I opened my eyes and jumped up. I was on a plane...and it was shaking violently. Shelton was right next to me, his hand holding mine as he slept; his head against the window. How is he sleeping through this? I thought. When I poked his ribs and his eyes opened slowly, he immediately lifted the armrest that our hands had been resting on and pulled me over closer to him.
"It's just turbulance baby, relax." he mumbled sleeepily.
"I still don't like planes."
"It's the fastest way back is all; we couldn't afford to let your dad sit there for days while we drove cross country."
"I know...Shelton?"
"Hmm?"
"What if...what if my Dad...dies?"
Shelton's eyes shot open and he turned around to look at me. "Baby, your dad'll be just fine. He's not gonna die. We talked to Christy before we got on the plane, remember? Minor heart attack, he's gonna pull through just fine."
"Yeah Doll, your dad'll be just fine." Leon said from the seat behind Shelton. I looked behind me and gave him a grateful smile.
"I think I'm just scared...my dad...he's always been my hero; the guy that rescued me. I can't think of him as anything but...healthy. Lee...you don't understand. My dad is one of those fathers that'll sneak and pick you up from school at lunch time and take you to the ball park for a 1:15 Sox game as long as you don't tell mom. He'll meet you in the kitchen at 12:30 am on a school night to eat ice cream out of the carton. He's the dad all of your friends wished they had. I can't lose that...especially after finally meeting the dad that helped give me life."
"I know Baby Doll..." Jesse was directly behind me next to Leon.
"Baby, your dad's just fine. I promise you, he'll be up and talking to Matty and Al when we get to the hospital."
"Dolly, If your dad's not up and talking, or asleep, then I'll shave and get a hair cut."
Trust Vince to do something to keep my mind off of the situation. I'd been yelling at him that he looked homeless for months. V was accross the ailse from me.
"I'm gonna hold you to it V."
Attention passengers, we will be making our final decent into Boston, Massachusetts. Please buckle up and return your seats and trays to their upright positions, a cool voice announced throughout the plane. We sat up and twenty minutes later, we were walking through the airport, looking out for Aims and Jeff.
"Ari, Over here!"
I turned around and saw Amy standing there with a slightly sad look in her eyes. Jeff beside her with his hair an array of colors as usual.
"Oh Fuckette..." she said quietly before holding her arms out. I walked to her quietly and just rested my head on the taller woman's shoulder. Amy was my best female firend, and knew I really didn't want to talk. "Let's just get you to your dad, huh?"
We got into Jeff's truck and had a silent drive to the hospital.
"You ready, Munchkin?" Jeff looked back at me.
"Jeffers...I..."
"I know." he said. I'd gone with him to his own father's funeral only a year ago. "Me and Matt...my Matt...are here for you."
"Thank you." I whispered with a soft smile. We got out of the truck and went inside and up to the 6th floor. As soon as I came off of the elevator I heard someone yelling for me.
"MAMI!"
I turned around and Mattie was running down the hall, face pale, tear-tracks on his face. I dropped to my knees immediately and pulled him in my arms. "Mijo...I'm here...I'm here baby..." I cooed, stroking his hair.
"I was so scared. Grandpa wouldn't wake up...we've been here all night, and I don't want to be here anymore. Can we go back to Grandpa's house? Please?" he said, looking up at me with big sad brown eyes.
"Tell you what Shorty, your mom hasn't seen your grandpa yet...I'll go back there with you and Angel...you can get a shower, get something to eat and sleep this whole thing off...He's gonna be just fine. What do you say to that?"
Thank God for Jeff Hardy.
"Uncle Jeff...I wanna go back to abuelo's house." he looked over at him.
"Come on, we'll go get your sister and then we'll get out of here."
Mattie took my hand and we walked down the hall to a large waiting room. Matty, Allen, Christy, Matt (Hardy), Uncle Randy and Aunt B are all in the waiting room.
"Munchkin, Shelton, you're here...with V, Leon and Jesse." Allen smirked.
"Hey, I just flew...you know I can't do it alone, Allie." I smiled softly before hugging my friend tight. Uncle Randy and Matt kissed my forehead, and then I turned to my brother who was grasping Chris's hand tightly.
"Hermano...como esta papi?" I asked quietly.
"Heart Attack...clogged arteries, high cholesterol, he's okay now..." he replied. "He's awake...In there talking to Angel right now...she found him and was pretty shook up."
"Told you, Doll..." Vince smiled knowingly.
"Go on baby, go see your dad, we'll be out here." Shelton pushed me down the hall. I walked down the hall until I could hear Angel's voice.
"I'm glad you're okay, Buelo."
"Me, too, my Angel."
"Me too, Papi." I said from the doorway.
"Mommy!"
"Hey, Mija, Uncle Jeff's gonna take you back to Buelo's house. Why don't you go on with Mattie, and I'll meet you there."
"Okay!" She ran out of the room after hugging me tight. Once she was gone, I turned to my dad.
"Don't scare me like that, Old Man." I walked into the room and sat on the side of the bed.
"Sorry, I think I scared myself more than anything." He cupped my cheed and smiled at me.
It was weird; my dad was the strongest person I knew. He'd beat the Big Show, JBL, The Great Khali, and Umaga...but something the size of a drop of water had him in a hospital bed looking pale and weak. He may have been in good spirits, but he looked bad. "Daddy..."
"I know baby, come here." I laid my head on his shoulder and felt his arms go around me.
"I was so scared Dad...what if...what if you'd have died and I was all the way in LA? I've been spending so much time feeling sorry for myself that I never would have gotten a chance to even say good bye." I sobbed.
"Mija, I'm not going anywhere!" he said, squeezing me tight. "I'm just fine."
"But you-you could have died and I'd have been all by myself!" I clung to him like he was my last lifeline.
"Ari...baby girl, I'm not going anywhere for a long, long time...and I'd never leave you without saying good bye to you first. I'm way too stubborn leave you here."
I don't know how long he sat there stroking my hair, letting me cry, but when I opened my eyes, my mom was in the room looking down at us.
"Mami?"
"Hey mija. John...are you alright?" she walked into the room sitting on the other side of the bed.
"He's fine, Mami. Daddy's gonna be fine, just needs bed rest for a few days, then he can go home and we have to change his entire friggin diet." Matty said from the door. "No more fried food...a lot more salads, whole grains, and fresh fruits."
"But..."
"But nothing Papi! I refuse to see you in another hospital bed!" I inturrupted. "No more burgers, fries, fried chicken, enchaladas, nothing like that daddy; we have to get you healthy again."
"I'll be just fine! I have two of my three favorite girls in my bed with me, my boy here with me too...I think I'm just fine, why change anything?"
"Because you nearly died, mi amor (my love). John...I have no idea what I'd do without you. I...we...ever since I met you, I've never been alone."
"And if you leave my baby sister alone, I'll have to bring you back to life just to kill you again."
"Uncle Wayne...no threatening my daddy while he's fragile; he can't defend himself." I pouted, lying back on my daddy's shoulder.
"I'm sorry Munchkin, I'll be nice...for now." He winked before walking over and kissing my forehead softly. "So, how are you doing, old man?"
"You're older than me, Dwayne!" daddy smirked. "I'm better...a little achy, a little tired, but I'm better man..."
"You know what it probably was? All those years of just grabbing McDonalds and fries, and all kinds of junk during drives between shows." Uncle Wayne said thoughtfully.
"Maybe...but your sister's cooking...that was the straw the broke the camel's back...By the way, love, you didn't have to come back home...I'm fine, you could have gone on to Miami like you planned." he added, looking at my mom.
"Don't ever even think that a vacation is more important than you are John. I heard you were in the Hospital, I came back. end of discussion. I'll go on vacation with Wayne in a couple of weeks." she said in her 'no arguments' tone.
All daddy could do was nod and say "Whatever you want, love."
When Daddy got out of the Hospital about 3 days later, He'd been perscribed 2 medications, and given a strict diet to follow until his cholesterol went down. I decided to stay in Boston for a couple of weeks or so just to make sure he was better; V, Le and Jesse went back to LA.
While I was in Boston, I started searching for an apartment. I'd found a 1 bedroom apartment with a loft that I could turn into another bed room, or a small gym, or even a game room if I wanted to. It was right in the heart of Boston, only a 20 minute walk to the Arena. Daddy agreed to let me pay for the apartment on my own; I hadn't spent the money that I'd earned from wrestling much; I'd just put it into savings, and Daddy took care of me while I was on the road mostly. Matty and Christy'd already moved in together; they had a townhouse in St. Louis near Uncle Randy. Once I'd signed the lease, I immediately called my mom, Aims, and my cousin Katie, telling them the news and that I needed help buying furniture and things to decorate my apartment. We were in the furnature store looking at living room sets and arguing over 2 diferent sets.
"I like this one, Ari..." Katie said, pointing at a sofa, loveseat, armchair and ottoman set. They all were covered in what looked like a thick grey sweater. "It's warm, neutral, so that whatever color you pick for the walls, you won't clash, and it's so comfortable."
"It also reminds me of the ugly sweaters Mami used to make me wear in the winter when I was younger." I added. "No offence Mami."
"None taken." she smiled.
"I like THIS one dude..." Amy pointed at a white leather set that had a very long sofa, and two armchairs. It also had a huge circular ottoman.
"I like this one too, Aims...I can go get a large circular piece of glass and use the ottoman as my coffee table...save me some money, yeah?"
"White leather?"
"Come on, Katie! As much as you've rebelled from your mom, you can't handle a leather sofa?" I teased. She'd come a long way from when we were 16. She was wearing a pair of dark jeans, a long sleved thermal, and a short sleved tee under her calf-length leather coat. She also had her right eyebrow pierced, and from what she told me, her navel as well.
"Well, I'm just worried about cleaning...I mean, white furnature and all...give me a break, Ari!" she laughed.
"It's leather, a wet towel will wipe up most spills; as for more serious spills...simple. I'll kill anyone who ruins my furniture."
"Plus, me, Jeff, and Matt can splatter paint it for you."
"Aims...you just drew me to my decision. I'm getting the leather." I smiled. My mom had a knowing look on her face; like she'd known what I was going to pick all along. "And dude, I'm thinking of painting my walls a very dark orange...like almost a light brown kind of color...it's a psudo-neutral, so it won't look so weird."
"Psudo-neutral? Okay, someone's been watching What Not To Wear again..." Katie teased, causing Amy and my mom to laugh.
"Leave me alone. Mommy make them leave me alone." I pouted jokingly.
"You know, I don't understand why you're going to buy a white couch to only paint it...why don't you just get your furniture the color you want it to be in the first place?"
"Katie! No being the voice of reason today!" I scolded, cracking another smile as I shook my finger at her. We ended up buying the white furniture and setting up next-day delivery. Then we got dishes, towels, face cloths, things for the bathroom, and a bitching entertainment system complete with DVR and HDTV and all that good stuff.
"Wait, why aren't we getting a bed?" Katie asked.
"Cause I'm gonna just take the one at the house."
"No your not...take all your things, but Angel sleeps in that bed now." Mami smirked.
"But Mami,"
"You're buying a bed, that's final." She laughed at my whining.
We went back to the furniture store and went back to the bedroom sets. I immediately went for a huge oak four-poster bed complete with curtains that went around it. It also had a bureau with a mirror on top, and a tall dresser too.
"I need a nightstand though..." I thought out loud.
"What about this one?" My mom asked, pointing at a queen sized mahogany sleigh bed. It had two nightstands, and it also had a tall dresser to go along with it.
"I like that one too," Amy nodded.
"I really love the four poster though...and you know how I sleep...if I pull those curtains around me, nothing could ever wake me up until I WANTED to wake up." I said.
"I've got to agree with Ari on this one...besides, it's not like her clothes will fit in just that tall dresser."
"Thanks, Katie-dude. 'Sides...it's not like I can't just go out and buy two nightstands."
"Well, it is a beautiful bedroom set. Maybe you're right..."
"Mami, of course I'm right...I'm always right! Why can't people just understand that?"
We bought the four poster set, and arranged for it to be delivered the next day.
This is all mine! I thought as I walked around the room excitedly. I'd finished decorating my apartment, and it'd only taken me a week and a half! I'd made my bedroom in the loft, made that bedroom a small gym with a few weights, a tredmil, and a Total Gym. (Hey Chuck Norris tells you to buy something, you do it!) I'd also put my stereo system from my old room at my dad's house into that back room. I had dark orange walls, and my white leather sofa now was a muted ivory color instead of the bright white. (No, Aims, Matt and Jeff didn't paint it...I replaced the furniture) The hardwood floors were shining, the living room walls covered in pictures of everyone important to me; my titles hung in the gym proudly displayed. My kitchen was bright and cheery; pale yellow with light blue accents all over the place. My room was green. I had emerald green sheets and pillowcases (700 count egyptian cotton of course), a black comforter, and heavy black curtains to keep all light out until I wanted to wake up. It wasn't huge...but it was mine. And I wouldn't have had it any other way.
There was a buzz and I walked over to the intercom next to the door.
"Hello?"
"Open the door! people are staring at me!"
"What's the magic word, loser face?" I laughed. I was having a house...er...apartment warming party, and the first person had already arived.
"Now!" Allen's voice rang through the speaker amusedly.
"Come on in, Ally...top floor, door to your right!" I pressed the button that unlocked the downstairs door and then let it go after a second or so. I ran to the bathroom to check my apperance. I was wearing a pair a black pants that had a huge green dragon curling around the right leg, and a green ying and yang symbol on my left hip with a black long sleved shirt under a greeen fishnet top. On my feet were black tennis shoes. Just as I picked a stray hair into place, there was a knock at the door. I darted to the door of my apartment, and opened it excitedly.
"Allie!" I shrieked, jumping into his arms happily. Allen was holding a bag in one hand and handed it to me with a smile.
"Just for you, kid." he winked as I opened it. First I took out a set of 10 shot glasses; Each one with a superstar on them. The other thing in the bag was -
"You gave me a bottle of Vodka?" I deadpanned. "How sweet!" I buzzed his cheek smiling brightly. "You win so far in the Best house warming Gift contest."
"Ha ha, now let's check out this pad!"
The door opened into a small hallway where there was a closet for coats and things like that. Then you walked into the living room. Against the wall directly across from you was the entertainment center, and going over that was a set of steps that went up into my room. to the right was a hall that went to the kitchen, to the left was the bathroom and the gym.
"Niiiice." He grinned, flopping on my couch.
"So...you like the place then?"
"Love it...that's your room?" he pointed up at the loft.
"Yeah. It's hot." another buzz sounded and I walked towards the intercom again.
"Yo, who it is?" I called.
"Too much like your dad...open the door, Kid."
"Top floor, Uncle Dave, door on your right!" I hit the security button and then went back to Allen, who was playing Need for Speed Underground on my Playstation 3.
"Who said you could play with my PS3?" I asked walking into the kitchen and putting the bottle of vodka into the freezer. The door opened and I heard voices greeting Allen.
"Uncle Dave, UNCLE PAUL!" I grinned, jumping in both of their arms happily.
"Hey Kid, let's see this place." Uncle Paul smiled down at me. After a quick tour, I accepted a set of wine glasses from uncle Dave, and a bottle of wine from Uncle Paul.
"Wine?"
"You never know when you have a special occasion, Munchkin. You might need some."
The intercom buzzed again and I yelled at Allen to get it.
"It's your parents and Matty and Chris." he announced. After a while, everyone showed up. But when Amy, Matt and Jeff showed up, they won the best apartment warming gift award. A box, full of my favorite men; Johnny (Walker), Jim (Been), Jack (Daniels), Jose (Cuervo), and the Captain (Morgan). When everyone finally showed up, we spent the evening celebrating my new chapter in my life.
The chapter with the kick ass apartment.
Finally Updated!!!! Be Proud of me.
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