A/N: All names and characters named are owned by WWE Inc. Except for David.
He's MINE! Sorry about the lack of updates. I've been busy and even when
I've had time to update, I've had writer's block.. x_x Well.. here you go.
Enjoy. :)
~ - ~
"Dude!"
"What's your freakin' problem?"
I glanced up at Rob Van Dam and Kurt Angle starting up an argument, then looked back down at the book I was reading. David recommended reading to try and calm my temper down. A week had passed and I was cleared to wrestle again. Not like I cared, but Vince cared.
Then again, of course he cared. I brought ratings, and that's all they cared about.
"That is totally not cool."
"At least I didn't get my ass kicked by Kane!"
"Would the both of you shut the fuck up and let me read this book?!" I shouted over their arguing. They both grew quiet as they turned to look at me. I shook my head and looked back down at the same page I had been looking at for the past 10 minutes. My mind kept wandering and it was almost impossible to get through the chapter, much less the story, but it gave me something to do.
"Since when do you read, Chris?" Rob asked as he took a seat in the locker room we all were sharing.
"Shut up, Van Dam." I answered, and he shrugged.
"Suit yourself.." He said as the other wrestlers came in, arguing as usual. I tried to pay attention to them, but it seemed so pointless. Sighing, I closed my book and leaned back in my chair. Their voices and laughter droned on and on, mindless matters. I found it hard to believe that I had at one time joined in with them.
"Hey Jericho, is it true what they say?" That voice brought me out of the daze I was in, and I looked over at Ric Flair. I glared at him, not answering, and he laughed.
"What do they say?" Booker asked.
"Whooo!!!" Ric let out, obviously enjoying having everyone's attention.
"Is what true?" I asked as I looked back at my book. I opened it back up to the page I was on and picked up my reading.
"They say you're seeing a shrink!!"
I froze.
"Chris seeing a shrink?"
"What's up wit dat?"
"Are you that crazy, ese?"
The first person I glanced at was Angle. He looked at me curiously and shrugged. He knew David personally, so if David mentioned that I was going to him, then Kurt opened his big mouth..
"It's true." Everyone stopped talking and we all looked over at the door. I felt my blood start rushing through me and I stood up slowly.
"Is that right?" I asked dangerously. My fists were clenched at my sides. Hunter laughed and stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind him.
"As a matter of fact, it is. I saw you myself, leaving the office. It's okay Jericho, we all knew you were a few beers short of a six pack." He patted me on the shoulder. His touch disgusted me.
I don't know what happened. I guess I snapped. The next thing I knew was that Hunter was on the ground, and I was on top of him, beating the living shit out of him. I felt arms grab me and pull me off, but as soon as Hunter was standing again, he came after me. I pulled away from the boys holding me. It had erupted into a brawl.
"STOP!"
He kneed me in the stomach, making me double over. It pissed me off more.
"I SAID STOP IT!"
I looked up and swung up at his chin, nailing him and sending him backwards. He kicked my ankles and tripped me. As soon as I fell, I was restrained by like four of the wrestlers, and others were restraining Triple H. They pulled both of us up to our feet. I was about to break free and go kick his ass some more, when Stephanie McMahon stepped in between us.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" She shouted.
"He started it!" Triple H yelled. I stared at him. He sounded like a school boy.
"You're lucky I didn't end it, son of a bitch." I spat out.
"Chris! Just let it go!" Stephanie said, exasperated. I blinked at her words, and my mind began to spin.
~ * January, 2000 * ~
"But Steph, don't you love me?"
She tossed her hair behind her shoulders and laughed. God it sounded so evil.
"Please. I have a real man now, Andrew."
The wrestler known as Test sighed and walked away. I shook my head. Test didn't know much of anything. He was like Hunter, completely clueless. Stephanie, looking satisfied, spun around and caught sight of me. She gave me her trademark bitchy smirk, and walked up to me.
"Were you listening to that?" She asked.
"Couldn't help it." I answered. I was used to her attitude towards me. I was learning to accept it. Though it still hurt me, deep inside, I was slowly learning to cover up the hurt. I was learning how to play her game. But the games didn't begin until later.
"I see.. well, good luck on your Intercontinental championship match. My *husband* is waiting for me."
"By all means, don't let me stop you." I said, and she walked past me. I stood still for a few moments, then looked back at her. She embraced Hunter Hearst Helmsley, the World Heavyweight champion. It all clicked. She hadn't cheated on me with Test.. it was Hunter. Of course, she said it herself, she never loved Test. I believed that. She was with me, of course she couldn't go with a guy like Test.
A month later, I called her on it.
"You're STILL on that?" She asked, then laughed. This wasn't the laugh that I used to love. This was the McMahon laugh. I nodded and she shook her head.
"Well, who was it?"
"Fine, you want to know?!" She yelled. "It WAS Hunter, alright? Satisfied now?"
"Was that so hard?" I said in a cold tone. She came up to me and ran her hand up my chest, then leaned so close that I could smell the scent of her shampoo. She smirked and leaned up to my ear, before kissing my cheek.
"Chris.. just let it go." She whispered, then turned and walked away from me, not giving me another look.
~ - ~
"Chris? Chris!"
I heard someone clap their hands in front of my face. I blinked and found myself looking right into Stephanie's eyes. I frowned and shook my head, looking away. I missed the concern that grew in her eyes when I did. I saw that Hunter was gone from the room.
"What do you want?" I asked, turning away from her. I felt my lip start swelling up. Damn Triple H.
"I just came in to see if you were okay.."
"Don't give me bullshit, Stephanie." I said, picking up my book and sitting back down in the corner like I was before Hunter came in. Everyone else looked away from us. I guess they could feel there was some tension.
"It's not bullshit. Chris, can I just talk to you?"
"I'm reading. Would you mind shutting up, please?" I replied.
She stood in front of me, looking at me. I knew she wanted to talk to me, but I couldn't talk to her. I could barely stand the sight of her. She stood there, but I just looked down at the same page in my book that I had been staring at. I could feel a lump forming in my chest. I hated how she had this effect on me. After a few seconds, she turned and left the locker room. I looked back up only when I heard the door click shut.
"Chris?"
"Angle." I muttered.
"You okay?"
"Fine."
"Chris, if you want to talk.."
"Look." I said angrily, but he raised his hands.
"Don't snap at me, man. I'm just saying."
"Don't say then. Just shut up. If I need your help, I'll ask."
"Yeah right." He mumbled. I heard him, but I didn't feel like getting into another fight. I didn't understand my own self sometimes. Why exactly had I gotten into that fight with Triple H? I couldn't even remember how it started.
"So, you seeing David?" Kurt asked. He just wouldn't shut up.
"Yeah I am. Got a problem with that?" I shot back. He shook his head.
"No.. just asking." He said, then stood up and left the room. I was left alone. Just what I wanted, right? Then why did I feel so empty inside?
It's her fault. She did this to me. She changed me. I was lost, all I had was myself, and my book. I looked down at the same page I had been on. I couldn't move on. Not in the book, or in my life.
She deserved him. Stephanie deserved Hunter. They were a perfect match. Steph had me and she didn't appreciate that, so she threw what we had away. She treated me like the gum on the bottom of a shoe. Now she wanted to talk? Forget that.. I sighed and leaned back against the cool lockers, closing my eyes. I couldn't believe it. After everything she put me through, all the pain she caused me, the torture, the attitude, the isolation.. I still loved her.
I was such a fool.
~ - ~
"Dude!"
"What's your freakin' problem?"
I glanced up at Rob Van Dam and Kurt Angle starting up an argument, then looked back down at the book I was reading. David recommended reading to try and calm my temper down. A week had passed and I was cleared to wrestle again. Not like I cared, but Vince cared.
Then again, of course he cared. I brought ratings, and that's all they cared about.
"That is totally not cool."
"At least I didn't get my ass kicked by Kane!"
"Would the both of you shut the fuck up and let me read this book?!" I shouted over their arguing. They both grew quiet as they turned to look at me. I shook my head and looked back down at the same page I had been looking at for the past 10 minutes. My mind kept wandering and it was almost impossible to get through the chapter, much less the story, but it gave me something to do.
"Since when do you read, Chris?" Rob asked as he took a seat in the locker room we all were sharing.
"Shut up, Van Dam." I answered, and he shrugged.
"Suit yourself.." He said as the other wrestlers came in, arguing as usual. I tried to pay attention to them, but it seemed so pointless. Sighing, I closed my book and leaned back in my chair. Their voices and laughter droned on and on, mindless matters. I found it hard to believe that I had at one time joined in with them.
"Hey Jericho, is it true what they say?" That voice brought me out of the daze I was in, and I looked over at Ric Flair. I glared at him, not answering, and he laughed.
"What do they say?" Booker asked.
"Whooo!!!" Ric let out, obviously enjoying having everyone's attention.
"Is what true?" I asked as I looked back at my book. I opened it back up to the page I was on and picked up my reading.
"They say you're seeing a shrink!!"
I froze.
"Chris seeing a shrink?"
"What's up wit dat?"
"Are you that crazy, ese?"
The first person I glanced at was Angle. He looked at me curiously and shrugged. He knew David personally, so if David mentioned that I was going to him, then Kurt opened his big mouth..
"It's true." Everyone stopped talking and we all looked over at the door. I felt my blood start rushing through me and I stood up slowly.
"Is that right?" I asked dangerously. My fists were clenched at my sides. Hunter laughed and stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind him.
"As a matter of fact, it is. I saw you myself, leaving the office. It's okay Jericho, we all knew you were a few beers short of a six pack." He patted me on the shoulder. His touch disgusted me.
I don't know what happened. I guess I snapped. The next thing I knew was that Hunter was on the ground, and I was on top of him, beating the living shit out of him. I felt arms grab me and pull me off, but as soon as Hunter was standing again, he came after me. I pulled away from the boys holding me. It had erupted into a brawl.
"STOP!"
He kneed me in the stomach, making me double over. It pissed me off more.
"I SAID STOP IT!"
I looked up and swung up at his chin, nailing him and sending him backwards. He kicked my ankles and tripped me. As soon as I fell, I was restrained by like four of the wrestlers, and others were restraining Triple H. They pulled both of us up to our feet. I was about to break free and go kick his ass some more, when Stephanie McMahon stepped in between us.
"THAT'S ENOUGH!" She shouted.
"He started it!" Triple H yelled. I stared at him. He sounded like a school boy.
"You're lucky I didn't end it, son of a bitch." I spat out.
"Chris! Just let it go!" Stephanie said, exasperated. I blinked at her words, and my mind began to spin.
~ * January, 2000 * ~
"But Steph, don't you love me?"
She tossed her hair behind her shoulders and laughed. God it sounded so evil.
"Please. I have a real man now, Andrew."
The wrestler known as Test sighed and walked away. I shook my head. Test didn't know much of anything. He was like Hunter, completely clueless. Stephanie, looking satisfied, spun around and caught sight of me. She gave me her trademark bitchy smirk, and walked up to me.
"Were you listening to that?" She asked.
"Couldn't help it." I answered. I was used to her attitude towards me. I was learning to accept it. Though it still hurt me, deep inside, I was slowly learning to cover up the hurt. I was learning how to play her game. But the games didn't begin until later.
"I see.. well, good luck on your Intercontinental championship match. My *husband* is waiting for me."
"By all means, don't let me stop you." I said, and she walked past me. I stood still for a few moments, then looked back at her. She embraced Hunter Hearst Helmsley, the World Heavyweight champion. It all clicked. She hadn't cheated on me with Test.. it was Hunter. Of course, she said it herself, she never loved Test. I believed that. She was with me, of course she couldn't go with a guy like Test.
A month later, I called her on it.
"You're STILL on that?" She asked, then laughed. This wasn't the laugh that I used to love. This was the McMahon laugh. I nodded and she shook her head.
"Well, who was it?"
"Fine, you want to know?!" She yelled. "It WAS Hunter, alright? Satisfied now?"
"Was that so hard?" I said in a cold tone. She came up to me and ran her hand up my chest, then leaned so close that I could smell the scent of her shampoo. She smirked and leaned up to my ear, before kissing my cheek.
"Chris.. just let it go." She whispered, then turned and walked away from me, not giving me another look.
~ - ~
"Chris? Chris!"
I heard someone clap their hands in front of my face. I blinked and found myself looking right into Stephanie's eyes. I frowned and shook my head, looking away. I missed the concern that grew in her eyes when I did. I saw that Hunter was gone from the room.
"What do you want?" I asked, turning away from her. I felt my lip start swelling up. Damn Triple H.
"I just came in to see if you were okay.."
"Don't give me bullshit, Stephanie." I said, picking up my book and sitting back down in the corner like I was before Hunter came in. Everyone else looked away from us. I guess they could feel there was some tension.
"It's not bullshit. Chris, can I just talk to you?"
"I'm reading. Would you mind shutting up, please?" I replied.
She stood in front of me, looking at me. I knew she wanted to talk to me, but I couldn't talk to her. I could barely stand the sight of her. She stood there, but I just looked down at the same page in my book that I had been staring at. I could feel a lump forming in my chest. I hated how she had this effect on me. After a few seconds, she turned and left the locker room. I looked back up only when I heard the door click shut.
"Chris?"
"Angle." I muttered.
"You okay?"
"Fine."
"Chris, if you want to talk.."
"Look." I said angrily, but he raised his hands.
"Don't snap at me, man. I'm just saying."
"Don't say then. Just shut up. If I need your help, I'll ask."
"Yeah right." He mumbled. I heard him, but I didn't feel like getting into another fight. I didn't understand my own self sometimes. Why exactly had I gotten into that fight with Triple H? I couldn't even remember how it started.
"So, you seeing David?" Kurt asked. He just wouldn't shut up.
"Yeah I am. Got a problem with that?" I shot back. He shook his head.
"No.. just asking." He said, then stood up and left the room. I was left alone. Just what I wanted, right? Then why did I feel so empty inside?
It's her fault. She did this to me. She changed me. I was lost, all I had was myself, and my book. I looked down at the same page I had been on. I couldn't move on. Not in the book, or in my life.
She deserved him. Stephanie deserved Hunter. They were a perfect match. Steph had me and she didn't appreciate that, so she threw what we had away. She treated me like the gum on the bottom of a shoe. Now she wanted to talk? Forget that.. I sighed and leaned back against the cool lockers, closing my eyes. I couldn't believe it. After everything she put me through, all the pain she caused me, the torture, the attitude, the isolation.. I still loved her.
I was such a fool.