*** Early October 2001 ***
"You are crazy," Stephanie said to Jeff Hardy. She didn't know when she had genuinely began to consider Jeff a friend, but now she was beginning to think she had made a mistake.
"It's nothing too bad," Jeff said, grinning up at Stephanie.
"Nothing?" Stephanie was struck speechless. Her mouth hung open in shock.
"It's not like I revealed you were in love with a certain blonde haired friend we have in common," Jeff muttered. "All I did was jump off a ladder which I've done a thousand times."
"What did you say?" Stephanie asked.
"I jumped off a ladder," Jeff said.
"Before that," Stephanie said.
"You're in love with Jericho," Jeff said, grinning.
"What are you talking about?" Stephanie asked.
"Oh come on!" Jeff exclaimed. "It's written all over your face whenever he's around. The only one who can't seem to read your face would be Jericho himself."
"Are you saying other people know?" Stephanie asked.
"So you admit it!" Jeff said triumphantly.
Stephanie shook her head and sighed. "Yes. Who else knows?"
"Matt," Jeff said. "Lita just gets mad whenever you're around so she doesn't realize that you're a decent person who is just trying to catch the guy she likes."
"I'm not friends with you because of that," Stephanie said.
"Oh please," Jeff said. "I think it's kind of funny how you started getting buddy-buddy with Matt and I just as you announce you and Hunter are getting a divorce."
"Okay," Stephanie sighed. "At first it was because of Chris. But now I really like you guys."
"I know," Jeff said.
"You're a good friend Jeff," Stephanie said. "Which is why I'm mad at you right now!"
"You're not going to go back to the ladder thing are you?" Jeff asked. "Do you realize how Lita and Trish are going to rail me until I'm on my knees begging for forgiveness?"
"I'm just concerned about you Jeff," Stephanie said. "You jumped off a ladder onto two tables!"
"It was better than when there was just one," Jeff said.
"You are crazy!" Stephanie exclaimed.
"Don't try to get him to calm down," Jericho warned as he happened upon Jeff and Stephanie. "He just goes and pushes himself farther."
Jeff grinned. "You know me too well."
"Trust me," Jericho said. "I know."
"Have you seen Trish yet?" Jeff asked. "I want to avoid her until she has time to cool off."
"She gives you more crap than a girlfriend would," Jericho remarked.
"That's because she loves me," Jeff said, smiling widely.
"Yuck," Stephanie groaned. "Jeff is getting all gushy."
"Makes you want to send him off a ladder again, huh?" Jericho asked.
"As a matter of fact," Stephanie said. "Yes."
"What is this?" Trish Stratus asked angrily as she walked up to Jeff, Jericho, and Stephanie. "What are you doing with her?"
"Well Trish," Jeff said patiently. "I am friends with Steph."
"She probably just wants to jump your bones," Trish muttered. "Now that she doesn't have a husband anymore there's nothing to keep her from trying to take any guy she wants."
Stephanie was struck with inspiration. "Oh Trish...you have no need to worry. I've already got my guy."
Jericho looked down at his hand in shock when Stephanie slid her hand into his. He looked up at her blue eyes and saw her pleading with him to play along.
"You're with...her?" Trish asked in disbelief.
"Well Trish," Jericho said slowly, trying to think of what he was going to say. "You know how boys like to mercilessly tease the girls they like?"
"Yeah," Trish said.
"I guess Steph saw through my façade," Jericho said.
Stephanie squeezed Jericho's hand in thanks. "And once he turned on the renowned Jericho charm, I just could not resist."
"So I don't need to worry about Jeff being around you?" Trish asked uncertainly.
"Skittles?" Stephanie asked, trying to contain her laughter. "Not that you're his girlfriend or anything, but no, you don't have to worry about me and...Skittles."
"Thanks," Jeff said dryly. "You sure know how to wound the pride Steph."
"Poor baby," Stephanie said sarcastically.
"You have a point though Stephanie," Trish said. "I'm not Jeff's girlfriend. I think I'm going to go see how...RVD is doing today."
"Thanks a lot," Jeff said to Stephanie. "That whole being crazy for Jericho was almost inspired except now Trish is going to go hit on my enemy."
"You don't understand women at all do you?" Stephanie asked.
"What do you mean?" Jeff asked.
"She just said she wanted to be your girlfriend," Stephanie said. "Not that it wasn't obvious to everyone."
"Really?" Jeff asked.
"You really are dense, aren't you?" Jericho asked.
Jeff was about to retort, but he saw the look Stephanie was giving him. "I guess so."
"Why don't you go ask her out?" Stephanie asked.
"I think I will," Jeff said.
"Good luck," Stephanie said as she smiled at Jeff.
"Thanks," Jeff said, running in the direction Trish had headed.
Jericho, who just realized he and Stephanie were still holding hands, pulled away from her. "That was really nice of you."
"What?" Stephanie asked.
"Keeping Trish from getting mad at Jeff," Jericho said.
"I try," Stephanie said. "Occasionally."
"More and more lately," Jericho mused.
"I told you I was going to change my personal life," Stephanie said.
"I guess you did," Jericho conceded. "I'm impressed Stephanie."
"Yeah?" Stephanie asked.
"Sure," Jericho said.
"That means a lot to me," Stephanie said. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Finally she was getting somewhere. She had impressed Jericho.
"Well," Jericho said, at an uncharacteristic loss for words, "I should go get ready for my match."
"Okay," Stephanie said.
"Nice talking with you Steph," Jericho said.
"You too," Stephanie said.
Stephanie smiled as she watched Jericho walk away. She quickly schooled her features into an impassive mask as she remembered Jeff saying her face read like a book.
She couldn't believe he had jumped off a ladder again. When was he going to learn? And when in the world had she started to care so much? And when did she become glad that she cared about someone like Jeff Hardy?
If she wasn't careful, she wouldn't know her own self in a short amount of time.
"You are crazy," Stephanie said to Jeff Hardy. She didn't know when she had genuinely began to consider Jeff a friend, but now she was beginning to think she had made a mistake.
"It's nothing too bad," Jeff said, grinning up at Stephanie.
"Nothing?" Stephanie was struck speechless. Her mouth hung open in shock.
"It's not like I revealed you were in love with a certain blonde haired friend we have in common," Jeff muttered. "All I did was jump off a ladder which I've done a thousand times."
"What did you say?" Stephanie asked.
"I jumped off a ladder," Jeff said.
"Before that," Stephanie said.
"You're in love with Jericho," Jeff said, grinning.
"What are you talking about?" Stephanie asked.
"Oh come on!" Jeff exclaimed. "It's written all over your face whenever he's around. The only one who can't seem to read your face would be Jericho himself."
"Are you saying other people know?" Stephanie asked.
"So you admit it!" Jeff said triumphantly.
Stephanie shook her head and sighed. "Yes. Who else knows?"
"Matt," Jeff said. "Lita just gets mad whenever you're around so she doesn't realize that you're a decent person who is just trying to catch the guy she likes."
"I'm not friends with you because of that," Stephanie said.
"Oh please," Jeff said. "I think it's kind of funny how you started getting buddy-buddy with Matt and I just as you announce you and Hunter are getting a divorce."
"Okay," Stephanie sighed. "At first it was because of Chris. But now I really like you guys."
"I know," Jeff said.
"You're a good friend Jeff," Stephanie said. "Which is why I'm mad at you right now!"
"You're not going to go back to the ladder thing are you?" Jeff asked. "Do you realize how Lita and Trish are going to rail me until I'm on my knees begging for forgiveness?"
"I'm just concerned about you Jeff," Stephanie said. "You jumped off a ladder onto two tables!"
"It was better than when there was just one," Jeff said.
"You are crazy!" Stephanie exclaimed.
"Don't try to get him to calm down," Jericho warned as he happened upon Jeff and Stephanie. "He just goes and pushes himself farther."
Jeff grinned. "You know me too well."
"Trust me," Jericho said. "I know."
"Have you seen Trish yet?" Jeff asked. "I want to avoid her until she has time to cool off."
"She gives you more crap than a girlfriend would," Jericho remarked.
"That's because she loves me," Jeff said, smiling widely.
"Yuck," Stephanie groaned. "Jeff is getting all gushy."
"Makes you want to send him off a ladder again, huh?" Jericho asked.
"As a matter of fact," Stephanie said. "Yes."
"What is this?" Trish Stratus asked angrily as she walked up to Jeff, Jericho, and Stephanie. "What are you doing with her?"
"Well Trish," Jeff said patiently. "I am friends with Steph."
"She probably just wants to jump your bones," Trish muttered. "Now that she doesn't have a husband anymore there's nothing to keep her from trying to take any guy she wants."
Stephanie was struck with inspiration. "Oh Trish...you have no need to worry. I've already got my guy."
Jericho looked down at his hand in shock when Stephanie slid her hand into his. He looked up at her blue eyes and saw her pleading with him to play along.
"You're with...her?" Trish asked in disbelief.
"Well Trish," Jericho said slowly, trying to think of what he was going to say. "You know how boys like to mercilessly tease the girls they like?"
"Yeah," Trish said.
"I guess Steph saw through my façade," Jericho said.
Stephanie squeezed Jericho's hand in thanks. "And once he turned on the renowned Jericho charm, I just could not resist."
"So I don't need to worry about Jeff being around you?" Trish asked uncertainly.
"Skittles?" Stephanie asked, trying to contain her laughter. "Not that you're his girlfriend or anything, but no, you don't have to worry about me and...Skittles."
"Thanks," Jeff said dryly. "You sure know how to wound the pride Steph."
"Poor baby," Stephanie said sarcastically.
"You have a point though Stephanie," Trish said. "I'm not Jeff's girlfriend. I think I'm going to go see how...RVD is doing today."
"Thanks a lot," Jeff said to Stephanie. "That whole being crazy for Jericho was almost inspired except now Trish is going to go hit on my enemy."
"You don't understand women at all do you?" Stephanie asked.
"What do you mean?" Jeff asked.
"She just said she wanted to be your girlfriend," Stephanie said. "Not that it wasn't obvious to everyone."
"Really?" Jeff asked.
"You really are dense, aren't you?" Jericho asked.
Jeff was about to retort, but he saw the look Stephanie was giving him. "I guess so."
"Why don't you go ask her out?" Stephanie asked.
"I think I will," Jeff said.
"Good luck," Stephanie said as she smiled at Jeff.
"Thanks," Jeff said, running in the direction Trish had headed.
Jericho, who just realized he and Stephanie were still holding hands, pulled away from her. "That was really nice of you."
"What?" Stephanie asked.
"Keeping Trish from getting mad at Jeff," Jericho said.
"I try," Stephanie said. "Occasionally."
"More and more lately," Jericho mused.
"I told you I was going to change my personal life," Stephanie said.
"I guess you did," Jericho conceded. "I'm impressed Stephanie."
"Yeah?" Stephanie asked.
"Sure," Jericho said.
"That means a lot to me," Stephanie said. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Finally she was getting somewhere. She had impressed Jericho.
"Well," Jericho said, at an uncharacteristic loss for words, "I should go get ready for my match."
"Okay," Stephanie said.
"Nice talking with you Steph," Jericho said.
"You too," Stephanie said.
Stephanie smiled as she watched Jericho walk away. She quickly schooled her features into an impassive mask as she remembered Jeff saying her face read like a book.
She couldn't believe he had jumped off a ladder again. When was he going to learn? And when in the world had she started to care so much? And when did she become glad that she cared about someone like Jeff Hardy?
If she wasn't careful, she wouldn't know her own self in a short amount of time.
