"THE NEW ATTIRE"

“Hello!? Are you in there?! Wake Up!”

Shawn sits straight up in bed as the door bursts open, the light from the kitchen pouring in. He picks up his phone to checks the time and growls. Rage swelling up inside of him, he reaches back to the nightstand grabbing the first thing he can find and firing it towards the door as his roommate enters. A crash of glass is heard, then a splash to the floor as the bottle of iced tea hits the wall.

“Go away Jo it’s fucking two AM what in the world could you possibly need to wake me up for?.” Shawn grumbles pulling the covers up over his head.

“We’re out of chocolate milk” JoJo states disheartened as he walks towards the bed and sits down on the corner. “You know I’m not cleaning that up right?”

“Jo I have to get up in three fucking hours to start training. I get that you don’t have to do anything because Paramount paid you off to continue use of your mask in those slasher films but not all of us were that lucky.

Shawn pops out from under the covers now shouting “SO GET OUT!” Only to find JoJo staring off into nothingness.

“Damnit man you gotta get this checked out.”Shawn punches JoJo in the arm bringing him back to reality.

“Ow you didn’t have to do that.” JoJo remarks. “Did I tell you we were out of chocolate milk?”

Shawn frustrated and slowly realizing that he isn’t going back to sleep any time soon, kicks the covers off and stands up.

“I need a new roommate.” He grumbles slipping into his sneakers and making his way to the kitchen to get the dustpan and brush also grabbing a roll of paper towels along the way.

JoJo follows him out of the room and into the kitchen. “So can you give me a ride to WAWA?”

“FOR WHAT!?” Shawn shouts threatening JoJo with the broom causing him to flinch and almost cower in fear.

JoJo was a lanky man with no filter, he said what he felt and it didn’t matter what it was or who was around or what time of day it was. “I told you... we are out of chocolate milk.”

Shawn whips around, now just inside his room his eyes wide in anger. “NO!!! WALK!!!” and slams the door.

He sweeps the glass up off the floor and wipes up the mess of tea that was now seeping into the laminate wood flooring. “I’ll spray it down and wipe it again in the morning.” he says quietly to himself, then stands up, dumping the shattered bottle into the trashcan and flops back down into his bed.

He picks up his phone, now awake from the encounter with his roommate and opens his email to see if he had missed anything while he was asleep. A new email from ChosenOne@RMI.com sits waiting for him in his inbox. The subject line reads Debut Match.

It had only been a few days since Shawn had met with Tommy and signed a contract with Romeo Management and he already had a match lined up in the XWF? Maybe Tommy was more cut out for this than anyone had ever expected. He opens the email and reads every word carefully.

Hey kid, I reached out to the XWF on your behalf. I put my feelers out and wouldn’t you know it a couple of my contacts got back to me talking about how you made a wise choice signing with them. I reached out to them and they are bringing in a bunch of new talent. I got you booked for the next PPV. It’s only a dark match but that’s okay Give me a call in the morning and well get your entrance music sent their way. You still living with JoJo? Tell him I’m still disappointed I never got the chance to fire his weird ass. I’ve also got a surprise for you kid a new ring attire a smoother play on your old gimmick a new lease on life for Shawn Wylde. TTYL “The Chosen One” Tommy Romeo

Shawn, a big smile on his face, locks his phone screen and sets it back on the nightstand, laying his head back on his pillow and dozing off.

Hours later “Song 2” by Blur blasts from the phones speakers and Shawn groggily picks it up and turns of the alarm, crawls out of bed and makes his way to the green painted wooden dresser. He opens the top drawer and pulls out fresh workout clothes. Stripping off his pajamas and throwing them into his hamper then walking back to his bed and sitting down. He dresses himself then stands up and makes the bed. Making his bed was something he found helped him start every day the right way. He felt if he could wake up and make his bed, that he had already completed the first task of the day, and In doing so he was then ready to take on whatever the rest of the day could throw at him.

Walking over to the bedroom door he cocks his fist back expecting JoJo to be standing there waiting for him but as he opens the door all he finds is the dull glow of the TV from the living room. “At least he wasn’t standing there staring at nothing.” Shawn thought to himself as he made his way into the living room to the front door. The living room was a mess and on the couch his roommate. Passed out, a pint of melted chocolate ice cream spilling out on his shirt as he snored away. An old episode of Aqua Teen Hunger Force played quietly on the television. Shawn grabs his keys from the key rack and walks out into the days first light, locking the door behind him and gently shutting it as to not wake up Jo.

In the parking lot sits Shawns red 1990 Pontiac Firebird Formula 8 cylinders of raw power, every time he approaches it he can’t help but smile. The car was his pride and joy he unlocks the door with the door key and opens it, falling into the drivers seat and shoving the separate key into the ignition and turning it. The engine cranks over and roars to life the radio still blasting from yesterday when he got home. Shawn had a bad habit of forgetting to turn the volume down before getting out of the car and this morning he paid for it. Scrambling for the knob he changes the station on the radio several times switching from Rock to talk radio to Pop and finally sweet silence. He shifts the car into reverse and pulls out of his parking spot, then into first and pulls away.

Shawn arrives at the gym just as the sun peeks over the crest of the roof. Going through his warmup routine, stretching, running on the treadmill and then lifting some free weights. He then finishes his workout with sit-ups pushups and pull-ups. Getting back on the treadmill and walking on an incline to cool down. He loved working out by himself in the morning, just like making his bed he felt if every morning he could complete his workout before moving on with the rest of the day anything the rest of the day threw at him would be less of a challenge. He had already completed the first two tasks of the day and decides to be a good friend and bring Jo back the chocolate milk he had denied him earlier this morning. Shawn stops at WaWa for the milk and a coffee for himself then heads back home for a shower. Pulling back into the parking lot to the apartment complex his phone rings and he answers it through the Bluetooth on the car stereo. “Hello?” He answers unsure who was on the other line. But no response came through the car speakers.

“Oh Shit! Hold on one second.” he shouts scrambling to turn the volume back up.

“Hello? This is Shawn.” He says trying to now sound professional.

“Shawn, it’s Tommy I was waiting for your call but I’m impatient so I called you. Did you get my email?” Tommy’s voice booms through the car speakers.

Shawn still messing with the volume controls and cursing under his breath. “I did Tommy I was actually just pulling up at home, I was gonna call you when I got out of the shower.”

“Great what do you think?” On the other side of the line Tommy asks and stuffs half a cherry cheese danish into his mouth. “I fink vis cud be a gwate opportunity fer ya” a loud swallow can be heard on Shawns end of the phone.

“Gross” Shawn thinks. “Listen Tommy Im excited to hear more about it. I was gonna come by the office In like an hour can we talk then?”

“Sure kid ill see you when you get here. I can’t wait to show you what I had made for you.” Tommy hangs up immediately after finishing his sentence.

Shawn shuts the car off and pulls the E brake, then grabs his coffee and Jojos chocolate milk. He gets out of the car and makes his way to the door and bursts into the apartment, scaring JoJo awake and chucking the jug of chocolate milk at him, then rushing into the bathroom to rinse off.

Minutes into his shower the bathroom door opens and JoJo walks in plopping down on the closed lid of the toilet.

“Thanks for the milk buddy.”

“Jo..... do you not understand privacy at all? I mean I’m literally in the shower and you just think it’s okay to come in and hold a conversation.” Shawn scoffs and begins putting shampoo in his hair.

“Thats a great smell man. But why do you use head and shoulders when you don’t have dandruff?” JoJo questions drinking the chocolate milk straight from the jug.

“Jo... I use head and shoulders because it is the same scent as my body wash. And also it is a shampoo and conditioner in one. You don’t have to have dandruff to use dandruff shampoo, now get out.” Shawn sticks his head under the water and begins washing his hair out.

“Oh I guess that makes sense. Thanks again for the milk. I definitely wasn’t going to walk.” JoJo stands up and walks out of the bathroom shutting the light off and closing the door behind him.

When Shawn opens his eyes after washing his hair out he realizes he is in complete darkness. “JOOOO! Turn the fucking light back on you asshat!” There is no response. Shawn, now furious turns the water off, opens the shower curtain and feels his way around till he grabs his towel. Drying his face and wrapping it around him turning the light back on himself grumbling the entire time. “ I really need to find a new roommate.”

Shawn exits the bathroom and goes into his room quickly changing into jeans and a T-shirt then making his way back to the front door.

“Where you going now?” JoJo asks

“I’m off to Tommy’s office he may have a few ideas for me. I don’t know when I’ll be back so uhm figure out food for yourself.” Shawn replies a large smile covering his face.

Never even looking up from the tv JoJo responds. “Ohh nice tell him I said hello and to call me.”

The smile on Shawns face turns into an evil grin “He says he regrets never firing you.” Shawn walks out the door looking back only to see JoJos face twist in disappointment and he closes the door behind him.

A short while later Shawn walks through the glass doors of Romeo Management and right past the front desk. “Morning Erin.” Shawn states but gets no response doing a double take and realizing the woman behind the desk was not Erin Wallace, but a pretty little redhead instead. “Well hello, your not Erin.”

“No I’m Renee.” she responds smiling up at Shawn from her chair.

“Hi Renee I’m Shawn nice to meet your acquaintance, I mean nice to make you. Aww fuck it. Hi I’m Shawn.” He stumbles over his words slowly bringing his hand up to his forehead. And extending the other one to shake her hand.

She takes his hand and shakes it. Laughing over his introduction “Mr Romeo is expecting you. He told me to tell you to just come in.”

“Thanks Renee I’ll uhm see you around.” Shawn turns and makes his way down the hall seeing the door on the right side open he peeks in to see a now fully furnished office and Erin Wallace sitting behind her own desk now. He waves and she smiles waving back then he continues on down to the end of the hall, walking right in to find Tommy watching Backyard Brutality.

Tommy stands up from behind his desk looking at Shawn and shouts. “I’m a Bee! Buzzzzz!” Nearly doubling over in laughter. “Man you really knew how to play a jobber.”

Shawns smile turns to a frown. “Tommy that’s not what I want to do anymore. I want to showcase my talent, not take losses for comedic relief.”

“I know kid, I know, but there are some things that we can keep and twist them in a different direction! You were always top talent we just never had room for you to be a main eventer back in the UBW days. Were going to change that kid we’re gonna get you the big title, and I know exactly the changes we need to make. You can still fly right?” Tommy makes a flipping motion with his hands.

The frown on Shawns face turns back into a giant grin. “Of course I can it’s like riding a bike, and I’ve never been in better physical condition than I am now. Limber as ever. In the middle of the office Shawn performs a back handspring. “ I bet you couldn’t pull that off now yourself if you tried.”

“Hey now.” Tommy looks at Shawn through squinted eyes. “My body has been through hell, but you best believe I can still get myself over... I’m just not gonna try in my nice clothes. Now come with me.”

Tommy motions for Shawn to follow into the back open section of the building. Tommy makes his way over to a folding table with a box sitting on it. From within the box he pulls out a pair of white Spandex pants with black webs printed on them followed by a shirt with a similar pattern and a Black Spider printed on the center of the chest and finally a white mask. The same mask Shawn had worn for years but now printed in black and white.

“The Whyte Spyder” Shawn Wylde.” Tommy says with a toothy grin.

“I like where this is going keep talking Tommy.” Shawn states picking up the mask and pulling it over his head. Raising his arms in the air and shouting. “Whooo!”

“That’s it kid! And we’re gonna keep

It too, that’s still your thing! But if we use it right it’s a crowd pumper, not comic relief! Cmon grab your ring attire and follow me back to the office and let’s go over the plan.”

The two walk back towards Tommy’s office Shawn beaming as he sees things starting to fall into place.

“We’ve got you a match booked for this pay per view High Stakes, getting you in on the ground floor here. Now listen this place is full of women, I’m not saying that your gonna be fighting them all the time but It’s not like back in the day women aren’t treated the same in the ring as they were. In fact women can be even more vicious than men now. The reason I’m saying this is well, they can fly, some of them maybe better than you can.”

Tommy states and sits down behind his desk pointing to the chair on the other side. “Sit.”

“Yeah, Tommy women haven’t been treated like objects in wrestling for years. Where have you been? living under a rock? I don’t need you to lecture me about women in the workplace okay? I’ve always been a professional and I’m not concerned, I’ll do whatever I need to do to climb to the top. I will be a champion and if this is my first chance to prove that then someone’s going to get a 450 and I will get that three count. I don’t care who they are.” Shawn shakes his head at Tommy’s ignorance.

“That’s what I want to hear from you kid. Now come back in a couple days and I’ll have the suit completely ready for you. How do you feel about me accompanying you ringside?” Tommy misses the spotlight but knows Shawn needs to make a name for himself.

“I think I’ll be just fine without you why don’t you just keep your distance for now and if I ever feel I need backup I know who to ask.” Shawn nods at Tommy knowing he’d be there in an instant if asked.

“Alright kid sounds good, get outta here and I’ll see you in a couple days. Check out Renee on the way out she’s something else.” Tommy stands up and starts to shoe Shawn from the office. Once Shawn is past the doorway he closes the door behind him.

Shawn walks down the hall and back into the entryway walking past Renee. “What a misogynist.”

“He’s not so bad. Erin does a real good job of keeping him in check. Renee replies “See you around?”

“I look forward to it.” Shawn smiles and walks out the glass doors of the office.