Chapter 17:

Haley sighed as she carried her gym bag down the hallway of the men's locker room area. Normally Jericho brought in both of their bags for them, but since the Intercontinental Champion hadn't spoken to his valet in about a week, she assumed they wouldn't be sharing a locker room tonight.

Shirting her bag to the opposite shoulder, Haley looked up and spotted a familiar mass of brunette waves. "Mickie! Hey!" She called to her friend who was lingering in the hallway.

"Haley!" Mickie exclaimed with forced enthusiasm, trying to cover the quick flash of guilt she felt.

"Are you waiting on Cody?" Haley asked pleasantly, although her instincts were burning with suspicion. Mickie wasn't usually hanging around the men's locker room area, even to wait on her boyfriend.

"Cody?" The perky Diva blinked in confusion.

"You know, Cody Rhodes, your boyfriend?" A heavy feeling settled in the stomach of the current Women's Champion.

"Oh!" Mickie nodded, understanding what her friend meant. "Well actually, Cody and I are taking a bit of a break right now."

Haley's eyebrow arched with surprise and intrigue. "Since when?"

"Well, since…" Mickie trailed off, not sure how she should answer.

"Since before Judgment Day?" Haley supplied, her voice growing tighter. "Look Mickie, you know I respect and trust you above most of the people here. But, I have enough drama among my best friends in regards to Jericho. Do you care to tell me what's going on?"

"What do you mean?" Mickie made an attempt at innocent bafflement. Like she didn't know what Haley was referring to.

"Mickie, let's not insult me intelligence or yours." Haley shook her head. "I have no problem with you being friends with John, or hanging out with him for that matter. But, there are a lot of rumors going around here about the two of you. I'm trying to believe the best in both of you. So I need you to be completely honest with me. What's going on with you and John?"

Mickie's eyes widened and darted around nervously. "We're just friends, Haley. That's all. I wouldn't do that to you." She stated rather unconvincingly.

"Hey Mickie!" John came out of his locker room, greeting the shorter of the two women brightly. "Hales." He paled once he recognized the second.

Haley looked between the two and frowned. "Just friends, huh?" She speculated, before walking away.

Somehow, she had a gut feelings that Mickie had just lied to her face. It just didn't sit well with her. She viewed the former Women's Champion as one of her closest friends inside and outside the ring. To think she would go behind Haley's back to start seeing her ex-boyfriend made her feel sick. If Mickie told her to her face, she'd be upset obviously, but probably would eventually get her head around the idea.

She slipped into one of the locker rooms and gave the other room's occupant a baleful look. ""Too much drama."

He chuckled. "And you wonder why I have so few friends."

"I thought it was because you were such an egomaniac." She teased.

He smirked broadly. "That too."

"Thank you for letting me use your locker room tonight, Randy." She moved into a new topic, not liking the current one anymore. "I'm not in the mood to deal with the other Divas tonight."

"Jericho still annoyed with then?" The Legend Killer asked in concern.

"He flipped about me encouraging Dave." She nodded. "I apologized for hurting his feelings, but I won't apologize for rooting for Dave. Jericho didn't fight fair, so I made my choice."

"You burn those bridges." Randy mock cheered.

"You're not helping." She whined.

"Look, you won't be judged by me, Hales. We all know I've burned every bridge I ever built." He pointed out. "You have to do what you think is right. Those who matter will stand by you, those who don't show their true colors."

"When did you get so wise?" She laughed.

"Hey, even though it doesn't show a lot of the time, I do have a lot living upstairs you know." He pretended to be offended.

"Your ego clouds your actions." She informed him with a jesting grin.

"Maybe." He shrugged. "So are you going to tell me what else is bothering you?"

"I'm not really in the mood." She began to pick at the imaginary lint on her Lycra pants. "I'm hoping it's just my paranoia anyway."

"Talk to me, Hales. Who do I need to kick in the head?" He pressed the issue.

"It's nothing like that Randy. It's girl drama more than anything." She brushed his threat off.

"Mickie and Cena." He stated knowingly.

"How did you?" She blinked at him in surprise.

"They're the hottest thing in all the backstage gossip right now." He rolled his eyes. "She's one of your best friends, he's your ex-boyfriend, it's bound to bother you."

"I can deal with rumors. There were rumors about you and I sleeping together before we actually, well, slept together." She smiled at him ruefully. "But, I asked her what was going on, you know. I thought since she's one of my friends she'll respect me enough to tell me the truth. And instead I feel like she just lied to my face."

"Hales, you and Mickie have been tight since Melina launched you from that turnbuckle." Randy reminded her. "She's never lied to you before and never given you reason to believe she would. You know how skewed people's point of views can get around her. Why don't you take her word for it? If it still bothers you, talk to Cena. He'll tell you straight up because he still wants you back."

"You…are asking me to trust someone?" She eyed him in shock. "Who are you and what have you done with Randy Orton?"

"It's still me, Haley." He chuckled. "Just think about it, okay? And talk to Cena about it. Just remember that he's not good enough for you and do not taking his stupid ass back."

She laughed. "You're good for me, Randy."

He winked at her. "Don't I know it."