I’ll let her have the last word, because her words don’t matter to me anymore.
Goodbye, Nicolette.
29
MARGEAUX
I’ve never been swarmedby so many fans before. After our tag-team match, we barely had time to rehydrate and re-touch our make-up.
“Margeaux! I love you!” One fan screams.
“Can I have your autograph?!”
“Margeaux! Take a selfie with me, please!”
I’ve always enjoyed attention. Whether I want it, or not, attention finds me. I’m tall. I’m loud. I don’t shy away from the cameras. I find the light and revel under its warmth.I love it.
And I think it was finally made clear to my fans, my fellow athletes, the match directors, network executives, and anyone else, that I was born to be a star. I may not have won the match tonight. I lost. I was betrayed. I was abandoned. And the crowd’s response was to cheer for me, tell me not to give up.I won’t.
I love this life. I love the fans. I love that I’m inspiring the next generation of badass women. Young girls who are learning to stick up for themselves. Speak up when life is unfair. And fight for yourself when no one else will.
I’ve made mistakes. I’ve had moments of weakness that I’ll forever carry with me. But I embody a symbol of strength and power for theseyoung women cheering for me and my friends. Do I wish that terrible night with Alumni Brian never happened?Everyday.
Where would I be if that night never happened? Would I continue to be blissfully unaware of how scary the world can be? I got my dose of reality, and it shaped me into the superstar that I am today. I’m shaking the hands of my fans, hoping that they are receiving the strength I’m passing onto them. Moments like this make all the awful moments worth it.
“Thank you, everyone!” I shout, holding my hands up overhead. Eva, Sasha, and Jazz stand off to the side, continuing to sell the deep rivalry between us.
I jog out of sight, to our staging areas, and changing rooms. I collapse on a small couch in our shared locker room, exhaling heavily, letting the highs from tonight fully sink in.
“Marg! That match was perfection!” Jazz comes in, the door slamming open behind her.
“Unreal!” Sasha says coming in next.
“Next level! This was our best work to date!” Eva says, all smiles. “How’s your face? Was the chair shot okay?” she asks, looking a little worried at my face.
I laugh, framing my face with my hands. “You can’t hurt steel, Eves. That was great,” I say.
The three of them join me on the couch, which is too small for all of us to fit comfortably. We’re still sweaty, but none of us care. Tonight’s match-up was legendary. Dahlia comes into the locker room next, already applauding us.
“Nothing but praise for you ladies tonight. We’ll do a formal debrief and review tomorrowafternoon. Enjoy the rest of the night and sleep in tomorrow. You ladies should be proud of how you performed tonight.” She lets her eyes stay on me a little longer, sending me a silent congratulatory message. Does this mean I’m getting a permanent contract?!
Jazz is on her feet in a flash. “You heard her! It’s time to celebrate, ladies. Tits up! Let’s drink up!”
“Shots, ladies!” Sasha brings over a small tray with two rounds of shots for each of us.
I examine the tray for a second, hesitating before I take a drink. I haven’t been a big drinker since that alumni night my freshman year. This night is just too good not to celebrate. And I’m with my girls, who definitelywon’tleave me to fend for myself. I pick up two of the shots, toast with the girls and we drink up.
“Maggie?!” I hear a familiar voice from behind me. It’s hard to discern who it is over the loud music and the two shots of vodka working its way into my system.
I whip around, still holding an empty shot glass in each hand. My jaw slackens and my stomach flips, threatening to let all the vodka I just swallowed come back up.
“B-Becca?”
“Oh my gosh! I hardly recognized you. What are you doing in these parts?” she asks, giving me a hug like we’ve never stopped being best friends. I don’t hug her back, keeping my arms out to the side, stunned.
“What areyoudoing here?” I ask, feeling like my world is spinning on a different axis.
“I moved here after graduation. I’ve been working as a corporate recruiter the last few years. You’d know that if you still had your social media accounts,” she says with the same smile I remember from back in college.
