Flames

"The Man", part 1

Becky still heard the roar in her head every time she went out to the ring. The pops at the house shows maybe weren't quite as loud as her Summerslam moment, but the same energy was there. Anyone who had been overlooked or pushed aside could see themselves in her story; anyone who had fought to keep their identity and their dreams intact when the pressure to conform pressed in at every side knew where she was coming from. She wasn't one of the blondes Vince liked so much; she hadn't tracked her paycheques in terms of boob jobs or other enhancements. And here she was. The Man.

Of course, having to explain the concept of 'The Man' over and over was getting annoying, but it was a small price to pay. She was finally appearing on the posters, in the big matches. Now when she spoke, people listened. After Evolution, Becky's dream of main-eventing Wrestlemania wasn't as distant as it had been even a few months ago. Years ago, people would have laughed at the idea of women having the big match; now, thanks to the buzz she was building with both Charlotte and Ronda, it was a very real possibility.

She just had to keep her eyes on the prize. So why was she baiting Seth Rollins on Twitter? Becky wasn't fully sure herself. Ronda was too easy to demolish online; there was no challenge in that. Some of the women in the division could keep up, but Becky also knew if she wanted to call herself 'The Man', then she would also have to deal with the last person to claim the title.

"Cute little flame pants?" Charlotte read with a chuckle over her shoulder. Since they couldn't be amicable in public, they could only hang out during their time off, so they had started lingering backstage after the shows, bouncing ideas off each other.

Becky turned and rolled her eyes, trying to tilt her phone so Charlotte couldn't read the screen. Charlotte had the advantage of a longer reach, though, so she intercepted it easily. "They aren't even pants. . . ."

"Well, you did call his gear 'trunks' to be fair," Charlotte replied, scrolling back through the twitter war between Becky and Seth, laughing the whole time. "You two are as bad as little kids."

Snatching her phone back, Becky logged out and stood. "What do you mean?"

"You know how when little kids like someone, they tease them?" Charlotte gestured to the phone in Becky's hand. "Like I said, bad as little kids. Come on, Becks. Let's go get something to eat."

It was hard to argue with food and some extra time with Charlotte, but that didn't stop Becky from muttering "Am not" under her breath.