“Nervous?”

[It’s been a moment so tolerate Mike Sloan’s approach.]

 [Scene: Mike Sloan is sitting across from Luke Windham, who looks like he just ran a country mile.]

Windham:
Nervous, yeah kinda.

[Luke takes his eyes off of his manager and directs them towards his feet.]

Sloan:
Look up..

[Luke meets the eyes of Mike Sloan.]

Sloan:
Let me tell you… nerves they’re in my stomach every time I stand in the gorilla position. Right before my music hits it feels like my stomach is about to launch my breakfast, lunch, and dinner all over the place. So, being nervous it’s just a thing.

Windham:
Easy for you to say… you’ve been a World Champion how many times? You’ve been in front of how many people? I can tell you how many I’ve been in front of and how many titles I’ve won, zero.

[Sloan just grins at his project.]

Sloan:
You think that winning a lot of titles makes it any easier? You have a blank slate to work with, if you lose then you’ve gained a lesson. If I lost that meant that I lost something; a title, my place at the top of the food chain, or that I was getting old. Being a rookie there is so much to learn with a loss than with a victory.

A loss…

[Mike laughs.]

Sloan:
Worried about a loss in your first match…ever. Do you know that it took me months before I won my first match and it was a friggin’ fluke? My opponent no showed because he couldn’t get a flight to Alaska. I won my first match by a no show. Luke, you have years of experience standing around in that ring. Curt and Tyson have years of experience…Tres Brujas have years of experience that you can learn from. 

[Mike reaches out and grabs the Luke by the shoulder.]

Sloan:
Luke, take it all in during this match. If you get a chance to step into the ring, take it slow and breathe, the match will fly by and it’ll be over before you even noticed that it started.

Windham:
You’re right it’s an experience, but I’m still thinking about hurling chunks and the match is 24 hours away.

[Mike reaches into his pocket and pulls out an orange pill bottle.]

Sloan:
I was never any good at pep talks so I brought a backup. 

[He tosses the bottle towards Luke, who grabs it out of mid-air.]

Windham:
Phenergan?

Sloan:
Just a lil trick I picked up on the way to the top.

[Mike stands up, pats the rookie on the shoulder and walks out of the scene. Luke reaches over and grabs his black gym bag and places the pill bottle inside. The far door opens and walks in Curtis Penn.]

[Curtis stares daggers through his new “partner” .]

Windham:
Curt…

Penn:
Luke…

[Penn stares down the rookie as he walks pass him and towards his locker. Tyson walks into the locker room laughing as he catches a glimpse of Sloan passing Burke.]

Burke:
‘Sup?

[Luke takes his eyes off of Penn and looks at Tyson.]

Windham:
Nadda…What about you?

Burke:
Just listened to Mike try and give us a pep talk. What’s wrong with ‘em?
 

[He thumbs over to Curt.]

Windham:
I don’t think he likes me.

Burke:
He don’t like nobody.  He looks in the mirror and he punches it. He’s just wound up tight. Me I’m relaxed all the time. What about you?

Windham:
Nervous.

Burke:
Mike give you the Phenergan?

[Luke smiles and pats his bag.]

Burke:
Just follow me and Penn, we’ll get you through Retaliation . After that, who knows, Curt might grow to trust you… but I doubt he’ll ever like you.

Windham:
What did you do to get him to like you?

[Tyson gives a hefty chuckle which causes Curt to glance over.]

Burke:
Who said he did? He’s just doing this to get a pat on the back from Mike.

[Curt slams shut his locker.]

Penn:
If you two girls are done gossiping we have a flight to catch.

[Curt walks out of the locker room as Tyson shakes his head.]

Burke:
You heard the boss, time to get going.

[Luke’s meaty hand clutches his bag and follows Burke out the door.]

[Fade out.]

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