Peeps! First, thanks to those who've reviewed, i really appreciate you taking the time to let me know what you think. Second, as an apology for my lack of recent posts, here's a double update before the new year. I'm gonna try to get another one done in a few days. There's only a few chapters of Thin Line left, hopefully you haven't given up on me so close to the end. As always, Read, Enjoy, and Review!
Chapter 54...
"You both look wonderful," Jeannette smiled, watching as Jessica and Cory sat in front of the mirror. They both looked a little anxious and she knew that Cory was going to shoo she and Adelle out of the room and to their seats very soon.
"I'm not done getting ready yet Gram," Cory laughed. "But thank you."
"Don't worry Cory, you have plenty of time, considering your match is fourth," Jessica said. She picked up her belt, standing up. "I had to get ready early since I'm up first. Thanks for the compliment Jeanette. Enjoy the show."
As Jessica walked out of the room, Cory looked into the mirror, her eyes wide. She was obviously effected by the tone of Jessica's voice. She didn't exactly sound thrilled to be going on before Cory's match with Portia.
"Well, that was interesting," Adelle smirked.
"Don't start," Jeanette pointed at her daughter.
Adelle shrugged, looking at Cory's face, "You need more mascara dear."
Cory frowned and Jeanette walked over to the door, holding it open, "Addie, I need you to excuse us for a moment…I need to talk to my granddaughter alone."
"Why don't you go to your seat Mother?" Cory asked. "Regina and Joe are already there."
"Alright," Adelle sighed, walking over and kissing her cheek. "Good luck. Maybe you should try putting on-"
"Out Adelle," Jeanette insisted, growing irritated. Adelle exited the room and Jeanette walked over and sat in the chair next to Cory's while she picked up a tube of mascara.
"Put that down," she took it away from her granddaughter. She could see in Cory's eyes that Adelle's presence and Jessica's comment were getting to her.
"I think now is a good time to tell you how incredibly proud I am of you," Jeanette smiled at her.
"Thanks Gram," the corner of her mouth shifted up a fraction.
"This is a day you've been dreaming about for a long time..and the worst thing that could possibly happen is that you wake up 10 years from now and there's a single detail that you cant remember," she said.
Cory looked thoughtful and Jeanette pulled her into a quick hug then leaned back, looking her in the eye, "At least for today, you need to put away all the confusion and drama and whatever else keeps running through your head and just..live. Do what you love to do. Take a big deep breath and look around, take everything in. You only get one first..Make it count."
Jeanette's heart warmed when a bright smile touched her granddaughter's face.
"Thank you Gram," Cory smiled, giving her a tight hug. "I'll do my best."
"That's all I ask," Jeannette smiled.
"Now get to your seat, the pyro is gonna start in 15 minutes."
"Okay, okay, I'll go," Jeanette gave her one last hug.
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Hunter stopped in the hall as Jeanette exited the women's locker room. She gave him a warm smile and a pat on the arm as she walked by. He could definitely see who Cory took after. She wasn't a thing like her mother but she and her grandmother were definitely cut from the same cloth. When Jeanette was out of sight, Hunter knocked lightly on the door.
"Come in."
He opened the door, poking his head inside, "Everyone decent?"
"I'm the only one here at the moment," Cory smiled. "And aren't you supposed to ask if everyone's decent before you look into the room?"
"Conventionally but..I like to try new things," he smirked, walking into the room. "You ready for the show?"
"Don't I look ready?" she smiled, standing up in her very short denim shorts and tight Wrestlemania t-shirt.
"Of course," Hunter nodded.
"What are you doing here?" she asked. "Shouldn't you be psyching yourself up to get thrown off the top of the cell?"
"What makes you think I'm gonna get thrown off the top?" he asked.
"It's a hell in a cell Hunter, you're gonna get thrown off the top," she smirked.
"Thanks Cory," he laughed. "And to think..I brought you a surprise."
"A surprise?" she gave him a confused smirk. "What kind of surprise?"
"Well," Hunter opened the door a little wider. "There's someone I thought you'd like to meet."
Hunter waved his friend into the room and he could see Cory's eyes go wide when Shawn walked into the room. They'd been in the same building before but Hunter realized a few days earlier that they'd never actually been introduced and Shawn had been out with an injury since Cory had been back from hers. He figured she might like to actually get to talk to him for a few minutes.
"Shawn Michaels, Cory Samms," Hunter introduced. "Cory, this is Shawn Michaels."
"I'm well aware of that," Cory beamed. "It's so nice to really meet you. You know, I mean, like actually talk to you. Not that I'm like some crazy star struck fan or anything but-"
"It's nice to really meet you too," Shawn flashed her a smile. "Hunter tells me you've been a big fan for a long time."
"Did he?" she gave Hunter a look, her cheeks turning bright red as they shook hands.
"Don't be too mad at him, I told him to make sure you know I'm a fan of yours too," Shawn smiled. "I remember seeing you back in ECW. You've come a long way. I'm sure you and Portia are gonna put on a good match tonight."
"Thank you," she smiled, her nose wrinkling up. "All I want is for people to remember it tomorrow."
Shawn smiled, "With you involved, I don't see how they could forget it."
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Jason rifled through Adam's gym bag, searching for his elbow pad. He'd accidentally tossed it in Adam's bag a few days earlier and of course, Adam hadn't thought to give it back to him. Frustrated that it was taking so long to find it, Jason just held the bag up, dumping everything out on the floor.. He didn't really care if Adam got mad about it, he hadn't exactly been a boy scout lately. Jason shook the bag a few times, emptying it's contents onto the floor. He tossed the bag to the side and knelt down, rifling through the items. After a few seconds, he spotted his elbow pad. He set about shoving some of the stuff back into the bag when he felt his hand close around a small, solid item covered in a t-shirt. He frowned, uncovering the item and shaking his head when he realized what it was. A ring box. He opened it and, sure enough, there was Viveca's ring, exactly as Jeff had described it. So either Adam had lied earlier so that Jason would believe he didn't have it anymore, or he didn't look through his bag well enough to find it. Jason was pretty sure it was the former but it didn't matter. He had it now and he knew what he was going to do with it. He walked quickly over to Jeff's bag, opening it and unzipping a small compartment on the side, tucking the ring away safely and zipping it up before anyone came in.
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John rolled his shoulders, walking toward the locker room. He and Randy had a few things to iron out before their match. He'd gone out to take a peek at the crowd earlier and now he was more hyped than ever. This was going to be a great show and he wanted to make sure their match was one of the highlights. He opened the door, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw one of the last things he expected. Randy and Portia attached at the lips. Randy had his hands in her hair and hers were under his shirt. He was hearing sounds he really didn't need to hear. Fortunately, they didn't notice him so he was able to turn and walk out, quietly closing the door behind him. The last time he talked to Portia, she was still all bitter about Randy and Cory dating. This was an interesting turn of events.
And of course, right when her name popped into his head, he saw her. Cory came around the corner, laughing and talking with Glenn and Hunter. When they all saw John, Hunter and Glenn parted ways with Cory, leaving her looking somewhat like a deer caught in headlights. There were a few different ways he could handle this situation but John figured it was a special night, especially for her, so he could try to forget about their issues for a couple of hours.
"Hey," he smiled, giving her a quick wave.
"Hey, I was just going to see if Randy knows where Portia is," Cory explained.
"Oh yeah, he knows where she is," John laughed.
"What does that mean?" she looked confused.
"Just that..well…I just caught them making out," John said. "We should probably give them a minute."
Cory laughed, "Probably."
"You don't seem surprised," he pointed out.
"I'm not exactly," she said, rubbing her ear a little. "I kind of encouraged Portia to have a talk with Randy."
"Encouraged in what way?" he asked. "And why?"
"It's not important," she shook her head.
John was trying his best not to think about it but his mind kept drifting back to the message he left her. He wanted to ask her about it but..if it mattered, she would have said something. Maybe he should just ask her anyway, to make himself feel better.
Just do it dumbass
He took a deep breath, knowing it would plague him until he knew. He opened his mouth but before he could say anything, Cory's mouth dropped open and she was looking down the hall past him toward some of the TV monitors.
"Shit," she whispered. "I almost forgot I promised Jessie I'd at least watch some of her match."
She walked past him and he followed, knowing Jessica would probably kick his ass for not watching. They caught the match near what was to be the end. Ric was at ringside and from JR's commentary, it seemed he'd been interfering for the bulk of the match. Now, the referee was trying to eject the Nature Boy but Ric was fiercely arguing with him. While the men were distracted, Jazz got out of the ring and grabbed a chair, sliding into the ring while Jessica was watching Ric and the ref. Jazz picked up the chair and reared back, slamming it hard into Jessica's back. There was a sickening crack and John could immediately tell that something had gone wrong. Jazz seemed to have swung too high. The chair hit the base of Jessica's skull.
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Cory felt a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach when Jessica fell to the canvas. Something was wrong. She didn't fall so much as she collapsed. Her legs looked like they just gave out. Ric, the referee, and Jazz all looked caught off guard and froze for a second. Then, Jazz dropped down, pinning Jessica while the ref finally pushed Ric off of the ring apron and fell to the canvas, counting the fall.
"Oh my God," Cory put a hand over her mouth. "She's unconscious."
"Come on," John took her hand, walking her toward the entrance to the stage. She needed to be there when they brought Jessica back.
"It probably wasn't as bad as it looked," John tried to assure her, squeezing her hand. She squeezed back but didn't say anything. Her eyes were locked on the curtain. They could hear Jazz's music playing and she came backstage with the title belt slung over her shoulder. She looked in Cory's direction but John shook his head. It probably wasn't a good idea for her to say anything to Cory until they knew what happened.
EMT's rushed through the curtain with a stretcher and a neck stabilizer. Cory squeezed John's hand tighter and he rubbed her hand with his thumb, "Calm down. Maybe it's not that bad."
"Why is this taking so long?" Cory asked as the minutes went by.
Finally, the EMTs came back with an unconscious Jessica on a stroller.
"We need to get her to the hospital," one of them said.
"I'm going with her," Cory said quickly.
"You cant," John reminded her.
She stared at him.
"You have a match, remember?" he asked.
She looked frustrated, like she was trying to figure out some solution.
"Just take her to the ambulance guys," John insisted. "I'm sure Vince will send somebody to ride with her."
"But John-"
"Cory, you'll get there as soon as you can," John assured her. "I'll take you there the second my match is over if you want, but you have to stay here right now. Jessica's gonna be okay."
She looked upset but she knew he was right, he could see that in her eyes. She nodded, still holding his hand, "You're right…Thank you."
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Later…
Taylor stood in front of one of the monitors watching Chris's match. He and RVD were taking on Batista and Ric Flair. She winced as Dave slammed Chris to the canvas with a spine buster.
"Hey Taylor."
She turned, waving when she saw Jeff, whose match was up next, walking toward her, "Hey."
He watched the match with her for a few seconds before Jeff turned to her, "If you hate the guy so much..why are you watching him like that?"
"Like what?" Taylor frowned, confused.
"Like you're scared he's gonna get hurt," Jeff explained.
Taylor could understand why Jeff or anyone else would think she hated Chris. She certainly acted like it as of late. She avoided him like the plague and when they did have conversations they were awkward and she got away as quickly as she could. But she didn't hate him. She couldn't. She just couldn't handle all of her feelings for him. She'd never let a man get this close to her and it was scary. It scared her that she'd started falling for him. It scared her that she was heartbroken when he lashed out at her. It scared her that he wanted so badly to help her because she knew he would never stop trying. He wouldn't give up but there was no helping her. There was nothing he could do.
"I'm not scared," she shook her head.
"If you say so," Jeff shrugged.
"And I don't hate him," she looked down at her hands.
"Well could you tell him that?" Jeff laughed. "'Cause he thinks you do."
"This just..isn't the right time for me and Chris," she said. "Besides, I'm leaving soon anyway."
"Leaving?" Jeff frowned. "Where are you going?"
Taylor closed her eyes for a second before shaking her head, "You don't wanna know."
No one wanted to know where she had to go and what she had to do. But she had to fix things. She was the only one who could.
"Does Vivie know about this? Does Cory?" Jeff asked.
"No," Taylor shook her head. "And I don't want them to. Please don't say anything."
"Taylor-"
"Jeff, I've been keeping a secret for you," she reminded him. She hadn't given Viveca even the slightest inclination that Jeff was going to propose to her. "I need you to keep this secret for me."
"I don't know-"
She gave him a pleading look and he sighed, looking away momentarily before looking back at her. He nodded begrudgingly, "Okay..I wont say anything…but I want you to know, nobody here wants you to leave."
She nodded, "I know..but I don't have any choice."
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The crowd showed their approval as Cory ducked when Portia swung a trash can lid at her. She smiled, waiting for her nemesis to turn around. When she did, Portia was met with a dropkick sending her down to the canvas.
Then, Cory grabbed her by the hair, yanking it back and yelling something in her face.
"I don't know if this is a good idea," JR said. "She could end this match right now."
"She doesn't wanna end it yet," King said. "She wants to punish Portia."
"Cant say I blame her," JR laughed.
When Cory finished yelling, she slapped Portia hard across the face then got up, waiting for her opponent to make it to her feet.
The arena was almost filled with boos when an unwelcome guest appeared on the stage. Randy Orton walked out slowly, making his way toward the ring.
"Oh what the hell is he doing out here?" JR asked.
"He just wants a better look at the match," King suggested.
The second Cory spotted him, she let go of Portia's hair, walking toward the ropes. Randy smiled at her and she pointed, yelling angrily for him to leave. It was evident from her body language that she was letting him know the match was between her and Portia. Not him.
"I think Cory should know pretty well that it's nearly impossible to have a match with just one member of Evolution," JR said.
Randy and Cory continued to argue until the referee came over and admonished both of them, ordering Cory to focus on her match. She turned around and walked right into a hard shot to the face from Portia. The women went back and forth for a few more minutes until Cory regained the upper hand, grounding Portia with a neckbreaker and then pulling her up, executing a backbreaker. She got up and was about to bounce off of the ropes when Randy grabbed her ankle, causing her to fall, smacking her face onto the mat.
"I think she's hurt," King said as Cory rolled onto her back, wincing in pain. She used the ropes to pull herself up but she could only seem to use her left arm. She was heavily favoring her right arm, holding it close to her body.
"Something tells me that's what Orton and Portia were hoping for," JR said with disgust. The mood in the arena changed in a millisecond
She spouted some obscenities Randy's way and he got up on the ring apron, yelling back at her. Portia was just barely beginning to stir. Randy grabbed Cory's hair and yanked her face toward him. Before anything else could transpire though, the mood in the arena changed. The fans jumped from their seats as Randy's opponent later that night, John Cena, ran down the ramp and grabbed Randy by the back of his shirt, yanking him onto the floor.
"What's he doing out here?" King exclaimed.
"He's doing the right thing," JR said enthusiastically as Randy and John tousled for a few seconds before John floored Randy with a clothesline. Cory, who was watching the men, somewhat surprised at Cena's assistance, didn't seem to notice that Portia had gotten up and was behind her, waiting for her to turn around. Portia ran at her but Cory ducked just in time, sending Portia into the ropes. Portia bounced back toward her and Cory kicked her in the stomach then wrapped her arm around Portia's neck. The crowd grew louder as she jumped, driving Portia's head into the canvas.
"What a DDT!" JR exclaimed.
Cory dragged Portia to the middle of the ring and then walked over to the corner, jumping up onto the top turnbuckle and turning around.
"What's she gonna do here?" King asked.
His answer came in the form of a 450 splash.
"Oh my God!" JR exclaimed.
"Was that a 450?" King asked.
"Yes it was," JR said excitedly as Cory hooked the leg and the ref began to count. "And this King, is a 1..2..3!"
Cory dropped Portia's leg, standing up, smiling from ear to ear as the referee raised her left hand because her right arm still seemed to be causing her a lot of pain.
"The bar just gets higher and higher tonight King," JR said as a few replays depicting the highlights from the match were shown. Cory blew kisses to a group of fans in the front row that seemed particularly thrilled with her win.
Then, she looked toward the stage. After taking Randy Orton out, John Cena hadn't left. He was still standing near the end of the ramp, clapping his hands. She smiled sheepishly and then mouthed 'Thank You' to him. He shrugged and then continued clapping.
"What exactly is going on with those two JR?" King asked.
"I don't know King," JR said. "But there seems to be somethin'. I suppose we'll find out soon enough."
"Next up, we take a look at the feud between Edge and Christian, La Resistance, and The WWE Tag Team Champions, The Dudleys."
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