*Author's Note: To look at my disclaimer and all of that, go to the first chapter.*

On to the story!

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*Chapter Nine – Getting Ready…*

(Various people start getting ready to head over to the Rock's house.)

"Man, I really don't know about this party…" Hurricane told his roommate, Raven. I've never really felt the need to go to one, he thought as he tried to finish some last minute homework. Raven scowled. He was getting kind of ticked at how much of a dork Hurricane really was. But then again, I'm an outsider too, just like he is, Raven thought. It's my junior year, though. I might as well make an effort to fit in.

"I really don't feel like going, either, but Billy is begging us to go." Raven told his roommate.

"Damn right!" Billy Kidman yelled from the mirror. "I'll be damned if I go there alone, with no one I know!" Hurricane chuckled to himself. I'll be surprised if he ends up with anyone by the end of the night, he thought as he watched Billy comb his hair. Maybe I'll get lucky?

Raven looked at his watch. "It's almost 6:30 now, Shane."

Hurricane shrugged. "Yeah, and?"

"That means that the party starts in a half hour or so!" Billy screeched. Raven sighed. If there was one thing that he couldn't stand, it was being late to any of the Rock's parties. He liked to stake his portion of the house early, so no one could bug him. Ah, just me, a corner, and a bottle of vodka, watching all the chaos and madness unfold right in front of me. Hell yeah, Raven thought to himself as he laughed at Billy. Billy sighed. Man, all I want to do is look good, he thought as he twirled his long dark hair around his finger. But then again, Hurricane and Raven are freaks in their own right. I'm out to prove that I'm not one of them.

Just then, someone knocked at the door, knocking Billy out of his thoughts in the process. "Who in the hell could that be?" he almost screamed. "My hair isn't even fixed yet!" Raven rolled his eyes as he saw Billy put a lot of hair gel into his hair. Billy is too obsessed with his looks, he thought. I should've gotten a better roommate, but then again, he is a freshman, so he doesn't know any better.

"Come in!" Hurricane yelled, and then winced when he saw who was at the door – none other than Chris Benoit, one of the meanest people on campus. Sure, he was no Undertaker, but he was up there. Shit, Hurricane thought as he tried to concentrate on his algebra, I wonder what he wants with me now? Hurricane and Chris Benoit had problems with each other for a year or so, and every time they clashed, things just got worse – in fact, they just tried their best to avoid each other. Raven blinked. Wow, I haven't talked to Benoit since last year, he thought. I wonder what he's doing here at South Hall since he's a big senior now?

Benoit looked at Raven and smirked. "Hey, Scott."

Raven nodded. Chris Benoit was one of the only people that called him by his real name. "Hey, what are you doing here?"

Benoit shrugged. "The apartments were too crowded, so they put me here. Damn campus overcrowding. I think I'm the only senior in this place, besides D-Von Dudley and William Regal." He rolled his eyes. And even that's not saying much, he thought to himself.

Raven nodded. "Yeah, Regal is a prick."

"Tell me about it. But yeah, I'm living down the hall with a few idiots. They're both freshmeat, too. Chris Nowinski and Mark Henry." Benoit continued. And Nowinski and Regal are getting a little too close for me, he thought. What he meant was, the two got along the minute they met.

Raven coughed. "I don't know them two at all."

Billy, who was still concentrating on his reflection in the mirror, said loudly, "Mark's a huge motherfucker!! I wouldn't wanna mess with him!"

Benoit shrugged. "He's alright, I guess. He hasn't tried to beat my ass in yet." But still, I could beat his ass in any day, Benoit thought to himself.

Billy nodded. "Mark's in my history class. I'm on his good side, I hope."

Benoit nodded. "He hasn't said anything about you…yet." Hurricane was on his bed, still trying to finish his algebra problems. Sure, he thought he was a superhero, but he was just not good at algebra. It was his second time taking the damn class and he just wanted to get it over with.  "Do you all need a ride to the Rock's too?" Benoit asked Raven, who was leaning against the closet. "It's gonna be crowded, though, as I have to take the youngins with me."

Raven shrugged. "If you don't mind, but if you don't want to, I have my own car."

Benoit nodded. "Okay, then. I guess I'll just uh, hang out here 'til you are all ready." He looked in the room and his eyes went wide. What? Raven's rooming with the Hurridork? Man, I thought he knew better, he thought as he sneered at Hurricane. "Hurridork!" Benoit mouthed.

Hurricane rolled his eyes. "Ben-WAAAAAAHH!" he muttered back. What an asshole, Hurricane thought as he erased his answer to his one problem. Billy, who was still messing with his hair, was too busy to notice the tension growing between Benoit and Hurricane. Raven saw the angry look on Hurricane's face and realized that Benoit was his enemy. Shit, I never thought…well, I'll ask him later, he thought.

Raven, trying to keep the peace, told Benoit, "You know what, Chris? How about I take my own car there, since it'll be too packed anyway? I'll uh, see you there, though."

Benoit backed off, with his hands in the air, and said, "Yeah, you're right. I might have to end up taking the rest of the 3rd floor with me. See ya there." And with that, Benoit left, thinking, I'm not done with the Hurridork just yet. It's time that we finish what we started a year ago.

On the other side of South Hall, in the girls' section, Lita was trying to get herself psyched up to go to the party. Trish and Jackie, her roommates, were insistent on dragging her along, so she had no choice but to go with them. They already have men to go after, she thought. I'm sure that Matt guy has forgotten about me by now. Lita was at her desk, watching Jackie and Trish get ready. Jackie, who was in her dark blue robe, was pacing around the room deciding what to wear. Trish was at the mirror, putting on her makeup. Linkin Park's "Crawling" was blasting from the computer speakers, and Lita leaned back on her chair and sighed loudly. Jackie looked at her roommate and shook her head. Man, she better get happy soon or else, she thought as she picked up a long black skirt and a dark red sparkly shirt from her closet.

"Aw, Lita, don't be sad. We're actually getting off of campus for once! And we get to see a lot of hot guys!" Jackie giggled.

Lita shrugged. "Yeah." Yeah, but still, I really am not in the partying mood, Lita thought as she fixed her black leather boots. Man, these are gonna be a bitch to walk around in! I'm definitely not used to these. Trish had insisted on her wearing them with her outfit: a lime green tank top, black fishnet shirt, red plaid pants, and the black leather boots. Maybe I went a little too extreme, Lita thought as she looked at her outfit. But then again, I live for the extreme.

Trish, who was applying her mascara carefully, told Lita, "Cheer up, hun. You've just gotten through the first week of school. Besides…" – she put her mascara back in her makeup bag – "Matt's gonna be there." Lita coughed. Geez, just because I think he's hot doesn't mean I have a thing for him, she thought. It takes way more than looks to get me.

"Why do you think I have a thing for him, Trish?" Lita questioned.

Trish blinked. "I thought you did. I mean, hell, you could tell you two had something by the way you looked at him the other day…"

Lita blinked, and said bluntly, "Just because I think Matt Hardy is hot does not mean I have a thing for him.  There is a huge difference."

Jackie, who had decided on wearing black pants with the dark red sparkly shirt instead of the black skirt, added, "She has a point there, Trish."

Trish, who was fixing her silver tank top and long denim skirt, muttered, "Well, I just want my friends to be happy, ya know? Get the year off to a good start." She smiled a little.

Jackie nodded. "The only way I'll be happy is if I get my way with the Rock." Lita almost choked. Whoa, that's aiming a little too high, she thought. It's not gonna happen! The Rock is way too popular!

 Trish smiled at Jackie and muttered, "Well, you can always try." Jackie pouted. Why is it that everyone thinks that I can't get with the Rock?, she thought. We were flirting hardcore the other day!  "Jackie, I hate to say this, but the Rock only cares about getting some." Trish told her roommate. Damn, I knew that had to have hurt, she thought. But she needed to know, right?

Jackie sighed. "I'm totally willing to give it to him, though!" Lita coughed. What the hell? My roommate is a slut?? This cannot be happening, she thought.

Trish sat on her bed and said, "But Jackie, don't you care about your rep? I mean, hell, you're only a freshman. The reputation you get will follow you the whole time you're here. I'd really think about what you're getting into." There was silence for a minute as Trish fixed her own black leather boots. Jackie pouted and put her hands on her hips. Oh here we go, now they're all gonna be trying to tell me what the hell to do since I'm the baby. I won't stand for it, she thought as she pulled her long blonde hair back into a ponytail.

"Listen, I appreciate the advice and all, but it's my life, ya know. I'm 18 now, so…no one needs to be telling me what to do, okay?" Jackie snapped. Trish sighed. Shit, I try to be a friend and give good advice and where does it get me? Nowhere, she thought. Lita shrugged. And if you end up getting a bad rep, it's not my fault, either, she thought as she got up from her chair.

"In addition to partying, I really don't feel like fighting, either." Trish glared at Lita as she dangled her car keys. "Come on, children, let's go." And as soon as I get to the house, I'm getting as far away from these two as I can, Trish thought.

Meanwhile, at the East Hall Apartments across campus, Shawn Michaels was at the kitchen table, wondering why the hell Triple H, his best friend, was even dragging him to the Rock's party. I can't believe he's making me go, he thought as he shoved a chocolate chip cookie in his mouth. I'm not in the mood, plus the fact that I'm stressed out as all hell. I mean, I just got through the first week of my senior year of college. Holy hell.

Triple H looked up from the computer and sensed that his best friend wasn't in the greatest of moods. He was checking his email. "Aw, Shawn, come on. Rocky's party is gonna cheer you up, I'm sure." He grinned evilly. "Hey, I can even get Stacy to hit on you to make you feel better."

Shawn scowled at Triple H as he grabbed another chocolate chip cookie. Damnit, Hunter, leave Stacy alone, he thought. I thought you figured out that she was mine by now?? "No, that's alright." Triple H shrugged. It's alright?? I'm gonna get you and Nidia together soon enough, he thought. Stacy's mine, damnit.

 "Okay, then." He went back to his email.

Just then, Edge peeked in from the bathroom and whispered, "Hey uh, Hunter, do you have any hair spray?"

Triple H stared blankly at his roommate and laughed hysterically. "Why would you think that I, of all people, would have that?!"

Shawn, who was finishing his cookie, added, "Yeah, Hunter would definitely not have that. I'd ask Jeff instead."

Edge shrugged. "Yeah, I might as well." He knocked on Jeff's door. He had been locked in there since after dinner time. There was silence. Edge growled. "Damnit Jeffness, answer the door!" Still, there was silence. Edge looked at Shawn pleadingly. Shit, what the hell is up with that boy now?, he thought as he got up from the table.

When Shawn got to Jeff's door, he muttered, "What, he's in one of his moods again?"

Edge nodded. "Yeah, he was like this a few days ago. I don't know what's up with Jeffness lately."

Shawn banged on the door. "Jeffrey, you get out of that room right now or you're going to have Hunter and I beat your scrawny little ass in!"

Uh, I don't want that to happen, Jeff thought as he slowly opened the door and sniffed. I hate to have them see me like this, though.

Edge saw that his friend was kind of ticked off about something, and said softly, "You wanna talk about it?"

Jeff sniffed. "It's nothing, really."

Edge thought, Oh man, I think I know what it could be about. "Hey, is it about the other day?"

Jeff shook his head, and ran his hand through his dark red and bright yellow streaked hair. "Nah."

Shawn, who was leaning against the hard white wall, muttered, "You okay, kid?"

Jeff shrugged. "I guess. It's just something I wrote…that drove me to tears." Shawn smiled faintly. You gotta love the gift of emotion, he thought. And this Jeff kid definitely has it.

Triple H, who was still at the computer, yelled back, "What the hell is up with everyone and their bad moods today? I mean, hell, we're all going to a party pretty soon! We should all be happy about it!" Jeff's frown turned into a huge grin. He's right, he thought.

"Ya know, Hunter is right. You and me, kid, we gotta put away our moodiness aside for a night and just party. Let's get back to reality tomorrow." Shawn explained, putting his arm around Jeff, and then looked at Edge. "That goes for you, too."

Edge nodded. "Yes, dad." he giggled.

Shawn smirked. "Dad. Don't ever call me that again." But then again, it was clear that in this apartment, Shawn Michaels was the father figure.

Triple H finally logged off the computer and said, "Hey, Shawn, you ready to go?"

Shawn rolled his eyes at his best friend and muttered, "Yes, Hunter dearest. Let me guess, you want shotgun?"

Triple H grinned cheesily as Shawn grabbed his car keys. "But of course!" Edge and Jeff bounced out the door behind them.

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End of Chapter Nine…