***Later on I use a snippet of the 'N Sync song "Riddle", hence the name of the fic. I don't own anything that belongs to WWF (Vince McMahon owns the world). Suing me would be pointless right now, as I seem to be the epitome of the broke college student.***
August 2002
"You coming?" Dallas Hardy asked her sister.
"What?" Madison Reynault asked. She looked at her sister, wincing at the bright orange color of her hair. "Did you say something?"
"Are you coming to the hotel with Jeff and I?" Dallas asked slowly.
"Oh," Madison said, looking one last time down the corridor. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Who are you looking for?" Dallas asked.
"No one," Madison answered. "No one at all."
Madison got into Jeff and Dallas' rental car and leaned her head back against her seat as they pulled out of the parking garage of the arena.
"You okay?" Jeff asked his best friend.
"Yeah," Madison sighed.
Five minutes later Andrew Martin, better known as Test, raced into the parking garage. "Damn!" he exclaimed when he saw Madison wasn't there. Once again he was late.
He raced back to his dressing room to grab his duffel bag and his keys. He walked quickly to the parking garage and got into his car. The engine refused to start. "Shit, shit, shit!" Andrew exclaimed as he examined the engine.
"Like I know what the hell is wrong," he said to himself, "All I know is wrestling and hockey."
"Spoken like a true Canadian," Christian said as he walked to his car, which was parked next to Andrew's. "What's up?"
"My car won't start," Andrew said, "And I'm pretty sure Mad is pissed at me."
"Again?" Christian asked. "How long have you two been seeing each other?"
"A little over two months," Andrew said. "And it's been some two months."
"I remember her being pretty great," Christian said.
"She is," Andrew said. "But we always seem to find ways to fuck everything up."
"That's how it is," Christian said, as he tinkered with Andrew's engine. "Maybe it wasn't meant to be."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Andrew asked.
"I mean she was just coming out of a pretty serious relationship," Christian said. "Have you ever heard the word rebound?"
"Have you ever heard the words already sleeping together?" Andrew asked.
"What?" Christian asked.
"Madison slept with me the night before she broke up with Hunter," Andrew confided. "Of course this is privileged information."
"Of course," Christian said. "I don't want to ruin her rep."
"Anyways," Andrew said. "So it wasn't exactly rebound. She could have tried to work out whatever problems they were having. In a way she choose me."
"Okay, maybe it was meant to be," Christian said. "Look man, relationships are hell. I think the catchphrase is compromise. Try your car."
Andrew turned the key in the ignition and the car roared to life. Christian slammed the hood shut. "Thanks man," Andrew said.
"Sure," Christian said. "I think you know not to hurt Madison."
"Last thing I would ever want to do," Andrew said.
"Get going," Christian said.
"Later," Andrew said.
Andrew drove like a madman to the hotel, lucky it was three in the morning and there weren't too many cops on the streets. At least none that wanted to pull him over.
"Mad!" he shouted through her hotel room door. "Open the door."
"Go away," Madison said. "I don't want to talk to you right now."
"I'm sorry I was late Mad," Andrew said, still knocking on the door. "I won't promise to be on time next time because I seem to be late all the time."
Madison opened the door, but the security lock restrained it. She had been crying. "I said I don't want to talk to you right now."
"Madison, stop being childish," Andrew said as she shut her door again.
"That's right, I'm a child," Madison yelled through the door. "I'm not worth your time so go find someone worthy of you Test."
"Shit," Andrew said. She only called him Test when she was angry now. "Madison, let me talk to you."
"Not while I'm this angry," Madison replied. "I'll talk to you in the morning."
"What the hell difference does it make when we talk?" Andrew asked.
"Obviously none," Madison said. "So we'll talk tomorrow."
"I'll pick you up so we can go to the airport together," Andrew replied.
"I won't hold my breath," Madison replied.
Andrew shook his head as he walked away from her hotel room. He had no idea why she was so angry. He understood being a little angry. He had only been late. He was late all the time. What the hell was up?
He walked into his room. Madison had left a CD on in his room. They had gotten ready to go to the arena together and she was playing one of her CDs. The bed was still messed up.
"What's the riddle of it all/What's the riddle on her mind/It's impossible to find."
"Tell me about it fellas," Andrew said as he stopped the CD. He sighed in disgust as he saw it was N 'Sync. "Can't she listen to decent music?"
Andrew threw himself on his bed, trying to figure out what Madison's problem was. She had been moody all week. What had opened over the past week that could possibly have made her that moody? Shane and Lita's baby was fine, The Rock lost the Championship to Lance Storm, Vince and Linda were planning on renewing their vows. Chyna had won the IC from Billy Gunn. Chyna and Hunter had gotten engaged.
"Damn it all to hell!" Andrew said to himself. Was Madison upset because Hunter was marrying Chyna? Did she still love HHH? Andrew felt like he couldn't breathe.
Madison tried to sleep all night long. Andrew was so unreliable. She really cared for him and thought their relationship could be great if he would just...grow up. He always seemed more concerned about himself than anyone else.
She should just leave him. She should get out of the relationship while it wouldn't hurt too badly. She knew all the things she should do and could do. But she knew she would pretend it didn't hurt that he was never on time, that he only showed up for about half of her matches, that he always wanted things his way. She tried to ignore the fact that Andrew didn't trust her.
She wanted a relationship like what her friends had. All of them were so perfect for each other.
Jericho and Stephanie had fought to be together. They realized how lucky they had been to find each other and they made it work. Jericho hated Vince, but he put up with him for Stephanie. Stephanie hated that Jericho never relied on other wrestlers help to get ahead, but she let him do what he wanted to do.
Lita and Shane were a super-couple as far as Madison was concerned. They were complete opposites, but they fit together perfectly. Shane kept Lita grounded, while Lita kept Shane's life interesting. And they were so devoted to each. And to the family they were about to start.
Matt and Meredith had been friends forever. Meredith had always known that they belonged together, but she let Matt figure it out for himself. She helped him through a really hard time. Now they were both happier than they had ever been.
Jeff and Dallas were her family. They were so similar. They loved to take chances, to live on the wild side, but they both needed their down time. They loved each other beyond reasoning. It was them who had helped Madison believe that love didn't have to hurt, who had helped her to fall in love with Hunter.
Now Hunter was marrying Chyna. They were amazing together too. She didn't regret that she and Hunter had broken up. It really had been for the best. She knew she probably shouldn't have jumped into another relationship again. She should have given herself some time away from guys. She should have stayed as far away from Andrew as she could.
She had fallen for Andrew months earlier, before she had ever gone out with Hunter. He had never asked her out on a date or hinted that he was attracted to her. He had helped her so much while she and Dallas weren't talking. That's when she had fallen in love with him, but she had convinced herself it was just her latching onto a friend. Attaching feelings that didn't need to be there. But she knew she loved him.
Now it was getting too complicated. She needed to get out.
August 2002
"You coming?" Dallas Hardy asked her sister.
"What?" Madison Reynault asked. She looked at her sister, wincing at the bright orange color of her hair. "Did you say something?"
"Are you coming to the hotel with Jeff and I?" Dallas asked slowly.
"Oh," Madison said, looking one last time down the corridor. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Who are you looking for?" Dallas asked.
"No one," Madison answered. "No one at all."
Madison got into Jeff and Dallas' rental car and leaned her head back against her seat as they pulled out of the parking garage of the arena.
"You okay?" Jeff asked his best friend.
"Yeah," Madison sighed.
Five minutes later Andrew Martin, better known as Test, raced into the parking garage. "Damn!" he exclaimed when he saw Madison wasn't there. Once again he was late.
He raced back to his dressing room to grab his duffel bag and his keys. He walked quickly to the parking garage and got into his car. The engine refused to start. "Shit, shit, shit!" Andrew exclaimed as he examined the engine.
"Like I know what the hell is wrong," he said to himself, "All I know is wrestling and hockey."
"Spoken like a true Canadian," Christian said as he walked to his car, which was parked next to Andrew's. "What's up?"
"My car won't start," Andrew said, "And I'm pretty sure Mad is pissed at me."
"Again?" Christian asked. "How long have you two been seeing each other?"
"A little over two months," Andrew said. "And it's been some two months."
"I remember her being pretty great," Christian said.
"She is," Andrew said. "But we always seem to find ways to fuck everything up."
"That's how it is," Christian said, as he tinkered with Andrew's engine. "Maybe it wasn't meant to be."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Andrew asked.
"I mean she was just coming out of a pretty serious relationship," Christian said. "Have you ever heard the word rebound?"
"Have you ever heard the words already sleeping together?" Andrew asked.
"What?" Christian asked.
"Madison slept with me the night before she broke up with Hunter," Andrew confided. "Of course this is privileged information."
"Of course," Christian said. "I don't want to ruin her rep."
"Anyways," Andrew said. "So it wasn't exactly rebound. She could have tried to work out whatever problems they were having. In a way she choose me."
"Okay, maybe it was meant to be," Christian said. "Look man, relationships are hell. I think the catchphrase is compromise. Try your car."
Andrew turned the key in the ignition and the car roared to life. Christian slammed the hood shut. "Thanks man," Andrew said.
"Sure," Christian said. "I think you know not to hurt Madison."
"Last thing I would ever want to do," Andrew said.
"Get going," Christian said.
"Later," Andrew said.
Andrew drove like a madman to the hotel, lucky it was three in the morning and there weren't too many cops on the streets. At least none that wanted to pull him over.
"Mad!" he shouted through her hotel room door. "Open the door."
"Go away," Madison said. "I don't want to talk to you right now."
"I'm sorry I was late Mad," Andrew said, still knocking on the door. "I won't promise to be on time next time because I seem to be late all the time."
Madison opened the door, but the security lock restrained it. She had been crying. "I said I don't want to talk to you right now."
"Madison, stop being childish," Andrew said as she shut her door again.
"That's right, I'm a child," Madison yelled through the door. "I'm not worth your time so go find someone worthy of you Test."
"Shit," Andrew said. She only called him Test when she was angry now. "Madison, let me talk to you."
"Not while I'm this angry," Madison replied. "I'll talk to you in the morning."
"What the hell difference does it make when we talk?" Andrew asked.
"Obviously none," Madison said. "So we'll talk tomorrow."
"I'll pick you up so we can go to the airport together," Andrew replied.
"I won't hold my breath," Madison replied.
Andrew shook his head as he walked away from her hotel room. He had no idea why she was so angry. He understood being a little angry. He had only been late. He was late all the time. What the hell was up?
He walked into his room. Madison had left a CD on in his room. They had gotten ready to go to the arena together and she was playing one of her CDs. The bed was still messed up.
"What's the riddle of it all/What's the riddle on her mind/It's impossible to find."
"Tell me about it fellas," Andrew said as he stopped the CD. He sighed in disgust as he saw it was N 'Sync. "Can't she listen to decent music?"
Andrew threw himself on his bed, trying to figure out what Madison's problem was. She had been moody all week. What had opened over the past week that could possibly have made her that moody? Shane and Lita's baby was fine, The Rock lost the Championship to Lance Storm, Vince and Linda were planning on renewing their vows. Chyna had won the IC from Billy Gunn. Chyna and Hunter had gotten engaged.
"Damn it all to hell!" Andrew said to himself. Was Madison upset because Hunter was marrying Chyna? Did she still love HHH? Andrew felt like he couldn't breathe.
Madison tried to sleep all night long. Andrew was so unreliable. She really cared for him and thought their relationship could be great if he would just...grow up. He always seemed more concerned about himself than anyone else.
She should just leave him. She should get out of the relationship while it wouldn't hurt too badly. She knew all the things she should do and could do. But she knew she would pretend it didn't hurt that he was never on time, that he only showed up for about half of her matches, that he always wanted things his way. She tried to ignore the fact that Andrew didn't trust her.
She wanted a relationship like what her friends had. All of them were so perfect for each other.
Jericho and Stephanie had fought to be together. They realized how lucky they had been to find each other and they made it work. Jericho hated Vince, but he put up with him for Stephanie. Stephanie hated that Jericho never relied on other wrestlers help to get ahead, but she let him do what he wanted to do.
Lita and Shane were a super-couple as far as Madison was concerned. They were complete opposites, but they fit together perfectly. Shane kept Lita grounded, while Lita kept Shane's life interesting. And they were so devoted to each. And to the family they were about to start.
Matt and Meredith had been friends forever. Meredith had always known that they belonged together, but she let Matt figure it out for himself. She helped him through a really hard time. Now they were both happier than they had ever been.
Jeff and Dallas were her family. They were so similar. They loved to take chances, to live on the wild side, but they both needed their down time. They loved each other beyond reasoning. It was them who had helped Madison believe that love didn't have to hurt, who had helped her to fall in love with Hunter.
Now Hunter was marrying Chyna. They were amazing together too. She didn't regret that she and Hunter had broken up. It really had been for the best. She knew she probably shouldn't have jumped into another relationship again. She should have given herself some time away from guys. She should have stayed as far away from Andrew as she could.
She had fallen for Andrew months earlier, before she had ever gone out with Hunter. He had never asked her out on a date or hinted that he was attracted to her. He had helped her so much while she and Dallas weren't talking. That's when she had fallen in love with him, but she had convinced herself it was just her latching onto a friend. Attaching feelings that didn't need to be there. But she knew she loved him.
Now it was getting too complicated. She needed to get out.