Fear Is Just for Losers
Lillian's Temporary Replacement
Penny grabbed my arm and dragged me down the hall until we reached a corridor I recognized. Then, she whipped open a door and called inside.
"Eliza! I need hair and make up for Alexa, pronto! She's on in 5!"
My eyes widened. Eliza? Yay!
Then, Penny looked at me. "I'll be back for you in three minutes! Three!" She tapped her watch and flew back out the door. Before I even knew what happened, Eliza was pulling the messy bun out of my hair.
"How you doing', Hun?" She asked, a big smile on her face. "I heard about you announcing. I wish I could be there to watch."
My heart pounded in my chest. Was this honestly happening?
Eliza teased my hair with a brush and pinned it to give it some volume. Then, she spritzed it with a smelly hair spray and sat me down.
"Are you nervous?" She asked, running a brush full of blue color across my eyes.
I nodded, speechless. I'd never been so scared in my life.
She giggled softly. "Don't worry, Hun. You'll be fine."
I opened my eyes and peered back down at the paper Penny had given me. Then, my heart skipped a beat. "CM Punk versus William Regal!?" I spat, feeling my throat dry.
"What's wrong?"
I coughed. "CM Punk!"
She raised an eyebrow in question.
"Eliza, CM Punk is gorgeous! How am I supposed to keep a straight face?"
"You'll be an announcer." She laughed. "It's your job to smile and look pretty. The color in your cheeks will look natural."
Though I wasn't totally convinced, Eliza had a way with making me feel a little more confident.
Suddenly, the reflection of Penny's face popped into the room. "Eliza, I need my girl. We're getting late!"
I hopped off the chair and quickly gazed at myself in the mirror. Her girl, huh? Then, Eliza gave me a hug. "Good luck. You'll do fine. Punk would be stupid not to get an eyeful of you."
"Ha!" I rolled my eyes. "Then, why do I need luck?"
She laughed as Penny pulled me away and to the front of the arena where Leeanna and I had talked to Mr. McMahon.
"You remember what you need to say?" Penny glanced at me sideways.
I nodded. "I think so."
"Recite it to me, then."
I tried to shake off my nervousness. "This match is scheduled for one fall..." I inhaled, trying to remember the rest. "Making his way to the ring from Chicago, Illinois... weighing in at... 222 pounds?"
"Sound confident! Punk is 222 pounds!" Penny scolded me. "2-2-2!"
I nodded. Oops. "Weighing in at 222 lbs... CM Punk!"
Penny nodded. "And what's the rest?"
I sighed. "And his opponent weighing in at 244 lbs, from Blackpool, England... William Regal!"
"Excellent."
I smiled, pleased with myself.
When the pair of us reached the backstage area, crew members clapped me on the back and gave me a thumbs up. Was I really going to do this?
I looked to my left and found CM Punk punching into the air. The blood rushed to my cheeks.
"Okay." Penny spoke to me, pulling me out of my fantasy. "Follow me to the ring, smile. Swing your hips. Catch some eyes. Then, sit down next to the bell. Watch me for my cues. Got all that?"
Before I could even answer, she pulled open the curtain and made her way down a small flight of stairs. I swallowed hard and quickly followed after her.
I tried to keep Penny's voice constantly inside my head. I flipped my hair, and pulled the best crooked smile I could muster. Wasn't that what all the hot girls did?
I let myself glance over the packed arena and followed Penny to the ramp the wrestlers came down. Then, a hand slapped at my arm. I wheeled around in shock. Did someone just hit me?!
"Good luck!!" Leeanna yelled at me from behind the metal barricade. It was definitely loud in here.
My smile returned and I nodded, giving her a thumbs up. My confidence increased a little. This was definitely scary, but it was fun at the same time.
The pair of us stepped up onto the ramp and continued beside the ring, which was bigger than I had imagined. Near JR and the King, I found the small black metal chair I was supposed to be sitting on. My eyes darted to the pair of commentators, who were getting their headphones on. It felt so weird being there. Just this morning I was watching them on the movies I'd rented and now here they were in person.
I smiled brightly as JR offered out his hand to me.
"Hi Alexa. Nice to meet you." He nodded.
"Hi JR. It's a pleasure." Then, I reached for the Kings hand. He nodded to me and we took our seats.
Suddenly, realization slapped me in the face and my eyes whipped around, looking for Penny. Where did she go!?
Calm down, I exhaled. She was sitting just a few feet away. My heart calmed to a relatively normal beat. She eyed me, nodded and held out a finger to wait. Suddenly, the theme to Raw ricocheted around the arena and fans jumped to their feet. I looked around, my eyes wild with excitement. I didn't realize how enthusiastic WWE fans really were. The titantron played a video of wrestlers and diva's doing complicated moves and holding up championship titles.
Pyrotechnics went off on the stage and the crowd held up signs with the names of their favorites painted on them. As I gazed around the arena, I spotted a few people with strange masks over their faces and some with duo-colored bands around their arms. Suddenly, a new theme began playing. Fans jumped up and down and cheered.
My heart dropped. Did I miss my cue?! My eyes darted to Penny, who was staring intently at the titantron. I followed her gaze as John, the wrestler who had shaken my hand after I had met Leeanna, appeared from behind the curtain. I smiled, reminded of Leeanna's face as she described how "fine" she thought he was. From behind the barricade where she'd hit my arm, she cheered him on wildly.
He came into the ring with a microphone and talked about a lot of things that I was too nervous to follow. The crowd cheered as he began trash talking Triple H for the stunt he pulled the week previously. And just as I predicted, The Game came out with his own microphone. The two talked back to each other and it was decided that they would fight each other "Tonight! Here in this very ring!" to see who was the better man. After the promo was finished, the pair of guys headed back up the ring and things became quieter in the arena. Penny who snapped at me- her eyes wide and I took the microphone she offered me.
"I can do this." I whispered to myself. Sighing, I grinned, trying to make myself feel pretty. When I reached the top of the steps, I ducked under the ropes. Some of the fans cheered and some waited anxiously to see what I had to say. I cleared my throat and stood so that I could see Penny. She pointed to me.
I smiled brightly and pushed the microphone to my lips."This match is scheduled for one fall."
A new song- this time metal- blasted out through the speakers and the crowd went wild. CM Punk appeared from the curtains and bounced onto the titantron. I laughed a little as I watched one young woman pull at her hair. I guess she thought he was hot too. I glanced sideways at Penny, who was already pointing at me.
"Making his way to the ring from Chicago, Illinois, weighing in a 222 pounds..." I made sure to sound confident at that part, "... CM Punk!"
Punk yelled to the audience as he made his way down the ramp. Then, he climbed up the stairs and to the top of the ropes. I felt my cheeks turn pink. He stayed on the ropes for a few more seconds, allowing his weight to bounce him up and down. He entered the ring and began rotating his wrists next to me. My heart beat quicker- I could almost reach out and touch him...
Then, the theme changed to Regal's. I looked over at Penny, who was telling me to continue. I smiled again. "And his opponent, weighing 244 pounds from Blackpool, England... please welcome... William Regal!"
What was I supposed to do now? I looked at Penny for help. She was gesturing for me to get out of the ring. I ducked under the ropes, climbed back down the stairs and took my seat. I didn't forget any of my lines, I thought. Me: 1, embarrassment: 0.
Once Regal made it into the ring, a referee hit the bell, signaling the beginning of the match. While the two men fought, Penny appeared beside me. I gave her a look.
"Alexa, you're staying for another match."
My eyes widened. What!?
She nodded to me. "The match is scheduled for just under 10 minutes. Lillian won't be ready."
I sighed. "Who's it between?"
"Chris Jericho and Jeff Hardy."
My heart stopped. Jeff Hardy?! Why did this always happen to me? Punk and then Jeff?
"I don't know their-"
But Penny interrupted me. "-Hardy is 225 pounds. From Cameron, North Carolina."
I eyed her. "And Jericho?"
"226 pounds. Manhasset, New York."
I repeated the information in my head and nodded. "I think I've got it."
"Good. Same procedure as last time. Wait for my cues."
The match continued for a few more minutes until Punk pulled Regal up on his shoulders, whipped him down and kneed him in the face. I knew instantly that it was over. Punk had knocked him out.
1... 2... 3... The bell sounded for the end of the match and Punk's theme song sounded. The crowd got to their feet and cheered.
"Eliza! I need hair and make up for Alexa, pronto! She's on in 5!"
My eyes widened. Eliza? Yay!
Then, Penny looked at me. "I'll be back for you in three minutes! Three!" She tapped her watch and flew back out the door. Before I even knew what happened, Eliza was pulling the messy bun out of my hair.
"How you doing', Hun?" She asked, a big smile on her face. "I heard about you announcing. I wish I could be there to watch."
My heart pounded in my chest. Was this honestly happening?
Eliza teased my hair with a brush and pinned it to give it some volume. Then, she spritzed it with a smelly hair spray and sat me down.
"Are you nervous?" She asked, running a brush full of blue color across my eyes.
I nodded, speechless. I'd never been so scared in my life.
She giggled softly. "Don't worry, Hun. You'll be fine."
I opened my eyes and peered back down at the paper Penny had given me. Then, my heart skipped a beat. "CM Punk versus William Regal!?" I spat, feeling my throat dry.
"What's wrong?"
I coughed. "CM Punk!"
She raised an eyebrow in question.
"Eliza, CM Punk is gorgeous! How am I supposed to keep a straight face?"
"You'll be an announcer." She laughed. "It's your job to smile and look pretty. The color in your cheeks will look natural."
Though I wasn't totally convinced, Eliza had a way with making me feel a little more confident.
Suddenly, the reflection of Penny's face popped into the room. "Eliza, I need my girl. We're getting late!"
I hopped off the chair and quickly gazed at myself in the mirror. Her girl, huh? Then, Eliza gave me a hug. "Good luck. You'll do fine. Punk would be stupid not to get an eyeful of you."
"Ha!" I rolled my eyes. "Then, why do I need luck?"
She laughed as Penny pulled me away and to the front of the arena where Leeanna and I had talked to Mr. McMahon.
"You remember what you need to say?" Penny glanced at me sideways.
I nodded. "I think so."
"Recite it to me, then."
I tried to shake off my nervousness. "This match is scheduled for one fall..." I inhaled, trying to remember the rest. "Making his way to the ring from Chicago, Illinois... weighing in at... 222 pounds?"
"Sound confident! Punk is 222 pounds!" Penny scolded me. "2-2-2!"
I nodded. Oops. "Weighing in at 222 lbs... CM Punk!"
Penny nodded. "And what's the rest?"
I sighed. "And his opponent weighing in at 244 lbs, from Blackpool, England... William Regal!"
"Excellent."
I smiled, pleased with myself.
When the pair of us reached the backstage area, crew members clapped me on the back and gave me a thumbs up. Was I really going to do this?
I looked to my left and found CM Punk punching into the air. The blood rushed to my cheeks.
"Okay." Penny spoke to me, pulling me out of my fantasy. "Follow me to the ring, smile. Swing your hips. Catch some eyes. Then, sit down next to the bell. Watch me for my cues. Got all that?"
Before I could even answer, she pulled open the curtain and made her way down a small flight of stairs. I swallowed hard and quickly followed after her.
I tried to keep Penny's voice constantly inside my head. I flipped my hair, and pulled the best crooked smile I could muster. Wasn't that what all the hot girls did?
I let myself glance over the packed arena and followed Penny to the ramp the wrestlers came down. Then, a hand slapped at my arm. I wheeled around in shock. Did someone just hit me?!
"Good luck!!" Leeanna yelled at me from behind the metal barricade. It was definitely loud in here.
My smile returned and I nodded, giving her a thumbs up. My confidence increased a little. This was definitely scary, but it was fun at the same time.
The pair of us stepped up onto the ramp and continued beside the ring, which was bigger than I had imagined. Near JR and the King, I found the small black metal chair I was supposed to be sitting on. My eyes darted to the pair of commentators, who were getting their headphones on. It felt so weird being there. Just this morning I was watching them on the movies I'd rented and now here they were in person.
I smiled brightly as JR offered out his hand to me.
"Hi Alexa. Nice to meet you." He nodded.
"Hi JR. It's a pleasure." Then, I reached for the Kings hand. He nodded to me and we took our seats.
Suddenly, realization slapped me in the face and my eyes whipped around, looking for Penny. Where did she go!?
Calm down, I exhaled. She was sitting just a few feet away. My heart calmed to a relatively normal beat. She eyed me, nodded and held out a finger to wait. Suddenly, the theme to Raw ricocheted around the arena and fans jumped to their feet. I looked around, my eyes wild with excitement. I didn't realize how enthusiastic WWE fans really were. The titantron played a video of wrestlers and diva's doing complicated moves and holding up championship titles.
Pyrotechnics went off on the stage and the crowd held up signs with the names of their favorites painted on them. As I gazed around the arena, I spotted a few people with strange masks over their faces and some with duo-colored bands around their arms. Suddenly, a new theme began playing. Fans jumped up and down and cheered.
My heart dropped. Did I miss my cue?! My eyes darted to Penny, who was staring intently at the titantron. I followed her gaze as John, the wrestler who had shaken my hand after I had met Leeanna, appeared from behind the curtain. I smiled, reminded of Leeanna's face as she described how "fine" she thought he was. From behind the barricade where she'd hit my arm, she cheered him on wildly.
He came into the ring with a microphone and talked about a lot of things that I was too nervous to follow. The crowd cheered as he began trash talking Triple H for the stunt he pulled the week previously. And just as I predicted, The Game came out with his own microphone. The two talked back to each other and it was decided that they would fight each other "Tonight! Here in this very ring!" to see who was the better man. After the promo was finished, the pair of guys headed back up the ring and things became quieter in the arena. Penny who snapped at me- her eyes wide and I took the microphone she offered me.
"I can do this." I whispered to myself. Sighing, I grinned, trying to make myself feel pretty. When I reached the top of the steps, I ducked under the ropes. Some of the fans cheered and some waited anxiously to see what I had to say. I cleared my throat and stood so that I could see Penny. She pointed to me.
I smiled brightly and pushed the microphone to my lips."This match is scheduled for one fall."
A new song- this time metal- blasted out through the speakers and the crowd went wild. CM Punk appeared from the curtains and bounced onto the titantron. I laughed a little as I watched one young woman pull at her hair. I guess she thought he was hot too. I glanced sideways at Penny, who was already pointing at me.
"Making his way to the ring from Chicago, Illinois, weighing in a 222 pounds..." I made sure to sound confident at that part, "... CM Punk!"
Punk yelled to the audience as he made his way down the ramp. Then, he climbed up the stairs and to the top of the ropes. I felt my cheeks turn pink. He stayed on the ropes for a few more seconds, allowing his weight to bounce him up and down. He entered the ring and began rotating his wrists next to me. My heart beat quicker- I could almost reach out and touch him...
Then, the theme changed to Regal's. I looked over at Penny, who was telling me to continue. I smiled again. "And his opponent, weighing 244 pounds from Blackpool, England... please welcome... William Regal!"
What was I supposed to do now? I looked at Penny for help. She was gesturing for me to get out of the ring. I ducked under the ropes, climbed back down the stairs and took my seat. I didn't forget any of my lines, I thought. Me: 1, embarrassment: 0.
Once Regal made it into the ring, a referee hit the bell, signaling the beginning of the match. While the two men fought, Penny appeared beside me. I gave her a look.
"Alexa, you're staying for another match."
My eyes widened. What!?
She nodded to me. "The match is scheduled for just under 10 minutes. Lillian won't be ready."
I sighed. "Who's it between?"
"Chris Jericho and Jeff Hardy."
My heart stopped. Jeff Hardy?! Why did this always happen to me? Punk and then Jeff?
"I don't know their-"
But Penny interrupted me. "-Hardy is 225 pounds. From Cameron, North Carolina."
I eyed her. "And Jericho?"
"226 pounds. Manhasset, New York."
I repeated the information in my head and nodded. "I think I've got it."
"Good. Same procedure as last time. Wait for my cues."
The match continued for a few more minutes until Punk pulled Regal up on his shoulders, whipped him down and kneed him in the face. I knew instantly that it was over. Punk had knocked him out.
1... 2... 3... The bell sounded for the end of the match and Punk's theme song sounded. The crowd got to their feet and cheered.