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When Jake Starr and Roeper Hart last truly spoke, fireworks flew as the jealousy of Roeper, in regard to Jake's budding friendship with Pepper Robinson, continued to swell to it's boiling point. Since that moment the two have remained largely at a distance with one another, with the exception of when Mara is around. They have tried to keep her as sheltered from their quarrels, especially since it deals with her teacher, that she adores so much.
The lack of communication, however, has begun to take a toll on the pair. Both have felt the weight of the whole situation growing on their shoulders, but the problem exists that neither know how to truly approach the matter. Both have had many moments to sit back and reflect on what the other had to say. Both have had chances to consider the other's point of view, and because of that have begun to have their opinions slightly become more altered in a more understanding direction. Still, neither has felt comfortable approaching the subject. For Jake, this has meant spending the bulk of his time hiding in his office. When Mara isn't around it is easy for him to stay "out of sight, out of mind" and simply keep to himself. Roeper, on the other hand, has been spending most of her time in the living room, or the pair's bedroom, trying to be in a location where she's more "open," and easily accessible, should Jake want to speak. With the tension mounting, and time growing longer between discussions, both are beginning to feel like it's time to suck it up and talk things out. As Roeper begins to think about making this happen, Jake sits in his office, texting Pepper, and asking for her insight on the whole situation. As he confides in her, she continues to tell Jake to take the initiative and talk to Roeper himself, and resolve it sooner than later. She understands Roeper's worry and frustration, even though it is due to her befriending Jake. She also knows that her friendship with Jake is something she truly cares about maintaining, and figures if she can help mend the gap, continue to be a listening ear for Jake, and show she's not trying to become a problem, it will put her in a more positive light. Jake's concern, however, is much of what Roeper said about his friendship, and he fears another discussion will put the unwanted ultimatums back on the table. Pepper continues to tell Jake that if the situation continues to escalate, she's more than willing to talk to Roeper, herself, to try and assist in smoothing things over. Jake continues to type a reply, when he sees movement at the entry to his office. He looks up and sees a worried Roeper standing there, staring back at him. He looks down and finishes his text before putting his phone down, and addressing his wife. Jake Starr: ... What's up? Roeper takes a deep breath.
Roeper Hart: ... I think that we should talk... Jake nods.
Jake Starr: Yeah, you're probably right... Roeper walks into Jake's office and Jake takes this opportunity to put his phone on "do not disturb," so Roeper knows she has his undivided attention. Roeper sits down, across from Jake, and immediately sighs before going into her spiel.
Roeper Hart: ... So, since we had our fight, I've been doing a lot of thinking, you know? Jake nods.
Jake Starr: Yeah... Same here... But you tell me what you're thinking first, then I'll respond... Roeper nods.
Roeper Hart: Ok... Thanks... So... I've been thinking a lot about how I felt then, and what you said, and how it makes me feel now. At the time, it felt like it went in one ear and out the other, but as I've processed it, it's made a lot of sense. The fact is, I hadn't thought about a lot in the same way you said. In my head, it was always the women that I had to worry about, you know? Like, I always figured that if someone came up and propositioned you, you'd want them because you'd somehow see them as better than I was or am. I mean... It wasn't supposed to sound like I didn't trust you, but more that I figured that you would want someone else over me. I realize, now, how bad of me it was to think that of you, or of our relationship... But I did... I also realize that I wasn't understanding of the situation as a whole. This whole thing with Pepper, you've been transparent with me. You've never gone around hiding things. You were never acting sneaky or devious with me. You were always honest if you were talking with her, and what you were talking about. She's just younger and more beautiful than I am, in my eyes, and I won't lie, I'm pretty intimidated by it. I mean, I don't know why I am, but I just know that the situation as a whole made me uncomfortable. Like, I've never seen you enjoy talking to another woman as much as it seems like you do with her. And Rachel wasn't like that, and it wasn't fair for me to bring her up and try and use her as ammunition. I just, honestly, feel like Pepper is presenting "competition" for me and our family. With that said, however, I want to say this... I am going to work on changing how I view her, and view the situation as a whole. I need to be able to trust you and trust your judgment. You were right... You can't control the women around you, and I get that. What you can control is how you respond to them. I have to believe that you're going to do that properly for us. I simply have to believe in you, Jake. I just do. I'm sorry I haven't trusted you. I am sorry for not giving you the benefit of the doubt, Jake. I should have. Going forward I will do my best to always do just that. You haven't done anything to make me question you, and I don't need to treat you like you have or have suggested you might. With that, Roeper ends her spiel. Jake sits there in silence, and after a couple of moments he realizes she is completely done. This pause initially worries Roeper, as she thinks Jake is upset, again, but Jake simply wanted to ensure she received as much time as she wanted. This would allow her to get everything off of her chest, and allow Jake to truly take it all in. Jake begins to nod, and then appropriately respond to his wife.
Jake Starr: Let me start by saying you don't have anything to apologize for, in my opinion. The fact is, you're allowed to feel how you want, and nobody can really be the one to tell you that it's "wrong." The fact is, I've been thinking about it, too. Sure, you could have given me the benefit of the doubt, but at the same time this is territory that we both know is new, and neither of us know how to "process" it appropriately. Face it... How you feel makes sense... One of the biggest issues was my response. Instead of listening to you, I simply went defensive and reacted wrong. So that makes me JUST as wrong as anyone else, you know? I fucking flew off of the handle, and I shouldn't have. Instead of HEARING you, and realizing what you were saying and feeling, I immediately just thought, "oh she's trying to dictate who I can and cannot be friends with." Yeah, it devolved to that point, but that wasn't the case walking in. You had your concerns, and you wanted me to hear them out. You wanted me to know about the fact you simply felt uncomfortable with the situation. If I had simply sat back, like now, and listened, I could have easily responded to that concern and not been such a dick about the whole situation. But I didn't. I simply went into attack mode. But I hear what you're saying now, and I appreciate it. I'm very glad you're willing to trust me and trust my judgment. That is ALL I want, you know? I want to be me. I want to be trusted. I want to continue to enjoy the fact that I have made a friend that is not wrapped up, or wanting to be wrapped up in this business that I'm in. I finally found someone I can talk to who isn't ALWAYS trying to talk wrestling... Roeper Hart: You could talk with me, you know? Jake Starr: And I do, hun. You know that. But you also know what it's like to have your "girlfriends" who you can just talk to about ANYTHING, right? Roeper shrugs.
Roeper Hart: ... Well... Yeah... Jake Starr: That's what this is. I know I can talk to you, and I DO talk to you. But I need that social circle of people from various aspects in order to be happy. I mean, for years I enjoyed ALWAYS talking about wrestling. For YEARS I was the guy who was married to the business, but now, it's like it is simply PART of who I am. It isn't ALL of who I am. So she's kind of like a breath of fresh air, allowing new sides of me to finally come out from the shadows of pro wrestling. I can definitively say if it were a male instead of a female, I'd feel the same damn way. Gender doesn't even play a role. We just chat about nonsensical bullshit, half the time. We don't feel like we need to randomly meet up or hang out... Having said that, please listen... I was in the wrong for not telling you about helping her move furniture until AFTER the fact. That is completely on me. And I can be better at that, should those instances ever present themselves again. But the fact is, she's just a friend. She's just another confidant in my life, and in my world. She's not competition. She's not someone to be worried about. But I understand why you may. Roeper chimes in again.
Roeper Hart: And I get all of that, and I plan on working on things from my end. I want to be able to see things differently. It may take me some time, but I am definitely willing to and going to work on it. You just need to understand that I need your patience on the matter. Jake nods.
Jake Starr: I can definitely do that. If you're willing to work with me on it, I'm willing to be patient on it no matter what. As Roeper goes to respond, Jake's phone lights up, breaking the glass on Jake's do not disturb. Jake knows Pepper isn't setup to be able to get through, and he immediately goes to snag the phone, realizing this is not just a random person texting him. Jake sees that it's David, as does Roeper, bringing her curiosity into the fray as well. She has a sense of excitement and concern all wrapped up into one, especially when she sees Jake's eyes go wide as he reads it. Jake, then, wastes no time jumping up, slamming the lid on his laptop, and literally running out of the room. Roeper is quick to exclaim.
Roeper Hart: WHAT?! WHAT'S GOING ON?! Jake's initial response is short.
Jake Starr: TOMMY! Roeper's confusion and concern grows.
Roeper Hart: WHAT ABOUT HIM?! As she hears Jake swing the front door open, Jake's final words make Roeper even more scared.
Jake Starr: HE'S GONE! Jake is then heard running through the snow to his car, jumping in, and speeding off down the street. Roeper is completely confused and scared as to what "he's gone" means, knowing that Jake's short answers don't normally happen unless a situation is dire. Her focus on the Pepper situation is both in the front and back of her mind as she feels better about talking to Jake, but also realizes that Tommy, someone they both consider family, is "gone," according to Jake, and takes much precedence over something they have both agreed to work on. As Jake races to wherever he's going, his heart races, and he simply continues to mutter the words "no, no, no, not now, not again," to himself.
Jake Starr: Learning From the Past... It's a notion that we all live with every day. We all look back at history to help us learn and help us become better. For some, "becoming better" means truly becoming a better person. Using mistakes to improve on one's self, and effectively grow as a person. For other's it is improving on past failures. I guess you could say that, in a sense, is becoming a better person because you're learning from mistakes, but the fact is you're trying to change the future by focusing on the past. When it comes to Jake Starr, I'm BOTH of those examples... I use the past to focus on how I can become a better person. A few years back I decided to let my selfishness get the better of me, and ultimately lead me down a path that forced me to treat others like shit. Sure, it got people to notice Jake Starr. But the problem was, it got me noticed for all of the wrong reason. It made me burn a lot of bridges. It made me act like an idiot, and made me lose focus of what it took to get ahead. But I don't look back wishing I would have done it different. As much as it caused me to be in a shitty position from a personal standpoint, it lead me to learning more about myself. It taught me about what it takes in order to truly succeed, and how not to treat others. The reality is... I'm still learning from my mistakes... I've also began to make the necessary amends... I've talked about the relationship between Tommy and I enough, so I won't retell history, but the fact is I have used how I treated him and others as a catalyst to teach me what I have to do in order to not let history repeat itself. I have used it as a way to learn how not to EARN the respect of my peers. I was out there demanding it by threatening. Hell, it's been my M. O. my entire life. Threaten, threaten, threaten, expect people to fear you and immediately give you what you want. That's what I did, time and time again. How often did it work for me, really? In hindsight, how much did the DEMANDS actually reap rewards? Almost none, if any. Everything I got was by EARNING. Everything I got was because Jake Starr PROVED himself. Everything I got I deserved because OTHERS felt I EARNED my opportunity. That's why you haven't heard Jake Starr demand anything, lately. That's why, when B. A. E. beat Tommy and I for the Tag Team Championships, I didn't run out saying we wanted a rematch. Management saw us as having the right to one, gave it to us, and B. A. E. went out there and proved themselves to be the superior team. They PROVED to everyone that they are better than Tommy and I, and you know, I don't sit here and have the same animosity I used to have. Sure, I want to win. I want to be the best. But you know, sometimes there are those who just have your number. Right now, B. A. E. have our number, and Jake Starr can stand here and be humble in defeat. Jake smirks.
... Which leads us to the second way people "become better," and that's by learning from your mistakes so you can do whatever you can to NOT allow them to happen again. So while I am humble in defeat, I stand here saying that there will be one more day when B. A. E. and The Resurgence cross paths again. When that happens, Tommy and I will look back at the two losses, and do everything we can to change the outcome that third time. And if you don't think it can change, I'm going to say one name that says otherwise, then explain myself... David Helms... Now before people think that I'm going down that road of burying David again, step back. That is NOT what I'm saying. David Helms beat me COUNTLESS times. From the first match we had, when he took the World Championship from around my waist, to subsequent matches over the years, I NEVER could beat David. He simply was the better man, and had Jake Starr's number. But there was one night when the stars aligned, and when I was able to learn from every one of those defeats and put together the PERFECT match for myself. That night, I won. That night, I was the better man. It was the last time we ever were in the ring together, and you know, who knows what would have happened in the future. It may have been a lucky night, or maybe Jake Starr would have turned the corner. But the fact is, I learned from those mistakes for one night. David will always be a guy who, yeah, ultimately had my number. But there is one thing that I can say... I never gave up believing in myself! I'm not going to say I'm better than Helms. He's a Hall of Famer, and rightfully so. But there was one night I can say I was the better man. And do you know what means? It means that, no matter what the past says, it means no matter what history says, things can always change on a whim, especially in this business. Hell... Jake Starr was a NOBODY in this organization for years, and he stepped up, took the time to make himself ready for a moment that NOBODY saw coming, nor did ANYONE see becoming even PARTIALLY successful... Jake looks over at the World Championship on his shoulder.
... But here I am! And at Learning From the Past, both sides come together for me to prove to the world, and myself, that I am FOR FUCKING REAL! When I walk into that arena, I realize the reality of the situation. I walk in and realize that the odds are not on my side. It's a triple threat match with two of the strongest women on the SCW roster, Bree Lancaster and Syren. These two women have gotten to this match in their own ways, and honestly, each, in my opinion, deserve to be there. Each are ones whom I have history with as well. One, however, is far more lengthy than the other. So Zoe... Here we go again... When people think about who Jake Starr could consider his "arch nemesis," there is one name that has always come to mind, and it's you Syren. You and I have danced more times than I can count. We have been around the block. We have battled for this championship on so many occasions. We've battled one on one... We've battled at Rise to Greatness... This belt has come between us, and forced us to fight our best fight to try and try and take this championship from one another. And it happens again. This time, though, is one of those FEW times I walk in the top dog. This time is when you come in the hunter, and I the hunted. This is one of those role reversals we haven't really gotten to play off of as many times as others. Usually you're the champion, or we are both hunting. Not this time... Not this fucking time... Syren, I know how talented you are. We have been aligned in battle, and we have been opposed. You have been the person who I can never get too far away from, before our paths cross again. And honestly, I'm glad you're my first big challenge of 2018, along with Bree. Why? Because, frankly, I respect you. Yeah, this is one of those times where I feel like I'm doing something I've done several times over, but the fact is, the last time I won this championship I won it from you. That time is the ONLY time I've been able to best you in singles competition as well. You've been that "David Helms" figure, to me, too. You've been that opponent who has, for the most part, always come ahead of me in the "who is better than who" rankings. You've been that opponent I am ALWAYS desperate to beat, and have only succeeded once. You've been that person who is simply better than me... So when I say I'm glad, I'm glad because I know if I emerge from this match having another victory over you, it won't be because of a fluke. It won't be because of me beating someone. It'll be a definitive win over you AND Bree. It'll be because I EARNED a victory that nobody thought I could earn. And it'll be a moment where maybe, just maybe, I earn a little respect from you. Fact is, I don't know if you respect me. I don't know if you think I even deserve to be in the same breath as your name. But win, lose or, draw, you will respect me after the pay-per view. It won't be another Rise to Greatness where you steal a win. This time, to win, you have to fucking earn it. You have to fucking scratch, claw, bleed, EVERYTHING, just to take this from me. You have more of these moments, Zoe... This could be my last. So I want you to think about that when you feel the fight I bring to this. I want you to truly FEEL how much drive I have, compared to the past. I want you to understand I am out to prove that the ONE TIME I beat you heads up, it wasn't a fluke. It wasn't because you weren't on your A-game. It wasn't because you just didn't "feel it." No... It was because that night, the stars fucking aligned, and years later, they did the same thing again. This match means everything to me. For fuck's sake... It's sad, but every match does. I don't have a choice but to go in with that mentality. I just fucking don't. So be prepared for a fight. Bring the best Syren you've ever brought. That's who I want to face and that's who I want to beat. I don't want there to be question marks or doubts... I want there to be PROOF! Jake takes a breath, and continues.
... Now Bree, I know you heard your name a couple times in there, so I hope you realize I haven't forgotten about you. Our history doesn't go as in-depth as Syren's and mine does. Ours is a little more simplistic because we haven't really tangled, but it doesn't mean we have no history. Now, for those who aren't Jake Starr historians, like I am, they may just look at your recent tweet in my direction, telling me to watch my back. But people forget what you did to, in a sense, muddle a moment for me, that I have NOT forgotten... Flashback, with me, to last year, when I was getting another opportunity to be the FIRST person to truly say they were the "True" Supreme Champion. Flashback to April, to help jog your memory... You had some hankering with Brett Sinclaire that, honestly, to this day I don't know, nor care, about. You two had apparently had a bad date, or he didn't call you the next morning, but regardless you decided to make the moment I won the Television Championship a little iffy by interfering. Some may say you're the only reason I won it. Others say it was a foregone conclusion regardless, like me. But the fact is, you still stuck your nose into Jake Starr's business, and never atoned for your mistakes. Because I promise you, bitch, that was a fucking mistake! That night was supposed to be mine. That night was supposed to be the night that ended a title drought, and people were supposed to cheer. People were supposed to be happy. For fuck's sake I was supposed to feel vindicated, but YOU... You had to go and take it from me. All because of some beef you hadn't squashed on your own time. You HAD to use MY time. And when you use Jake Starr's time, ESPECIALLY when it's his time to enjoy a moment he will NEVER get to have again, you FUCKING PISS HIM OFF! Jake's intensity picks up dramatically.
It's something I haven't forgotten about Bree, and when I saw your name in that little World Title thing you went through, yeah, part of me HOPED that you would make it out alive. Part of me HOPED that you would be the one I would see, if I made it to 2018 as champion. And the reason is simple... You took something from me that I deserved, that I earned, that I WORKED MY ASS OFF FOR, and you didn't care... It didn't cross your mind what was happening, or could potentially happen that night. All you cared about was fucking Brett over because of some PETTY reason. And you stole MY moment... Now I steal yours... You busted your ass, earning this opportunity. You deserve to be in this match more so than anyone, probably even Syren, but she definitely deserves her chance as well, but that doesn't mean you deserve to WIN. You see, I know how badly you want to win, and beat me. I know how bad you want to be number one. I know how bad you want to be the hunted. I know how much you feel like this is your RIGHTFUL coronation after what you endured to get here. THAT is why I want to be the one to fart in your bowl of fucking Cheerios and TAKE it from you. I want to see you on the verge of victory, tasting that moment, seeing that brass ring touch your fingertips, only to have your hand bitch-slapped away, and you realize that karma is a bitch. Consider it a moment where you realize that sometimes when someone ELSE learns from past events, it can impact you in a way you're not happy with because when you DON'T win, when you realize all of that torture of your little competition to earn this spot lead you to coming up just short, you'll know what it's like to have a moment taken from you. Yes... I still won the Television Championship... Yes, I was the first to win everything I could win... But the fact that some people credit you is something I can't change. The fact that people didn't believe in ME, is because of you. Now... I make people STOP believing in you... Jake takes a deep breath, calming himself before concluding.
... So I hope you both took heed of my words. The three of us are going to war, and this championship is what we all want to emerge with. I know the odds are stacked against me. Hell... 33.3 percent isn't the odds I want, when it comes to retaining. But the fact is, you two have the same odds. You two also both bring motivation for me. You two also bring baggage that reminds me of HOW BAD I want to win, and the lengths I'll go to do just that. Because of that, I can almost GUARANTEE my odds will increase. And I don't know if either of you are maths geniuses or not, but if my odds go up, yours go in a familiar direction... Down! Fin |
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