A long time ago, CM Punk and I were friends. Best friends. We both had the same sense of humor, and saw the world pretty much the same light. I never thought that he would change like this.

After Raw 1000, everything changed. He had gone off with Paul Heyman, and I was just starting to get into the Wrestler's Therapist swing. We were two different people now.

The day was the fifteenth of April, 2013. CM Punk was sharing his thoughts on the whole deal with The Undertaker. I was expecting some huge tirade about how he was screwed out of his rightful victory.

What I didn't expect was sadness.

He seemed mournful, like he was lost. After some words about always wanting more before hugging Paul Heyman and disappearing backstage.

Every wrestler was staring at the moniter in shock, not really sure if it was an act or genuine.

I ran out of the room. I had to find him.

While looking for Punk, I ran into John Cena. He didn't seem at all concerned about Punk's sudden attitude change. Maybe he hadn't seen the footage? After all, he was about to go out himself and challenge Ryback about the words he'd said. But that's another story.

"Nix," John said with out really looking at me after I'd apologized for bumping into him, "You're looking for Punk, aren't you?"

I blinked. So he had seen the footage. "Aren't you even concerned?" I asked incredulously, "You of all people..."

"Listen Nix," He said, walking away, "If only this once, take my advice."

John looked back at me, his eyes unreadable. "Don't go poking your nose into other people's buisness."

I stared after him as he turned and walked away towards the gorilla postion. What was his problem? This was very out of character for John.

I shook my head and kept running towards where Punk's locker room was. John's PMS could wait.

When I reached Punk's locker room, I could hear Punk muttering to himself inside. I wasted no time in throwing the door open. Punk jumped and looked at me and I could tell that he was about to cry.

I shut the door and walked up to him, grabbing him by the shirt. "Punk, if this is some joke..."

"What is there to joke about, Nix?" Punk scowled at me, "I lost the streak, I lost my title, I lost everything! You think I find this funny?!"

"Considering that fact that your find Mick Foley's legacy, Jerry's heart attack, and a good man's death funny, I wouldn't put it past you!" I yelled in his face.

"I didn't find it funny! What do you know anyway?! You're just a stupid kid!" Punk screamed.

"Yeah, well I'm smarter then you and Heyman combined!"

"Doesn't matter if you haven't even graduated high school yet!"

I shook him hard. "What happened to you?! This isn't the CM Punk I know, this isn't my best friend! Where are you?! Wake up!"

Punk howled in anger and threw me off of him into the lockers. "Shut up!"

We stared at eachother silently for a few minutes. The monitor in the room showed John and Ryback arguing in the ring, and briefly I thought that I should watch it for Ryback's sake. I walked over to the DVR and paused it.

Punk was shaking, and I braced myself in case he attacked me again. Instead, he looked down at the floor.

"I'm sorry." It was so silent, I could barely hear it. My eyes widened when it registered in my brain that he was apologizing.

"I don't want to be the guy everyone hates anymore," Punk choked, "I want my friends back. I want my life back."

I approached Punk carefully, looking up at him. "Why did you do all of this in the first place?"

Punk tensed. "It...it doesn't matter anymore. It's done. My life is over. I'm done."

"What do you mean?" I asked concernedly.

"No one will ever forgive me for what I've done," Punk said, turning around so that I couldn't see his face, "I'm horrible...I'm a monster. And to think I only realized it now. I...I just wanted respect!"

"Punk, you don't get it!" I yelled. Punk turned to look at me. "We never stopped respecting you! If anything, before you turned heel, we praised you and bowed at your feet!"

"Explain Jericho!" Punk yelled at me, "Explain AJ! Explain Daniel Bryan!"

"AJ's batcrap insane!" I cried back, "Daniel my as well be a stupid five year old kid, and Jericho's just Jericho! He wanted to mess with you!"

"I was never supposed to be here!" Punk leaned in and snarled in my face.

"But did we ever kick you out?"

That made him stop, so I continued. "Even after everything you've done, there are still people out there cheering your name, or wearing your shirts! Vince never fired you, didn't he? People still like you, and to be frank, I can't believe it!"

Punk started shaking again, and my eyes were starting to sting as well. I pulled out an old pendant from my pocket. It was half of a blue star. Punk held the other half, a red star. It symbolized our friendship. Many times since he'd turned heel, I'd considered giving my half back, but I'd never had the heart to.

"Please Punk." I said sadly, holding the pendant up so he could see it clearly, "I never stopped caring about you. For nine months, I've been waiting for you to stop playing and be Punk again. I never stopped being your friend, even after you'd stopped being mine. I miss you so much Punk. You could be with me and Miz and Cody and Damien, just please..."

A tear fell out of my eye. "Just please wake up."

Punk took the pendant out of my hand and stared at it. After a moment, he broke down and threw his arms around me.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" I sobbed into my neck, "Just please, please forgive me, even if I don't deserve it!"

"I already have." I replied, tears running down my face.

We sat there for about ten minutes before I remembered Ryback. "Oh, crap!" I said, quickly pressing play on the DVR.

The whole one-sided conversation shocked me almost as much as Punk's had. Basically, John, Ryback's partner, was calling him lazy and incompetent. I couldn'y believe my eyes or ears.

I heard stomping coming down the hall. I peered out the door to see Ryback walking briskly past me, trying to hide the tears in his eyes. I was about to follow him.

"Nix, wait!" Punk called, "Let me tell you why I turned heel. And before you ask, yes, this does have something to do with John and Ryback."

"Spill, but do it quickly." I said.

"John cheated on me."

I gaped at him, not quite believing him. My blood ran cold when he continued.

"John cheated on me with Zack Ryder, Zack Ryder before that with Randy Orton, and he's trying to cheat on Ryback with me. Ryback's right. John's been using him."

I couldn't hear anymore. I dashed out the door. I had to find Ryback and John and set this straight.


Ooh, a plot! Bet you never expected one from this story! Consider this a special two-part chapter, I'll post the second half tomorrow. This chapter is actually based on what I said aloud while watching Punk on Raw. My brothers and I watched him very carefully, and all of us want him to be Punk again. After Monday night (Or rather Tuesday afternoon in our case), we have high hopes. We miss you Punk. Come back.