Rhiannon rushed to answer the door before the persistent knocking broke it down. She was surprised to see Kylie standing on the porch looking a bit panicked. "What's wrong?" She asked, ushering her friend through the door and quickly locking it. Kylie sat down on the couch, trying to figure out what to say.
"You want me to learn how to be...a wrestler?" She managed to squeak out, holding up the clipping where the new local wrestling school was advertised.
"Why not? You've always loved wrestling, you're in good shape and I think you'd do damn well if you wanted to." Rhiannon shrugged, making her expression somewhat cool, going over the plan in her mind again. She had to be sure that she didn't slip up here, because if she did, Kylie would catch on to what she was thinking. Then she'd most likely run screaming from the house and never come back.
"That doesn't necessarily mean that I want to become a wrestler." Kylie exclaimed, looking a bit wild-eyed as Rhian sat down in front of her, praying that Kylie would take the bait.
"Ky, I'm going to level with you here, I need you to help me out with something. I will understand completely if you say no, actually, I'm expecting it." She admitted looking down at her hands and Kylie frowned, becoming concerned.
"What's bothering you Rhian? Is everything okay?" Rhiannon looked up at Kylie, her large green eyes filled with anxiety.
"I'm going to Louisville, Kylie...to train at Ohio Valley Wrestling." Her explanation made Kylie laugh with relief.
"Well, what's wrong with that? I thought you'd be over the moon!" She exclaimed, but Rhiannon's panicked expression didn't waver.
"When Imogen finds out that I'm back in the game, so to speak, she's going to go absolutely feral. It's going to turn into a competition again, just like it was before. That's one of the reasons I didn't go back after my injury and that's what almost stopped me from going for it again this time." She sighed, leaning back and tapping the coffee table nervously.
"So, what am I supposed to do about that?" Kylie asked slowly, "You know your sister hates me more than she..."
"Hates me?" Rhiannon grinned when Kylie just nodded sheepishly in agreement. "No, I know I need to handle Imogen myself, but I would feel better about having a friend in the place. At least one person who knows me and will back me up if she starts spreading vicious rumours – Again."
"But, even if I did train to be a wrestler, it could be years before I'd make it to the WWE...if at all!" Kylie told her friend patiently and Rhiannon nodded in agreement, getting ready to spring the trap.
"True. Which is why I need your help...but I don't think you're going to like it." She admitted with a grimace and Kylie raised an eyebrow, waiting for Rhiannon to continue. "I need you to help me to get Jeff back in the WWE."
"What? How the hell do you expect me to do that?" Kylie frowned in confusion...then it all clicked. "You're not asking what I think you're asking?"
"Well, if you're thinking that I want you to ask Jeff to begin training you to be a wrestler in order to re-ignite his passion for the business...then you would be right." She said in a rush and bolted into the kitchen before Kylie had a chance to respond.
"You want me to WHAT?" She shrieked, her eyes wide with apprehension, as she followed her friend into the kitchen.
"Well, it'd help me out a lot." Rhiannon said smiling meekly as Kylie slapped her arm.
"There is no chance in hell you can convince me to do this Rhian. No way at all." She snapped, adamant in her decision and Rhian rolled her eyes in frustration.
"Why the hell not? If you take to it, you could very well end up in the WWE with me! It'd be a hell of a lot better than working in that café for the rest of your life. What have you got to lose?"
"How about my dignity? What if I make a fool of myself? It's not like I'm all that athletic." She fretted quietly and Rhiannon smiled at her unease.
"Well, if you remember correctly, neither was I before I got started. But you're not unfit, Ky, all you really need to do is work on your strength and muscle tone. It won't be too hard." Kylie growled at her friend, thinking that this was beside the point. "This could be the best thing for you!"
"I am not asking Jeff Hardy to train me!" Kylie reiterated firmly and Rhiannon had to laugh.
"That's okay, dear. You don't have to ask him."
"But you will." Kylie stated accusingly as Rhiannon shook her head in the negative, looking like she was very pleased with herself.
"No. I'll just plant the idea in his mind. He'll take it from there." She winked at her friend who let out a low groan. "Just trust me, will you? Have I ever steered you wrong before?"
"I refuse to answer that." Kylie replied wryly, before turning serious again. "Look, I really don't like this, Rhian, not at all. I don't think I could handle being around Jeff that much...it'll be too...ugh! I don't know, I just can't!" She wailed, her big brown eyes pleading with Rhian to drop the subject. But rather than being sympathetic, Rhiannon's jaw clenched in frustration and she grabbed Kylie firmly by the shoulders to look her in the eye.
"You don't have to like it. All I need to know is, if I manage to get Jeff to come up with the idea, will you go along with what I tell him and just give it a go? Just give it a try, Kylie! Please? For me." Kylie looked into Rhiannon's eyes and saw the desperation therein. She sighed, pulling away from her friend, thinking hard about what Rhian was proposing.
What did she really have to lose? It might even be fun...but spending all that time with Jeff, she didn't know if she could hide her feelings for him. Although, the thought of spending so much time with him was tempting...
She sighed heavily and hung her head, knowing that Rhiannon had won. The annoying thing was that she knew that Rhiannon knew it as well.
"Oh, alright." She snapped, ignoring Rhiannon's excited squeal, "but, I swear, if you say anything to Jeff about how..."
"I know, I know. No speaking of your forbidden feelings. Got it." She grinned and swept her friend up in an excited hug. "Thank you so much!"
"Yeah, yeah, yeah...just don't get me in over my head, okay?" She smiled grudgingly at Rhiannon's excitement.
"Okay, but I do need you to go along with whatever I tell Jeff."
"Which will be?" She asked suspiciously.
"Well, basically just that I talked you into training to be a wrestler and that you're planning on going to this wrestling school." She pointed to the leaflet she had given Kylie earlier in the day. "Trust me, it'll all fall into place from there." She grinned, looking suddenly sober as the doorbell rang. "Okay, you ready?"
"Now?" Kylie squeaked and Rhiannon just nodded her head, looking mischievous. "Dear lord, give me strength." Kylie turned her eyes heavenward as Rhian went to answer the door.
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed my story (Angel Rose, Wataphreek, Wipeout18, Araz, Huntersgirl and Carolyn aka: Aussiewrestlingfan) but I especially want to thank Phoenix who I think has reviewed every chapter! LOL I really appreciate it guys and hopefully now that I'm at home full time I'll be able to check out/catch up on all your stories and review them too!
Take care all and hope you're still enjoying this. I know that it might get a little slow in parts (and I really am trying to work on fixing that.), but I assure you, it will pick up soon! :o)