rock 'n' roll or rock-and-roll
n.
A form of popular music arising from and incorporating a variety of musical styles, especially rhythm and blues, country music, and gospel. Originating in the United States in the 1950s, it is characterized by electronically amplified instrumentation, a heavily accented beat, and relatively simple phrase structure



They say that music is what feelings sound like, music expresses the inner most thoughts and feelings that you may never be able to say directly. I guess that could be why for years I cocooned myself in Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and the rolling stones, sitting back and listening to their music let me filter out emotion that would have otherwise always stayed on the inside. I’ve never been one to be emotional and I guess they’re right when they say that holding things in can damage your character. Music was my escape it helped me keep up the façade of the heartless emotionless cold bitch. I didn’t need a man to know I felt emotion, I didn’t need a chick flick and a box of Kleenex to know I could cry. I just needed Robert Plant, a roll up and a bottle of gin to make myself feel human again.



Scene 1


The room was dull lit, a kind of musky grey lined with pictures of rock legends and rock superstars. A crowd of smoke rose up slowly filling the room with the thick scent of nicotine mixed with alcohol while Led Zeppelin’s Kashmir played melodically in the background. Around the room sat numerous large heavily tattooed men and bottles of alcohol, some empty, some half full. One man stood tall at the side of the room, clad in an Iron Maiden t-shirt, a pool queue in hand, his long dirty blonde hair falling effortlessly in front of his rugged face as he tapped his foot to the music and watched his opponent take his shot and pot yet another ball. At the far end of the room, through the smoke was an off color red curtain that hung from a rail over head. A buzzing sound was audible from behind the curtain; getting louder and more distinct the closer you got to the curtain.

Kendell Smith: “What the hell is taking so long?”

Behind the curtain Kendell stood still, her hands on a counter slightly bent over as she looked over her shoulder. Her top was pulled up slightly revealing her bare lower back. A large muscular man, covered in tattoos sat topless on the chair behind her, an ink needle in hand as he continued to tattoo something on her lower back. A cigarette dangled from his mouth as he worked his way around the lines. A large tattoo across the mans shoulders revealed that his name was Joe.

Joe: “Perfection is time Kendell. You of all people know that.”

Kendell sighed loudly before banging her fist of the counter and letting out a slight yelp of pain as the needle skimmed over her backbone. She bit her lip looking over her shoulder at Joe.

Kendell Smith: “Jesus Joe, what the hell are you doing?”

This wasn’t her first tattoo but she had never been a fan of needles and every time she went to get another tattoo the original fear was still there.

[COLOR=green]Joe: “Not long now, don’t start to cry on me.”

Joe began to laugh, his husky voice low and intimidating when he spoke. Ash from his cigarette fell from his lips onto his dirty black jeans. It wasn’t the most sanitary of places but Kendell trusted Joe to do a good job, she had known him many years now and she new how talented he was. Many a rock star had come to see Joe when they wanted something special done. He had put ink to people like Tommy Lee and Dave Navarro.

Kendell Smith: “I don’t cry.”

Joe: “Ha ha sorry Kenni I almost forgot who I was talking to, the stone cold woman herself.”

Kendell scoffed at his attempt at humour. She hadn’t cried since she was seventeen, she didn’t ever feel the need to. Tears where the sign that your soul was weak and her soul was far from weak. She was strong willed and strong emotioned.

And it makes me wonder

Robert Plants words echoed through the room as the old jukebox played some more Led Zeppelin, this time ‘Stair Way To Heaven’ was the poison of choice. The long guitar rifts where hypnotising almost sending Kendell into a daze and helping her forget the needle and the pain. It brought her back to her youth, Zeppelin had been the soundtrack to her teenage years, helping her through the tough times and celebrating the highs. Joe playfully slapped her on the ass and laughed.

Joe: “There we go my pretty, it’s all done.”

Kendell turned to look at the tattoo while Joe held up a dirty mirror for her to get a better view. He slipped the cigarette out from between his lips and coughed slightly.

Joe: “So why this?”

She continued to look at the tattoo in the mirror as she spoke.

Kendell Smith: “Symbolism…”

Joe: “A Phoenix bird right?”

Kendell Smith: “Yea... in Egyptian mythology the Phoenix lived in the desert for 500 years and then consumed itself by fire, later to rise renewed from its ashes. It stands for a person or thing of unsurpassed excellence or beauty, a paragon.”

Joe: “Didn’t realise you where such a deep person Kenni. Guess you learn a new thing every day.”

Joe took a bottle of whiskey and poured it over the tattoo to clean it before. Kendell flinched as the alcohol hit the raw flesh. Joe took a sip of the whiskey before passing the bottle to Kendell. Kendell fixed her shirt, taking the bottle from Joe and say herself on the counter, taking a long drink from the bottle to relax her nerves. Truth be told it wasn’t only the needles that had her nervous.

Joe: “And as we wind on down the road, our shadows taller than our souls!”

Joe sang at the top of his lungs doing air guitar, the cigarette still hanging from his lip. Kendell tapped her foot to the music continuing to drink the straight whiskey and feeling her muscle relax as she did. It was amazing what alcohol could do to the system.

Joe: “So tell me your going to bring the belt in when you win it on Monday, you know we all want to take a look at that shit. Bring home the reality that little Kenni grew up to be a wrestler.”

Kendell Smith: “Yea… if I win it.”

Joe: “Ha ha if?”

Kendell Smith: “Meh the guy beat me before.”

Joe: “You need a few of the guys to go down and have a word with this Guy?”

Kendell smirked; it was amazing how such big burly guys could have such big hearts when it came to looking after their own. She had been coming down here since she was seventeen. It amazed her, she had all the money anybody could ask for and yet she felt most comfortable sitting here, in this dive, with tattooed men, a bottle of whiskey and rock legends on the jukebox.

Kendell Smith: “I’m not afraid of him Joe, you of all people she know that it takes a lot to scare me.”

Joe: “Then why the hell was there an ‘if’?

Kendell Smith: “I have this self destructive thing…”

Joe began to laugh as Kendell frowned. It was something she took seriously; wrestling was always something she tried to take seriously as it as the first thing in her life that defined her as an individual.

Joe: “A what?”

Kendell Smith: “Joe I’m serious, I have this thing where when I’m finally getting my chance to be on top I just let it go, I just give in before even trying as if subconsciously I don’t want the success.”

Joe: “You’re reading too much into this Kenni, it’s just a little bit of nerves that you need to conquer.”

Kendell Smith: “I don’t get nervous.”

Joe’s husky laughed filled the room again as he took the remainder of the cigarette from his lips and placed it in the ash black ashtray beside him.

Joe: “Bull shit.”

Kendell Smith: “Excuse me?”

Joe: “I said that’s bullshit. I know you better than you think young Luciano. I know that your persona is built on a false façade.”

Kendell Smith: “They’re some big words Joe.”

Joe: “Yea well I’ve been reading a lot lately so I know what I’m talking about. Not showing emotion doesn’t make you anyway strong Kenni, it anything it will make you weaker.”

Kendell Smith: “Now that is bull shit.”

Kendell brought the bottle of whiskey to her red lips again and downed a good lot of it before bringing it away from her lips and cringing slightly as the alcohol swam down her throat leaving a burning sensation.

Joe: “You know I’m right.”

Joe took the bottle from Kendell’s hand and took a sip before handing it back. A hard drinker the strong whiskey didn’t even phase his tough persona.

Joe: “So what’s this guy like anyway?”

Kendell Smith: “He’s nothing special, through away his chance at greatness last week. Just another mediocre has been that got put into the Hall of Fame because of pure luck.”

Joe: “Hall of Famer wow.”

Kendell Smith: “He hasn’t got a patch on me though. I don’t know how he’s in the hall of fame with people like Khristian Call.”

A spark appeared in Kendell’s eyes as Khristian’s name rolled off her tongue. Joe noticed and cocked his eyebrow but decided to ignore it.

Kendell Smith: “To be honest I haven’t seen anything great from him since I arrived at UWF.”

Joe: “Didn’t you just say that he beat you before?”

Kendell Smith: “Yea but it was barely that’s why I got another shot one on one and I was only a rookie I have grown a lot as a wrestler and athlete since then. He’s one of these people that will continuously remind me of the fact that I have been beaten by him before but that want matter soon because I’ll get my revenge and his precious title.”

Joe: “That’s the confident Kendell I know, comes out with a few drinks in her.”

Kendell Smith: “The confidence is always there, the alcohol gets rid of the self doubt that’s all. I want this title more than he does and I plan to stop at nothing to get it. He’s too wrapped up in his love life and the fact that his precious X-rated is falling apart around him. Honestly I don’t know how he holds onto a girlfriend never mind actually running a stable. Jason Lee may not have been the most effective wrestler in the World but he was a great leader, from what I can see this Hitman guy has no leadership skills at all. He seems to have gotten by in life on his mediocre wrestling skills, mediocre looks and obsession with female wrestlers. Good thing he wont be champ for much longer. Don’t want him making a mockery of the thing before I get my hands on it.”

Kendell hopped up from the counter swigging the bottle of whiskey again before shouting to a man at the far side of the long room.

Kendell Smith: “Yo Ronnie put on some Clapton.”

The man with the blonde hair and the pool cue shot Kendell a handsome smile before moving to the jukebox.

Ronnie: “Sure thing Kendell.”

Layla burst through the speakers as Kendell sang along at the top of her lungs.

Joe: “Shouldn’t you be like training or some shit.”

Kendell Smith: “This is how I train! Drinking, music and social drug taking.”

She moved through the red curtains out into the main room. A large wooden door sat ajar across the far side of the room. Kendell walked across the room towards the door, whiskey in hand and body clad in tight denims and a tight Alice in chains t-shirt, which clung to her perfectly shaped curves. Admiring glances around the room followed her as she walked towards the door and pushed it open. The room led into what seemed to be an adult store, a bald woman with a lip piercing and a tattoo on her neck stood behind the counter and smiled.

Woman: “Kendell! Long time no see!”

Kendell Smith: “Hey Josie just down to get a bit of art work done and to collect a few things.”

Kendell placed the whiskey down on the counter in front of Josie and began to walk around the shop picking up various leather and lace under garments that caught her eye.

Josie: “You looking for self pleasure? We got in a new stock of…”

Kendell Smith: “Actually I’m looking for some nice underwear or something.”

Josie: “Do my ears deceive me? Is Kendell Smith actually shopping for a man?”

Kendell frowned and turned away from the lace three-piece garter set she was looking at and glared at Josie.

Kendell Smith: “Don’t be ridiculous, just need to spice the sex life up a bit. I want to celebrate after my win on Monday.”

Josie: “Celebrate with a man?”

Kendell Smith: “Well obviously Josie, that was a fucking stupid question.”

Josie: “You know what I mean, I mean is there someone special?”

Kendell Smith: “You’re worse than my mother. I’ll take these.”

Kendell threw an assortment of lingerie and leather underwear on the counter and smiled across at Josie.

Josie: “Really planning on celebrating then yea?”

Kendell Smith: “Celebrating or cheering myself up, either way I’ll be needing sexy underwear.”

Josie ran the items through and put them in a bag for Kendell.

Josie: “Good luck with your match on Monday, amongst other things.”

Josie winked and Kendell smiled at her knowingly. She planned to enjoy every second of demolishing Gary Reece and the after party, well that was a different story