How's this for a Christmas present! A NEW CHAPTER! And if things keep going like this, there will be another one as soon as this weekend! And for our CENATION SHOUTOUT… this one goes to SUPERMANJOHNCENA!
DISCLAIMER: Well, no John Cena buck naked in my bed… maybe next year. As usual, I only own all the unfamiliar people and places in this fic. Now, to get this Christmas started off right… ON WITH THE FIC!
LAST TIME...
"Um… I need to get a few things from the conveyor belt first!"
"Like what?" She asks me.
"Like Thunder? And the rest of my luggage?"
"OH! Damn, my bad!" She shrieks. "Well, let's get the little sweetie… THEN we can spend the rest of the night indulging in girl talk!"
I just laugh at my friend before we get my little furbaby. I've only been home for a couple of minutes and thanks to Dee, it feels like I never left. I guess I'll find out how much things have changed in the morning. I will say this much, I know I've changed a hell of a lot.
GWEN'S P.O.V.
I guess this is how Dorothy felt when she said "there's no place like home'. She's right. In the span of a few months, I've been all over the U.S. and even went abroad to England; but nothing compares to being home with friends and family… even if that friend made everyone at the airport think she escaped Whitfield by shouting at the top of her lungs.
(A/N : Whitfield is an insane asylum we have here in Mississippi.)
Hey, she wouldn't be my Dee if she were quiet. Right now, I'm at her house and we're in her room having a sleepover just like old times. To commemorate my homecoming, she bought a dozen donuts form our local Shipley donut shop. You haven't lived until you had a Shipley donut. Krispy Kreme can suck it! We spend most of that night talking about everything that happened to me in the WWE and everything that went on here at home. One thing that has changed is the studio. Ever since Mr. Hardmon fired me for something that wasn't my fault, things have gone downhill. Not only has enrollment gone down, but the teachers went on strike. Well, if he hadn't, I wouldn't have gotten my new job with the WWE so I can't be too pissed at him. Oh, I'm still pissed; just not as much.
"Girl, it's been crazy here the last few months! You remember all those kids who picked on you in school?" Dee asks me as she's cuddling with Thunder. I'd like to forget them, if she really wanted to know the truth.
"Oh, you mean the ones who called me fat in elementary school and bullied me in high school? Nope; can't say I remember them." Note the oozing sarcasm.
"Well, they are blowing up my Facebook asking me to hook them up with your contact number. Talk about two-faced! They dog you all through school and now, they wanna holla back at you. How they gonna act?"
"Do you have any idea how hard I'm fighting to keep from singing 'Hollaback Girl'?" I chuckle. Big ups to my sister in namesake, Gwen Stefani! LOVE YOU! "Isn't that always the way? The bullied person makes good and the bullies want to make nice and pretend it never happened." I say. "I guess it's true when they say that living well is the best revenge."
"Real talk! I don't think they know your Twitter handle but if you happen to see them… just let them down gently… because I already took the liberty of chewing their asses out." Dee, I LOVE you! "But you are kind of a celebrity around here now."
"Really?" I ask. I don't feel like one and I kinda like it that way. I'm just another person doing what they love to do.
"Yeah. Don't be surprised if the Delta Democrat Times or our local t.v. station wants an interview with you." My best friend tells me. "If they do call, go for it. Mississippi needs all the positive P.R. we can get."
"I'll totally do that." I smile. I never did get the fascination with celebrities when I was on the outside looking in and… I still don't get it. They're humans just like us. Well, most are. I still think Eve and Dolph landed here from some alien planet or something.
"Now, enough about boring old Greenville. Tell me about you and loverboy." Dee smiled. The smile on my face grows and Dee just squeals. "Oh, I knew there was something going on! Tell me everything!"
"Well, I'll assume you saw the kiss…"
"Yes; I have it on my Tivo!" Dee smirks. "Was it everything you ever dreamed of?"
"And more." I smile.
"Aw, sookie sookie now!" Dee laughed.
"Oh, save the 'sookie sookie' because there's more to the story." I tell her and her eyes widened with interest.
"More? Hang on!" I watch as Dee sets up her pillows so she could sit up without being too uncomfortable. "Okay, now I'm ready. Lay it on me!"
Did I mention that my friend was a trip and a half?
"Okay, where do I begin? Remember the night when I showed you Eve kissing John?"
"Yeah, I remember. If A.J. hadn't shown us that footage she shot, John would have been an innocent victim caught in my crosshairs!" Dee tells me. Wait… she knew?
"Hang on. A.J. showed you that?"
"You mean how Eve set it all up to make you think John was cheating on you? Yeah. She showed us that footage." Dee admitted. "She showed it to us and told us she'd bring it to you later."
"Oh. She must have shown it to the girls before she did John and me." I surmised. "Well, after John and I found out, we had a heart-to-heart talk before the Raw that began the scandal storyline." Every time I think about that, I think about how close I came to missing out on my chance at love… no thanks to that bitch, Eve! "I finally told John how I felt about him and he felt the same way." I see Dee gently set my little fur baby down on the floor and I can tell she's gonna go into another one of her scream fits. She does realize it's 2 in the morning and everyone else in town is asleep, right?
"I don't want to jump the gun here…" Too easy. "But… did he say… those words?"
"If by 'those words' you mean 'I love you'… then, yes." I smile. "He said them. And I told him I loved him, too. I told him I wasn't afraid to give him my heart."
I expect a full on bullhorn-type scream that's typical of Dee, but it didn't happen. Well, it kinda didn't happen. She did scream, but she did it into her pillow so she wouldn't wake everyone up. Miracles DO exist!
"Oh, shit! Can I say it now?" She asks me with excitement in her eyes.
"Not quite yet. There's still more." I grin.
"Damn! Well, don't stop talking, girl! Tell me more!"
"Well, even though we finally revealed our feelings to each other, A.J. wanted us to pretend that things were sour between us."
"Why did she want you to do that?"
"She wanted Eve to think we were on the outs so she'd believe that her plan worked." I explain and I see this devilish grin appear on my friend's face. I can't blame her, though. AJ's plan was hella clever.
"She masterminded a plan to give that bitch a taste of her own medicine. I like her style! She and I think a lot alike."
"Yeah, you both like to post videos of me on YouTube without my permission." I smirk. "But, I'm getting off topic. Anyway, for the next few weeks, John and I pretend to be broken up over each other. We even avoided each other to play up the ruse, which sucked!"
"I can't even imagine." Dee said as she hung on my every word. "I mean you finally get the man of your dreams and you have to pretend that everything's on the rocks between you two."
"Exactly. And it didn't help that Eve and Dolph seemed to be watching me everywhere I went."
"What!?"
I let out a heaving sigh because she was going to find out sooner or later. At least this way, I can run damage control.
"Yeah, Dolph is apparently stalking me now." I tell Dee everything he's been doing since the beginning of the storyline… and that may have been my dumbest move to date because I see a look on my bestie's face that is all too familiar to me. "I know what you're thinking, Dee."
"Good. That means when I pull out my semi-automatic, it won't be a shock to you." Dee said simply. "Does John know?"
"No, I decided to keep this bit of intel from him." I tell her sarcastically. "Of course he knows! What did you think? That I wasn't going to tell him that his enemy is going after his woman?!"
"Okay, so all that stuff during your promos with John and Dolph… is real?" Dee asks me.
"As real as you are, Dee." In my book, NOBODY is more "real" than Dee so when I hit her with that comparison, she knew I was serious. "I'm not going to spoil anything for you, but wait till you see what happens on SmackDown Friday."
"Girl, you got me curious now!" Dee grinned. "Any time Dolph gets his ass handed to him is a good night! Now, back to you and John. What happened after RAW ended? And, by the way, AJ's a spunky little firecracker!"
"She is." I smile. "Now, to answer your question, John had to go to the hospital to get his knee looked at after Dolph's attack and I went with him. Thankfully, his knee isn't so bad that he'll be out of action, but his dance lessons are on hold until he heals up again."
"Speaking of… how's he coming along with that?"
Why is everyone so curious about John's dancing? I mean, so he's no Michael Jackson; I'm whipping him into shape.
"I'm not gonna reveal anything until it's time, but I will say he's got a lot more natural talent than even he realizes."
"I hate you! Come on, girl! Can't you lemme see just a teeny bit of his progress? Please? Pretty please with a side of my Aunt Sophie's catfish?"
She had to go there, didn't she? She knows my absolute favorite thing to eat is catfish and her Aunt Sophie's is da BOMB! I dunno what spices she uses, but damn! I could eat a platter all by myself! Ugh! Some days, I can't stand her.
"Okay! But what I show you does NOT leave this room!" I stress.
"Cross my heart and hope to run out of ammo!" Dee swears. I just shake my head and take out my camcorder. I search through my bag for the SD card with our lessons and cue up the last footage I shot to show her. Her eyes focus on John as he goes through his new and improved moves and she was dumbfounded.
"Girl! GIRL! That is not him!"
"Oh, yes it is. That's all him." I smile.
"Look at- so he can move that fine ass of his in those jean shorts!" She grins as she bobs her head to the music. "Go 'head!" After turning off my camcorder, Dee got back on track. "Now, back to John's knee. What happened while you were at the hospital?"
"Well, I asked him that since we kissed in front of… well, everyone on RAW, did that made us official." My smile grew as I thought back to that night and his… answer.
"Well? What did he say? Gossip and suspense do not mix! Tell me, damn it!" Dee urged.
"Well, he said yes… in his own way." I smirk.
"He kissed you again, didn't he?"
"Did he ever. Oh, by the way; thank you for putting that tube of lip gloss in my purse. He loved it." I grinned.
"You used it that night? Oh, HELL YEAH! No wonder that kiss was so fuckin' hot!" Dee smirked. "So, this means that you and John are…"
"Yup. We're officially a couple." I smile. I see Dee bouncing on the bed like a kid waiting for Santa Claus to come down the chimney and it's funny to watch a grown ass woman act like that.
"Well… can I say it now?"
"Knock yourself out." I smile.
"Aw, sookie sookie now!" Dee smirked. I just shake my head at her with a smile and then I let it fall for a second. The mention of the lip gloss reminded me of what happened before I made my trip home. I guess the sudden change in expression raised a red flag for her because she quickly grew concerned.
"What's wrong? I thought you'd be happy."
"I am. I'm ecstatic. But something else happened." I tell her. "Before I came home, John and I spent some time together earlier today-"
The next thing I hear is a loud gasp coming from Dee like she just came up from being underwater for a long time.
"You didn't! You lost your virginity already!? Girl, it's way too early in the relationship!" Dee said in shock. "I mean, it's about damn time, but-"
"We didn't do THAT, Dee! I'm still a virgin!" I tell her with a heaving sigh. Okay, I know she wants me to experience the joy of sex, but I ain't giving shit up until I get a ring on this finger. If he wants my milk, he gotta buy the cow! "As I was saying, we spent some time together earlier today… talking… and making out. But mostly talking." I chuckle lightly. "Anyway, the conversation steered towards you and the lipgloss and that blossomed into a conversation where I told John… everything."
You could hear a pin drop in our room and with the human boombox next to me, that's an accomplishment. Her mouth was as wide open as her eyes, just like at the club where she first met John and Randy.
"Get the fuck out! Everything? As in EVERYTHING everything?
"Everything everything." I nod with a sigh. That's when Dee got off her bed, climbed into mine and gave me a tight hug which I returned.
"Oh, wow. How'd he take it?"
"Better than I expected. He was so understanding and patient." I tell her. "We had a deep heart-to-heart and after what I told him, he says that you're as much his hero as I am."
Now, that knocked Dee for a loop. She's been called loads of things throughout her life, but never a hero.
"Me? His hero? Why?"
"Because if you hadn't saved my life, I wouldn't have been around to save his." I explain. "So, technically, you saved John's life, too. Albeit indirectly."
You should have seen her. She put her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest and acted like she was all that and a bag of chips. She is, but I don't tell her that often; her head's already the size of a small planet.
"I saved John Cena's life! Hey!" She smiled as she did her little victory dance.
"Don't pat yourself on the back too much, girl. I also told him how you threatened to come up and shoot him when you found out about Eve kissing him." Just like that, her arms drop down to her sides and she shoots me a scowl. And that's how you bring your best friend back down to Earth. Hit her with a dose of reality.
"Way to bring a bitch down." She frowns at me.
"Had to be done." I smirk.
"Who cares? The point is that now you have a boyfriend… and a hot one at that!" Dee reminded me. "Gwen, you being on Raw every week is a big fat 'fuck you' to everyone who bullied you and once they find out you're dating John, it'll be an even bigger middle finger to the guys who didn't want to date you. And I'll be sure to send you pics of their faces when it happens!" She grinned.
"I gotta admit, that would be satisfying to see." I smirk. "Especially that guy who asked me to Prom as a big joke."
"I know, right? Well, we better get some sleep. Tomorrow's Turkey Day and I don't wanna miss out on the dressing." Thunder barked in agreement. "Oh, you can't wait, either, huh?"
"Of course not. Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter are feast days for family pets." I chuckle.
"Well, go easy on the helpings. Otherwise all that food will turn your Yorkie into a Porkie." She laughs.
"It'll be hard with mom's cooking, but I'll do my best. Night, girl."
"Night. And night, Thunder."
Thunder gives Dee a cute bark before curling up in his little doggie bed. Dee goes back to her own bed and after I say my silent prayers, we finally turn in. Just thinking about seeing my family and all that food tomorrow makes me almost too excited to sleep… almost. The second my head hit that pillow, I was out. So out, I didn't notice that someone was looking in on us from outside Dee's window.
-The next day-
I had the best night's sleep I ever had in a long time last night. Telling John my biggest secret was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders and I think it brought us closer together. It definitely gave him a new appreciation for Dee. Right now, I'm walking Thunder outside before I get ready to visit mom and he starts growling when we get to a tall tree just outside Dee's window. This isn't isn't a weak growl, either. This is one you'd expect to come from a dog twice his size.
"What's wrong?" I ask him. I've never known him to refuse to do number one on a tree before, but he was bound and determined to stay away from this one for some reason. "Come on. It's a tree. Not like it's gonna up and bite you."
But Thunder just kept growling which worries. I can only think of two people he'd act this way with and I've learned a long time ago to trust his instincts. Something doesn't click and I can already feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
"Okay, we'll go to another tree. Let's go." I finally convince my little buddy to do his business elsewhere, but that display has me on edge now. Fan-fucking-tastic. Not only do I have to watch my waistline, I have to watch my back, too!? I didn't want my visit home to include karate kicks or worse yet, gunshots. What I need to do is focus on the real reason I'm here-food and family! It's getting close to noon and I don't want to be late for the dinner so I take Thunder inside so I can freshen up and change. After I change, Dee drives me and Thunder to my mom's house and drops me off before going to see her own family.
"Same plan as always?" I ask her as I lean on the passenger door.
"Yup. We save each other a plate from our dinners and switch later today." She nods. "You have fun and tell your family hi for me."
"You, too. Bye."
"Later!" She smiles as she drives off. I have Thunder on his leash and we're both standing just outside the big yellow house I've called home for as long as I can remember. "Hasn't changed a bit." I smile and then I take a big whiff of the delicious aromas coming from it. Thunder smells them too and he's practically pulling me towards the house. When properly motivated, he's pretty strong for a Yorkie! "Okay, okay! We're going up!" I laugh as I walk him to the door. Once I get there, I knock on the door to the tune of "Another One Bites The Dust'. It's a good song.
"I only know one person with that knock!" I hear a familiar male voice on the other side and I smile as the door swings open. "GWENDY!" My older brother, Eric, picks me up and swings me around and I have to remind him that I'm holding onto Thunder's leash.
"Eric! I love you but lemme let go of Thunder's leash first before he's sent into orbit!" I laugh. He reluctantly lets me go and I unhook thunder's leash before he goes back to swinging me around. "Man, I missed you!"
"Same here, little sis!"
Eric is the youngest out of the boys but you wouldn't know it to look at him. I think the best way to describe him is he's the same height as Mark Henry but half his girth. And he still rockin' those stupid little hair twists he thinks look so good on him.
"Is everyone here?"
The next thing I hear is the same kind of barking that Titus O'Neil does and the beginning cadence of a step routine before Eric falls in line. All four of my brothers are members of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Yes, they are Q-Dogs. Lord, help me. Of all the fraternities they could have joined, they chose the Q-DOGS-the craziest group of black men on the planet!
"Every year." I chuckle. "It wouldn't be Thanksgiving in the Turner house without a step show."
"Damn straight! And you should have pledged Delta Sigma Theta when you were in college." Victor tells me; he's the oldest out of us kids. With him here, I can be sure of one thing… there won't be any leftovers. This guy can eat! I'm gonna have to sneak some food out of the house before he inhales it all. "You coulda made up some bomb ass step routines for them!"
"I never was much of a joiner, Vic. You know that." I tell him.
"Hey, lay off her. She turned out just fine. So sororities weren't for her." Thank you Otis for being the voice of reason in the family, and that distinction makes him the black sheep because nobody in our family's wrapped too tightly. Otis is the middle child and the most level headed. He looks like the guy who played the dad on Smart Guy and he's the type of guy everyone seems to like and trust; kinda reminds me of John in a way.
"They weren't. You wouldn't believe how often I got approached to join those sororities. And I'd always refused because I wasn't into following the crowd and I was still kinda socially awkward." I tell them.
"Well, you look like you've come a long way from being the shy girl we all know." I hear a male voice laugh behind and if you've ever seen the movie Amadeus, his laugh sounds just like the one Mozart had. Before I could turn around, I get attacked with noogies by the last male member of our family besides dad.
"AAAAHH! TINY! Cut it out! You're gonna mess up my hair!" I laugh. He's called Tiny for a reason. He's the shortest out of the boys and he's just a couple of inches taller than I am. If I had to compare his build to someone, I'd probably say Kofi. Once he finishes assaulting my hair that took me an hour to get just right, I look like Medusa waking up from a hangover. "I hate when you do that to me."
"I know; that's why I do it." He grinned. Jackass… but, I love him anyway.
"So, did you guys bring your broods?" I ask.
"You know they did."
Now, there's a voice I miss hearing. I turn my head towards the kitchen and I see two smiling faces looking back at me.
"Mom!" I go over to her and give her the biggest hug I can muster. She's been my rock through the worst times in my life and I can never thank her enough for that. She hasn't changed all that much, either. The woman's 63 and she still doesn't have that much gray hair on her head… and she WANTS gray hair! Most people I know would do everything in their power to STOP getting gray hair.
"So, where is everyone?" I ask.
"They're all in the living room holding an NBA 2K13 tournament to see who gets the drumsticks at dinner."
That started out as a joke 5 years ago and snowballed into a Turner family tradition.
"And… why aren't you guys playing?" I ask my brothers.
"Victor got us disqualified." Otis replied with a frown. "He tried to use a cheat code."
"Are you serious!?" I laugh.
"Hey, it would have worked if pops hadn't caught me." Victor chuckled.
Next to our mom is the love of her life, my dad. Eric is the spitting image of dad in every way, well, not the hair. Dad's smart enough to not give into that fad.
"Hey, sweetie."
"Dad. I missed you so much!" I said as I hugged him. This man is the sole reason our family has the tight bond it has… and the reason all my brothers are Q's. He's one, too.
"So, how the WWE treating my only daughter?" Dad asks me. Nearly everyone in my family's a huge WWE fan. Everyone has their favorites, some I don't agree with, but hey. To each his own.
"Just fine, dad." I smile. "The WWE is awesome!"
"I bet! It's not every day a commentator gets involved in a storyline." Otis says with a smile.
"Maybe. I just don't appreciate John Cena kissing on my baby sister." Victor replies. He's a fan but he's my older brother first. It's like some unwritten jungle code that says older brothers and boyfriends don't mix. Never mind the fact that they're extremely overprotective of me. Knowing this, I'm not sure how they're going to take the news about me and John being an item now.
"Chill out. It's just an angle they're doing. Once it's over, he won't bother her anymore." Eric replies and I just stand there looking like I just crashed my parents' car into a stop sign. Please don't notice, please don't notice, please don't notice.
"Uh… Gwendy? Is there something you wanna tell us?" Tiny asks me with a raised eyebrow.
They noticed. Damn!
"Um… hey, mom! The turkey smells yummy! When's dinner?" Smooth, Gwen. Real smooth. I try to dart into the kitchen when…
"FREEZE!" All four brothers order me and I stop dead in my tracks. Shit! I really hoped that I could break the news to them later… like after my honeymoon.
"Okay, sis. Spill it." Victor prodded.
I never wanted to hear the smoke alarm go off more than I do right now. Why did mom have to be such a good cook and NOT burn shit?
"I was hoping to tell you a lot later, but I guess that's all shot to hell now." I sigh as I prepare myself for whatever backlash the news will bring me. "John and I are… we're dating."
"You're WHAT!?" My brothers ask me in surround sound stereo.
"Da-ting. We're dating, alright?" I sigh in annoyance.
"Hallelujah! I thought I was going to have to send you to a convent!" Mom blurted out.
"MOM!" Ugh, just kill me now!
"Oh, relax, honey. I was just kidding." My mom smiles at me. "But I am happy that you finally found yourself a man. Your father and brothers… not so much."
"No kidding." I roll my eyes. Not at her; momma didn't raise no fool.
"So when are you bringing him by to meet the family?" My father asks me. Is he kidding? That's relationship suicide! When a girl brings a guy home to meet the family, it never ends well. That's sit-com 101!
"So you and the Bro Squad can give him the third degree? I don't think so." I tell my dad. "You, I can't really stop. But you four…" That's when I turn to face my brothers. "If I ever do decide to bring John by to meet you, you better not embarrass me or do anything stupid to scare him off or I'll make sure that your branches of our family tree will never grow any longer! I know where you live!" I am not kidding around. John is my first boyfriend and they are not gonna fuck this up for me!
"Okay! We'll back off. But if he does anything to hurt you, we reserve the right under the unofficial big brother code to expose his vital organs to daylight." Eric told me seriously.
"Deal, but ONLY if that happens." I tell them.
"Done. Now, can we please get to the real reason we're here? The food?" Victor asks jokingly. Where does he put it all!? I hate him! Mom laughs and calls in everyone from the living room into the dining room. By the way, two of my nephews won the tournament so they each get a drumstick.
-Later-
Oh, man! I'm gonna have to double my workouts for a while to work off this food. Nothing beats home cooking and mom outdid herself this year. Thunder enjoyed it, too. All he had to do was turn on his charm and the kids fed him under the table. I did manage to make a plate for Dee and threatened bodily harm to anyone who touched it. After an evening of the guys watching football in the living room, gossip with all the women in the kitchen and Thunder playing outside with the kids, the time for me to leave came faster than I anticipated.
"I wish I could stay all weekend, but I have to go back Saturday." I tell everyone as I hug them. "I'll swing by tomorrow for another visit."
"You better." My dad chuckles. "You tell John he better treat you right or I'll find him."
"I think that goes without saying, dad." I smile at his typical paternal response. They never want to see their little girls grow up.
"And that goes double for us, sis."
And there's the typical big brother response. It's a wonder our species isn't extinct.
"I know. Y'all won't let me forget it." I chuckle.
Despite how much they drive me up the damn wall, I'm gonna miss them when I go back. Before I leave, mom hands me a shopping bag with three plates of food to take with me back to Dee's place.
"Don't be such a stranger."
"I won't, mom. I'll be back for Christmas." I tell her with one more hug. I grab Thunder's leash and Otis takes my plates to Dee's car for me.
"You take care of yourself, Gwendy."
"I will." I smile as I hug him.
"Now, you just need to learn to drive and you'll be all set."
"Hey, one milestone at a time." I laugh. You know how long it took me to get my man? And he expects me to learn to drive, too!? I ain't superwoman!
-Friday-
After Dee drove us back to her house, the three of us couldn't fight the after effects of the food much longer. We did for an hour, but we all just decided to go to sleep. In hindsight, it was a good thing because today is Dee's third favorite day of the year besides Christmas and her birthday-Black Friday. Now, I'm still not that crazy about shopping, but I'll suck it up for her sake.
-GREENVILLE MALL-
It's getting close to noon, we've already hit about half the stores here and Dee still has the energy to shop! I, on the other hand, do not.
"Dee, we have all day to shop. Can we please stop to get something to eat at least?" I beg her.
Dee looks at the multitude of bags gathered in our hands and nods. Even racecars need the occasional pit stop.
"Good call. The food court's right over there."
As we finally find some seats, I look at the menus for something healthy. Luckily, there's a Subway and I get a Big Philly Cheese Steak. Hey, at least it isn't fried. Dee gets a personal pan pizza from there and as we eat, I see something out of the corner of my eye. Using just my eyes, I see someone standing by the fountain wearing sweats and a hoodie looking in our direction. His face is hidden thanks to the hood being drawn up so I can't tell who it is. I don't bring attention to the suspicious guy. Maybe he's staring at someone else; there are a lot of people here. We eat our lunch in relative silence, but I always kept one eye on the guy until he left the fountain.
"That hit the spot." Dee said as she and I threw our trash away.
"I'll say. I needed that and the rest."
"That's good to know because there's a shoe sale calling my name!" Dee says as she pulls me towards the shoe department of the mall. I'm glad we dropped Thunder off at mom's house before we came because he would hate it here and if it didn't have a GameStop, I'd hate it, too. Now, as we shop 'til we drop, I catch a glimpse of hoodie dude from the food court. Okay, it's clear we're being followed; I just wish I knew who and why. I think I have an idea who it is and how to flush this person out, but I can't pull this off alone. I walk over to Dee who's looking at a pair of slingbacks and whisper in her ear.
"Dee, I don't want to alarm you, but I think someone's tailing us."
"You tell me this and you don't want to 'alarm me'? do you know how stupid that sounds?" Dee goes to turn her head and I stop her.
"Don't look."
"Well, I can't do anything if I don't look." She whispers back. "What does he look like?"
"He's wearing sweats and a pulled up hoodie. He was at the food court."
"Do you know who it is?"
"I have a hunch, but I wanna set a trap for him."
"That's kind of a risky move, girl." Dee whispered, but she forgot that I can handle myself. With a sigh, she whispers to me again. "Whatever you need, I got your back."
"I want you to text my brothers and tell them to meet me at GameStop."
"Are you sure this person's even gonna follow you in there?"
"If it's who I think it is, I'm sure of it." And they're gonna be in for a nasty surprise.
"I don't like the idea of you doing this alone."
"I know, but if you're with me, they might get suspicious. Don't worry. I'll be careful. I promise."
"Alright; but if you need backup, call me. I'm always up for turkey hunting, if you get my drift!"
Oh, I know what she means.
"Oh, I got it. Go ahead and text them. I'm gonna go bait the trap."
I leave the shoe store and I act completely oblivious to the guy in the hoodie following me. I make my way to GameStop and, as expected, my shadow follows me as I duck in and out of different stores pretending to shop. I want to give my plan enough time to get set up so I can give my tail a shock he won't soon forget. I finally make my way to the one store in this mall I actually want to go into and head for a spot that didn't have many people. There's a reason I picked GameStop-surveillance cameras. As I browse the fighting game section of the store, I sense the presence of someone looking over my shoulder. I glance out of the corner of my eye and I see some familiar strands of peroxide altered hair.
"I was hoping to run into you." He whispers in my ear. Ugh, that spot is reserved for John, asshole! I have to keep my cool despite how much this guy creeps me out.
"Aren't you a little far from Cleveland… Dolph?" I ask him as I turn to face him. The guy pulled down his hoodie and, sure enough, it was Dolph Ziggler. Smug smirk and all. "What the hell are you doing here? I thought that even you weren't stupid enough to follow me home. That only works with puppies and kittens."
"I thought I'd give you a proper homecoming."
"By stalking me? You just don't know how to take a hint, do you? I don't like you! I don't want you talking to me, following me, even looking at me. I want nothing to do with you! Just leave me alone!"
I move to one side and Dolph blocks my way. I move to the other side, blocked again.
"Your mouth is saying 'leave me alone', but your lips are saying 'come closer'. Dolph smirks as he tries to kiss me.
"You try it and the only thing you're gonna kiss is the business end of a PS3!" I tell him as I push him away from me. I do not want to get itno a fight here, but if he doesn't quit, I may not have a choice.
"You're not gonna cause a scene in here. Besides, it'll be my word against yours." Dolph smirks at me with that air of confidence and I just smile back because that air's gonna get sucked right out of him.
"And ours."
Dolph's eyes widen like saucers and he slowly turns around to see… my brothers. Now, if they want to enact the big brother code here, I'm fine with it.
"Dolph… I want you introduce you to my brothers." I smile as I walk around to join them. "This is my brother, Tiny… ex-Air Force; Eric, ex-NFL linebacker; and Victor and Otis… EX-FUCKING MARINES!" I'm not saying that all the Armed Forces aren't tough... but NOBODY fucks with Marines!
(A/N: They really are the names of my brothers. Eric never was in the NFL, but the others are real military vets. SO PROUD! :D )
"You better have a good reason for bothering our baby sister." Otis says to Dolph. Otis may be a nice guy, but he's slow to anger and when he gets there, you don't want to be anywhere around him. Mom told me about a time he got so mad, his eyes changed colors. Victor is Otis' polar opposite; he's like a stick of dynamite with the world's shortest fuse. Just imagine a male version of Dee. I know… it's a scary thought. Tiny and Eric are somewhere in the middle but no less dangerous.
"Whoa, hang on, guys. I'm just talking to her. There's no law against that, is there?"
"It is if she doesn't want to talk to you, pahtna!" Tiny stepped up.
"He, it's not what it looks like. I just wanted to surprise my gal pal and wish her a Happy Thanksgiving."
Gal pal? Who are you, a white Urkel?
"Nice try. Gwen told us she's dating John Cena." Eric chimed in.
"John Cena!?" Then Dolph looks at me like I was crazy. Yeah, he's stalking me and I'M the one who's crazy. "What have you been telling them, you lying bitch!"
Oh, no he didn't! TAKE COVER! SHIT'S ABOUT TO HIT THE FAN!
"I know you didn't just call our sister a lying bitch, you fucking asshole!" Victor, being the hothead he is, just blew up and almost launched himself at Dolph. I say almost because the other three managed to hold him back. If it weren't for the fact that we don't need this kind of publicity, I'd tell them to let him go. Dolph jumped backwards and nearly knocked over the game display. You'd think he was trying to get away from a rabid dog… and he is.
"Whoa! What the hell is his problem?!" Dolph asks me in shock.
"You did NOT just ask that. You called me a bitch in front my older brother! What did you think was gonna happen!?" I look at him weirdly. "Just for that, I should tell them to let Victor go."
"NO!" I had a feeling he wouldn't like that idea. By now he's scared shitless… as he should be after calling me a bitch in front of my brothers.
"I think you better get lost before their grip loosens… or you can take your chances and stick around. Personally, I want you to choose the latter." I smirk at him.
Dolph looks from me to my brothers and back to me before shooting me a glare.
"Oh, one more thing… you know all these cameras they have installed everywhere? They ain't there to make the place look pretty." I tell him. I think that finally drove the point home because he finally leaves the store in a huff. I can't believe the douchebag actually followed me home! "Have I ever thanked you for the karate lessons?"
"Did you have to use them on him?" Tiny asked me. I just nodded. "You're welcome."
It took a while for Victor to calm down enough so the others could safely let him go. He still wanted to go after Dolph and beat the living tar outta him; not that I blame him.
"Gwendy, I'm not sure you should go back if that jackass is stalking you." Victor tells me. He maybe a psycho ex-Marine, but he's also an awesome big brother.
"It's not like I have a choice, Vic. It's my job now." I tell my oldest brother. "I appreciate your concern, but I'm alright. I have loads of people watching my back including John. Besides, I can take care of myself just fine."
He didn't look too convinced about my safety, but after I told him about the friends I made who were watching my back, he calmed down some.
"Well, if he bothers you again, don't hesitate to call home. If those superstars can't get him to back off… we will. Best believe that!"
"Oh, I know that. I already have you guys on speed dial." I smile at them.
"I'm glad you decided to stay with Dee and not at a hotel." Eric tells me. "Her place is a lot more secure."
"With all the guns she has stored there, it better be." I chuckle.
"Girl, you'd be proud of me. I passed by Dolph Ziggler and I fought the urge to test out my new Doc Martins!"
Speak of the devil. In walks Dee with a couple of bags on her arm. I guess she finally decided to put the others in her car.
"Wait… you passed by Dolph and you DIDN'T attack him?" I ask. I look out the window and I look back at Dee. "Nope, Apocalypse still isn't here."
"Very funny!" Dee pouts. "I guess Dolph's unwanted visit means that shopping's over for the day."
"Looks like it." I tell her. "Hey, there's always next year."
"Yeah."
As if Dee needed another reason to hate Dolph. He just ruined the shopper's equivalent to the Super Bowl for her.
"I'll bring Thunder by a little later before you get ready for your flight." Eric offered. "When is it, anyway?"
"I booked one for 10 tonight." I tell him.
"Alright. Just call me and I'll drive you to the airport."
"Sounds good."
For all the drawbacks having four older brothers can pose, there are some good points to having them. Victor walks me and Dee to her car and we drive back to her place. This trip was basically a repeat of the one we went on with the Divas. We spent the next 20 minutes taking all of her shit into the house before I plop onto my bed.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" I scream into my pillow. "I can't fucking believe he did that!"
"Did someone drop him on his head when he was a baby?" Dee asks me.
"I don't even know but this is getting ridiculous!"
I sit up in the bed and I hear my phone ring. I look at it and it I see John's face on the screen. What a sight for sore eyes. Without hesitation, I answer.
"Hello?"
"Hey, baby girl."
"Hey, John." I answer back with a smile. "How was your Thanksgiving?"
"It was awesome! Everyone here wanted me to tell you hi."
"That's great. Dee's here with me." I say and I think John detected a hint of worry in my voice.
"Hey, John boy!"
"Hey, Dee. Gwen? Is everything alright? You don't sound like you had fun."
"Oh, no. I had an awesome time." I tell him and then I let out a heaving sigh.
"But…? Come on; talk to me."
"John… Dolph followed me home."
"He WHAT!?" John's voice echoed throughout the room despite Dee's stuff messing up the acoustics. "Did he do anything to you? I'll… I'll fucking kill him if he touched you!"
"No, he didn't do anything."
"He couldn't! Gwen set up a trap for him and Dolph nearly got his ass beat by her brothers." Dee explained. I hear silence for a few minutes which is never a good sign.
"Gwen… why did you do something so dangerous? What if your plan backfired?" John said to me, worry lacing his voice. "I'd never forgive myself if he actually got to you."
"I'm sorry, John. I just wanted him to back off." I tell him.
"I know, baby. I don't ever want you to do anything like that again, okay?" John pleads with me. "I meant what I said before; I'll quit before anyone hurts you."
"Now, that's love!" Dee smiles.
"It sure is. And I promise never to pull a stunt like that again." I vow.
"Good. Now, onto happier topics." I can hear John's smile through the phone. "Is Thunder able to fit in his carrier or are you gonna need a shoehorn?" He laughs.
"He's still a svelte little Yorkie." I giggle. "He'll be happy to see you and the Divas again."
"How about you? Will you be happy to see me again?" I hear John ask me in that deep voice. I look over and I hear Dee sing that Bow-chicka-wow-wow song in the background.
"You are not helping, Dee!" I laugh. "You know I can't wait to see you again. I miss you holding me in your arms."
"And John, you'll be happy to know that I bought Gwen a case of that lip gloss. It comes in 6 different flavors!" Dee tells him.
"Dee, I love you, girl! Oh, and that reminds me. Thank you." I hear John say sincerely. Form the tone of his voice, Dee automatically knew what he meant.
"You're welcome, John." She replied. "And since you do kinda owe me, make sure you take good care of my best friend."
"You have my word, Dee." John tells her. "The last thing I want to do is piss you off."
"Good, John boy." My best friend grins.
"So, Gwen. When's your flight?"
"I said it was at 10 because I figured Dolph was still hanging around somewhere, but it's really at 8." I tell him. "I sent a text to my brother so he can bring Thunder. He's gonna drive me to the airport."
"Good. Let me know when you land."
"I will. Hey, I better finish packing so I can leave before Dolph catches on."
"Okay. I better get going, too. I love you."
"I love you, too. Bye."
"Bye."
I hang up feeling much better about today now that Dolph will be left here waiting for me to leave so he can follow me onto the plane. Joke's on him.
"Do you really think he's gonna take the bait again?" Dee asks me.
"Well, if he doesn't I have a backup plan. And don't worry. I'm not gonna put myself in any danger like last time." I reassure my sista from anutha mista.
"You better not. I don't want to have to hurt you for doing something dumb." Dee said seriously.
"You won't. I know better." I smirk at her. "Now, help finish packing."
"Gotcha." Dee says as she passes me my clothes. "Hey, can you do me a solid?"
"What is it?"
"If you two ever decide to… knock boots… I just want you to make sure YOU'RE ready to take that step when the time comes." Dee told me sincerely.
"I know. I don't want to be a virgin for the rest of my life, but I also don't want to ruin my life because I jumped in the sack when I wasn't ready."
"Like so many of our classmates. But I digress." Dee grabbed my purse and handed it to me. "I'm serious. Only do it if YOU want to; not because someone else does. And when you do, I want every single detail first!" She grins.
"DEE!" I laugh and hit her with a pillow. "I promise."
Dee grabs the pillow off of her bed and hits me with it; now we're in a full-on pillow fight where we're laughing like we're back in the second grade. You can only have moments like this with best friends you've known all your lives. Coming home is great, but knowing I have someone waiting for me when I go back to the WWE is even better. I've filled up on turkey and dressing at home; now I can't wait to get back for some dessert.
END OF CHAPTER 25
Okay, Dolph has sunk to a new low! Following Gwen home? Well, he found out the hard way that Gwen has people watching her back on her home turf, too. Now, what's gonna happen when she goes back to work? If you want to find out, read, review and pass it on! I'm working on the next chapter as we speak and I hope my usual readers come back. Till then, Love, Peace, hair grease and MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!