Breathe. Deep breathe in. And out. Now repeat.
Jessica's voice rang out in her head, the motto Sarah lived by. Just keep breathing. Slowly the teenager felt the anxious nerves slip away as she stepped out of her car. "Don't panic, first day of senior year at a new school would make anyone feel nervous." She muttered to herself as she locked the car, despite knowing there was a beep she still jumped.
Taking her bag out of the trunk she gave the school a once over, the parking lot was mostly empty, she was one of the first to arrive. Phoenix High School. Weird name for a school, she thought. We're in Houston. With a chuckle she shook her head, better not over think it and give herself a heartattack. As she made her way into the front door she pulled her new school I.D. out of her pocket.
Sarah Argon.
"New name, new me." She murmured with a smile and finally got enough courage to push open the doors. The school was large and fairly new, the lockers a flaming red and the hallways wide.
"Excuse me," Sarah said timidly to a bored looking secretary. "I'm was supposed to meet with the principal this morning for a tour?" The lady behind the desk rolled her eyes and waved her towards a door behind them.
"Go on." Despite the rude attitude Sarah still smiled and practically skipped into the office, a balding elderly man sat behind a desk, his name tag said Mr. Manly. She giggled alittle at it but the man didn't seem care.
"Argon?... Argon? Sarah Argon?!" The teacher shouted, and Sarah flinched, she still wasn't used to using Jessica's name.
"H-Here." She tentatively raised her hand, students around her giggling at her misfortune. The meeting with Mr. Manly had gone well, she got her schedule and a tour of the campus, she was still alittle unsure of where certain places were but not as bad as before.
By the end of the day she had gotten better at answering for her name in class, she even got to sit with a few nice girls from her art class at lunch. The day had gone so well she was singing along to the radio and dance her way up the driveway, she didn't notice the dark car sitting in Jessica's spot, didn't notice that Jessica wasn't home yet.
"Well hello Ms. Lesnar." A voice called as she shut the door behind her, she shrieked and pressed her back against the wooden frame.
"What are you doing here Heyman?" It only took her a moment to recognize the man. "And all alone. Hmmm." She sneered at Paul, confidence growing as she advanced forward into the living room where he sat.
"Not quiet alone." She heard Curtis Axel growl behind her, she whirled around and glared at the larger man.
"What do you want?" Sarah tried to keep the fear out of her voice, she knew first hand that two against one -even if one of those two was a fat walrus- was never a good situation. Paul tapped his finger to his chin in faux thoughtfulness.
"I need your help." He finally annouced, she scoffed and started to say something when Paul cut her off. "Your father refuses to return to the WWE and promote my client CM Punk."
"Oh good for Daddy." She said sarcastically, feigning a yawn. "Now leave."
"I'm not finished!" The legal representative shouted and Sarah backed away, colliding with the firm chest of Curtis who pinned her arms to her side. "You are gonna help me convince him."
"What?!"
"Brock Lesnar does not like CM Punk," Paul began explaining, slowing his words down as if she was stupid. "So you will be buddy buddy with CM Punk to convice your Father that it is a good idea."
"I have school, I can't just drop that and go promote you and your freak shows." A tighter grip on her arms told her she had managed to anger the taller man behind her. "And even if I didn't I still wouldn't help you."
"You don't have a choice." Paul smiled sickly sweet, like she was a spoiled child.
"Free country bitch." She sneered, bringing the back of her head to collide with the chin of Curtis' he released her and she charged towards Paul, who barely dodged her. He ran out the front door, Axel close on his heels. "If I ever see you again I'll destroy you both!" She screamed, no doubt alerting her neighbors to the fact she was crazy.
"Sarah? Sarah-Baby you here?" Jessica's soft voice called out to her, after Paul had left Sarah had holed herself in the bathroom, taking the longest hot bath she'd ever had.
"Yeah I'm in here." She shouted and two seconds later Jessica peered in through the door. "Hey some privacy please?" Sarah groaned but knew it would fall upon deaf ears, Jessica had never minded when either one of them was naked.
"What happened?" She sat down beside the tub. "Did someone recognize you?"
"Heyman showed up, in our living room. God! He wanted me to come on the road with him to be best friends with Punk!" She growled.
"Why?"
"So my dead beat dad will team up with him and rejoin the WWE workforce." Sarah sighed head lulling to the side alittle.
"Do you want to?" Jessica asked sweetly.
"Never!"
"Just making sure," She laughed alittle, trying to ease the tension. "You know you can talk to me about this right?"
"Yeah, it's just- I don't know. I don't hate Brock, but why should I be there for him when he was never there for me?" She sniffled alittle.
"You don't have to do this if you don't want to, and maybe you should call him about it. If Paul is pressuring you into going on the road then maybe a talk from Brock will put a stop to that." Jessica suggested, rubbing the young woman's cheek.
"I haven't talked to him since Mom..." She stopped talking with a sob. "I've never needed his help before and I don't need it now."
"I know Sweety, I miss her too. Why don't you dry off, I'll make up some Hot chocolate and you can tell me how school went." Jessica said as she handed the brunette a towel and left.
"No one knew a thing," Sarah smiled across at Jessica, blowing on her mug. "I even made some friends from my art class. It took awhile to get used to using your name, alot of teachers think I'm a wannabe thug whose gonna cause problems." She giggled, it was so opposite from the real Sarah.
"Well I'm glad you had such a good day at school. Seems like this move was a good idea after all huh?" Jess grinned goofily at her. Sarah took a moment to study her, at past confrences in school she had said Jess was her mom but they looked nothing alike, Jessica's short spiky blonde hair versus her own long black locks. Jess's eyes were a bright green while Sarah's were a murky brown that she despised, Jess was tall Sarah short, Jess was tan Sarah pale. It made people look at them funny and neither woman blamed them.
Jessica was significantly young looking despite being nearly forty, coupled with her tendency to act immaturly when it suited her often made them interact as best friends and not a girl and her legal gaurdian. But Sarah never minded Jess's maturity or lack there of, the older woman knew how to care for her and made the burden of Sarah's Mother's passing easier on her heart.
"Well it's almost bed time, Kiddo. Can't be late for school tomorrow morning." Jess annouced, interrupting the comfortable silence. "I'll be double sure to lock the doors before I leave for work tomorrow."
"Thanks, Jess." Sarah smiled and pushed away from the table to go upstairs to her room. "Jessica?"
"Yes, Princess?"
"Thanks for giving me your name..."
"No problem Sweety, I should've done it years ago. Maybe then you wouldn't have gotten bullied so much. I'm sorry."
"That's okay, it made me tough." With that Sarah finally snuggled down in her bed, thoughts on her new school and friends. And soon she didn't even remember Paul's visit anymore.