Title: Losing Grip
Chapter VIII: Under the Influence
Author: JuSt AnOtHeR DeMoNiC EgO (J*A*D*E)
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to the McMahon's... Jade owns nothing. The song is Avril's.
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Matt walked into the arena happy as can be. He finally got through to Jeff. He was positive the other guys had forgiven him, too.
The first person Matt saw when he entered the locker room was Chris Jericho. Matt set his bag down and approached him slowly. "Hey CJ."
"Fuck off, Hardy." Chris didn't even look up.
Matt laughed a little; hoping his friend wasn't serious.
Chris jerked his head up. "T'so funny?"
Matt shrugged. "You weren't joking?"
Chris sighed and shook his head. "Nope. So fuck –"
"Chris, I apologized! I didn't do it and you all know that! Why won't you guys just talk to me? Jeff does."
"He's your brother."
"This business is like a family. We're all brothers."
Chris nodded. "Last time I checked, my last name was Irvine. Not Hardy… and I know for a fact that my mother has been with only one man her entire life – my dad. She became a widow young and she stayed that way. You're not my brother."
Matt rolled his eyes. "You know what I meant – "
"No. I didn't. So fuck off, Matt."
"Chris – "
Chris grabbed the neckline of Matt's shirt. "Fuck… off… Matt." He pushed him and walked out of the locker room.
"Damn!" Matt punched a locker.
"What's with the punching?" Shane questioned, coming into the room. "Oh… sorry, I thought you were someone else."
"So now that you know who I am, you're gonna ignore me?"
Shane made a face. "Eh… pretty much."
"Asshole." Matt mumbled.
Shane heard him. "Last time I checked, you were a murderer. You're the asshole."
Matt rolled his eyes. "You know what, Shane?"
"What, Matt?"
"Fuck you. Okay? Fuck… you!"
Shane shook his head. "No thanks, man. I don't float in that boat."
Shane's sarcasm and Jericho's bitchiness really got to Matt. He turned around and punched Shane square in the jaw. Shane flew back into a locker and Matt began pounding on him. Just then, Adam walked in.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?!" Adam ran towards the other two men who were battling furiously in the corner.
"Get off me!" Shane yelled, blood oozing out of his nose. Matt looked perfectly fine.
"Matt, you fucking asshole, why don't you pick on somebody your own fucking size?!" Adam scolded, shoving Matt out of the way and helping Shane up. "You okay, man?"
"No… I think he broke my nose."
"I think so, too. Come on, let's get you to the trainers." Adam put a hand on the smaller man's back, gently pushing him to the door.
Matt sighed, knowing what was going to come next.
"Look, Matt. I don't know if you're aware of this… but you're skating on really thin ice. You got balls, man. You're like… three times Shane's size and you beat up on him 'cause your life is fucked up? That's some crazy shit, man. You're a bold fucker. I dunno how big and bad you think you really are… but me and Jericho? We're pretty tough, dude. Don't do it to yourself, Hardy. Don't fuck things up more. 'Cause if I have to waste my time beating your ass, I'm not gonna be happy. And I think Jericho will be pretty pissed, too. Take my advice. Leave… Shane… out of this. He's just a kid. He may not see it, but he's still pretty young. It's gonna take him even longer to forgive you than it would take the rest of us. Now that you've mutilated him, I think you can consider him a lost friend. Shane's pretty damn stubborn and you know it. We all are. Next time I see you even looking at him… your ass is grass… and I'm gonna smoke it and get fucking stoned." Adam turned and walked out of the locker room, leaving Matt there to think.
"Why am I such an asshole?" He mumbled to himself as he plopped down on a bench.
"You're not an asshole."
Matt jerked his head up to see Jeff. "Why do you guys keep doing that? It's like you're all on cue or something."
"Doing what?"
"Coming in one after the other… no biggie. And yes, I am an asshole. A major asshole."
Jeff grinned. "Eh… if you insist…"
"Shut up."
Jeff laughed. He began to unpack his belongings and searched for his ring attire. "Saw what you did to Shane… looks pretty bad."
Matt nodded.
"Why'd you do it?"
"He was getting on my fucking nerves! He hates me… they all hate me."
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"They all hate me, Jeff! Why do they hate me? They hate me. They all hate me. Hate." Matt stumbled out of the elevator, Jeff grabbing onto him.
"It's okay."
Tears were pouring out of Matt's eyes. "NO! They hate me!" Matt was drunk. He didn't know how he got that way, but that's how Jeff found him in the hotel lobby.
"Shh.. you'll wake everybody up… it's like two in the morning."
"Two in the morn – they hate me."
A hotel door opened and a tired looking Jericho stood in the doorway. "Fuck is he yelling ab – is he drunk?"
Jeff nodded. "Quite… can you help me out here?"
Jericho sighed, but he decided to help the smaller Hardy as it was obvious that he was struggling. Jericho linked arms with Matt. Matt viciously pushed him away. "DON'T TOUCH ME!"
"Shh… Matt, chill!" Jeff punched Matt's arm.
"I don't want him to touch me." Matt whispered. Jericho obviously heard; he was standing right next to Matt.
"Matt… it's late. I'm tired. Let's get you to your room, come on." Chris attempted to grab Matt again. Instead, Matt stumbled backwards. "NOOOOO!"
Another hotel door opened. This time, it belonged to Adam. "Would you please stop fucking yelling!"
Matt backed up against the wall and slid down. He held his knees to his chest and buried his face in his jeans.
Jeff sighed. "Matt, come on."
"No… they hate me! Why, Jeff? Why do they hate me?" Matt questioned Jeff as if the other two men weren't there listening. "I didn't kill Mamy!"
"Mamy?" Jericho whispered.
"I think he means Amy." Adam whispered back.
"Right."
"I didn't! She took – " Matt sniffled. "The gun… and went –" He did the guns and put them in his mouth. "Boom." He muttered.
Jeff nodded. "We know… we know."
"Jeffy… tell them not to hate me. Please tell them. Please!" Matt looked up, his tears were streaming down so fast, they were soaking up his gray shirt.
Adam bit his lip. He kind of felt bad for Matt. "Matt… buddy, we don't hate you… we just don't..."
"Like you." Jericho finished.
"Please!" Matt yelled. "Jeff, I wanna go! I wanna sleep! My head hurts. It hurts so bad, Jeffy, make it stop!"
"God damn, boy, how much did you drink?" Jeff mumbled as he helped his brother up. "You haven't called me Jeffy since I was like… four."
"I don't want them to hate me." Matt said as the two of them walked away. "Tell them to stop… please. When I'm gone, so they don't know I know."
Jericho stifled a laugh.
"I'll try, Matt… I'll try."
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