CHAPTER NINE
I pass my evaluation and am cleared to wrestle again. "That's great!" Stephanie tells me. "We booked you against Nikki tonight."
I stare at her. "Are you serious?" I ask. "She went off script and attacked me, so you reward her with a match?"
"It's not a reward, but the fans need a resolution to what she did."
"It was only a house show."
"It blew up online because she injured you. We fined her for what she did."
"Why wasn't she suspended?"
"Nikki got caught up in a moment. It wasn't good behavior, but it happens. She's been warned not to do it again."
I want to protest, but I know I won't win. She's Nikki Bella, the face of Total Divas and the entire Divas division. I'm AJ Lee, the wife of the man who abandoned his job and did nothing but cause trouble for the company since. I may be the Divas champion, but I don't matter to Stephanie.
"You'll go over, of course," Stephanie says, like that makes it all okay. "If Nikki goes off script again, she will be punished severely."
I wonder what they consider severe punishment for a Bella. I doubt I'd agree. I decide to stop protesting. Maybe I need this. Maybe beating up Nikki and getting paid for it will make me feel better. "Sounds great," I lie with a forced smile.
When Stephanie lets me leave her office, Colby and Dean are waiting for me. "How did it go?" Colby asks.
"Guess who I'm fighting tonight," I say.
"She didn't..."
"She did."
"I wish I could be in your corner." He looks really worried.
"I'll be okay," I say. "I can handle that bitch."
"Only one of you is any good in the ring, and it ain't her," Dean says.
I stiffen when Nattie and TJ walk by. "Hey, April! How are you feeling?" Nattie asks me warmly.
"Much better," I say.
"How's your head?" TJ asks. He goes to touch the spot I hit and I flinch away. Colby protectively steps between us.
"Great match last night," he tells Nattie. "I was impressed."
"Thanks, Colby!" Nattie says. She's beaming. I suspect being married to TJ means she doesn't hear a lot of compliments.
"Yeah, baby," TJ says. "It was almost as good as mine, am I right?"
Colby rolls his eyes. "Your match was kind of mediocre," Colby says honestly. "You and Claudio beat up a couple of local jobbers. I think it could have been more exciting. No offense, it's just that the girls had a really great match last night. Those jobbers weren't enough of a threat to make an impressive match."
"Don't hold back," Dean says. "Dude, it was lame. Anyone can beat up a couple of eighteen-year-olds who weigh two hundred pounds combined and soaking wet. Claudio's better than that. Maybe you need these warm-up matches, but you're dragging him down." He turns to Nattie. "I'd watch you wrestle over him any day."
I'm trying not to laugh at the outraged expresion on TJ's face when he recovers and turns his attention back to me. "I can't wait to see your match tonight," he tells me. It sounds like a threat and I shrink away. "Nikki works great against you."
"I can't believe Stephanie gave her this match," Nattie says. "Nikki put you in danger." Nattie rarely speaks out against the Bellas. I think it's in the small print of the Total Divas contracts that thou shalt not speak ill of the Bellas if you're a fellow cast member. This is the most she will openly say.
"It's fine," I say. "If Nikki wants a fight, she'll get one."
"That's the spirit!" TJ says.
I really wish he'd stop talking. "We were just leaving," Dean says. He takes my arm and guides me away. "I hate that guy," he tells me. "He's an arrogant scumbag and he treats Nattie like shit. She's the only one with any talent in that marriage."
"Did I go too far insulting him?" Colby asks.
"Nah, man, you were nice. I went too far, and I regret nothing," Dean says.
Rosa walks toward us. "You good to go?" She asks.
"I'm facing Nikki tonight," I confirm.
"I'll be in your corner."
I blink at her. "You're Fandango's valet, not mine."
"Someone has to protect you from that psycho. No one really notices what I do anyway."
"I don't want you to get in trouble."
"Trouble is my middle name, but Paul said it's okay. Fandango has no match tonight and I don't think Paul trusts Nikki to behave any more than I do."
I'm actually relieved. It might be nice to have someone in my corner. "Thanks, Rosa. Really," I say. I hug her.
"Anytime girl."
"Wanna go do Crossfit with me to warm up?" Colby asks.
"Definitely," I say. Working out sounds good. It always helps me calm down and focus.
Dean's phone rings. He checks the text and smiles. "Finally!" He declares.
"What's up?" Colby asks him.
"Joe's cleared. He's probably making a surprise return tonight." Dean and Colby look happier than I've seen either of them in a while.
"Roman Reigms, back in action?" Rosa asks. "Now that'll be a refreshing sight." I'm not sure if Rosa's talking about his wrestling or his body. The mischievous glint in her eyes tells me it's a little bit of both.
"You know he's coming out to beat your ass, right?" Dean asks Colby.
Colby laughs. "Good. I missed that," he replies. "Ask him if he wants to come do Crossfit."
A minute later, it's official. I am about to go work out with the entire former Shield. Rosa invites herself along. As Colby and Dean walk slightly ahead, she whispers, "Miss out on a sexy, sweaty Roman Reigns? Not a chance!" I laugh, but I'm nervous. It isn't that I don't trust Joe, but he can be intimidating and he's the only member of that trio who doesn't know what happened to me. I realize how much I've been relying on Colby and Dean and am suddenly terrified I won't have them around anymore.
The boys embrace like they haven't seen each other in decades. It's kind of adorable watching the reunion. Dean is laughing and talking to Joe rapidly. Joe runs his hand through Colby's hair deliberately messing it up. Dean laughs harder as Colby pouts.
"Jerk," Colby says. He tries to brush it back into place with his fingers, but it's already starting to frizz. Colby's hair gets out-of-control frizzy pretty easily. It's kind of cute, really.
Joe laughs a warm, hearty laugh and says, "I missed you, too."
"Hey, Sexy," Rosa greets him with a flirtatious smile. "Good to see you back!" She hugs Joe and he smiles at me.
"Welcome back," I say awkwardly.
"Thanks," he says. "It's good to be home."
The workout starts and I'm too focused on that to think about anything else. I lose myself in the familiar routine and start to feel better. Even though the boys are staying close together, Colby is right next to me. He keeps looking over to check on me.
"Don't push yourself too hard," he tells me. "It's your first day back." His concern is touching, although I've only been out for a couple of days.
After the workout, we're all starving. We go out to lunch and meet up with Johnny and Josh, better known as Roman's cousins the Usos, and Johnny's wife Trinity, the Diva known as Naomi. I am uncomfortable in the growing crowd, but Colby and Rosa stay close to me and it's hard to be freaked out around the Usos. They bounce off the walls like little kids, and having their cousin back has only made them more hyper.
"We're fighting Miz and Mizdow tonight," Josh is saying.
"Dumbest gimmick ever," Johnny adds.
"What are you talking about, Use?" Josh asks. "Mizdow's great!"
"Yeah, he's better than Miz," Joe says with a laugh.
"I feel bad for Mike," Rosa says. "He's a nice guy, but his character is awful."
"He owns the gimmick, though," Colby says. "He makes people hate him. He's really putting Sandow over. I respect that. It's not easy to be hated."
"You'd know," Johnny says.
"It's okay," Colby says. "That's the business. One of us had to heel turn."
"Shoulda been Dean," Josh says.
"Too obvious," Trinity objects.
"Should I be offended?" Dean asks.
"Joe would have been better," Johnny says. "He was the most babyface of the three."
"Believe that!" Johnny and Josh say in unison, imitating their cousin's catchphrase perfectly.
We're all laughing now, Joe harder than anyone. It's hard to be afraid in this group.
"I heard you're fighting Nikki," Trinity says to me. "Good luck."
"Thanks," I say.
"Kick her ass, okay?"
"I plan to."
"I really hate that bitch." Trinity got fired from Total Divas, so I guess her opinions are allowed to be her own now.
"Don't hold back, Trin," Johnny says with a laugh.
"She's the biggest fake in the industry," Trinity says.
"Like her boobs," Josh adds. I'm laughing harder now.
"I don't know what Cena sees in her," Joe says.
"Ask your buddy the titty master to explain it to you," Josh says with more laughter.
"Hey, don't look at me," Dean says. "I like them real."
"We're all in your corner tonight, girl," Rosa tells me. Whether or not they can all be out there physically, I know it's the truth. I feel less alone.
*Skip...Skip...Skip...LATER*
I skip out to the biggest pop I've gotten in a while. Nikki actually got some boos as she entered before me. Now Rosa is skipping by my side. She holds the ropes for me and I wipe my feet before entering the ring. Rosa stands in my corner and Brie is in Nikki's. The bell rings and I run straight at Nikki. She isn't expecting this and she barely dodges my attack by moving to the right. I bounce off the ropes and crash against her, knocking her down hard.
Nikki screams in anger. I do everything I can think of to let my aggression out. I hit her over and over. Finally, she sees an opening and flips me over. "I'm gonna kill you, you whore," she whispers.
I roll away and get to my feet. She flings me at the ringpost. I stop myself before I hit it. I turn around and run at her. She catches me in mid-air . I lock in the Black Widow. We only have a short time and she is supposed to tap. Nikki struggles against me, refusing to tap. I lock the move in harder until she cries out in actual pain. Finally, Nikki taps. After enjoying that for a moment longer than I'm supposed to, I release her.
Brie helps Nikki out of the ring. Rosa stands by my side as we celebrate my victory. This is a good moment. Nikki tried to steal my win and dominate me, but I fought back. It feels nice to be able to do that against someone at least. This is helping me remember I'm not just some helpless victim for people to pick on.
When we get backstage, Colby immediately pulls me into a tight hug. "That was great!" He says. I smile, glad he's there for this small victory.