Growing Pains (Gina Neon RP vs ChaosSworn)

I

June 2006

Trenton, New Jersey

Crazy Lou's house had stood there, on the corner of Hudson and Elmer, for as long as anyone in the neighborhood could remember. At least anyone who tried to remember. For decades, it had been the first thing anyone walking up Elmer Street saw: that big, dark, foreboding house with the tall fence and the overgrown front yard, always seemingly a strong breeze away from collapsing, but somehow enduring year upon year, generation upon generation.

Crazy Lou himself had been rarely seen throughout that time. The grown-ups and some of the older kids remembered him, a stooped, willowy figure walking up and down the streets of Chambersburg ranting to himself, or stepping out onto his porch to pick up the newspaper, only to close the door back up just as fast as he had opened it. To the younger kids, however, Crazy Lou was little more than a scary name, a boogeyman who just might still be there, inside his house, waiting for the first unsuspecting kid to step onto his lawn so he could drag him inside and slice him to pieces. 

It was why every kid in Chambersburg, from the smallest of pre-K'ers to the most streetwise of teens, crossed the road at least two houses before passing Big Lou's. It was commonly accepted that anyone who walked in front of it on the right side of the road either had a death wish or was really, really stupid. And if you were dumb enough to walk towards it, you deserved whatever was coming to you. Nobody was fool enough to go through Crazy Lou's gate. Not even 'Tough' Tony, the Carroll Robbins Elementary bully and self-proclaimed bravest kid in four blocks. Not even Richie Fratelli, and Richie had chased down a crackhead last Summer and gotten back old Mrs. Franzi's purse. The house was off-limits. Taboo. No go.

And now, Tommy Guidetti's softball was sitting in the middle of its lawn.

In the vacant lot across the road, the ball-owner turned on his opposing team's batter, flushing with rage.

'Nice goin', Gina! Ya hit that ball any harder, it would'a landed in New York!'

The dark-haired girl he was addressing let her bat swing by her side, her face scrunching in concentration as she gazed towards the house. She fingered the brim of her Mets baseball cap idly as, beside her, a tall, frizzy-haired girl rounded on the apoplectic boy:

'Hey! It ain't her fault you're a lousy pitcher! My nana could'a hit that ball, an' she's in a wheelchair!'

'Oh yeah?! Well she's a lousy batter! She ain't had to hit that ball so dang hard!'

'Oh yeah?! Well...'

'Guys,' the girl interjected, causing both children to stop arguing and look towards her. 'Shut up. It's okay. I'm gonna go get it.'

'Gina, no,' her friend hissed, but the batter ignored her, choosing instead to look directly at the still-flustered plaintiff.

'We're gonna go get it,' she said.

'Nuh-uh,' Tommy Guidetti uttered. 'No way, Jose. You threw that ball into Crazy Lou's house. You're gonna go get it!'

'Okay,' Gina Carelli retorted. 'But you're comin' with me. It's your ball... You want it back, right?'

Tommy's mouth opened to form some sort of counter-argument, but the boy suddenly found his words caught in his throat. What was most likely intended to be a vehement denial came out as a wordless croak, as the offended party finally capitulated, with a sag of the shoulders.

'Fine.' He gestured towards the old house. 'Ladies first.'

Gina did not need telling twice. Turning her cap backwards, she began to stride towards the house, her steps large and resolute. It was not until she was a few feet from the gates that her steps became smaller, more tentative, and her expression apprehensive.

'It's just an old house, Gina,' she muttered to herself. 'You can do this, baby!'

She took one step forward, towards the gate, only to immediately draw it back.

'Crazy Lou ain't real,' she told herself. 'Don't be chicken.'

She took the step again, and left her foot there this time. 

She steeled herself, and took another. 

She was now so close to the gates she could reach out and touch them. She made as if to step forward yet again, but stopped herself, looking over her shoulder to make sure Tommy was still following her. He was, although from a safe enough distance as to still be halfway across the street.

'C'mon, Tommy,' she groaned. 'You want ya ball back or not?'

This spurned Tommy into action, and within a few moments he had caught up to her. He leaned against the wall with one hand, puffing and panting, before realizing what he was doing and recoiling in horror. Gina, however, paid him no mind, busy as she was measuring the relative number of steps separating them from their goal, sitting round and white and dusty amidst a clump of overgrown weeds on the other side of the gate.

'Okay, you ready?' She turned her Mets cap back around the right way and prepared to tackle the obstacle at hand. She leaned forward in a running stance and once again peered beyond the gates into the Forbidden Zone.

'Okay,' she repeated. 'Ready? Onetwothreego!'

Before her courage could abandon her, she ran beyond the gates to the hous and onto the overgrown lawn, her hand outstretched, ready to snatch up the clearly visible ball. She crouched low, letting her hand skim the waist-high weeds until it came into contact with the familiar rough leather. She brought her arm up in triumph, letting out a whoop, and whirled around to face her friend.

'Hey Tommy...catch!'

She threw the ball towards the boy, barely noticing the fact that he had lagged considerably behind once they were through the gate. For a heart-stopping moment, it seemed as though Tommy would fumble the catch, but he just about managed to keep his balance and – with juggler-like hand movements – nestle the ball safely between his cupped palms.

'Boy, you're a lousy catcher,' Gina teased. Tommy threw the ball back at her, in mock-rage. She caught it flush and threw it back, laughing, her fear from a moment ago all but forgotten as she made her way back towards the gate, that garden seeming like just what it was, the uncared-for front garden of a derelict old house, nothing to be scared of whatsoever...

...and that was when the front door opened.

The two children started at the exact same time, shrieking in horror. They made as if to run, but found their legs paralyzed, their muscles tensed with fear. They screwed their eyes tightly shut, mentally saying their goodbyes as they waited for a crazed old man to amble out and murder them...

...only to find no one had come out.

Their breaths still steadying, the children looked towards the decidedly empty front porch of the house, its dusky foyer just about visible beyond the now wide-open door. Everything seemed safe – only they both knew that was what killers wanted you to think. They had seen enough movies where the murderer had hid inside a seemingly empty house, just like the one they were staring at right now, and waited until their unsuspecting victims crossed the threshold, only to--

Tommy swallowed.

'Let's get outta here, Gina...! He's gonna come out any minute now an' whack us!'

'If he wanted to whack us, he would'a done it already,' Gina posited, doing her best to sound brave. 'I think he ain't home.' She felt her confidence rise as she spoke the words out loud. 'Yeah. I think he don't even exist!'

'Shhhh,' Tommy hissed. 'He's gonna hear us!'

'Didn't you hear me, Tommy?' Gina's voice was now back to its normal pitch, her peppiness slowly creeping back into it. 'I said I think he don't exist! I think he's just a scary story!'

'But Gina,' Tommy muttered. 'What if he died in there? What if he's a ghost?'

This gave Gina pause. She had not thought of that possibility. It was quite possible, thinking about it. No one had seen Crazy Lou in years; what was to say he had not died inside the house? And if so, his ghost would definitely be in there.

Still, her curiosity got the best of her. Now that she had established the old man would not come out and skin them alive, she felt a growing urge to see what was behind the door, that door no one had dared cross in so long. After all, she reasoned, they were already in the lawn...if they had been meant to get captured, they would have already...

She took a step towards the house, straightening herself as she went.

'Gina, don't! Get back here!'

'It's just a house, Tommy,' Gina said, drawing ever closer to it. 'It's just an old house!'

'It's not, there's ghosts in there, I know there are, I know it, I kn--'

Tommy's words died in his throat as he found himself on the threshold of the house's front door, looking in at a dusty, darkened hallway. Just beyond it, he could see a large sitting room, the furniture within covered with sheets now grey with accumulated dust. To his left was a set of stairs, which creaked as he stepped near them, causing him to jump back and bump into Gina. He began to babble an apology, but the girl put a finger to her lips and motioned for him to follow.

They made their way into what turned out to be the kitchen, so filthy and cockroach-infested they immediately made their way back out. Another division turned out to be a toilet, but here, too, the crusted filth and fly-ridden air caused the two children to leave quickly. The downstairs area now fully accounted for, there was only one thing left to do.

'No.' Tommy shook his head vehemently, turning pale. 'No, no, no, no, no!'

It was too late, however; Gina had started up the stairs to the first floor. Tommy therefore had no choice but to follow her – he refused to be left by himself even for a second – and together they explored the upstairs area. Tommy kept starting at the slightest noise, looking over his shoulder to make sure Crazy Lou was not lurking behind them, ready to pounce; as they finished exploring what turned out to be a bedroom, a surprisingly neat if dusty study and another filthy toilet, however, he was still safe, sound, and in one piece, which was more than he could say for his nerves.

'It's just a house, Tommy,' he heard Gina mutter beside him. He was surprised at the awed tone of her voice as she repeated: 'It's just a house.' Then, louder: 'It's just a HOUSE!!'

'It's just a house,' Tommy joined in, suddenly understanding. 'It's just a house!'

The two started giggling uncontrollably, skipping in circles as they picked up their chant.

'It's just a house, it's just a house, it's just a house, it's just a house...'

They threw themselves on the floor, flustered, letting years of accumulated tension and fear rush out of them in one cleansing tide.

'It's just a house,' Gina finally gasped. 'Just a stinkin' house!'

'Just a house,' Tommy repeated, 'A dumb ol' house!'

They were still laughing as they rejoined the stickball game.

II

Ten Years Later

Trenton, New Jersey

Nicole Evans stood in the hallway of her partner's tiny Trenton apartment, shifting her weight self-consciously as she waited for Gina's roommate to explain exactly why she had been summoned there.

'I've been tryin' to get hold of you for like two weeks,' Amanda Fratelli reproached. 

'I was on a tour of Europe,' Nicole retorted. 'Not always the best coverage. You know how these things are...'

She giggled, but stopped herself as she understood by the look on Mandy's face that no, she did not, in fact, know how these things were.

'Sorry.' She did her best to look contrite. 'So, what did you want to talk to me about?' She looked about herself. 'Where's Gina?'

'...that's what I wanted to talk to you about.'

Mandy motioned Nicole through to the living room and pointed at the couch. A lone figure lay there, a Jack Russell terrier curled up over its stomach, neither moving nor speaking; it was not until the two women entered the division that it displayed any reaction whatsoever, turning around to grace both host and visitor with a bleary-eyed look.

'Gina?!' Mandy was happy to hear the note of genuine horror in Nicole's voice as she rushed over to her tag team partner. 'What happened to you, darling?!'

'She's been like that for weeks,' the host explained. 'Won't go out, won't play Nintendo, won't watch cartoons, won't look after the dog...I gotta force her to eat or she'd probably statve to death.'

Fratelli shrugged helplessly as Nicole's brow furrowed.

'But why?! What brought this about?!'

'The Neon Power went out, Nicky...'

The statement, delivered in a pitiful croak, came from the subject of the conversation herself, who finally seemed to have gathered enough wits about her to address her friend. Hearing her, Nicole immediately began to fuss over her again, crouching by the sofa and taking Gina's head in her hands.

'Went out?! What do you mean, went out?!'

Gina shrugged. 'It just...did. I just kind'a...realized some stuff.'

'Some stuff?' Nicole frowned again.

'Yeah. I mean...I was thinkin'...this Neon Power stuff...' Gina looked up at her partner, her expression at once pleading, desperate, and alight with realization. '...it's not real, is it?'

'Huh?' Nicole's frown deepened. 'Not real?! What do you...'

'You know what I mean, Nicky!' Gina sounded uncharacteristically angry as she cut across her friend. 'It's not real. It's made up. Baby stuff. An' I'm not a baby no more! I'm gonna be twenty-one in like six months! Time to grow up an' wise up!'

Nicole looked, if possible, even more horrified, as she struggled with a suitable reply for her tag team partner.

'Gina,' she finally managed, 'what brought this about?!'

'I lost.' Gina's tone was dry as paste as she once again looked up at Nicole. 'I lost twice. After I'd promised my Neon Na---my fans that I'd win those matches for 'em! I went out there, an' I lost!' Gina was on the verge of tears. 'An' you know why I lost?'

Incapable of speaking, Nicole simply shook her head.

''Cause I was worried about baby stuff! Nintendo, an', an' pop music, an' stupid orange shades an' stuff! I was busy talkin' about stuff that doesn't exist instead a' growin' up an' acting my age!' The youth's tone rose as she flustered. 'You know who act their freakin' age?! Rebecca Saint! An' Crystal Hilton! They weren't talkin' about dumb magic powers or whatever before their match! Know why?! 'Cause they're freakin' grown-ups!'

'But Gina,' Nicole pointed out, 'what about Zahara Matisse? She talks about magic!'

Gina gave Nicole a look which, had the youngster been capable of contempt, would have certainly served that purpose.

'That's an act, Nicky. She doesn't really believe she has magic powers!'

'Oh, really?' Nicole dallied a moment, grasping for an argument, unwilling to give up the battle. 'What about...what about...what about Emma Carlisle?!'

'She's CRAZY,' Gina screamed. 'Of course she thinks she's magic! That's what crazy people do!! I'm not crazy!!' Gina let her shoulders sag along with her voice. 'I'm just some dumb girl who still thinks she's a kid!'

The youth turned away from her partner, folding her arms over her chest. For a moment afterwards, it seemed as though Nicole would say something, try to dissuade her partner, make her see the light; when the Brit next spoke, however, her one word was of an entirely different nature:

'MAKEOVER!!!!'

Then, before either Gina or Mandy could put up any kind of a reaction, she grabbed her tag team partner by the arm, dragging her towards the door. A moment later, they were making their way to street level, a befuddled Mandy in tow. Nicole, however, seemed to know exactly what she was doing, as she all but stuffed Gina into the cramped back seat of her red coupe. Then, the same self-assured look still on her features, she tossed the keys to Mandy, proceeding to walk round to the passenger side.

'Drive, darling.'

'Drive?' Mandy squinted in confusion. 'Drive where?!'

Nicole did not reply. Instead, flashing her friends a wry grin, she leant over and inserted an address into the car's SatNav. Her smirk widened as she straightened back up and saw both girls staring gaping-mouthed at the device.

'There,' she said.And she buckled in for the ride.

III

Several Hours Later

Saks, Fifth Avenue, New York City

'Nicky, are you sure about this?!'

Gina Carelli gave the girl in the full-size mirror in front of her a critical look. She could not say she looked bad; the fitted black blazer suited her, as did the dark denim jeans, red shirt, and strappy heeled sandals. She even liked the big brown belt with a fancy buckle. And she definitely liked the way the girl's hair was styled, painstakingly straightened out and brushed over one side of her face. 

The girl in the mirror looked good.

The problem was, the girl in the mirror was not her.

'Don't be silly, darling,' Nicole said, straightening the shoulders of Gina's blazer and brushing imaginary dust particles off it. 'You look smashing!'

'I...guess...' Gina cocked her head to one side and appraised herself again. 'It just feels...weird...'

'It's not weird at all, darling,' Nicole retorted. 'You wanted to be a grown-up, didn't you?' She grinned at Gina in the mirror. 'Well, this is how grown-ups dress.'

'I know...' Gina could not keep her doubts from niggling at her. 'It's just...'

'It's just nothing,' Nicole cut across. 'You want people to take you seriously, right? To take us seriously?'

'Yeah, but...'

'...but nothing, Gigi. You haven't seen Emma's video. I have. They're still calling you a scared little girl. And to be fair, when I came to visit you earlier...that was what I saw, too.' Nicole spun her friend around by the shoulders to look her in the eye. 'Unless you actually do want to be that, and all that rubbish this morning was just an act...'

The stern tone in her friend's voice overrode Gina's doubts.

'No way! All a' that was for real, baby! I--'

The youth halted herself as she heard her traditional inflections and vocal tics coming through.

'—I meant all of that,' she said, making a concerted effort to sound sober and mature. 'I don't want to be a dumb little girl anymore.'

Nicole nodded. 'Then you trust your friend Nicky, and we work on that. Okay?'

'But this stuff's so expensive!' Gina held up the price tag for her new blazer, reading it off in disbelief. 'I mean, this jacket costs twenty-five thousand dollars!'

'Of course it does, darling. That's Alexander McQueen. Quite a good sale, though...it's a bargain for that price, really...'

'But that's more than like, all my other jackets put together!'

Nicole gave her friend a stern look. 'Gina....those are little kid jackets, remember? And we want to be grown-ups, don't we?'

Gina sighed. 'Yeah...'

Nicole smiled. 'That's my girl! Hug!'

The two women wrapped their arms around each other, being careful not to ruin the brand new and yet-unpaid for merchandise. Then, another bright smile crossing her features, Nicole turned away from Gina.

'Come along. Let's go pay for this. Mandy will be waiting to shoot our video.'

This stopped Gina dead in her tracks.

'A video?! Here?!'

Nicole raised an eyebrow. 'Why not?'

'Nicky!! We're in, like, a store!!!'

The eyebrow stayed up. 'So?'

'So...' Gina gestured helplessly. '...there's like, people and stuff!'

Nicole giggled. 'We're not doing it on the floor, daftie! I know somebody who knows somebody at the photo studio. They're letting us film there. Now come along! We don't want to keep them waiting!' Then, seeing her friend rooted to the spot, she leant forward to grab her by her sleeve.

'Gigi, come on!'

With this, and dragging a highly reluctant tag team partner behind her, she made her way to the checkout area, silently anticipating her friend's face when she saw what was coming.

IV

Fifteen Minutes Later

Saks Fifth Avenue Photo Studio, Fifth Avenue, New York

Gina and Nicole walked into the photo and film studio of Saks to find Mandy holding a professional camera as though it were a particularly fragile piece of Chinese porcelain.

'Apologies, darling,' Nicole began saying. 'The line at the registers was insanely lon--'

The stylish second-generation star was cut off by her tag team partner, who had begun giggling at the awed look on her best friend's face.

'That's a camera, Mandy,' she quipped, 'not a baby!'

'A camera?!' Mandy would have blinked, if she was not afraid it would damage the device in her hand. 'Gina, this is the camera! You know, like real directors use...!' She finally managed to detach her eyes from the equipment to stare at Nicole. 'How did you manage to get us in here?'

'Never mind that, darling!' Nicole waved her hand dismissively. 'Are you ready? Because we are...'

'Yeah,' Mandy said, still hardly able to believe the entire situation. 'Yeah...I'm ready...'

'Great. Let's get to it, then.'

'Uh...okay. PLACES!!!'

At Mandy's command, Nicole and Gina took their place underneath the spotlights, as their official camerawoman laid the high-end camera down on its tripod, taking every care to ensure it was not damaged. Only when the device was firmly settled on its base did the aspiring director relax, leaning over to peer at the screen as she raised the usual four fingers above her head.

'Ready? We're on in three...two...'

It was only after the last two, silent fingers had come down and she had taken a stepped forward, preparing to talk, that Gina Carelli came to a frightening realization.

She did not know what to say.

'Um...I...uh...'

'Listen up, Neon Nation...you're Gina, the WINNAH...' Nicole complemented her muttered prompting with encouraging hand gestures, seeking to help her friend overcome her mental block, but still Gina stood in place, one leg forward in a frozen walking stance, a finger held up, a deer-in-headlights expression on her face.'

'Listen up,' she eventually stammered. 'I...uh...I'm Gina...an' this is...uhhhh...'

Nicole and Mandy both gasped in concern as the youngster froze up again, her face taking on a vacant expression. This time, however, the trance did not last more than a second; as soon as she had entered it, Gina snapped out of it, yelling:

'CUT!!!'

'Geeg, what the...?' Mandy peered out from behind the camera just in time to see her best friend walk over to the corner and rummage in the shopping bags she and Nicole had amassed. Before either of the two women could enquire as to what was going on, Gina had retrieved a messy bundle from inside one of the bags and stalked out of the studio, a set expression on her features. Nicole made a feeble attempt at stopping her partner, but was too late, and her and Mandy could do nothing but stare at one another in confusion, shrugging their shoulders. Whatever had gotten into Gina's head, it was too late to stop it. Might as well let it play out.

V

Ten Minutes Later

Saks Fifth Avenue Photo Studio, Fifth Avenue, New York

Ten minutes after she had left the photo-shoot area of Saks Department Store, VoW Twin Cities Champion Gina Neon walked back inside, a huge smile on her face. Mandy's expression as her friend returned mirrored Gina's own, but the third member of the group was visibly less amused.

'Giiiinaaaaa,' Nicole groaned. 'You messed up your hair!' She grimaced as she took in her partner's attire. 'And what happened to all the stuff we just bought?'

Gina held up a shopping bag, her grin widening.

'But...' Nicole placed a hand in her temple. 'But I thought...'

'Nicky,' Gina said, stepping in closer to her friend. 'I get what you were tryin' to do. An' you're an awesome friend. But the thing is...' Gina lifted the shopping bag again. 'This isn't me. It's you.' She pointed at herself. 'This is me.'

Nicole remained confused. 'But...I thought you didn't want to be that!'

'I did, too,' Gina admitted. 'But it's who I am. No point tryin' to fight it...you know what I mean?' Gina shrugged. 'So...I'm not goin' to.'

Then, before Nicole could say anything either way, the youngster turned to her best friend.

'Now, Mandz...roll it, baby!'

A big smile now lighting up her features, Amanda got back behind the camera, once again bringing four fingers up.

'Okay, ready? Three...two...'

Down once more came the silent fingers, and forward once again stepped Gina Carelli. This time, however, there was no trace of hesitation in the young wrestler's voice; to the contrary, she sounded remarkably self-assured as she began:

'What's up, guys? This is Gina. I know you guys haven't seen me in a while, but I'm here now, an' I got somethin' to say.'

The youngster paused, looking for the right words.

'Now, I know I've been layin' kind'a low lately, an' there's a reason for that. I was feelin' kind'a bummed. My energy was kind'a low. I tried to bring it up again, but nothin' I was doin' was workin'. Not even freakin' Disneyland! So in the end, I took some time off to think about my life an' stuff, an' try to figure out what was wrong with me. I stopped bein' on Twitter, stopped travellin' around to shows...I just stayed home with my dog all the time. So everybody thought I was done. Everybody walked away. My boyfriend. People I got along okay with. They all kind'a stopped callin', stopped showin' up, stopped carin' about me.

All a' them, except two people.'

The youngster turned to look over at her tag team partner.

'One was this rad chick right here...and the other one's back there, behind the camera. Say hi, Mandz!'

Amanda chuckled, bringing her hand up in front of the camera and giving a goofy wave. Gina could not stop herself from giggling as she continued:

'These two ladies wanted me to be happy. They wanted me to feel good. An' they wanted to help me figure out what was wrong with me.

An' ya know what? They did!'

Gina smiled.

'They helped me figure out why I've been so bummed lately. See, the thing is, I wanted to grow up. I wanted to be taken seriously. But what I wasn't getting was that growin' up is not about changin' who you are...it's about knowin' how to be yourself and an adult at the same time. You can still be who you are an' like what you like...you just gotta adapt. You gotta evolve. An' at Fate of the Gods...that's what I'm gonna do.'

The wrestler stepped forward, her grin widening. 

'When I walk out there on June 16 to defend my Twin Cities Championship against Emma an' Joanna...you're gonna see a whole 'nother Gina than you're used to seein'. On June 16, you're not gonna see me run around all over the place, or talk about Neon Power. Neon Power ain't real. It's just somethin' I made up when I was little 'cause I thought it sounded cool. Everythin' I did, all the times I beat the odds, all the times I won when I wasn't s'posed to...it wasn't about Neon Power. It was about the one thing I've been doin' all these years.

It was about facin' my fears.'

Another pause, then:

'Ever since I was little, I've been facin' my fears, one by one. Ghost trains. Heights. Haunted houses. Ladder matches. Every time, I'm real scared, but I know if I don't do it, I'm gonna be afraid of it forever.  'Cause the only way to not be afraid of somethin' is to face it. So I step up to the fear, an' I face it, an' I beat it. An' on June 16...I'm gonna do just that.'

Another step forward, as the Finger of Doom came out.

'Emma, Joanna, I know what you're thinkin'. You're thinkin' I'm scared. You're thinkin' I'm not sure of myself. You're thinkin' my mind is all messed up. Well, guess what...[/color[

...you're right.'

Behind Gina, Nicole started at the admission, but the New Jersey native did not miss a beat:

'You're right. I am scared, an' I ain't sure of myself. Know why? 'Cause this is a Championship match, an' you two are amazin' wrestlers. But that don't mean I'm gonna be out there shakin' in my boots. That don't mean you're gonna just run over me. Sure I'm scared, an' sure I got doubts...but I ain't gonna let that stop me from givin' my best. An' sure you two are kind'a scary, an' kind'a look like boogeywomen, but you're not. You're not boogeywomen. You're just people. Just like the house on the corner of my street growin' up wasn't haunted. It was just an old house. An' you two? You're just two real good wrestlers. You ain't monsters. You're just two girls who are best friends or whatever an' real good at you do.

Kind'a like me an' Nicole...'

The youngster smiled up over her shoulder at her partner, but Nicole seemed to somewhat resent the comparison. Gina, however, did not seem too bothered by this as she continued:

'See, me an' Nicole...we're awesome together too. We help one another too. I helped Nicole figure out she was awesome when we first started, an' now she's helped me figure out I'm awesome. Plus we work great together, too – if we didn't, we wouldn't be the UNDEFEATED VoW TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS!!'

A glimpse of the old Gina shone through as the youngster punched the air. She quickly composed herself, however, in time to proceed:

'Joanna...Emma...I know you ain't takin' us seriously. No one ever does. No one ever thinks we're gonna win. When we were in that ladder match, everyone thought The Requiem were retainin'...but we won. Then when we faced your friends, everyone thought we were super-dead...an' we won. Now, everybody's sayin' there's gonna be new Twin Cities Champions after June 16...so we gotta rise up to the challenge. We gotta try an' prove everybody wrong again. 'Cause even if we don't win, if we go out there an' we look you two in the eye, an' we show you we're not afraid a' you...well, if we do that, maybe everyone's gonna finally take us seriously.'

Gina graced the camera with an unusually intense look.

'So Emma...Joanna...everyone else. You guys been warned. On June 16, at Fate Of The Gods...you're not gonna see Gina Neon. You're not gonna see Gina, the WINNAH! You're not gonna see the Princess of Neon Power, or the President of the Neon Nation, or the Cheater Beater, or any of that jazz. On June 16, you're gonna see Gina Carelli. Mr. Carelli's daughter. Vinny's little sister an' Tony's big sister. Mandy's best friend. Nicky's partner. An' one half of the UNDEFEATED VoW TWIN CITIES CHAMPIONS!'

The youth leaned in even closer.

'An' the one thing Gina Carelli does...

...is face her fears.'

'...aaaand cut!'

The relief was evident in all three women's faces as Mandy stepped out of her perch and left her ridiculously expensive camera to be collected by the studio's technicians. As they spirited her footage away to edit and digitise it, she joined Nicole and Gina on the impromptu stage, just in time for the customary group hug.

'How was that?', Gina asked the moment they separated. 'Did I sound okay? Did I sound grown-up?'

Nicole nodded. 'You sounded very grown-up, darling. I'm proud of you.'

'Me too,' Mandy said, smiling at her best friend. Gina smiled back.

'Thanks, you guys. You guys rock.'

'We know,' Mandy quipped; Nicole, however, was still deep in thought.

'Nicky?' Gina frowned. 'Are you okay?'

Suddenly, Nicole snapped out of her transe, a huge smile breaking across her features.

'I am fine, darling. I've just had a wonderful idea!'

'Huh? An idea? What idea?'

Nicole, however, did not immediately reply, instead grinning mysteriously.

'I'll tell you when we get home,' she said. 'Now come along...let's go see what they make of our video.'