For some reason I didn't tell Amber about my quarrel with Mark until later that night. Actually if it hadn't been hanging on my mind I might've actually had fun.
After Raw we were on our way back to the hotel when we decided to get some pizza. And upon seeing us, Raven and Saphrin pulled in behind us. The four of us went in together and had pizza together. There was next to no one in there, and the only people that were there were a few teenagers that happened to be at the show. They came over to our table and ate with us, a bit star struck. But they were nice.
For a few hours we were in there, the staff not necessarily caring or even bothering to ask us to leave. Jake liked them. There was this one guy…he introduced himself as Glenn. He was 6'5 and seventeen years old. He was telling me how he'd been watching wrestling forever and how he wanted to be a wrestler himself. I told him to get in touch with me when he felt he was ready for it. He told me how Mark was always his favorite when he was little. And I laughed and pretended that nothing was wrong. And one of the girls, Becky, she was in awe of Amber, saying how Amber was her hero. She was cute too. I always think fans are cute though…they act like we're gods or something. Her hair was pink and blue, and a bit purple in places. They were all so happy.
And they left before we did, ecstatic with their autographs and the pictures. One of the girls called herself Kitten. All she wanted to do was hold Jake. She was really cute and I thought she was funny. She was quiet though while we were there and looked that she was hiding something sad. And so I bought her a soda and gave her a hug and she seemed a lot happier. I gave them our addresses to write under the conditions that they didn't give it to their friends and didn't stalk us. And then Raven and Saphrin came back with us to the hotel and came up to our room where we all hung out for an hour or two. She couldn't get enough of Jake. And Raven... well he was still a bit on edge but wasn't freaking out. He refused to touch Jake, though.
"Birds hate me..." he kept saying.
I liked Raven. He was cool. And I liked Saphrin. They were both cool. And we flew together to Toronto the next day.
But after they had left, after Jake had gone to sleep and Claudette was sleeping, Amber and I lay there as well, in the dark, and I spoke to her. My stomach had been twisting every time I thought back to that night. When I thought about Mark. I even felt my eyes tearing again. And though I'd been emotional lately it had been over happy things…but this was a fear. I couldn't bear the thought or remembrance of what it had been like then. When we fought. When he would say cruel things to me and I just pretended that I couldn't hear him when my brother was all I even thought about. I was so totally afraid of that happening again. I had one of the strongest bonds with Mark ever then…over a year it had lasted. I didn't want it to end.
"Right before I came to see you at the cafeteria... I... uhh... I got in a fight with Mark..."
In half a second she had sat up and turned the light on, looking down at me with a look of shock on her face. I was feeling sad and she could tell, and hugged me. "Oh Kane... what happened?" she sounded sad too.
"He was bitchin' at me about me trying to get him fired or something."
"Are you kidding?"
"No. And he fukkin punched me in the face and shoved me and then stormed away."
"Why would he think that?"
"Paul told him..."
She groaned. "What a fat fucking bastard."
"Yeah I know..."
She sighed. "Why does Mark believe him?"
"I don't know... Paul's always been able to do that to him. Since we were kids. He like brainwashes him or something."
"Eh..." she gave me a kiss and turned off the light. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure he'll get over it."
"I hope he will..."