How the other half lives
By: Random Hero
A/N: Ok… I still own shit… but things will get better. Sorry if my last chapter sucked. I warned you.
Getting past the first day is always half the battle.
Chapter four: Getting to know you…
After the awkward hug we walked out to my dad's (will have to get used to saying that… he's my dad) car. I got in the back set and looked out the window for a while trying to think about how nice it will be to go to a new place and met new people. I was really trying to look at the bright side of it all. Which for me was rather hard. My thoughts were broken when Paul asked. "So.. Hayden, your birthday was two weeks ago right?" At first I wondered how he knew my birthday but I'm sure he had to of seen a copy of my records and such.
"Yeah..." I said looking up at them in the front seat. Stephanie looked back at me.
"We should do something, kinda a belated birthday welcome to the family type of thing. Just like a little get together of our friends. So you can get to know them. I assume you watch Wrestling since Paul told me he met you for the first time at a Raw show in Boston." She seemed really nice, I didn't really like parties but you know. I thought I'd be nice and not mention the fact I really hated birthday parties since no one I invited ever showed up at mine when I was little. Well except for Chris, he was always there.
I put on a smile on face and said. "Yeah, I watched wrestling since I was little. Chris, my best friend, he got me into it. We both got hooked when we saw The Undertaker come out with that purple haze and everyone would put their lighters in air." Paul laughed. "The party thing sounds good."
Paul glanced at Stephanie, "So… you like Taker…" He acting like he was hurt. I laughed, "I thought you were my biggest fan." He looked back at me when I started to laugh.
"Well… actually my all time favorite Wrestler ever was Jeff Hardy. But on Raw now… I'd say it's you or Kane." Stephanie smiled and nodded her head.
"Yeah… I know why you liked Jeff… you thought he was cute… didn't you." I blushed. I could see her smirk at Paul.
"Why are you picking on my poor child… the girl hardly knows the real us. She most likely only knows us from watching TV. You have to ease her into the teasing slowly…." I could tell he was trying to let me relax and sort through my thoughts. I always knew they had to be different from the way they were on TV.
"But what happens when she meets Randy… he'll have a field day with her. Come on, she's a pretty girl who happens to be your daughter. Hayden… Randy isn't a Legend Killer… he's a Lady Killer." All three of us started to laugh, this is the closest I've gotten to having a real family in my entire life. In the 3 hours since I knew her, Stephanie was more of a mother to me than my own my mom was in the 16 years she had me.
"Yes… but he's way to much of a pretty boy than I'd ever date. I do not want a guy who spends more time in a mirror than I do." I could have sworn I heard Paul almost choke he was laughing so hard.
"There is no way in hell I'm letting any daughter of mine date him… he's too old for you any way." I laughed, things went on like that for a little while, just us talking and getting to know each other. Which, when you think about is half the battle, I seemed like I was going to fit in just fine. Paul even told me that I could go on the road with him and Steph till school started then Steph would stay home with me and we'd go see him on Monday nights.
It was a long ride, I feel asleep after we finished talking about how we would work out me going to school but still being able to be around Paul. He really wanted to make up for all that time my mom kept me from him. He seemed like he really wanted to be my father not just the guy I got stuck with. I thought about it while I was trying to fall sleep.
Stephanie woke me up when we got to their, I guess… our house. "Hayden…" She said softly putting her hand on my arm. "Hayden we're here…" I opened my eyes and blinked a few times. It was late after noon or early evening I think. I stepped out of the car still a little groggy from just waking up; I rubbed my eyes and yawned before the three of us started to walk up to the house.
Stephanie seemed more protective than anything else, perhaps is was her motherly instincts kicking in or she just knew I had been through a lot. Paul seemed to be worried about me, looking over at me and Stephanie as we took the short walk from the drive way to the front door.
As I stood there waiting for Paul… should I call him dad? I don't know yet… but like I was saying, as I waited for him to open the door I looked around at the out side of the house. It was really pretty, lots of open space something I had never really been around living in the city. I guess I could get used to it. The door opened and I hear a dog bark, a little pug came running over to great everyone. I like dogs, so when it came over I petted it before walking further into the house.
It's one of those modern houses, I kinda felt like I was in a museum. I didn't want to touch anything for fear I would break it. I just kinda stood there, my arms crossed in front of my chest waiting for some kind of instruction. Paul came over to me and put his hands on my shoulders.
"Over there is the kitchen," He said pointing towards the right, "There's the office, it has a computer and the internet… so if you want to talk to your friends before we go on the road you can do it there." I nodded, he put one arm around my shoulder and started to usher me around the house. "This is the living room… we have Xbox, Playstaion 2 and Game Cube… if you want to play just tell me and I'll show you how to get everything right." I had never really played those systems… Caitlin's foster parents had a Playstaion, but we never were allowed to play it.
As we walked through the hall we passed Stephanie in a room searching for, I'm assuming, me to wear to bed since I didn't bring anything with me. "This is Steph's and my room," He turned me around and opened a door right across the hall. "This is your room, I have to go back on the road in 3 days. You and Stephanie are going to join me in about a week… right honey?" He called to Stephanie.
"Yeah…" She answered bringing me a large t-shirt and a pair of pajama bottoms. "Here sweetie… for you to wear to bed for tonight till we can get your clothes." I took the items of clothing in my hands and walked into the room that would be mine. "I'll let you two talk… I have to go make dinner any way." She left Paul and I alone in my room.
The room was much bigger than my old room and all the walls were white and there was a Queen Size bed, dresser and all that kind of stuff. I sat down on the bed and looked at Paul. He walked over and sat down next to me.
"You ok?" He asked me. I didn't really know how to answer; sure I could just say I was fine, which I was with this whole arrangement. But part of me was really confused. I wanted to know about him, sure I knew who Triple H was… but who was this guy that was my dad. Could I call him dad? What should I call Stephanie?
I took a deep breath, "I'm just kinda… I guess… Confused." Paul nodded.
"I don't blame ya kid. I'm confused myself. I hope you just don't blame me for not being there for you when you were little. I always had a feeling your mom was keeping something from me, but she denied everything. I would have been there, if I only knew." He sounded really sincere; I didn't blame him for not being there. It was all Sadie's fault.
"I don't. I always knew my dad would have been there for me, if he knew I was even alive. I always blamed Sadie for it." I paused and set the clothes down on the other side of me. "I just have questions you know… like what do I call you, dad, Paul, what?" I asked.
He smiled a little, "What ever you want, Dad's fine with me…" we both kinda laughed. I never noticed that we had the same laugh.
"Dad's fine with me too… Dad." I said playfully elbowing him. "So, you know… do you think you can get me on Raw?" I said with a smirk, "Like.. as some type of character. Maybe even like Triple H's long lost daughter." He started to laugh.
"I'll see about it…" He smirked at me, "So, since I'm going to leave in a few days I told Stephanie to take you our shopping for everything you need. Being on the road is hard, but right now I think it'd be best for us to stick together." I nodded. He was right, I think that if I had just stayed here with Stephanie (even though she seems like a great person) I'd slip back in to very bad old habits (More about that in a moment) which for someone who was just be introduced into the chaotic world that is Hayden would be totally terrified.
A Bit about my "Very Bad Old Habits"
When I get depressed, which can be for any reason at all, I cut myself… cutting.. yeah it's a horrible thing to do. I haven't done it in a while thanks to the fact Chris would stay on me about it all the time. If he noticed I was wearing a long sleeve shirt in the dead of summer… he would drill me about why the hell I was wearing it. I knew, with being away from Chris, my mom just dying, being in a strange place and being basically alone. I would become depressed. Wouldn't you?
Back to Paul… shit… I mean dad and I talking.
"Yeah… I think I might… um.. I think you should know." I knew he would find out, if he ever saw me in a bathing suit or even a t-shirt he would find out about me cutting myself. So I thought I was a great idea to just come out a tell him. "I'm a Cutter.. I don't do it anymore. Only when I get really depressed and just slip into a rut," I looked at him and tried to read the expression on his face. Which is really hard for me to do to begin with and he happens to be rather good at hiding how he feels.
After a moment or two of silence, I'm talking dead silence. We could hear Stephanie yelling at the dog who had been trying to steel food off the table. He spoke. "I'm glad you told me…" That is a token thing parents say when they have no idea what the else they should say. I pushed up the hem of the dress a little to show a few of the scars that I had on my thigh.
"Most of them, on my arms, have faded away. But these ones are still really bad. So I thought before I went swimming or you saw me in shorts I would warn you. I haven't done it in a really long time. Like almost a year, yeah." There was that always present awkward silence. He nodded and luckily before the silence killed us, Stephanie walked into the room.
"Diners ready…" She said, we all stood up and went to eat dinner. Lucky for me, Stephanie happens to talk a lot, which sometimes is a bad thing, but when you are trying to get to know someone who will be a major part of the rest of your life, it's a really, really good thing.