The Promo-Conference. Charlotte Ravel' And Alaina Sanders. The Point Of No Return

After a long enough answer, Charlotte could afford to rest a little. But she continued to listen to Alaina, because she also received a very interesting question. The girl took a bottle of water, which was carefully placed on her half of the table, and took a few sips. Alaina's words contained a lot of things that were associated with the Frenchwoman too. Of course, you could find some differences, but the general meaning was almost the same. Perhaps that is why the pink-haired girl felt great sympathy for her rival. They were very different in many ways, but they were also very similar in many ways.

Charlotte was as calm as a boa constrictor. But then she heard another question from a journalist and it was as if she was electrocuted. Okay, she was not shocked, but now she was quite puzzled. And, of course, listening to Alaina's answer, things only got worse. Unlike the Frenchwoman, the Amazon could afford to think about the answer, as she went through countless matches. But, unfortunately, Charlotte could not boast of the same. So now she was in a very awkward situation. However, they were already waiting for her answer.

“Well… if we're talking about a career in AFW, the first and last time I lost was our first match with Alaina,” said Charlotte, “but I think I should be honest with you. I'm sure no one likes to lose, especially we, the fighters. However, it is no secret that many view victories and defeats differently. For example, a newcomer had a chance to fight a champion. And this newcomer lost, but he showed a good match. It's not a shameful loss, is it? But I look at it a little differently. It doesn't matter to me who I go up against in the ring. Against a newcomer, against a fighter like me, or even against a champion. I believe that defeat is unacceptable. My defeat just means that I didn't put in enough effort to win. I could train more, I could be more focused, I could show more willpower. But it turns out that I didn't. I always set high standards for myself and try my best to live up to them. I believe that this is the only way I can remain a person who is constantly striving for self-development."

Perhaps her long answers have already begun to annoy the journalists a little, because they had to record a lot. However, as she said, Charlotte was going to be as honest as possible and she didn't want to be misunderstood. Therefore, she had to explain her point of view. The pink-haired girl smiled and pointed to the young girl, who raised her hand a little uncertainly, trying to earn the right to ask a question.

“Don't be shy, dear, we're listening to your question,” Charlotte said.
"Do you both have a dream match?" smiling shyly, the girl asked.
“I like that question,” answered Charlotte and thought a little, because AFW had a huge number of talented and bright people with whom she would like to meet, “well, I would say that I want the most hype and tough match with Alaina, to close the issue of our rivalry once and for all, but I think this is not a dream match, but something inevitable,” she said with a smile, glancing briefly at her rival, she was sure that the Avalanche would not be their last match, no matter how it will end, “so now I will say that I would like to meet in the ring Akiha Kosha in a Tables Match. Why with Akiha? Because I know she is a very skilled and variable fighter, despite her tendency to cheat, which I discourage. Why in a Tables Match? Because I have never done this before and I am always interested in trying my hand at something new. I think that such a match would be a good challenge for me, so I will call it my dream match at the moment.”
"With a belt at stake or not?" the girl added timidly.
"With mine or her?" Charlotte laughed slightly. “If there was a belt at stake, it would be more than a dream match, but I definitely won't mind such a high bet. Thank you for the question."

Another question made Charlotte slightly raise her left eyebrow. This was the second question, which corresponded more to Alaina, and not to her. And it seems that this time not only the Frenchwoman was taken aback. The girl glanced at her friend after her short answer. It seems that this time the journalist hit a sore spot. Charlotte was indeed younger and therefore it would be a lie to say that she fully understands that over time you can no longer do what you did before. When you are young, it seems to you that your whole life is still ahead and that you can do everything. But the truth was that even Charlotte understood that age takes its toll sooner or later.

“I'm not a visionary and I can't tell what will happen next,” she said, “I truly love martial arts and pro-wrestling was a new step for me. I'm sure I haven't reached my full potential yet. And now that I can see that you enjoy watching my successes and failures, I will put in much more effort to move forward. Someday I will have to stop, I know that, no one can avoid it. But for now, I feel that I am exactly where I should be. In the ring."

The pink-haired girl glanced at her watch. After such a question it will sound very ironic, but now their time was really coming to an end. They only have a few minutes to answer no more than two or a maximum of three questions. So Charlotte wasted no time and pointed to another fan who was eager to ask a question.

“Since you said that the questions could be personal…” it seems the guy decided to smooth things over a bit before asking the question, “are any of you in a relationship now?”

But just a few moments ago, Charlotte thought that it wouldn’t be worse. She seemed to be hit on the head with a hammer, and she blinked several times. If before that she looked at Alaina purposefully several times, now she looked at the American woman completely involuntarily.

"No," she said, for the first time not wanting to go into details, "I'm alone."

She began to feel strange. With each new word Alaina spoke, the Frenchwoman became more and more immersed in her own thoughts. The sounds around her began to fade and she felt dizzy. The girl put her right palm on her forehead, closing her eyes along with this. She persistently tried to remember the lessons she had received at the monastery. She needed to get her emotions under control. But instead of peace of mind, she only felt endless emptiness and... envy.

She had been free of this feeling for a long time, but now Charlotte could taste it. The bitter taste of my own helplessness. Hearing how happy Alaina is in her relationship, the Frenchwoman could not help herself. She really felt an inexplicable sympathy for Alaina. Yes, of course, she didn't tell her about it. And, of course, Alaina did not notice anything during the time that they spent together. But how could she say this, knowing that the American girl is already in a relationship and she is happy? This corrosive feeling of envy filled her heart...

"Just accept the truth..." a venomous voice sounded in her head.

A shiver ran down Charlotte's spine. No, not now. Please, not now. Not in front of the eyes of journalists and fans. The girl tried to normalize her breathing by suppressing the annoying voice in her head. No no, she shouldn't lose control now, she took too long to regain her balance. The pink-haired girl held her breath, trying to get rid of all the thoughts in her head.

"Charlotte?" asked the journalist, but received no response. “Miss Ravel? Miss Ravel?! ”

Charlotte shuddered and removed her hand from her forehead, it turns out that everyone had been waiting for an answer to a new question for a long time. There was something about who will be stronger after the result of the upcoming match. The girl blinked several times and cleared her throat. Her heart was beating with great speed, and a large drop of sweat rolled down from her forehead.

“Sorry, I was a little distracted,” she tried to keep her voice in check, “yes, I agree with everything Alaina said,” although in reality her mind was only able to recall fragments of the American woman's answer, “as I said before, I I am sure that someday we will put an end to our rivalry in order to find out which of us is stronger, but it seems to me that this match will not be this point, although, of course, it will be a great victory for the one whose hand will be raised at the end."

The girl leaned back in her chair, while the journalists wrote down the answer, she was trying to imperceptibly feel her pulse. Although she knew without it that she was close to a panic attack. No, not now. Wiping the sweat from her brow, Charlotte approached the microphone again. It was necessary to end all this, despite the fact that more than anything in the world she wanted to run away from here.

“Well, thank you very much for the questions,” she said, “I understand that everyone would like to know more and ask more questions, but time is always against us. Thank you very much for your interest and for coming here today. We are waiting for you all at the Avalanche, rest assured, an unforgettable match awaits you. Now we can move on to a small autograph and photo sessions for everyone. Thanks and see you again."

The girl sighed with slight relief when Alaina said goodbye to the guests. Journalists and fans gave the girls applause and slowly began to leave, although the Frenchwoman was sure that soon they would see each other again for photos and autographs. But for now, she leaned back in her chair, eyes closed. Even though the attack had passed, she still did not feel well. She needed to do something about it, she knew that if you won't let it go, things would only get worse. But what exactly was she supposed to do? The answer seemed obvious, but Charlotte didn't want to accept that answer.

The voice of Alaina, who approached her, brought the girl out of her thoughts. Charlotte looked up and looked into the eyes of the American woman. Usually she could control her facial expressions, but now there was unconcealed sadness in the eyes of the pink-haired girl. She sighed heavily and rose to her feet.

Was she right now to say everything that was in her soul? Would it make any difference? Yes, it is possible. However, she was sure that these changes would only be for the worse. Alaina suspected nothing and Charlotte didn't want anything to change in her friend's life. If the words she would like to say make the American woman even a little unhappy, then it would be wrong. She had a man and she was happy. This is how it should be with any normal person. And Charlotte had no right to disturb the happiness of her friend and rival. The girl tried to smile and put her hand on Alaina's shoulder.

“It really doesn't matter,” she said, “you are a good person, Alaina, I hope you will always be happy.”

Taking her hand off Alaina's shoulder, Charlotte walked out of the conference room. It would be a lie to say that now she felt free. But the stone that lay on her heart became a little lighter. She never knew sincere love and it was difficult for her to look at a person, not having the courage to even say about her sympathy. Or was the courage in the fact that she made the decision to keep her mouth shut? Charlotte had no answers to these questions.

The only thing she knew was that she shouldn't regret keeping her friend's life stable. Now autographs and photographs were waiting for her. And then the match was waiting for her. The most important match in her life at the moment. And this thought only strengthened her confidence that keeping a secret in the depths of her soul is far from the greatest evil. As her master in the monastery said, sometimes the pain of one can be the price of the pain of two. Well, it looks like she really has to pay that price.