Something to Believe In

CH 8: Misunderstanding

     I've got a bruise forming on my back, but other than that, I'm fine. I can't say the same for Michelle. She's distracted and Layla's hung over, but they do their backstage promo with Vickie, in preparation for their match. I do an in ring promo about Vegas and sin and saving Rey Mysterio. I challenge him to a match at Extreme Rules. If I lose, I'll shave my head. The crowd loves it, of course. At least, they love the thought of me losing and shaving my head. As we're headed back up the ramp, Teddy Long stops us and says I'm having a match with the Undertaker tonight. Then we're backstage and team Lay-Cool is on their way out to more booing.

"I'll catch up with you guys later," I tell Gallows and Serena. Gallows smirks at me, but they walk away. While I'm standing there, Hardy joins me. "You're everywhere today, aren't you?" I ask.

"Gotta support team Adorkable," he mutters, "even if we're not a team anymore."

"Team what now?" I ask, raising my eyebrows at the name.

"Adorkable," he sighs, glancing my way. "And like it or not, you're an honorary member."

"I choose not, Hardy," I say, my eyes on the match. McCool loses her match, but really, she looks like she'd have been hard pressed to win it.

"She doesn't look like her heart's in it, does she?" he asks me quietly, as Lay-Cool heads toward us.

"That's because it isn't," I mutter.

Michelle hesitates when she sees us, watching her. "Punk, Hardy," she says, with a nod as she brushes past us.

"Great," I say to him, "now I'm getting the cold shoulder, too."

Layla, who'd come up behind Michelle with Vickie, says, "Don't worry about it, Punk. I'm sure she'll be good and cozy with you later." She winks and runs off after Michelle, giggling. I can feel Hardy's stare on me.

"What was that?" he wants to know.

"I don't know, Hardy," I mutter. "Divas being devious? They don't tell me anything around here."

"Maybe you ought to go after her."

"I'll talk to her later," I say dismissively.

"You know," he says, "you're a terrible boyfriend, Punk." And of course, just as he utters those words, who should arrive but Jericho and Edge, preparing to go out for their showdown.

The two Canadians shift their gazes from Hardy to me and back again. Finally, with a huge grin, Edge nudges Jericho and says, "See? Told you. You owe me fifty bucks."

My eyes widen in horror as Jericho says, "Ah, man! I could have sworn they were both straight after all the time McCool's been spending with them."

I facepalm, then turn to Hardy. "So help me, Hardy..." I growl at him.

"Aw!" Edge says, "they're having a lover's spat! Isn't it sooo cute, Chris?"

At first, Matt looks stricken. Then a sly grin forms on his face as he edges closer to me. "Aw, sweetie. The news is out. We may as well share it with the whole roster, since they'll know by tomorrow, anyway. I'm sure Chris will be tweeting it as soon as he's clear of the stage."

"Already done," Jericho informs us, tucking his cell back into his suit pocket.

"See? There's no hiding it now." Hardy slings his arm around me and moves in, like he's going to kiss me. I shove him off.

"What the hell, Hardy?" I demand. Edge and Jericho are laughing. My face feels like it's on fire. "You're so not my type. For one thing, I don't go in for stubble."

"Strangely enough," Matt quips, which makes Jericho and Edge laugh again.

I glare at the pair of them. "Don't you two have a match to wrestle?"

Matt pulls out his phone, checks it, then laughs. "Good one, Jericho."

I snatch the phone and read off the text. "IAmJericho Just walked in on a lover's quarrel between Hardy & Punk backstage. WTF? I had no idea they were together?!" it says. I turn to glare at Matt. "Fix this."

"I can't," Matt says, grinning at me. "It's on the internet, so it must be true, right?"

I turn to Jericho, but he and Edge are gone. Bastards.

By the time they finish up their bit, the whole roster is whispering about that damned message. I know some of the superstars and divas have those twitter things, and the ones that don't are hearing it from the ones that do. When Undertaker meets me in the ring, he leans close in that menacing way of his and says, "Don't worry, Punk. I won't rough you up too much. I'll leave that for Hardy." I am going to kill Matt Hardy, no two ways about it.

Serena spends the whole match staring at me, with this look in her eyes. When the event is finally over and we're headed backstage, she takes my hand as usual and whispers to me, "Why didn't you tell me about you and Matt? It makes sense now."

"I am not in love with Matt Hardy!" I snap. Unfortunately, some of the fans hear my outburst. Uh, oops? Matt Hardy is SO dead. Tonight. Right after I kill Jericho for putting that damned message online.