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For Jake Starr, talking with his lawyer had become a time which would bring stress, worry, and more concern. For so long, Jake and Roeper knew nothing. Even when they found out Alice and Ron were behind all of the difficulties in their lives, it still was a scary time.
But then everything changed just a few days ago, when Jake's lawyer informed Jake that the CPS offices had dropped their case, and Ron was forced to go at it alone. It was a moment that brought Jake and Roeper a major sigh of relief. For once, they felt completely in control. They knew that if mediation would happen, it would be because they conceded to do so, and not because they were forced, which is why Jake's lawyer agreed to the rendezvous. It was with that agreement that Jake's lawyer that he gave Jake a word of wisdom, and informed Jake that bringing his parents up to act as a support system for he, Roeper, and especially Mara. They all know that, while Mara may not totally comprehend what is going on around her, she'll be able to understand, and react to the emotions of her parents. Everyone knows that having someone around her constantly without the sense of stress, might be able to help keep her as oblivious to things as possible. The day after they were delivered the news about CPS and Ron, Roeper and Jake received yet another phone call from their lawyer. This time it was to inform them that Ron was pushing hard for a formal date to be set, and the mediation to begin. Ron believes that he is far more prepared than Jake and Roeper could ever be, and wants to capitalize on the situation while he can. He truly believes he can win this, and prove himself right, much like he's done to people in the past. But for Jake, Roeper, and their lawyer, they know better. When Jake find out about Ron's pushing for a quicker "date" than they were originally expecting, he was quick to react himself. He made a call to his father, and simply told them that they needed to make haste, and get to Des Moines. It was a call that was relatively similar to the one he placed when he asked them to come swoop Mara and Roeper away, down to Texas, to get them away from the surveillance. This time, he was sure to let them know that this wasn't just for a quick up and back, but more for an elongated stay. Hearing the call for their presence, Jeff and Denise called the local airport, and were able to charter a private flight up to Des Moines. And after a quick tossing of clothes in a bag, they made their way to the hanger, and headed north to Des Moines. At the Des Moines Airport, Jake and Roeper stand by the private hanger to which they'll be pulling in upon their arrival. Roeper holds Mara, and they all look out over the airfield, looking for the plane to make its approach in. Jake looks over at his wife, and inquires... Jake Starr: So... What do you think my parents will think about being brought up here again, on such short notice? Roeper Hart: They probably figure something bad happened. They probably figure you're going to be sending me and Mara back with them again. Jake Starr: Probably... But that will all be changing when they see us both standing here waiting on them. Roeper Hart: Ha ha, yeah, you're right, there. They'll probably think something is catastrophic then. Jake Starr: Nah, I disagree. My parents aren't uber paranoid. At least they didn't seem that way. They'll probably take it as a sign of normalcy. At least, I hope they will. Roeper Hart: I just hope that sense of normalcy returns to our lives sometime in the near future. Jake Starr: I fully agree! As they chat, they see the private jet on approach to the airfield. As it makes it's landing at the airport, both look at one another and smile. The thought of seeing Jake's parents gives them each a comforting feeling in their guts, since both have constantly taken care of them, especially in times of need, and also in times that revolve around Mara.
They watch the plane taxi through all of the taxiways and runways, and ultimately watch it come in the direction of their hanger. The member of the ground crew begins to guide the plane directly at them, as they stand directly next to where the stairway will be lowered. Pulling close toward the hanger, the plane is guided to its final resting spot by the ground crew. As the plane stops, the crew members all begin making their final ground checks. As they're all completed one of the members of the ground crew pounds on the side of the side of the hull, which signals the flight crew that they can open the doors and lower the stairs. The stairs are immediately lowered, and as they touch the ground of the tarmac, Jake sees a head pop out from inside the cabin, that of his mother. Denise Starr: JAKE! ROEPER! MY DEAR MARA! She quickly begins to make her way down the stairs, and is quickly followed by Jake's father.
Jeff Starr: Hey guys! Jeff waves, looking almost like an olde tyme person waving hello or goodbye off of a plane many years ago. It's this greeting that puts a smile on Roeper's face, and she whispers to her little girl.
Roeper Hart: Look baby, there's Grandma and Grandpa! Denise is first to reach her son and his family, and she immediately embraces and kisses each one of them.
Denise Starr: Oh it's so wonderful to see you all again, and actually hang out, since I really only got to spend time with Roeper and Mara the last time... She then looks directly at Roeper.
Denise Starr: ... How is she doing? Roeper Hart: She's doing good! It's so good to see you too! Denise Starr: Aww... I always love seeing my perfect little granddaughter! Roeper quickly realizes that Denise wants to hold Mara, and quickly passes her off, and follows behind, as Denise begins to walk toward the hanger to regroup. As they depart, Jake hangs back and waits for his father, who was standing behind waiting for their bags to be unloaded off of the aircraft. Jake knows his father is out of the loop on things that have gone on since they last spoke, regarding the case.
As Jeff approaches Jake, he immediately sets the bags down, and embraces his son with a big hug. Jeff knows for sure that his son has been under a lot of stress lately, and hope that with him being there, things may be able to be lifted off of his shoulders. After letting go of his son, Jeff looks at his son with a very loving look. Jeff Starr: It's great to see you again, son. Jake Starr: Great to see you too, Dad. I'm really glad you were able to come up on such short notice. Jeff Starr: I'm just glad that you are letting us stay longer than 15 minutes this time. Jake chuckles, and pats his father on the back.
Jake Starr: Yeah... I'm glad you're here! The pair begin to walk in the direction of their wives. After several paces, Jeff stops, and touches his son on the shoulder. It's a feeling that Jake feels, along with a tug, that forces him to turn in toward his father, and face him.
Jeff looks his son in the eyes with a look that only a father can give to a son. Jeff Starr: You ok, son? I mean... Are you really ok? I haven't gotten a chance to really talk to you about everything that has gone on. Your mom and I have been worried sick about you, son. We love Roeper, and Mara is perfect, but you're our son. I just wanted to make sure YOU were really ok. Jake looks down and sighs.
Jake Starr: You know, for a while I was honestly wondering if ANYTHING would ever be ok. It took a hell of a toll on me. For a while, I honestly got to the point where I was completely fearful of going home. Being out on the road, getting away from Roeper, Mara, and the crap that was going on, was almost therapeutic for me... Hell I looked forward to getting away. Jeff begins to nod.
Jeff Starr: Yeah... That's kind of what I figured the case was. Jake Starr: Why is that? Jeff Starr: Well, when I got wind that you were officially going back to the OWF, I figured it was because you were trying to get your mind off of things. I figured it was a way for you to get away. I once did the same thing when I was competing. Jake Starr: Yeah... It was beginning to scare me, honestly. The thought of work being better than home life worried me... Like a lot! I always wanted that life where I would be able to come home and tell my wife and kid about the good things and the bad things. Instead, coming home was painful. Coming home kept putting a continual hurt on me. Getting away from it was the best thing I had going for a while. Jeff Starr: I've been there, son! Jake begins to smile.
Jake Starr: But that all seemed to end a couple days ago, though... Jeff is taken aback, and curious as to what happened.
Jeff Starr: What happened? What changed? Jake Starr: Well... Our lawyer called us into his office, saying he had some big news for us. It turns out that, for one, Alice pulled her name off of the suit, for two, Child Protective Services dropped any and all investigation they had planned. Jeff is completely stunned.
Jeff Starr: I would have NEVER expected Alice to finally stand up to Ron, or more importantly, pull completely out of the case. I am even more shocked that CPS backed off. Ron pressing on is expected... He's stubborn like that. So... What now? Jake Starr: Well, that's why I asked you guys to come up here, and pack for a longer stay than the last time. Ron has called for mediation. He's basically out there trying to build a case to get his full day in the limelight. Our lawyer wanted you and Mom to be here to shield Mara from this clusterfuck... Hell the number of trustworthy people our there are limited, and you guys are the ONLY ones I felt that Mara would be safe with. Jeff Starr: Well son... I'm glad to be here. We're glad to be here! Mara is going to be perfectly safe with us, and we'll stay as long as necessary. I can promise you that. Jake Starr: That's good! Things are finally beginning to look up for us. I mean, it's looked more and more better as the days have progressed, and truthfully, I hope it continues. Jeff pats his son on the back once again, and the duo turn and follow the paths of their wives again.
With Jake's parents back in town, he hopes that things continue to look up. He can now begin to prepare to have his parents watch Mara, while they get ready to face off with Ron, his evidence, and whatever else he decides to bring to this mediation hearing. At the same time, Jake knows that with his parents in town, and Roeper in good hands Jake can now prepare for Ammo, and ultimately Rise to Greatness. It will mark his first title shot in over a year, and he wants to limit how many extra "distractions" are in his life. Jake Starr: You know, I've said it many, many, times in my life, but sometimes things happen that you don't expect. For me, it's been a non-stop roller coaster of ups, downs, lefts, rights, twists, turns, blacks, whites, yins, yangs, and the occasional Yao! Life has been a clusterfuck! Like... A real crazy one, too! One of Biblical proportions, it seems. And you know what the funny thing is? I really know about the ifs and whens for when it all started for me too. It was almost as if it foreshadowed my injury. It was leading up to the big match between David and I. Hell... Both of them... Things for me began to really start to encounter some turbulence. Friendships were strained, my juju began to vanish, and everything started to fall at once. It was a towering house of cards that someone decided to blow on, and just enjoy the tumultuous fall that ensued. That was the beginning of my downward spiral. It wasn't something I expected. I had battled back from losing the World Championship, and I had proved that I wasn't a flash in the pan. I had gone out there, and I defeated Greg and Tommy, after the three of us watched Lucas abdicate the throne. I had really felt like things were going good again. When I lost the title, it stung, and when I couldn't come back and win it back, yeah hurt again. BUT... I mentally told myself I would battle back... And better yet... Apparently it was in a language I didn't quite speak, because I then ran out and quickly lost the Tag Team Titles as well, and subsequently went down with an injury. So, I should have realized that things weren't going to be getting back to normal anytime soon. But instead, after I healed, I thought I'd be able to jump right back into things. I came up with this sneaky plan to covertly fly back in under the radar, and the pounce. I did that OK, but then I decided that having a career that could be best described as mediocre, was what I would do. I would win some, lose some, and just kind of flutter around, not doing anything of substance. It really got to the point when I truly believed I was going to be relegated to the mid-tier level, and understand that while I was injured, this business finally passed me by. Then my personal life decided to join the melee, and I was threatened. I was told that someone was out there, trying to rip my daughter from my hands. There was ONE MAN who felt it was his right and his duty to go out there, and try and break my family apart. This man went out there and he did everything he could to hurt me, upset me, and drive me to the point when Child Protective Services would have no choice but to seize my child from me. For some reason he felt it was HIS JOB to tell ME what to do, and how to do it. He tried to tell me he knew how to be a better man, better than me. He tried to tell me that I would never amount to what he is and he was, but would always be something of a lesser human being. Jake's anger begins to boil over more, and his voice raises.
He told me he was a better man than me! He fucking did it ALL to me! Jake's breathing and heart rate begin to increase. It's an emotional reaction Jake realizes he has to quickly get in control of. He knows that Ron watches his every move, his every promo, his every waking moment he can get an eye on, and knows that he should show that he's not the person that Ron has made him out to be.
... Jake... Relax... See... That's what he's done to me, in my personal life. That's the road he's sent me and my family down. He wanted to drive a wedge in there so deep that either I'd be forced to choose between my family and my passion. If I didn't, he'd ensure I faced hell. He'd ensure that I didn't have a happy night for the rest of my life. But as my roller coaster ride sent me into a free fall, and subsequently into a loop, the calming feeling of it seemingly coming to an end, and getting back to where it should be, seems to be faintly in the distance. The world that has been thrown into chaos, seems to finally be settling down. You see, that man, that person who has tried to do everything to break me is beginning to realize his attempts have failed. He's realizing that I will always be who I am, and more importantly he's realizing that he cannot destroy a Social Misfit's drive. He cannot bring a Social Misfit down, no matter how he tries, and no matter how much "power" he thinks he wields, it never is enough. You have to understand that I am, who I am, everyday and every waking moment of my life. I don't put on this facade, and act different while the cameras are on, and then run home, acting NOTHING like I did before. I don't go around pretending to be something I'm not, ever. I am genuine... I am a Social Misfit day-in and day-out! That's something I had to realize. That's something I had to remember about myself. See, I went out for a period of time, thinking that being a Social Misfit was simply a thing of the past. I thought that being that edgy guy, that mischievous player, the guy who makes sure people understand that I'm here for a reason, I will not back down from it, might have been a little "played out." I thought maybe it was time to move on. I thought maybe that was just me being a child back in the day, and it was time to grow up a bit. I really thought that maybe I wasn't quite adult that I should be, and the role model I needed to be for my daughter. But again... I was mistaken... This turned out to be the move that did me in. But it was also the move that woke me up to what needed to happen. It was the move that put me back on the path that I needed to be on, and since then, things have FINALLY begun to look promising. Everyday, more and more, things continue to get better. Everyday I wake up and one of the bad things seems to go away. Everyday the sun shines just that much brighter. But it's not something I'm becoming complacent on. It's not something I'm going to sit back and accept as the "sunlight" I've been looking for, because quite frankly, the job isn't complete. It's not just about getting a few little victories in life, and everything goes back to being gum drops and candy canes, it's a progression. It's something that doesn't just end until it truly is all over. But until the day I die, there will be one constant to this battle. I'm going to be the same fucking Social Misfit I've always been. Jake holds up one finger in the air. He scrunches his face together, and then continues.
Buuuuuuut everyone else isn't necessarily the same as me. Not everyone deals with the roller coaster like I do. There are others who decide to approach things far differently, and in doing so, really show how little of a human being they are. There are many out there who would prefer to have a "gimmick" and run it for as long as it seems interesting, and then POOF! They then change said gimmick, and reinvent themselves... COUGH... Jason Zero... COUGH... Christy Matthews... COUGH... These are the people who I strive to never be like. These are the people who are polar opposites of what a Social Misfit embodies, because they're willing to change. They'll be the crowd favorite until the crowd forgets they exist, or they get bored, and then they change to being the "bad guy!" The same thing goes for people who are bad for a while, and their "evil ways" become so repetitive they decide to get themselves attention by quickly making the turn to saving the day, and being the hero. They all do it for a reason, and it's to make themselves get back on the radar of the "powers that be" or those who might be able to give them a push. Guess what, folks! Blake Mason is the same way! Hell, he even said so himself, in a roundabout way. See, he knew nobody was giving a DAMN about him, or what he was doing around SCW. The fact is, he was hoping to get far along in the Tag Team Tournament, and hopefully, just maybe, ride the Thirteen bandwagon all the way to finally achieving a championship status in SCW. When I went out there, and I kind of put a quick kibosh on that, he decided to try and make it seem like it was all part of this grand scheme, as he's the guy who's been tormenting Greg Cherry. He's the guy trying to air dirty laundry all over SCW, when we all know that some people have refused to ever let a camera anywhere near them outside of an arena. He went from a title contender HOPEFUL to a puppet master, all in the span of a couple weeks. Jake's hands slap his cheeks, and he makes a face similar to that of Macauley Culkin, in "Home Alone." After a couple of beats, Jake lowers his hands, and the shocked expression is quickly followed by a rolling of the eyes.
Yeah, I'm REAL stunned there. Blake Mason, the guy who would be this devious puppet master, was simply biding time until he could STUN THE WORLD... But yet, he admits it was simply all for attention. It wasn't because he went out there and commanded attention, he simply had to go out there, levy some big scheme against Greg, and force himself to be noticed. He's the ugly girl in school, who realizes nobody will ever date frump girl, and instead of transforming into the inner beauty she may be, she dresses like a ho the next day, sleeps with everyone she can, and cries about it at night because she feels guilty for what she did. That's who Blake Mason is, everyone. He's simply someone who is desperate to get his way. He's DESPERATE to get his day in ONE RAY of anyone elses limelight that he may be able to sneak in behind. That's the kind of person who truly irritates the living hell out of me. He's someone who is fake. He knows he can't go out there and get attention and respect on his own, and he has to resort to taking desperate road. Then, after all of that, after admitting where he did what he did for attention purposes, he then says he has some right to complain about not being a champion? He's wanting the world to believe he's been persecuted by upper management because he was never able to shine? Jake walks right up to the camera, and grabs it on each side, with his face so close to the lens his breath is visible.
Blake nobody knows who you are, so nobody can hold you down! Jake then backs away from the camera, shaking his head.
Bud, you really need to understand that you can chronicle everything you've done in life, and it means nothing. It doesn't start to mean something until you can STOP chronicling it, and others begin doing it for you. When others begin to know EXACTLY what you've done, then people start to take notice. Otherwise you just are another hen in a house, laying eggs that all look like the rest. Me, I went out and I set myself apart. I made management have to look at me, and they had to say, "you know, this guy has something special!" I didn't wait for them to do it, I MADE them. I tried to wait here recently, and I turned into, SHOCKING, someone just like you. I was forced to ask for things, restate what I had done in the past, and try and BEG for a shot. When I pulled my head out of my ass, I realized that, one, I really should stop eating so much sushi, and two, waiting gets me nowhere! That's a lesson you're going to have to learn too, sweet-cheeks! And trust me when I say, it's not easy... Once I started making sure people listened to me, I began to get what I deserved. Day one, I earned my Adrenaline Title shot, and you graciously agree. After that, Exeter and I thrilled audiences and crowds so much, they put us in THREE MATCHES together. I don't know how you DON'T earn three consecutive title shots, but apparently you can, and I did, so yay me! More importantly, if memory serves me right, I've never vied for the United States Championship, and when I do, and I will, I will become one of the few to achieve true supremacy here. That is for another day, however... The fact of the matter, Mason, is this... You have decided that now is your big opportunity to get something done with your career, after all of this time. I mean, you've been around, how long now, and you've really never made it? What's special about now? What's the meaning of now? Why would you try and piss off three World Champions by running your mouth, ESPECIALLY when two of those World Champions happened to have been the Tag Team Champions together? Why will today be the day? Fact is, it won't. You're desperation has lead you down a path of stupidity. You're simply out to do whatever it takes to DESPERATELY get your name in the papers, and get some airtime. Well, congrats, kid. You're getting airtime against me. You're going to have your chance to go out there, and show the world that this time, Blake Mason isn't just some scrub. Or, you're going to go out there and show the world that you can play mind games, and you can apparently play them well enough to get inside Greg's head... Which is quite the accomplishment, since usually he's thinking about food 24/7! After that, they'll see the mind games are all you have. They'll see that once you take those away, you're not much. You're simply another guy, with bigger eyes than talent. Those are your options! I'm coming in looking to continue to push forward, and push my way to the top. More so, you kind of did dog a pseudo-friend of mine, and I don't really appreciate that. Face it, Blake... You are simply another person who will be trying to put another kink in my ride, that is getting smoother and smoother. I haven't seen Margo Channing anywhere, so I don't anticipate this ride continuing to get smoother and smoother. Trust me, at Ammo, your little hope for days of glory will come crashing down. Then... Once Rise to Greatness rolls around, you'll be seeing more bad news. I'll be the Adrenaline Champion, set for another dominant run, and Greg will emulate his idol E. Honda and flatten yo' ass! As the scene fades out, Jake flails his arms in the air, obviously emulating that of E. Honda, from the legendary video game, Street Fighter.
Fin |
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