Something to Believe In

CH 11: Another Bar

The place is a dive, well off the beaten path. I'd driven for twenty minutes before we found it. This late on a Tuesday night, there's almost no one around, so we have our choice of places to sit. I choose the spot furthest from the bar, which happens to be a booth. Matt orders a beer, but Michelle and I stick to Pepsi. She keeps glancing at his beer, and I'm glad she's making the effort, but... "You could have had a beer," I tell her.

"Thanks," she says, smiling at me, "but we made a deal, and you said it has to be real and not just storyline."

I nod. Matt's frowning. "What are you talking about?"

I glance at her. "Michelle—"

She shakes her head. "Doesn't matter. It's not what we're here to talk about." She pulls out her cell phone and brings up Twitter. "I already updated mine on the way over." She'd been strangely quiet during the drive, and I'd seen her messing with her phone. She slides the phone over to me. "McCoolMichelleL @IAmJericho Punk & Hardy definitely aren't together; take it from someone who knows FOR SURE."

Matt checks his cell, then looks at her. "I'll retweet, then update mine." She nods. Matt clicks away on his phone, then says, "Updated." Michelle clicks a button and Matt's reply appears. "MATTHARDYBRAND @IAmJericho Punk & I were arguing over something he said to his girlfriend, NOT having a lover's quarrel."

"Girlfriend?" Michelle asks, raising her brows at me.

"He means you," I say. "Damn it, Hardy, we've been over this. She's not my girlfriend."

Matt smirks at the pair of us. "Uh huh. Just keep saying it, Pepsi drinkers. Besides, the point is that we've clarified what happened backstage and the public will now stop thinking you're gay. Well, as much as they can when Gallows keeps rubbing your shoulders like that. At least they won't think you and I are together." He sips his beer and looks smug. "Besides, we never have to say who the girlfriend is, just that we were discussing her."

I sigh. "Now I just have to get Jericho to acknowledge it."

"He will," Matt says. "I'll be sure he does. But you know, Punk, you ought to get a Twitter."

"No thanks," I say sourly. "Look how much trouble it's already caused me today."

Matt shrugs. We're all quiet for a long moment. I stare down into my drink, thinking about what Gallows and Serena said in the locker room. Matt clears his throat. "So, uh."

"What?" I ask, pulling my attention back to him.

Matt shifts on the seat and looks up at Michelle. "I'm sorry."

Michelle frowns and looks at me before turning her gaze to him. "Sorry? For what?"

"I don't really know," he says. "Punk said I should apologize to you, but he didn't clarify why."

Now they're both staring at me. I swear, my friends are idiots. They're going to be the death of me. "Punk?" Michelle asks, an edge to her voice.

I take a sip of my Pepsi before answering. "For walking away and not letting you explain yourself the other night."

They answer at the same time. "Why does he need you to tell him that?" she says.

"That's why I'm apologizing?" he says.

They stare at one another. Suddenly, sitting between them seems like a supremely bad idea. "I think I'd like to get up," I say.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere," Michelle tells me.

"No, really," I say. "I need another Pepsi."

"It'll wait." She looks at my glass. "Since yours is still half full. Start talking, Punk."

"What would you like me to say?"

Michelle smirks at me. "I don't care which question you answer first."

I take a breath and turn to Matt. "Yes. That's what you were apologizing for." He furrows his brows. Michelle clears her throat, so I turn to meet her gaze. She's staring daggers at me. "I'm sorry," I mutter. "Men can be clueless. I thought it would help if he knew which step to take next."

"Oh, sure, if he meant it," she said.

"How do you know he doesn't?"

"Are you kidding me? You had to explain to him why he should apologize- something you didn't do a great job of, by the way- and you wonder if he means it?"

"Hey, I'm still here," Matt says.

"And I'm happy for you. Maybe you should have tried that approach to our relationship," she says, and then she slides out of the booth, suddenly releasing me from my imprisonment. From the look on her face, though, I'm not sure this is better. "Let's go, Punk."

"Um, okay." I slide out, too. Matt finishes his beer and stands up.

"You stay here," Michelle tells him.

"What? No way."

"Come on, sunshine," I say. "I wouldn't abandon you in the bar, and we're not going to abandon Hardy."

"Fine," she says. "I'll call a cab."

"Michelle," I say, taking her arm, "come with me a moment." I glance back at Hardy. "We'll be right back."

"Sure," he mutters. "Take your time."

I lead her across the room, to the hallway that hides the bathrooms. It's quieter there, and we can't see or be seen in the bar itself. I release her arm, and she crosses them against me, an angry look on her face. I sigh. "We brought him. We have to take him back with us."

"Why?"

"Because it's the right thing to do."

"What if I don't want to do the right thing?"

I meet her gaze. "Then you're not flawless, and I'm definitely better than you."

She eyes me. "I'm serious, Punk, and you're making a joke?"

"Just because you're angry at him doesn't mean we should abandon Matt. He walked away from you—"

"That's right! He did!" Her tone is angry, but I can feel the hurt underneath that. I've been looking at it for three days now.

"Then be the bigger person," I tell her quietly, "and show him what he's missing. Do for him what he didn't do for you."

"Why?" she asks me again.

I smile. "Because when he comes to his senses- and he will- it will bother him that you didn't do to him what he did to you. He expected you to hurt and betray him, Michelle. It'll blow his mind if you don't."