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✩ Backstage at Grand Rampage
Harlow Reichert walked through the guerilla curtains, an emotionless look on her face. She had just been eliminated from the Empire Grand Rampage match by Andrea Valentine and she was feeling a mix of emotions that were entirely foreign to her. Disappointment at her performance, but kind of awed that she had been apart of history. For someone like Harlow, who come into the business and shit on it, Grand Rampage was the biggest milestone in her young career so far. It proved that she had come a long way, in a short amount of time, and she was only going to continue to get better. Her rise to the top might not happen quickly because she didn’t have the loudest voice, or the biggest personality, but eventually her hard work would get her there. She would get noticed, and even though she came up short in Grand Rampage, her goal of competing at Pain for Pride in a significant match wasn’t dead yet. There were plenty of different roads she could take now, and all of them would get her to Atlanta. She just had to remain focused on getting the job done whenever she stepped inside the ring again.
Harlow looked up and looked around, half expecting to find Jax Walker waiting to congratulate her. She had made it perfectly clear that she wanted space and didn’t want him around, but that had never stopped Jax before. Her hazel eyes didn’t find Jax waiting for her, though. Instead, they settled on Xavier Williams who was standing in front of a monitor. He was dressed in his gear because surprisingly enough he had his own Grand Rampage match to compete in later. Harlow was actually really excited to see him compete in person later. Xavier’s eyes met hers, and Harlow walked towards him. “I’m sorry if I disappointed you,” she said as she stopped in front of him. It was very rare for Harlow to apologize, but she just felt like she owed Xavier something. He spent a lot of time working her and trying to make her better. “I really wanted to win.”
“How could I be disappointed?” Xavier finally answered, his tone of voice pretty neutral. “You eliminated four other women and were a beast in that match. I’m actually proud of you.”
Harlow looked a little surprised. “Seriously?”
“I told you that finishing in the top five or six was a realistic goal for you, and that’s exactly what you did. However, you went above and beyond to try and prove me wrong and get yourself that headlining Pain for Pride spot. You worked your ass off leading up to this, and in that match you proved that you’re a force to be reckoned with. You didn’t disappoint me, and I hope you didn’t disappoint yourself. Matches like Grand Rampage are a crapshoot, and not winning doesn’t take anything away from you.”
Harlow bit down hard on her bottom lip. “But I wanted to win.”
“So did everyone else who’s been eliminated already,” Xavier logically pointed out. “Four other women are going to have their dreams crushed in moments as well. But it’s what you do now that truly counts. How are you going to capitalize on this moment and your performance? What are you going to do to separate yourself from the rest of the pack and make Kendra see you deserve to go to Pain for Pride and compete inside that ring? Terminus is coming up and that’s a huge show for Empire, and that could be another chance for you to prove to anyone who still doesn’t believe in you that you belong here in EAW. If you learn nothing else from me, remember this. Losing sucks, but no one is immune to it. We all experience defeat, because at the end of the day, none of us are perfect. Even the greatest Elitists who have ever lived have suffered their fair share of heartbreak. But what separates good from great is the ability to bounce back harder, faster, and stronger than ever before. You have that in you, and we both know it.”
A rare smile actually touched Harlow’s lips. “I needed to hear that.”
Xavier nodded his head. “After this is over, we’ll regroup and keep forging ahead. This year has barely started and you’re closer to achieving your goals than you’ve ever been. You’re good at this Harlow, and I know you don’t get a lot of credit for that. You just keep doing what you’re doing, and the results will come. You will have that break through moment, and you will definitely earn the right to call yourself a champion.”
Harlow looked down at her hands. “I know that I’m not the easiest person to deal with, nor am I the most chatty, but I do want you to know that I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. You went out on a limb for me and have spent countless hours of your time helping me when I know you’ve had better things to do. There are so many talented students at the Performance Center and on the indies that you could be working with, and even though I don’t tell you that I’m grateful or even say thank you, I am and thank you. The person I was a few months ago would have gotten in that ring just to collect her paycheck, and probably bailed. I certainly wouldn’t have walked into Grand Rampage thinking I could win the match and headline the biggest show of the year. Whatever your motives were for investing in me, I’m glad you did. I’m excited for what’s next, and that’s not something I thought I could ever say.”
Harlow wasn’t really an affectionate person, but she wrapped her arms around Xavier and gave him a hug. He looked a little surprised but finally he did hug her back. Harlow pulled away after a few seconds and patted her mentor on the shoulder. “I hope you kill it out there later on.”
“That’s the plan, kid. It should be fun.”
