Smackdown: Lily's POV
"Ow," Colby muttered as I gathered all of his hair in my hands. I rolled my eyes.
"That didn't hurt." I scoffed. "You're nearly thirty and you can't put your own hair up?"
"It's always too bumpy when I do it. Ow!"
"Do you want it smooth or not?" I frowned to myself. "Your hair is almost as long as mine, what the hell. Not cool."
"It looks better too." I intentionally pulled his hair. "Ouch, damn it, I was kidding!" I smiled. Colby's locker room door slammed shut and when I looked behind me, Jon was leaning against the wall with an amused glint in his eyes.
"There are just some things you never expect to see in life." He said, clearly enjoying the sight before him. He walked around to stand in front of Colby. "Does she pick out your clothes for you every morning too, tough guy?"
"Nah, man. This mane just needs extra help." He smiled when I finished and ran his hands over his hair. "Thanks, Lil."
"I think Joe wanted you to put his hair up too." Jon joked, looking to me expectantly. I snorted.
"I think I saw scissors laying around here somewhere." I replied, stifling a mischievous smile as I imagined snipping Joe's long locks. Colby was shaking his head as he gathered his ring gear and stepped into the smaller shower room to change.
"So," Jon sat down on the bench Colby had previously been sitting on in front of me. "Know what you're doing out there tonight?" He was so close that his knees were basically touching mine.
"I'm quite sure there's no way I could mess up a run-in." I replied quickly, and maybe a little too defensively. Jon put his hands up.
"Alright, alright, no need to get catty, I believe you. You did a good job last night." I relaxed a bit. Despite the time restraints and the Bellas' lack of cooperation, I was proud of the way my execution with the new finisher looked. It was a badass move, something AJ had suggested I use.
"Thank you." I managed somewhat of a small smile. "Wait, you were watching?"
"We all did. Joe didn't really say much, but he wasn't complaining either. Colby was selling you like a car salesman." I chuckled a little in mild embarrassment and looked down. "I think it worked. I was sold." He stood up, standing maybe a few inches away, and looked into my eyes, his own eyes unwavering. "Although, I was sold a long time ago." A shiver went down my spine and I swallowed.
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked faintly. No, he couldn't possibly have remembered all those years ago, he would have said something back in FCW. He continued to stare down at me before he walked over to his bag casually. It was like he released me from some kind of hold and I didn't have to stand so straight or stiff anymore.
"Like I said, you're a pretty solid worker. I know that, Colby knows that, Joe knows that, but he doesn't like the idea of any woman in the group. You're good, and you know you're good and that's what I like." I watched him closely, something I'm sure he was aware of, because he seemed to peel his shirt off in a deliberate manner. I quickly averted my gaze. "What, am I making you uncomfortable?" It sounded like there was a smirk on his face. When was there not a smirk on his face?
"I'm being polite." I muttered, turning away.
"I don't mind you staring."
"My eyes do." I retorted, and he chuckled, though it still sounded smug.
"Anyways…you may be good," I was staring at the opposite wall, completely blank and boring, when he stepped back into my view, now wearing his vest. "But you can be better." I narrowed my eyes and was about to respond, but he put a finger to my lips. "Shh. Now, the boys and I fly down to Florida every now and then on our off days to use the ring down at NXT for practice, if we feel the need for it. If you want, I can help you out." I grabbed his hand and lowered it away from my mouth.
"Thanks, but I don't think I need your help." I replied. He raised an eyebrow.
"Is that so? Hm. Well, I guess you know best." His eyes slowly trickled down to our hands. I noticed I still had his hand in mine and quickly let go as if his touch had suddenly turned fiery. My cheeks definitely felt hot now, and that was not something I was imagining. His gaze flickered back up to mine before he turned away from me and walked back to his bag for the rest of his ring gear. This was definitely my cue to exit stage right.
"I've got a match. I'll see you guys later." I said as if nothing had happened, though my hand was still tingling.
"Bye!" Colby's voice was the only one I heard as I reached for the door handle, only for it to open on its own when Joe walked in. I stepped out of the way quickly.
"Hi." I forced out, though it sounded as if I were revolted at the sight of trash. He barely offered me a nod as he stepped past me, and I didn't feel so bad. I picked the perfect time to leave the Shield locker room, though, I'm sure the women's locker room wasn't going to be very welcoming either.
Sure enough, I walked into stares from women such as Aksana, Alicia Fox, Layla, and the Bellas. Stares that were capable of making you feel less than worthless as they picked you apart from limb to limb like zombies. If looks could kill, I would have died about 100 times in that locker room. I avoided their death gazes and headed to the corner of the room where AJ and Celeste were. AJ's eyes lit up when she saw me, and she tugged me down on the bench they were sitting once I got closer.
"Alright, we're ready for the secrets! What are they like? What kind of cologne do they use? Do they wear boxers or briefs?"
"AJ!" I hit her in the chest and she gaped at me.
"You know that doesn't hurt her, she has nothing there." Celeste teased, smirking. AJ rolled her eyes.
"Ha-ha, very original. It's hard being a B-cup in a world of C-cups and beyond. Now, tell us what they're like!"
"If you're that interested, talk them for yourself." I told her as I dug through my bag for my ring gear.
"And why would I ever do that when I can live vicariously through you? Besides, they hardly talk to anyone except for their opponents for the night and each other."
"Your brother seems like the friendliest one, but I know next to nothing about the other two." Celeste added in agreement. "They seem nice enough."
"Well, they definitely know how to welcome a girl." I sighed sarcastically and their looks of excitement fell. "Joe doesn't seem to like this whole woman in the Shield thing very much, and Jon isn't unpleasant, but Joe is spiteful enough for three people." I felt as if the blush from earlier was returning to my face as Jon's name came from lips, but they didn't seem to notice.
"At least Colby loves you?" Celeste volunteered sympathetically.
"I wonder what Joe's problem is." AJ pondered out loud.
"We got into it last night. He insulted me for that damn dropkick of mine when I won the title and I…well, I sorta insulted his wrestling capability." AJ sighed at me, looking irritated.
"Well no wonder! Men have very precious egos, Lily."
"Hey, he started it." I mumbled.
"You're not very good at making friends, are you?" Celeste murmured as she eyed the Bellas who were whispering to each other and staring at me in the mirror they were hogging.
"I guess it's not my forte." I looked over at them and felt as though I were back in high school. I wonder how they would react if they were in my coveted position, getting picked apart and criticized by Joe. I was getting hate from my fellow ladies and my new teammate. If only they knew the grass wasn't particularly greener on the other side.
"Never mind them. Let's talk about our match. You and me, let's impress your new team mates." Celeste grinned at me. I smiled, wishing I had been wrestling her last and a bit disappointed that our match tonight would be on Smackdown rather than RAW.
Tonight, I was up against Kaitlyn. I would cheat to win and continue to slaughter her after the bell until Natalya came out to help her. AJ would then come out to help me and we would clear the ring until she turned on me, and I would throw her out of the ring. It was all to make me look like a dominant force.
Later during the main event, I was to make another appearance by running down and helping Jon pick up the win against Randy Orton. Hopefully that would help me get true heel heat.
The match had gone off without a hitch; I was getting booed out of the building by the time I headed up the ramp after it was all said and done. Now, I was standing in between Joe and Colby, the three of us watching Jon in the main event with Randy. It was completely awkward, and I wished my cue would come faster.
"So, Joe, weren't you saying you had something to say?" Colby began slowly, rocking back and forth on his heels.
"I was?" Colby looked annoyed at his response.
"Something to Lily?" He prompted, sending him a pointed glare. I sighed.
"You had a good match." Joe finally told me, sounding slightly reluctant.
"Thank you." I replied back with the same icy polite tone. At least Colby looked appeased. One of the stagehands told me it was time for my interference.
"Break a leg." Joe told me in a monotone voice. He probably meant it. Colby gave my back a slap and I took a breath before rushing out through the curtain. The crowd rushed to stand to their feet and there was a crescendo of a shocked rumble traveling through the mass of them as I ran down the ramp. The referee was down checking on Jon after he fell to an RKO and I jumped onto the apron, starting an argument with Randy. We were getting really into it and really close until I finally slapped him. He looked stunned and then angered before he reached out to grab me. I jumped away from the apron and Jon got a quick roll-up win with the referee counting to three.
Jon quickly slid out of the ring as Randy leaped to his feet incredulously. Both men stood staring at me. I gave both of them a bold smirk and headed back to the back while Jon left through the crowd after we shared a glance.
"Alright, let's get going." Joe said as soon as I returned to them backstage.
"Not very patient, I see…" I mumbled as we walked through the halls.
"We'll meet you at the back door, okay?" Colby told me once they reached their locker room. I gave him a nod and hurried to get my things.
Down the hall I could see Jon approaching, mouth open as he tried catching his breath. He instantly smirked when he saw me.
"Good job; you looked great." He winked.
"You too." I replied, continuing on, though I could feel the smile on my face. I walked into the women's locker, replays of Jon's wink in my head, and caught part of Alicia and Layla's conversation.
"…I don't know, maybe it was just that color of blue but it didn't exactly do her any favors tonight." I looked down; I was wearing blue. Who was I supposed to believe here? They looked up when they heard me walk in and immediately looked down, shutting up. I walked past them silently. They weren't even on the card, who gives a fuck what they think.
I quickly stripped off my ring gear and changed into a pair of sweat pants and a tank top and grabbed my bag, hurrying out of room.
I frowned when I saw them already waiting, including Jon. Damn it, how were they so fast?
"There's our lady." Jon pointed me out. "Who's driving tonight, boys?"
"Not it." Joe said. Jon shook his head and they both looked pointedly at Colby.
"Fine." Colby muttered.
"I call shot-gun." Joe said rather quickly as he caught up to walk beside Colby. He obviously was not ready to break the ice with me yet. I followed behind, Jon walking beside me. We piled into the car and drove to the hotel to get our rooms.
"I'm sorry, but there's only one room left." The front desk lobbyist told us apologetically as we tried checking in. I stopped mid-yawn to gawk at her. Come again?
"One room? There's four of us, ma'am. That obviously wouldn't work, could you please check again?" Colby asked as Joe turned white.
"Well, the room does have two queen-sized beds, and there's a living area with a pull-out mattress." We were going to be here for two more days still. We weren't even together as a group on TV yet, and I was sharing a room with them. At least we weren't all sharing one bed.
"I guess we don't have much of a choice, huh?" Jon asked as the lobbyist handed us the room cards. The room was a fair size, and I was simply too tired to care otherwise.
"How are we going to do this?" Colby said, looking at all of us. I frowned, thinking I was going to get the pull-out mattress. Problem solved. Until I realized that would mean one of the boys would be sharing a bed and I'm fairly certain they'd rather sleep in the car than be that close to each other, brothers or not.
"I can sleep on the floor." I volunteered. Joe looked at me in shock, as if he were surprised I was capable of such generosity.
"No, no. We're not having a woman sleep on the floor and three grown men in beds." Joe protested instantly. At least he was a gentleman?
"Yeah, that's not happening." Colby agreed. "I'll sleep on the floor."
"Nobody's sleeping on floors, we're all grown adults here. It's just a bed." Jon spoke up, making my heart pound. I suddenly felt more awake. "You guys are related, I'm sure you've shared beds before. No big deal." Why did I feel relieved and disappointed again? "Besides, it's not like you'd let her sleep with Joe or me." The blush was back and Jon wasn't even looking at me this time. Colby agreed.
"If you hog the blanket I'm pushing you off." I warned
"Oh, that goes for you too. She used to elbow me all the time when we were younger. She gave me a nose bleed once."
"Ruthless aggression." Jon laughed and Joe shook his head. I dug through my bag for my PJ's and walked towards the bathroom, nearly running into Joe. He gestured with his hand to room.
"You first," He told me. I smiled. So maybe he wasn't quite the "blast" that Colby claimed, but at least he knew his manners. Besides, you know, when he insulted me last night, but I could forgive and forget.
"Cute," Jon commented when I walked out of the room. He was sprawled across the bed, wearing dark sweats and a gray t-shirt. Colby was on our bed, in shorts and a tank top. The lights were already off in the living area, I assumed Joe was eager for some sleep.
"Thanks, they're Colby's." I said, glancing down at my gray short shorts and pink tank top.
"Whatever." He threw a pillow at me. "We should sleep, we have a signing and a TV interview tomorrow. We'll just have to stop by the gym before our flight." Colby yawned, beginning to turn out the lights.
"Sounds good." I crawled underneath the cover and closed my eyes. Twenty minutes later I opened them to stare at the black ceiling. I was exhausted, but the gears in my mind were still turning relentlessly.
I think I had a good match tonight, but was it believable? What if the fans were only booing because I legitimately sucked? Did I look powerful enough? What if I did look fat, what if that running bulldog I hit looked sloppy?
"Col," I whispered, turning to my brother. I tried to peer at his face in the darkness; it seemed like he was looking right at me. "Colby." A snore escaped him, and he rolled onto his other side, away from me. I sighed.
"I'm still awake." I heard a soft voice say, and it didn't belong to Joe unless he was sleeping on the ground between Jon's bed and mine. No, this voice could not belong to anyone other than Jon himself. "Need to talk?" I swallowed and gingerly turned to my side to face him. My eyes had adjusted, and I could see him resting on his elbow, watching me.
"No, I just…I couldn't sleep." I murmured. His eyes were like a portal to the past, and I found myself blinking excessively as if I were staring at the sun.
"Finally. These two have no trouble at all falling asleep at will. If we're driving overnight, I always get stuck at the wheel. I'm the last one to sleep and last one up."
"Why?" He shrugged.
"Don't know. You sure there's nothing on your mind?" There was something, but that something was not something I would be sharing with him.
"I'm good." He continued to stare at me.
"You'll be fine. I can tell you've won Joe over, he's too nice to keep this up. You can only go up from here now that you're with us."
"Thanks." I whispered. Suddenly, he threw the cover back and stood up, grabbing a room key from the night stand and a pack of cigarettes that I didn't notice until now.
"I'll be back. Go to sleep, you need rest." He told me. I listened to the sound of the door opening and clicking shut softly, and shifted to lay on my back. Restless, my mind and body was too restless, this bed was too hot, and I was suddenly too thirsty. Thank goodness Colby is a heavy sleeper, I thought as I slid out of bed and grabbed my wallet. I hoped Joe was the same as I picked my way through the room and slipped out the door. Once out in the dim hallway, I realized I had no choice but to either find Jon, or wake Joe to be let back into the room. Way to go, remember the money but forget the key. Oh well, the balcony for the third floor was right by the snack machines.
At the end of the hallway I expected to see two lone machines, but Jon was at one, a cigarette hanging from his mouth as he eyed the contents through the glass. I walked up silently and put a dollar into the coke machine. "Come here often?" I asked. He rolled his eyes before punching in a number.
"Girls like you dressed like that at this time of the night get kidnapped." He told me, retrieving his bag of peanut M&M's.
"I guess it's a good thing you're here then." I grabbed my water.
"Hm," He said as he opened the door to the small balcony and waited. "You joining me or going back to the room?"
"I forgot my key so I'm stuck with you."
"Don't sound too excited." He spoke in a tone of amusement as I walked out into the cool Canadian air. That air was soon clouded with the smell of smoke, but I ignored that fact and looked down at the distant streets.
"Maybe it's a good thing I'm getting new ring gear." I spoke up. "A few of the other Divas weren't fans of my old attire. Actually, they're not fans of me at all."
"Is that what's bothering you?" He asked me, the cigarette dangling from his mouth. His tone was very unimpressed, and he wore an expression to match.
"No, I mean…I don't know. I guess I just wish we were all mature enough not cut each other down all the time. We already have enough people criticizing us."
"I'm sure it's very difficult being a woman in this business." He murmured. I looked over at him as he put out the cigarette, trying to figure out if he was being sarcastic. "Don't bother with them, they're just jealous. A lot of guys didn't like us too much at first either." He tore open the bag of candy and offered me some. I took some and we stood in silence.
"You know, I keep thinking back to a few years ago..." He broke the silence, glancing over at me. I froze, and my right hand tightened on the water bottle while the left hand nearly crushed the M&M's "...back in FCW." I relaxed.
"Why, you've made it to the WWE now. What the point?"
"Yeah, I know, I know. I guess I'm just more of a looking back kinda guy." He was staring at me, I know he was staring. My face was the subject of his eyes. Don't look at him. Don't look, don't look. I chanted in my head.
"They say it's best to look to the future." I said rigidly, chewing on the M&M's mechanically.
"Who's to say there is a future?" I didn't have an answer. "The past is always gonna be there." His hand brushed against mine as he took my water bottle and drank from it. Yes, you can have a drink, I thought sarcastically but didn't feel any real annoyance. I let myself peek at him.
"We always have the present time." He took the bottle away from his lips and licked them as he screwed the cap back on, eyeing me contemplatively before handing back the water. Finally, he gave me one nod and looked down before letting the empty candy packet float down towards the ground. I watched with him as it was carried away towards the parking lot by the wind.
"That's littering," I said. He looked over at me, a smile growing on his lips.
"Come on, I don't want you brother to have a heart attack if he woke up and saw us both gone." Was his mere answer as he turned to hold the door open for me. We walked silently side by side to the room and heard laughing down the hall. John Cena and Nikki were walking hand in hand, both dressed exceptionally well and looking dapper, most likely coming from a late dinner date. Jon and I looked homeless in comparison.
"Hey, guys!" John greeted us happily, while Nikki wrinkled her nose, undoubtedly smelling the smoke that still clung to our clothes. "Great job tonight! I'm excited to see where this angle goes." I smiled.
"Thanks John. Have a good night." The Jon by my side was biting back an amused smile. "What?" I asked when we were far enough away from the couple's hearing.
"She looked like she wanted to murder you."
"See what I mean! Hey, stop laughing; that's not funny! I don't do anything wrong."
"You're a magnet for hate, kiddo." He teased.
"Well, I wish I wasn't." I sighed. He was shaking his head.
"Wish all you want, you can't change it. You're one of those girls." He stopped at a door. I didn't even notice it was our room.
"What does that mean?" He slid the card into the card slot and only smirked at me, pushing me into the room. I glared at him, waiting expectantly, but he merely brushed past me and climbed into his bed. I climbed in reluctantly next to Colby and quickly looked to Jon. He was laying with his back to me. Of course. I grabbed the extra pillow underneath the one I was resting my head on and threw it at him. "What does that mean?" I hissed, knowing he could hear me.
He tossed the pillow to the ground and looked at me over his shoulder, eyes glinting in the darkness.
"You're just one of those girls." He turned back over, and I realized that was all I was going to get. Great, I was definitely going to be able to sleep tonight.
A big secret is revealed next chapter. Lily experiences one-on-one time with each member and finds out what a day off with the Shield is like. Thanks for reading and supporting this guys, and as always, reviews are very much appreciated! xx