Disclaimer: I do not own any of the WWE talent, of their training
facilities, etc, etc... I only own the characters that I have created solely
for the use of this story.
Distribution: Ask first.
--------------------------
Alyssa re-approached the ring-side area at the Trax training facility, sending Dustin a grateful look. If it wasn't for Dustin, and his coaxing assurances, she'd be on her way to the airport to leave California. She would have given up on wrestling, her friends, and more importantly—herself.
If she had left California and went back to New York, she would've had to face some things that she knew she wasn't ready to deal with, such as walking into an empty apartment. As soon as her mother had died she had busied herself with other things, so as not to actually deal with the pain that it caused. The one person that had been there for her, unconditionally since the day she was born was now gone. It was painstakingly hard to even attempt to fathom the thought.
Her mother was gone.
But her father wasn't. Or her biology, as she had always referred to him as. He was alive and well, in the same room as her. He might not believe her and support her, and to be honest that wasn't what was most important anymore. She would've loved his approval, but that was in the past. She had people that would support her. She didn't need him. She'd lived for nineteen years without him, why would she need him now?
She'd prove him wrong, though. She'd show him what she was capable of. She'd show them all.
Alyssa pursed her lips together, sliding into the seat that had been put back beside Danny. Their eyes were all focused in front of them where Adam Copeland, more commonly known as Edge was speaking. From what she picked up, he was talking about the heart and love for the business, and that without a true love and commitment to the WWE, that you'd be miserable.
"You really have to love the life. Not many people can understand it, let alone live it. But if it's in your heart, and it's your dream—you can do it. I think all of you guys here know that. You made it this far, and if it's what you truly want, keep trying and you'll succeed."
Everyone listened intently to the superstar, for a long while. After he had finished talking, everyone slowly dispersed.
"I'm glad you're staying." Danny whispered softly before placing a soft kiss on her cheek. "I'm gonna go talk to Ri, I'll see you back home."
Alyssa smiled. "I'll see you there." With that, she ran a hand through her hair. She didn't want to go back to the house yet, though. After her discussion with Dustin—she wanted to prove something. To work towards the talent that he was so sure she had within her small frame.
She chewed on her lip nervously for a moment before approaching Dustin, Adam only a few feet away, talking to Mark. "Dustin?"
"Hey..." A slow smile crossed Dustin's lips. "What's on your mind?"
"I was wondering if you were busy." She spoke, looking down at her hands momentarily before looking back up at him. "Because I was hoping that maybe you could stay, and train with me for a while."
"All I had to do was drop Adam off." He paused for a short moment before waving Adam over.
"Hey." Adam smiled as he approached the two. Lord, be still her heart. That smile was enigmatic.
"Hey man." Dustin smiled. "You think Mark or Al can drop you off?"
Adam shrugged slowly at the question. "I'd think so, why?"
"Alyssa wanted me to stay for a while, to help her train. You don't mind?"
"No, I don't mind." Adam paused for a long moment, twisting the cap off of the water bottle that he held in his hands. "Do you mind if I stay? I wasn't going to do much of anything when you dropped me off." He shrugged his shoulders.
"Feel free to stay." Dustin smiled, watching the few remaining people leave. Now it was Just Alyssa, Dustin, and Adam. He made her nervous—he seemed so untouchable. And who knew, maybe he was.
*******************
"When does your family come in?" Alyssa asked Danny, before moving the fork to her mouth and taking a small bite of her pasta.
"They come in on the third... which is... what, Thursday?" Alyssa nodded with a mouthful of food, chewing as she looked over at him. She swallowed before speaking.
"You're getting all antsy I bet."
"Isn't he always?" Riley grinned slowly, her eyes twinkling in a way she'd never seen before. She glanced between the two, studying them closely. She was just seeing things. There was no way. Not them.
Alyssa pushed the food around on her plate slowly before hearing the doorbell ring. "I'll leave you two alone." She felt a small smirk cross her lips. Danny and Riley's eyes met instantly, the nervousness evident. They were! She bit down on her lip before making her way to the front door and pulling it open.
"What a pleasant surprise."
"I knew you were secretly in love with me." Al grinned.
"I wasn't talking about you." Alyssa teased as Al, Dustin, and Adam walked in. Adam was in town until the end of the week, and would be coming to the cookout with the rest of them. He seemed like a good enough guy.
"Why don't you guys come in?"
"Because you're coming out."
"I am?" Alyssa let out a short laugh at the blatant statement.
"Yes, you especially. But the rest of them can come if they want." Al shrugged slowly, standing at the door with Dustin and Adam.
"Okay, what do I need to wear?"
"Not that." Adam spoke up, letting out a soft laugh as he slowly shook his head at her ensemble. She was wearing a pair of torn up jeans and an oversized University of North Carolina sweatshirt.
"Charming." Alyssa grinned slowly at him, her eyes glistening.
"Don't you know it." Adam winked at her. With a soft laugh, she slowly shook her head and made her way towards her bedroom.
"Where are we going?" She called over her shoulder, before sticking her head out of the bedroom, craning her neck to look at them.
"Just get dressed." Dustin stated, smirking from where he stood. And with that, the bedroom door closed behind her.
Distribution: Ask first.
--------------------------
Alyssa re-approached the ring-side area at the Trax training facility, sending Dustin a grateful look. If it wasn't for Dustin, and his coaxing assurances, she'd be on her way to the airport to leave California. She would have given up on wrestling, her friends, and more importantly—herself.
If she had left California and went back to New York, she would've had to face some things that she knew she wasn't ready to deal with, such as walking into an empty apartment. As soon as her mother had died she had busied herself with other things, so as not to actually deal with the pain that it caused. The one person that had been there for her, unconditionally since the day she was born was now gone. It was painstakingly hard to even attempt to fathom the thought.
Her mother was gone.
But her father wasn't. Or her biology, as she had always referred to him as. He was alive and well, in the same room as her. He might not believe her and support her, and to be honest that wasn't what was most important anymore. She would've loved his approval, but that was in the past. She had people that would support her. She didn't need him. She'd lived for nineteen years without him, why would she need him now?
She'd prove him wrong, though. She'd show him what she was capable of. She'd show them all.
Alyssa pursed her lips together, sliding into the seat that had been put back beside Danny. Their eyes were all focused in front of them where Adam Copeland, more commonly known as Edge was speaking. From what she picked up, he was talking about the heart and love for the business, and that without a true love and commitment to the WWE, that you'd be miserable.
"You really have to love the life. Not many people can understand it, let alone live it. But if it's in your heart, and it's your dream—you can do it. I think all of you guys here know that. You made it this far, and if it's what you truly want, keep trying and you'll succeed."
Everyone listened intently to the superstar, for a long while. After he had finished talking, everyone slowly dispersed.
"I'm glad you're staying." Danny whispered softly before placing a soft kiss on her cheek. "I'm gonna go talk to Ri, I'll see you back home."
Alyssa smiled. "I'll see you there." With that, she ran a hand through her hair. She didn't want to go back to the house yet, though. After her discussion with Dustin—she wanted to prove something. To work towards the talent that he was so sure she had within her small frame.
She chewed on her lip nervously for a moment before approaching Dustin, Adam only a few feet away, talking to Mark. "Dustin?"
"Hey..." A slow smile crossed Dustin's lips. "What's on your mind?"
"I was wondering if you were busy." She spoke, looking down at her hands momentarily before looking back up at him. "Because I was hoping that maybe you could stay, and train with me for a while."
"All I had to do was drop Adam off." He paused for a short moment before waving Adam over.
"Hey." Adam smiled as he approached the two. Lord, be still her heart. That smile was enigmatic.
"Hey man." Dustin smiled. "You think Mark or Al can drop you off?"
Adam shrugged slowly at the question. "I'd think so, why?"
"Alyssa wanted me to stay for a while, to help her train. You don't mind?"
"No, I don't mind." Adam paused for a long moment, twisting the cap off of the water bottle that he held in his hands. "Do you mind if I stay? I wasn't going to do much of anything when you dropped me off." He shrugged his shoulders.
"Feel free to stay." Dustin smiled, watching the few remaining people leave. Now it was Just Alyssa, Dustin, and Adam. He made her nervous—he seemed so untouchable. And who knew, maybe he was.
*******************
"When does your family come in?" Alyssa asked Danny, before moving the fork to her mouth and taking a small bite of her pasta.
"They come in on the third... which is... what, Thursday?" Alyssa nodded with a mouthful of food, chewing as she looked over at him. She swallowed before speaking.
"You're getting all antsy I bet."
"Isn't he always?" Riley grinned slowly, her eyes twinkling in a way she'd never seen before. She glanced between the two, studying them closely. She was just seeing things. There was no way. Not them.
Alyssa pushed the food around on her plate slowly before hearing the doorbell ring. "I'll leave you two alone." She felt a small smirk cross her lips. Danny and Riley's eyes met instantly, the nervousness evident. They were! She bit down on her lip before making her way to the front door and pulling it open.
"What a pleasant surprise."
"I knew you were secretly in love with me." Al grinned.
"I wasn't talking about you." Alyssa teased as Al, Dustin, and Adam walked in. Adam was in town until the end of the week, and would be coming to the cookout with the rest of them. He seemed like a good enough guy.
"Why don't you guys come in?"
"Because you're coming out."
"I am?" Alyssa let out a short laugh at the blatant statement.
"Yes, you especially. But the rest of them can come if they want." Al shrugged slowly, standing at the door with Dustin and Adam.
"Okay, what do I need to wear?"
"Not that." Adam spoke up, letting out a soft laugh as he slowly shook his head at her ensemble. She was wearing a pair of torn up jeans and an oversized University of North Carolina sweatshirt.
"Charming." Alyssa grinned slowly at him, her eyes glistening.
"Don't you know it." Adam winked at her. With a soft laugh, she slowly shook her head and made her way towards her bedroom.
"Where are we going?" She called over her shoulder, before sticking her head out of the bedroom, craning her neck to look at them.
"Just get dressed." Dustin stated, smirking from where he stood. And with that, the bedroom door closed behind her.
