Irrelevant Facts

1. Horrid

Sophia watched
the clouds drift across the darkening sky. Her legs curled to her
chest, head back against the rough wall
with strands of brunette stuck against the surface of the bricks.
Lazily arms were draped over curled up knees. Why did sessions always
drain everything from her? All a person did was talk, talk about
things and feelings, but it was consuming. A plague that most people
just didn't understand. A few of them believed to be able to
comprehend but it wasn't possible to full grasp it...

They are there to
help... They just want to help.

Can you fix me?

Is it possible?

“No.” Sophia answered herself as her limbs
closed together in a tight ball. Anger-- Sadness-- Anxiety-- Trapped.
Always trapped in a small little cage with no doors. All the
medication in the world wouldn't correct everything wrong with
Sophia. The only time she could think straight, breathe, was inside a
wrestling ring. Even then her emotions often switched... With a shout
her fist hit against the hard brick and like a shock wave her fist
shook from the impact. Sophia's other hand covered her mouth while
she grunted.. That was stupid of her, then again what isn't?
Carefully the back of her head pressed to the bricks while her mind
wandered over a million things... Her previous conversation continued
to replay...

“Why do you let me wrestle?”

Ms. Melanie seemed a bit caught off guard by
this random question. With a short sigh, she answered, “What do you
mean? It is important for people with your condition to have an
outlet, even better if it is one of their own choosing... If
companies clear you then I cannot make you stop wrestl--”

“But you have! You have! You made me stop--
You put me back into a hospital... They promised I'd be able to be in
a room with windows... but they lied. You always lie.” Sophia
frowned.

“Sophia... You were taken out of a room with
windows because you shattered a window and climbed out. They moved
you for your own safety.” Ms. Melanie bent forward clasping both
hands together in her lap.

“I don't care; they promised... How do you
all forgive that? You 'healthy' people? You break promises, you ruin
everything, you wreck the world, but when we do it... You lock us
away... All of you are just as sick! I hate you... I hate all these
'healthy' people... I bet my competitors are 'healthy'... I bet they
are selfish with massive egos just waiting to bury the rest of us in
the dirt. That's what they always do... It's what everyone does. They
talk us down into small children, forgetting anything we might've
accomplished. It's trash to them! I hate them. They deserve nothing
but believe to earn gold!” The brunette slumped out of her chair
and onto the floor. Her back against the bottom of the uncomfortable
chair.

“Why do you think your completion would do
that?”

“Because they always do... It never changes.
We all do it, as wrestlers, we are secretly scared on the inside. The
only way out is to belittle the people across from us. We are awful
to each other and I don't know why... Some of them may call it 'fact'
but who cares? I don't wrestle to hear them speak or belittle me-- I
just want to wrestle because I love doing it. I can-- I can...”
Sophia inhaled shakily, tears welled up in her eyes. Ms. Melanie
waited to see if she would continued explaining. With a glance up,
Sophia caught the woman's eyes before she opened her mouth again.

“I can breathe and no one understands how
wonderful that is. My mind isn't so clouded with half-feelings. They
may have been around longer, done more, been better, but I just want
to wrestle. I want to win. I don't know why because I don't know what
is the prize but it wouldn't matter. It could be a free yogurt and I
would still pull everything into it... Most of them... They wrestle
for prizes... I just want to breathe again.”

Ms. Melanie smiled softly while she leaned
back. “That is why I let you wrestle, Sophia, because it makes you
happy. I think that this is important for you to have something
stable that isn't a person.”

“People are horrible, greedy, and I am worse
than any of the people in VOW... but I want to continue to stay
there. I don't care if they hate me, they will eventually, so it's
not an important factor... Some of them think being likable, or
feared, or hated is the most important thing... They muddle the true
importance... I think that's why I don't cut promos anymore... No
matter what I say, if I bash them, praise them, it will not change
what happens in the ring.”


"Words don't control action or outcome," Ms. Melanie agreed. Her eyes dropped to the watch on her wrist, “Our time is almost up but I think we could
get some lunch if you are hungry.”

“I am...” Sophia rubbed the sleeve of her
shirt across her eyes.

It was always easy to put people into
categories... Which is what she did for the upcoming match. She
didn't know them so it made it difficult to know how any of them
would react. It still didn't matter. Sophia glanced to the side, Evan
walked out of the motel room rubbing a dirty towel over his hands.
His body dripped with sweat and grime. “Soph?” It almost seemed as if he could sense something wrong.

“Can we go get some pie?” She meekly asked
while shakily pulling herself up to her feet.

A smile grew on his features, “Of course we
can!”

“Shh...” Evan massaged his fingers through
Sophia's messy locks, “Why don't you tell me about your upcoming
match?” Anything to calm her down from this episode. There was only
so much he could do to help her.

With heavy breathes, Sophia tried to even
remember their names... “So many of them... Um, I-- I don't know! I
don't know! I... There are five others... They've all been here
longer than I have... Probably deserve whatever prize is... I know
nothing of them.” She curled up closer to him while smothering her
face into his chest.

“That doesn't matter, Sophia. You'll still
end of kicking their asses.” Evan forced a smile. His breathe
finally calmed itself so his heartbeat would be slower. His fingers
rubbed against her scalp in effort to sooth her a little more.

“What if I can't?” Sophia was muffled.

“Do you really believe you won't do well?”
Evan peered down at her even though he was unable to see her face.

“I don't know... I want to do well...”
Sophia finally looked up at him with red rimmed eyes. This mood
shifted slowly to exhaustion.

“Look, I know important stuff, I know your
skills, it's going to be fine, Soph. Don't worry about the mystery
prize and just wrestle. Let your opponents worry about you instead of
vice-versa. Win or lose we'll go eat some pie.” Evan offered with a
hint of a grin. It was good enough to pull one of Sophia. She seemed
to finally settle from whatever had sparked the sudden episode.

“I hope so.” Sophia rested against him
allowing her eyes to shut.