According to Mapquest and road signs, they had another thirty miles to go before they reached the arena. Given the speed and the lack of traffic, they would probably arrive within an hour or less. Though, by looking at him, one would think Randy was incapable of lasting that long. If the 80s new wave didn't kill him, surely Jewel would.
Her CD was now halfway through one of her favorite songs, but she had to give him his due; there had been times when she complained about his definition of music when he took charge of the wheel. "Do you want me to play the radio?"
"Yes, please."
Pleased with his gracious tone - had he whined or sobbed relief, she would have played her disc to the very end - Stacy took her CD out and turned on the radio, just as a random DJ segued into the first song of a forty-minute block.
"Oh GOD, NO." Not ten seconds into the song and already Randy was feigning agony. "I HATE this song. Change it!"
Stacy sighed as she tucked her CD wallet behind her seat. "Randy, you never like anything I play, so why don't you try finding something?"
"So you can yell at me later for not following the rules of our deal? No thanks."
"Randy!" Stacy tried to restrain a growl. Tampons or no, this was becoming one of those times where she questioned why she traveled with him at all.
"Why can't you change it," he continued, "do you -like- this song?"
"No, but I'm not changing the station!"
"Fine, I guess we'll have to listen to it, then."
"Fine."
The song was halfway through its first verse since the beginning of their ridiculous argument, and it continued to suck. Still, there was something about its melody, its lyrics, something that made her want to sing along. Stacy chanced a glance at Randy, who appeared to be chancing a glance at her as well. Her mouth twitched and she returned her eyes to the road. Randy was going to make fun of her for this, but she didn't care. She just had to sing.
"They say that the road ain't no place to start a family!"
Stacy didn't know whether or not to be surprised when Randy's voice followed hers just as loudly.
"Right down the line it's been you and me!"
Randy's voice was a total contrast to hers, but it didn't matter. This was a moment in time. From now on, this was their song. In the future, whenever she hears it, she will think of Randy and Canada, and she will laugh.
"And lovin' a music man ain't always what it's supposed to be! Oh girl, you staaaaand by me! I'm foreeeeeever yooooours…" Stacy turned to Randy and crossed her hands over her heart. "Faithfully."
"You like that song!"
She smacked Randy's playfully accusing finger with a laugh. "So do you!"
"Yeah, but I make it cool to know things." Randy winked and snuck a brownie from the neglected bag between them. "I'll be good, though."
"Somehow I doubt that." Stacy winked back and all was forgiven. "But thanks."
Stacy drove as Randy flipped through several rock stations, and none of them seemed to play anything what he wanted to hear. Just as he was about to switch channels again, Stacy heard a familiar series of notes and immediately stilled his hand. "Oh, this song!"
Randy's expression twisted into utter repulsion - just as she had predicted. "Don't tell me you like this."
"I don't," she said, grinning. "But it's fun to watch you squirm." The song was approaching its climax, and before Randy could protest her turning up the volume, she belted out with the vocal bravado of Bette Middler. "That I just want you to KNOOOOOW!" She paused for a moment to laugh at Randy's flinching, then picked up where she left off. "To CHANGE who I used to beeeeeee! A REASON to start over neeeeewwww! And the reason is YOOOOOOOOU!"
"This is easily the worst love song in the last ten years."
"And the reason is YOOOOOOU!"
Randy shook his head, incredulous. "This is even worse than those fucking American Idol songs you forced on me last time."
"IF I WAS IN--"
"Don't!" Stacy didn't want to start anything, but it wasn't her fault that Randy was easy to annoy. "You know that movie with the guy holding the boom box over his head, and it's playing some lame ass love song? If that movie was done today, this is the song that guy would use."
She laughed again, knowing which movie he meant and recalling it quite fondly. "I know it's bad, but c'mon, it's -kinda- sweet, don't you think?"
"I don't know. Would you take someone back it they played this song for you? Would you take back Andrew?"
The mention of the name took her by surprise, which Randy seemed to take as a sign that he was treading into the territory of Too Much Information. "Sorry."
"No, no, it's okay." Stacy tried to shake off the abrupt recollection of her break-up with Andrew - something she hadn't thought about for weeks. "Really, it's okay."
The silence returned, but it was an uneasy one. While the radio valiantly attempted to fill the void with its hits of the 80s, 90s, and today, it couldn't shut off the little voice that made her feel absolutely useless. Everyone knew she had broken up with Andrew, but she hadn't really talked about it, not even with her girls - though she supposed it also had to do with the fact that no one had asked about it, either. Again, it was Too Much Information, something personal that the uninvolved did not have to know.
She was tired of keeping quiet about it, though.
"You know, I've only ever been with three guys." Stacy turned off the radio and sneaked a peek at Randy. He was quiet, attentive, and waiting for her to continue. "My first real relationship lasted seven years."
"Wow."
"Yeah… We broke it off some time after I started working for WCW, which is where I met David… and I broke up with David just before I went to the WWE, which is where I met Andrew… And now…" She shrugged. "I feel weird sometimes. Like I don't have anything to give unless I'm with someone, and then I'd be giving myself to that person. At least when I'm in a relationship, it's like I'm contributing to -something-, you know?"
"Hm. So you're like Satan from South Park."
She had to give it to Randy - he certainly knew how to ease the tension. "Whaaat?"
"You are! Satan had this habit of being in love with being in love. When one relationship ended, he began a new one. He's single now, though."
"Really." Stacy averted her gaze, shifting it to her driver's side window. "Does he have a steady job?"
"I'd imagine being the ruler of Hell is a 24/7 one, yeah. But that's the point I'm trying to make. You shouldn't feel like you don't know what to do just because you don't have a boyfriend. That's just silly." Randy smiled and offered her a brownie. "Live for yourself, do your thing. Wear lots of short skirts."
Stacy accepted the proffered brownie with a faint laugh. "And pose for Playboy?"
"Hell yeah pose for Playboy. You ever gonna do it?"
"Maybe." She tossed the brownie into her mouth. "When I decide, I'll let you know."
"Beautiful. But, uh…" He took another brownie, the last brownie, and crushed the now empty bag. "You might have to give up the chocolate for a while if you go for it."
A sigh and a flip of the turn signal. "Yeah, I know."
"Aren't you supposed to be starting the Diva Diet soon, anyway?"
Stacy groaned. She did not want to be reminded of the yearly diet the women imposed on themselves in order to look their supermodel best for the swimsuit issue. "I have my period, okay? I deserve chocolate."
"Oh Stacy, I'm just fucking with you." He chuckled and opened the other bag. "You don't need to diet, anyway. You're skinny enough as it is."
"I'm not toned, though."
"Pfft, do you think guys buying the magazine would care?" Randy's smirk countered her glare. "You're not answering because I'm right."
"Shut up!" A giggle escaped as she tried to wrestle the bag of brownies from his hands; though her eyes were on the road, her appetite were elsewhere. "What about you, you've been neglecting your workout and diet, too!"
"Yeah, but I'm still in shape. So are you."
Then, to her surprise, Randy shoved the bag toward her. Randy wasn't the type to give up so easily, especially where junk food was concerned.
"I just realized…" Randy settled back into his seat, head reclined just above the headrest. "that I don't want to be the victim of your PMS."
"Oh, GOD." Stacy rolled her eyes so hard, she swore she could see into the back of her head. "Aren't you an ANGEL."
"I am," he said, a hilarious sort of seriousness in his tone. "And that's why you love me."
Stacy would've argued with him about the accuracy of that statement, but when she gave it some thought, she found that she couldn't. Despite his quirks and tantrums, Randy was a good friend.
Their friendship couldn't be explained in any way other than 'good', really. She supposed she could think of a number of more descriptive and personal words, yet there was something so comforting about the simplicity of 'good'. There wasn't a number of layers to their relationship, each more complex than the last; they simply enjoyed each other's company.
Stacy turned to Randy and smiled.
"Yeah, that's why."
the end.
Her CD was now halfway through one of her favorite songs, but she had to give him his due; there had been times when she complained about his definition of music when he took charge of the wheel. "Do you want me to play the radio?"
"Yes, please."
Pleased with his gracious tone - had he whined or sobbed relief, she would have played her disc to the very end - Stacy took her CD out and turned on the radio, just as a random DJ segued into the first song of a forty-minute block.
"Oh GOD, NO." Not ten seconds into the song and already Randy was feigning agony. "I HATE this song. Change it!"
Stacy sighed as she tucked her CD wallet behind her seat. "Randy, you never like anything I play, so why don't you try finding something?"
"So you can yell at me later for not following the rules of our deal? No thanks."
"Randy!" Stacy tried to restrain a growl. Tampons or no, this was becoming one of those times where she questioned why she traveled with him at all.
"Why can't you change it," he continued, "do you -like- this song?"
"No, but I'm not changing the station!"
"Fine, I guess we'll have to listen to it, then."
"Fine."
The song was halfway through its first verse since the beginning of their ridiculous argument, and it continued to suck. Still, there was something about its melody, its lyrics, something that made her want to sing along. Stacy chanced a glance at Randy, who appeared to be chancing a glance at her as well. Her mouth twitched and she returned her eyes to the road. Randy was going to make fun of her for this, but she didn't care. She just had to sing.
"They say that the road ain't no place to start a family!"
Stacy didn't know whether or not to be surprised when Randy's voice followed hers just as loudly.
"Right down the line it's been you and me!"
Randy's voice was a total contrast to hers, but it didn't matter. This was a moment in time. From now on, this was their song. In the future, whenever she hears it, she will think of Randy and Canada, and she will laugh.
"And lovin' a music man ain't always what it's supposed to be! Oh girl, you staaaaand by me! I'm foreeeeeever yooooours…" Stacy turned to Randy and crossed her hands over her heart. "Faithfully."
"You like that song!"
She smacked Randy's playfully accusing finger with a laugh. "So do you!"
"Yeah, but I make it cool to know things." Randy winked and snuck a brownie from the neglected bag between them. "I'll be good, though."
"Somehow I doubt that." Stacy winked back and all was forgiven. "But thanks."
Stacy drove as Randy flipped through several rock stations, and none of them seemed to play anything what he wanted to hear. Just as he was about to switch channels again, Stacy heard a familiar series of notes and immediately stilled his hand. "Oh, this song!"
Randy's expression twisted into utter repulsion - just as she had predicted. "Don't tell me you like this."
"I don't," she said, grinning. "But it's fun to watch you squirm." The song was approaching its climax, and before Randy could protest her turning up the volume, she belted out with the vocal bravado of Bette Middler. "That I just want you to KNOOOOOW!" She paused for a moment to laugh at Randy's flinching, then picked up where she left off. "To CHANGE who I used to beeeeeee! A REASON to start over neeeeewwww! And the reason is YOOOOOOOOU!"
"This is easily the worst love song in the last ten years."
"And the reason is YOOOOOOU!"
Randy shook his head, incredulous. "This is even worse than those fucking American Idol songs you forced on me last time."
"IF I WAS IN--"
"Don't!" Stacy didn't want to start anything, but it wasn't her fault that Randy was easy to annoy. "You know that movie with the guy holding the boom box over his head, and it's playing some lame ass love song? If that movie was done today, this is the song that guy would use."
She laughed again, knowing which movie he meant and recalling it quite fondly. "I know it's bad, but c'mon, it's -kinda- sweet, don't you think?"
"I don't know. Would you take someone back it they played this song for you? Would you take back Andrew?"
The mention of the name took her by surprise, which Randy seemed to take as a sign that he was treading into the territory of Too Much Information. "Sorry."
"No, no, it's okay." Stacy tried to shake off the abrupt recollection of her break-up with Andrew - something she hadn't thought about for weeks. "Really, it's okay."
The silence returned, but it was an uneasy one. While the radio valiantly attempted to fill the void with its hits of the 80s, 90s, and today, it couldn't shut off the little voice that made her feel absolutely useless. Everyone knew she had broken up with Andrew, but she hadn't really talked about it, not even with her girls - though she supposed it also had to do with the fact that no one had asked about it, either. Again, it was Too Much Information, something personal that the uninvolved did not have to know.
She was tired of keeping quiet about it, though.
"You know, I've only ever been with three guys." Stacy turned off the radio and sneaked a peek at Randy. He was quiet, attentive, and waiting for her to continue. "My first real relationship lasted seven years."
"Wow."
"Yeah… We broke it off some time after I started working for WCW, which is where I met David… and I broke up with David just before I went to the WWE, which is where I met Andrew… And now…" She shrugged. "I feel weird sometimes. Like I don't have anything to give unless I'm with someone, and then I'd be giving myself to that person. At least when I'm in a relationship, it's like I'm contributing to -something-, you know?"
"Hm. So you're like Satan from South Park."
She had to give it to Randy - he certainly knew how to ease the tension. "Whaaat?"
"You are! Satan had this habit of being in love with being in love. When one relationship ended, he began a new one. He's single now, though."
"Really." Stacy averted her gaze, shifting it to her driver's side window. "Does he have a steady job?"
"I'd imagine being the ruler of Hell is a 24/7 one, yeah. But that's the point I'm trying to make. You shouldn't feel like you don't know what to do just because you don't have a boyfriend. That's just silly." Randy smiled and offered her a brownie. "Live for yourself, do your thing. Wear lots of short skirts."
Stacy accepted the proffered brownie with a faint laugh. "And pose for Playboy?"
"Hell yeah pose for Playboy. You ever gonna do it?"
"Maybe." She tossed the brownie into her mouth. "When I decide, I'll let you know."
"Beautiful. But, uh…" He took another brownie, the last brownie, and crushed the now empty bag. "You might have to give up the chocolate for a while if you go for it."
A sigh and a flip of the turn signal. "Yeah, I know."
"Aren't you supposed to be starting the Diva Diet soon, anyway?"
Stacy groaned. She did not want to be reminded of the yearly diet the women imposed on themselves in order to look their supermodel best for the swimsuit issue. "I have my period, okay? I deserve chocolate."
"Oh Stacy, I'm just fucking with you." He chuckled and opened the other bag. "You don't need to diet, anyway. You're skinny enough as it is."
"I'm not toned, though."
"Pfft, do you think guys buying the magazine would care?" Randy's smirk countered her glare. "You're not answering because I'm right."
"Shut up!" A giggle escaped as she tried to wrestle the bag of brownies from his hands; though her eyes were on the road, her appetite were elsewhere. "What about you, you've been neglecting your workout and diet, too!"
"Yeah, but I'm still in shape. So are you."
Then, to her surprise, Randy shoved the bag toward her. Randy wasn't the type to give up so easily, especially where junk food was concerned.
"I just realized…" Randy settled back into his seat, head reclined just above the headrest. "that I don't want to be the victim of your PMS."
"Oh, GOD." Stacy rolled her eyes so hard, she swore she could see into the back of her head. "Aren't you an ANGEL."
"I am," he said, a hilarious sort of seriousness in his tone. "And that's why you love me."
Stacy would've argued with him about the accuracy of that statement, but when she gave it some thought, she found that she couldn't. Despite his quirks and tantrums, Randy was a good friend.
Their friendship couldn't be explained in any way other than 'good', really. She supposed she could think of a number of more descriptive and personal words, yet there was something so comforting about the simplicity of 'good'. There wasn't a number of layers to their relationship, each more complex than the last; they simply enjoyed each other's company.
Stacy turned to Randy and smiled.
"Yeah, that's why."
the end.