Chapter 5: On the road

Riley yawned as she brushed her hair, she studied her reflection in the mirror before her. She stepped into some thin black tracksuit pants, tying them at her hips. She pulled her favourite shirt (it read Y2J on the front and Chris Jericho on the back). She sat down on her bed as she placed her feet into her brand new black wrestling boots, and tied them tightly. As she stood to check her appearance in the mirror she placed her favourite and signed black Chris Jericho cap backwards on her head. Finally put her black fingertip less gloves on her hands before picking up her bags and staggering out of her hotel room, reading for another day on the road, travelling to another city to watch Chris perform in another live event for the WWE.

As she staggered down the hallway she couldn't help but feel the aching feeling of missing her family. It had been a month and she hadn't missed calling them one night. Every night she would call her family and then make another call to John. She had never spent so long away from her family.

"Riley!"

She turned as the blonde Chris Jericho ran towards her.

"Let me take one of these bag's,' he said, taking the heaviest bag from her.

"Thanks," she said softly.

He smiled, "Your looking really pretty today," he commented.

Riley blushed, the uncomfortable feeling when Jericho would comment her on her appearance had become common. She had to admit he was good looking, but he was too old for her. He was an adult and she was sixteen years old, "Don't say that," she said shyly, "I'm dressed like a dork, I know I'm not pretty."

He shook his head at her stubbornness. He leaned forward, his breath playing on her lips. Riley's breath caught in her throat, she slowly leaned closer to him as her eyes fluttered shut.

Something jolted through her and she suddenly realised what she was moments from doing. She pulled away quickly and ducked out of the way. She pushed pass him heading down the hallway.

Jericho watched her go confused, when she had turned at the corner, he swore before taking his and her bags in his hands and following after her.

"Momentum, keep your momentum," Jericho instructed from ringside.

On the other side of the ring Cowboy Bob Orton shouted to his son, "Randy, use your height to your advantage; don't let her use her's against you!"

Randy swung his best friend against the ropes on one side of the ring, she flung back and he prepared for the clothesline.

"Riley, duck!" Jericho yelled.

Riley made a wrong move, her friends arm flew into her neck, knocking the wind out of her as she fell backwards onto her spine. Riley swore loudly her pain evident through her words.

Jericho and Bob Orton both entered the ring.

While Bob Orton gave if his son some pointers, Jericho checked on Riley.

"Are you OK?" he asked her, he helped her up into a sitting position.

Riley put her hand to her back, "my back."

Jericho looked up to both Orton's, "I think that's enough for today."

Bob Orton nodded and led his son back to the change rooms of the training hall.

When they had left Riley spoke again, "why do you make me wrestle Randy, it's not fair, he's a lot stronger than I am. Why do I need to wrestle him? I'm gonna wrestle women not men."

Jericho rolled his eyes, "it's better for you to learn to wrestle men, it'll help you gain the strength, power and endurance for when you face women."

Riley shook her head, "you just want me to fail don't you?"

Jericho was confused, "why would you think that?"

"You think that I'm a nobody, I don't deserve anything I'm trying to achieve, anything I already have," she explained.

Jericho shook his head, "you do deserve what you're working for. So many people these days have dreams of being someone else or becoming someone better. So many people don't meet those dreams, you're actually trying to make something of yourself, and you're trying to make it to your dream no matter what the odds."

There was a silence, he knew his words had in some way meant something to her.

Finally she spoke, "why do you do this to me, why do you make me feel like I'm not ordinary, like I'm special." She suddenly shook her head realising how stupid she had just sounded.

He put his hand to her chin lifting her head so he was looking into her eyes. He leaned forward placing his lips on hers.

Riley melted into his kiss and he only deepened it further.

Randy Orton had been walking out of the change room to collect his jacket which he had left ringside when he saw what was going on in the ring. He watched the scene before him and when Riley and Jericho kissed, he felt his anger hit almost breaking point. Jericho had been training Riley for no more than a month and he was already trying to hook up with her.

Anger was rising in him, he felt as though Jericho was taking advantage of his best friend. Riley had been struggling with being apart from her family for so long and had become clumsy in her wrestling.

Riley became aware that her best friend was staring at them and broke away from Jericho, excusing herself and quickly rushing off to the changing rooms.

As Randy collected his jacket he noticed Jericho was still sitting in the ring, running his hand through his hair.

"She's too young for you," he commented as he casually shrugged on his jacket.

Jericho looked up at him, "what does it matter?"

Randy shrugged, "don't pressure her into doing anything she wouldn't want to do, she's only sixteen."

Jericho stood up and walked to the side of the ring closer to the teenager, "Orton your starting to sound like her father."

Randy rolled his eyes, "I'm just worried about her, she's already gone through enough this year, she doesn't need her heart broken as well."

Jericho's expression was blank.

"Be careful," Randy said, "you know it's illegal for an under eighteen to be dating an over eighteen."

Jericho rolled his eyes, "I don't care much about the stupid law."

Randy hid his anger, "well you might when your in jail for being illegally with Riley." Randy turned and began to leave when Riley returned to the hall from the change rooms.

Seeing him leaving she called out, "Randy are you heading for the airport?"

Randy shook his head, "I gotta go back to the hotel room first. I'll see you at the airport."

Riley nodded, "I'll sit next to you on the plane."

Chris Jericho looked over at Riley as she started out the window of the car.

"Riley, what's wrong?" he asked as he turned the rental car around the corner.

She starred out the window as she replied, "You know it's illegal for you and I to be together."

Jericho rolled his eyes, "I know, Orton's already told me."

She looked over at him, about to say something then deciding it would be better if she didn't.

Jericho turned the rental again as they reached the airport. When he had parked the car he turned to Riley, "Riley, the law doesn't matter. If we want to be together, nothing else matters."

He kissed her, but as he did he felt the hesitance in her response, however he ignored it…