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The Family

Chapter 37

The next couple of weeks flew by. I had begun watching wrestling religiously, whether it be finding a TV backstage on Monday's and watching Tuesday's and Friday's in my hotel room, I always watched it. My dad had finally cracked and agreed to let me stay in my own hotel room by myself, which I was quite grateful for. He had also become more lenient on letting me go out clubbing. Frequently during the week, I could be seen dancing at the clubs with Randy, my dad and uncles. Things between me and Randy had gotten back to normal and were actually even better than they had been. We were always together and he had even started helping my dad train me slowly how to become a wrestler. When Randy is there though, I must admit I goof off much more, which frustrates my dad. Anyways, today I'm going home with Randy to St. Louis. It's his birthday and he's going home to celebrate with his family and he invited me to join him. We're leaving right after the Raw taping and not coming back until Saturday night. This would be the longest I've been away from my dad since coming on the road and I was going to miss him and my uncles. It had been a task to convince my dad to let me go with Randy but after reassuring him multiple times we would be sleeping in different rooms and promising him we were just friends, he had agreed. I still had yet to get Randy a birthday gift so I asked Melina to go with me before Raw.

"So what do you think he wants?" Melina asked me as we entered a small male boutique.

"Well I'm not entirely sure." I said as I scanned some male accessories. "What about these?" I asked holding up a pair of stylish sunglasses.

Melina shrugged. "They're nice."

I walked away from the accessories and walked over to the clothes. "I want to get him something that he'll love."

"This is nice." She said holding up a navy blue blazer.

"Yeah, but he has a million of those." I said with a sigh. "What do you get the man that has everything?"

Melina laughed. "He doesn't have everything. He doesn't have a girl."

I laughed. "True, so you're willing to be his gift from me?"

She shook her head and looked at me seriously. "I was talking about you."

"What about me?" I asked confused.

"Girl, he's crazy about you."

I laughed and shook my head as I searched through a rack of dress shirts. "Please Melina, he's my best friend."

"That doesn't mean he can't have feelings for you." She argued.

"Trust me, he doesn't like me."

"No, trust me, he does." She said.

After I found the perfect gift for Randy, Melina and I headed to the arena. I put Randy's gift in my suitcase, which I had brought with me in Melina's car, and wheeled it behind me as we entered the arena. I said goodbye to Melina and wished her luck on her match as I headed in the direction of my dad's locker room. I knocked on the door when I got there and then I knocked again when there was no answer. Again, no answer so I slowly opened the door and poked my head inside. No one was in there so I set my bag in the room and left in search of my dad. I was walking down the hall and a door in front of me opened and Ted stepped out. His face looked surprised but relieved when he saw me. I rolled my eyes and turned right around to walk back from where I had come.

"Elle, Wait!" He yelled and walked after me. He ran in front of me and stopped me. I tried to walk around him but he moved so he was blocking my path. Finally, I crossed my arms over my chest.

"Yes?" I asked, not really wanting to hear what he had to say. I hadn't spoke to either Cody or Ted in weeks, and I was perfectly fine with that.

"How are you?" He asked with a sigh.

I narrowed my eyes. "I'm fine."

He nodded awkwardly. "Listen, I've been meaning to come talk to you for a while. You should know that I am really sorry for participating in that bet. After I thought about it, I realized it was really immature and disrespectful to you and all the other girls there have been in the past. I know you probably hate me, but I hope you can forgive me and we can maybe become friends."

I looked at his face and could tell he was sorry and regretted his actions. "Apology accepted."

A smiled stretched out over his face. "Great"

"I forgive you, but I'm definitely not ready to be friends with you just yet." I said and he nodded understandably. He stepped aside and I offered him a tiny smile and stepped around him, continuing my search for my dad.

I came across a TV and found my dad. He had started the show and was out in the ring talking to Chris Jericho. I pulled up a chair and sat down to watch the show. I was interrupted not too long after with a sweaty towel being thrown across my face. I screeched and threw the towel off me and onto the floor. I looked up and scowled at a smug looking Randy.

"That was disgusting." I said as he grabbed a chair, pulling it up next to mine.

"You were practically asking for it." He said as he sat down on the chair, backwards with his arms crossed over the back of the chair.

I tilted my head and shot him a disbelieving look. "Yes, you are exactly right, I wanted your sweat soaked towel thrown onto my face."

"See, I knew you did and you're welcome." He said and I just rolled my eyes.

"Excited to go back home?" I asked turning toward him.

He nodded and smirked. "Yes, excited to come with me?"

"Of course, I can't wait to meet your family." I said.

"Hey Randy," Maria interrupted us, putting a hand on Randy's shoulder to get his attention. I glared at her but Randy turned around with a smile.

"Hey Maria, what's up?" He asked, standing up to give her a hug. Maria raised her eyebrows at me behind his back and I just rolled my eyes at her and looked back at the TV so I didn't have to watch.

"Well, I just wanted to say bye and wish you a happy birthday before you left." Maria said flirtatiously.

He smiled and kept an arm wrapped around her shoulders. "Aw Maria, that's really sweet of you. Thanks."

She tilted her head to the side and smiled. "Your welcome; I also wanted to give you your birthday gift."

"You didn't have to get me anything." He said.

"Of course I did." She said and then handing him a bag with tissue paper sticking out. "But don't open it until you're at home…alone." She winked at him and pressed a small kiss to his lips. "Happy birthday." She said and walked back down the hall.

Randy said down with a ridiculous smile on his face and I turned to him a little pissed off.

"I don't get you." I said.

"What?" He asked, confused.

"When I first got here, you couldn't stand to be around that girl and now, here you are practically drooling all over her. What's with you?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest.

He shrugged. "Well, I got to know her better."

I shook my head. "Remember when you tried to warn me about Cody?" I asked and he nodded. "This is me warning you about Maria."

He rolled his eyes. "Please Elle, you don't even know her."

"No, but I know what she's like around me and I know what she's like around you and it's like she's two completely different people. She's a bitch."

"That's a big statement for someone to make about a girl she doesn't even know."

"Randy, she told me that you hated me."

He looked surprised but shook his head. "She was probably just joking."

"Randy, we don't joke with each other. It really hurt my feelings when she said that."

"But you know it's not true."

"How can you like some that lies then?" I asked.

He just sighed. "Elle, I can like whoever I want to like."

I was silent for a second then recovered. "Randy, if you want to like someone that is a bully to me and obviously can't stand me, then that's your decision. Maybe you should have invited her to go home with you instead of me." I said then stood up and walked away, needing to breathe.

Randy sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Truth was, he had been spending a lot of time with Maria and some other divas to get over me and try to forget about his feelings for me. He stood up and walked after me. He had some smoothing over to do.