Chapter 4: 4. Unexpected Encounter
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Tomorrow was the tournament to decide who would represent the UCF wrestling team in the Florida State Wrestling Tournament, and he could hardly wait. His mind raced with thoughts of the matches, strategies, and the challenges ahead. Feeling sleepiness come over him, Sandro closed his eyes, his last thoughts were filled with excitement as tomorrow would be an important day, and he was ready to give it his all.
The next day, Sandro woke up fully rested and filled with excitement. After taking a bath and changing into a fashionable yet comfortable outfit, he went downstairs to join his parents, who were getting ready to have breakfast.
"Morning," Sandro greeted them with a smile as he took his seat, and poured himself a glass of water.
"Morning, honey," Taylor replied, her eyes filled with warmth after putting down the last dish she had cooked for breakfast.
"Morning, champ," Jack added with a grin, putting down the newspaper he was reading and after greeting him proceeded to drink the cup of coffee in front of him.
They sat down together and enjoyed the breakfast Taylor had prepared. As they ate, Taylor asked, "Are you ready for your contest today, Sandro?"
Sandro, savoring the delicious food, nodded enthusiastically. "I am, Mom," he said between bites, can't believe until this day how his mother could make such delicious food.
Jack chuckled at his son's eager response. "You know, your mom and I were thinking...would it be okay if we came to watch you today at the court?"
Sandro looked up, surprised but pleased. "Of course! I'd love to have you both there and watch me!" he said, his eyes shining with excitement and his heart filled with warmth, as the familial warmth filled his heart.
"Great," Jack said, smiling. "We'll be there cheering you on." As Jack said so, Taylor on the side let you a cheerful cheer as a show of support for her son, and put a bacon on Sandro's plate to give him more energy.
After finishing breakfast, Sandro grabbed his bag and his gear before giving his parents a goodbye hug. "Thanks for breakfast, Mom. See you both at the tournament this afternoon."
"Good luck, honey," Taylor said, giving him a kiss on the forehead. "We'll be rooting for you."
As Sandro headed out the door, he felt a surge of confidence. Knowing that his parents would be there to support him added an extra boost to his spirit for the tournament today.
Losing his parent in his last life had given a massive blow to him physically and mentally, so that's why in this new life he decided to love his new parents more especially since they always gave him full support.
As his mind was filled with thoughts, Sandro walked toward the bus stop from his home. His parents had initially opposed him using public transport, concerned for his safety.
They preferred to have him driven by the family's driver, but Sandro was insistent. He preferred the anonymity of taking the bus, rather than drawing attention by arriving in a luxury car which is what happens when he comes on the first day of class.
After waiting a few minutes, the bus arrived, and Sandro climbed aboard. The ride was uneventful, and twenty minutes later, he arrived at UCF. He made his way to his classes, attending them with a focused mind despite the excitement bubbling inside of him.
By noon, Sandro headed to the cafeteria for lunch, eating quickly but thoughtfully, fueling himself for the tournament ahead. As the time for the tournament drew nearer, he walked to the court, where the atmosphere was already buzzing with anticipation.
Entering the venue, Sandro noticed the familiar faces of his competitors and spectators. He goes to the locker room to change his clothes, before finding a quiet spot to warm up to keep his body flexible and reduce any possible injuries.
The arena buzzed with excitement as competitors warmed up and spectators found their seats. As he warmed up, Sandro could see Jack and Taylor in the stands. Their faces lit up when they spotted him, and they waved, giving gestures of support.
Sandro waved back, then took a deep breath, centering himself and channeling all his energy into the task at hand. After a few minutes, the Coach blew his whistle and motioned for all the wrestling team members to gather around.
Once everyone, including Sandro, had assembled, the Coach explained the rules of the tournament. They were standard wrestling rules, ensuring a fair and competitive environment.
The Coach then outlined the structure where there would be 18 rounds which separated into 3 groups, with the winner of each group advancing to the final round. The three winners would represent the team in the Florida State Wrestling Tournament.
With the briefing over, everyone headed to their designated areas, and the tournament officially began. Sandro quickly dominated his rounds, his skills and agility giving him the upper hand against his opponents.
He moved through the matches with precision and focus, each victory bringing him closer to the final. Seeing how Sandro dominated his opponents easily, everyone in the crowd was surprised including Jack and Taylor.
"I never expected our son would be this fierce, haha!" Jack said while cheering on his son, "He was just like me when I was young, right honey?!"
Taylor rolled her eyes when she heard what her husband had just said, "Oh please honey, don't think I don't know that all of those people who harassed me and you beat up were actors, how could our son be the same as you?"
Taylor's words immediately cause Jack to cough as he is taken aback, surprised that his wife would know his hidden secret, and flustered fumbling his words trying to explain his past actions.
Seeing how flustered her husband was, Taylor kissed his cheek and told him that she didn't care as she loved him anyway, and after saying so she turned to cheer on her son while Jack heaved a sigh of relief.
When the final round of his group approached, Sandro stepped onto the mat, only to find himself facing an unexpected opponent, Aiden.
Aiden was one of the star athletes of the UCF wrestling team known for his strength and technique, and he shouldn't have been in the same group as Sandro.
Seeing what happened, the coach knew that Aiden must have been their intimidate or bribe Sandro's opponent before the match and replace his position, a loophole in the rules that Aiden managed to find.
"Hey, Aiden! What are you trying to do, huh?! Such an act is a disgrace to our sport! Get out of there!" the coach yelled at Aiden, trying to have him leave. Before Aiden could reply, Sandro turned toward the coach and agreed to the match.
Sandro then turned toward Aiden, and the two locked eyes. Sandro could see the malicious intention in Aiden's gaze. Seeing that Sandro agreed to the match, the coach could only sigh and blow his whistle to start the match.
Sandro and Aiden began to circle each other when they heard the whistle, their eyes never leaving one another. After circling twice, Aiden couldn't take it anymore and made the first move. He was the fastest opponent Sandro had ever faced.
Everyone, including Jack and Taylor, gasped at Aiden's speed, but they were even more bewildered when they saw Sandro move even faster. Sandro sidestepped as Aiden approached, using Aiden's momentum to circle his hand around Aiden's waist and execute a wrestling takedown. He quickly positioned himself and applied a headlock submission.
Caught off guard by Sandro's speed and technique, Aiden panicked. He immediately tried to use his strength to release himself from the headlock, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't break free. Sandro maintained control, effortlessly throwing Aiden around while keeping his hold.
As the match continued, it became clear that Sandro was not only faster but also far more skilled. Aiden's struggles grew more desperate, his attempts to escape becoming increasingly futile. The crowd watched in awe as Sandro dominated the match, his movements precise and calculated.
Two minutes passed, and Sandro had crushed Aiden in terms of points, thoroughly humiliating him. The referee blew the whistle, declaring Sandro the winner. Aiden lay on the floor, still unable to accept what had happened.
The crowd erupted in applause, and Sandro stood up, breathing heavily but feeling triumphant. He glanced up at the stands to see Jack and Taylor beaming with pride. The coach approached, a look of approval on his face.
"Well done, Sandro. You showed incredible skill and composure out there," the coach said, patting him on the back. "Thanks, Coach," Sandro replied, his voice filled with gratitude.
As he walked off the mat, Sandro felt a rush of emotions for his first achievement toward his dream. As for Aiden, he slowly got up, his face a mixture of anger and disbelief. He avoided Sandro's gaze as he left the mat, his pride clearly wounded.
After the tournament, Sandro was surrounded by teammates and well-wishers, all congratulating him on his performance. The coach officially announced that Sandro would be one of the three people representing the UCF wrestling team in the Florida State Wrestling Tournament, where the announcement was met with cheers and applause.
Later, as Sandro left the arena with his parents, Jack put an arm around his shoulders. "We're so proud of you, son. You were incredible out there."
"Thanks, Dad. I couldn't have done it without you and Mom," Sandro said, looking at Taylor, who smiled warmly as she looked at her husband and son.
"You've worked so hard for this, and it shows," Taylor said, hugging him tightly. "We're here for you every step of the way."
Sandro smiled at his mother's words, his heart filled with warmth and gratitude for what they had done. With that, the three of them entered Jack's luxurious SUV and returned home.
Two months passed by in the blink of an eye, it was April and today was the date for the Florida State Wrestling Tournament. Sandro, alongside two of his teammates and their coach, had arrived in Gainesville, where the tournament would be held at one of the stadiums there.
The coach and Sandro's teammates all thanked Sandro along the way to the stadium, as the expenses for their airplane tickets were covered by Jack and Taylor, who were on a different flight and would join them at the stadium, in which Sandro just smiled and said that it's what he would do as teammates and student.
After around twenty minutes, they got out of their taxi upon arriving at the stadium. They entered, taking in the bustling atmosphere filled with competitors and spectators from all around Flordia. The stadium was alive with energy, and the anticipation could be felt from all parts of the stadium.
As they walked through the crowded entrance, Sandro bumped into a person who was much bigger and slightly taller than him. Startled, Sandro immediately apologized, "I'm sorry about that, I didn't mean to bump into you."
The person turned around, and Sandro was shocked to see a familiar face, albeit a younger version of someone he knew. The person smiled and said, "It's not a problem, it was just an accident."
There was a moment of silence between them, and Sandro feared it might become awkward. He quickly introduced himself extending his hand, "My name is Alessandro Zhang, but you can call me Sandro. I'm representing the UCF wrestling team."
The person responded with a friendly smile as he shook Sandro's hand, "Nice to meet you, Sandro. I'm Windham Lawrence Rotunda, but you can call me Windham. I represent Hernando High School."
Hearing the name, Sandro let out an inward scream, realizing his guess was correct. The person he had bumped into was indeed the younger self of Windham Lawrence Rotunda, who would later become known to the wrestling world as Husky Harris, then Bray Wyatt, and The Fiend. Sandro never expected to encounter one of his favorite wrestlers, whose characters he had always admired.
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Name: Alessandro Zhang
Age: 15 (2005)
Birthplace: Orlando, Florida USA
Brand: None
Wrestling Style: None
Faction: None
Championship History: 0