Here is a short story I wrote for my Writercise group and I thought I would post it here as well. Enjoy the story and be sure to Review. A quick note about my upcoming stuff Within 3 days I will post three short Xneogears fan fics then I will not be updating either the FF7 or Wrestling stuff as I will be working on the Clerks fan fic. Once again thanks for reading and enjoy.

"Listen man, if I have to hear American Badass one more time…"

"Shut up Steve, I like this song." Snapped Randal annoyed.

"You have the damn CD at home." Replied Steve.

"There's no CD player in the car. Besides if you don't like my choice in music you can find your own fucking ride to your wrestling match at Bills Flea Market."

"Fine, play American Badass ALL you want."

"Damn right." Finally the song ended and Randal turned off the radio. "How many people are going to be at this card?"

"No more then 50." Replied Steve.

"How much are you going to get paid?"

"I'm the XCW light heavyweight champion so I'll get 40 bucks maybe a little more." Continued Steve holding up a championship belt.

"I'll never understand why you do this AND work at Food City."

"I've always wanted to be a wrestler. These are the years I pay my dues."

"How long have you been wrestling again?"

Steve glared knowing that Randal knew exactly how long he had been wrestling. "Since I was 19."

"And you're twenty six now. Awfuly long time to pay your dues."

"Lots of guys paid their dues for a lot longer. Besides I'm coming along I was just voted number forty eight in top fithty list."

"Whatever as long you pay your half of the rent. You should get a girlfriend."

Steve laughed. "What? Like you? Right…I'm not going to sleep with the first multi hair colored psycho bitch I meet. Speaking of which how's Suzi?"

Randal sighed at the mention of his girlfriend. "We broke up."

"I just saw you two together this morning when I accidentally walked in on you two in the shower."

"Yea what a difference twenty minutes make. By the way thanks a lot for that."

Steve shrugged. "You should have turned on the water or something. Don't worry man, She was cheating on you anyway."

Randal's eyes left the road and where looking at his friend. "No she wasn't? Was she? With who?"

Steve thought for a moment. "Mick the guy who sets up the rings…That guy who plays our themes….That waitress I went out with on our double date…the bouncer at that club down the street from our apartment…The bartender at said club and four dancers at said club, three of which where female."

Randal was in shock. "And you knew this? Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Well she slept with me too in exchange for the promise of not telling."

"She slept with you?!"

"Four times."

Randal didn't say a word only looking at his friend then slowly turning back to the road.

"Look we're here."

"Ah the dirt mall." Grinned Steve referring to the huge indoor flea market that indeed could have been a low-level mall with all its various stores.

Randal still had not said a word then blinked and shrugged. "It wouldn't have worked out anyway I was getting tired of listening to angry girl bands."

"That's the spirit. Come on the promoters over there." Steve pointed to a door next to the ring deep within the flea market that led to a back room.

"Steve! Thank god you're here!" exclaimed a seedy looking promoter.

"Why? Who are you? Where's Dante?"

"I'm Mad Dog I'm running the card because Dante couldn't make it back in time. Some guys didn't show up I'm going to need you for the battle royal."

Steve rolled his eyes. "My fucking leg is injured I'm not even supposed to be wrestling period but I have to wrestle in that cage match for my title!" He sighed. "Fine. Will I get more money?"

Mad Dog nodded. "Also we need you for the Four Corners match."

"What?!"

"I'll pay you for you that too."

"Fine."

"Also, I'll need to pose as one of the Invaders."

"Are you insane? I weigh about 150 pounds less then them!"

Mad Dog shrugged. Steve sighed again and shook his head. "I'll do all these matches for 200."

"Deal." With that Mad Dog walked off to talk to someone else.

Randal turned to Steve. "This is great! We could pay the cable and the phone bill!"

"That was awfully easy. I don't trust it. Oh well I have no other option. Go sit in the crowd and watch the matches. I'll talk to you later." Randal nodded and walked off. Steve put on his gear and sighed. "This is going to be a long night."

"Christ, I hate this mask." Grumbled Steve trying to see through his Invader mask. I doubt anyone's buying this." He thought taking the full brunt of a King Kong Bundy chop. Remembering what the ending for this match was supposed to be he stayed down as he saw Bundy running back and forth and then dropping down on top of him for one of Bundys trade mark five counts. "Only three more matches to go." He said clutching his sides which ached with pain as he walked to the back with the other Invader.

"Just great I get put in a match with Shawn Steiner a guy who actually puts all his strength into his clotheslines." He tried to get his mind off the intense pain in his neck from the clothesline and as he got to his feet was spun around by Greg Valentine another of the participants in the Four Corners match. Steve wrestling under his actual wrestling persona the hated Joe Kidd kicked Valentine in the gut and went for a left. The Hammer blocked it and drove an elbow into Steve's head so hard it actually busted him open. "Damn it…I'm bleeding all over the place. Steve fell into the corner and before he knew what happened the third participant Jamie Whipwreck charged at him and nailed him with a hurracarana into a pinning position. Knowing he was not supposed to win took the pin and limped back to the dressing room to find something for the blood.

"I'd sure like to meet the ass hole who invented battle royals." Thought Steve standing in a corner watching nine other wrestlers most of them from the previous matches go at it. "I should also avoid as much action as possible." He concluded his head, left leg, chest, back, throat and, ribs aching with pain. He knew he was to be eliminated when it was down to five and saw that already there where six left. He decided to get into things and went after the other Invader laying in some kicks and punches. "I'm going to clothesline you over the top." Whispered Steve as he held Invader at the ropes and continued punching and kicking him. Invader didn't respond so Steve went for it anyway putting all his strength and going for a clothesline but to his horror, Instead of taking the clothesline Invader ducked and flipped Steve as hard as he could over the ropes causing him to crash into the crowd.

"At least I win this match." Groaned Steve who felt like screaming in pain as soon as he rolled into the ring for the match. He knew despite his pain he had to play up to the crowd and turned around to taunt the 57 people in attendance. As his back was turned he felt something hit him in the back of the head causing him to fly into the corner and crack his head on the metal part of the turnbuckle once again busting him open and intensifying his head ache. He turned around and took another drop kick from his opponent Chris Daniels. He looked up and saw him flipping off the top rope with a moonsault and crashing down on him and hooking the leg. Steve got ready for Chris to loosen his grip so he could kick out but it never happened and in 3 seconds the match was over and Steve had lost his belt.

"Great matches man. You look like shit." Said Randal as Steve emerged from the locker room in his street clothes limping and bandaged up in several places. "Where the fuck is that son of a bitch Mad Dog? I just want to get my fucking money and get out of this shit hole."

"Mad Dogs gone." Came a voice.

Steve turned around to see Dante Graves the XCW promoter.

"Where the fuck have you been?!" demanded Steve angrily. "Who was this jack off booking the card?"

"I was in Vancouver and couldn't make it back in time and I didn't have anyone to call and I couldn't afford to cancel the card. So I called Mad Dog who runs some cards in Ucluelet. I don't know what the hell

I was thinking. I left him instructions on what to book and he apparently told everyone he lost it and was going on memory."

"Pretty shitty memory." Replied Steve referring to not only his title loss that was not supposed to happen but several other finished Mad Dog booked.

Dante sighed and nodded in agreement. "That why half the guys didn't show up. A lot of them have done shows for him and say he's the worst. He's supposedly the reason Jack Windham went crawling back to the WWF."

"That's another thing, I had to wrestle three more matches and now I'm twice as hurt as I was before."

Dante took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. "Yes well, another thing Mad Dog was run off with everyone's pay. I'd write you a check but I can guarantee it won't clear.

Steve felt like punching some ones lights out but knew Dante wasn't the one screwing him. "That's fine. About losing the belt it's not big deal I was going to drop it in a week anyway right?"

Dante nodded. "I'll try and get you your money. Everyone told me He promised 200 for all your matches but I can't give you that much. If I can get my shit together I can get you 100 in a few weeks."

Steve sighed. "So I'm not getting paid?"

"No actually thanks to some of the store owners here you'll be going home with some pay."

Steve felt a little bit better. "Great what is it?"

"A bag of fucking sour apples." lamented Steve for the 10th time as he and Randal where driving home.

"Quite a business you're in." grinned Randal driving.

Steve looked at the bag of twelve sour apples and shook his head. "I shouldn't have bothered to show up. How the hell are we going to pay the rent now? We're going to be about seventy five short."

Randal grinned again. "Not to worry Athena will help us out."

"Athena?"

"This really nice girl I met at the matches. Just got out of prison."

Steve said nothing and pulled one of the sour apples out of the bag and took a bite wondering where he went wrong in both his choice of careers or roommates.

End.