Chapter 1: Chapter 1
"Are you ready?"
I blink at the question, and I realize that I'm staring at a beautiful man. He's lean he's fast' he's strong, and his muscles ripple with each move he makes. It's like he's made of rubber. "Yes," I reply, unable to help myself. "Go ahead.Show me what you got." He doesn't disappoint. He takes my hand and leads me out of the gym. "I've seen you around,"he says, smiling. "You're that new guy, right?"
"Yeah," I reply, still unable to look him in the eyes. I need to see his face when he says it. "Who do you think will win the championship this year?" I ask innocently, but he knows I mean him."You, maybe?"
He crushes me in a hug, and I feel every ounce of his 190lbs on me. Oh, I like that answer," he says, pulling away to give me a smile. "Now let me see your muscles, rookie." I flex my biceps, and his eyes widen in amazement."Seriously, dude, you have no idea how hard it is to get these muscles to grow. You're one lucky bastard."
I laugh, cause I know he means it. "Thank you, sir. I hope I live up to your expectations.I've been working hard."
"Don't let the fat fool you," he replies. "You're not that big of a guy, and you can move pretty fast. I can see you making it to the finals this year. That match with Dick will be amazing. You know he loves to wrestle dirty. Just watch out for his elbows. They come up a lot in his matches.I'll be watching. Good luck."
He gives me another quick hug before sending me on my way. "Don't let anyone ever tell you you can't do something. Believe in yourself and your dreams, and you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. Except losing to me. That shit won't happen.Ever."
"Ever," I repeat, and I feel my cheeks become red. "I'll keep that in mind."
"Now go out and prove them all wrong," he says, patting my back before sending me on my way. "And remember, no matter what anyone says, you can always count on me as a friend.Okay?"
"Okay, sir," I reply, feeling a little more confident after his words. "Thank you for your words of encouragement. I l try my best not to disappoint you."
The door to the gym opens, and I turn to see Dick walking out with his hands in the pockets of his robe. "Hey, big guy," he says, wrapping his arms around me.\"How'd your first day go? he asks with a smile on his face. "Anybody give you any trouble?"
"No, sir," I reply, a little surprised that he remembers my name. "Everybody was nice. It was a great experience."
"Good.That's what I wanted to hear. Now go show them all what you're made of. I've got to go make some calls. Til next time, my friend." With that, he pulls away and heads back inside the gym. I watch him go, admiring the way his muscles ripple as he lifts his arms to his shoulders.He's got the perfect body for a wrestler. Tall, lean, and muscular. Til next time, my friend. That phrase makes me think of him every time I hear it. Even though we live in a small town, there are a lot of wrestlers in the area.It's kind of like a small wrestling haven. Each one has their own little corner of the business, and they all look out for each other. Til next time, my friend. Sounds like a promise. Something you say to a child before they go off to bed. "I promise I’ll pick you up after school. Nothing bad will happen on the way home.I promise."
"Til next time, my friend," I repeat to myself as I head out onto the wrestling floor. The place is packed people are cheering, booing, and everything in between. Some are watching the TV monitors that are scattered around the gym, others are chatting with each other as they wait for their turn to wrestle. All of them are waiting for me.And now Dickie is telling me about the latest developments concerning our favorite pastime. Apparently, somebody from outside the organization had contacted them claiming to be their biggest fan. They wanted to know what it takes to become a champion. The question and answer session was held the following day, and I was invited to take part. It was during this session that I met Mr. Reiner.He asked questions about my diet, exercise routine, and even took note of where I lived so that he could check up on me if necessary. My answers were honest. I told him I ate whatever I wanted, which was mostly junk food, and that I didn't exercise much.He nodded at my response but also said that if I really wanted to achieve greatness then I needed to change those things. As simple as that. Great nuff. I was ready to take on the wThat I'm not just some big, stinking pile of shit.
"So, uh, what brings you out this way, rookie?"
Takeru is sitting in one of the chairs by the ring, chatting merrily with his hands. He's thin, like the rest of his Japanese family, but he's strong. And sexy. Damn, did he get hot when he stripped down to nothing but a towel last month. Dick quickly told him to cover up. He's protective of his boyfriend. And a bit mean to Takeru. Even though Dick is far more muscled, Takeru has beaten him every time in the ring. Always a pinfall.Never a knockout. "I need your help, Takeru. I'm nervous about my first match. I'm afraid I'll mess up and get kicked out.""You'll be fine," he replied. "You put too much pressure on yourself, but you've trained hard."Then why am I still worried?! I think to myself. "Just go out there and have fun. Be the lion tamer, not the lion himself." He gives me a thumbs up before standing up and preparing for his match. "Good luck, big guy.Don't let 'em push you around."With that, he leaves the chair and walks towards the center of the mat, talking smack along the way until he reaches the corner where he changes into his wrestling gear. Then he turns around and waits patiently while his music plays and fans cheer. Once his theme song finishes, he removes his jacket and waits again. His lean, Asian body glistened with sweat under the lights. His chest and abs and biceps rippling. I have such a crush on him. His opponent steps into the ring, and the bell rings. Game on!The crowd cheers wildly as both men exchange blows. One-two-three punch combo! Body slam! Pin fall! Repeat. This is awesome!' I think to myself as I watch the match. 'Who knew wrestling could be so sexy?' After all, it is a battle of the bulges. The bigger, the better. Right, guys? This is awesome!' I think to myself as I watch the match. 'Who knew wrestling could be so sexy?' After all, it is a battle of the bulges. The bigger, the better. Right, guys?Oh yeah...totally right! Suddenly, something clicks inside my brain. Maybe being horny isn't wrong.Maybe wanting to fuck someone because they're hot is normal. And Takeru is fucking hot. Takeru lays on the guy's chest, as the ref counts the pin. 1! 2! 3! Takeru wins in under five minutes. The ref raises his hand in victory.
Dick enters the ring, and plants a wet kiss on his boyfriend. Takeru didn't seem amused. "This couldn't wait?"he asks indignantly.Dickie replies with a laugh: "What do you expect from a man like me?"Takeru doesn't look impressed either. Instead, his eyes linger on the defeated foe whose face can barely move anymore due to exhaustion. Poor bastard. Must not have eaten right before the match. Look at him now. He can barely stand let alone wrestle. "How did you expect to win, doing it like that?" he asks, annoyed.Tillyock shrugs off any responsibility."It wasn't my fault," says poor old Toby. "My trainer made me lose weight. " Takeru just shakes his head and exits the ring with Dick behind him. I decide to head to the locker room to congratulate my friend. It takes less than ten seconds for two security guards to stop me. They don't allow anyone backstage during matches unless they are invited. What a load of shit. I shove past them and run towards the exit, tripping and falling in the process. I land on my feet, dusting myself off, and keep running until I make it to the parking lot. Finally.Some relief. My heart feels like it's vibrating in my chest. Too many emotions are clashing together within me. Joy, pride, excitement all wrapped up in one. I need to calm myself before I do something stupid. Like get arrested for trespassing or something. So I hop into my car, drive a few miles away, and park in a secluded spot.A place no one would ever find me if they were looking for me. I lock the door, take a deep breath, and sit back against the seat, arms crossed, head down, thinking about what just happened. The match. The win. Everything. It was perfect. And now I have a dream to wrestle in the Gay Wrestling Alliance.A goal. Something tangible to work toward. Even though everything has been going well lately, I feel like I bring the whole GWA down. I feel like every one just sees me as the fat guy who can't wrestle.Just see me as lazy. Lazy and unimpressive. Which is bullshit. I get a text from Takeru.Are u okay? I didn't know they didn't let trainees in the back during shows.
I reply that I'm okay, and decide to head home for training tomorrow. Training always makes things better. Tomorrow will be different. Tonight I'll go out there and prove everyone wrong. That even though I've got some extra pounds, I still have plenty o' fight in me. I might be slow and plump, but dammit, I can wrestle. And I will wrestle. Because that is what I do. I wrestle.