Page 1 of Between the Ropes

1

My eyes snap open to the sharp urgency of Annika’s voice cutting through my groggy haze. My head throbs violently as I reach blindly toward the nightstand, fingers desperately hunting for the Tylenol bottle I abandoned there last night.

"Natalie! You're still here? You’re going to be late!" Annika's voice is edged with panic, jolting my heart into a frantic rhythm.

Late.

A surge of dread sweeps through me, icy and paralyzing. I bolt upright, reality crashing down like a tidal wave. Today isn't just any day—it's my placement meeting. The meeting that decides my future. My entire career hangs by this thin, fragile thread. I cannot afford to be late today.

"What—how late am I?" My voice cracks, rough with anxiety, as I struggle to sit up.

Annika stands framed in my bedroom doorway, brown eyes wide, disbelief plain on her face. Even barely awake, she's effortlessly put together, beautiful as always, her glossy chestnut hair cascading in perfect waves around her shoulders. “I thought you'd already left! Why didn't your alarm—"

"I turned off my phone," I blurt, scrambling out of bed, tripping gracelessly over the tangled sheets. "My uncle called last night. Again. He wouldn’t stop—drunk, angry. I had to shut it off. I can't believe I didn't remember my alarm." I groan the repercussions of my actions reverberating through me.

Annika's expression softens immediately, sympathy shadowing her features. "Nat, why didn’t you tell me? I would’ve made sure you woke up. You have to block him again—or even better, change your number. He's toxic. You don't owe him a damn thing."

Her words ring true, stinging a little even as they soothe. I know she’s right, but right now there’s no time to process. I fling clothes from drawers, heart pounding in my ears as I pull on a wrinkled blouse and run a brush haphazardly through my tangled blonde hair.

"Where are my keys? My shoes? God, Annika, why is your stuff everywhere?" I snap, tripping over a pile of books, a stray boot, and something questionable I refuse to identify. Annika’s chaos is the opposite of my meticulously planned life, and its wreaking havoc on my sanity.

"Embrace the chaos, Nat!" Annika calls lightly, tossing me one of my white sneakers from across the room. “Routine’s overrated anyway."

"Not today," I mutter through clenched teeth, pulling my shoe on and lunging toward a mound of clean laundry where I finally spot my bag. Scooping it up, I nearly lose my balance as I sprint for the door.

"Wish me luck!" I shout, flinging open the apartment door.

"You've got this, Nat!" Annika's voice trails behind me, but I barely hear her. My heart races as I fly down the stairs, panic fueling every frantic step toward the parking lot and the future I've fought so desperately to secure.

Of course, I’m late. Not just a little late, but embarrassingly, mortifyingly late. By the time I finally burst into the office, I’m panting and sweating, my hair a frizzy mess, and the receptionist gives me a look that’s somewhere between pity and disapproval.

“Miss Thomas,” she says with that overly sweet tone that really meansyou’re screwed.“You’re here for your placement meeting, I assume?”

I nod, breathless, trying to smooth down my hair as she directs me to the waiting area. I sink into the chair, my stomach twisting into knots. This was supposed to be the most important day of my career. I had everything planned out—get the internship, impress everyone, secure a permanent position in New York, and finally have some stability in my life. But of course, nothing ever goes as planned. Of course, today of all days, I had to wake up late. Disappointment washes over me. This is it. I'll just have to make the best of whatever happens.

The minutes tick by painfully slow, each one hammering home the reality that I’ve probably blown my chances. Finally, after what feels like an eternity, I’m called into the meeting room. The panel of supervisors look up as I walk in, and I can already see the disappointment in their eyes, it’s the same disappointment I feel inside.

“Miss Thomas,” the head supervisor starts, glancing at the clock. “We were hoping you’d be here on time.”

I swallow hard, nodding. “I’m so sorry, there was—”

“Unfortunately,” he continues, cutting me off, “the positions have already been assigned. Now, I know this may not have been your first choice, but this is a big opportunity...”

My heart sinks as he hands me the paperwork. “Your placement is with Union X Wrestling. They need a sports massage therapist who can travel frequently. The job requires a lot of flexibility, but given your background, we think you’re a perfect fit. This could skyrocket your career, if you play your cards right.”

I stare at the papers in my hands, barely registering his words. Wrestling? UXW? Frequent travel? I was hoping for something in New York, something stable. Somewhere I could put some roots down and finally move on. Somewhere far away. But instead, I’m stuck with a job that’s going to have me living out of a suitcase, moving from one hotel to another, just like my childhood, constantly moving around. I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised.

“We know it’s not what you were hoping for,” the supervisor says, a little more gently now. “But we’re confident you’ll do well. You’ll be leaving in a week.”

I nod numbly, thanking them for the opportunity, but my mind is already racing. I don’t even know the first thing about professional wrestling, and now I have to learn everything in a matter of days. And on top of that, I’ll be leaving everything behind. Not that there’s much to leave behind—just Annika, really.

When I finally make it back to the apartment, Annika is waiting for me, perched on the arm of the couch with a curious look on her face. “So? How’d it go?” she asks tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear,

I force a smile, holding up the paperwork. “I got placed with Union X Wrestling.”

Annika blinks at me, confused. “Union what?”

“Wrestling,” I repeat, sinking onto the couch next to her. “As in professional wrestling. You know, big guys in spandex, throwing each other around in the ring.”

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