[i]Well this got awkward as fast as I imagined it would...[/i] Fiona was mentally kicking herself for not giving [i]Mr. McKinney[/i] the same amount of respect she'd given Mr. Trenton the year prior. A subconscious error, for sure, coupled with the fact that her mind was all over the place at the moment.

She'd been about to follow Gordon's advice when her partner asked to join her in the arena, giving Fiona yet another thing to think about. She didn't know that Kendra wanted to be ringside, and it caught her a little off guard. They were a team, yes, but Ada wouldn't be coming out with backup tonight, as far as Fiona knew. Fiona wanted to stand on her own two feet for her NMW debut, and if the roles were reversed, she wouldn't want to take any of the spotlight away from Kendra, either. Thankfully, Gordon saved her the need to tell her best friend to stay behind.

"No questions, Mr. McKinney. I'm ready to get out there." She gestured for Kendra to follow her down the tunnel towards the arena entrance, waiting until they were out of earshot of Gordon. "We'll get our moment to shine as a tag team soon, I know it. And when you're up for a singles fight, I want all the eyes to be on you, because you deserve it, too." She said that earnestly. Kendra had come a very long way since those first few months as rookie wrestlers. Fiona wanted the crowd to see her as more than just "Fiona's tag partner" or "Fiona's friend." And honestly? It was probably better for her first appearance in the arena to [i]not[/i] be just ringside, supporting Fiona.

They arrived at the entrance, where there was nothing to do but wait. Fiona's match was in the middle of the card tonight, but for a grand opening with a name like Isabella Cadiz on the card, she'd take whatever spot she could get.

She exhaled a deep breath, shaking out her hands. "I'm nervous," she admitted. "Lots of new fans out there, and only one chance to make a first impression, right?"