Chapter 80:
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley asked the young brunette woman, looking concerned. "Wouldn't you rather think on it? It's a little…drastic."
"I'm sure." Haley nodded determinedly. "I want a change. I'm getting a change."
"Okay." Stephanie shrugged helplessly and stepped away from her. "She's all yours." She said to the hair stylist who had been standing behind her.
"This is going to be great, don't worry." Chelsea, the hair stylist assured them. "It'll suit the shape of her face and I can punch up the color to really make her stand out."
"Do it." Haley smirked at her reflection in the mirror. "Make me a new woman."
"You got it!" Chelsea gestured toward the shampooing sinks. "Don't worry so much Mrs. Helmsley, she's in good hands."
"I don't really have choice. I'll be in the waiting area." Stephanie said heading over to sitting area and picking up a magazine to skim through.
After an hour of washing, dying and cutting. Haley approached Stephanie with a huge grin on her face. "What do you think?"
Stephanie gaped at her. "It's so different! In a good way though."
Haley's hair which had been golden shade of brunette and fell almost half way down her back had been cut into a layered, sassy bob. The longest layer fell halfway between her chin and shoulder and flipped outward, while the shorter layers curled inward around her face. Her side swept bangs winged over her right eye and all traces of gold were gone. Instead her natural highlights were a rich shade of auburn which really brought out her eyes and skin tone.
"I love it!" Haley agreed brightly. "I love the red and I love the style. It's easy to do and doesn't take long at all. It's going to look great in the new photoshoot you're making me do."
"Well if you're going to change your look, we need to change your promos for your upcoming matches." Stephanie chuckled. "In all seriousness though I was worried, but it looks great!"
"Thanks! " Haley beamed a huge smile. "Think Hunter will recognize me?"
"He better." Stephanie chuckled. "Come on, we've got a schedule to keep."
"You are almost as bad as Hunter, working me to the bone." Haley jokingly complained.
"Suck it up. You're a former Women's Champion and I'm betting you'll soon be one again." Stephanie laughed, waiting while Haley paid Chelsea and tipped her.
"Okay, I'm ready." Haley ran a hand through her now short hair and marveled at the missing inches she used to have. "Let's rock and roll."
SmackDown…
Hunter entered the backstage area and was immediately confronted by Michelle McCool. The All American Diva folded her arms in front of her chest and stared hard at him. "So?"
"So what?" Hunter toyed with her, brushing past the blonde to enter his locker room. He set his gym bag down and began to rifle through it.
"Don't play dumb with me. I know you just flew in from Boston. How is she?" Michelle demanded, following him into the room. "She's not answering her cell phone."
"She's out with Steph. Doing girly things to keep her mind off Randy's idiocy and Dwayne's lying ass." He told her, pulling out one of his patented Triple H t-shirts.
"I knew it!" Michelle scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I knew Dwayne was part of this somehow. He brushed Haley's pain off way too easily for him not to know something. And he was so Team Randy it made me sick!"
Hunter laughed at the Diva's Champion's comments. "Well Dwayne is officially in the doghouse with Haley. And I will deal with him from here."
"You better beat some sense into his skull with your sledgehammer." Michelle muttered darkly. "This is the most fucked up situation I've ever seen and I've seen a lot of fucked up situations in WWE, like the whole Kane/Lita fiasco."
"Michelle, you're too much." Hunter chuckled. "Haley will be fine. She's rehabilitating for her big return and it's safe to say, Randy Orton will not be forgiven for this."
"Has she called Dave?" Michelle asked curiously. "I mean, they're going to get back together right?"
Hunter shrugged. "She hadn't called him while I was with her, but she might have since I left Connecticut. She still loves him and now knows he's done nothing wrong, so I don't see why they wouldn't fix things."
"I'll call her again and see if I can get some info." Michelle started to head out, then paused at the doorway. "Hey Hunter?"
"Yeah?" He looked up at the blonde Diva.
Michelle offered him a small smile. "I'm glad you're taking care of her again. I was worried about her. Now I know she'll put her weight back on and come back better than ever. She needed you."
"She's got me, always." Hunter promised.
"I know." Michelle gave him a parting wave and left the locker room.
Meanwhile…
Randy arrived in Boston in a panicked frenzy. He probably broke twenty different traffic laws on the way to Haley's townhouse and his eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep. He hadn't slept the entire night, having made last minute travel arrangements to Boston. Haley wasn't answering her cell phone and he had to explain. He couldn't lose her like this.
He jogged up the front steps and banged on the front door. "Haley, open up! We've got to talk about this! Please, after everything we've been through, you could at least hear me out!"
The front door opened, but instead of the small, beautiful brunette he was in love with but the hard face of John Cena. "I was hoping you'd show your dumbass face here." The former Champion smirked. "Now I can punch it."
Randy reeled backwards from the force of John's punch to his jaw.
"You're lucky I don't just kill you and get it over with." John said harshly. "I'll leave that for Dave. Get back in your car and get the hell out of here Orton, and stay far away."
Randy rubbed his jaw which he knew was already beginning to bruise. "I need to talk to her John. You can't stop me from doing that."
"Watch me." John stood firm. "You're not getting anywhere near her. Because one, she is no longer in Boston and two, she's with Triple H and he'll be much harder to get past than even I am."
Randy gaped at him, cradling his jaw.
"She'll be back with Dave in a matter of days, Randy. It's over, you're out. You really fucked it up this time and there's no going back." John smirked, retreating into the house. "Get lost." he said before slamming the door behind him.
"It can't be over." Randy murmured. "I won't let it."
In Tampa…
"You've got balls coming here." Dave said in a soft but deadly voice as he opened his front door wider to allow the man on the other side to enter his home.
"Believe me, I know I'm not at the top of the list on people for you to send Christmas cards to, but I need to say something." Dwayne stepped inside, fully aware he was entering the Lion's Den.
"The only reason I'm not killing you right now is out of respect for Haley." Dave closed his front door and fisted his hands. "She might be pissed at you, but she still loves you and would be upset if I broke you into pieces."
"I know. I didn't show you the same courtesy, Batista and I'm sorry. I let my friendship with Randy get in the way of what Haley really wanted, which was you all along." Dwayne sighed heavily. "Six weeks ago, Randy told me everything, the entire plan and I said nothing. In doing so I didn't clear your name and I hurt my girl in a way I never thought I would."
"You're not endearing yourself to me, Johnson." Dave's voice lowered into a dangerous growl.
"I'm not trying to. I know I've got a long road of redemption when it comes to Haley after this. But I want to apologize because you have been true to my girl all along. You've loved her, been loyal and never hurt her the way we have. I was stupid to not have seen it before." Dwayne told him. "If I had known what I know now I would have told her the moment Randy opened his mouth and none of this would have happened."
"What's your point? Besides making me want to punch you?"
"I don't know how to help you right now because she's not speaking to me. But when you do get back together with her, I won't stand in your way ever again. You make her happy and that's what she deserves." He shoved his hands in his pockets. "So go get her."
Dave shook his head in disgust. "I'll work on liking you again when she does." He said, opening his front door, a clear dismissal.
"Can't ask for more than that." Dwayne smiled half-heartedly. "See you around, Dave." He said before walking out.
Dave restrained himself from slamming the door behind him. "Tool."
So Haley's got a makeover, John punched Randy and Dwayne risked his life by apologizing to Dave.
Coming up next, we jump forward to the week before Survivor Series. Has Haley called Dave? What's Randy doing?
Stay Tuned to find out!