Tumors And Hearts
Day 8 – Ink Inc.
Xx-nikki-xX
I woke up early the next morning. I rolled over to face the clock and saw that it was only about 6:50.
Hmm… sleep for ten more minutes or get up now and go running… hmm…
I didn’t even need to think about it. I got comfy and immediately conked out. Ten minutes later my phone started playing Airplanes by B.o.B as my alarm.
It can’t be seven already…
Unwillingly, I opened one eye. Sure enough, the bright red numbers on the clock read 7:00.
Dammit.
Groaning, I sat up in bed and stretched. We were all out late last night and I really didn’t want to get up and go running. I was contemplating just skipping it for today, but decided against it. Any time I skipped running I had a real shitty day.
As quietly as I could – not wanting to wake Manda – I got up and changed into some clothes more suitable for running. I dug my iPod out of my bag and crept out of our hotel room.
I rode the elevator down to the lobby and was about to go outside when it started pouring down rain.
Well that’s just lovely… >_<
I went to the front desk and asked them where their gym was. If I couldn’t run outside a treadmill would have to do.
x-later-x
I exited the gym, covered in sweat from running so much. Eight and a half miles – I almost beat my personal best!
I was still listening to my iPod as I made my way to the elevators, which is probably why I didn’t notice someone was calling my name – that happens a lot.
“NIKKI!” I finally heard them practically scream my name. “NICOLETTE CARTER!”
I stopped and turned around. “Hey Shannon!” I said smiling as he caught up with me.
“Dude! You’re deaf!”
“Sorry.” I said pulling my ear buds out. “I was listening to my music.”
“Understandable.” he said smiling. “But what are you doing up so early? It’s not even eight!”
“I went running. What about you?”
“I woke up at five and couldn’t get back to sleep. I decided to go for a walk. Would you like to join me?” he held out his arm for me to take.
“I would, but I’m all sweaty.” I said. “I was just heading up to my room to take a shower.”
Shannon dropped his arm and his smile faltered. “Oh… m-my bad.”
I looped my arm through his. “Walk me to my room?” I asked with my sweetest smile.
“Sure.” he said perking up again as I led him to the elevators.
We talked the whole way up to my room – first about wrestling, then other things like music and movies. We were actually into a lot of the same things and we had become fast friends by the time we finally reached my room.
I was laughing at something Shannon had said when we stopped in front of my door. I don’t think it was possible for me not to smile when I was around him.
“Well, thanks for walking with me.” I said taking my key-card out of my pocket.
“No problem.” he said. “And you should definitely go with Manda next time she visits Matt. We could hang out… or… something…”
“I just might do that.” I said smiling.
It was silent. We just kinda stood there, looking anywhere but each other.
“Well…” I said. “I better… go… shower…”
“Yeah…” he said. “I guess I’ll see you around.”
I nodded. “Bye Shannon.” I said smiling.
With that I unlocked my door and went inside. I grabbed my bathroom stuff and a clean set of clothes and headed into the bathroom. I set my iPod on the counter and put the speaker on. Atreyu’s Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses album started playing as I took a nice cool shower.
I came out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later, towel-drying my hair. I put my bathroom stuff and dirty clothes back in my bag. I just turned off my iPod and put it in my bag when my phone started playing Blood On My Hands by The Used.
“Hello?” I said not even checking to see who it was.
“Hey honey!” said my aunt’s voice. “Did you enjoy your first night on TNA?”
“So much, Aunt Dixie, you have no idea!” I exclaimed.
“See? I told you you’d love it!” she said laughing. “I actually called to talk to you about that.”
“Okay…” I said plopping down on my bed.
“You get along with Shannon Moore and Jesse Neal, right?”
I nodded then remembered she couldn’t see me. “Yeah.” How could you not get along with Shannon Moore?
“Good.” she said. I could tell she was smiling now. “How do you feel about managing Ink Inc. for a while?”
I nearly dropped my phone. “That would be cool.” I said trying to hide my excitement. “For how long?”
“A while.” she said. I don’t think I fooled her. “We’re not real sure yet. But Ink Inc. is feuding with the Motor City Machine Guns right now. We figured since they have Manda, Shannon and Jesse should have someone too.”
I heard shifting from the other bed and turned to see Manda had finally woken up. I checked the time on the clock and saw that it was already close to nine.
“That sounds good Aunt Dixie.” I said. “But I gotta go. Manda and I have to be at the airport in about an hour.”
“Alright. Bye sweetie.”
“Bye.”
I ended the call and turned to face Manda.
“What was that about?” she asked checking her phone.
“I guess I’m gonna manage Ink Inc.” I said turning on the TV.
“Sweet! That means you’ll get to work with me and Alex and Chris.”
And Shannon… I smiled at the thought of getting to work with Shannon as Manda finally got out of bed.
I flipped through the channels on the TV, watching random bits of shows while I waited for Manda to get ready. We would be heading to the airport together where we would then separate. I would get on a plane back to Chicago, while Manda would get on a plane with Jeff and Shannon to North Carolina so she could see Matt.
When she was finally ready to go we grabbed our bags and headed out of the room. We ran into some of the other Knockouts on our way to the elevators. Manda introduced me to two of my favorite Knockouts – Daffney and Angelina Love.
The four of us headed down to the lobby together and ended up sharing a taxi to the Orlando airport.
When we got to the airport Manda and I said our goodbyes to Shannon [Daffney] and Lauren [Angelina]. We took care of everything that needed to be taken care of and then went to meet Jeff and Shannon.
Shannon and I immediately started talking, but were interrupted when my flight to Chicago was called early.
I hugged them all goodbye and left, eager to get home and tell Ashley, my roommate and other best friend, everything that had happened these past few days.
I pulled out my iPod as I waited in line to board the plane. I put my carryon bag above my seat and sat down. My phone started vibrating in my pocket just as I got comfy. I got it out and saw I had a text from Shannon – we had exchanged numbers this morning.
i really wish you could come with us to nc :) it read.
I smiled and texted back. i kno me too. maybe next time.
definitely :)
i cant wait :] I absentmindedly grabbed my head as it started hurting.
me either! have fun on your flight lol
The old lady in the seat behind me started snoring rather loud. oh i will... >_< A baby a few seats away started crying as the plane finally took off. lucky, you have jeff and manda
dont remind me. theyr still teasing me about the whole pretty lady thing
I laughed. aw, poor shannon lol
*rolls eyes* i g2g, our flights boarding
bye shannon
bye pretty lady ;)
I smiled and put my phone away.
My headache had slowly been getting worse during my conversation with Shannon. I asked a passing by flight attendant for some aspirin and leaned back in my seat. I tried to ignore my now splitting headache for the rest of the flight.
I woke up early the next morning. I rolled over to face the clock and saw that it was only about 6:50.
Hmm… sleep for ten more minutes or get up now and go running… hmm…
I didn’t even need to think about it. I got comfy and immediately conked out. Ten minutes later my phone started playing Airplanes by B.o.B as my alarm.
It can’t be seven already…
Unwillingly, I opened one eye. Sure enough, the bright red numbers on the clock read 7:00.
Dammit.
Groaning, I sat up in bed and stretched. We were all out late last night and I really didn’t want to get up and go running. I was contemplating just skipping it for today, but decided against it. Any time I skipped running I had a real shitty day.
As quietly as I could – not wanting to wake Manda – I got up and changed into some clothes more suitable for running. I dug my iPod out of my bag and crept out of our hotel room.
I rode the elevator down to the lobby and was about to go outside when it started pouring down rain.
Well that’s just lovely… >_<
I went to the front desk and asked them where their gym was. If I couldn’t run outside a treadmill would have to do.
x-later-x
I exited the gym, covered in sweat from running so much. Eight and a half miles – I almost beat my personal best!
I was still listening to my iPod as I made my way to the elevators, which is probably why I didn’t notice someone was calling my name – that happens a lot.
“NIKKI!” I finally heard them practically scream my name. “NICOLETTE CARTER!”
I stopped and turned around. “Hey Shannon!” I said smiling as he caught up with me.
“Dude! You’re deaf!”
“Sorry.” I said pulling my ear buds out. “I was listening to my music.”
“Understandable.” he said smiling. “But what are you doing up so early? It’s not even eight!”
“I went running. What about you?”
“I woke up at five and couldn’t get back to sleep. I decided to go for a walk. Would you like to join me?” he held out his arm for me to take.
“I would, but I’m all sweaty.” I said. “I was just heading up to my room to take a shower.”
Shannon dropped his arm and his smile faltered. “Oh… m-my bad.”
I looped my arm through his. “Walk me to my room?” I asked with my sweetest smile.
“Sure.” he said perking up again as I led him to the elevators.
We talked the whole way up to my room – first about wrestling, then other things like music and movies. We were actually into a lot of the same things and we had become fast friends by the time we finally reached my room.
I was laughing at something Shannon had said when we stopped in front of my door. I don’t think it was possible for me not to smile when I was around him.
“Well, thanks for walking with me.” I said taking my key-card out of my pocket.
“No problem.” he said. “And you should definitely go with Manda next time she visits Matt. We could hang out… or… something…”
“I just might do that.” I said smiling.
It was silent. We just kinda stood there, looking anywhere but each other.
“Well…” I said. “I better… go… shower…”
“Yeah…” he said. “I guess I’ll see you around.”
I nodded. “Bye Shannon.” I said smiling.
With that I unlocked my door and went inside. I grabbed my bathroom stuff and a clean set of clothes and headed into the bathroom. I set my iPod on the counter and put the speaker on. Atreyu’s Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses album started playing as I took a nice cool shower.
I came out of the bathroom fifteen minutes later, towel-drying my hair. I put my bathroom stuff and dirty clothes back in my bag. I just turned off my iPod and put it in my bag when my phone started playing Blood On My Hands by The Used.
“Hello?” I said not even checking to see who it was.
“Hey honey!” said my aunt’s voice. “Did you enjoy your first night on TNA?”
“So much, Aunt Dixie, you have no idea!” I exclaimed.
“See? I told you you’d love it!” she said laughing. “I actually called to talk to you about that.”
“Okay…” I said plopping down on my bed.
“You get along with Shannon Moore and Jesse Neal, right?”
I nodded then remembered she couldn’t see me. “Yeah.” How could you not get along with Shannon Moore?
“Good.” she said. I could tell she was smiling now. “How do you feel about managing Ink Inc. for a while?”
I nearly dropped my phone. “That would be cool.” I said trying to hide my excitement. “For how long?”
“A while.” she said. I don’t think I fooled her. “We’re not real sure yet. But Ink Inc. is feuding with the Motor City Machine Guns right now. We figured since they have Manda, Shannon and Jesse should have someone too.”
I heard shifting from the other bed and turned to see Manda had finally woken up. I checked the time on the clock and saw that it was already close to nine.
“That sounds good Aunt Dixie.” I said. “But I gotta go. Manda and I have to be at the airport in about an hour.”
“Alright. Bye sweetie.”
“Bye.”
I ended the call and turned to face Manda.
“What was that about?” she asked checking her phone.
“I guess I’m gonna manage Ink Inc.” I said turning on the TV.
“Sweet! That means you’ll get to work with me and Alex and Chris.”
And Shannon… I smiled at the thought of getting to work with Shannon as Manda finally got out of bed.
I flipped through the channels on the TV, watching random bits of shows while I waited for Manda to get ready. We would be heading to the airport together where we would then separate. I would get on a plane back to Chicago, while Manda would get on a plane with Jeff and Shannon to North Carolina so she could see Matt.
When she was finally ready to go we grabbed our bags and headed out of the room. We ran into some of the other Knockouts on our way to the elevators. Manda introduced me to two of my favorite Knockouts – Daffney and Angelina Love.
The four of us headed down to the lobby together and ended up sharing a taxi to the Orlando airport.
When we got to the airport Manda and I said our goodbyes to Shannon [Daffney] and Lauren [Angelina]. We took care of everything that needed to be taken care of and then went to meet Jeff and Shannon.
Shannon and I immediately started talking, but were interrupted when my flight to Chicago was called early.
I hugged them all goodbye and left, eager to get home and tell Ashley, my roommate and other best friend, everything that had happened these past few days.
I pulled out my iPod as I waited in line to board the plane. I put my carryon bag above my seat and sat down. My phone started vibrating in my pocket just as I got comfy. I got it out and saw I had a text from Shannon – we had exchanged numbers this morning.
i really wish you could come with us to nc :) it read.
I smiled and texted back. i kno me too. maybe next time.
definitely :)
i cant wait :] I absentmindedly grabbed my head as it started hurting.
me either! have fun on your flight lol
The old lady in the seat behind me started snoring rather loud. oh i will... >_< A baby a few seats away started crying as the plane finally took off. lucky, you have jeff and manda
dont remind me. theyr still teasing me about the whole pretty lady thing
I laughed. aw, poor shannon lol
*rolls eyes* i g2g, our flights boarding
bye shannon
bye pretty lady ;)
I smiled and put my phone away.
My headache had slowly been getting worse during my conversation with Shannon. I asked a passing by flight attendant for some aspirin and leaned back in my seat. I tried to ignore my now splitting headache for the rest of the flight.