Authors Note - Thanks guys for the opinions of the last chapter. I'm glad you didn't think I'd weakened Randy. I was concerned. This next chapter, I took a detour from what I originally planned, plus there's a little friction between the girls. Cat fight! lol! I hope you guys like it. As always I own nothing and no-one. Please R & R!
The soft hum of the car's engine soothed the throbbing muscles in Trish's lower back. Curled up quite comfortably in the back seat, she snuggled into the folds of her baby blue hooded sweater, her baseball cap pulled down low over her eyes. Various strands of blonde hair hung from beneath the hat, one of which, Trish absent mindedly twisted, drawing her knees up against her chest. Boxed in the rumbling old rented car, Trish felt oddly contented.
It had been a long time since she had travelled with her girlfriends across state lines. Normally, she would ride with John Cena, but he had apparently made other arrangements with Matt Striker and Shelton Benjamin, saying something about catching up with her at the next arena. Not that it bothered her so much, but Trish couldn't remember the last time they hadn't travelled together.
Peering from beneath the visor of her hat, Trish smiled at her friends in the front seat. Lisa, behind the wheel was chewing on a lace of liquorice, singing entirely off key to the song struggling to play from the old radio. Next to her, Candice Michelle was frantically trying to read the road map she had purchased at a grocery store near the last arena, realising an hour into the trip that she had the map upside down. Barking out instructions to which Lisa paid little if any attention to, Candice seemed in a better state than the last time Trish had seen her.
Still, concern danced around in Trish's mind. She had known the break up between Randy and Candy had been harsh, but that night in the Trish's hotel room had made Stratus realise that there was more hurt going on there than she had first realised. Deciding she would have to pull Candice aside for a girly one-on-one at some point, Trish resumed to relaxing back into her seat. The apple flavoured lace slung at her head brought Trish out of her dreamy existence.
"Hey! Trish! Talking to you here girl!" Lisa's half amused expression in the rear-view-mirror caught Trish's eye.
"Sorry. I...I was off somewhere else I guess." came Trish's dreamy reply.
"We noticed," Candice smiled, "we're discussing some important stuff here, and we want your expertise. Length or girth?"
"Oh, such deep questions for a Friday afternoon girls. Careful now, you'll be onto the meaning of life before long." Trish grinned
"Come on now Trisha, this is some serious shit we got going on here. Now, Candice is a length girl, where as I prefer thickness. What gets Miss Stratus off?" Lisa commented, focusing on the blonde in the mirror.
"Well...either is nice, but I've got to go with girth myself. Length is all well and good, but...well...you've got to feel full, haven't you?" Trish giggled. Candice let loose with her dirty laugh, making Trish laugh all the harder.
"That's my girl." Lisa added, sticking her tongue out at Candice. Shaking her head, Candice turned over her should to talk to Trish.
"So, did Randy fill you up?" Trish almost winced at the comment. Even if they had done something, there was no way she felt she could tell Candice, not least because of the hurt in her eyes despite everything else.
"Of Kung Po chicken, yes. Of anything else no." Trish managed, avoiding eye contact.
"So what happened?" Wishing the topic would change, Trish was disappointed as Lisa pushed on further.
Squeezing the seat in front of her, Candice studied Trish, waiting to hear what had happened with her and Randy. She didn't want to hear any of it, it was too painful, but knew it would drive her insane from not knowing.
"Nothing, really. He picked me up, took me to a restaurant...and we pretty much fought the entire time. It came close to physicality on more than one occasion." Feeling like she was part of the Spanish Inquisition, Trish shifted uncomfortably in her seat. Candice narrowed her eyes slightly as she spoke.
"He took you to dinner? Where?" It was almost an accusation, to which Trish wasn't terribly fond of receiving.
"A place called the New World." Came Trish's reply.
"You're telling me he bought you a rose, and took you to dinner. He never did that for me." Candice grated, as though she were angry at Trish for having spent a what, was in her mind, a romantic evening with the guy she was still hung up on.
"He was just trying to impress me Candy. Why is it such a big deal what happened between us? It was a pure verbal battle." Trish tried to assure him.
"I saw the dress you were going to wear Trish. Don't try to pretend you're not interested in getting in his bed." Candice looked as though she were about to pounce into the backseat at Trish.
"Don't even tell me you're jealous Candy." Trish scoffed, a hint of annoyance creeping into her voice. Candice's neurosis over Randy Orton was getting out of control.
"Don't sit there and tell me that after he bought you a flower, and took you too dinner that you didn't get into bed with him? Who are you kidding? Your boobs were practically falling out all over the place before you even left the fuckin' hotel!" Candice seemed possessed, almost like a jealous girlfriend finding out her man had been cheating behind her back, focusing all her rage against Trish.
"Whilst a nice dinner and cheeky smile might be enough to tempt you to that caveman's bed, I have a little more self control." Trish fired back with a little more bile that she had wanted, but she felt Candice was crossing a line.
"Take it easy girls. We're all friends here, aren't we?" Lisa desperately tried to calm the situation, before it escalated to unnecessary levels. Candice's faced screwed into a mask of pure spite. Her lips curled back as though she was ready to unleash a tirade of abuse against Trish.
But as quickly as the look appeared, it melted away into nothing, just to reveal Candice's eyes pooling with tears and apologies.
"I...I'm sorry Trish. I didn't mean to suggest, or imply that..." looking lost for words, Candice was clearly trying to fight back tears as she turned herself to face the front. Feeling all her anger drain away, Trish leant forward in her seat, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder giving a reassuring squeeze. Candice reached her own hand up, locking fingers with Trish.
"It's cool honey. We all know Randy's a sore subject for you. I just wish you wouldn't beat yourself up about it every time he latches on to someone else. Its gonna happen. Its all he knows. You've just got to let it go and move on." Trish's voice was as soothing as possible, but part of her wanted to slap Candice for being so weak.
And yet, it wasn't so long ago that you were a pathetic mess of human being after Jeff left you. Don't you dare judge anyone on higher standards than he held for yourself. Trish hated that part of her conscious, the one that told her how judgemental and down-right cruel she could be sometimes.
"I know...I know I can do better, that I should move on. But I don't know how. How do I make those feelings go away? I like him so much, but he just acts like I don't exist. Does he even care how much I'm hurting." Candice sobbed softly from the front seat, Trish only being able to imagine the tears tumbling down her bronzed cheeks.
"No, sweetie he doesn't," Trish decided maybe a little harsh honesty was what Candice needed, "one of the things I learned about him that night...he just doesn't care about anyone, least of all about the women he hurts. It doesn't register to him what you're feeling, what any girls feel when he's broken their heart. All he cares about is his next conquest."
"Which just happens to be you." Lisa pointed out.
"It's not going to happen Lisa," Trish stated, the firm tone of voice reassuring herself, "even if I didn't know what kind sub-human being he was, I just couldn't be with someone who thinks so much of themselves. He just wants me because he can't have me, nothing more than that. He'll get over me in time. Until then, I'll just treat him like I would any other dog in heat."
"You're going to let him hump your leg?"
Candice innocent question, broke down Trish stern exterior, making her laugh in hilarity along with Lisa.
Trish opened her mouth to respond, but was cut short as Lisa made a sudden hair-pin right turning. Trish's body slid across the seat and slammed into the door and window, eliciting an uncomfortable groan. Candice, doing much the same thing in front had her apple candy laces and map sprawl in all directions. Finally, Lisa righted the direction of the car, taking a side road to the next motorway. Spluttering, Candice appeared from behind her opened map.
"Where the hell did you learn to drive?" Seeing Lisa's devious grin, Candice continued shouting, "Did I say take a right? Trish, did you even here me elude to any kind of fact saying we needed to take a right? No. I didn't. There's no right turn needed!"
"Would you get a hold of yourself?" Lisa sniggered, "We're heading to Cameron, North Carolina."
"Why?" Trish's voice sounded, as her head appeared over Candice's shoulder.
"Yeah, why?" Candice joined Trish, narrowing her eyes at Lisa.
"Because girls, we've been invited to Matt Hardy's place for the weekend. He's having a party, and we're going." Lisa grinned back at her two friends.
"No. Not a chance in hell. You turn this car around or so help me god you'll never be able to reproduce." Trish threatened from the back seat.
"Simmer down tiny. He-who-shall-not-be-named isn't going to be there. He's in Japan wrestling in some federation. I checked that out." Trish eyed Victoria suspiciously. All she needed right now to make this week perfect was a run in with her ex-boyfriend Jeff Hardy.
"Will Randy be there?" Candice softly asked, much to the groan of Lisa and Trish.
"Yes. He'll be there, no doubt with some tramp in tow. And we're going too. You Missy, will stay as far away from Randy Orton as humanly possible. In fact, if I catch you even looking at him, I'll haul your ass all the way to South Carolina and leave you there until its time to get to the next event. I don't want any drama girls okay? Just a fun weekend of booze and inebriated boys." Lisa stated firmly, making sure with hard hitting 'eye statements' that she wasn't going to argue the point any further.
Could it be so bad? Trish wondered. I mean, Jeff isn't going to be there, and it'll be nice just to have a weekend to relax with the girls. Ok, Randy puts a downer on the whole event, but I can avoid him as much as possible. I might even have a good time.
Trish mused the possibilities as the battered old car rocketed its way towards Cameron. Lisa pulled off the road into a gas station to fill up before they headed onto the main roadway.
Lazily, Trish pulled herself out of the backseat as Candice tottered off to the women's room. Leaning against the trunk, with her hands stuffed in the pockets of her sweater, Trish was taken aback as Lisa stepped in front of her.
"What are you playing at Trisha?" she questioned.
"Huh?"
"With Randy. You know how hurt Candy is over that asshole Orton, you saw what he did to her. And you're going out on dates with him?" Lisa shook her head as though in disbelief.
"Li, you know that was the bet. I didn't have a choice -…"
"Fuck the stupid bet. Can you honestly stand there and tell me that you are not attracted to Randy Orton. C'mon Trish, look me in the eyes and tell me you're not even the slightest bit interested in Randy." Lisa stared intently into Trish eyes. Standing in silence, Trish shoved her hands deeper into her pockets.
"I don't believe you Trish. I don't know who you're trying to hurt more, Candy or yourself. Just do everyone a favour, and stay away from Orton okay? It's only gonna end in tears otherwise." Shaking her head, Lisa stepped past Trish to the gas pumps. Scowling like she had just been disciplined, Trish threw herself back into the car, slamming the door shut.
Somewhere along the lines, things had gotten fucked up in the Women's lockeroom, and the one name that had a part to play in all the stories, that caused the fights and divisions was Randy Orton.
Why does everyone let him have such power over us? Trish pondered. He's just a guy. Even if I do think he's attractive, that doesn't mean I'm going to sleep with him. And so what if I do? Candice is a big girl, she should be able to get over her shit. It is not my problem. I don't need the permission of anyone for anything.
Pulling the visor down over her eyes, Trish continued to scowl for the remainder of the car trip.