So game plan was to update Sunday or Monday, but today this story hit the 200 review mark :D YEAH! So out of my appreciation and to show my gratitude to all of my darling, avid readers, especially those of you who review, here is another update...can't believe this story is up to 45 chapters already, but it's going to keep moving because there's plenty of good stuff to come :)
This chapter marks Gabby's first day at Wrestlemania and I'm kicking it off with the press conferance...also in this chapter I chose to incorporate a song to push the point across...I picked Kelly Clarkson's "Cry" (though I prefer Lea Michelle's version...she's Rachel Berry from Glee in case you didn't know)...anyway, I hope you enjoy and thanks again for helping me hit such a milestone :)
Gabby and Josh made it just in time to get to the press conference and she was relieved to see two seats in the back far away from the talent, especially one in particular. Gabby adjusted her sunglasses as she prepared to multi-task with both her flip cam and notebook. She had a plan, one that hadn't failed her yet, and she hoped she didn't get side tracked by certain sunflower giving superstars throwing her for a loop. She needed to focus, get in the zone, remind herself that her future relied on the success of this piece.
Gabby took a deep breath as Michael Cole took the podium dressed in a suit and even though she couldn't stand him, she felt bad he had to wear so much despite the hot Georgia sun that was beating down causing him to dab at beads of sweat forming on his forehead. After going on for what Gabby felt was too long, he introduced the mayor of Atlanta, who made his speech short and sweet, getting the point across that he was both grateful and excited for the opportunity for Atlanta to host Wrestlemania. After proclaiming April 3-7 as Wrestlemania week in the city, he presented Paul Levesque with a shiny plaque to commemorate the occasion. After more speeches from Paul, Vince McMahon, some WWE divas and other random superstars, Gabby found herself starting to become dazed and not paying as close attention as she probably should have, but that all changed when she heard Michael Cole mention "The Best in the World" and she knew that pertained to only one person.
Gabby felt a hot flash take over as she heard the opening lines of Living Colour's "Cult of Personality" and felt the need to look anywhere but the podium, however that would hinder the job she was there to do, so she sucked it up preparing herself. Keep cool Gabby…on the upside you have a perfect view of him, where I'm sure he can't see you… Calming herself she couldn't help but smirk at his attire; never one to fall in line with the company policies, Punk had ditched the idea of wearing a suit instead paying omage to his best friend Colt wearing a 'Colt of Personality' shirt, a pair of jeans and sneakers. Gabby sighed to herself as she bit her lip. She hadn't seen him in person in three months, but he looked as good as ever. I should have known he wouldn't fall apart and gain 100 pounds…of course not that would have made me feel better…
The upside of Punk's appearance was that his jokes and friendly banter rejuvenated the mostly boring press conference and Gabby found herself being captivated by him, but she reminded herself to stay focused and in control. Looking back in the direction of the podium, she noticed his long pause as he stared in her direction making Gabby realize instantly that he was staring at her.
Punk was doing the same song and dance trying to revive the boring press conference with some corny jokes and offers to remove his shirt, which received a few reactions from the ladies. For the most part he was just warming up discussing his triple threat match against The Rock and John Cena when he spotted the person he'd been looking for sitting in one of the last rows and it caught him off guard. He paused for a minute not wanting to focus on anything but Gabby before realizing he was still standing front and center, flash bulbs going off in every direction. Feeling the need to recover, he quickly smiled and muttered a few random sentences about how great it was to be in Atlanta before bidding the media farewell and leaving Michael Cole to take back the role of boredom.
Exiting the stage, Celeste greeted him with a bottle of water before rambling on about where he was expected when, but he didn't hear anything she'd said. He was too focused on Gabby and trying to figure out a way to escape so that he could possibly talk to her, see if she'd gotten his flowers and get her thoughts on them. However as he took off for her direction, he managed to run into Dwayne, who just so happened to be his least favorite person in the world. The two glared at each other, Dwayne raising his eyebrow getting a smirk from Punk in return. He didn't have time for 'Mr. Hollywood' and really didn't understand why he was back to main event Wrestlemania for the second year in a row. He'd had his time, he'd seen his prime, but he refused to step out of the limelight and let someone else take a shot. Before they could come to blows or even exchange words, Celeste grabbed Punk's arm pulling him away from the impending confrontation, but pulling him in the opposite direction from where Gabby was. He sighed as she looped her arm through his to give her the momentum to pull him away, but gave in knowing there was probably something urgent he was needed for.
Sure enough off to the side stood Scott Stanford who proceeded to ask him fan questions, most of which Punk found stupid, but it was his job. By the time he had finished, he moved once more to find Gabby, but found that the press conference had ended and most of the reporters had left. He looked for the brunette with the pink shirt, but didn't have much luck finding her. He sighed heading back to the green room so that he could prep for one-on-one interviews, realizing that his mood had been lifted. He'd seen her, just as he thought he might, and she had some how found a way to look better then she ever had before. Even though Punk was determined to say and do anything to get Gabby back, he was trying his best to stay out of her way and keep his focus on his match, but with her looking the way she did, it was going to be harder then planned.
Gabby left the press conference a few minutes early to go find Adam. She walked with her head held high as if she didn't have a bother in the world, but that was perhaps the biggest lie ever. Punk had literally stopped speaking and stared at her for what seemed like several minutes, what did that even mean? Nothing shut that man up, he would talk with his mouth full if he felt what he had to say was important. Gabby rubbed the back of her neck and took a deep breath feeling some relief when she saw her brother, but then realized he was talking to Kofi of all people…Oh this is just fantastic, way to go Adam, talk to my exes best buddy! Gabby took a minute to compose herself and approached them both with a big smile.
If anyone asks
I'll tell them we both just moved on
When people all stare
I'll pretend that I don't hear them talk
Kofi noticed Adam wave at someone and turned to see Gabby approaching them. He hadn't seen her in months, and despite the change in her hairstyle, she looked exactly the same. Punk never really said what happened between the two of them, though he spent plenty of time moping over her, but he never took Kofi's advice to seek her out and talk things through. Gabby walked up and greeted Kofi with a hug and a polite kiss on the cheek. They'd basically been roommates when she traveled with Punk and he'd missed breaking up their late night phone calls as well as the friendly banter they engaged in that helped make the hours pass on a long road trip.
"Gabby, how are you? You look good…I almost didn't recognize you with the new hairdo though." Gabby gave him another polite smile.
"Hello to you too…I didn't think Adam still had friends, but I see I was mistaken. I'm doing well, Atlanta has welcomed me with open arms, it's been a nice change."
"That's great to hear, you deserve to be happy." Gabby was trying to be nice, but deep down she really wanted to walk away. Everything got worse as Adam excused himself to catch up with Beth. Damnit Adam! He's so getting kicking in the shin later… Kofi was quiet for a minute wanting to ask the young woman a personal question, but seeing he didn't know much about the situation, he was hesitant. "So, uhh, does Punk know you're here?"
Gabby pushed her hair behind her ear and simply nodded. It was awkward enough to talk to her exes best friend, but even worse that her ex had now been brought into the situation. What came next though Gabby didn't know how to answer. "What exactly happened with you two?" Punk hadn't told him…his road buddy of over five years and he hadn't told him what happened.
"Umm…" Gabby hesitated wondering if she should answer, or better yet what she should say, "We were just pulled in two different directions and everything fell apart…it was mutual…" Now Gabby really wanted to get the hell away from this conversation, noticing other superstars she had met backstage taking notice of her and whispering to others. Gabby closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Anyway, it was great seeing you Kofi, but I need to find my photographer and get this Axxess thing underway…see you around." Gabby quickly turned and headed the direction she had came wanting to get as far away from everything as possible.
Whenever I see you I'll swallow my pride and bite my tongue
Pretend I'm okay with it all
Act like there's nothing wrong
Gabby was walking with her head down not paying much attention to where she was going when she heard her name being yelled in the distance. She looked up and saw Punk about twenty feet away pushing through people to get to her. Gabby stopped and took a deep breath. Thinking quick on her toes she smiled, waved and pointed to her watch before picking up her pace and going to find Josh. She felt like the day couldn't end soon enough as she felt a tear threaten to fall; regardless how she was feeling on the inside, the day was just getting started. Gabby forced herself to suck it up and carry on, she could cry over him later, but for now she needed to be strong.
Is it over yet
Can I open my eyes
Is this as hard as it gets
Is this what it feels like to really cry
Cry
Gabby managed to get through Axxess and join Josh for lunch. Despite his earlier immaturity over his excitement for meeting WWE Superstars, he was actually a pretty decent guy. Granted Gabby wasn't anywhere close to being ready to date, she was pretty sure she'd need another three months if not longer before she even thought about that. Right now her big focus was her career and finding a way to get through Wrestlemania week.
If anyone asks
I'll tell them we just grew apart
What do I care if they believe me or not
Whenever I feel your memory is breaking my heart
I'll pretend I'm okay with it all
Act like there's nothing wrong
The day was almost over, all Gabby had left to do was her one-on-one interview with John Cena and her last minute stop at Axxess; she'd survived, barely, but she was almost through day one. Gabby was meeting John for dinner, which seemed really weird for her, but seeing his schedule had been ten times crazier then hers, she didn't mind his multi-tasking of eating and doing press. Plus seeing her own stomach was starting to growl, she really didn't mind.
Gabby took a seat in a back booth at a quiet diner and prepped her tape recorder and notes while she waited for his arrival. She'd only briefly met John in passing, so she didn't know much about him even though he and Adam were close friends; when they had spoke on the phone he had told her Adam was one of his backstage mentors. Gabby had just turned on her phone checking through her messages when she felt someone staring at her and noticed John standing before her. Feeling extremely flustered by his good looks and her lack of professionalism seeing she was messing around with her phone, she quickly stowed it back in her bag and gave John a polite smile before standing to extend her hand.
"Mr. Cena, it's a pleasure to meet you again…my apologies for not paying attention."
"It's not a big deal Gabby, and please call me John. We've both had a long day, so let's have a bite to eat and chat." Gabby nodded before taking her place back in the booth.
"Okay, so this is just the typical question, answer type interview, but I like to make it comfortable and conversational. I'm not only looking to get answers to my questions, but I'm looking to get to know you a little better."
"Sounds reasonable to me…it's kind of crazy that we haven't really met before now. I mean between Adam and Punk, who I consider close friends, I should know you pretty well. How exactly did we miss out on meeting each other?" Gabby shrugged her shoulders because honestly she wasn't aware of the reason either, she also didn't realize he and Punk were close friends. Granted Punk always seemed to be friendly with him, but they hardly seemed to be besties.
"I didn't really frequent the live events with Adam because I was in school at that point, but I don't know how I missed meeting you with Punk…" Gabby got quiet as she decided to turn the focus away from her brother and her ex, instead focusing on food…yes food was just what she needed, but John Cena, ever the boy scout, just wasn't satisfied.
"Well I think at some point this week you should come out with us…"
"Us?"
"Yeah, there's a big group of us. We usually do dinner, maybe a night club, but Punk usually ditches us. He's not a big nightclub guy…" Gabby managed to smile a little remembering the night he'd surprised her by taking her to The Underground and pouting until he agreed to dance. That thought was followed by the immediate one of their first night together…it made Gabby regret even thinking about it as she felt a dull ache in her chest.
"While I appreciate the invitation, it would be unprofessional. I'm here to do my job first and foremost."
"Oh come on Gabby, let your hair down…besides you can't leave Punk hanging." Gabby was becoming irritated at John's constant mention of her ex, so much so she wanted to say to hell with the interview, but seeing John Cena was the face of the company, she needed him for this feature.
"Why are you so concerned about Punk? Do you have a crush on him or something?"
"Haha, very funny…no, we're just buddies, but I know he's missed you since you moved to Atlanta."
"While that might be the case, I won't be going out with you or your collegues. Mr. Brooks can speak to me himself about his current feelings, but I'm fine. Our break-up was mutual, we just grew apart with all the traveling and decided being apart was best for both us and our careers." John raised an eyebrow at Gabby and she could tell he was questioning her explanation, but she didn't care. All she cared about was getting through this week with her heart in tact and her reputation unharmed.
I'm talking in circles
I'm lying, they know it
Why won't this just all go away
Despite the tension over their pre-interview conversation, the interview went well. John seemed pleased that Gabby had done her research and gone beyond questions about his career taking time to focus on his charity work, especially with Make A Wish. When the interview ended, Gabby gathered up her things and John walked her to her car.
"You look exhausted, are you sure you don't want me to call Adam to come get you." Gabby smirked at John while shaking her head.
"No thanks, I'm fine really…it's all in a days work! Besides I'm not even going home, instead I'm heading back to Axxess to cover the WWE '13 tournament. I figured it would be nice to have an angle on the charity work that various superstars do, show that you guys aren't just about body slamming people for a living." John laughed while adjusting his hat.
"Well I'm happy to hear someone sees that and you're willing to put it out there. About earlier and the stuff I mentioned about Punk, I don't know what happened with you two, but I can tell you he's torn up about it. Granted this is none of my business…" Gabby interrupted him putting her hand up.
"You're right it's not any of your business, but what Punk and I had is a thing of the past. We've both moved on…anyway if you'll excuse me I have a job to do, but thanks for dinner and the interview Mr. Cena, I appreciate it." Before John could say anything else she was in her car backing out of the parking lot.
Is it over yet
Can I open my eyes
Is this as hard as it gets
Is this what it feels like to really cry
Cry
Gabby finished her Axxess coverage just after 10, and she was looking forward to going home, not that she'd be able to rest because she had a days worth of notes and footage to go over, plus Josh was uploading and e-mailing her pictures to go through. She was beginning to think taking on Wrestlemania week was a mistake; it was a long week, a lot of work and having to dodge questions about her ex wasn't helping her stress level. All Gabby wanted was to do her job and do it well, but as she sat down on her bed the tears started to flow and she felt herself crying harder then she had the day he left her at the airport, causing her to become frustrated and angry. Just when she was starting to move on, not think about him at every minute, Punk had to come crashing back into her life in the biggest way he possibly could, thus taking over her thoughts and dreams in the process.
Chapter 46 preview: It's finally Saturday, the day Gabby has been dreading all week...Will Punk get to her before the interview?