A new girl in town
Chapter 8
J.J./Kane/Taker/Kayla/Kayla's friends.
Kayla shrugged.
"They could take a cab back to the hotel, I guess," she said
"Kinda makes the trip here pointless but I don't know what else to do unless you have any suggestions," she added.
"Not exactly pointless." Taker said. "But I know what you mean."
"They could stay here." Sammy said walking up behind Taker to see who was at the door.
Taker rolled his eyes.
"If you guys wouldn't mind, that would be great," Kayla said.
"Thanks. I really appreciate it," she added then she sprinted off again.
That's going to be fun. Taker thought. Just what we need a bunch of crazies in the locker room. That Wade guy is something else.
Kayla got back to the parking area. First she knocked on the back window of Kane's SUV.
Wade said "Yo!" and jumped out.
Then they both walked to Taker's SUV and got Cassie and Vanessa.
Cassie took Wade's elbow and they moved inside the arena.
This time Kane answered. He was already in his ring outfit except he was wearing his every day mask. He ushered them in quickly so they wouldn't be seen.
Once everyone got comfortable, Wade opened his guitar case.
"I'll be quiet, I swear," he said.
"But I have ideas in my head that I really want to fuck around with and doing anything else won't cut it," he added.
Oh this is going to be a problem everyone knows Kane and I don't play guitar so if someone hears it they'll know someone besides us is in here. Taker thought trying to find a way to make him put it away without being an asshole.
"Wade, just work it out in Garage Band or something," Cassie said.
"Here, take my iPad," she added, reaching in to her giant bag for the tablet and handing it over.
Taker sighed silently glad it had been cleared up without him having to say something.
"Whatever. Thanks, Beyoncé" Wade said once he'd put headphones in and opened up the program.
"I'm not fucking Beyoncé," Cassie replied.
"She left the group. And anyway, Kelly's better," she added.
"Don't worry Mark." Sammy said quietly to him once he'd sat beside her on the couch. "It'll be fine."
Somehow this is going to blow up in our faces. Taker thought. There are just too many people that could have seen them come in here.
Kayla sat in her office and played around in Photoshop.
I wonder if Taker's killed Wade yet? She thought, trying not to laugh.
Hell, they could turn it in to a game of one ups man ship; Wade attempts to kill Taker and Taker hits him with a devastating move. Rinse and repeat.
Maybe I should turn the roster in to cat people. She mused.
Hunter is so going to be first because he's king. . .of being an asshole.
Kane looked at Wade from the corner of his eye.
I still don't get him. He says I'm his inspiration but he's so much braver than I am. He lets his scars show to the world. I could never do that. Kane thought.
"What's up?" Wade asked looking over at Kane.
"Nothing." Kane said turning red and quickly turning away.
I don't by that for a second. Wade thought.
This guy keeps everything close to the vest. How did Kayla manage to breach that wall?
What was that about? Vanessa wondered as she worked on her spread sheet.
I can't read that guy at all. He's way too guarded; I wonder what his story is?
Instead Kane looked at Cassie.
How can she be reading a book if she's blind? He wondered never having seen a blind person before.
"You looking doesn't bother me," Wade said suddenly.
"Seriously. I came to terms with all of this a long time ago. It is what it is," he added.
Kane just turned red again.
Some people just get the shit show in life. Wade thought.
But I wonder how much more fucked up Kane's life has been than mine?
Cassie was completely absorbed. She didn't read braille much, preferring ebooks because it was easier to carry a lot of them at a time, but Vanessa had gotten her the Lord of the Rings books for Christmas so she figured she'd finally give them a read.
Kane got up and moved toward Cassie trying to see how she was doing it.
Bumps? Kane thought. How can bumps be words?
"What is that?" Kane said hardly aware that he had spoken the question out loud.
"Two towers it's one of the lord of the rings books." Cassie replied casually.
"I meant the bumps." Kane said, "How do you read bumps?"
"So braille.. "Kane said saying the word slowly. "It's another language?"
She must be really smart to know another language. Kane thought.
"Yeah. It's the same language as print; it just uses dots for the letters instead of printed symbols," Cassie explained.
"Then shit gets really complicated. There's grade 2 braille which is basically contractions. So like's' is so, 'b' is but and so on. 'x' is it for some reason. Maybe they were high," she added with a laugh.
"You can feel it if you want," she offered.
Cassie took Kane's callused hand in hers and brought it down to the book and slowly moved his fingers over the braille telling him what each letter was as he felt it.
"So it's kinda like Sign for the deaf?" Kane asked. "J.J. told me about it."
"Yeah, in a way," Cassie said.
"You didn't learn sign language?" Cassie asked curiously.
"I know you didn't talk when you first arrived here. I wasn't sure if that was by choice or because you couldn't.
"If I'm asking too many questions, tell me; I don't want to make you feel weird," Cassie said.
"I couldn't talk." Kane said. "Throat got burned in the fire."
"Sean made me learn to use the amplifier." Kane said.
Cassie nodded.
"How did you communicate?" she asked.
"Mostly I didn't." Kane said.
Kane didn't say anything right away he had so many questions.
"Father talked for me." Kane said. "But he usually didn't do it as well as J.J. does."
"I don't understand speech pathology. Are there a lot of people who can't speak?" Kane said.
"A lot more than I thought there'd be, yeah. People lose that ability for all sorts of reasons: stroke, throat cancer, ALS. . .some people are born without a larynx or are on ventilators," Cassie said.
What are cancer, ALS ventilators? Kane wondered too embarrassed to ask. Instead he withdrew his hand which she was still holding.
He looks confused. J.J. thought. I wonder what she's telling him that he doesn't understand.
Kane just blushed and shook his head forgetting she couldn't see it.
"Seriously, hit me. . .with your best shot. Sorry, musical reference but that one was too good to pass up. It's also the only Pat Benitar song I actually know," Cassie said.
Who is Pat Benitar? She says it's a song so she must be a singer. Kane thought shaking his head again.
"Hit me with your best shot.
"Come on and hit me with your best shot.
"Hit me with your best shot.
"Fire away," Cassie sang in a strong, quiet alto.
Kane didn't say anything he just tried to place the song in something J.J. might have played for him.
"Cassie he's shaking his head at you and turning purple." Wade said almost laughing.
Cassie laughed.
"It's alright," she said.
"If you ever want to talk, I'm here. And if I'm not, you can always gimme a ring or whatevs," she added cheerfully.
Then she turned to Wade.
"Now it's your turn," she said.
"Time to give him the Wade Wilson show. I suggest the chorus of Sorry," she added.
Wade shrugged.
"Is it too late now to say sorry?
Cause I'm missing more than just your body.
"Is it too late now to say sorry?
"Cause I know I know that I let you down.
"Is it too late to say sorry now?" Wade sang in a strong rock voice with just a hint of blues.
Kane turned even redder as he thought the song was a joke on him.
He took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry." He said and turned and walked away.
"The fuck?" Wade said and followed. Cassie just looked confused.
"I sang it cause it's our most popular video for some reason. Fuckin' Bieber fangirls," Wade said when he'd caught up.
"It's because of your 'soulful' eyes," Vanessa quipped.
"Or so says the comments anyway," she added rolling her eyes.
Kane didn't say anything at all he just sat down next to J.J. and hung his head.
"They didn't mean it the way you think." J.J. said putting her arm around Kane. She hugged him close.
I did it again. I made a fool of myself because I'm stupid. Kane thought.
"The fuck?" Wade said and wandered back over to Cassie.
She shrugged.
"We're a lot for him to handle at once, babe," she said pulling Wade in to a hug.
"I'm sure it'll be fine. Don't take it personally," she added as Wade hugged her back.
"Can I join in?" Vanessa asked.
They crushed each other in a group hug.
Now I've made them feel bad I really am a freak. Kane thought. I just can't get shit right.
"Whatever it is babe it's not true. You're taking something the wrong way they would never try to hurt you." J.J. whispered into Kane's ear.
Kane stiffened angry at himself for messing up again and again.
"We need something funny," Cassie said once the hug had ended.
"Brooklyn 99 marathon?" she asked.
"Haven't you had enough of Andy Sandburg?" Vanessa asked.
"There is never enough Andy Sandburg," Cassie said.
"Shit, need the Droid for this," Cassie said.
"Wade, where's my bag at?" Cassie asked.
Wade picked it up and handed it to her, then he gave her the iPad as well.
Cassie replaced the iPad in her bag and pulled out another tablet.
"Fuckin' tech geek," Wade said.
"They're all different!" Cassie said defensively.
"You've got the phone, the other phone, the ipad, the Android tablet- "
"The macbook, the windows laptop, the linux laptop and the Braille Note you keep at the office," Vanessa finished.
"I like my tech, okay?" Cassie said.
"And your bags," Wade said.
"We can't forget the boots and Converse sneakers," Vanessa added.
"Or the leather jackets," Wade said.
"Or the jeans," Vanessa said.
"I like stuff!" Cassie said.
"We know," Wade and Vanessa said together.
"At least I don't have Kayla's hoody fetish," Cassie said.
"That's only because you steal hers and wear them," Vanessa said, looking pointedly at the oversized hoody Cassie was wearing.
"You fuckers suck and I hate you. For that, I won't share my TV with you," Cassie said as she put her earbuds in her ears.
After a moment Kane got up and walked stiffly to the back room. Wade started to follow.
"Don't." J.J. said. "That thud was him throwing his mask across the room. He wouldn't want you to see him without it. Even Taker hasn't."
Wade shrugged.
"Girl, I have no fucking idea what just happened," Wade said, rubbing the back of his kneck.
"I sang sorry, that Justin Bieber song cause Cassie told me to. . .and the next thing I know, he's looking off and leaving. The fuck?" Wade said.
Taker got up from beside Sammy and started to walk into the back room himself.
"Taker." J.J. said. "I wouldn't not unless you want to upset him more."