Cuts Heal In Time (CM Punk)

Chapter 15: Interviews

Earlier in the day, Bella had a few quick interviews. They asked pretty basic questions, and it was an amazing experience, but she didn't even have a match at Wrestlemania, so there wasn't much to talk about. She was certainly well liked, but she wasn't crazy popular just yet. She wasn't worried though because she knew her time would come sooner or later.

After finishing her interviews, she met up with Punk to accompany him to his. He was glad to have her around. Although he loved having opportunities to speak his mind freely, these interviews could get quite redundant, so it was nice to have a friendly face around to spice things up.

"You're such a star," she told him. She really was so proud of her friend and all the recognition he was getting. He deserved every bit of fame that was coming his way. The two of them had been in a car for a while, and they were being driven to a nearby radio station for his interview.

"I do alright sometimes."

"And the ego makes its grand return!"

"Can't go that long without an appearance," he smirked.

"We should give it a name."

"I'll think about that."

They finally made it outside the facility where the interview was being held. There was a pretty big group of fans that followed them (mostly Punk) from the car they rented, to the door. He knew the fans meant well, but they could get really obnoxious, during times like these where they barely gave him any room to breathe.

Bella was still getting used to being around this many fans and Punk noticed this, so he wrapped a protective arm around her as they approached the building. He opened the door for her and she entered first taking in the sight of the grand lobby.

They took the elevator up to the room for his radio interview and were escorted to the room by a young man who had been waiting right outside the elevator.

Bella sat on a couch outside the studio area before Punk entered the room where he was to be interviewed.

Punk and the interviewer had some small talk before he said, "I'm so cranky. I'm bored out of my mind and I'm trying to get in wrestling shape. I can't work out harder than I do. I've been a pescetarian for three months," causing his interviewer to laugh.

"You've mentioned before that the higherups within the WWE see you as a 'skinny fat kid'. Would you mind speaking on that?"

"I think that's Triple H's perception of me. It shows the perception people have is completely archaic and outdated. I assume it's a bodybuilding thing. I'm not skinny, and I'm not fat. I've never used a drug in my life."

"Yeah I noticed you have the words "Drug" and "Free" tattooed on your knuckles and "Straight Edge" inked on your stomach." the interviewer added.

"Well, I pride myself on the fact that I've never used steroids, painkillers or recreational drugs or drunk alcohol, due to my Straight Edge lifestyle."

"Yeah, you're wearing a "Drug Free" T-shirt, along with a Cubs cap that appears to be on its last legs. You seem to be a pretty lowkey guy."

"I can be pretty incognito. I'll have my hood up and hands in my pocket, but it doesn't stop a lot of people. They'll talk to me for a while, and I'll stare at them for a while with headphones on, and I'll say, 'I didn't hear a word you just said.'"

"How does it feel to have this many fans who admire you enough to come up to you?"

"I mean, I'm a regular guy. I'm grateful to have fans, but I don't love when they don't respect my privacy. However, I don't mind communicating with fans and critics on Twitter." he shrugged.

"Yes, you've even had some snarky remarks to internet haters. When one follower tweeted, "I'm going to Chicago for the 1st time for St Pattys Day. What places should I visit?" You simply replied, "Indiana." When another tweeted, "noone cares where ur going or what your doing," You fired back, "You mean 'you're'. Unfollow me. Or kill yourself.""

"I've tweeted a few things that I thought for sure would get me a call from WWE's office," he chuckled, "It never happened. ... Maybe I need to be more rebellious."

"Speaking of rebellious, how did Vince McMahon react to your iconic pipebomb?"

"He had dollar signs in his eyes. He told me, 'Hell of a promo. Too bad you're leaving. We could make a lot of money together.' But at that point, I was so out the door. ... I was counting down the days."

They continued talking about the pipebomb for a bit before the interviewer asked him about life after wrestling which eventually became a conversation about marriage.

"I don't think marriage is in the cards for me," he said, "I think it's an archaic institution. I think people got married when their life expectancy was shorter. It kind of made sense then. ... People now live to 100. But who's to say? I would love to find a woman who will absolutely floor me, make me stop everything, intrigue me that much that everything stops. I'm not positive she exists."

Without a second thought, his eyes found their way to Bella, who sat on the couch, watching him intently. When she realized he was looking at her, she send him a cheesy wink, which caused him to shake his head with a small grin on his face before turning his attention back to the interviewer.

"What about dating?"

"I'm in my early thirties. If I wasn't dating, I'd be worried."

The interviewer laughed.

"I believe dating within the industry helps, because of the grueling road schedule, but you risk bringing your work home with you and talking about wrestling seven days a week."

"You have been linked to WWE Divas champion Beth Phoenix and ex-WWE Divas Lita and Maria Kanellis."

"Yes, that is true."

"Dating anyone now?"

"Yeah," he shrugged.

"What about the pretty lady you brought with you today?"

"Arabella?"

She perked up when she saw both men looking right at her, and the interviewer nodded.

"She's my best friend," he smiled, "She's far too good for me."

"Would you mind talking a little about that relationship?"

"I suppose," he shrugged, "but only to clear the air."

"Okay," the interviewer chuckled lightly.

"Obviously when I first met her, I noticed the way she looks. I mean, you've seen her-"

The interviewer cut him off, "So she's single?"

"Not for you. Anyways I saw her and I appreciated how she looked, but I don't know, after getting to know her, we both realized our friendship was too important to ever cross that line."

"Do you consider yourself a romantic?"

Punk locked his hands together on the table in front of him and revealed the tattoo on his fingers that said "Romance."

"I'm a hopeless romantic," he said, "Nobody believes me."

"Maybe one day, you'll find that person," the interviewer suggested.

Punk shrugged his shoulders and once again glanced at his best friend, "Maybe."

"So, you mentioned in an earlier interview that you have a soft spot for children..." the interviewer trailed off.

"I do envision myself having kids one day, and I always wanted a little girl- even if they do stare at my tattoos and lip ring. But I do try to make time for the young fans who want autographs and photos. I figure it will happen regardless — especially if I don't want one."

They continued talking for a bit before they finished up. Bella watched him attentively. She couldn't hear them through the glass, but she liked watching him speak. When Punk spoke, he just embodied confidence. She noticed how articulate he was, taking his time to pronounce each word so very effortlessly. When he was deep in thought, he would rub his growing beard with his tattooed hand, and when he listened to his interviewer speak, his head was slightly tilted to the side.