't sure why these feelings were bubbling up. Surely Val never tried to ruin the guy, she just did her job better than Charlie did.

It was the presumptions. Acting like she knew his mindset. Acting like it was all right to have removed the only constant Alaina had since coming to Japan roughly four years ago... more constant than any guy in her life save for her dad.

Valley sighed the moment she heard Alaina’s voice shift, sensing the tone and knowing what would be coming out of her mouth next. It wasn’t pretty, but there was no getting around it.

”I’m not the only one presuming to know what he’s thinking, here.” She folded his arms. ”You talk about Charlie like he’s a child, like he’s not man enough to make his own decisions. You’re his friend, not his mother, not even his girlfriend - if he feels like it’s time to move on, you should learn to respect that, not sit around and mope.”

Valley's words stung like barbed wire. Was she a mope? A little yes. Was she his girlfriend? No. A small bit of Alaina may have seen Charlie as the guy she was looking for all along right there underneath her nose and now he was gone.

"Maybe. Maybe you are right. Maybe just maybe I know what I am missing and appreciate him for who he is. Maybe that's why watching him go hurts so fuckin' bad." Alaina said as she paced a bit, her hands up on top of her head as she paced around. Alaina had more she wanted to say. She just wasn't sure she should say it.

To hell with it, her filter was a bit broken today. "I have never rooted for someone so damn hard, for him to do what I wasn't able to do when it counted most."

Had Valley ever heard Alaina curse before? She couldn’t recall off the top of her head, but she felt that was a good reason to think she hadn’t heard it before. It sounded weird coming from the mouth of someone who was so sweet and caring and kind, as if her lips weren’t built to properly say them, so she would’ve remembered it happening before.

That wasn’t what caught her interest the most out of what Alaina said, though. No, what got her gears turning the most was the little add-on near the end.

”What’s that supposed to mean?” Her head tilted to the side. ”Don’t tell me you’re still hung up on not being able to beat me?”

Alaina laughed a bit. "you beat me in my second match, and took the title from me clean. Nothing I can say or do about that. IS it wrong for me to hope my friend can succeed where I failed? Also, didn't we train a few times with me coming out on top? You are good, hell you are great. But you aren't invincible against me." Alaina said, pacing again with her hands on her hips as she looked at Valley.

"I think the thing that stung the most was still all the old talk that I had shots at the Entropy title that I didn't deserve. Ace was way more outspoken about it than you were in that interview but I know you felt the same way deep down."