A couple days later, the company arrived in Atlanta for Smackdown.
Scott approached Reves in catering and stood beside her. He pretended to be preoccupied with selecting fruit when he spoke the her in a hushed tone, stealing a sideways glance. "How ya doin' Chica?"
"Better now," she half smiled. She could feel the heat in her cheeks and she absolutely hated it. Even she didn't know if her reply was to be taken that she was better from her condition a couple days ago or better because of his presence. Somehow, he was looking at her not quite the same and it made her uneasy.
"Uh, this is going to sound strange," he lowered his voice even more. "Since we finish up early, I was wondering if, I dunno, do you wanna catch a movie or something?" He actually seemed somewhat nervous and unsure, which was quite the contrary of his cock-sure, macho attitude. "That is, if you can escape the prison warden." Scott glanced in Mark's general direction but didn't cast his eyes on him.
"Um, okay," Reves said, a little stunned. She wasn't sure how else to react. Then she abruptly turned away and walked back to the table, both of them knowing they have been in each other's presence far too long in front of prying eyes. Fortunate for her, Mark was too preoccupied listening to (and rolling his eyes) some rookie from the Tough Enough competition, whining about being hazed by Bradshaw.
Reves watched the jobber. Congratulations, she wanted to say, you just flushed your career down the toilet. She looked at her father's face. It had the telltale expression that said he wanted to slap the bitch out of this kid and tell him to get out of his sight. He didn't mainly for the sake of Heather, whom was sitting at the table, listening to the rookie recount his trauma with baited breath.
Once the career suicidal jobber got out of the way, Reves asked, "Dad, can I go back to the hotel?"
Mark narrowed his eyes and glared at her suspiciously. "For what?"
"I don't feel very good," she said attempting to sound innocent, but sounded more defensive.
"You don't feel good?" He wanted to ask her how she thought he felt after all the shit he went through on a daily basis. Instead he asked, "What the hell's the matter?"
"I'm surfing the crimson wave," she said dryly.
Mark groaned. "What the hell are you takin' about, girl?" He paused, hoping he was wrong about her meaning 'the monthlies.'
"Yes, Dad," Reves replied with an air of annoyance. "I am a mature young woman and I am having a period," she lied. Her voice carried in the air and half the catering area looked at her.
Mark sighed. He hated talking about this. Hell, he didn't understand why they got so damn moody and somehow, they were always in pain. It was just awkward and her really didn't want to have this conversation. That had been Sara's department, but when they were on the road as much as they were, it was inevitable. Still, he wanted to cut the conversation short. "Alright fine. I'll send you in a cab." Reves was already standing up before Mark even finished. "Heather, you want to look after her?" Mark asked, nodding towards his younger daughter.
"I'm not a kid, Dad. I can handle myself," Reves grimaced. "Stay Heather. Don't let me spoil anything for you."
"I'm not that interested in staying at any rate," Heather countered sweetly.
Reves knew she would say that. Damn it. Couldn't she ever do anything on her own? Heather was always ruining her plans. Instead of arguing, she began striding away, masking her annoyance.
Seeing the girls off, Mark shut the door for them before telling them not to leave the room. He paid the driver in advance and the man pulled off heading towards the hotel.
Heather turned to look at her sister with a curious expression painting her face. "Are you upset?" she asked in an innocent, hushed voice.
"Yes," Reves replied shortly, staring out the window.
"I'm sorry you are not feeling well," Heather told her, and her misplaced concern only exacerbated the mood Reves was in.
"I feel just fine," Reves finally admitted though gritted teeth.
"Then what reason did you tell Dad that for?" Heather stared at her, quizzically.
"Because, damn, I just want to get away from everyone breathing down my neck all the time okay!" Reves barked at her.
"Oh," was the only other word Heather whispered. She lowered her head and maintained silence the remainder of the ride.
It wasn't but a couple of minutes later that they arrived back at the hotel. They thanked the cab driver and headed to their room.
Reves waited impatiently for the time that Scott would be through. "When that time came, she stood slowly. "I'm going to get a soda," she said.
"We're not supposed to leave," Heather began, receiving an eyeroll from Reves, "but, I suppose it wouldn't do any harm to get a drink," Heather continued, raising from the chair where she sat.
Reves bit her lip in frustration. "What are you doing?"
Heather's innocent eyes stared at her, perplexed. "I am going with you to get a drink."
"No! Reves finally snapped like a rubber band pulled too taunt. "Don't you understand, I'm trying to get away from you?"
From the shocked and pained expression painting Heather's face, one would think her sister had just driven a stake through her heart. That was certainly the emotion state that her sister's cutting words rendered her. "I'm sorry," she atoned in a muffed squeak, her lovely emerald eyes misting over.
"Don't start," Reves scoffed, pushing down her guilt as she grabbed her bag. She needed to get out of there before her sister's melancholy eyes got the better of her.
Heather watched her swing the bag over her shoulder. "So, where are you go?" she asked, wiping tears away.
"So, you can tell on me to Dad?"
"No," Heather's voice was muted and nonconfrontational. Her eyes fell to the floor.
"I'm going to see a friend, because, you know, I actually want to live my life, not just rot in these hotel rooms. Have fun." Reves wiggled her fingers in a taunting wave before shutting the door behind her, leaving her sister standing in the middle of the room in disbelief.
A fresh wave of tears had sprang from the girl's eyes. Whatever possessed her sister to behave in this manner? They had been inseparable as children, now her own sister was treating her as if she was some sort of leper. Heather laid down on the bed, her tears soaking the pillow.
After about thirty minutes of crying, Heather sat up and took a deep breath. She couldn't cry anymore as a dull aching was starting in her skull. Perhaps her sister would come to discover just how much of a loser she really was. Without another thought, she grabbed her cell phone and dialed Amy's number.
Heather stood fidgeting and rocking back and forth as they waited in the long line outside what was supposed to be one of the hottest clubs in the city. Goodness, she couldn't do this. What was she thinking when she told Amy she wanted to utilize that forged identification Jeff had made? She hugged her body, apprehensively.
"You look awesome," Amy told her. "Stop acting so nervous. You'll give yourself away," she chided gently as she pushed Heather's arms down at her side.
Heather glanced down at her clothing. She was wearing a plaid dress with a pair of Chucks. She wasn't sure if this was appropriate attire. Bar a bikini top and hot pants, it would make do. She rarely wore make-up, but concluded if she were pushing her transgressions to this level, she may as well go all the way for the sake of it. It may aid her in appearing older at any rate.
Heather scolded herself for her thoughts as her stomach tightened in knots. Her mind filled with vivid imagery of what her father would do to her if he knew she were standing here now, poised to present this unknown bouncer with the faux ID. He would lock her in a room with no windows and throw away the key. She wished she could run from this impulsive decision.
"Heather, lets' move up," Matt said gingerly pushing her forward.
There were only a few people in front of them now. Heather could feel her palms growing sweaty as her heart was drumming in her chest. As a group of rowdy girls was granted access, the quartet stepped forward. Heather swallowed the lump in her throat. She fought the urge to vomit as she slowly handed the forged ID to the stout, bald-headed bouncer. He studied the image on the card meticulously, looked to Heather, then back to the card again. Heather stood frozen with baited breath for what was a few agonizing moments, yet it seemed an eternity. Finally, the burly man simply nodded and returned the ID to her. Heather accepted it in such shock she had to be led forward by Amy and Jeff. As they passed the guard, Jeff hugged her from behind and exclaimed, "You made it!"
Remaining in disbelief, Heather simply nodded. What if that man realized she wasn't of age and came after her to give her the boot? Would they contact her father? The police?
The worry was still evident on her face when Amy took her hand, "Will you calm down? You're in."
"O-okay," Heather replied in a shaky voice. She could already hear the noise drifting from inside as they paid the cover charge. They entered the vicinity and Heather's senses were assaulted by the luminescent strobing lights, the vulgar music that was thumping the gigantic speakers at the DJ booth, the pungent sent of sweat and cigarettes wafting threw the air. She quickly noticed the stuffy atmosphere and the heat from the congregation of so many bodies.
Heather looked at the three of them. "I'm not so sure about this," she stated hesitantly as she stared out to the sea of people, then back to her friends.
"Don't be silly. You've made it this far. You want to leave now?" Matt teased.
They found an empty table and Heather, Amy and Matt sat down while Jeff went to get some drinks. "It's still soda for you," Jeff stated pointing a finger at Heather. She nodded and that was perfectly agreeable to her. If her sister's condition from the prior day was any indication, she didn't care to ever partake. A few minutes later, Jeff returned with the drinks and a can of Coke for Heather.
Kevin sat at the bar knocking back his first beer, already out of patience. Why the hell did she want to meet at this lame ass club anyway he thought to himself. He was waiting for a woman named Scarlett. Woman was a loose term here. Really, she was a well know rat that had been on scene since the mid-90s after she had turned eighteen. Despite that, Kev had never hooked up with her until just a couple years ago when he was going through his divorce. Normally, she was Scott's lay, but since he was preoccupied with that obnoxious Calaway girl, he was MIA.
"Man, I fucking hate that chick," Kid said randomly, pulling Nash from his thoughts.
Kevin looked at his friend sitting beside him. "That's because she made fun of your dick that last time you fucked her," Kev smirked.
"Yeah! Who the fuck does that?" Kid exclaimed. "Just because she's like throwing a hotdog down a hallway doesn't mean she has to call me small."
"Brother, we don't call her Scarlett the Harlot for nothing," Nash shrugged as his hazel eyes scanned the vicinity. Damn, where the fuck was she?
"I would really rather not," Heather protested as Amy was trying to coerce her out onto the dance floor. "It isn't dignified."
"Heather, don't be silly. C'mon it's fun. Besides, no one cares. They are all too drunk to notice," Amy argued, forcing her from the booth.
Heather felt herself being dragged to the edge of the dance floor. Her eyes were trained on Amy as the woman's hips started to sway and her body moved along with the music. Heather stood, watching in awe at the confidence she exuded. A moment later, Matt and Jeff joined them. This eased Heather's nerves a bit, but she would rather just sit back and watch. She did not possess the confidence to get out there and "shake her moneymaker" as they would say.
After informing the others, she decided to make her way back to the table. It's wasn't until then that she realized how far into the center of the open room they had moved. Arriving back, she had discovered that their original seating was now occupied.
She moved to find another table. The club was now severely congested, causing maneuvering to become difficult. Heather inadvertently collided with a stranger, sloshing their beer over the both of them. "Watch it, bitch!" the guy yelled at her in his drunken stupor.
"S-s-sorry," she stuttered out as she quickly scurried away as best she could within the rabid crowd. Heather was feeling inundated with sensory overload and just wanted to find a secluded place to collect herself.
She found a vacant section of plush seating along the perimeter of the club and moved to the farthest corner possible. She sat and lowered her head. Her hair fell over her eyes like a curtain and blocked out some of the madness.
Almost immediately to her left, two people plopped down on the lounge seating, making out heavily with fondling and groping. Heather inhaled sharply and stole a wide-eyed glance at them. She quickly averted her eyes, a burning mortification spreading throughout her being. She noticed both parties happened to be female. That was not the issue, however. How could anyone perform such a sordid display in public?
One of the girls noticed Heather's innocent shock as she briefly gazed at them once more before raising her hand to shield her vision. The girl giggled when she caught sight of the color bursting from the cheeks of the young ebony-haired female. "Hey. You're a cutie," the girl smiled. "Wanna play with us?"
Had they not been necking right before her eyes, Heather probably would have been naïve enough to inquire what it was they wanted to play. In this instance however, she was all too aware of what the young woman was insinuating. Heather's mouth opened in a gaping 'O' position as her eyes protruded from their sockets and flames ignited on her face. "No, thank you," she blurted out promptly. "E-excuse me." She shot up from the lounge and hurried away. She was going to find Amy and the guys and demand they take her back to the hotel.
She squeezed through the crowd only to find that not one of them was where she had last seen them. Her eyes swept the club frantically but the horde of people was so thick it was futile. She pressed through the mob; her anxiety mounting. The speakers were blaring at an audacious level and she felt as if the strobing lights were going to force her into an epileptic seizer. Moreover, the masses of bodies swaying and gyrating were causing her to become claustrophobic. A few intoxicated jerks were trying to paw at her as she passed and to her horror, one even attempted to slide his hand under her dress to grab her backside. Terrified, she forced his hand way and swiftly rushed off.
Heather stole into the narrow hall that lead to the restrooms. She pressed herself into a far corner and sunk to the floor, as tears slide down her face. This was a nightmare and she just wanted to go home. Alas, she was all alone. She couldn't locate her friends. How would she get back? She had been a fool to come her. What exactly had she been trying to prove, at any rate?
As he excited the men's room, Kevin decided he had had enough waiting on Scarlett's bullshit. He was going to tell Kid he was out.
Suddenly, something caught his ear. Stopping he thought her had heard the faint sound of crying behind him. It was hard to tell within the jumbled din of music and people screaming and shouting and laughing in their drunkenness. He turned back a few paces and attuned his ears to the vague noise. Coming upon the source, his gaze fell down to a tiny creature huddled in the shadows. Hugging her knees, her head was bent, resting upon them. The girl's body shook as choking sobs erupted from her.
"Hey kid," Kevin said, to no reply. Kevin grunted. Why was he wasting his fucking breath? Girl was probably drunk and fighting with her friends or boyfriends. Bending down, he noticed a mass of ebony and violet tresses falling around her. "Kid, you okay?" he raised his voice trying to get her attention. He received no response once again, resorting to placing a hand on her arm.
"Please just leave me alone," she mewled as her head bolted up.
Kevin was stunned when he was met by the fear stricken emerald eyes of the younger Calaway daughter. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying and make-up smeared her normally fresh face. Once she recognized his continence, she was equally shocked to find him staring down at her. His eyes bore into her with a mixture of surprise and irritation. "What are you doing here?" he demanded.
Before she had even parted her lips to form a response, he pulled her to her feet. Guiding her gently by the elbow, he barged through the throngs of flush-faced, tipsy club-goers like a bulldozer and lead her outside.
The cool, night air rushed against her and it was like inhaling oxygen after several minutes. The stifling atmosphere of the club had been suffocating.
Once outside her brought her further down the sidewalk, out of earshot of the bouncers whom looked at them with furtive glances before turning back to their business.
"What do you think you are doing here?" his bass voice boomed as he demanded once again.
There was no reply from the young girl, only choking sobs that racked her tiny frame.
Nash groaned in frustration. He did wish she would stop crying. He really wasn't in the mood to have to fight with the two bouncers standing just yards away, should he be unfortunate to arise their ire. "How did you get in there?" he restated his query firmly, folding his jacked arms over his broad chest.
Heather remained speechless, but reached a trembling hand into her clutch purse. Procuring the fake ID, she surrendered it to him and her head dropped towards the ground in shame.
Kevin studied the photo on the card in disbelief. The woman (if you could say that) in the photo was an absolute troll. She bared no resemblance to the young girl standing before him, with her round feminine face, smooth porcelain skin and bright eyes. He had half a mind to turn and jack both those bouncers in the mouth, but he wasn't up for a brawl at the moment.
"I was a bouncer myself for a long time and I would never have let you in there with this bogus shit," he stated. "Where'd you get this?"
She didn't look at him but shifted her still bent head. Still weeping, she hugged her body. "J-Jeff," she stuttered inaudibly. As soon as his name left her lips, she was filled with regret, having thrown her friend under the bus.
"Hardy?" he pressed, but didn't need her conformation. He was the only Jeff he had ever seen her paling around with. "I'm gonna rip that rainbow hair right off his fucking scalp!" Nash practically growled through gritted teeth.
Heather flinched and stared up at his sour disposition with frightenedly wide eyes. "A-are you going to tell my father?" she questioned with a frantic desperation, her heart being rapidly in her chest.
"No," he responded, shaking his head. "But you're not get this back." He held up the fake ID. Then, in his massive hand he bent the card, snapping it like a twig and shoved the two halves into his back pocket. "Come on. I'm gonna take you back to the hotel," Kevin told her.
Heather froze, staring up at him, mouth slightly ajar. She couldn't go with him! "E-excuse me?" she stuttered, though she was positive she had heard him correctly.
"I'm going to take you to the hotel," he repeated.
"My apologies, but I can not go with you." Presently, it had dawned on her that she had no other option. She glanced back at the doors of the club. She wouldn't have the ability to return inside and a portion of her was grateful for that. She looked up and down the dimly lit, rugged streets. "What of Amy and Matt and Jeff? They will most assuredly be concerned with my whereabouts."
Kevin found himself musing at her choice of speech, then returned flatly, "They deserve to be scared shitless for a few minutes, pulling some shit like that." He gingerly placed an enormous hand on her upper back. "You may air any grievances during the ride back," he said, steering her down the sidewalk towards his rental.
They came upon a black Cadillac and he opened the door for her, ushering her to enter. She gazed up at him in awe as if she hadn't believed him until he was urging her inside. Her face flared in humiliation and she wondered what he must think of her. On trembling legs, she reluctantly stepped towards the vehicle and seated herself inside.