Road to Wrestlemania 2020: A Buddy Murphy Fanfiction

Raw: February 10th

My jaws hurt from yawning for the hundredth time. I leaned my head back against the wall and closed my eyes. Darkness swam before my eyes and my breath slowed as I felt myself easing into peaceful unconsciousness.

I snapped my eyes open before I could totally fall asleep. I had slept for only one hour and was severely paying for it now.

I had gotten the dreaded email just a few minutes before midnight. Just as I finished reading the message, the door vibrated with three booming knocks. I threw the heavy blankets off my legs and bounced off the bed.

"Does Carano want to meet you too?" Murphy asked as he pushed past me and into my room.

"Hello to you too," I said. "But yes, you too?"

I turned to look at him as words caught in his throat. His eyes swept over me. I was wearing old cotton pajama pants that I'd have since I was 17 years old and a ratty WWE Performance Center T-shirt. My hair was a complete mess from laying in the bed as I stress read the message from Carano. I knew that I looked like a hot mess.

"Not one word about my looks," I said and pointed a finger up at him.

He held his hands up in surrender. "What do you think Mark wants to talk to us about?" He held his phone up and I quickly scanned the message. It was identical to mine.

I shrugged, trying to appear calm. "I have no idea. They could be changing up our storyline."

"Well that would make you happy." he said.

"Oh, no. It is way too close to Mania. I would like to keep my extra TV time, thank you."

"Yeah, me too." He ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

My stomach twisted at seeing him so nervous. My heart hammered against my chest with my own nerves. I crossed my arms then looked up to him then back down to my phone. 12:27 a.m.

"Hey, there's no sense worrying right now. It could be anything...including more tv time." I worked to keep my tone calm and even.

He nodded slightly. "Yeah, I'm just going to go back to my room then."

"Why don't you stay?" I said suddenly, surprising even myself.

A crease formed between Murphy's eyebrows. "What would we possibly do together?"

I sighed and tried to smile. It was too hard to be nice to him. "I don't know. We could watch a movie or kill each other on video games?"

He smirked. "Video games."

"Obvious choice."

We both laughed before catching ourselves. I pursed my lips together and started getting the game ready.

Three hours later, I turned off the Xbox and rubbed my eyes. "I guess we should, at least, try to sleep."

I stood and stretched my arms heavenward, stopping short to tug my shirt down when I noticed Murphy was looking at me. I walked around the arenas half naked all the time. But it was different to show skin in my hotel room...to a guy I don't even like on a good day.

"Um," I said, looking everywhere but at Murphy. "You can stay on the couch tonight. Well, I mean, I know your room is just next door..." I trailed off, unsure of how I was going to finish that sentence.

"Yeah, that's too far to walk." He said as he face planted on the couch where I had been sitting a moment ago.

I crashed down onto the bed then threw an extra blanket and pillow at Murphy. We both tossed and turned two additional hours. I hated not knowing what Mark Carano wanted to speak with Murphy and I about. I was much too much of a control freak.