Demons Don't Dream

Part 3

She wasn't looking forward to this round of traveling, but at least they were riding on the bus, and she didn't have to drive the whole way. Carmella was out of commision for a bit, and now that so many of her friends had moved up to the main roster, she didn't have as many options for traveling companions. She was the champion now and she'd found it was a lot harder to trust that everyone around her didn't have ulterior motives. She was a lot more hesitant to accept offers of friendship at face value, and that had made her life a lot lonelier.

Traveling on the bus had it's pros and cons too though. It typically took longer, you were stuck with everyone for the entire trip, and there was entirely too much time to think. She knew that even with all the things she had to help pass the time that she would inevitably end up spending half the trip thinking about why she was here and why everyone else was there.

She would remember how it had been the first time when she'd watched Paige and Emma leave. She'd remember how eventually she'd convinced herself that it had been for the best-how amazing it was that she got to be one of the four horsewomen which wouldn't have happened if she hadn't been around to meet and form a sort of friendship with Charlotte, but then she'd also remember how Paige, Charlotte, Becky and Sasha were all gone, that she was stuck here with only the bitter Emma and the one thing that made it worthwhile-the beautiful title-to keep her company.

She'd already been round and round with it in her head a million times, but still, it bothered her, especially when she was left with too much time to rehash it over and over again. Maybe someday she'd be able to look back on it more fondly. Maybe this time as champion would turn out to be a necessary step in her career and not the consolation prize it had felt like. Either way she was tired of thinking about it, and as she got herself situated she tried to keep her mind from going there.

"I don't understand why that ugly, horse-faced child ever got a title shot before you." The distinctive whiney voice came from the row behind her.

"Shh, she might hear you and go crying to Papa Hunter." Bayley wished she'd chosen a different seat, or that she could get up and move without bringing attention to herself. She did not need to listen to the two of them complaining about her for the entire trip. It wasn't even like Dana had all that much room to talk. Sure she had that whole blonde-haired, big-boobed, dumb as a box of rocks thing down, but where she got off calling her an ugly child was beyond her. Her overdone, one-too-many surgeries face resembled a duck more than a woman and most of the time when she talked she sounded like a whiney, petulant two year old.

"Whatever, you're going to take the title from her soon right. I don't know how much longer I can stand seeing her carrying it around like it means something. Just because that bitch Sasha couldn't beat her doesn't make her worthy of being a diva."

"Oh, don't worry, she has no idea. She wouldn't last five minutes on the main roster."

"No kidding, for one thing she's not nearly pretty enough to keep the boys attention. I heard she couldn't even keep that loser, wannabe ex of hers from straying."

"You heard right, and believe me he was no prize, I've met him."

"Oh that's right, she actually thought you were her friend."

Bayley was about two seconds from turning around and telling the two of them to mind their own business when she heard a voice interupt them,

"Excuse me ladies."

"Oh, hi Finn."

"Hey Finn, what can we do you?"

"I just need to get through, if you don't mind."

"Oh, sure."

"Of course, anything you need. You're welcome to sit with us if you want to."

"I appreciate the offer, but there's only two seats."