Yeah, it's one of those manic days when I write, like, three chapters in a row. I can't help it; the story's all built up inside. I need outlet.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spike rushed up to them when they returned back to the arena. "Where were you guys? We were all really worried."
"Car trouble," Lita snickered and soon they had both collapsed in a heap of giggles.
"Do I want to know?"
Unable to stop laughing, Lita pointed out towards the parking lot. Spike looked out the door. "What happened to Evolution's limo?"
Lita raised her hand, still giggling. Tommy looked at her with a hint of concern. "Lita...what did you do?"
"You should see that thing over speedbumps! Tommy, you'd love it."
He glanced at his tag team partner. "We're in trouble, aren't we?"
Raven nodded. "It's appearing as such."
Beulah smiled at Lita bemusedly. "This sort of thing happen often?"
"No, but they gave us a good excuse. Here," she tossed the keys to Francine. "I think there's still a little gas in it if y'all wanna go try it out."
Francine dangled the keys from one finger. "Please don't tell me I'm holding my life in my hands."
"Naw..." Lita assured her. "It's gonna take a while for them to walk back from that parking deck. So tonight, ECW are the ones who are styling and profiling."
"Since it's us, I guess it's kind of appropriate that we've already cracked in the windshield, busted a taillight, and had to change one of the tires," Kane commented. Lita started laughing again, so hard that she snorted.
"But we'll return it to them with a full tank of gas," Lita managed between maniacal fits of laughter.
"As much fun as I'm having being painfully confused, do you two want to come back to the lockerroom so you can explain this?" Stevie asked.
"Okay," Lita nodded, still laughing.
Bit by hysterical bit, the story came out. Soon even D-von was chuckling. "Okay, so you're forgiven for scaring us senseless when you came back acting insane," Spike assured her. "So what's up for tonight? What's going on?"
"Well..." Lita looked at all of them, thinking about them one by one. Tommy, who couldn't resist an opportunity to make someone laugh but who could still hold his own against any opponent (excluding Francine). Raven, who tried so hard to come off cold and uncaring but who'd been so gentle when she'd needed him and who now sat so protectively close to Beulah, looking at her with complete adoration.
Lance, who tried to be serious but had finally lightened up and become a complete goofball, especially now that Dawn Marie was back. Justin, who always picked on his best friend but was in reality a hopeless romantic himself. Stevie, who, for a wrestler, avoided confrontation at all costs.
Bubba, who sometimes took things too seriously but who cared deeply for his brothers. D-von, who was never oversensitive about anything and could always be relied on to be rational when everything around him fell apart. Spike, who was sweet as an angel and tough and tenacious as a rat terrier all at once, and who was always sure that things were gonna work out okay.
Rey, who was always so quiet but who always seemed to understand exactly what was going on with an almost sage-like wisdom. She swore he could read her mind, was doing so right now, in fact: he could see her decision in her very eyes, before she even knew what her choice would be.
And Kane. Her precious, beloved Kane. He was still a mystery sometimes, with the neckbreaking speed at which his mood could change, but he was still so reliable in a sense. He had been there for her unquestioningly, never concerned about the danger to himself. And yet he still didn't understand it when she acted that same way for him. Given the chance, he could love everyone...except himself. She knew that she would miss him deeply, that she would ache for him in some way that not even she could understand. But in a sense, it only made her decision easier.
"Well...tonight's pretty much like any other night. La Resistance is challenging for the tag titles, so Tommy and Raven, be ready. Beulah and Francine, I'm gonna work it so that you two will hopefully be allowed at ringside. Nathan Jones and Brock Lesnar never officially left Smackdown, so it's highly unlikely that they'll be here tonight. I'm hoping, anyway, that last night was a one-shot contract deal between them and Evolution. Either way, Evolution won't be here tonight unless they come in late, for obvious reasons. Oh, and Dawn Marie, Bischoff put you in a lingerie match against Terri Runnels. Sorry, I couldn't get him to change it, but it's not like it'll take long for you to beat her, anyway."
"Though, you know, if you won't to take your time in ending the match, go ahead," Lance reassured her, and got a playful slap as a result.
"?Tienes un juego esta noche, querida?" Rey questioned, his eyes directly at hers.
"No, Rey," she answered a little unsteadily. "I don't have a match for tonight. I'll just be around back here."
He nodded, his eyes bitter with disappointment and Lita realized in a panic, "He knows."
"Okay, so if everyone wants to get ready, we should be going on air in about five," she announced. "I'll see y'all later," she said a little quietly, but in the chaos of preparation, no one really noticed.
Rey caught up with her out in the parking lot. "Lita, don't do this."
"Don't try to talk me out of it Rey. I know what I have to do."
"No nos salgas," he begged, tears springing to his eyes. "Por favor...no salgas."
"I have to leave, Rey," she tried to explain, her own eyes brimming with tears as well. "I can't handle it anymore. It's too much responsibility. I don't want this; I never really did. I don't want to be in charge. I don't want to be the one making the decisions that affect everyone else. It's all out of my control now."
"Stay anyway!" he suggested. "Just stay as part of the team. You don't have to be the leader."
"You know that won't work, Rey," she quietly argued. "You know that once I was seen as the leader, that was it. Whether I want it or not, that's how I'm viewed now. I just need to get away for a while."
"Away from us."
"Yes. Away from all of you."
"Why?"
"I love you all too much."
"Eso es el mas chengado...."
"But you know it's true." He said nothing. Lita sighed and rested against him, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Tell them I love them. Try to make them understand."
"I will, querida." He kissed her forehead. "Take care of yourself. Ten cuidado."
"I will." She raised her head and looked into his eyes. Lita nodded.
Shouldering her gymbag, she walked across the parking lot to her rental car. Without one backward glance, she walked out of their lives.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No, this is not where the story ends. (Even I am not that cruel.) This is just part of a new direction. Things will all eventually work out, I think. Like one of my favorite songs says, "Don't expect too much from me and you might not be let down." ("Hey Jealousy" by the Gin Blossoms)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Spike rushed up to them when they returned back to the arena. "Where were you guys? We were all really worried."
"Car trouble," Lita snickered and soon they had both collapsed in a heap of giggles.
"Do I want to know?"
Unable to stop laughing, Lita pointed out towards the parking lot. Spike looked out the door. "What happened to Evolution's limo?"
Lita raised her hand, still giggling. Tommy looked at her with a hint of concern. "Lita...what did you do?"
"You should see that thing over speedbumps! Tommy, you'd love it."
He glanced at his tag team partner. "We're in trouble, aren't we?"
Raven nodded. "It's appearing as such."
Beulah smiled at Lita bemusedly. "This sort of thing happen often?"
"No, but they gave us a good excuse. Here," she tossed the keys to Francine. "I think there's still a little gas in it if y'all wanna go try it out."
Francine dangled the keys from one finger. "Please don't tell me I'm holding my life in my hands."
"Naw..." Lita assured her. "It's gonna take a while for them to walk back from that parking deck. So tonight, ECW are the ones who are styling and profiling."
"Since it's us, I guess it's kind of appropriate that we've already cracked in the windshield, busted a taillight, and had to change one of the tires," Kane commented. Lita started laughing again, so hard that she snorted.
"But we'll return it to them with a full tank of gas," Lita managed between maniacal fits of laughter.
"As much fun as I'm having being painfully confused, do you two want to come back to the lockerroom so you can explain this?" Stevie asked.
"Okay," Lita nodded, still laughing.
Bit by hysterical bit, the story came out. Soon even D-von was chuckling. "Okay, so you're forgiven for scaring us senseless when you came back acting insane," Spike assured her. "So what's up for tonight? What's going on?"
"Well..." Lita looked at all of them, thinking about them one by one. Tommy, who couldn't resist an opportunity to make someone laugh but who could still hold his own against any opponent (excluding Francine). Raven, who tried so hard to come off cold and uncaring but who'd been so gentle when she'd needed him and who now sat so protectively close to Beulah, looking at her with complete adoration.
Lance, who tried to be serious but had finally lightened up and become a complete goofball, especially now that Dawn Marie was back. Justin, who always picked on his best friend but was in reality a hopeless romantic himself. Stevie, who, for a wrestler, avoided confrontation at all costs.
Bubba, who sometimes took things too seriously but who cared deeply for his brothers. D-von, who was never oversensitive about anything and could always be relied on to be rational when everything around him fell apart. Spike, who was sweet as an angel and tough and tenacious as a rat terrier all at once, and who was always sure that things were gonna work out okay.
Rey, who was always so quiet but who always seemed to understand exactly what was going on with an almost sage-like wisdom. She swore he could read her mind, was doing so right now, in fact: he could see her decision in her very eyes, before she even knew what her choice would be.
And Kane. Her precious, beloved Kane. He was still a mystery sometimes, with the neckbreaking speed at which his mood could change, but he was still so reliable in a sense. He had been there for her unquestioningly, never concerned about the danger to himself. And yet he still didn't understand it when she acted that same way for him. Given the chance, he could love everyone...except himself. She knew that she would miss him deeply, that she would ache for him in some way that not even she could understand. But in a sense, it only made her decision easier.
"Well...tonight's pretty much like any other night. La Resistance is challenging for the tag titles, so Tommy and Raven, be ready. Beulah and Francine, I'm gonna work it so that you two will hopefully be allowed at ringside. Nathan Jones and Brock Lesnar never officially left Smackdown, so it's highly unlikely that they'll be here tonight. I'm hoping, anyway, that last night was a one-shot contract deal between them and Evolution. Either way, Evolution won't be here tonight unless they come in late, for obvious reasons. Oh, and Dawn Marie, Bischoff put you in a lingerie match against Terri Runnels. Sorry, I couldn't get him to change it, but it's not like it'll take long for you to beat her, anyway."
"Though, you know, if you won't to take your time in ending the match, go ahead," Lance reassured her, and got a playful slap as a result.
"?Tienes un juego esta noche, querida?" Rey questioned, his eyes directly at hers.
"No, Rey," she answered a little unsteadily. "I don't have a match for tonight. I'll just be around back here."
He nodded, his eyes bitter with disappointment and Lita realized in a panic, "He knows."
"Okay, so if everyone wants to get ready, we should be going on air in about five," she announced. "I'll see y'all later," she said a little quietly, but in the chaos of preparation, no one really noticed.
Rey caught up with her out in the parking lot. "Lita, don't do this."
"Don't try to talk me out of it Rey. I know what I have to do."
"No nos salgas," he begged, tears springing to his eyes. "Por favor...no salgas."
"I have to leave, Rey," she tried to explain, her own eyes brimming with tears as well. "I can't handle it anymore. It's too much responsibility. I don't want this; I never really did. I don't want to be in charge. I don't want to be the one making the decisions that affect everyone else. It's all out of my control now."
"Stay anyway!" he suggested. "Just stay as part of the team. You don't have to be the leader."
"You know that won't work, Rey," she quietly argued. "You know that once I was seen as the leader, that was it. Whether I want it or not, that's how I'm viewed now. I just need to get away for a while."
"Away from us."
"Yes. Away from all of you."
"Why?"
"I love you all too much."
"Eso es el mas chengado...."
"But you know it's true." He said nothing. Lita sighed and rested against him, and he wrapped his arms around her tightly. "Tell them I love them. Try to make them understand."
"I will, querida." He kissed her forehead. "Take care of yourself. Ten cuidado."
"I will." She raised her head and looked into his eyes. Lita nodded.
Shouldering her gymbag, she walked across the parking lot to her rental car. Without one backward glance, she walked out of their lives.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
No, this is not where the story ends. (Even I am not that cruel.) This is just part of a new direction. Things will all eventually work out, I think. Like one of my favorite songs says, "Don't expect too much from me and you might not be let down." ("Hey Jealousy" by the Gin Blossoms)