I. A New Lease On Life

Hotel Room (Geri Miller and Centurion)

The wide pan camera shot overlooked a beautiful snow covered beach. I sat on the couch of my hotel room as I looked over at Centurion. I took a hit of the blunt and passed it to him before speaking.

"Who the fuck books travel? It is Mardi Gras in New Orleans and we are in fucking New Jersey."

This statement caused Centurion's head to snap to me quickly. He looked a little pissed off but I figured it was just the weed. He stood up and walked over to me.

"First off Geri, it is good for me to be back home. Secondly, do we really want Barney Green's tongue waving around like a lost fucking dog when someone takes their top off?"

Centurion had a very valid point. I nodded my head in agreement.

"I guess you are right, but I like boobs too!"

I looked at Centurion as he nodded.

"Yes, I get it. Everyone likes them. I am just saying, this is not good for your focus."

There was that word again. Focus. I was hearing that like crazy from Centurion's mouth. When I agreed to have him help my path to success I didn't know he would try to take some of the fun away. I nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know, focus. I mean, this is different. It isn't Atara. This is... Barney."

Centurion, stood up, looking at me with a look of concern.

"Yes, but, anyone can sneak up on anyone else and get a win. You are still rather new to this sport. I have seen people who never should have won a match, win quite a few in a row. Just like with college basketball, this is March Madness, anything can happen. I wouldn't take it lightly."

I knew deep down that Centurion was simply looking out for me but it was rather annoying. When I was worried about Atara he assured me I was better. Now that I was saying I was looking past Barney, he was saying not to do that. It was rather conflicting. I just nodded as I hit the blunt again.

"You are right, dude. The problem is, seeing as I am new here, I want to make a huge impression. It all begins on Savage against Barney. Barney is but a speed bump this week. I won't over look him. I will slow down to safely get over him and then into the second round we go. You see, Barney Green is but a mindless meat puppet that Xavier uses to suit his fancy. Barney, do you remember how this year started out? I pinned McBride in the middle of the ring while Barney's pathetic ass couldn't even make it back in the ring to break it up. This time Barney it will be YOU on the losing end of a Miller's Tale. I am ready to get 2020 back on track, one bump in the road at a time. Now that I have a new sense of focus and a motivator like Centurion by my side NO ONE will be able to stop me. Especially not Barney Green. You got a win over Vinnie Lane. Like who even knew Vinnie could still get into a wrestling ring."

Centurion looked rather irked at me making a joke about Vinnie's age. He shook his head as I regathered my thoughts. Focus, Geri, focus!

"Barney, what do you bring to the table now that you didn't have on January 11? I mean, we are not that far removed from that event. I beat you then and I will beat you again. I will take you out and move one step closer to winning this tournament. I look at the field and I gotta say, I like my chances. No one here really poses a clear threat to my ascent to the top. Many have tried to say I am too soft to do this being a bitch thing. Barney Green may just have to be the first true victim of the new and improved Geri Miller. You are in my way, Barney. You are simply going to get run over. You walk around here like the Universe owes you something but what have you done to deserve it? I have been a fighter since I came into this company. I attacked Madison Dyson and tried to take her title. I may have failed but I showed my fighting spirit. Before long, I dethroned Bobbi London and the rest is history. Now we turn our focus to March Madness. I came in with the intention to be a champion and I did that but I am not happy with this one. I want bigger and better. I want it fucking all."

I handed the blunt to Centurion as I stood up and walked over to a cabinet. I pulled my gold medals out, five of them in total. I looked at them as Centurion raised an eyebrow at me. He stood up and walked over to me, speaking in a matter of fact tone.

"The past is the past. We need to focus on you and the future. Get the fuck over the past. You need to let it go or you will never make it into the future. The past was a fickle thing. Hell in the past, just in my time in XWF, I had losses to Madison Dyson, Maverick, Phantom Panzer, and most recently, Ned Kaye. No more. No more will I be one to be laughed at. You are about to see a different side, a different cause for Geri Miller. No more will you liken me to the rest of the curtain jerkers in this place. It is time for me to make an example out of Barney Green. It is time for me to make damn sure everyone knows who is the true GODDESS here in XWF. The Goddess of Ganja is not a joke but rather is exactly what her name suggests. I am more than you could ever imagine handling Barney."

I paced back and forth as I looked back again. I spoke more confidently.

"What did you think, Barney? That I was going to roll over and take my loss like a good little girl? You have me FUCKED up. You see, I am the Mistress in this scenario and you are the good little slave who will do as I say. Imagine this scenario Barney, you are in a dark alley. You take a left and there is a brick wall in front of you. You turn around and a mugger has a gun in your face. They demand all of your belongings. They say you are allowed to keep your underwear. Do you hand over your belongings, Barney? Or do you try to fight? You hand them over. The answer is simple. In reality XWF is the Alley, March Madness is the brick wall, the match card is the mugger, and I am the loaded gun that frightens you. Barney, how is it going to feel losing to me again? I mean, I am still seen as the new girl who can't seem to get her wits about her. I am the one you need to fear, Barney. I am a rising star and you are a dying one. You are in the end of your journey here and my journey is just beginning. Keep thinking you matter and soon you will see that you don't. Soon you will see that I am more evolved as an athlete than you ever will be. Keep thinking you are something special because I will revel in the honor of proving you wrong."

With that Centurion and I finished the blunt off as the scene faded to black.

II. Training for Greatness

Centurion's Gym (Geri, Centurion, and Boris)

The scene opens to me running on a treadmill. Boris and Centurion were in a corner behind me talking. Centurion spoke first.

"She has a lot of promise, Boris."

Boris nodded in agreement.

"Yes but she has a rather long way to go. Do we really need to invest time in her? Is she even getting it?"

Centurion nodded.

"Her talent alone is worth it. Her potential is hot as hell. She has it all. Looks, skill, athleticism. She is a marketable face. The wrestling world needs all the marketability it can get and her being in the March Madness tournament is a great opportunity."

Boris nodded as I yelled to the men behind me.

"Closed quarters, I can hear you both."

I stopped the treadmill and hopped off. I walked over to Boris and Centurion. I smiled at Boris as I spoke.

"Centurion, you never told me about this healthy chunk of man meat."

Centurion looked at me.

"Focus, Geri."

I nodded at him.

"Oh I am focused. Boris is it?"

Boris nodded, looking a little uncomfortable as Centurion slid between us. He pulled me aside.

"Geri, you need to think this through. I am not asking, I am telling you. You have what XWF needs but you need to use your skills for the good. You need to do better with it all. You need to simply focus on wrestling."

I pouted as I looked away.

"Centurion. I am young. I need my fun as well. I need you to realize that I am not from your generation. As much as I love sitting in a hotel smoking some good weed I also need adventure and excitement. I need to see the world. I need to go clubbing and get in some trouble. I have done this discipline thing for too long now. At fifteen, I traveled the world and won gold for this country. Now, you are telling me, I get all this fame and fortune and can't use it? You are telling me that I have to give up my fun for a chunk of fame?"

I felt as if Centurion was asking entirely too much now. I am a twenty two year old girl who didn't really have a childhood as I was traveling the world. Damn it, I was going to have fun. Boris chimed in.

"Silly girl, she is comrade."

I mocked Boris a bit before speaking to Centurion. I twirled my blonde hair between my slender fingers.

"Centurion, you wouldn't let little old me wither away to nothing in these shitty little hotel rooms, would you?"

Centurion shot me a glare before speaking.

"Geri, child, at my age I have become wise to what your gender is up to when they do that shit. You know how many drinks I have bought only to not get laid by the end of the night? Come on, now. You got to try harder than that!"

I scoffed as I walked over to Boris.

"Boris, Centurion is being mean to me."

Boris shook his head at me.

"Sorry comrade. Whatever he says goes. He is wise."

I scoffed and stamped my foot. I went back to the treadmill and pulled my camera up. I started streaming on my personal website.

"Hey bitches and bastards. Geri fucking Miller here. As I am on the treadmill you know damn well I am going to be in tip top shape to beat the holy hell out of Barney Green. I am going to make sure he knows he was in the ring with me. I will make sure he remembers this meeting of fate. I will make sure he knows he was in the ring with a Goddess."

I sped the treadmill up. I was working harder than before.

"Boys and girls Barney Green is a walking study into mental disorders. He is someone who is going into this match thinking we are on a level playing field. Not even close. Barney, I hope to hell you are watching, whether it be live or later on when you are done spewing whatever bullshit it is you are going to say. I am someone you need to fear especially when I am more focused now than ever before. You see I am here to prove idiots like you wrong. I am sure you are one of them, who sat in the back and ridiculed me. I know you are one of them who thought I was going to fade away into the darkness. Oh no, Barney. You couldn't get that fucking lucky."

I stopped the treadmill for a slight cool down. I looked into the camera as I panned around showing Centurion and Boris.

"When Centurion came to me and told me I needed to focus I threw a fit. I, now realize he was right."

Boris looked confused as he spoke to Centurion.

"Tantrum literally just happened, comrade."

Centurion silenced him and spoke.

"Shh. She is doing precisely what I asked of her. She is more focused than I have seen her in her time here."

I smiled from ear to ear as I spoke again.

"You see, at my age we never truly know how good we have it. What is your excuse Barney? You walk through life wanting handouts like a pan handler trying to get hard earned money from the rest of us. You expect to be carried. I had a kick in the ass from Centurion because he is my mentor and he is my friend. He is someone I know can help me succeed. As I look at you Barney, I wish I could say I see wasted talent. In order to be wasted talent you must first have talent. Barney, you are a waste of oxygen. You are someone who, if you died tomorrow, XWF wouldn't even give you a ten bell salute. If you died tomorrow, the world would not even mourn you. They would move on to the next schlep. They would see pictures of you on social media and people would be like, "Who?" and then they would realize that it was the person Geri Miller made an example of. Barney, I for one, hope you make it to Savage and our date for March Madness. I want to maim and dismember you my damn self. Look at me. Baby, I am a fucking savage."

I winked at the camera.

"See ya on Savage, Barn."

I turned the camera off and looked at Centurion. He nodded in approval and tossed me my bag of weed. Boris looked at him.

"Did you just bribe her, comrade?"

Centurion patted Boris on the back.

"Don't consider it a bribe. Consider it earning what is rightfully hers."

Boris nodded as the scene faded to black.