Something to Believe In

CH 12: Won't Let Go

                When we rejoined Hardy, Michelle said, "I'm riding shotgun." Matt glances at me, then nods, rising to follow us out. "And you're buying dinner, Matt."

"Sure," he readily agrees.

I open the car and let the two of them in. Matt slides into the back without protest. I drive us to the nearest drive through and order our food. It's a somewhat complex order, but they get it right. The guy working the window doesn't recognize us, which is kind of nice. We're on our way back to the hotel in no time. Michelle immediately makes a nuisance of herself by stealing fries out of the bag.

"Typical," Matt says. "She didn't order fries, and she's stealing them from the bag."

"Only your fries," she tells him with a grin. This is the easiest they've been with one another since before Wrestlemania, so I don't tell her to stop with the fries.

"Why is it always my fries?" Matt wails.

"Because," she answers back, smirking.

"Because isn't an answer, Michelle."

"Because I feel like it." I'm quiet through the exchange. It reminds me of the way they used to act, and I smile. Michelle nudges me. "What are you smiling about? I thought we were ruining your reputation?"

"He said it's in the toilet," Matt agrees.

"It is," I say, "but it's nice to see you two getting along again."

"We're not," Michelle says automatically. "We're arguing about fries."

"Whatever." I glance in my rearview mirror and catch Matt's eye. He meets my gaze for a long moment, then looks away. I wonder what he's thinking.

Not for long, though. "So, Punk," he says casually, "I heard a rumor that you're trying to expand the straightedge society in preparation for the draft."

Michelle and I glance at one another. I shrug. "I'm always trying to spread enlightenment, Hardy. Why, are you interested?"

"Not really," he said. "But Gallows mentioned that you were trying to line up some bigger names, a couple superstars, maybe another diva or two."

"If someone wanted to join, I certainly wouldn't stop them."

"Mm. I heard the recruiting was somewhat more... active than that. In fact, he mentioned that you had seduced a diva into agreeing after she spent the night with you."

"He didn't seduce me!" Michelle said.

The silence was deafening. Then, "Ah." Matt sat back in his seat. "So that's what you meant when you thanked Punk earlier."

I sigh. "Gallows has a lot of his facts wrong, Hardy."

"Hey, I told you earlier, I'm over her. You move on quick though, don't you, sweetheart?"

I can see the anger on Michelle's face. She carefully reaches into the bag of food and pulls out the fries. Then, with a sweet smile, she turns to Matt. "You know what? I do." And then she throws the fries at him. He's caught off guard, to say the least.

"Hey!" Matt says. He starts picking the fries off his shirt. "What the hell, McCool?"

Her voice is so cold, it makes me shiver. "Be grateful I didn't follow it with my drink." She turns to me. "Are we almost to the hotel?"

"Two blocks," I promise.

"Good," she says, folding her arms over her chest as she stares straight ahead.

I sigh. "I wish you'd quit screwing up, Hardy. You make my life harder."

Matt glares at me. "What? You think I say things just to piss you two off? We're two blocks from the hotel? Fine, pull over and I'll walk the rest of the way."

"No."

"No?" he says. "Why the hell not?"

I glance back at him. "Honestly? Because we were friends for a while there. All three of us. I'm not going to abandon either of you, even though you're making my life more difficult."

"That makes no sense."

"What can I say? I'm loyal." I shrug, and Matt shakes his head. "Besides, here's what Gallows didn't know. Michelle is doing me a favor by joining the straightedge society at my request."

"Don't bother to explain it to him, he doesn't care," she says in that same icy tone. "He's over me, remember? So we could be having an affair, and he wouldn't give a damn."

This again? I look at her, then back at Hardy, whose lips are pressed together so hard that they're forming a white line. "I don't betray my friends," I say.

"I'm your friend," Michelle says to me, anger evident on her face as well. "In fact, you two hated each other until I came along. And now you're all about keeping him happy when you saw..." Her voice broke on the last word. She turns away from me, to the window. "You know what? Forget it."

By the time we get to the hotel, the tension's thick enough that I no longer want food. However, Michelle quietly sorts it out and hands Matt his food (minus his fries, of course), then gets out of the car. Matt and I look at one another. "Maybe you'd better go after her," he says to me finally.

"Yeah." I want to make a comment about him hurting her again, but I don't. "See you at the next show."

"Sure," he says, and then he's headed around the side of the hotel. He doesn't even want to use the same door she used.

I catch up with Michelle at the elevator. "Gallows in with you tonight?" she asks.

"No."

She nods. "I... I want to go drinking tonight, but I'm not going to."

"Thanks."

She turns to me then. "Layla will, though, and she'll come back drunk."

I pull my lip ring into my mouth and run my teeth over it. "Are you asking to stay with me again tonight, McCool?"

She looks at the elevator, which is opening. "Yeah."

I sigh. "Okay."

"Okay?" she asks, surprised. I take her arm and lead her into the elevator, which is empty except for us.

"Okay."

"Wow." She blinks. "I expected you to say no."

"I probably should," I agree. "But like I told Hardy in the car, I'm loyal. You're asking me for something, and it's something I'm okay with giving you."

"Why?"

"Because you're my friend, Michelle," I say seriously, "and you need my help."