New Dawn RP: Jayson Garrett

[Deleted]

Five Nights in the Life of Garrett

Morning #6
Miami, FL

Okay, this looks bad. Random girl in my bed. Miami. Literally the opposite part of the country. Morning of New Dawn. I'm slumped over in a chair. I look around the room. It's my suite at least, and all my evening clothes are still on. Coat and all. Thank god. Okay, now this looks slightly better. I was getting tired of those pregnancy scares back in the movie-making days. There was one where the chick actually tried taking me to court over if the kid was mine. It wasn't. She just wanted to mooch off the child support that would've come with me being the baby daddy. I don't even usually drink. Sometimes. My head really hurts though. It suddenly hits me, these headaches and mornings after are why I stopped getting hammered at Hollywood parties. I only had a couple mixed drinks though. Guess the liquor tolerance has decreased. Regardless, I walk over to the side of her bed. The solid eight from earlier. Now this doesn't look so bad. The lingering question though, what in the hell happened?

Night #1
Sacramento, CA

"Jayson Garrett?"

"Yup, speaking. Who's this?"

"This is Nora Fitzgerald, I'm with the Olympia Police Department calling about Chase Landon's passing."
Not more of this. My old buddy, if you could call him that. He's already dead though. Why this now? Finally, he's gotten some closure, so of course let's open that door up again. Yeah, that's what they're saying now I guarantee.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"We just wanted to send our condolences from all of us here in Olympia. We're sure it's a difficult time for you being that you were with him not just on the road but often times at his home in Olympia with him so we wanted to thank you for that as well as working with us as much as you do."

"You're welcome."

"On a personal note, from me to you, it's a shame that Chase passed how he did. Our officer said he tried jumping across the train tracks and just didn't care about the oncoming train. In fact, he said it seemed like he didn't even notice it. He was just trying to help, picked up his rock after he dropped it. Said Chase's hands were shaking so bad that's why it fell. Shame the poor kid had such a bad mental state."

That damn rock. Probably tried to run away from the officer who'd given it back to him. His own frazzled mental state was his demise. I mean the last few months were, and no pun is intended, an absolute train wreck. In the end though we were tag team champions I guess that counted for something. Even though I still did all the work.

"I also was calling about funeral arrangements. Ms. Frame has taken care of them and we have the details -"
I stop her.

"I don't mean to be too curt, but they won't be needed. I'm incredibly busy and wouldn't have the time sadly."

"Well...okay. Are you sure? It's no trouble to e-mail them since yours is in our database after all."

"I assure you, it's fine. I'm sure you think I'm being rude, but I promise it's just because my schedule is jam packed. Send my best wishes to Frame and the rest of the station. I have to go. Thank you for the call."

"Okay, well-"

I hang up before she finishes off the statement. I'd heard enough. I'd cared enough. I've been through enough with Chase for that matter. The year of teaming and even longer of having to watch him like a mother bird because he's just not responsible enough mentally to take care of himself. The tag team titles. The Superbrawl win. That stuff, it came from my determination. Now because he's gone I feel even the slightest bit sentimental? No way. That's not how it works. He doesn't get to keep following me around even after he's dead. That phone call is my final closure. I'm not going to give Chase what he wanted with his death; to linger in my mind because I spent the most time with him. Chase Landon is dead now. I know how. I know why. It was his own fault and something I tried to help him with while he was still here. He's not going to haunt me like a ghost. The old saying is that you die twice. Once one earth, and again when your name is no longer spoken. Chase Landon is dead to me in both ways. He is behind me. I'm only worried about what's ahead.

What's front and center ahead of me is with my new team with none other than Jack. Our first time out, if I do say so myself, we had a fantastic outing. Once more though, we fell just short. That one hurt to be quite honest. I was looking forward to bringing back the tag team titles to my home where they belong. Proving everyone wrong, it was what I wanted to do. Maybe it was that lack of experience. It could've just been an off night. No matter what happened though, we walked out empty-handed. We have another the next opportunity though, a tournament. For once we actually have an experience advantage, something perhaps no tag team of just two months has ever been able to say. All these random teamings, like our opponents, Drakz and Zmey, which is a hell of a random pairing I must say, don't have the ability to click like we will. These past few months and our shot at tag team glory right out of the gate were just a tryout. It was a way for myself and Jack to get accustomed to one another. No better way to build team chemistry than to not just compete alongside one another but to spend quality time as buddies together.

That is certainly something that Zmey and Drakz will never even think about doing. If there's ever a team that would self-implode, it's absolutely these two men. Certainly there's tons of emotions, the main one being hatred of course. Perhaps though, there's a bit of jealousy in there too with Drakz having all the singles glory and all. Not only that, but Zmey lost to me the last time we faced off in singles action. Maybe the monster is going to target me and forget all about the common goal. Personally, that's okay with me. I've faced off with Zmey more times than I can count so I know his tricks and if he intends on trying to take me out along with himself in the process then I have no problems in allowing Jack to pin Drakz in the center of the ring and advance us along to the next round. With a makeshift team you truly don't know what you're going to get. I know for a fact that with Drakz and Zmey we're getting two guys that have some incredible talent in their own right, not as much as yours truly, but that's besides the point. The point is that while they're good, all the elements are in place for there to be an explosion. That's when we'll be there to clean it up.

Night #2
Sacramento, CA

A balmy Sacramento evening. Perfect for a quick stroll before I voyage back out into the crazy world that is my life. From Manchester to meet with Jack straight to Miami to prepare for New Dawn. It's just now starting to swing from spring to summer. Where the comfortable days of the spring begin to get hotter and more dry to the point where walks like this are rendered impossible in the day and hard to fit in during the night because you never know when the temperature will drop. I caught one of the nice spring nights. A crisp 60 degrees even after the sun has gone down. Though it feels colder, it's a manageable temperature. It's the one thing I'd hated about living here in Sacramento though. Summer and fall wardrobes have to be kept in the same closet because you never know what type of weather you're going to get. Regardless, it's a nice night and I'd like to stay positive about the summer ahead.

Normally walks like this are designed to keep my mind off of what I'd done in the ring, or what I'm about to do. Ascension remains on my mind though. The triple threat loss to Penny Shannon. It's a tough pill to swallow. The idea of playing spoiler to a debut is just something that enthralled me since I stepped into the ring. Not to draw the ire of the crowd or even to rain on their parade. It was just something to do so I could make a statement and reapply myself. For the rest of Penny's campaign here in the WFWF, and Stan's for that matter, the anything they do would have my name attached to it. I'd be the first person to beat both of them. It didn't matter if it was Penny's return or just Stan's undefeated streak, it would've been a feather in the cap. I have to shake that out of my mind though and focus back in on New Dawn and something that I've found some serious comfort in, tag team wrestling.

The beautiful evening leads only to a gorgeous sunset along these deserted suburb streets. Pink, red, orange that is fading into the falling yellow sun. I stop on my driveway and have a watch as the sun begins to make its descent. It's not often I can actually step back and watch something like this; to smell the roses so to speak. I barely even get the chance to actually think about even doing so that often. Sometimes work doesn't even feel like work, but other times it's overwhelming. It's times like this or thinking about going out to Manchester that I realize sometimes I don't need to panic over every single step I take not just inside the ring but out of it. Sometimes I can just enjoy the ride. Besides, it's the last night I'll get at home until New Dawn is over, might as well enjoy it. I sit on the deck as the sun fades and the sky grows dark. One last sunset in Sacramento before the next step on my journey back to the top of the tag team mountain begins. I wait until the sun is far past gone before heading back in.

The thoughts soon fade from my earlier defeat to my upcoming battle at New Dawn. The tag team tournament dynamic is interesting and Hollywood Unhinged 2.0 is getting perhaps the most interesting team of the lot in Tugarin Zmey and Drakz. These are both men that I've had a series of matches with and two guys that I have vastly different opinions on. Zmey is a guy who I've had some wars with and always hope that I'll be the one to take him down a peg. I was able to do that in singles action, but that won't be enough. What would be is the chance to cut him off from the chance to regain the tag team titles. The talk about this "dream team" is driving me to the brink of insanity. When anyone refers to a dream team in a match that me and Jack are in, we better be the team they're referred to. Now it's our chance to prove that without a shadow of a doubt we are.

I don't respect Zmey or DMK one bit. I dislike both and will actively hope for the worst possible scenario to happen at any point of time for either of them. This is not exactly the case for Drakz. I may not be Drakz's biggest fan and sure there's some resentment towards the fact that I'd gone 0-2 in my opportunities against him. The thing is though that I can at least have some respect for him and his ability. He is a guy that I'll be happy to wage battle against with time and time again. Even if he didn't have the world title and it wasn't an opportunity to prove myself in that way, I'd be happy to face him. Happily for me though, this is an opportunity to showcase myself, along with Jack, against the world champion. It's our turn to become the "dream team" of the WFWF.

Night #3
Manchester, England

Jack loves his country. He's so proud of not just England but his home in Salford that he insisted for me to come and meet up with him here. The reasoning behind this meeting wasn't discussed over the phone, though. He's such a guy that he even forced me to allow him to pay for my plane ticket to come across the pond. I told him I had more than enough to cover it and yet he insisted on leaving it for me. He picked out a café that he said everyone he's met in Manchester likes. In the shadow of Old Trafford it sits, The Queen's Kettle. The sign on the shop proclaims that it has 'Proudly Serving England's Finest Tea Since 1882'. It's a simple shop, all outdoor seating, an open window where the women and gentlemen serve tea from. I seat myself at one of the tables and wait for Jack. I spend another five minutes or so before Jack walks up in his typical attire, leather jacket and seemingly worn-out jeans.

"I didn't keep you waiting too long did I mate?"

"Not at all, thanks again for the trip here."

"I should be thanking you for letting me bring you out here. Figured it'd be nice to have a chat before our first round match. You order?"

"Not yet, was gonna wait for you. Get a tea recommendation, ya know, you being the local and all."

"Of course, of course. You're asking the expert."
Jack laughs. We make our way over to the start of the line behind a few people, who in fact are the only ones here other than us.

"Not too many out tonight?"

"Nah. It's usually pretty bare here usually. It's close to Trafford, but it's just too far away for the blokes coming and going to stop at."

"How'd you find out about it then?"

"I was looking for a new place to get a fix. Worn out the usual spots closer to me. Figured might as well try something new. I would've picked something closer to me, but I figured you'd want to try the best."

"I appreciate the effort."
We make our way to next in line.

"Least I could do. Favorite type of tea? I'll order you something good."

"Herbal, usually."

"Gotcha."
He gives a nod of approval as well as he orders a Blue Sapphire and a Mango Blend. He turns down my offer to pay.

"I've got all the expenses tonight mate, I was the one who wanted you out here, I'll foot the bill."

It was a bit different. As a celebrity it's assumed that when you went out you were the one getting the tab at the end of the night. It was refreshing to actually have a friend decide to not just treat me to an evening in town but to actually be the one to fly me out too. Jack is a classy guy. I'd learned this quickly.
The teas are served quickly, before we could even start another session of small talk, and Jack takes the cups from the server.

"Mango Blend is yours. Herbal teas aren't usually my thing, but it's one hell of a tea."
He hands me my cup and we head back to the table. I take a drink of it. Pretty good. The mango and mixture of other fruits makes it sweeter than other teas.

"Well you're right, good choice."

"Aren't I always right?"
He laughs.

"Don't tell Amy that."
I figure that now that the ice been broken with talk of tea, it's time to ask what the purpose behind this meet-up is.

"So Jack, I'm happy to be here, but what's the point behind us meeting here?"

"Figured you were curious mate. We're a good team already, you and I. We have to face facts though Jayson, we've never actually spent any time outside the ring. We saw a more experienced team walk out of End Game with the gold over us. If we truly want a major advantage in team chemistry over anyone we can't just expect to immediately click together once we get into the ring."

He's got a great point, one that I can relate to incredibly well. In order for us to become the best inside the ring as a team, we have to be able to connect outside the ring as well.

"Alright, well, how do you suppose we do that?"

"Well the first step is this right here. The second step is connecting on a more personal basis."

He's right there too. We need a more personal connection. Trust in the tag team world, especially when we're going to do battle with a bunch of teams that have none, is vital.

"What do you want to know?"

"Anything I don't already. Family? Friends?"

"None really. Mom and dad passed away by the time I finished up at college -"

He stops me.

"What about other than parents? I've got plenty more family other than parents mate."
He laughs. I crack a smile.

"I do, I do. Nothing immediate though, I was the only child. Aunts, uncles, cousins, I cut a decent chunk out of them out of my life once I realized they wanted to use me for my fame and money. This was before I even wrestling, just movies."

"What about your parents? Supportive?"

"Yeah, I mean, for the most part. They weren't around when I started wrestling, or even starting taking movies seriously, but they thought it was good to study at least."

"Where'd you go? To college that is."

"Sacramento State. Figured it'd be close enough to LA where I could get a break acting and I could go home for summers if I wanted to, but I usually didn't."

"Never heard of there mate. Liked it there though, I'm guessing?"

"It was nice. Nothing more, nothing less really."

"What about friends then?"

"It's Hollywood, Jack. Everyone knows everyone, but you're not really friends with anyone. You're just there with them."

"What about now though?"

"The travel makes it hell to try to get together with anyone."

"I have to imagine you go out though, you still having a name in Hollywood and being in the public eye in the WFWF. Lots of parties and nights out."

"Well yeah. I mean, it's like that in every city though. There's always a club to go to or a party in the hottest part of town to attend. Nothing's meaningful though. It's just about having a good time."

"Right."
He stops and looks around for a bit.

"We're both telling the same story mate."

"You think so?"

"Yeah. Obviously it's not a carbon copy, that's not possible. We're different -"

"Just a bit."
He laughs.

"You're right. If one we're to take us at face value we'd be so far different no one would think it could work. Even simple differences. I'm married, you're not. I'm ten years older than you, been around the block a few more times than you have. But we're on the same path now as a team. That's how it works." 

Different but the same. It makes sense, despite the fact that those two words are perhaps the two greatest antonyms. Our paths have crossed and now we're going to be telling the same story.

"If things go our way the path we're both on is going to extend for miles and miles longer. We know what it's going to take in the ring, we don't even need to talk about it. What's important is that mentally we're on the same page. That's why I wanted to talk with you."
He gets up.

"I think we are now, on the same page that is. You heading to Miami tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Your ticket situation for the airplane sorted out?"

"Thanks to you. First flight there."
He smiles.

"Good. I'm going to head home mate. If you need anything from now until the show, give me a ring. You've got one friend in this world. I'll see you it a couple days."

"Thank you Jack."
Jack walks off into the dark Manchester night leaving me with my thoughts and my tea.

Night #4
Miami, Florida

Usually after a day I'd had today with all the press and the travel I'd simply want to retreat to my hotel. Something was different about this evening though. I felt a need to have to do something. It was a nagging thought that since I was in Miami I should experience the town. Besides, some Jayson Garrett history was in this town. Maybe some reminiscing about the times I had in this city is what I need before New Dawn. I change into some casual evening attire and set off for a walk around town.

Miami is usually bustling but I've spent just enough time in Miami that I've learned that if you were to slip around a few corners and get away from the main streets and party areas of South Beach, you'll find some more quiet areas. It's close enough to see the bright neon lights and hear the thumping of the club music from a few blocks away but you're still able to stay secluded away from where the major hubs of the parties are. In a city like Miami it's exactly what I'd prefer. It's not a hard town to get recognized in so if I can still experience the effects of the city without directly facing it then I absolutely will. There's still another night after this until New Dawn. Perhaps then I'll want to experience more of the fine Miami nightlife, but for now seeing it from afar is good enough for me.

Miami was the city in which I made my debut in. That was the night that began my road which leads to here once again. Just like my debut, it is the first step on the road to gold. Unlike the debut however, this is going to lead me to tag team gold with a more than worthy partner. Also unlike my debut, I actually have two worthy opponents. Zmey is a mountain, for all intents and purposes. He is a beast that myself and now DJS both know well. It's a brawl whenever we meet in the ring. I know for a fact that I simply have to hit harder than he does if I want the favorable outcome. It's just how it works. I could be able to outsmart him or simply be a better wrestler, but sometimes punching the living hell out of the monster works just as well as winning with the mind. Plus the battle scars make for a better story.

There's talk around the WFWF about "What if Drakz becomes a double champion?" or "How will he defend both titles?", but I can answer those two questions very quickly. First, about him becoming a double champion? He won't. Second, on the topic of him defending two titles? Well unless he makes up his own title also, he won't have two of them to defend. The only person that'll be a double champion is my partner when we win this tournament and Jack cashes in his National Title shot and takes that belt too. Just because Drakz is the current world champion doesn't mean everyone should begin crowning him tag team champion too. Along those same lines, they shouldn't already be thinking about how the two new kids will fare in this next round against Drakz and Zmey. This, of course, unless they're talking about Gotch and Axel in the loser's bracket to which I say by all means place your bets on Drakz and Zmey there. The point is that if you continuously overlook someone then they're going to end up surprising you when you don't expect it. That time is going to be at New Dawn.

Miami's an easy city to kill a few hours in. It's easy to do this by the beach, where you can go up and down the sand staring out looking at the coast. You could always spend your time in the club. Right now though, perhaps the method I'm most fond of, I'm spending some time going up and down the residential areas near the main strip. It's somewhat late, about 11, and pitch black. Miami residents are used to drunken passersby at this hour so my evening walk can be rather nonchalant. The streets are lit up in a dark yellow due to the street lights with some faint multi-colored hues coming in from the club lights on their exteriors. It's easy to get caught up in the bright lights. The vibrant colors and occasional empty promises they offer. Those are good sometimes but it depends on the night. Sometimes the city lights on the roads that seem deserted just for me are all I need. It's all I want at times. Then the draw of the city takes place and the allure is welcomed with open arms. For better or for worse, I venture out. The thoughts and planning of a night out where I can indulge myself on New Dawn Eve are present and I smile at the thought of them, but New Dawn Eve is not tonight. This night will be spent on a relaxing walk and simply entertaining myself with my own thoughts.

My evening walk is completed and I head back to the lobby. The elevator is located rather inconveniently, a good 45 yards from the front door. I hit the up button and the elevator is summoned down almost immediately. I hit the 50th floor button and the doors begin to close but I hear:

"Hold on!"

She still had enough time to get in without me holding it, which I wasn't going to do regardless. However, if I were to be on an elevator with someone, this girl wasn't a bad choice. Long, dark red hair that extended halfway down her back. She sported a knee-length black dress and was carrying black heels in her hand. Some solid clubbing attire. She was an eight out of ten.

"Jayson Garrett?!"
I sigh. At least it's a hot chick recognizing me this time as opposed to a sweaty dude at the airport.

"In the flesh."
She regains her composure from the initial shock and tries to downplay it.

"I've just heard of you."
I decide to make some small talk. Maybe she knows a half-decent club.

"So you obviously went somewhere tonight."

"Party hopping."

"Doesn't that usually entail staying out later than 11:30?"
She gives a half-smile.

"Usually. Not tonight though, I've got a later night tomorrow."
She takes a pause in her speaking.

"It's a nice club. I mean, yeah, you'd get in no problem. You being Jayson Garrett and all."
This elevator takes forever. We slowly creek past floor 15. She obviously is testing out the waters. I feel froggy.

"What's the name?"

"Sunny Tropics, doors open at 9:30 and I'm sure there'll be a VIP lounge there so you can have your own area and-"
She's rambling. I cut her off.

"Cool. I'll be there."
She smiles.

"Cool."
We arrive at her floor, noted with a ding.

"See you tomorrow then I guess."

She gives a little wave and a beaming smile. I mentally pat myself on the back. Probably made her weekend there. I kinda feel bad though. She's attractive and all, but I didn't want anything more than a club for tomorrow. I definitely led her on. She seemed nice too. Whatever. The nightlife awaits me tomorrow.

Night #5
Miami, Florida

"Yeah, give all your servers that Jayson Garrett is on his way to have a low-key night in the VIP lounge. I don't want any cameras, don't give me much attention, I just want a place to have some drinks in a club. It's been a while since I've seen the Miami scene."

"Yes sir. You want the back entrance ready?"

"Yeah, that would be nice."

"What about the VIP area? All to yourself?"
I think.

"Nah, that'd just draw attention to me even more so. I gotta have some element of the club even in the VIP lounge."

"Alright, we'll see you soon Mr. Garrett."

The head bouncer hangs up. My last night of indulgence before I have to go kick Drakz and Zmey's asses all over the American Airlines Arena. I always like giving the club guys a bit of a heads-up that I'm heading over their way. Gives them a chance to make sure I getting fantastic service and won't be bugged by some drunken blowhards. I pull up around the back of the club. While the front of the Sunny Tropics club is marked with a massive sign, the back is very dark. It's like every alley from every movie that's ever been filmed. The bouncers are very friendly though. The pair that tells me they'll be watching the VIP area are hulking men.

"The hell did you guys do before this?"

"We knew each other earlier actually. Same police department out in St. Leo. It was boring though out there, small-ass suburb with married couples or straight-laced Christian college students. It wasn't what we wanted. Left here for some more action."

"Fair enough."

We enter into the VIP lounge which is scattered with people. Because it's still early in the evening, the music is actually at a somewhat moderate level. The girl from the hotel is there and she smiles and gives a nod. I nod back. She walks over.

"You made it!"

"Yes I did."
She's holding a Corona in each hand, though one is already empty.

"Got into the VIP lounge too?"

"Yeah, I'm a "preferred guest" here since I've come since it's opened."

"Then why are you staying in the hotel?"

"It's just for a few weeks. I sold my house and had some leftover money while I was shopping around for a house so I figured why not."

Won't argue with her logic. I head over to the drink counter for the first one, she tags along. A few warning bells are going off. I feel like she wants to return back to the hotel with me, but I figure I'll duck out of the club once it becomes more populated. Some would disagree with my plan of clubbing the night before the match. It hasn't affected me yet though, so I consider myself okay. Besides, I'll have an able partner in Jack. Some fun time for myself is certainly in order. Nothing for me to worry about except having a good time.

She follows me around for a while more but just as I figured, I'm able to lose her once a crowd accumulates in the VIP area. I'm somehow not noticed at all which is a first when it comes to scenes like this. I stick to the side corner of the bar and chat with the bouncers. The first thing I learned when it comes to parties is to always be nice to the door men and the bartenders. The bouncers can certainly back you up in sticky situations and the bartenders are usually willing to give you free drinks if you show even the slightest bit of interest in them. It's an easy thing to do, especially when you'd rather not be recognized. That surely begs the question that if I don't want to be recognized, then why go? I'd never had an answer for that question. There was something about the atmosphere. I could stay home drinking by myself and have total privacy, as much as I want, whatever type I want, it's nice and all. Sometimes though I need to get out. Drinking alone gets miserable at times. It just feels too cliche, like I'm the old guy in the movies that just lost his wife or something. That's the total opposite of who I am and how I want to be. I have a reputation of being Mr. Hollywood to myself and I'll be damned if I don't have a good time now and then.

There was a time where I really didn't feel that way. Between college and my first training as a wrestler I just had been so burnt out by it that I stopped. So I didn't go out, I lost some contacts with some friends that quite frankly I was sick of, I had a girlfriend for a while, Virginia, that I met at wrestling school, things were settled for a while. Then a few movie deals came in and things began to turn away from that line of thought. It was Hollywood parties every night after filming, rubbing elbows with the biggest names, free drinks as far as the eye could see because you're famous now, and girls screaming your name when you walked into clubs. It was the good life that 21-year-old me ate up on a silver platter. These weren't like college parties and college bars, these were the big leagues that only a select few got to experience as good as I did.

Things felt great. I loved it. Then it began to get a bit much. Working three projects in a row absolutely destroyed my mood. The girl I was dating was getting the brunt of my anger because even I understood I had to be "on" when I was on the shoots. So I ranted and raved to her and she stuck with me. Then I went around and, to put it bluntly, didn't stick with her. I don't really know why to be honest. I didn't love anyone that wasn't her. I guess it was my way of dealing with homesickness. I got paranoid and started accusing her of cheating even though I didn't think she was. Eventually I just broke up with her and never spoke to her again. It was probably for the better, I was a dick, she didn't deserve to be treated like that, hell, no one does. Since then I'd been able to find a happy medium, standing off to the side and taking it in.

I was just finishing off what would probably be the last vodka and cranberry of the evening when I saw her make her way over to me. To say the girl from the hotel was hammered would be an understatement. She was just trying to hit on me and spilling her drink, it was sad. The music is thumping away, I can't hear what she's slurring to me. Then I saw myself in her. There I am, that poor, misguided soul that had never experienced this level of fun out before. The bouncer, who told me to call him T, started to walk over, but I held my index finger and he backed up. I'm a mixture of horrified at the parallel and sad and surely my facial expression shows. Fortunately she can't tell this because she is totally oblivious. Then I thought creeps into my mind, I have to do something. If I leave her here, there's not a snowball's chance in hell that she ends up back in her hotel room. If I don't help her out no one else. I should have never bothered coming here. I shouldn't have to be this white knight. I hate this. No one can hear me over the music, but I yell out:

"F*ck!"

I grab her hand and she stumbles on her pumps along with me over to T. I have to get close to his ear like I'm about to whisper a secret and scream so that he can hear me.

"I need a ride back to the Miami Hyatt now. Not in a taxi, you got something private?"

"I got you Jay. D's got an Escalade we use for VIPs."

He heads over to the other bouncer and tells him the dilemma and from a distance I see him nod affirmatively and motion for me to follow him out the back. I lead the girl over and outside into the Escalade. At this point I realize that I don't even know her name. I'm partially pissed at her, but mainly at myself. Here I am leading this girl back to her hotel that she currently resides in. I shouldn't have listened to her club choice. But now I feel guilty about feeling like that because of this weird bond I have with her. She's probably sure that this is as good as life is going to get. She's able to party when she wants and live how she chooses, and that's exactly how I felt. No one had ever actually helped me out when I felt that way. I guess here I am, trying to balance out the damn universe. The bouncer, D, breaks the silence.

"Yo girl drunk?"

"She's not even my girl. But yeah, she's totally hammered. It just kinda felt weird leaving her there. You know, her in this state."
I leave out the part where I mentioned that I don't actually know her.

"Ahh, I see you. That's good of you man. Gonna get you brownie points with the big man upstairs."
Even in this situation I have to crack a smile.

"Thanks, D."
The drive doesn't take all that long. It was actually one of the clubs I'd walked behind last night. He pulls around by the side.

"Elevator is straight to this door's left. I know you wanted a low-key night, no one should see you this way with a drunk girl, man. Paparazzis be all over that."

"You're the man."
I hand him a $100 bill, the first tip I've probably ever genuinely meant.

"Give some to T, okay?"

"Of course man, bless you."

I get out of the car and practically have to drag her out and inside. He was right, the elevator was immediately to my left. We get in, no one even close. I let the doors close and hit the 50. Then I realize something, I have no clue what her floor was and these room keys are the stupid ones that don't have it on them. I'm now doubly pissed off at my lack of attention, but how was I supposed to know this was going to happen? I get pissed again. For the second time tonight, even though no one can hear me, I let out a resounding:

"F*ck!"

She can take the bed, I'll sleep on a couch or whatever. The elevator door opens up on the 50th floor, no one around again thankfully. Then again, at 1:30 AM I wouldn't expect it to be all that busy. We gingerly walk to the suite and I let us in. By now she's basically dead weight, almost asleep in fact. She slumps to the floor as soon as we walk in, so I carry her to the bedroom and set her delicately in the bed, take off her shoes, and pull the covers up for her. I stand there for a second staring. How did this happen to me? I walk over to the chair and fall into it. I'm out like a light.

Morning #6
Miami, FL

The memories of how I got her rush to my head. I'm mad all over again. Especially today, how stupid was I to bring this drunken mess of a girl to my room. I couldn't just let her stay there though. Jayson Garrett, keeper of morals, who would've guessed? Maybe I am the last of the good guys. I stare at her again. She's gonna wake up and not remember a thing. But I'm absolutely not staying here, because then she'll think I'm some knight in shining armor and that's something I'm for damn sure not. A "good guy"? Maybe. But a savior? Not on her life. I dig through her purse for her room key and find it, along with her name finally. Anne Holton. I set it on the bedside table for her to find when she wakes up. I quickly scrawl a last note.

You're on the 50th floor, take whatever stuff you want out of here. Be careful.

No name. Maybe she'll connect the dots, maybe she won't. That's not my job to care. I grab my suitcase and leave the room. A New Dawn has arrived. It's now time for me to prepare myself for war. 

[Deleted]

(Note from TKOH: Alright, here it is! Decided to do something kinda out of the box but creatively fulfilling for me. I'm also fairly certain that this is my longest piece yet. Hope you guys enjoy!)

Important Edit: Also, since this is gonna be my last RP with references to Chase, just wanna thank slappy for being a fantastic partner here. Thanks for the continued help, see you in banter m8.

[Drakz]

This is good stuff man and a definite step in the direction I want you to go. The quality was there and the length gave the whole piece space to breath instead of feeling rushed.

I like that we're seeing more of Jayson, and I feel this is something the whole fed wants. You NEED to carve out a solid character for Garrett and along with your recent work this serves as a great foundation for that.

My one complaint, and it's one that I think I say to at least 2 people every show, is where was the content regarding the match?

This RP was very Garrett focused which is a good thing as we got to see into his mind during this cross roads in his career. We got to see how he's grown since his debut etc, however you simply didn't pay enough credence to the match I feel. I would understand if it was a match against opponents you didn't know much about but here you have a team made up of two guys you have a history with, two of the ONLY guys in the fed that you've had good angle development with, and you seemed to side step that?

Regardless of that fact this shows how you're improving as a writer which is excellent, but for me to truly be competitive here you need to attack, attack, attack!

[Rated R]

I agree with Drakz in that you should have put a bit more focus on your opponents but at the same time there was still plenty of focus put on the fed itself so I'm not too disappointed in those regards. Aside from that though this was top notch stuff, probably one of my favorite pieces I've seen from you thus far. You really explored Jayson as a character and I want to see more of that, my biggest problem with your team with Chase was that seemed to be all Garrett was, a part of Chase's story and now that's over I want him to be more of an individual and more of a vital part of his own plot. You did that here and if you can keep nailing that aspect then I think you'll keep improving pretty quickly.