CHAPTER FOUR
I really love fighting Paige. Saraya and I are really good friends and I think she's amazing in the ring. I trust her, so I figure I'll be okay. She's already in the ring with Alicia Fox when my music starts to play. I skip out and put on a huge smile as the crowd chants, "CM Punk! CM Punk!" It's Chicago. I expected no less. I play my part and try not to show the world what a bad day I'm having.
Skip, skip, skip... Skip, skip, skip...
I take three laps around the ring, giving the crowd my grandest entrance, before I finally enter it. I kiss my beloved championship belt and hand it to the ref with a pout, then turn the crazy eyes toward Saraya. The bell rings.
Its going perfectly. I get hits in, Saraya gets hits in, and we counter each other at every move. Alicia comes in to distract me. I hit her hard and knock her out of the ring. Saraya sneaks up on me, grabs me, and executes a perfect Paige Turner.
Saraya makes a pin attempt. Out of nowhere, I panic. For a split second, I can't focus. I'm back in the hotel room. I'm pinned and helpless.
"April?" Saraya's right by my face, her mouth on my ear. She's switched her move into a submission because I'm supposed to go over but I didn't kick out. "Are you okay?" She's whispering between taunting me loudly for the crowd. I shake my head slightly. She understands. She loosens her hold. I somehow focus enough to reverse it. I shift and she gets into the perfect position for me to pull off the shining wizard. I do, and then I pin her. The crowd loves it. Saraya curses her head off and attacks Alicia, but we are all interrupted by music we know.
Not tonight, I think. Please, not tonight.
Kane comes out, and Corporate or not, he's still pretty intimidating. Alicia screams and runs off. Apparently, she knew about the script change. I think Saraya did, too, because she starts to leave, but she sees my face and hesitates. Storyline wise, Paige would run. Saraya, however, is worried about me. I nod at her. I don't want her to go, but I know she has to. I love the girl to death, but our characters are no longer Frienemies. We can't break character on RAW. It's live. We can both get fired for that.
Saraya is gone and Kane laughs at me. "AJ, AJ, AJ, what a great match," he taunts.
It's just Glenn, I tell myself. He's only playing a character. He wouldn't really hurt you.
"Thanks," I say cooly. I have no script to work off of, but I'm a professional. I can play my part and I know Glenn will lead me where I'm supposed to go. I start to try to skip away. Glenn grabs my arm and suddenly, my panic is worse than ever. I'm trapped. He's going to hurt me. I can't breathe.
I'm breaking down on live television. I'm hyperventilating. Suddenly, familiar music plays and the crowd goes insane.
Dean, I register. He's the only one who gets that kind of pop just for breathing.
He's doing more than that, though. He's running in super fast and suddenly, he's beating the crap out of Glenn. Glenn does the only thing a heel can do when someone goes off script and attacks them. He fights back but quickly flees.
I look at Dean. His eyes are wild, but I see the concern beneath them as he looks at me. He gives me a brief nod of acknowledgement before running off. I know he doesn't want to leave me, but he can't break character by caring too much and he certainly can't help me backstage. The fans would read way too much into that.
I'm shaking too much to stand. Of all the weirdness, it's Rosa Mendez who goes off script and comes to my side. She offers me a hand. Her eyes are filled with concern and understanding. She helps me up and whispers, "Just follow my lead." She links her arm through mine and starts to skip. My music plays as we skip away. I am so confused.
When we get backstage, I can hear Paul, as in Triple H, screaming at Dean. "What the hell was that?" Paul demands.
"The script sucked, so I fixed it," Dean says with a shrug.
There is more yelling, but Rosa says, "Uh-uh," and leads me the other way. When we are alone, she sits me down. "So, what is it, Girl?" She asks me.
"Huh?" I ask.
"Your poison. You're too steady for booze, but I know a bad trip when I see one."
"What? Rosa, no, I'm not-"
"It's okay, AJ. I've been there. I get it. Let me help."
"I appreciate it, but I'm not on drugs."
Rosa looks skeptical. "Then what happened?" She asks.
"I'm having a bad day," I say. That's got to be the understatement of the century.
"You can talk to me."
I can't, though. I hardly know Rosa. I can't even talk to Phil about it. "Thanks. I'll be okay. They just changed the script without telling me and I froze."
She nods. I can tell she wants to keep pushing, but she stops herself.
I go back outside after Rosa makes me drink some water. Colby sees me and calls me over. "Are you okay?" He asks me. "I was going to go out myself, but Dean stopped me and reminded me that Seth Rollins can't just attack Kane, being part of the Authority and all. He insisted he do it, because no one thinks twice when Dean Ambrose does something random and crazy."
"I heard Paul yelling at him... Is he getting fired over this?"
"Fired? No way. He's the most popular superstar here right now. He knows he can pretty much do anything he wants and get away with it. They slapped him with a fine and a stern warning not to do it again."
"Oh God... I'll pay it. Tell Dean I'm sorry and thank him for me."
"Thank me yourself, and don't you dare apologize," Dean says, joining us.
"You got in trouble for me," I say.
"No big. I get in trouble for lots of reasons. If they wanted someone who never goes nuts and never goes against their crappy writing, they shouldn't have hired Jon Moxley. Besides, I'm clearly labeled." He points to his t-shirt, which of course says unstable. For some reason, this makes me laugh. Soon I'm laughing so hard, I collapse against Colby's chest, still looking at Dean.
"Thanks," I tell him. "For saving me and for making me laugh."
"If I knew they changed the script, I would have warned you," Colby tells me.
"I know," I say. "I trust you."
"Glenn said they wanted your reaction to be authentic, so they didn't tell you," Dean says. "I don't know what reaction they wanted, but it was definitely authentic."
"I meant it about paying the fine."
"Nope."
"What do you mean, 'nope?' You got fined for having my back. I should pay it, not you."
"Money means shit to me, April. I never had it, so as long as I can pay for a roof over my head, it's a step up. Besides, it was my idea. You didn't ask me to do it."
"Thanks."
"Quit thanking me. It was no big deal."
"It was a big deal, to me, anyway." I kiss him on his cheek.
Colby looks into my eyes. "We still have our match tonight, but I can stay with you until then," he says.
"I don't need a babysitter," I say gently. "I think I'm just gonna head home."
"If you wait until after RAW, I can take you and make sure you get there safe..."
"I'll be okay. I'll take a cab." I'm not sure about the being okay part, but I hate having people worry about me.
I force myself to smile as I give them both a hug. Dean isn't big on hugs, but he doesn't try to stop me. "Good luck with your match."
"Text me when you get home?" Colby asks.
"Sure," I promise. I walk away and find someone from security. They call my cab. I'm exhausted. All I want is to go home to my husband and fall asleep in his arms. Phil's arms have always been my safe place.
I get there and text Colby. Then I go inside. I expect Phil to be happy to see me, but he looks furious.
"What the hell happened today?" He demands.
"What?" I ask. I am totally lost.
"Justin Gabriel fucking called me today, April."
"...And?"
"He says Tyson is running around telling everyone you two slept together!"
And just like that, I am broken. The wind is knocked out of me. There is no way he could be bragging about what he did to me! Right?
"Phil-" I say. I'm near tears.
"April, how could you?"
"Wait... Are you serious? You believe him?" I am both devastated and furious. How could Phil believe I cheated on him? He hasn't even asked me if it's true.
"Well... Justin is a friend. He wouldn't lie to me."
"No, but did it occur to you that TJ might have lied to him? I'm your wife! Why is it so easy for you to believe I'd lie to you?" I'm broken. I'm alone. But I'm not his punching bag, and I am not about to let him treat me like this.
He realizes he went too far. "I'm sorry... It's just, where were you all day? I was worried."
"I went to see Nattie. She wasn't there, but TJ was. I didn't go over there to..." I shudder, then re-embrace my anger. "Since she wasn't there, I went to see two other co-workers. Do you need a full account of every step we took and every word we said, Phil?"
"Baby, you know I love you. It's just, you were so pissed when you left, I wondered if you did something crazy to get back at me."
"Like fuck my friend's husband? if that's who you think I am, you can go to hell!"
"April, I didn't mean it..."
"You know what? I had a really bad day and all I wanted was to come home to you, but that's not how I feel now."
"What happened?"
"Watch RAW, Phil... And see what your choices are doing to me."
"What do you mean?"
"They changed the script and didn't tell me. They sent Kane after me!"
"Did he touch you? I'll kill him-"
"No. I panicked. Dean came out and scared him away when he realized I freaked out, and of all people, Rosa came and got me out of there." I laugh because it's all so ridiculous. "She thought I was high."
Now Phil is laughing, too. He looks at me. "The wife of the Straightedge Poster Boy, stoned? Scandelous!" He pauses. "I'm sorry, April. I'm a real dickhead sometimes."
"Yeah, you really are." I'm still mad, but I need him more than I want to hate him right now.
"I love you," he says. He is actually finally sorry and I see that.
"I love you, too."
He reaches for me and I flinch. "Babe?" He asks. It's a loaded question.
"Sorry," I say.
"April, what really happened today?" Phil knows me. He can tell how scared I am.
"The script change threw me," I say. It's not a total lie. "You know how much Kane freaks everyone out."
"He wouldn't hurt you, April. It's just a storyline."
"They're so mad at you, Phil... I don't know that they wouldn't script it so that he had to."
"But... WWE doesn't allow guys to hit girls anymore."
"Tell that to any valet who gets in the way. Hell, look how many times Nattie's been literally thrown between her husband and whoever he's fighting that day. There are ways around that policy."
"I'm sorry, April. I never meant for my issues with the company to put you at risk. I'm calling Paul. This isn't okay."
I grab his arm. "Tomorrow," I say. "Tonight, just hold me?"
The desperation must be in my eyes. He nods and wraps me in his arms. I finally feel safe. I may have my issues with Phil right now, but I love him, and I know he won't let the monsters get me.