Disclaimer: I do not own any of the WWE superstars in this story. It is
purely a work of fiction, and the wrestlers used in the making of it own
themselves.
A/N: Okay here goes nothing with another chapter man. I can't seem to let this go at all. I've been writing since I stepped foot in the airport today, mostly in my notebook for my other story, so that I can keep going with it without stopping for a week like I've been doing with all of these other fictions, but I have the need to get this one out to all of you too. So sitting here in Pearson Airport, waiting to be taken out this town to San Antonio, here's the next installment. Might be shorter then what you are used too though, so bear with me. I'm kind of not in the right frame of mind.
*********************
I drove as fast as I could back to the school. I knew that Zach would probably be done, but I was kind of hoping that he wasn't and that I could get there in time to hear him telling the rest of the school what I had already realized. He really was an inspiration, and there was nothing I wanted more then to be there to hear him tell the rest of the school just that.
Jumping out of my car after slamming it into park in the student lot, I ran up the stairs to the school and swung open the door. I didn't see the limo that was there when I left, so I was hoping against hope that he was still waiting around for me to come back. I had to talk to him about what he had done for me with Jim Ross, and the job that came from it.
Running into the office, I saw my principal standing there with a frown on his face, talking to our school secretary Mrs. Gregory. I didn't like the look on his face and I was sure it was only going to get worse now that I had walked in on what they were discussing.
"Ms. Peterson, just the lady I wanted to see. Do you have a few moments free?"
"Sure sir, but before I talk with you, can you tell me if Zach Gowen has left for the day?"
"Yes, he left with the enormous group he arrived with about thirty minutes ago. This is what I need to talk to you about young lady."
I hated when I was called young lady. My mother had done that for years and it never seemed to get old for her, but for me, it made me feel infantile. Right now feeling like a baby was something I didn't want. I was bursting to tell someone about this job offer.
"You need to talk to me about Zach? Whatever for?"
"You did an interview with him, that turned out very well, but did you have any idea what his talking to the students would be like when you did it? Did you have any idea he wouldn't help us at all and give the students a mind of their own?"
"What are you talking about sir? I didn't know anything but what he told me. We really didn't get to know each other all that well. What did he do that was so wrong?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
"What does that mean?"
"It means we got the whole thing on tape and it's going to be on the news this evening. So I would suggest that you take the rest of the day off and go home. When the news comes on I want you to take notes on what he says, and then tomorrow morning, come back and fill me in on why you think it was such a good thing having him here."
"I can't do that sir. And for the record, and I mean no disrespect to you or the school, but you were the ones that chose him to come here and speak. If he did say anything wrong, which at this point I doubt, it's on your head, not mine. I just did what I was asked to do and that was getting the interview and put it into print."
"I would ask you not to speak to me like that. Do you know who I am?"
"You are my principal sir, and I respect that, but in all due respect, I wish you wouldn't speak to me like I was your daughter. I am already someone else's daughter, and they can have the pleasure of reprimanding me when it is necessary."
I looked up at him and he didn't say another word. It looked like what I had said to him and standing up for myself with him was having an affect of some kind on the way he looked at me now. I had to make sure he knew that I wouldn't be back in school the next day either. I had to be on the flight with Jim tonight and nothing was going to stop that from happening.
"What is this about you not being able to do what I asked of you tonight?"
"Well you should already know. I take it the WWE came to you about needing me as a writer on their payroll as of tomorrow morning, and I have since spoken to one of the top men in the business and have taken that job."
"I see. Well Hayley, I think you should leave now, and go home and pack. There is nothing else I have left to say to you at this point."
"Sir."
"Yes Hayley?"
"I have something I want to say to you before I go, May I?"
"Of course."
"I don't know what Zach said or did today because I wasn't here to hear it, but sir; you have to let your students have a mind of their own. You can't write in stone what every one of us is going to do with our lives. So I'm betting he told the school the same thing and you aren't happy to be hit with the truth. Just let us make our own mistakes. We're only human."
"Have a nice day Ms. Peterson."
********************
Zach paced around the hotel room. He knew that Hayley had to leave the school earlier in the day, and he hadn't seen her come back. He couldn't help feeling a little saddened by that because he was sure that she would have enjoyed his speech a great deal.
Looking over at the phone begging it with his eyes to ring with some news of where she was he didn't hear the knock on his door. Looking up from the phone he heard the knock again, louder this time, more distinct. He didn't know who would be coming here, and he knew from the knock that it wasn't Hayley. Taking his time to get to the door, he opened it and when he did, he was hit with a fist to the face, knocking him to the ground. Hitting his head on the floor, he looked up and saw the face of the person that hit him before fading off into the dark.
******************
"Can you please let Zach Gowen know that Hayley is here to see him please?"
"For sure Ma'am. Just one moment."
I watched as the clerk at the front desk called up to Zach's room, and after about five minutes of the constant ringing, the clerk put the phone down and looked over at me.
"He isn't answering his phone."
"Okay well then can I leave a message?"
"Would you like to take the extra key card and go wait up there for him?"
"Isn't that against procedure sir?"
"It is and yes I do risk getting fired for it. But you've been here everyday for the past week it seems, and you're always going to the same room and I've seen you with Mr. Gowen before. I have to admit though; I am a little worried as well."
"Why are you worried?"
"He walked in here earlier and went right to his room. I mean you can't miss a kid with one leg going up, and I haven't gone on my dinner break yet and I've been here the whole time, and he hasn't come down at all. Truthfully he might just be asleep, but it doesn't seem right."
"You know what, I will take that card, and when I get there and he's alright I will come back down and give it back to you."
Taking the key card from the clerk with a smile and a quick wave, I made my way to the elevator. Zach always called down and told the desk when he was going to be sleeping or out of the room, so that if I did come by he never missed me, and now with there being no answer there, I was getting to be as worried as the clerk at the desk. I just hoped he was right and Zach was too tired from talking to my school to call down and let them know.
Stepping off the elevator, and turning to walk down the hall to his room, I saw a stream of light floating out of a room. Walking closer to the light I noticed that it belonged to the one room I was heading too.
Looking down once I reached the doorway I saw Zach, lying with his back crumpled together on the floor, and not a person in site. I didn't know what happened but I was pretty sure of where to look for the place to start.
*******************
A/N: Okay here goes nothing with another chapter man. I can't seem to let this go at all. I've been writing since I stepped foot in the airport today, mostly in my notebook for my other story, so that I can keep going with it without stopping for a week like I've been doing with all of these other fictions, but I have the need to get this one out to all of you too. So sitting here in Pearson Airport, waiting to be taken out this town to San Antonio, here's the next installment. Might be shorter then what you are used too though, so bear with me. I'm kind of not in the right frame of mind.
*********************
I drove as fast as I could back to the school. I knew that Zach would probably be done, but I was kind of hoping that he wasn't and that I could get there in time to hear him telling the rest of the school what I had already realized. He really was an inspiration, and there was nothing I wanted more then to be there to hear him tell the rest of the school just that.
Jumping out of my car after slamming it into park in the student lot, I ran up the stairs to the school and swung open the door. I didn't see the limo that was there when I left, so I was hoping against hope that he was still waiting around for me to come back. I had to talk to him about what he had done for me with Jim Ross, and the job that came from it.
Running into the office, I saw my principal standing there with a frown on his face, talking to our school secretary Mrs. Gregory. I didn't like the look on his face and I was sure it was only going to get worse now that I had walked in on what they were discussing.
"Ms. Peterson, just the lady I wanted to see. Do you have a few moments free?"
"Sure sir, but before I talk with you, can you tell me if Zach Gowen has left for the day?"
"Yes, he left with the enormous group he arrived with about thirty minutes ago. This is what I need to talk to you about young lady."
I hated when I was called young lady. My mother had done that for years and it never seemed to get old for her, but for me, it made me feel infantile. Right now feeling like a baby was something I didn't want. I was bursting to tell someone about this job offer.
"You need to talk to me about Zach? Whatever for?"
"You did an interview with him, that turned out very well, but did you have any idea what his talking to the students would be like when you did it? Did you have any idea he wouldn't help us at all and give the students a mind of their own?"
"What are you talking about sir? I didn't know anything but what he told me. We really didn't get to know each other all that well. What did he do that was so wrong?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
"What does that mean?"
"It means we got the whole thing on tape and it's going to be on the news this evening. So I would suggest that you take the rest of the day off and go home. When the news comes on I want you to take notes on what he says, and then tomorrow morning, come back and fill me in on why you think it was such a good thing having him here."
"I can't do that sir. And for the record, and I mean no disrespect to you or the school, but you were the ones that chose him to come here and speak. If he did say anything wrong, which at this point I doubt, it's on your head, not mine. I just did what I was asked to do and that was getting the interview and put it into print."
"I would ask you not to speak to me like that. Do you know who I am?"
"You are my principal sir, and I respect that, but in all due respect, I wish you wouldn't speak to me like I was your daughter. I am already someone else's daughter, and they can have the pleasure of reprimanding me when it is necessary."
I looked up at him and he didn't say another word. It looked like what I had said to him and standing up for myself with him was having an affect of some kind on the way he looked at me now. I had to make sure he knew that I wouldn't be back in school the next day either. I had to be on the flight with Jim tonight and nothing was going to stop that from happening.
"What is this about you not being able to do what I asked of you tonight?"
"Well you should already know. I take it the WWE came to you about needing me as a writer on their payroll as of tomorrow morning, and I have since spoken to one of the top men in the business and have taken that job."
"I see. Well Hayley, I think you should leave now, and go home and pack. There is nothing else I have left to say to you at this point."
"Sir."
"Yes Hayley?"
"I have something I want to say to you before I go, May I?"
"Of course."
"I don't know what Zach said or did today because I wasn't here to hear it, but sir; you have to let your students have a mind of their own. You can't write in stone what every one of us is going to do with our lives. So I'm betting he told the school the same thing and you aren't happy to be hit with the truth. Just let us make our own mistakes. We're only human."
"Have a nice day Ms. Peterson."
********************
Zach paced around the hotel room. He knew that Hayley had to leave the school earlier in the day, and he hadn't seen her come back. He couldn't help feeling a little saddened by that because he was sure that she would have enjoyed his speech a great deal.
Looking over at the phone begging it with his eyes to ring with some news of where she was he didn't hear the knock on his door. Looking up from the phone he heard the knock again, louder this time, more distinct. He didn't know who would be coming here, and he knew from the knock that it wasn't Hayley. Taking his time to get to the door, he opened it and when he did, he was hit with a fist to the face, knocking him to the ground. Hitting his head on the floor, he looked up and saw the face of the person that hit him before fading off into the dark.
******************
"Can you please let Zach Gowen know that Hayley is here to see him please?"
"For sure Ma'am. Just one moment."
I watched as the clerk at the front desk called up to Zach's room, and after about five minutes of the constant ringing, the clerk put the phone down and looked over at me.
"He isn't answering his phone."
"Okay well then can I leave a message?"
"Would you like to take the extra key card and go wait up there for him?"
"Isn't that against procedure sir?"
"It is and yes I do risk getting fired for it. But you've been here everyday for the past week it seems, and you're always going to the same room and I've seen you with Mr. Gowen before. I have to admit though; I am a little worried as well."
"Why are you worried?"
"He walked in here earlier and went right to his room. I mean you can't miss a kid with one leg going up, and I haven't gone on my dinner break yet and I've been here the whole time, and he hasn't come down at all. Truthfully he might just be asleep, but it doesn't seem right."
"You know what, I will take that card, and when I get there and he's alright I will come back down and give it back to you."
Taking the key card from the clerk with a smile and a quick wave, I made my way to the elevator. Zach always called down and told the desk when he was going to be sleeping or out of the room, so that if I did come by he never missed me, and now with there being no answer there, I was getting to be as worried as the clerk at the desk. I just hoped he was right and Zach was too tired from talking to my school to call down and let them know.
Stepping off the elevator, and turning to walk down the hall to his room, I saw a stream of light floating out of a room. Walking closer to the light I noticed that it belonged to the one room I was heading too.
Looking down once I reached the doorway I saw Zach, lying with his back crumpled together on the floor, and not a person in site. I didn't know what happened but I was pretty sure of where to look for the place to start.
*******************