Post by blayze on Jun 17, 2008 3:21:30 GMT -5
Lauren had arrived by coach to New York a small sack was a far cry from the large numbers of suitcases that her normal travel would require, she stepped out into the pouring rain. Lauren had been to the city before but traveled first class and had an entourage to rival that of a Hollywood starlet now her life was represented by the small sack carrying nothing more than a change of clothes, ring attire and a small selection of make up. Standing just beside the coach Lauren was startled by the doors closing before the growls of the engine could be heard, she watched as the driver pulled away the chance of turning back now gone. Lauren pulled up her hood but it was rather late as her long brown locks were already drenched in the minute of her being out in the rain. Sighing Lauren took the walk through the coach station seeking some brief shelter and the restroom, it amazed her how busy people were here this had to be the busiest terminal that she had ever seen, taking into account the size of it and the sheer number of people maybe looking to escape a past, escape from somebody, or just a cheap business trip. Lauren eventually saw the restroom through the crowd, she made her way to it, bumping shoulders and more with just about everyone, easy for her to get lost or swept with the flow of drifters, runaways and suits.
Lauren got to the restroom but she noticed a security guard and she was naturally suspicious of anybody wearing a uniform, gained from her troublesome youth. Lauren gently pushes the door open and steps inside, and she walks up to the counter and lowers her hood. Sighing at her messy hair it was her prized attribute but at this point look worse than average, she brushed it from out of her eyes the rain it held causing it to stick to her face a little. Then Lauren looked at her makeup which had ran, from the rain? No, from her tears of what she was leaving behind? Yes. Probably one of the hardest decisions a woman would have to make leaving her daughter with a man she knows isn't the father but what without question protect her and give her the life that Lauren never could. Lauren wiped her mascara from her eyes she thought that perhaps no mascara was better than it running down her face giving her the panda eyes that she dreaded, like most women. Lauren watched as other women came and went as she cleaned herself up, then she left sighing at having to pretty much fight her way to the door. On the street it seemed there were fewer people around, she looked around to hail a cab, it was probably the first time she had ever done it, she couldn't remember. Lauren tried to whistle and yell for one, but her whistle wasn't much louder than the squeaking rats of the sewers.
"TAXI!"
For a few moments Lauren's efforts were in vain, and then she felt a gentle hand rest on her shoulder. Lauren was expecting some words but none came, so she slowly turned around to see who it was. It was a man he was smiling, looked friendly and was kind of cute at least to Lauren. So she smiled back, and her beautiful green eyes lit up showing that her smile was genuine. Something that she hadn't done for a while, at least not since she left Los Angeles.
"I'm guessing' you ain't from New York lady?"
An astute observation from the man, New Yorkers were of a different breed. More tuned in to the real world would be perhaps an accurate statement, after a tragedy like 9/11 that effected the whole of America but New York was hit hardest undoubtedly. I suppose it had both toughened them and brought them together at the same time bringing out their compassion.
"No, I'm from Los Angeles by way of Richmond, Virginia. Everything here is so different from there."
"Los Angeles eh? Don't you Californians have to hail cabs?"
"Well, before I never used them"
"Never used a cab, lady how did you ever get to places by chopper or something?"
"You could say that, I am used to traveling more luxuriously, but now those times are behind me."
"Luxuriously, hmmm. So what did you do or still do, I'm not sure how to put it."
"Well, you'll probably laugh, but I am a wrestler. So they would normally sort out transport for you."
"A wrestler, pardon me for saying but you don't look big enough."
"It's more about technique than size, sure there are women bigger than me but I have never considered myself too small for anything. I do get that a lot."
"So, you are here to find work? For XWA?"
"Well that's why I am here, I have wrestled in other places, though most of my career has been under my father for his company but he closed it about a year ago."
"I haven't seen you before, but around here we only really get XWA broadcasts."
"Yeah, I thought as much. I am prepared to start from the bottom here as status is earned not given."
"I'm not sure about the wrestling industry but I know that attitude would take you far in other work. Now let's get you a cab."
The man steps out into the road Lauren remains on the sidewalk and watches as he begins to wave, whistle and yell "taxi" it is a few times for a cab stops and he opens the door for Lauren, who then walks over and steps into the cab. The man shuts the door but not before hearing the words "thank you" from Lauren. She reads from his lips "anytime" then she watches him walk back to the sidewalk before the taxi pulls off.
"So, where to lady?"
"The XWA headquarters, I'm sorry I don't know the exact address."
"I know where it is, not the first time I have picked up someone heading there."
Lauren looked out of the window trying to take in some of the New York atmosphere, her amazement as the daytime New York was different to how it was portrayed in CSI. This was her only reference to New York really. Lauren was remembering her last moments with Angel, Logan and Michaela. Logan’s words hitting harder than she had ever imagined, “You are an unfit mother, too darn selfish, you always have been and always will be. How can you care for her needs when you are too absorbed with your own Lauren? A mother puts the child’s needs first not her own dreams of being a champion” She can remember that moment those words echoed in her mind over and over, like a metronome slowly driving her mad. The trouble was Lauren couldn’t disagree with him, and she had done the most unselfish thing she could for Michaela by granting sole custody to Logan who as a result would retire to take care of her. Lauren knew that Logan would give his dying breath to see Michaela safe, providing he never found out that Michaela wasn’t his
“I’m sorry, Michaela, but it’s best for you”
Lauren mumbled and the cab driver looked in his mirror at her, and shook his head. He had seen it all before and couldn’t care less, after all he was a cab driver not a psychiatrist and only got the money for driving so unlike other cab drivers he remained quiet and didn’t give out the free advice. Lauren continued to gaze at her new home, and it was so big, so much to do if she got the time to do it. Lauren then looked in her bag for her purse. Pulling it out she looked inside at the photo of herself with Michaela, it raised a smile from her. Then she went through her money to prepare to pay for the fare, she pulled out what she thought was enough for it. Eventually the cab pulled up to a large building, Lauren paid the fare and few words were exchanged between the driver and herself before she headed toward the building. Lauren paused taking a deep breath before placing her hand on the door and pushing it open
Lauren walked into the lobby and looked at the lavish décor, and she saw a desk with a woman sat behind it who you could only assume was a receptionist, taking another deep breath Lauren begins to walk toward her
“Here goes…”
Lauren got to the restroom but she noticed a security guard and she was naturally suspicious of anybody wearing a uniform, gained from her troublesome youth. Lauren gently pushes the door open and steps inside, and she walks up to the counter and lowers her hood. Sighing at her messy hair it was her prized attribute but at this point look worse than average, she brushed it from out of her eyes the rain it held causing it to stick to her face a little. Then Lauren looked at her makeup which had ran, from the rain? No, from her tears of what she was leaving behind? Yes. Probably one of the hardest decisions a woman would have to make leaving her daughter with a man she knows isn't the father but what without question protect her and give her the life that Lauren never could. Lauren wiped her mascara from her eyes she thought that perhaps no mascara was better than it running down her face giving her the panda eyes that she dreaded, like most women. Lauren watched as other women came and went as she cleaned herself up, then she left sighing at having to pretty much fight her way to the door. On the street it seemed there were fewer people around, she looked around to hail a cab, it was probably the first time she had ever done it, she couldn't remember. Lauren tried to whistle and yell for one, but her whistle wasn't much louder than the squeaking rats of the sewers.
"TAXI!"
For a few moments Lauren's efforts were in vain, and then she felt a gentle hand rest on her shoulder. Lauren was expecting some words but none came, so she slowly turned around to see who it was. It was a man he was smiling, looked friendly and was kind of cute at least to Lauren. So she smiled back, and her beautiful green eyes lit up showing that her smile was genuine. Something that she hadn't done for a while, at least not since she left Los Angeles.
"I'm guessing' you ain't from New York lady?"
An astute observation from the man, New Yorkers were of a different breed. More tuned in to the real world would be perhaps an accurate statement, after a tragedy like 9/11 that effected the whole of America but New York was hit hardest undoubtedly. I suppose it had both toughened them and brought them together at the same time bringing out their compassion.
"No, I'm from Los Angeles by way of Richmond, Virginia. Everything here is so different from there."
"Los Angeles eh? Don't you Californians have to hail cabs?"
"Well, before I never used them"
"Never used a cab, lady how did you ever get to places by chopper or something?"
"You could say that, I am used to traveling more luxuriously, but now those times are behind me."
"Luxuriously, hmmm. So what did you do or still do, I'm not sure how to put it."
"Well, you'll probably laugh, but I am a wrestler. So they would normally sort out transport for you."
"A wrestler, pardon me for saying but you don't look big enough."
"It's more about technique than size, sure there are women bigger than me but I have never considered myself too small for anything. I do get that a lot."
"So, you are here to find work? For XWA?"
"Well that's why I am here, I have wrestled in other places, though most of my career has been under my father for his company but he closed it about a year ago."
"I haven't seen you before, but around here we only really get XWA broadcasts."
"Yeah, I thought as much. I am prepared to start from the bottom here as status is earned not given."
"I'm not sure about the wrestling industry but I know that attitude would take you far in other work. Now let's get you a cab."
The man steps out into the road Lauren remains on the sidewalk and watches as he begins to wave, whistle and yell "taxi" it is a few times for a cab stops and he opens the door for Lauren, who then walks over and steps into the cab. The man shuts the door but not before hearing the words "thank you" from Lauren. She reads from his lips "anytime" then she watches him walk back to the sidewalk before the taxi pulls off.
"So, where to lady?"
"The XWA headquarters, I'm sorry I don't know the exact address."
"I know where it is, not the first time I have picked up someone heading there."
Lauren looked out of the window trying to take in some of the New York atmosphere, her amazement as the daytime New York was different to how it was portrayed in CSI. This was her only reference to New York really. Lauren was remembering her last moments with Angel, Logan and Michaela. Logan’s words hitting harder than she had ever imagined, “You are an unfit mother, too darn selfish, you always have been and always will be. How can you care for her needs when you are too absorbed with your own Lauren? A mother puts the child’s needs first not her own dreams of being a champion” She can remember that moment those words echoed in her mind over and over, like a metronome slowly driving her mad. The trouble was Lauren couldn’t disagree with him, and she had done the most unselfish thing she could for Michaela by granting sole custody to Logan who as a result would retire to take care of her. Lauren knew that Logan would give his dying breath to see Michaela safe, providing he never found out that Michaela wasn’t his
“I’m sorry, Michaela, but it’s best for you”
Lauren mumbled and the cab driver looked in his mirror at her, and shook his head. He had seen it all before and couldn’t care less, after all he was a cab driver not a psychiatrist and only got the money for driving so unlike other cab drivers he remained quiet and didn’t give out the free advice. Lauren continued to gaze at her new home, and it was so big, so much to do if she got the time to do it. Lauren then looked in her bag for her purse. Pulling it out she looked inside at the photo of herself with Michaela, it raised a smile from her. Then she went through her money to prepare to pay for the fare, she pulled out what she thought was enough for it. Eventually the cab pulled up to a large building, Lauren paid the fare and few words were exchanged between the driver and herself before she headed toward the building. Lauren paused taking a deep breath before placing her hand on the door and pushing it open
Lauren walked into the lobby and looked at the lavish décor, and she saw a desk with a woman sat behind it who you could only assume was a receptionist, taking another deep breath Lauren begins to walk toward her
“Here goes…”