Post by Delikado/J-Noble on Aug 6, 2010 22:00:55 GMT -5
The Errand
Cookeville, Tennessee
5:15 AM
Johnny was slowly awoken by the trumpet sound-off alarm of his iPhone that rested on the table next to his hotel bed. He sat up, rubbed his eyes with one hand, and looked around the dark hotel room. Most of his things were out of the single suitcase he had brought with him by now, although they had simply been placed aside anywhere that was suitable rather than appropriate. Johnny shakes himself out of his temporarily confused state, brought on by living in a strange place. He shifted to the side of the bed and stood up, examining the hotel room as his eyes were now adjusting to the dark. Johnny walks over to the heavy curtain that kept out the sunlight and pulled it back, letting in only a small amount of light. Johnny sighs slowly, remembering that the angle of the hotel room with the building next-door places him in the position where a well-lit room is hard to get. Nonetheless, the younger Noble begins to go about the room looking for the necessary items to begin his day, namely some clothing that is halfway presentable. As he continues looking about, Johnny spots a single sheet of paper by his hotel door and walks over to it. He picks it up and reads it silently.
Johnny,
Get over to the arena. ASAP. I got some shit that needs doing and you were the first guy that came to mind obviously. Don’t wait around all day neither, because I decided to be nice and got you a fun little matchup later on for Oblivion.
It’s against Storm. Have fun, tough guy.
It’s against Storm. Have fun, tough guy.
Ray
Johnny scans over the paper again and proceeds to crumple it up afterwards, getting all he needed out of the letter.
Johnny: Storm, huh? Good times…good times…
Not much else was going to come from sitting around, it would seem, for a few minutes later, after taking a quick shower to wake up, changing clothes, and gathering up some garbage to take down to the hotel dumpster, Johnny exited the room and left the hotel for the Cookeville Community Center.
Cookeville Community Center
6:03 AM
A light breakfast came before Johnny dragged himself over to Ray’s office at the arena. Truth be told, it was done on purpose, the slow efforts by Johnny, to piss off his “advisor”. Would he probably hear about it later? Sure. Did Johnny give a crap? Not really. Johnny finished off the last of his sausage and biscuit combo, tossed his coffee into the trash, and wiped his hands on his jeans before entering Raymond’s office, finding the young intern sitting at his desk typing on the computer. Contrasting to Johnny, Ray wears his fancy suit and tie while Noble wears street clothes. Signs of class, if you will, but details like those were of little importance. Ray finishes typing up something and looks up from his computer to Johnny. He slides his hands off the keyboard and looks toward Johnny with a self-granted smug of superiority.
Ray: Hey, look who finally showed up. Mr. Win! Tell me, Jonathan, did you sleep well in your luxury condo after your big, tough match last week?
Johnny: Like a baby.
Ray: Oh? And did your mooching ass remember who paid the bills to keep you riding high these past few days? Because beating people like Michael Robinson ain’t gonna net you a big enough paycheck to stay in the places you’re getting.
Johnny: Is that why you were “nice” and got me a match against Storm?
Ray chuckles and stands up from his chair, still standing behind the desk and eyeing Johnny as he speaks.
Ray: Oh, that? You could say that’s why I did it. But me personally, I’d rather call it testing your balls, John boy. It’s a dangerous game, ya see, and I want to test your durability and stability out there in that ring. Because let’s face it, anybody who can swing a fist coulda beat Michael Robinson last week. Hell, you ask me, you got taken for a ride yourself before that chump bastard ran out of moves and you got a nice little hit on him.
Johnny rolls his eyes and folds his arms, waiting for something of importance to come up. Ray walks around the desk to the front and sits on top of the edge.
Ray: So, call this week me giving you an actual test run. Last week was me seeing if you even knew how to get in the ring without hanging yourself in the ropes.
Johnny: I’m sure it was. Of course, I can’t say your choices in match making are exactly sensible, but I guess you’re still an “intern”. You’ll learn your place.
Ray’s smug little grin softens up a noticeable amount, but he quickly resorts to laughing arrogantly and approaches Johnny.
Ray: Hey, don’t even talk to me about “learning your place,” tough guy. Otherwise I’ll quit putting your use ahead of my amusement and I’ll book you against every bastard in the company.
Johnny: Right, because you have that power…
Ray: I can get whatever I need from Kurt if I can convince him it’s for your own good, John. He’s already suspecting you’ll do something dumb and mess up this whole establishment he and Sterling have worked up. So don’t push me, or Storm will be the least of your problems.
Johnny rolls his neck as he thinks over the situation.
Johnny: Oh, pushing you isn’t the sort of thing I had in mind.
Ray: Smart ass little punk.
It’s rather odd, this insult coming from Ray to Johnny, seeing as Noble is taller than he is by a good amount. Johnny takes a few steps toward Ray, who eases off the desk with narrow eyes locked dead ahead. Both men stand this way for several seconds, neither breaking the staredown, before Ray’s phone rings and he goes to answer it, keeping his eyes on Johnny the entire time.
Ray: Hello? What? Lousy bastard. I…I…fine…
Ray’s mouth suddenly forms a sly grin as he looks at Johnny.
Ray: Yeah, yeah, no problem. I’ll get my guy right on it. From one lazy ass to the other, my friend.
Ray hangs up and looks up to Johnny, who retorts back even before the intern can say anything.
Johnny: I’m surprised you have any friends given your…”charming” qualities.
Ray: Heh, cute. Now, listen up, Johnny, because I got a little something that needs doing.
He clears his throat before continuing. Johnny merely stands by with his arms folded.
Ray: Some slacker janitor is busy not being busy right now across the arena. He’s really starting to get on a few people’s nerves.
Johnny: And? I don’t care.
Ray: You should. This is the guy who may be forced to clean up the blood you track back here if Storm does what I’m thinking he’ll do and rip your damn head off. Besides, anybody who doesn’t do work around here and MOOCHES off the company is just gonna drag it down. Kurt would be very upset to know that not all of his employees are doing their part to help Pride out.
Johnny: I do my part. I go out there and wrestle in the wrestling company.
Ray: Sure, sure, but you are also asked to do your extra part in helping me, your trusty advisor and manager, out with certain tasks when I tell you to do them. If you don’t help me out, like you’re TOLD to, then I’ll just stop keeping you in those cozy quarters of yours, you’ll stop getting booked because you have no place to go and no way to get here, you get dropped like a bad habit, and before you know it, it’s just one less roid monkey in the Kingdom of Pride. From there, I don’t see Pride going much longer, because while you may not be the most useful guy in the joint, you still help make other guys look good and enforce the company’s positive sport’s image. And the truth is, if Pride goes, I imagine so does the Noble family bond that you and your brother are trying to fix up. Saaaaad, saaaad, and it all coulda been avoided if you’d just gone the extra mile and dealt with a Pride employee who, like you, has such a morally confused compass.
Johnny stares at Ray coldly, blinking only once and then shaking his head, inwardly hurling abuse at the smug bastard before him in that fancy suit and tie. If only he could get a hold of that tie and a ceiling fan, was one of Johnny’s thoughts among many. Ray smiles and steps toward Johnny.
Ray: So, John, just go and encourage this guy to get to work, because everybody hates a leech. But hey, I guess you don’t need me to tell you that…
Johnny clicks his teeth together, taking that subtle yet not-so-subtle shot at him with the same approach as the insults he got last week: in one ear, out the other. Either way, Johnny decides to humor the disrespectful cockroach with a nice rhetorical question.
Johnny: Are you trying to insult me, Raymond?
Ray: Oh, I’m not trying anything with you, Johnny. I’m just flat out telling you to go do your job and then get back to work “prepping” or “juicing” or whatever you dumb apes have to do in order to grope each other out there in front of all these rednecks.
Johnny: Speaking of that, how the hell am I supposed to train for this match you booked me against when I’m out doing errands for you?
Ray waves a dismissive hand as he looks over some documents on his desk.
Ray: Eh, you’ll find a way. Your brother found a way to get out of rehab, you can find a way to get a janitor back on his feet and mopping up vomit. I know I personally don’t care about this bastard, but I know that’s how it starts with you not working, then the janitors, and then the real employees of the company stop working.
Johnny: You don’t say. You sound like you know a lot about company policy...
Ray’s eyes snap up from the documents and he points a threatening finger at Johnny.
Ray: Look, big guy, here’s some more words of advice: just shut up and keep the comments to yourself. You wanna talk about not getting any training and shit before your match? Go be like Storm and harass this guy physically until he gets off his ass and gets back to sweeping! Ok?
Once again, the two men are at a stand-off. Hard to believe…
Johnny: And what if I decide to say "screw you" rather than be Johnny Noble, the Errand Boy?
Ray responds by gripping the phone at his side and holding it up.
Ray: Well...I guess I’ll call Kurt and tell him that you AND this janitor are too lazy to work and maybe we’ll all be blessed with your resignation. So unless you like that idea, you get over to the janitorial area and talk sense into this dumb bastard before you’re both cleaning toilets in Mexico!
Johnny: I'm terrified. But for the sake of some peace and quiet, I'll take a walk.
Johnny keeps his temper under control and turns for the door, leaving Ray to do whatever it is that he does. The young Noble exits the office and leaves, shutting the door behind him with just enough effort to get Ray’s attention.
Ray: Jesus! He even exits like a stupid gorilla! This garbage better be worth the pay-off, I swear…
Ray goes back to his office chair and sits down at the computer. Meanwhile, Johnny walks outside the office and into the hallway of the arena where he takes out his iPhone and stares at it for a few seconds, taking in the time. Just when it looks like Johnny may be forced to do Ray's bidding right off the bat, he spots a young female stagehand working on a lighting fixture near the Pride banner where interviews are sometimes held and walks toward her, casually looking the area over. The female stagehand looks at him and smiles. Johnny smiles back.
Johnny: Hey.
Stagehand: Hey.
And with that, Johnny instantly shoves Ray to the back of his mind and strikes up a conversation with the young lady as the scene fades out...
The Errand