X~ Waiting for Superman~X

Summary: Aria had a rough start to life, but when she finally gets called to join the WWE her dream comes true, and her career takes off. Follow her journey as she makes some unexpected friends, and see if anyone can get passed the barriers she built over time. This is a story of love, friendship, and of course the WWE.

Author's Note: This is a whole new vision for me. After awhile of coming to a dead end with my prior story, I'm hoping this little vision I've been building up can make up for the incompletion I left all my prior readers with.

Warning: Strong language, sexual nature, violence.

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone expected my created character. This is a work of fiction. This story does not reflect reality in any way, shape, or form. All proprieties that are not mine belong to their owners.

Chapter One: Give me a Sign

The morning air was brisk, the sun still lying just beyond the horizon awaiting it's time to shine down upon the dark parking lot. This was hardly Aria's idea of a good time. She pulled her black Affliction zip up tighter to her petite frame, cursing underneath her breath. Why did she always feel the need to be early? Sighing, she pulled the hood to her jacket just on to the back of her head in a frivolous attempt to fend off the bitter wind that began to blow. People finally began to laze their way out of the hotel, so she silently hoped that this was a sign the bus would finally arrive.

"Finally…" She muttered under her breath as she pulled her phone from her pocket just as the time changed from 4:59 to 5:00 A.M.

Aria placed the strap of her duffle bag on to her shoulder and began her walk closer to the group of WWE Divas and Superstars gathering near the empty parking lot. She was dressed comfortably in her black Affliction brand sweat pants that sit just at her hips, white flip flops graced her feet, a white tank top ended just before her pant line revealing the smallest bit of sun kissed skin, and her black Affliction brand zip up covered her arms. Her shoulder blade brown hair was straightened and lying casually as her usual choice of style, and only mascara graced her face. Aria was simple, and her attire suited her well.

Aria glanced over her shoulder as she began to hear the many names of her fellow co-workers beginning called. Fans were beginning to frantically try and get a glimpse of the entertainers; camera flashes, signs filled the air, and pictures were being shoved forward in an attempt to get autographs. She could only help to be glad that the buses finally were pulling up to the hotel. It was too early to deal with overzealous admirers.

"Two buses?" Aria muttered to herself as she reached in to her pocket pulling out her instructional paperwork. It never mentioned what bus she was suppose to be on.

With a sigh Aria made her way forward, shyly pushing her way to the front to find somebody who may be able to assist her when she spotted somebody standing outside the doors to one of the two buses. "Excuse me," Aria began, "This is my first day with the WWE. Do you know which bus I belong on? My paperwork doesn't say." She exclaimed in a tone of embarrassment, her cheeks flushing.

"Are you a heel or face" The man she presumed to be the driver asked.

Aria looked down at her paperwork once more, skimming over before finally answering, "Heel."

"You're at the right place then." He exclaimed with a friendly smile, "Hand your bags to Shane over there, then take a seat wherever you want."

Folding her paper back up, she placed it in to the side pocket of her duffle bag, and made her way over to Shane. Her bag was loaded with ease, and she then climbed her way in to the bus. It was bigger than she expected. She had showed up so early in a hopeful attempt to get a seat to herself, but her plan had been squandered much to her dismay. Nearly every black cushioned seat had somebody placed by a window or aisle way; either alone, or chatting idly with someone she could assume were friends.

Aria swallowed the nervous lump that suddenly developed within her throat; her hands began to fidget idly with the sleeves of her jacket. It was like high school all over again. She was the odd one out, and had no one to call her friends. It didn't help that Aria wasn't even remotely up to date as to who anyone in the program was. She spent her days training, and before she was called to development, she fought in the Indies. The majority of her time was spent at Ring of Honor before she was scouted by none other than Paul Heyman. That's right, she's a Heyman girl.

With a dread filled sigh Aria sucked it up and began making her way to the very back of the bus. If she couldn't get a seat to herself she could at least find some privacy not being shoved in the midst of people she didn't know. She took the only aisle seat left in the back. The man next to her look up from his comic book, his dark eyes were hardly visible beneath the baseball hat that was sat on top of his head. Aria unzipped the front pocket of her carry on back pack, pulling out Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, then placed her backpack beneath her seat, only to grab her phone from her pocket, unraveling her headphones before she placed them in her ears, turning her music selection on to shuffle mode. This was going to be so awkward.

As the bus started up and began to move, Aria couldn't help but glance at the man sitting next to her. She was a people watcher. She examined his bared arms; Noting the words, "Luck is for Losers," out of them all. Aria was no stranger to tattoos, having a few of her own in places that were currently concealed. One was on her left shoulder blade, another on the top of her foot, and her final one on her inner left wrist. With a small smile to herself she pulled her hood over her head just a bit more before allowing herself to be absorbed in another world. If only she realized that he had done the same.


Aria jumped up suddenly, her eyes shooting open as a rather large bump startled her. That's when she realized that he had fallen asleep. Of course that may not seem to be that big of a deal. That is until she realized her head had been resting on the shoulder of the man next to her, and her book was draped in her lap. She was thoroughly embarrassed once more. With a grimace on her face she looked up beneath her long lashes only to find that he was glancing down at her with a bemused, and even cocky, smirk. His lip ring was glinting just slightly from the sunlight reflecting through the bus window; Day light had finally arrived, and nearly the entire bus was awake.

"Fuck, I'm so sorry." Aria exclaimed as she bent down for her backpack in hopes of evading the entirely awkward situation. "Of course, Aria, please make yourself look like even more a newbie. God knows you don't find enough reasons to embarrass yourself." She mumbled beneath her breath.

"Do you always make it a habit to talk to yourself?" The man chuckled as he looked at her with yet another humor filled smirk, only to open his comic back once more. Aria was speechless, scrunching back in to her seat, her head leaning in to her hand, eyes closed.

"Yeah. Way to go, Aria." She mumbled to herself as she began to press random buttons on her phone in hopes of making it look like she actually had a real social life, and wasn't a total lost cause.

When she was satisfied that she had been fumbling around with a fake text message long enough, she placed her phone back in to her pocket and decided to return to Harry Potter once more in hopes of avoiding his glance. The remainder of the 8 hour bus ride went by with no more embarrassing incidents. Before she knew it they had finally arrived to yet another expensive looking hotel, and Aria was completely spent.


Aria groaned as she stretched her tense muscles before she packed her belongings back in to her bag and stood up. The bus had already come to a complete hault, and the other superstars were either rummaging in the overhead locker spaces or heading out of the bus. Aria had picked her way through slowly before she stepped off in to the hot afternoon air. She decided now was a good time to pull her hood down, smoothing out any lose hairs that may have went crazy and examined her surroundings.

Aria managed to get once grace of luck that day, and her bags were already loaded off for her to grab, and she happily made her way to the hotel in hopes of escaping the scorching heat. Now it was just another task; Checking in to a hotel when she had absolutely no clue how her reservations were going to work.

Aria stood clueless in the swarm of superstars and divas chatting animatedly as they awaited their turn to check in to their rooms. Aria still had yet to meet a single person, and had no clue who exactly she could consider a friendly face in a business she wasn't fully adjusted to. That's when her eyes caught sight of the man she had set next to on the bus. He never harassed her, nor did he seem like he had a reason to have an agenda to hate her. He let her exist. He couldn't be too bad to ask for help, right?

Aria cleared her throat as she reached him. He was standing off to the side of the hotel, his hands stuffed in his pockets, headphones noticeably in his ears. He seemed to hate the crowd as much as she did.

"Remember me?" Aria questioned with pink tinged cheeks once more.

"Sure…" He exclaimed with a small laugh.

"Short version. I have no clue what the hell I'm doing here. Do I need some sort of special ID to check in? Because I don't have one, so I'm probably royally fucked." Aria exclaimed with a small hint of frustration.

"It's your first day, right?" The guy began, "Just show the letter you had to use to figure out your bus assignment. It's got Vince's signature and your name. Now if you don't have that, well that's when you'll be royally fucked." He exclaimed with a humored grin.

"At least I have that." Aria mumbled with a form of relief.

"You have some photo ID?" He questioned.

"Drivers license." She stated simply.

"Then you're all good."

Aria gave a small smile before she went to go about her business. Right before she took her first step though she turned around to see his face once more, "Thanks." She spoke with a warm smile once more.

"No problem." He spoke with the first real smile she had seen from him since sitting beside him on the bus, and then placed his headphones in his ears once more.

He watched her from that point on. There was something about the new girl that he couldn't quite place his finger on. She wasn't pretending to be this dolled up Barbie doll. Hell, she wasn't pretending at all. She just existed among the other workers of the WWE content to be just whoever it was she was. She was a breath of fresh air to a world that was full of plastic surgery, fake personalities, and frankly. Fake everything. He was surprised that she chose to navigate her way on her first day through him over somebody who was naturally friendly looking. Somebody well known. Popular. Was it possible that may be she was like him? Somebody who didn't fit in.


After getting situated in to her room, Aria decided it was time to go and hit the gym. Being cooped up on a bus an entire day wasn't exactly her idea of a good time. Her muscles ached from the lack of use. With a pair of black Capri leggings, a purple sports bra, and her purple Asics for her attire she began to head out her hotel room and make her way down the hall way. She was disappointed in finding that the hotel didn't have a gym though, even if it was only around the corner. She was about to make her way out the hotel when she heard a voice.

"Who's the new girl?"

"No idea…" Replied a voice that was familiar to her.

"You don't know who you spent the past 8 hours sitting next to?"

"No, asshole. I don't."

"I certainly don't mind getting to know her. We should give her a lift."

"Honestly, man. I highly doubt she wants your version of getting a lift. Actually. I doubt anyone wants that."

"Fuck you," Aria heard a laugh pass from the unfamiliar voice as she started to push the door open," She's new. Don't be too nice, dick."

Not wanting to risk getting caught up by the two men, and clearly getting in the way of one of them, Aria pushed her way out the door and began her walk to the nearby gym. She didn't mind the fresh air it was actually refreshing after being trapped up in a bus for a majority of the day. That's when she noticed a black SUV pull up beside, she stopped, her brows furrowed as the window rolled down.

"Want a ride to the gym?" The second familiar voice the men she had noticed early asked. He had blond brown hair that was spiked, a headband wrapped just at the beginning of his hairline and a bright smile. He seemed like a guy who was nothing but friendly to anyone he met. "My bad, the names Zack Ryder." He exclaimed with a laugh as he gestured to the man she remembered from the bus, "The asshole driving is Phil Brooks."

"Aria Daniels." She exclaimed with a small grin back.

"You want that ride?" Phil asked seemingly impatient.

"I mean, if you don't mind. I don't wanna hold you up anymore." Aria exclaimed starting to feel awkward.

"Nah, hop in. Phil here is just your friendly neighborhood asshole."

"Motherfucker." Phil exclaimed smacking Zack in the head as Aria laughed hopping in to the back seat of the SUV.

"Hey man, watch the hair!" Zack exclaimed feeling to make sure his spikes were in place.

"We'll be going to the bar later for drinks if you want to come with," Zack began, "Don't let this guy scare you off. We're not all abusive grouches." Zack teased.

Aria couldn't help but smile, "That'd be nice." She accepted.


Aria stood at the foot of her bed, her clothes thrown about the room as she began to try and decide what to wear. The truth, Aria hated bars. Actually, she hated crowded areas in general. She much preferred just staying in her room watching a movie or reading. She knew this was an important night for her though. It would give her a chance to meet the women and men she would spending the majority of her time with, let alone just working with. Even if it was going to be excruciatingly difficult, she knew this was something she had to do. She just didn't know how.

With a final sigh, she threw on a pair of dark wash, distressed skinny jeans. A pair of black boots that came just past her ankles covered her feet with a small 2"heel. Finally her top was simple, a black racerback tank top draped her torso, a silver anchor covered the front, and the back was striped horizontally with black and white. Her hair was once again straightened and left to drape over her shoulders, and she topped her look off with a natural make up; a little concealer, a natural smoky eye, and mascara.

Grabbing her wallet and phone, Aria left her room and made her way down to the hotel bar where she saw Zack grabbing a some drinks.

"What are having, pretty lady?" He greeted with a friendly smile.

"Oh, um… Just a pepsi." She exclaimed with a small grin, "Thanks, you don't have to pay though. I'll get it." She offered getting ready to pull out her wallet.

"Nah, don't worry about it," he began as he grabbed the four drinks, passing Aria her pepsi, "Come on. You need to meet everyone." He exclaimed as he led her over to the table. "You of course know Phil. The others here are; Cody, Ted, Randy, John, Stephen, Alex, and Mike." He introduced pointing out everyone as he went along. "Guys, this is our newest diva. Aria Daniels."

Aria waved shyly with a timid smile, "Nice to meet you all." She was still standing awkwardly beside Zack as he passed out a few of the drinks he had just bought before turning to go and what Aria figured to get the others a drink.

"Take a seat." Phil offered realizing Aria's discomfort to so many unfamiliar faces. He was new once, he knew it wasn't easy to be thrown in to the life.

Aria smiled gratefully, taking a seat next to Phil and placing her glass on the table. The others began to chat to each other once more, and Aria immediately began to feel like an unwated visitor in to an already well established group of close friends. This really wasn't her scene, and the entire situation was just a reminder why she enjoyed staying in away from the world of unknown social interactions.

"I take it you're not a drinker then?" Phil asked in an almost shocked tone as he noticed her glass was the only one besides his own not filled with alcohol.

"Never really got in to it… I prefer to remember what I did the night before and not throwing my guts up." Aria finished with a small laugh. "You either?" She asked noting his glass.

"Straightedge." Phil exclaimed simply.

"Me too." Aria spoke with a surprised tone.

"Where you from?" Phil questioned actually finding himself interested in knowing more about somebody he seemed to have more in common with by the second.

"Boardman, Ohio."

"Ah, not too far. Chicago, Illinois." Phil exclaimed with pride.

"Big city guy." Aria exclaimed with a small laugh.

"I love it. It's home. Any time I get there is just. It's special." He exclaimed.

"Home is…" Aria started, but found she couldn't quite put her finger on how she felt about her home. She wasn't close to her family, and her friends there never seemed to really care whether she was coming or going. "I wasn't sad to leave to say the least." Aria finished gently.

"How come?" He questioned in a tone of empathy. Phil knew all too well what it was like to come from a family that didn't want him.

"Some things are better off left unsaid." Aria exclaimed with a tender smile, already feeling the past creeping up in to her mind. "I see you like tattoos." She gestured as her fingers brushed the ink on his arms. "Are these all you have?"

"I have them all over." He exclaimed as he began to point out the ones that mattered most to him. Aria couldn't help, but smile as he spoke of the stars he had placed behind his ears. She knew well what it meant to have a tattoo with such sentimental value. The light chatter was just even more welcoming as it allowed her to escape the past.

"What about your's?" He spoke as he gestured to the words gracing her wrist.

"Fight hard." Aria murmured as she ran her fingers across the intricate cursive letters among her wrist, "It's one of the 3 that I have." She began gently. "I have a dream catcher on my shoulder blade, and the words, 'Love runs deep,' on my foot." She exclaimed with a proud smile.

"All have meaning don't they?" Phil questioned with a knowing tone.

"They do." Aria spoke with a nod as she leaned her elbow on the table, her head resting in her hand as she looked in Phil's direction.

"What do I gotta do to find out?" He asked with a curious tone.

"Looks like you'll just have to find out…" Aria trailed with a warm smile.

It was in that moment that Aria began to realize that may be, just maybe, things might start looking up for her.


Please, please, please review! I've honestly been spending so much time working on this story. I know the start may be rough, but I promise. It gets better. I have more chapters prepped to go, but updates all depend on your thoughts!