Post by Andrew Jacobsen on Sept 24, 2011 1:24:35 GMT -6
We open on Andrew Jacobsen sitting in the backseat of a taxi. Danielle Chase sits next to him, and he’s staring out the window at all the landmarks of the nation’s capital. Instead of speaking, Andrew’s voice begins a voiceover, the camera still lingering on the shot of him in the backseat.
“Six men enter…three men leave. Not quite as catchy as some alternatives. But it’s accurate…it’s kind of funny, too. Last year, I was the only man on the Revolution’s team that actually believed in what we fought for. The only one that gave a damn about that cause we were nominally fighting for. This year, I’m on the outside looking in. Rob and Steve…INfamous are tight as can be. Steve, the douche, still sees the need to pull stunts like he did last week. I hear Jimmy talking…telling me that he doesn’t want Ricky to win. I hear Ricky talking…telling me to let him beat Steve. I hear Rob talking…being Rob…I hear all these voices telling me what to do, who to attack, who to betray, how to fight my battles…and I say to them…no.”
Andrew seems to harden his glare as he says this, even without the conscious knowledge of his later words. Chase is going a million miles an hour on her phone in the background, but, like all sound coming from the actual video, it’s muffled in favor of Jacobsen’s voiceover.
“I don’t need you telling me who to be. The last time I caved to the idea that I had to ascribe to a label to be someone, you got the abortion that was my tenure in the Young Guns. Not anymore. I’m tired of striving to be some ideal others set. I’m sick of having to fit some criteria, or some artificially applied standard. If I get anywhere in this business, if I earn anything, I want it to be because I made people sit up and take notice, not because I did what I was told and bowed my head.”
The taxi turns, AJ’s head bouncing off the glass slightly. He manages a small smirk at his circumstances before sitting up again, cracking his neck.
“Jimmy Zane, king of firing his mouth off half-cocked, said that I was never the leader of the Young Guns. Roberto Verona said I was never the leader of the Young Guns. I’m sure Lex Sense has said it more than once. Well, if I was never your leader, why the hell did you take orders from me? Yeah, Jimbo. I never had the stomach for “what we did.” You know why that is. As much as I tried to deny it and play the cool, cocky Charlie Velez photocopy, that’s not who I am. That has NEVER been who I am. And I was an idiot for pretending otherwise. Jimmy, if you think that I’m trying to ride Rob and Steve to victory here, I’ll be more than happy to Flashfreeze those words in your throat. I don’t want you to lay down. I don’t want to be handed anything. Jimmy, I will make you realize that the man you saw before, he wasn’t the Andrew Jacobsen that people hailed as a future champion. He was a joke. The man that steps in there with you Sunday…he’s the one you should fear.”
The taxi takes another turn, the cabbie shouting obscenities at someone he thinks cut him off. Jacobsen groans, holding the bridge of his nose, and looks over to Chase again. She’s still engrossed in her call, but breaks it off to hurl a few curses at the driver for his profanity. Andrew facepalms, sitting back.
“Ricky Johnson. Ricky, my man…yeah, I want Steve to get his ass beat. I want to see him whooped from here to Chinatown. I want the man to bleed, to suffer, to hurt. He ruined my family. He continues to be an utter douchebag weeks after Rob brought me halfway into the fold. Hell, I don’t care if you pin him. But after that, after Steve suffers…I’ll be right there looking to take you right out of the equation. Because as much as you want the World Title, I want the Tag Team Titles. If I could let Steve get completely humiliated while still winning them, I would. But I can’t…and so, as you said, something has to give. Rob Diamond put it best: I never know when to give the f*** up. And as far as I’m concerned…Sunday is NOT the time. You want an easy win? Look elsewhere, you prick. I don’t lay down, not for anyone and especially not for someone who whines and bitches as much as you. I’m not one of the chosen ones, like you noted. But you know why I’m on the other side of the ring from you? I’ve earned the RESPECT of those around me. I’ve fought and clawed for it, and this is where it gets me. Try it sometime.”
The cab pulls up outside of an apartment complex, and both Jacobsen and Chase get out. Jacobsen pays the driver, who idles the cab out front as they turn and walk up to the door. Andrew sighs, hitting a few numbers on the keypad, and we snap back to the live audio finally as a familiar voice comes over the intercom.
“Who is it? If it’s the landlord, I’ll have your rent money, I swear!”
Andrew pauses, clearing his throat.
“…it’s me, Mom.”
Another pause on the other end of the line. A buzzer goes off, and the front door unlocks. Chase immediately opens it, and Andrew walks up to the door, ducking through. Danielle follows him as he heads over to the elevator, shaking his head. She grins at him.
“It’s been a while, huh?”
Jacobsen nods, stepping into the elevator when it arrives. Chase follows him in, and he hits the button for the fourth floor.
“Too long…I need some ***damn answers.”
The elevator practically flies up to the fourth floor, surprising both Chase and Andrew. When the doors open, Andrew only takes half a second to get his bearings before heading in the direction of her apartment. Jacobsen stops before a door, knocking on it. After a moment, the door opens to reveal a haggard-looking Andrea Jacobsen. In the background, we can see a pile of empty whiskey bottles. She blushes upon seeing Andrew and Danielle standing in the doorway.
“Uhh…Andrew…please, come in…and bring your…friend…with you…”
Andrea steps back, walking over to the couch and clearing out a space for all three of them to sit. Andrew walks in, Danielle following him. Jacobsen sits down next to his mother, sighing and looking to Danielle. She produces an opened envelope, which Andrew takes. He pulls out the letter Andrea wrote for him, unfolding it, and looks to her.
“So...Mom. I guess the obvious question is…why? After everything that happened with Steve, WHY did you do that? Dad risked his life for you, he got hospitalized FOR YOU, because he loved you…and then you went and cheated on him AGAIN. What the hell were you thinking? Moreover, why did you even sign up for Steve’s effing program in the first place?!”
Andrea blinks, surprised by the anger from Andrew, and takes a moment to recover before speaking.
“I…I didn’t think I’d make it on! I mean, look at me! I’m a fifty-year-old mother of three who hasn’t been hot since the 1980s! I didn’t buy for a heartbeat that it would work. But I made it somehow…and then Steve…he was just so charming, so kind to me…it reminded me of your father when he was his age. I honestly thought he loved me and cared about me…there were moments, yeah, but…he made me feel young again. He made me feel beautiful again. Your father had become so distant, ever since Callie left, and…I was beginning to think he...he didn’t…”
Andrew cuts her off.
“What? That he’d stopped loving you? Of COURSE he loves you, Mom! He’s loved you ever since you got married! He wouldn’t have gone out there if he hadn’t loved you! And Mom, bluntly…you’re not that old, and even then…uh…
Chase cuts in at this point.
“You’re incredibly beautiful, Ms. Jacobsen. Just because you’re not a Size 0 bimbo with the brains of a lemming and a body that paid for a plastic surgeon’s summer home like Steve Awesome is used to doesn’t mean you’re not still beautiful. Honestly, I hope I look half as good as you do when I’m your age. Sorry for interrupting, Andrew.”
AJ grins, nodding to her.
“No problem. That actually quite elegantly sums things up. Mom, you’re amazing, especially for your age. And I don’t care what that letter you wrote said, you didn’t fail me. Look at me. Even after everything I’ve been through, I still have that same set of morals you drilled into my head when I was little. I’ve gone to Hell and back, and I’m still the guy people deride for being a boy scout. You think that was all me? No. I had you and Dad to look up to when I was a kid. I’m still that little boy that put on the pink and black at Halloween. And you shouldn’t let a mistake ruin your entire life. Look…Dad’s lonely back home…after this week, after Battlegrounds…I’m taking you home. Time you two old-timers made up…for real this time.”
Andrea looks at him incredulously, shaking her head. Even Chase seems to be surprised by this.
“Andy, you always did have a rosy view of people…I don’t know if he’ll take me back. I don’t deserve to be taken back, not after what I did…”
Andrew reaches over and takes his mother’s hand, squeezing it gently and smiling at her.
“Look, we can pray. Mom, Sunday…I’ve got a ticket reserved for you in one of the boxes…just ask at the box office and they’ll give it to you…it’d mean a lot if you came.”
Andrea chuckles, nodding to her son.
“I came to all your wrestling meets when you were younger, didn’t I? How can I miss the chance to see my boy become World Tag Team Champion in front of a pay-per-view audience? I’ll be there, Andy…I promise.”
Andrew grins, pausing for a moment before pulling his mother into a hug. Andrea pats his back, smiling. He pulls back, grinning, and stands, looking to Danielle.
“Okay…uh, you know my number, Mom…if you need anything, just call…Dani, I think we’ve got one more stop to make before Battlegrounds…a conversation with Mr. Awesome…time I gave him a receipt for what he’s done to me…to us.”
Chase nods, standing. Andrew waves to his mom, clearly still nervous about how things are going.
“See ya Sunday, Mom…”
“See you then, Andy. I love you.”
He grins faintly, nodding.
“Love you too, Mom.”
With that, Jacobsen and Chase turn and exit the apartment, camera following them into the hallway. Once the door closes and they’ve begun walking towards the elevators, Chase cracks a huge grin.
“Love you too, Mom…so sweet. I think I might be getting a cavity just from watching that little tender moment.”
Andrew rolls his eyes.
“Dani, shut it or I’ll go all Falcon on you.”
Chase gasps in mock horror before grinning again. Andrew chuckles, and the two stop in front of the elevators. He hits the down arrow, looking over to Danielle.
“Steve?”
Andrew nods, eyes setting determinedly.
“Steve.”
The elevator dings, doors opening, and the two step inside, turning to face the door. Andrew hits the button, and the elevator doors slide shut as we fade to black.
“Six men enter…three men leave. Not quite as catchy as some alternatives. But it’s accurate…it’s kind of funny, too. Last year, I was the only man on the Revolution’s team that actually believed in what we fought for. The only one that gave a damn about that cause we were nominally fighting for. This year, I’m on the outside looking in. Rob and Steve…INfamous are tight as can be. Steve, the douche, still sees the need to pull stunts like he did last week. I hear Jimmy talking…telling me that he doesn’t want Ricky to win. I hear Ricky talking…telling me to let him beat Steve. I hear Rob talking…being Rob…I hear all these voices telling me what to do, who to attack, who to betray, how to fight my battles…and I say to them…no.”
Andrew seems to harden his glare as he says this, even without the conscious knowledge of his later words. Chase is going a million miles an hour on her phone in the background, but, like all sound coming from the actual video, it’s muffled in favor of Jacobsen’s voiceover.
“I don’t need you telling me who to be. The last time I caved to the idea that I had to ascribe to a label to be someone, you got the abortion that was my tenure in the Young Guns. Not anymore. I’m tired of striving to be some ideal others set. I’m sick of having to fit some criteria, or some artificially applied standard. If I get anywhere in this business, if I earn anything, I want it to be because I made people sit up and take notice, not because I did what I was told and bowed my head.”
The taxi turns, AJ’s head bouncing off the glass slightly. He manages a small smirk at his circumstances before sitting up again, cracking his neck.
“Jimmy Zane, king of firing his mouth off half-cocked, said that I was never the leader of the Young Guns. Roberto Verona said I was never the leader of the Young Guns. I’m sure Lex Sense has said it more than once. Well, if I was never your leader, why the hell did you take orders from me? Yeah, Jimbo. I never had the stomach for “what we did.” You know why that is. As much as I tried to deny it and play the cool, cocky Charlie Velez photocopy, that’s not who I am. That has NEVER been who I am. And I was an idiot for pretending otherwise. Jimmy, if you think that I’m trying to ride Rob and Steve to victory here, I’ll be more than happy to Flashfreeze those words in your throat. I don’t want you to lay down. I don’t want to be handed anything. Jimmy, I will make you realize that the man you saw before, he wasn’t the Andrew Jacobsen that people hailed as a future champion. He was a joke. The man that steps in there with you Sunday…he’s the one you should fear.”
The taxi takes another turn, the cabbie shouting obscenities at someone he thinks cut him off. Jacobsen groans, holding the bridge of his nose, and looks over to Chase again. She’s still engrossed in her call, but breaks it off to hurl a few curses at the driver for his profanity. Andrew facepalms, sitting back.
“Ricky Johnson. Ricky, my man…yeah, I want Steve to get his ass beat. I want to see him whooped from here to Chinatown. I want the man to bleed, to suffer, to hurt. He ruined my family. He continues to be an utter douchebag weeks after Rob brought me halfway into the fold. Hell, I don’t care if you pin him. But after that, after Steve suffers…I’ll be right there looking to take you right out of the equation. Because as much as you want the World Title, I want the Tag Team Titles. If I could let Steve get completely humiliated while still winning them, I would. But I can’t…and so, as you said, something has to give. Rob Diamond put it best: I never know when to give the f*** up. And as far as I’m concerned…Sunday is NOT the time. You want an easy win? Look elsewhere, you prick. I don’t lay down, not for anyone and especially not for someone who whines and bitches as much as you. I’m not one of the chosen ones, like you noted. But you know why I’m on the other side of the ring from you? I’ve earned the RESPECT of those around me. I’ve fought and clawed for it, and this is where it gets me. Try it sometime.”
The cab pulls up outside of an apartment complex, and both Jacobsen and Chase get out. Jacobsen pays the driver, who idles the cab out front as they turn and walk up to the door. Andrew sighs, hitting a few numbers on the keypad, and we snap back to the live audio finally as a familiar voice comes over the intercom.
“Who is it? If it’s the landlord, I’ll have your rent money, I swear!”
Andrew pauses, clearing his throat.
“…it’s me, Mom.”
Another pause on the other end of the line. A buzzer goes off, and the front door unlocks. Chase immediately opens it, and Andrew walks up to the door, ducking through. Danielle follows him as he heads over to the elevator, shaking his head. She grins at him.
“It’s been a while, huh?”
Jacobsen nods, stepping into the elevator when it arrives. Chase follows him in, and he hits the button for the fourth floor.
“Too long…I need some ***damn answers.”
The elevator practically flies up to the fourth floor, surprising both Chase and Andrew. When the doors open, Andrew only takes half a second to get his bearings before heading in the direction of her apartment. Jacobsen stops before a door, knocking on it. After a moment, the door opens to reveal a haggard-looking Andrea Jacobsen. In the background, we can see a pile of empty whiskey bottles. She blushes upon seeing Andrew and Danielle standing in the doorway.
“Uhh…Andrew…please, come in…and bring your…friend…with you…”
Andrea steps back, walking over to the couch and clearing out a space for all three of them to sit. Andrew walks in, Danielle following him. Jacobsen sits down next to his mother, sighing and looking to Danielle. She produces an opened envelope, which Andrew takes. He pulls out the letter Andrea wrote for him, unfolding it, and looks to her.
“So...Mom. I guess the obvious question is…why? After everything that happened with Steve, WHY did you do that? Dad risked his life for you, he got hospitalized FOR YOU, because he loved you…and then you went and cheated on him AGAIN. What the hell were you thinking? Moreover, why did you even sign up for Steve’s effing program in the first place?!”
Andrea blinks, surprised by the anger from Andrew, and takes a moment to recover before speaking.
“I…I didn’t think I’d make it on! I mean, look at me! I’m a fifty-year-old mother of three who hasn’t been hot since the 1980s! I didn’t buy for a heartbeat that it would work. But I made it somehow…and then Steve…he was just so charming, so kind to me…it reminded me of your father when he was his age. I honestly thought he loved me and cared about me…there were moments, yeah, but…he made me feel young again. He made me feel beautiful again. Your father had become so distant, ever since Callie left, and…I was beginning to think he...he didn’t…”
Andrew cuts her off.
“What? That he’d stopped loving you? Of COURSE he loves you, Mom! He’s loved you ever since you got married! He wouldn’t have gone out there if he hadn’t loved you! And Mom, bluntly…you’re not that old, and even then…uh…
Chase cuts in at this point.
“You’re incredibly beautiful, Ms. Jacobsen. Just because you’re not a Size 0 bimbo with the brains of a lemming and a body that paid for a plastic surgeon’s summer home like Steve Awesome is used to doesn’t mean you’re not still beautiful. Honestly, I hope I look half as good as you do when I’m your age. Sorry for interrupting, Andrew.”
AJ grins, nodding to her.
“No problem. That actually quite elegantly sums things up. Mom, you’re amazing, especially for your age. And I don’t care what that letter you wrote said, you didn’t fail me. Look at me. Even after everything I’ve been through, I still have that same set of morals you drilled into my head when I was little. I’ve gone to Hell and back, and I’m still the guy people deride for being a boy scout. You think that was all me? No. I had you and Dad to look up to when I was a kid. I’m still that little boy that put on the pink and black at Halloween. And you shouldn’t let a mistake ruin your entire life. Look…Dad’s lonely back home…after this week, after Battlegrounds…I’m taking you home. Time you two old-timers made up…for real this time.”
Andrea looks at him incredulously, shaking her head. Even Chase seems to be surprised by this.
“Andy, you always did have a rosy view of people…I don’t know if he’ll take me back. I don’t deserve to be taken back, not after what I did…”
Andrew reaches over and takes his mother’s hand, squeezing it gently and smiling at her.
“Look, we can pray. Mom, Sunday…I’ve got a ticket reserved for you in one of the boxes…just ask at the box office and they’ll give it to you…it’d mean a lot if you came.”
Andrea chuckles, nodding to her son.
“I came to all your wrestling meets when you were younger, didn’t I? How can I miss the chance to see my boy become World Tag Team Champion in front of a pay-per-view audience? I’ll be there, Andy…I promise.”
Andrew grins, pausing for a moment before pulling his mother into a hug. Andrea pats his back, smiling. He pulls back, grinning, and stands, looking to Danielle.
“Okay…uh, you know my number, Mom…if you need anything, just call…Dani, I think we’ve got one more stop to make before Battlegrounds…a conversation with Mr. Awesome…time I gave him a receipt for what he’s done to me…to us.”
Chase nods, standing. Andrew waves to his mom, clearly still nervous about how things are going.
“See ya Sunday, Mom…”
“See you then, Andy. I love you.”
He grins faintly, nodding.
“Love you too, Mom.”
With that, Jacobsen and Chase turn and exit the apartment, camera following them into the hallway. Once the door closes and they’ve begun walking towards the elevators, Chase cracks a huge grin.
“Love you too, Mom…so sweet. I think I might be getting a cavity just from watching that little tender moment.”
Andrew rolls his eyes.
“Dani, shut it or I’ll go all Falcon on you.”
Chase gasps in mock horror before grinning again. Andrew chuckles, and the two stop in front of the elevators. He hits the down arrow, looking over to Danielle.
“Steve?”
Andrew nods, eyes setting determinedly.
“Steve.”
The elevator dings, doors opening, and the two step inside, turning to face the door. Andrew hits the button, and the elevator doors slide shut as we fade to black.