~Chapter 5~
Joanie had to admit, she was a little scared when she arrived at the arena the next morning. Despite the fact that Paul was with her, she was still scared. Besides, its not like Paul was much help anyway. He still refused to speak to her, and hadn't said a word to her since she slapped him across the face. Joanie regretted doing that, but she was so appalled by what he had said to her that she just reacted. She wanted to apologize, but figured that it was just useless; Paul would probably just ignore her anyway. She didn't know what it would take it fix this, but she hoped that sooner or later Paul would realize how stupid this fight really was and this whole thing would end. But that didn't appear to be happening anytime soon.
When the estranged couple arrived at the arena, Paul went his separate way and Joanie went in the other direction. She was happy to be rid of him, for now, at least. When she entered her locker room, she was surprised to find how nervous she was. After all, maybe that message wasn't meant for her.or maybe it was. When she opened the door, however, it seemed to be yesterday all over again. The same message was written on her mirror again, and was written so meticulously that it looked identical to yesterday's message. Joanie was so confused and startled by the message repeating itself that the next thing she knew the lights when out. She felt something flying at her, and ducked just in time.
Suddenly, the lights went back on again. Joanie then found out that she hadn't escaped the incident unscathed. Her arm was deeply gouged and was bleeding badly. She found a bloody knife next to her on the floor. She wasn't sure what had just happened; after all, there weren't any windows in the room and only one door. Whoever had just attacked her had been quick. She couldn't help but wonder if perhaps it was the stalker that had kidnapped Dwayne and Terri that was after her. But he would have just gotten her too; he wouldn't be playing around like this. A sharp bolt of pain shot through her arm all of a sudden, bringing her out of her thoughts. She quickly left the room and searched for a sink to wash the blood off her arm.
While she was searching for a sink, dripping blood down the hallway, she ran into Sean yet again. "Joanie, what happened to your arm?" He asked, his eyes widening as he saw the injury. "Actually, I'm not quite sure." "C'mon, we gotta try to get that cleaned up." He said quickly, leading her to the nearest bathroom. "Sean, this is the men's room." Joanie said, once they arrived to the bathroom. "Oh, well. Don't look at anybody and you'll be fine." "Hi, Mike." Joanie said, seeing on of her close friends, Mike Hickenbottom. "Hi, Joanie. What are you doing in the men's room?" "I had a little accident." Joanie said pointing to the large gouge with her good arm. "Oh, how'd that happen?" "Long story."
Soon, Joanie's arm was bandaged up and actually feeling a little bit better. She was so grateful to Sean, who seemed to be doing nothing but helping her as of late. She kind of felt bad, like she owed him something, but it had been nothing but ironic that they had kept meeting whenever she was having problems. Her problems did seem to be multiplying, however. "Thanks, again, Sean." "Hey, its no problem. What do you think, I was just gonna walk away and let you bleed?" "No, but." Joanie's words were cut off because suddenly, Paul emerged on the scene, looking worried. "Oh.hi Paul.what are you doing here?" "I was looking all over for you! What happened?" "Well, its gonna seem crazy, but.well the 'I hate you' message was on my mirror again and then suddenly, the lights went off. And when they came back on, I had this." She said, showing him the injury. "Why didn't you look for me?!" "Because you said you weren't talking to me." "So you go to Sean for help?" He said, as he yelled at Sean until he got him to leave. "Hey, he was the first person who I found. I would have looked for you, but we're not getting along." "Yeah, so?" "Never mind." "You should have talked to me! This is a serious injury! You could have busted a vein or something! And then what?!" "Paul, calm down." Vince said, coming toward both of them. Sean had talked to Vince and he had called the cops. "Look, Joanie, Paul's right. The injury was serious. And so far, we don't have a clue who could've been behind this. It could have been the stalker.but I don't know." "Its okay, Vince. Just take your time with finding out who it is. There's no rush." "You know, Vince, I think Joanie deserves the night off." Paul said. "I agree. Joanie, you just go back to the hotel and relax for the rest of the night." "Nah, I think I'll just stay here." "Okay. Fine. Bye, you two. Try to get along." Vince said, walking off. "That is so embarrassing." "What?" "Our own boss, giving us relationship advice." "It wasn't advice, and who cares, Joanie?" Paul seemed surprised as, all of a sudden, Joanie walked off, fed up with him and his attitude.
Things continued like that for the rest of the night. The car ride back to the hotel was long and quiet. Paul didn't turn on the radio; he just drove in silence. Never once did he ask her how her arm was doing. Joanie had kind of hoped that he would, but didn't expect it. And that night at the hotel, Paul seemed to disappear out of sight, and Joanie didn't bother looking for him. She saw Sean again in the hallway, and felt that she had to apologize for Paul's thoughtless actions earlier. "Hey, its okay. Paul seems to have a really bad attitude lately." "That's 'cause he thinks if he acts mean enough to me, he'll force me to apologize. Which isn't gonna happen." "Oh.so how's your arm?" "Good, thanks for asking. I'm glad at least somebody cares." "What, Paul didn't ask you?" "Nope." "Wow, that's surprising, especially since he seemed so concerned about you earlier." "He was pretending to be concerned. He doesn't want everyone to know we're fighting." "Like I don't already know." "I know. It's pointless."
Paul was nervous as he stood outside the door, and was surprised that his heart was pounding. Very slowly, he knocked on the door, only to get a response after the first knock. And there she was; and somehow, Paul knew exactly what he had to do. "Hey, Paul." "Hey, Stephanie. Listen, remember how a while ago you said that if I ever changed my mind about us, that I should tell you?" "Yeah." "Well.I changed my mind."
Joanie had to admit, she was a little scared when she arrived at the arena the next morning. Despite the fact that Paul was with her, she was still scared. Besides, its not like Paul was much help anyway. He still refused to speak to her, and hadn't said a word to her since she slapped him across the face. Joanie regretted doing that, but she was so appalled by what he had said to her that she just reacted. She wanted to apologize, but figured that it was just useless; Paul would probably just ignore her anyway. She didn't know what it would take it fix this, but she hoped that sooner or later Paul would realize how stupid this fight really was and this whole thing would end. But that didn't appear to be happening anytime soon.
When the estranged couple arrived at the arena, Paul went his separate way and Joanie went in the other direction. She was happy to be rid of him, for now, at least. When she entered her locker room, she was surprised to find how nervous she was. After all, maybe that message wasn't meant for her.or maybe it was. When she opened the door, however, it seemed to be yesterday all over again. The same message was written on her mirror again, and was written so meticulously that it looked identical to yesterday's message. Joanie was so confused and startled by the message repeating itself that the next thing she knew the lights when out. She felt something flying at her, and ducked just in time.
Suddenly, the lights went back on again. Joanie then found out that she hadn't escaped the incident unscathed. Her arm was deeply gouged and was bleeding badly. She found a bloody knife next to her on the floor. She wasn't sure what had just happened; after all, there weren't any windows in the room and only one door. Whoever had just attacked her had been quick. She couldn't help but wonder if perhaps it was the stalker that had kidnapped Dwayne and Terri that was after her. But he would have just gotten her too; he wouldn't be playing around like this. A sharp bolt of pain shot through her arm all of a sudden, bringing her out of her thoughts. She quickly left the room and searched for a sink to wash the blood off her arm.
While she was searching for a sink, dripping blood down the hallway, she ran into Sean yet again. "Joanie, what happened to your arm?" He asked, his eyes widening as he saw the injury. "Actually, I'm not quite sure." "C'mon, we gotta try to get that cleaned up." He said quickly, leading her to the nearest bathroom. "Sean, this is the men's room." Joanie said, once they arrived to the bathroom. "Oh, well. Don't look at anybody and you'll be fine." "Hi, Mike." Joanie said, seeing on of her close friends, Mike Hickenbottom. "Hi, Joanie. What are you doing in the men's room?" "I had a little accident." Joanie said pointing to the large gouge with her good arm. "Oh, how'd that happen?" "Long story."
Soon, Joanie's arm was bandaged up and actually feeling a little bit better. She was so grateful to Sean, who seemed to be doing nothing but helping her as of late. She kind of felt bad, like she owed him something, but it had been nothing but ironic that they had kept meeting whenever she was having problems. Her problems did seem to be multiplying, however. "Thanks, again, Sean." "Hey, its no problem. What do you think, I was just gonna walk away and let you bleed?" "No, but." Joanie's words were cut off because suddenly, Paul emerged on the scene, looking worried. "Oh.hi Paul.what are you doing here?" "I was looking all over for you! What happened?" "Well, its gonna seem crazy, but.well the 'I hate you' message was on my mirror again and then suddenly, the lights went off. And when they came back on, I had this." She said, showing him the injury. "Why didn't you look for me?!" "Because you said you weren't talking to me." "So you go to Sean for help?" He said, as he yelled at Sean until he got him to leave. "Hey, he was the first person who I found. I would have looked for you, but we're not getting along." "Yeah, so?" "Never mind." "You should have talked to me! This is a serious injury! You could have busted a vein or something! And then what?!" "Paul, calm down." Vince said, coming toward both of them. Sean had talked to Vince and he had called the cops. "Look, Joanie, Paul's right. The injury was serious. And so far, we don't have a clue who could've been behind this. It could have been the stalker.but I don't know." "Its okay, Vince. Just take your time with finding out who it is. There's no rush." "You know, Vince, I think Joanie deserves the night off." Paul said. "I agree. Joanie, you just go back to the hotel and relax for the rest of the night." "Nah, I think I'll just stay here." "Okay. Fine. Bye, you two. Try to get along." Vince said, walking off. "That is so embarrassing." "What?" "Our own boss, giving us relationship advice." "It wasn't advice, and who cares, Joanie?" Paul seemed surprised as, all of a sudden, Joanie walked off, fed up with him and his attitude.
Things continued like that for the rest of the night. The car ride back to the hotel was long and quiet. Paul didn't turn on the radio; he just drove in silence. Never once did he ask her how her arm was doing. Joanie had kind of hoped that he would, but didn't expect it. And that night at the hotel, Paul seemed to disappear out of sight, and Joanie didn't bother looking for him. She saw Sean again in the hallway, and felt that she had to apologize for Paul's thoughtless actions earlier. "Hey, its okay. Paul seems to have a really bad attitude lately." "That's 'cause he thinks if he acts mean enough to me, he'll force me to apologize. Which isn't gonna happen." "Oh.so how's your arm?" "Good, thanks for asking. I'm glad at least somebody cares." "What, Paul didn't ask you?" "Nope." "Wow, that's surprising, especially since he seemed so concerned about you earlier." "He was pretending to be concerned. He doesn't want everyone to know we're fighting." "Like I don't already know." "I know. It's pointless."
Paul was nervous as he stood outside the door, and was surprised that his heart was pounding. Very slowly, he knocked on the door, only to get a response after the first knock. And there she was; and somehow, Paul knew exactly what he had to do. "Hey, Paul." "Hey, Stephanie. Listen, remember how a while ago you said that if I ever changed my mind about us, that I should tell you?" "Yeah." "Well.I changed my mind."