--
When Ric and Beth arrived at the arena, everything was ready for the show. Ric wondered what he was doing there, though. Beth took his hand and led him further into the backstage area. They found Vince, who was pacing, outside a room. He looked up at them, smiled and extended his hand.
Ric blinked and looked down at his hand. His coat was bigger than it was supposed to be, so no one could see his wrapped wounds. He shook McMahon's hand and asked, "What did you need me for?"
Vince stepped aside and opened a door to the room nearby, "There's someone I'd like you to meet."
Ric slowly walked into the room, but froze just inside the doorway. Vince placed a hand on Ric's shoulder, "Her name is Adrianne. She has leukemia. She's a "Make A Wish" child. . . .She wanted to meet you."
A teenage girl, with a small smile, sat in the room alone. As the sight of her sunk in, Ric smiled back. Vince walked out and shut the door, to leave the 2 alone.
Ric came and sat next to her. Despite having leukemia, she looked beautiful. Her dark brown hair was short and in a ponytail. Her eyes glimmered with joy, now that she was sitting next to her idol; her hero.
Not wanting to make the highlight of her life awkward, she extended her hand, "Adrianne." Ric caught himself and shook her hand. "I'm a big fan of yours. I mean, I haven't seen your entire career but if I could've, I would've," she smiled.
"Well, how long have you been watching?" Adrianne thought for a moment, "7 years. WCW fan, I was. And then you came here. I was so happy to see you again."
Ric watched the excitement grow in her eyes, and heard it in her voice. It gave him an amazing feeling. "I hope you don't mind me asking but . . .why did you want to meet me, out of everyone else in WWE?" Ric asked. Adrianne jokingly rolled her eyes, as if asking 'why wouldn't I want to meet you?' Ric tensed as he waited for her reply.
"I hate when people talk down on you. They say you're . . .not in your prime. To me, your better than half the roster! I know you put your all in every one of your matches and you do your best. That inspires me. You make me want to be the best at everything I do. I promised myself I'd give them my all when I do something. I can put my heart into anything."
Her eyes dropped, along with the enthusiasm in her voice, "I wanted to be a wrestler."
Muteness injured their blissful moment and it became awkward. Ric didn't know what to say, and he felt horrible. He looked down at his wrists, to make sure she couldn't see them. "How come you haven't been around lately?" Adrianne asked, killing the silence that had become all too loud in the room.
Flair didn't know how to answer. He couldn't possibly tell her. She seemed like his most dedicated fan. He wasn't going to make this a sad experience for her. "Personal . . .stuff." 'Well,' he thought, 'it's not a complete lie.'
"I'm sorry to hear that. How are you doing now?" she asked, a tone of sympathy in her voice now. She watched her hero's eyes dart nervously, and she wondered why.
"I'm doing okay," he replied. He couldn't get her words out of his head. They meant so much to him. She hated when people talked down on him. That gave him an indescribable feeling. She was like his dream come true; His way out. His reason to live.
He suddenly felt a pang of guilt in his stomach about his attempts to kill himself. What would she have thought? He would've gone without meeting her. That would've been a big mistake.
"Will you be back soon?" Adrianne asked him, worried about his silent state.
Ric smiled, sweetly, at her, "I'll be back. I'll return sooner than I thought I would."
--
When Ric and Beth arrived at the arena, everything was ready for the show. Ric wondered what he was doing there, though. Beth took his hand and led him further into the backstage area. They found Vince, who was pacing, outside a room. He looked up at them, smiled and extended his hand.
Ric blinked and looked down at his hand. His coat was bigger than it was supposed to be, so no one could see his wrapped wounds. He shook McMahon's hand and asked, "What did you need me for?"
Vince stepped aside and opened a door to the room nearby, "There's someone I'd like you to meet."
Ric slowly walked into the room, but froze just inside the doorway. Vince placed a hand on Ric's shoulder, "Her name is Adrianne. She has leukemia. She's a "Make A Wish" child. . . .She wanted to meet you."
A teenage girl, with a small smile, sat in the room alone. As the sight of her sunk in, Ric smiled back. Vince walked out and shut the door, to leave the 2 alone.
Ric came and sat next to her. Despite having leukemia, she looked beautiful. Her dark brown hair was short and in a ponytail. Her eyes glimmered with joy, now that she was sitting next to her idol; her hero.
Not wanting to make the highlight of her life awkward, she extended her hand, "Adrianne." Ric caught himself and shook her hand. "I'm a big fan of yours. I mean, I haven't seen your entire career but if I could've, I would've," she smiled.
"Well, how long have you been watching?" Adrianne thought for a moment, "7 years. WCW fan, I was. And then you came here. I was so happy to see you again."
Ric watched the excitement grow in her eyes, and heard it in her voice. It gave him an amazing feeling. "I hope you don't mind me asking but . . .why did you want to meet me, out of everyone else in WWE?" Ric asked. Adrianne jokingly rolled her eyes, as if asking 'why wouldn't I want to meet you?' Ric tensed as he waited for her reply.
"I hate when people talk down on you. They say you're . . .not in your prime. To me, your better than half the roster! I know you put your all in every one of your matches and you do your best. That inspires me. You make me want to be the best at everything I do. I promised myself I'd give them my all when I do something. I can put my heart into anything."
Her eyes dropped, along with the enthusiasm in her voice, "I wanted to be a wrestler."
Muteness injured their blissful moment and it became awkward. Ric didn't know what to say, and he felt horrible. He looked down at his wrists, to make sure she couldn't see them. "How come you haven't been around lately?" Adrianne asked, killing the silence that had become all too loud in the room.
Flair didn't know how to answer. He couldn't possibly tell her. She seemed like his most dedicated fan. He wasn't going to make this a sad experience for her. "Personal . . .stuff." 'Well,' he thought, 'it's not a complete lie.'
"I'm sorry to hear that. How are you doing now?" she asked, a tone of sympathy in her voice now. She watched her hero's eyes dart nervously, and she wondered why.
"I'm doing okay," he replied. He couldn't get her words out of his head. They meant so much to him. She hated when people talked down on him. That gave him an indescribable feeling. She was like his dream come true; His way out. His reason to live.
He suddenly felt a pang of guilt in his stomach about his attempts to kill himself. What would she have thought? He would've gone without meeting her. That would've been a big mistake.
"Will you be back soon?" Adrianne asked him, worried about his silent state.
Ric smiled, sweetly, at her, "I'll be back. I'll return sooner than I thought I would."
--