Something to Believe In

CH 9: Conspiracy Theories

  Back in catering, what looks like the whole roster is waiting for me. They break into spontaneous applause when I step through the door. Hardy stands up and heads my way, and I want nothing more than to deck him, but I don't. He smirks at me, then turns to look at the rest of the roster. "Come on, guys, leave Punky alone."

Did he just call me Punky? Oh, God. "Hardy," I growl. "FIX THIS or I'm going to kick your ass."

"Sounds kinky," he says, still smirking. I make a fist, and he holds his hands up. "Okay, guys, seriously. Fun's over."

I stare at the room. They stare back at me. "Whatever," I mutter to Hardy, then I push past him and grab myself a water. I'm not going to stand around here and wait for these idiots to say something. Michelle joins me after a moment. "What?" I all but snap at her.

She shrugs. "We could give them something else to talk about."

I turn to stare at her. "What are you suggesting?"

Michelle bites her lip. "Tell them we're together?"

"Thanks, but no. It's been a hell of a night already, and I'm not adding fuel to the flames, McCool. Besides, why would you want to do that?"

She looked down. "So people would quit asking about what happened between me and Matt."

"Oh."

"They're making jokes about it, saying that you're the reason we broke up. They think Matt was cheating on me with you."

I give her a look of disbelief. "Do they seriously think Hardy and I are gay?"

"I don't know," she says. "What did he say to make Jericho post that, anyway?"

"That I'm a terrible boyfriend," I mutter.

Michelle looks up at me, frowning. "What?"

I sigh. "You weren't talking to me out there, and I said I'd talk to you later, which made him call me a bad boyfriend just as Edge and Jericho walked up."

"Oh, God," she says, covering her mouth. She tries to stifle a giggle.

"Are you laughing, McCool?" I ask.

"I'm sorry," she says, more laughter escaping. "But... that's a classic."

"I'm so glad it amuses you," I said dryly. "Between you and Hardy, my reputation is in the toilet."

"It's not that bad," she says, patting my arm.

"People think I'm sleeping with your ex," I say. "How is that 'not that bad', McCool?"

"Because I can help you fix it. It's not permanent damage." She grins at me. "Jericho's not the only one with a Twitter. Matt and I both have one, too. We can have it all straightened out in no time." She pauses. "Er, you're going to have to ask him, though, because I can't."

"I wish the two of you would work this damned thing out already," I say.

"He dumped me, Punk," she says. "What is there to work out?"

I sigh. "Fine. Hardy! Come here!" I snap.

There are various, "Ooohs!" from the room.

"I don't think that helped," Michelle informs me, as she tries to inch away. I grab her arm and hold her there as Hardy arrives.

"What?"

I glare between the two of them. "McCool says you have a Twitter and can fix this."

"Well, I do have a Twitter, but I don't know if I can fix it."

"If you and McCool both Twitter it..."

"It's called tweeting," she informs me.

"I don't care if it's called roasting chickens with your mother!" I snap at her. "You and you will fix this. And you," I poke Hardy in the chest, "will tell him," pointing to Jericho, "to make that go away." And with that, I grab another water bottle and head for the door, full steam ahead.

"Er, Punk?" Michelle calls after me.

"What?" I stop in the doorway and glare at her.

"I kind of need to talk to you about something."

"Later."

She sighs and nods, then looks at Matt, who is watching me. "Sure. Sorry."

Since everyone is in catering, I head for the straightedge locker room. I'm sure I'd seen Gallows and Serena in the mass of humanity when I'd arrived at catering, but they must not have been there when I left because I hear them talking softly in the locker room. Gallows' voice is pitched low, making it impossible for me to hear what's being said. Call me paranoid, but I'm sure it's something about me. I push the door open slightly and the voices clarify, though they're still soft. "I don't know," Luke says. "She let me into his room this morning, and she was only half dressed."

"But Luke," Serena countered, "I've got Twitter, and Jericho swears that Punk and Hardy were having an argument."

"She was Hardy's girlfriend," Luke says, "and she is always hanging around Punk. They spend a lot of time alone together. If you and I hadn't gotten in so early today, he would have gotten her out of that room and I'd never have seen her. But she answered the door, happy as a lark, asking if I'd forgotten my key or something. And you should have seen the look on her face when she saw me, Serena. It was like she knew she was caught doing something she shouldn't be. No, I think he's full of shit. He's been seeing her behind Hardy's back this whole time, and that's why they aren't still together anymore. Hardy probably posed as gay when he saw Jericho coming to get his revenge on Punk."

"That doesn't make any sense," Serena says. "Why would he want HER? She's not like us."

"He's working on that," Gallows says. "Bob told me there's some plan for her to go straightedge in the next week or two, so that when the draft comes, they can split us up." I thought about the plan I'd taken to creative and I wince. "Them on one brand, and us on the other."

"So he really is plotting against us?" Serena asks. "All that stuff you've been telling me about him getting bigger superstars and dumping us is true?"

"Yes," Luke sighs. "It's true, and it has already begun, Serena."