"Why are you up so early?" Shane asked fluttering his eyes open. I
was tying my sneakers and stuffed a cold bottle of water in my duffle bag.
"I have a match tonite so I'm goin to workout with Jeff and to run over some moves," I said as I leaned over him to kiss his forehead.
"Match? But it's a pay per view."
"I know."
"How did you get a pay per view match with Jeff?"
"I really couldn't tell ya!" I laughed as I walked out the door. Shane sighed and settled back into bed. He'd get up in a few hours to go shopping with the guys.
"Case, ya ready?" Jeff asked as he leaned against the wall next to the elevator.
"Yep. All ready!"
"Happy Birthday," Jeff said kissing my cheek gently. The elevator doors slid open and we rode down to the hotel gym.
"Please don't. My birthday always sucks. So, I'm thinking that if I don't acknowledge it, that it won't suck!"
"Oh come on. They can't be that bad," he joked. I sighed deeply and gave him a wish I was dead type look. "Ouch, okay. Maybe they can be."
"Yeah, they can be!" I said as we set our gear down and began working on weights.
"So, you don't want to go out and celebrate tonite?"
"Nope!"
"No gifts, cake, or ice cream?"
"Nope. I don't want anything. It's just a regular day. Nothing special about it."
"Okay, if you insist."
"I do insist!" I said moving on to a treadmill.
"You'll get a big surprise tonite then," he muttered.
"Thanks for the journal," Jeff said as he preformed a neckbreaker on me.
"Journal?" I asked as he did a leg drop.
"Yeah, the journal Trish gave me. I know it was your idea. You're the only one that would think of something like that. Thank you. I really appreciate it."
"How could you tell that it was my idea?" I asked as I did a dropkick into a flip.
"Because of the patterns and creations and stuff designed on it," he laughed. I smiled and nodded.
"Do you think Regal is gonna bring the brass knucks?" I asked as Jeff suplexed me.
"No. I don't think so. He's not gonna hit you even if he did," he said as I got to my feet and whipped him into the ropes.
"Okay, cause I really don't wanna have a broken jaw or something," I said monkey flipping him into the middle of the ring. We stood at the same time and stared at each other.
"Alright, I think we're done for today. I'm all worn out!" he exclaimed throwing me a bottle of water.
"Really? I could so totally go for more!"
"You always can!" he laughed as we grabbed our gear and walked out of the arena. We grabbed a cab and rode back to the hotel. I said good-bye to him as I walked into my room.
"Shane! Are you still asleep?!" I exclaimed throwing my stuff on the floor. He groaned and rolled over. "Shane! Get up! It's almost 1 in the afternoon!"
"Are you serious!?" he exclaimed sitting up.
"Very," I laughed as I walked into the bathroom to shower.
"Damn, I can't believe I slept that long," Shane said as he walked into the bathroom.
"I can't believe you did either. We have to be at the arena by 2. So get ready!!!" I ordered.
"Yes ma'am!"
"Stop being a loser!" I joked as he shut the bathroom door.
I walked out of the shower with a towel wrapped around me. Shane quickly jumped in the shower and I got dressed in a pair of baggy jeans and a big baggy sweatshirt that I had borrowed from Adam one day. I gathered my gear together, making sure I had my make-up, jeans, tank top, paint, glitter, boots, and armbands. Shane walked out holding a towel up to himself and stood in the doorway.
"Can I help you?" I asked placing my hands on my hips.
"Yeah, could you give me my soap? I kinda forgot it and I refuse to smell like your cucumber-melon crap!"
"I'm offended. I love that stuff!"
"Baby, it smells oh so good on you. But you're a girl and I'm a guy. DOES NOT WORK BOTH WAY!!" he exclaimed. I chuckled as I threw his bar of soap at him, making him almost lose his towel. He growled at me before walking back into the bathroom.
I sat on the bed and flipped through the channels, trying to find something good to watch while my slow poke of a boyfriend took forever to get ready. About a quarter to two he was ready to go and we quickly sped to get to the arena on time.
"What took you guys so long?" Marc asked as we walked down the hall.
"Shane!" I replied as he chuckled.
"Casey!" I heard Adam yell from behind me. I stopped and let Shane walk on without me. I turned around and ran into the open arms of my ex- trainer. "I was wondering where I put that sweatshirt."
"Yeah, I've got it!" I laughed. "So how's Smackdown since I left?"
"Alright, a little weird without you, but we're beginning to get used to it," he said with that wining smile of his.
"That's good. I knew it'd be hard to get over the loss of me not being around," I joked.
"How are you doing on RAW?"
"Good. I'm doing really good. I've got a title shot at Survivor Series for the woman's belt and I've got a tag match with Jeff tonite."
"That's good to hear. I'm really glad you're doing alright. And you and Shane are still together?"
"Yep, just as together as before!"
"Good, I'm glad. I gotta go sign some autographs. I'll see you a little later, kiddo!"
"Bye, Adam," I said hugging him before he ran off. I walked down the hall and into the Diva's locker room. I said hi to all the girls and caught up with the ones from smackdown.
I started walking down the hall to find some more friends to say hello to and ran into a new person. He was tall, very built. His brown hair was sticking in the air, wildly and he had flames tattooed on both wrists. I stretched my neck to look up at him, it was like looking at Andrew.
"Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," I apologized. He looked down at me and smiled.
"That's okay. All is forgiven."
"I'm sorry, I've been in this business for more than 2 months and I have no clue who you are," I said with a smile.
"Like wise!" he laughed.
"I'm Casey Piniarski. Mystic Angel to the wrestling fans," I said holding out my hand. I expected him to grip it tightly, but he didn't. It was a soft and gentle handshake.
"Sean O'Haire. To the wrestling fans and everyone else I know!"
"Oh! Okay. I know who you are. You're excellent! You've got a lot of skills," I said.
"Well, thank you. I've actually seen you too, and you're quite the acrobat. You're definitely one of the extreme ones," he complimented.
"Thanks. So, are you gonna be wrestling here again?"
"Soon, very soon. I'll be doing a few house shows and then hopefully back full time! What show are you on?"
"RAW. You're on Smackdown, right?" I asked putting my hands on my hips.
"Yeah. I am. So I guess we won't be seeing too much of each other."
"Nope. Well, I have to be finding my boyfriend. I'll see ya around." I began to walk away and grabbed my arm lightly.
"Who's your boyfriend? Maybe I know where he is," he said with a smile.
"Shane Helms." His jaw seemed to drop to the floor and he shook his head.
"Seriously?" I chuckled and nodded. "Okay, I saw him in that locker room."
"Thanks. I'll see ya later," I said with a smile. I walked into a pitch black locker room. The door slammed shut behind me and I looked around me. I listened for anything that made noise and was on defense mood. All of a sudden the lights flicked on and both show rosters jumped out.
"SURPRISE!!!!!!" they all yelled together. I was speechless. I could barely breathe. I looked around at the room. It was decorated with balloons, streamers, and banners. There was a cake, food, soda, and music started playing. I swallowed hard and smiled as I looked at everyone's face.
"Happy birthday Case!" Chris Irvine yelled to me. I tried to speak, but nothing came out. Shane ran to me and kissed my cheek.
"Happy birthday, baby. Are you surprised?" he asked. I looked at him with a big smile on my face.
"Is this for me?" I asked in shock.
"Of course. Who else would we do this for?!" Shane asked.
"Well, thank you!" I exclaimed.
One by one people would come up to me to wish me a happy birthday. I even found out that Sean was a distraction, to keep me away a little longer. Everyone was there, including the McMahons and Eric Bischoff.
"Are you ready for your cake, Darlin?" I immediately wrapped my arms around him.
"I missed you, Dad."
"I missed you too. Be ready to fly down to Texas this week. Sara is very close to having the baby. We think it'll be this week. She wanted to be here, but she can't travel. But she wanted me to tell you happy birthday and that she loves you," he said kissing the top of my head.
"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you," everyone sang as Matt and Jeff walked over to me carrying the cake. The cake had Mystic Angel written on it with 19 candles. I took a deep breath, made a wish, and blew out the candles. I smiled as everyone cheered and applauded.
"Rey, Jeff, and I carried all the gifts to the car for you," John Cena said kissing my cheek.
"Gifts?" I questioned.
"Yeah took the three of us two trips. Everyone got you something," John laughed.
"Happy 19th birthday Case," someone said behind me. His deep voice was quiet, almost a whisper. I turned around and looked up a the long haired blonde. I smiled as he sipped his soda.
"Thanks Andrew."
"I wanted to apologize for the way I've been acting."
"It's okay. I shouldn't have slapped you."
"That's okay. I deserved it," he said with a smile and suddenly he lifted me off the ground in a hug.
"Okay Andrew, getting light headed up here!" I joked. He chuckled and put me back on the ground.
"Did Randy wish you a happy birthday?"
"Nope, I don't think the asshole is here," I said coldly.
"I see. Well, I'm gonna go talk to Stace. I'll see ya later." He kissed my cheek and walked away.
By 5:00, everyone had started to leave and get ready for their matches. I thanked everyone as they left and got hugs in return. When everyone had left the room, I walked over to Jeff, Matt, and Amy to help clean up.
"You shouldn't be cleaning on your birthday," Amy said.
"I don't mind. It's the least I could do for this wonderful party. Who's idea was it?"
"Jeff's! Who else would come up with something like this?" Matt asked.
"Thank you, Jeff," I said kissing his cheek. "You really made this the best birthday."
"Really?!" he said with a smile.
"Yeah. It was great!"
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was hoping you would," he said. "Now go. Get ready for the match! By the way, that's your gift from Vince."
"The match?" I questioned.
"Yep. He thought you'd really love one on your birthday," Jeff explained. I smiled and left the room.
"The following match is for one fall. Now entering the ring, weighing in at 218 lbs. From Cameron, North Carolina. JEFF HARDY!!!!" Jeff bounced his way out and leaped down the ramp. The crowd went nuts. It had been a while since he was on a pay per view. Jeff took a mic and began a speech.
"Now, my partner just moved here from Smackdown and has made quite the impression on some people. But tonite is a very special nite. So I'm gonna announce her out here and then explain why," he said as "Halo" began. I stared at him from the top of the ramp with a worried look on my face. I ran down to the ring and climbed in. I crossed my arms and stood in front of him. He put the mic back up to his mouth and began to talk. "Now in the ring, my partner, representing Cameron, North Carolina, MYSTIC ANGEL!!!!"
"Jeff, what are you doin?" I asked. He smiled and went on.
"Now, the reason tonite is a special nite is that it's Angel's first pay per view match. But it's also her 19th birthday. And although we threw her a party backstage. I'd like ya'll to join in, in singing Happy Birthday to her." My eyes bugged out of my head as he began to sing. The crowd didn't hesitate in joining him. I felt my face turn bright red as I put my hand to my forehead. He put his arm around me as he continued to sing. As soon as the song ended the Un-Americans' music started and Storm and Regal walked out carrying their home country flags. Jeff threw the mic out of the ring as they of course made a speech about how bad America is.
I rolled my eyes as I wrapped my arms around Lance's waist and brought him into a belly to back suplex. That started the match. We all went at each other, throwing punches, chops, kicks, anything, before the ref finally pushed Lance and I out of the ring. I pounded on the post trying to cheer on Jeff as Regal went at him with some technical wrestling moves. He whipped Jeff into the corner and he ran up the post into whisper in the wind. The crowd went wild as he tagged me in. I pulled Regal to his feet and began to throw chop after chop at him before he blocked one and threw a chop of his own. He whipped me into the ropes and clothes lined me on my return. He tagged Storm in and he quickly went for the cover. I kicked out on one and he pulled me to my feet. He picked me up and brought me into a suplex. He did an elbow drop on stomach and went for the cover again. I didn't even wait for one before I kicked out. I quickly got to my feet as Storm sat on the mat aggravated. I pulled him up by his head and snap suplexed him. I bounced myself of the ropes and drop kicked his head. As he grabbed the back of his head I used Shane's shinning wizard to kick him in the head. He laid down and I went for the cover getting the two count. I got up and stood him on his feet. He whipped me into the ropes and I tried to do a cross body into him, but he body slammed me instead. He got the two count and I kicked out. He grabbed my hair, pulling me to my feet. He elbowed my head and backed me into the corner. I covered my face as he threw some chops at me. I pushed him off of me and jumped onto the post and did a moonsault. I quickly tagged Jeff in and he whipped Storm into the corner. He got down on his hands and knees and ran at him, going for poetry in motion. I quickly got out of the ring so Jeff could do his thing. Jeff had control of the match. He went for the cover and Regal ran in and stopped the count before the three. I ran into the ring and battled with Regal. I clothes lined him over the ropes and left Jeff with Storm in the ring. I picked Regal up into a tilt-a-whirl neckbreaker. I then went up on the apron and did a front flip onto him. He brought his knees up and rammed them into my stomach. He picked me up and ran my head into the steel steps. I felt blood trickle down my cheek as I laid on the floor. He stood on the apron and went to come down on me doing an elbow drop, but I rolled out of the way as Jeff got the three count. I stood up and slid into the ring. I jumped on him, wrapping my arms and legs around him. The crowd went crazy. His music sounded throughout the arena as we walked up the ramp, waving to the crowd. I got backstage and he looked at me concerned for my head.
"Are you okay?" he asked staring at the bleeding wound.
"I'm fine. No biggie. Just need a band-aid."
"Come on, I'll take ya to first-aid," he said taking my hand and pulling me with him. Shane was already in there, sitting on a stretcher. He quickly stood up and ran to me.
"Are you alright? I saw what happened and immediately ran down here to meet you," he said pulling me into his body.
"Stop, I'm gonna drip blood on you," I said trying to pull away.
"That's okay, I don't mind. Wouldn't be the first time I've been bled on," he said with a smile. He sat me down on the stretcher and let the medic clean the wound. It was just a slash and wouldn't be needing stitches, which was good to hear, cause I wouldn't have gotten them anyways! I walked back to the locker room and took a quick shower. Shane waited for me by my gear so we could head back to the hotel right after the show. I was anxious to open my gifts. I said goodbye to all my Smackdown friends and told Vince that I would be leaving the second that I hear Sara is going into labor. He just laughed and said it was okay as long as I was back in time for RAW the next week. Shane and I left for the hotel and carried all the gifts in, taking three trips. When we got settled in the room, I began to open them, and Shane handed them to me one by one. When I had finished with all but two of the gifts I had posters, dvds, cds, video games, a new camera, clothes, shoes, even thongs. The thongs were from Trish, she said you could never have too many. And in this business, she's right. From Mark I got a silver charm that said Daddy's Angel. From Sara I got a silver chain to put the charm on.
"Two more," Shane said handing me a homemade colorful gift.
"Jeff," I said with a laugh. He nodded and I ripped the paper open carefully. There was a small gold box, one that jewelry would be put into. I took the top off and pulled out the tissue paper. Wrapped inside was a silver toe ring and anklet. The anklet had a bar on it that had Case and Jeff 7/2/02 FOREVER. "Awe, that's absolutely the sweetest thing! It's the day we met!"
"That is really sweet," Shane said seriously. He handed me a small box, wrapped in silver wrapping paper. I smiled at him and ripped it open. I took the top off the small box and pulled out a silver necklace with a charm on it that said Angel. I smiled and hugged him tightly.
"I love it. Thank you so much!" I said kissing his cheek. I handed him the necklace and turned my back towards him. He put the necklace over my head and clasped it. I turned back around and kissed him deeply.
"Happy birthday, Angel."
"Thank you, Sugar."
"Case, your sister is on the phone," Shane yelled to me. I walked out with a fluffy white towel wrapped around me. I took my cell phone from him.
"Hello?"
"Hi Case. It's Mel. Happy Birthday. I would have called you yesterday but I knew you'd be busy. I saw the match. Very good. Are you okay though?" she asked.
"Oh I'm fine. Minor cut. Nothing major. So, how's Luke?" I asked.
"Fine. Everything is great. How was your birthday?"
"Great. They surprised me with a party before the show. And I got tons of gifts. It was a lot of fun."
"I would have sent you something, but I don't know where to send it. And when did you start using Cameron, North Carolina as you town?" I laughed and shook my head.
"I'm living there. Permanently. I have my own room and everything."
"Who are you living with?"
"The Hardys. Gil, Matt, and Amy Dumas. Jeff lives down the road."
"I see. Well that's good. I'm glad you could find a good home. Give me your address so I can send you things. Like pictures and stuff like that."
"Yeah, okay. No problem."
"Mom lost her job."
"What?!"
"They went out of business, so as of yesterday, she's out of a job."
"Great. Just great. Is she getting another one?"
"I don't know. You know how she is. She won't wanna go anyplace else. She'll have to start over again."
"I did that. And look at my life now! Gees, I can't believe this. Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I didn't know how you would react and didn't think you'd really care."
"She's still my mother. Unfortunately. Damn."
"I gotta go. I just wanted to make sure you had a good birthday and stuff. I'll talk to you later."
"Thanks, Mel. Bye." I hung up and let out a loud sigh.
"What's wrong?" Shane asked.
"My mom lost her job. This is great."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Angel. Don't worry about it. I'm sure everything will be fine."
I stood up and grabbed a pair of athletic pants and a tank top. I changed and grabbed a $100 out of my wallet. I addressed an envelope and placed the money it to send to my parents. I grabbed my gear and went to the arena for RAW.
"Is it another run in nite?" Jeff asked.
"Looks that way. But that's cool, I don't mind!" I said with an evil smile. I picked up a chair and walked out the door.
"Why do I like her?!" Jeff exclaimed.
"Like who?" Rob asked walking out of the shower area.
"No one. Nevermind."
"Are you talking about Casey?" Rob asked. Jeff looked at him sadly. Rob walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Dude, don't worry. Everything will be alright. You've got Trish and she's got Shane. Everything is how it should be!"
"No man, I don't think it is. But I'll just have to live with that!" Jeff said standing. He grabbed a towel and walked into the showers.
I held a mic in my hand as I stood over Trish and the chair that I used as a weapon. "Trish, you better except my challenge for Survivor Series. Or else there will be more of these brutal run ins. I don't like doing this to you, but I'm here to make a point. A point that I deserve a belt. I want THIS belt!" I threw the mic down and walked up the ramp to my music.
"You had fun with that, didn't you?" Nora asked with a laugh.
"You bet I did. You know me too well!" I laughed.
"Casey, I forgot to give this to you. It's from Gil," Amy said handing me an envelope. I opened it and pulled out a note.
'Dear Case, Happy birthday! I wish I could be there to celebrate with you all. We'll do some celebrating when you all get home. I have a special gift for you when you get back. No, it's not a car! I know that's what you're thinking, but there is no way in hell I could afford one! Anyways, I'll be seeing you soon. Love you always, Dad.'
"Amy, he signed it Dad!!!" I cried. A tear fell down my check and Amy hugged me.
"That's because he considers you his daughter. He loves you so much. It's amazing. You not only have Mark for a father but you also have Gil!" she exclaimed.
"So, what's this surprise?!" I asked.
"Like I'd tell you!" she exclaimed as we walked down the hall together.
"I have a match tonite so I'm goin to workout with Jeff and to run over some moves," I said as I leaned over him to kiss his forehead.
"Match? But it's a pay per view."
"I know."
"How did you get a pay per view match with Jeff?"
"I really couldn't tell ya!" I laughed as I walked out the door. Shane sighed and settled back into bed. He'd get up in a few hours to go shopping with the guys.
"Case, ya ready?" Jeff asked as he leaned against the wall next to the elevator.
"Yep. All ready!"
"Happy Birthday," Jeff said kissing my cheek gently. The elevator doors slid open and we rode down to the hotel gym.
"Please don't. My birthday always sucks. So, I'm thinking that if I don't acknowledge it, that it won't suck!"
"Oh come on. They can't be that bad," he joked. I sighed deeply and gave him a wish I was dead type look. "Ouch, okay. Maybe they can be."
"Yeah, they can be!" I said as we set our gear down and began working on weights.
"So, you don't want to go out and celebrate tonite?"
"Nope!"
"No gifts, cake, or ice cream?"
"Nope. I don't want anything. It's just a regular day. Nothing special about it."
"Okay, if you insist."
"I do insist!" I said moving on to a treadmill.
"You'll get a big surprise tonite then," he muttered.
"Thanks for the journal," Jeff said as he preformed a neckbreaker on me.
"Journal?" I asked as he did a leg drop.
"Yeah, the journal Trish gave me. I know it was your idea. You're the only one that would think of something like that. Thank you. I really appreciate it."
"How could you tell that it was my idea?" I asked as I did a dropkick into a flip.
"Because of the patterns and creations and stuff designed on it," he laughed. I smiled and nodded.
"Do you think Regal is gonna bring the brass knucks?" I asked as Jeff suplexed me.
"No. I don't think so. He's not gonna hit you even if he did," he said as I got to my feet and whipped him into the ropes.
"Okay, cause I really don't wanna have a broken jaw or something," I said monkey flipping him into the middle of the ring. We stood at the same time and stared at each other.
"Alright, I think we're done for today. I'm all worn out!" he exclaimed throwing me a bottle of water.
"Really? I could so totally go for more!"
"You always can!" he laughed as we grabbed our gear and walked out of the arena. We grabbed a cab and rode back to the hotel. I said good-bye to him as I walked into my room.
"Shane! Are you still asleep?!" I exclaimed throwing my stuff on the floor. He groaned and rolled over. "Shane! Get up! It's almost 1 in the afternoon!"
"Are you serious!?" he exclaimed sitting up.
"Very," I laughed as I walked into the bathroom to shower.
"Damn, I can't believe I slept that long," Shane said as he walked into the bathroom.
"I can't believe you did either. We have to be at the arena by 2. So get ready!!!" I ordered.
"Yes ma'am!"
"Stop being a loser!" I joked as he shut the bathroom door.
I walked out of the shower with a towel wrapped around me. Shane quickly jumped in the shower and I got dressed in a pair of baggy jeans and a big baggy sweatshirt that I had borrowed from Adam one day. I gathered my gear together, making sure I had my make-up, jeans, tank top, paint, glitter, boots, and armbands. Shane walked out holding a towel up to himself and stood in the doorway.
"Can I help you?" I asked placing my hands on my hips.
"Yeah, could you give me my soap? I kinda forgot it and I refuse to smell like your cucumber-melon crap!"
"I'm offended. I love that stuff!"
"Baby, it smells oh so good on you. But you're a girl and I'm a guy. DOES NOT WORK BOTH WAY!!" he exclaimed. I chuckled as I threw his bar of soap at him, making him almost lose his towel. He growled at me before walking back into the bathroom.
I sat on the bed and flipped through the channels, trying to find something good to watch while my slow poke of a boyfriend took forever to get ready. About a quarter to two he was ready to go and we quickly sped to get to the arena on time.
"What took you guys so long?" Marc asked as we walked down the hall.
"Shane!" I replied as he chuckled.
"Casey!" I heard Adam yell from behind me. I stopped and let Shane walk on without me. I turned around and ran into the open arms of my ex- trainer. "I was wondering where I put that sweatshirt."
"Yeah, I've got it!" I laughed. "So how's Smackdown since I left?"
"Alright, a little weird without you, but we're beginning to get used to it," he said with that wining smile of his.
"That's good. I knew it'd be hard to get over the loss of me not being around," I joked.
"How are you doing on RAW?"
"Good. I'm doing really good. I've got a title shot at Survivor Series for the woman's belt and I've got a tag match with Jeff tonite."
"That's good to hear. I'm really glad you're doing alright. And you and Shane are still together?"
"Yep, just as together as before!"
"Good, I'm glad. I gotta go sign some autographs. I'll see you a little later, kiddo!"
"Bye, Adam," I said hugging him before he ran off. I walked down the hall and into the Diva's locker room. I said hi to all the girls and caught up with the ones from smackdown.
I started walking down the hall to find some more friends to say hello to and ran into a new person. He was tall, very built. His brown hair was sticking in the air, wildly and he had flames tattooed on both wrists. I stretched my neck to look up at him, it was like looking at Andrew.
"Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going," I apologized. He looked down at me and smiled.
"That's okay. All is forgiven."
"I'm sorry, I've been in this business for more than 2 months and I have no clue who you are," I said with a smile.
"Like wise!" he laughed.
"I'm Casey Piniarski. Mystic Angel to the wrestling fans," I said holding out my hand. I expected him to grip it tightly, but he didn't. It was a soft and gentle handshake.
"Sean O'Haire. To the wrestling fans and everyone else I know!"
"Oh! Okay. I know who you are. You're excellent! You've got a lot of skills," I said.
"Well, thank you. I've actually seen you too, and you're quite the acrobat. You're definitely one of the extreme ones," he complimented.
"Thanks. So, are you gonna be wrestling here again?"
"Soon, very soon. I'll be doing a few house shows and then hopefully back full time! What show are you on?"
"RAW. You're on Smackdown, right?" I asked putting my hands on my hips.
"Yeah. I am. So I guess we won't be seeing too much of each other."
"Nope. Well, I have to be finding my boyfriend. I'll see ya around." I began to walk away and grabbed my arm lightly.
"Who's your boyfriend? Maybe I know where he is," he said with a smile.
"Shane Helms." His jaw seemed to drop to the floor and he shook his head.
"Seriously?" I chuckled and nodded. "Okay, I saw him in that locker room."
"Thanks. I'll see ya later," I said with a smile. I walked into a pitch black locker room. The door slammed shut behind me and I looked around me. I listened for anything that made noise and was on defense mood. All of a sudden the lights flicked on and both show rosters jumped out.
"SURPRISE!!!!!!" they all yelled together. I was speechless. I could barely breathe. I looked around at the room. It was decorated with balloons, streamers, and banners. There was a cake, food, soda, and music started playing. I swallowed hard and smiled as I looked at everyone's face.
"Happy birthday Case!" Chris Irvine yelled to me. I tried to speak, but nothing came out. Shane ran to me and kissed my cheek.
"Happy birthday, baby. Are you surprised?" he asked. I looked at him with a big smile on my face.
"Is this for me?" I asked in shock.
"Of course. Who else would we do this for?!" Shane asked.
"Well, thank you!" I exclaimed.
One by one people would come up to me to wish me a happy birthday. I even found out that Sean was a distraction, to keep me away a little longer. Everyone was there, including the McMahons and Eric Bischoff.
"Are you ready for your cake, Darlin?" I immediately wrapped my arms around him.
"I missed you, Dad."
"I missed you too. Be ready to fly down to Texas this week. Sara is very close to having the baby. We think it'll be this week. She wanted to be here, but she can't travel. But she wanted me to tell you happy birthday and that she loves you," he said kissing the top of my head.
"Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you," everyone sang as Matt and Jeff walked over to me carrying the cake. The cake had Mystic Angel written on it with 19 candles. I took a deep breath, made a wish, and blew out the candles. I smiled as everyone cheered and applauded.
"Rey, Jeff, and I carried all the gifts to the car for you," John Cena said kissing my cheek.
"Gifts?" I questioned.
"Yeah took the three of us two trips. Everyone got you something," John laughed.
"Happy 19th birthday Case," someone said behind me. His deep voice was quiet, almost a whisper. I turned around and looked up a the long haired blonde. I smiled as he sipped his soda.
"Thanks Andrew."
"I wanted to apologize for the way I've been acting."
"It's okay. I shouldn't have slapped you."
"That's okay. I deserved it," he said with a smile and suddenly he lifted me off the ground in a hug.
"Okay Andrew, getting light headed up here!" I joked. He chuckled and put me back on the ground.
"Did Randy wish you a happy birthday?"
"Nope, I don't think the asshole is here," I said coldly.
"I see. Well, I'm gonna go talk to Stace. I'll see ya later." He kissed my cheek and walked away.
By 5:00, everyone had started to leave and get ready for their matches. I thanked everyone as they left and got hugs in return. When everyone had left the room, I walked over to Jeff, Matt, and Amy to help clean up.
"You shouldn't be cleaning on your birthday," Amy said.
"I don't mind. It's the least I could do for this wonderful party. Who's idea was it?"
"Jeff's! Who else would come up with something like this?" Matt asked.
"Thank you, Jeff," I said kissing his cheek. "You really made this the best birthday."
"Really?!" he said with a smile.
"Yeah. It was great!"
"I'm glad you enjoyed it. I was hoping you would," he said. "Now go. Get ready for the match! By the way, that's your gift from Vince."
"The match?" I questioned.
"Yep. He thought you'd really love one on your birthday," Jeff explained. I smiled and left the room.
"The following match is for one fall. Now entering the ring, weighing in at 218 lbs. From Cameron, North Carolina. JEFF HARDY!!!!" Jeff bounced his way out and leaped down the ramp. The crowd went nuts. It had been a while since he was on a pay per view. Jeff took a mic and began a speech.
"Now, my partner just moved here from Smackdown and has made quite the impression on some people. But tonite is a very special nite. So I'm gonna announce her out here and then explain why," he said as "Halo" began. I stared at him from the top of the ramp with a worried look on my face. I ran down to the ring and climbed in. I crossed my arms and stood in front of him. He put the mic back up to his mouth and began to talk. "Now in the ring, my partner, representing Cameron, North Carolina, MYSTIC ANGEL!!!!"
"Jeff, what are you doin?" I asked. He smiled and went on.
"Now, the reason tonite is a special nite is that it's Angel's first pay per view match. But it's also her 19th birthday. And although we threw her a party backstage. I'd like ya'll to join in, in singing Happy Birthday to her." My eyes bugged out of my head as he began to sing. The crowd didn't hesitate in joining him. I felt my face turn bright red as I put my hand to my forehead. He put his arm around me as he continued to sing. As soon as the song ended the Un-Americans' music started and Storm and Regal walked out carrying their home country flags. Jeff threw the mic out of the ring as they of course made a speech about how bad America is.
I rolled my eyes as I wrapped my arms around Lance's waist and brought him into a belly to back suplex. That started the match. We all went at each other, throwing punches, chops, kicks, anything, before the ref finally pushed Lance and I out of the ring. I pounded on the post trying to cheer on Jeff as Regal went at him with some technical wrestling moves. He whipped Jeff into the corner and he ran up the post into whisper in the wind. The crowd went wild as he tagged me in. I pulled Regal to his feet and began to throw chop after chop at him before he blocked one and threw a chop of his own. He whipped me into the ropes and clothes lined me on my return. He tagged Storm in and he quickly went for the cover. I kicked out on one and he pulled me to my feet. He picked me up and brought me into a suplex. He did an elbow drop on stomach and went for the cover again. I didn't even wait for one before I kicked out. I quickly got to my feet as Storm sat on the mat aggravated. I pulled him up by his head and snap suplexed him. I bounced myself of the ropes and drop kicked his head. As he grabbed the back of his head I used Shane's shinning wizard to kick him in the head. He laid down and I went for the cover getting the two count. I got up and stood him on his feet. He whipped me into the ropes and I tried to do a cross body into him, but he body slammed me instead. He got the two count and I kicked out. He grabbed my hair, pulling me to my feet. He elbowed my head and backed me into the corner. I covered my face as he threw some chops at me. I pushed him off of me and jumped onto the post and did a moonsault. I quickly tagged Jeff in and he whipped Storm into the corner. He got down on his hands and knees and ran at him, going for poetry in motion. I quickly got out of the ring so Jeff could do his thing. Jeff had control of the match. He went for the cover and Regal ran in and stopped the count before the three. I ran into the ring and battled with Regal. I clothes lined him over the ropes and left Jeff with Storm in the ring. I picked Regal up into a tilt-a-whirl neckbreaker. I then went up on the apron and did a front flip onto him. He brought his knees up and rammed them into my stomach. He picked me up and ran my head into the steel steps. I felt blood trickle down my cheek as I laid on the floor. He stood on the apron and went to come down on me doing an elbow drop, but I rolled out of the way as Jeff got the three count. I stood up and slid into the ring. I jumped on him, wrapping my arms and legs around him. The crowd went crazy. His music sounded throughout the arena as we walked up the ramp, waving to the crowd. I got backstage and he looked at me concerned for my head.
"Are you okay?" he asked staring at the bleeding wound.
"I'm fine. No biggie. Just need a band-aid."
"Come on, I'll take ya to first-aid," he said taking my hand and pulling me with him. Shane was already in there, sitting on a stretcher. He quickly stood up and ran to me.
"Are you alright? I saw what happened and immediately ran down here to meet you," he said pulling me into his body.
"Stop, I'm gonna drip blood on you," I said trying to pull away.
"That's okay, I don't mind. Wouldn't be the first time I've been bled on," he said with a smile. He sat me down on the stretcher and let the medic clean the wound. It was just a slash and wouldn't be needing stitches, which was good to hear, cause I wouldn't have gotten them anyways! I walked back to the locker room and took a quick shower. Shane waited for me by my gear so we could head back to the hotel right after the show. I was anxious to open my gifts. I said goodbye to all my Smackdown friends and told Vince that I would be leaving the second that I hear Sara is going into labor. He just laughed and said it was okay as long as I was back in time for RAW the next week. Shane and I left for the hotel and carried all the gifts in, taking three trips. When we got settled in the room, I began to open them, and Shane handed them to me one by one. When I had finished with all but two of the gifts I had posters, dvds, cds, video games, a new camera, clothes, shoes, even thongs. The thongs were from Trish, she said you could never have too many. And in this business, she's right. From Mark I got a silver charm that said Daddy's Angel. From Sara I got a silver chain to put the charm on.
"Two more," Shane said handing me a homemade colorful gift.
"Jeff," I said with a laugh. He nodded and I ripped the paper open carefully. There was a small gold box, one that jewelry would be put into. I took the top off and pulled out the tissue paper. Wrapped inside was a silver toe ring and anklet. The anklet had a bar on it that had Case and Jeff 7/2/02 FOREVER. "Awe, that's absolutely the sweetest thing! It's the day we met!"
"That is really sweet," Shane said seriously. He handed me a small box, wrapped in silver wrapping paper. I smiled at him and ripped it open. I took the top off the small box and pulled out a silver necklace with a charm on it that said Angel. I smiled and hugged him tightly.
"I love it. Thank you so much!" I said kissing his cheek. I handed him the necklace and turned my back towards him. He put the necklace over my head and clasped it. I turned back around and kissed him deeply.
"Happy birthday, Angel."
"Thank you, Sugar."
"Case, your sister is on the phone," Shane yelled to me. I walked out with a fluffy white towel wrapped around me. I took my cell phone from him.
"Hello?"
"Hi Case. It's Mel. Happy Birthday. I would have called you yesterday but I knew you'd be busy. I saw the match. Very good. Are you okay though?" she asked.
"Oh I'm fine. Minor cut. Nothing major. So, how's Luke?" I asked.
"Fine. Everything is great. How was your birthday?"
"Great. They surprised me with a party before the show. And I got tons of gifts. It was a lot of fun."
"I would have sent you something, but I don't know where to send it. And when did you start using Cameron, North Carolina as you town?" I laughed and shook my head.
"I'm living there. Permanently. I have my own room and everything."
"Who are you living with?"
"The Hardys. Gil, Matt, and Amy Dumas. Jeff lives down the road."
"I see. Well that's good. I'm glad you could find a good home. Give me your address so I can send you things. Like pictures and stuff like that."
"Yeah, okay. No problem."
"Mom lost her job."
"What?!"
"They went out of business, so as of yesterday, she's out of a job."
"Great. Just great. Is she getting another one?"
"I don't know. You know how she is. She won't wanna go anyplace else. She'll have to start over again."
"I did that. And look at my life now! Gees, I can't believe this. Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I didn't know how you would react and didn't think you'd really care."
"She's still my mother. Unfortunately. Damn."
"I gotta go. I just wanted to make sure you had a good birthday and stuff. I'll talk to you later."
"Thanks, Mel. Bye." I hung up and let out a loud sigh.
"What's wrong?" Shane asked.
"My mom lost her job. This is great."
"I'm sorry to hear that, Angel. Don't worry about it. I'm sure everything will be fine."
I stood up and grabbed a pair of athletic pants and a tank top. I changed and grabbed a $100 out of my wallet. I addressed an envelope and placed the money it to send to my parents. I grabbed my gear and went to the arena for RAW.
"Is it another run in nite?" Jeff asked.
"Looks that way. But that's cool, I don't mind!" I said with an evil smile. I picked up a chair and walked out the door.
"Why do I like her?!" Jeff exclaimed.
"Like who?" Rob asked walking out of the shower area.
"No one. Nevermind."
"Are you talking about Casey?" Rob asked. Jeff looked at him sadly. Rob walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Dude, don't worry. Everything will be alright. You've got Trish and she's got Shane. Everything is how it should be!"
"No man, I don't think it is. But I'll just have to live with that!" Jeff said standing. He grabbed a towel and walked into the showers.
I held a mic in my hand as I stood over Trish and the chair that I used as a weapon. "Trish, you better except my challenge for Survivor Series. Or else there will be more of these brutal run ins. I don't like doing this to you, but I'm here to make a point. A point that I deserve a belt. I want THIS belt!" I threw the mic down and walked up the ramp to my music.
"You had fun with that, didn't you?" Nora asked with a laugh.
"You bet I did. You know me too well!" I laughed.
"Casey, I forgot to give this to you. It's from Gil," Amy said handing me an envelope. I opened it and pulled out a note.
'Dear Case, Happy birthday! I wish I could be there to celebrate with you all. We'll do some celebrating when you all get home. I have a special gift for you when you get back. No, it's not a car! I know that's what you're thinking, but there is no way in hell I could afford one! Anyways, I'll be seeing you soon. Love you always, Dad.'
"Amy, he signed it Dad!!!" I cried. A tear fell down my check and Amy hugged me.
"That's because he considers you his daughter. He loves you so much. It's amazing. You not only have Mark for a father but you also have Gil!" she exclaimed.
"So, what's this surprise?!" I asked.
"Like I'd tell you!" she exclaimed as we walked down the hall together.