Testing Testing
============
Vengeance-Rowan
-------------------------
Rowan was watching the Titatron, showing Trish Stratus in her changing room, wearing only a towel, and applying lip stick.
Then Test walked in, propositioning her.
'What a pig,' Rowan thought, her gray eyes narrowing at the screen. 'He's so arrogant.'
Her brother reappeared with a beer for her. Mark had been the one to drag her to the WWF Vengeance taping. She had never really been a fan of wrestling, especially now, as the wrestlers' egos seemed to be out of control.
And Test was proof for that.
But at least it kept her mind off of Brian. Rowan sighed, letting her mind slip to her fiance. He had had tickets to the event, and invited her brother to go with him. And then the accident happened.
Brian worked in construction, and they were building a new bridge for the freeway, when the crane he was in tipped over, crushing him. It broke his neck, killing him instantly.
That was only a month ago. The wedding was to take place in March.
Rowan blinked back tears, seeing Mark was looking at her with concern. His gray eyes searched her face.
"You okay, sis?" he asked.
She sniffed. "I'm fine-I'm just going to go to the washroom." Rowan slipped out, maneouvering through the crowd, towards the exit. She followed the signs to the washroom.
Sighing, she looked in the mirror, reapplying the sheer lipstick to her pink lips. Her skin was paler than usual. She slid her portable brush through her thick, raven coloured waves. Rowan had been growing her hair out from it's usual bob for the wedding. It was reaching near the middle of her back now.
'Maybe I should get it recut,' she thought to herself. 'Start new again.'
She shook her head at her own reflection. Brian liked her hair long, and in rememberance of him, she would keep it that way. Rowan walked back out the hallway, not remembering which way she had come from. 'My Sacrifice' by Creed was playing. That was one of Brian's favourite songs.
She felt the tears well again, her face crumpling from it's normally composed state. The tears fell for the first time since Brian's death.
"Brian should be here," she mumbled to herself, tears choking the words. "Brian shouldn't be dead." The tears took over, sobs shaking her thin shoulders, sending waves of nausea through her stomach. Rowan sank to the floor, leaning her back against the wall.
And to the strains of 'My Sacrifice', she cried tears of sorrow, and anger, at her love's death.
"Um, are you okay?" the deep voice asked.
Rowan shielded her tear stained face with a curtain of raven hair. "Yes."
"Are you sure?" he prodded. "People who are okay don't usually cry in hallways of arenas."
She looked up, glaring at the man. "I'm fine," she ground out between clenched teeth, but a betraying tear slid out of the corner of her eye.
"That's not fine," he hunkered down beside her, offering a tissue.
Rowan took it, smiling gratefully. He looked familiar, but she couldn't place him. Long blonde hair, blonde goatee. He was very tall, and very broad. He wore a black T-shirt with the WWF logo on it, and a pair of blue jeans that fit like a second skin.
She sniffled. "Sorry, I haven't really cried yet-" Rowan broke off. Why was she explaining herself to a stranger.
"Yet?" he prodded.
"Nothing, I should go," Rown went to stand, but his large hand grasped her shoulder, preventing her from rising to her feet.
"Just because I play a jerk on TV, doesn't mean I can't be nice in real life," his blue eyes peered into hers. "You can talk to me, you know."
Then Rowan recognized him. It was Test. "Test?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"The one and only," he said, smiling a little. "You can call me Andrew, though. that's my real name."
She smiled a little. "You mean your real name isn't Test?" she asked in mock surprise.
"No changing the subject." he told her. "What's going on?"
Rowan shook her head, not really sure why he was being so persistant. A chronic do-gooder? Perhaps. She sighed. "I'm here instead of my fiance."
He looked at her quizzically. "So?"
"He's dead, he died a month ago in an accident at work." fresh tears threatened to spill, and she rubbed her hand across her eyes, smudging her mascara.
"I'm sorry-"
"Don't be, you didn't have anything to do with it," Rowan looked up at Andrew, her jaw set. "The equipment was faulty, a law suit is pending- wrongful death." She sighed. "But it doesn't-" she broke off, her chest closing up with sobs again.
"It doesn't bring him back." He finished for her. He tentatively put an arm around her shoulders, hugging her to his chest. "Eventually, it will get better. It will never be the same, it will never stop hurting. But it will get better."
Rowan put her arms around his waist, sobbing into his shoulder. She knew she was making a fool of herself, but she couldn't stop the tears. That's why she held them in so long, She was afraid that if she started crying, she'd never be able to stop.
Eventually the tears subsided, and her shoulders stopped shaking. Now she just had a head ache, and sore eyes.
"Feel a little better?" Andrew asked her, tilting her chin up so he could look into her face.
Rowan nodded. "Thank you-for listening to me, for letting me cry on you." She paused. "Why did you?"
He slid into the Test persona. "A hot chick that needs comforting? Test is all over her." Then he fell back into Andrew again. "You looked like you needed a friend."
"Thank you again, but I need to meet my brother-he's likely wondering where I am." Rowan stood, feeling slightly awkward. She had just poured her heart out to this incredibly famous, incredibly attractive wrestler, and all she could say was thank you. What else could she say?
"See you around," Andrew said, giving a small wave.
Rowan waved back, walking quickly towards the entrance to the arena.
Vengeance--Test
----------------------
Andrew had just finished his camera set with Trish. He had changed into his WWF T-shirt and a pair of jeans, and was heading down the hall of the arena to the men's washroom when he saw her.
She was leaving the washroom, Her eyes slightly red rimmed. She was beautiful, pale skin, gray eyes, long black hair. She was also tiny, maybe 5'6", and very thin, almost sickly.
Her head cocked to one side, listening to the music playing in the hallway. 'My Sacrifice' by Creed. The arena had piped that over the speakers about 50 times that night.
Her eyes filled with tears, face crumpling in devastation. "Brian should be here," Andrew heard her mumble, then he heard her mumble something he couldn't make out. Her shoulders started to shake, and she slid down the wall, sitting on the floor, long black hair forming a curtain between her and the world. She was sobbing as if her heart were breaking.
Andrew wasn't really sure what to do. He wanted to help her, make her stop crying at least.
"Um, are you okay?" was the best he could come up with. 'God, that sounded stupid.' he almost wanted to slap his own forehead.
"Yes," she said without looking up. He couldn't see her face under her hair.
She didn't really sound like she wanted to talk to anyone, but it was breaking his heart the way her chest heaved and her shoulders shook with the sobs.
"Are you sure?" he prodded. "People who are okay don't usually cry in hallways of arenas."
She finally looked up at him. She was even more beautiful up close, even with the puffy eyes and red nose. Her face was elfen, dainty and find boned.
"I'm fine," she ground out between clenched teeth, but a betraying tear slid out of the corner of her eye.
Andrew fished a tissue out of his pocket. "That's not fine," he hunkered down beside her, offering the tissue.
She took it, rewarding him with a smile. It was as beautiful as the rest of her, slightly crooked, and incredibly charming. it made Andrew's heart skip a beat.
She sniffled. "Sorry, I haven't really cried yet-" she broke off, as if unsure as to whether go on. But he wanted her to get it out of her system. Even if it meant sitting here the entire night.
"Yet?" he prodded.
"Nothing, I should go," She was getting up to leave. Andrew didn't want her to go, he wanted to help her, and at least find out her name. So he went for broke, and placed his hand on her shoulder, preventing her from standing.
"Just because I play a jerk on TV, doesn't mean I can't be nice in real life," He explained, looking deep into her gray eyes. There was so much sorrow in them. "You can talk to me, you know."
"Test?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Andrew was surprised she hadn't recognized him sooner.
"The one and only," he said, smiling a little. "You can call me Andrew, though. that's my real name."
She smiled a little. "You mean your real name isn't Test?" she asked in mock surprise.
"No changing the subject." he told her. "What's going on?"
She shook her head, appearing as if she was in great debate about whether or not she should divulge her personal life to him. She sighed. "I'm here instead of my fiance."
He looked at her quizzically. "So?" Andrew didn't understand what the big deal was. Maybe they had a fight? But that didn't explain the sobbing, the heart wrenching sobs that emitted from her chest weren't that of an angry woman.
"He's dead, he died a month ago in an accident at work." Andrew felt like an asshole. 'So'? That was all he could have said? She wiped at her tear stained face, smudging her mascara further.
"I'm sorry-" he wasn't really sure what else to say. To lose the man you love, to lose the person you are going to marry-that must be one of the hardest things in life.
"Don't be, you didn't have anything to do with it," She set her jaw, looking him square in the eye. "The equipment was faulty, a law suit is pending-wrongful death." She sighed. "But it doesn't-" she broke off. Andrew saw the sobs coming again.
"It doesn't bring him back." He finished for her. He tentatively put an arm around her shoulders, hugging her to his chest. He was surprised that she didn't pull away. Then he offered the advice his grandmother had given him when his mother died in the car accident. "Eventually, it will get better. It will never be the same, it will never stop hurting. But it will get better."
Andrew was even more surprised when she put her arms around his waist, clinging to him like a life line. She rested her head on his shoulder, letting the tears come. And did she ever, his shoulder was soaked long before she finished crying.
Eventually the tears subsided, and her shoulders stopped shaking.
"Feel a little better?" Andrew asked her, tilting her chin up so he could look into her face.
A nod came, her gray eyes met his. "Thank you-for listening to me, for letting me cry on you." She paused. "Why did you?"
He slid into the Test persona, trying to get her to at least smile. "A hot chick that needs comforting? Test is all over her." Then he fell back into Andrew again. "You looked like you needed a friend."
"Thank you again, but I need to meet my brother-he's likely wondering where I am." She stood up. He missed the feeling of her slight body in his arms. He stood as well.
"See you around," Andrew said, giving a small wave.
She waved back, walking quickly towards the entrance to the arena.
Then Andrew realized something. 'Damn, I forgot to get her name!' He jogged after her, but she was already lost in the crowd.
============
Vengeance-Rowan
-------------------------
Rowan was watching the Titatron, showing Trish Stratus in her changing room, wearing only a towel, and applying lip stick.
Then Test walked in, propositioning her.
'What a pig,' Rowan thought, her gray eyes narrowing at the screen. 'He's so arrogant.'
Her brother reappeared with a beer for her. Mark had been the one to drag her to the WWF Vengeance taping. She had never really been a fan of wrestling, especially now, as the wrestlers' egos seemed to be out of control.
And Test was proof for that.
But at least it kept her mind off of Brian. Rowan sighed, letting her mind slip to her fiance. He had had tickets to the event, and invited her brother to go with him. And then the accident happened.
Brian worked in construction, and they were building a new bridge for the freeway, when the crane he was in tipped over, crushing him. It broke his neck, killing him instantly.
That was only a month ago. The wedding was to take place in March.
Rowan blinked back tears, seeing Mark was looking at her with concern. His gray eyes searched her face.
"You okay, sis?" he asked.
She sniffed. "I'm fine-I'm just going to go to the washroom." Rowan slipped out, maneouvering through the crowd, towards the exit. She followed the signs to the washroom.
Sighing, she looked in the mirror, reapplying the sheer lipstick to her pink lips. Her skin was paler than usual. She slid her portable brush through her thick, raven coloured waves. Rowan had been growing her hair out from it's usual bob for the wedding. It was reaching near the middle of her back now.
'Maybe I should get it recut,' she thought to herself. 'Start new again.'
She shook her head at her own reflection. Brian liked her hair long, and in rememberance of him, she would keep it that way. Rowan walked back out the hallway, not remembering which way she had come from. 'My Sacrifice' by Creed was playing. That was one of Brian's favourite songs.
She felt the tears well again, her face crumpling from it's normally composed state. The tears fell for the first time since Brian's death.
"Brian should be here," she mumbled to herself, tears choking the words. "Brian shouldn't be dead." The tears took over, sobs shaking her thin shoulders, sending waves of nausea through her stomach. Rowan sank to the floor, leaning her back against the wall.
And to the strains of 'My Sacrifice', she cried tears of sorrow, and anger, at her love's death.
"Um, are you okay?" the deep voice asked.
Rowan shielded her tear stained face with a curtain of raven hair. "Yes."
"Are you sure?" he prodded. "People who are okay don't usually cry in hallways of arenas."
She looked up, glaring at the man. "I'm fine," she ground out between clenched teeth, but a betraying tear slid out of the corner of her eye.
"That's not fine," he hunkered down beside her, offering a tissue.
Rowan took it, smiling gratefully. He looked familiar, but she couldn't place him. Long blonde hair, blonde goatee. He was very tall, and very broad. He wore a black T-shirt with the WWF logo on it, and a pair of blue jeans that fit like a second skin.
She sniffled. "Sorry, I haven't really cried yet-" Rowan broke off. Why was she explaining herself to a stranger.
"Yet?" he prodded.
"Nothing, I should go," Rown went to stand, but his large hand grasped her shoulder, preventing her from rising to her feet.
"Just because I play a jerk on TV, doesn't mean I can't be nice in real life," his blue eyes peered into hers. "You can talk to me, you know."
Then Rowan recognized him. It was Test. "Test?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him.
"The one and only," he said, smiling a little. "You can call me Andrew, though. that's my real name."
She smiled a little. "You mean your real name isn't Test?" she asked in mock surprise.
"No changing the subject." he told her. "What's going on?"
Rowan shook her head, not really sure why he was being so persistant. A chronic do-gooder? Perhaps. She sighed. "I'm here instead of my fiance."
He looked at her quizzically. "So?"
"He's dead, he died a month ago in an accident at work." fresh tears threatened to spill, and she rubbed her hand across her eyes, smudging her mascara.
"I'm sorry-"
"Don't be, you didn't have anything to do with it," Rowan looked up at Andrew, her jaw set. "The equipment was faulty, a law suit is pending- wrongful death." She sighed. "But it doesn't-" she broke off, her chest closing up with sobs again.
"It doesn't bring him back." He finished for her. He tentatively put an arm around her shoulders, hugging her to his chest. "Eventually, it will get better. It will never be the same, it will never stop hurting. But it will get better."
Rowan put her arms around his waist, sobbing into his shoulder. She knew she was making a fool of herself, but she couldn't stop the tears. That's why she held them in so long, She was afraid that if she started crying, she'd never be able to stop.
Eventually the tears subsided, and her shoulders stopped shaking. Now she just had a head ache, and sore eyes.
"Feel a little better?" Andrew asked her, tilting her chin up so he could look into her face.
Rowan nodded. "Thank you-for listening to me, for letting me cry on you." She paused. "Why did you?"
He slid into the Test persona. "A hot chick that needs comforting? Test is all over her." Then he fell back into Andrew again. "You looked like you needed a friend."
"Thank you again, but I need to meet my brother-he's likely wondering where I am." Rowan stood, feeling slightly awkward. She had just poured her heart out to this incredibly famous, incredibly attractive wrestler, and all she could say was thank you. What else could she say?
"See you around," Andrew said, giving a small wave.
Rowan waved back, walking quickly towards the entrance to the arena.
Vengeance--Test
----------------------
Andrew had just finished his camera set with Trish. He had changed into his WWF T-shirt and a pair of jeans, and was heading down the hall of the arena to the men's washroom when he saw her.
She was leaving the washroom, Her eyes slightly red rimmed. She was beautiful, pale skin, gray eyes, long black hair. She was also tiny, maybe 5'6", and very thin, almost sickly.
Her head cocked to one side, listening to the music playing in the hallway. 'My Sacrifice' by Creed. The arena had piped that over the speakers about 50 times that night.
Her eyes filled with tears, face crumpling in devastation. "Brian should be here," Andrew heard her mumble, then he heard her mumble something he couldn't make out. Her shoulders started to shake, and she slid down the wall, sitting on the floor, long black hair forming a curtain between her and the world. She was sobbing as if her heart were breaking.
Andrew wasn't really sure what to do. He wanted to help her, make her stop crying at least.
"Um, are you okay?" was the best he could come up with. 'God, that sounded stupid.' he almost wanted to slap his own forehead.
"Yes," she said without looking up. He couldn't see her face under her hair.
She didn't really sound like she wanted to talk to anyone, but it was breaking his heart the way her chest heaved and her shoulders shook with the sobs.
"Are you sure?" he prodded. "People who are okay don't usually cry in hallways of arenas."
She finally looked up at him. She was even more beautiful up close, even with the puffy eyes and red nose. Her face was elfen, dainty and find boned.
"I'm fine," she ground out between clenched teeth, but a betraying tear slid out of the corner of her eye.
Andrew fished a tissue out of his pocket. "That's not fine," he hunkered down beside her, offering the tissue.
She took it, rewarding him with a smile. It was as beautiful as the rest of her, slightly crooked, and incredibly charming. it made Andrew's heart skip a beat.
She sniffled. "Sorry, I haven't really cried yet-" she broke off, as if unsure as to whether go on. But he wanted her to get it out of her system. Even if it meant sitting here the entire night.
"Yet?" he prodded.
"Nothing, I should go," She was getting up to leave. Andrew didn't want her to go, he wanted to help her, and at least find out her name. So he went for broke, and placed his hand on her shoulder, preventing her from standing.
"Just because I play a jerk on TV, doesn't mean I can't be nice in real life," He explained, looking deep into her gray eyes. There was so much sorrow in them. "You can talk to me, you know."
"Test?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Andrew was surprised she hadn't recognized him sooner.
"The one and only," he said, smiling a little. "You can call me Andrew, though. that's my real name."
She smiled a little. "You mean your real name isn't Test?" she asked in mock surprise.
"No changing the subject." he told her. "What's going on?"
She shook her head, appearing as if she was in great debate about whether or not she should divulge her personal life to him. She sighed. "I'm here instead of my fiance."
He looked at her quizzically. "So?" Andrew didn't understand what the big deal was. Maybe they had a fight? But that didn't explain the sobbing, the heart wrenching sobs that emitted from her chest weren't that of an angry woman.
"He's dead, he died a month ago in an accident at work." Andrew felt like an asshole. 'So'? That was all he could have said? She wiped at her tear stained face, smudging her mascara further.
"I'm sorry-" he wasn't really sure what else to say. To lose the man you love, to lose the person you are going to marry-that must be one of the hardest things in life.
"Don't be, you didn't have anything to do with it," She set her jaw, looking him square in the eye. "The equipment was faulty, a law suit is pending-wrongful death." She sighed. "But it doesn't-" she broke off. Andrew saw the sobs coming again.
"It doesn't bring him back." He finished for her. He tentatively put an arm around her shoulders, hugging her to his chest. He was surprised that she didn't pull away. Then he offered the advice his grandmother had given him when his mother died in the car accident. "Eventually, it will get better. It will never be the same, it will never stop hurting. But it will get better."
Andrew was even more surprised when she put her arms around his waist, clinging to him like a life line. She rested her head on his shoulder, letting the tears come. And did she ever, his shoulder was soaked long before she finished crying.
Eventually the tears subsided, and her shoulders stopped shaking.
"Feel a little better?" Andrew asked her, tilting her chin up so he could look into her face.
A nod came, her gray eyes met his. "Thank you-for listening to me, for letting me cry on you." She paused. "Why did you?"
He slid into the Test persona, trying to get her to at least smile. "A hot chick that needs comforting? Test is all over her." Then he fell back into Andrew again. "You looked like you needed a friend."
"Thank you again, but I need to meet my brother-he's likely wondering where I am." She stood up. He missed the feeling of her slight body in his arms. He stood as well.
"See you around," Andrew said, giving a small wave.
She waved back, walking quickly towards the entrance to the arena.
Then Andrew realized something. 'Damn, I forgot to get her name!' He jogged after her, but she was already lost in the crowd.