The Rivals

||Anita||
I took a deep breath as I got backstage. Mark Henry? Of all people Mark Henry?! I was in some serious trouble. I looked up to see Phil about to run down, but I grabbed his arm.
“Quinn doesn’t want you to go down there.” I said.
“Why the Hell not?!” He growled.
“She doesn’t want you to get in trouble, you know Johnny, he’s chomping at the bit to get you suspended, don’t give him a reason. I’ll figure this out, you stay here.” I promised. I ran off to find the only person who could take on the big red monster. I ran into catering and bolted up to Randy.
“Randy, you’ve got to help Quinn, Johnny put her in a match against Glenn and-” I didn’t even get to finish before Randy shot up and ran out to the arena. I ran up to Phil, who was pacing, but when he saw Randy he smiled.
“Nice choice.” He commented.
“Got to keep my partner safe.” I said. As Randy ran out I heard a laugh that I knew all too well. We both turned to see Chris smiling evilly at us.
“My girl looks good on the tube.” He said.
“I’m going to rip your throat out!” Phil screamed and ran after Chris, who took off.
“Phil!” I looked at the screen, then back towards where Phil had run off. “Damn it!” I ran after them because I knew Phil would actually murder Chris. I could see their shadows when I felt a hand clamp over my mouth as I was pulled into a room. I spun around, expecting to see Cody, put was face to face with Paul.
“P-Paul…” I blinked, then shook my head, getting my thoughts together. “Let me out of here!” I growled, pulling on the door handle, but it was locked.
“Not until you hear me out.” Paul said. I spun around angrily to face him.
“Why the Hell should I listen to you?” I snapped. Paul jingled the keys.
“Because you don’t have a choice.” He said.
“Please. I’ve beat you before.” I said, reaching for them. But Paul, always the clever one, dropped them down the front of his trunks. I bit my lip.
“Alright, talk.” I barked.
“I’m not working with them.” He started.
“Bullshit!” I yelled at him. “C-” I clamped my hand over my mouth, I had almost given Cody away! “I know that’s not true. You’re fucking leading them and have been using me from the very beginning!” Paul sort of chuckled.
“Will you please just listen to how crazy you sound right now?”
“If you want me to forgive you, don’t insult me.” I snapped.
“Ani, I’ve stuck with you through thick and thin. I’ve dealt with the nightmares, the terror, your fear. I’ve also watched you triumph over all of it. I love you Ani, you have to believe that.”
“Paul…” I couldn’t take this right now, my head was spinning and I felt like I was going to be sick. I looked back up at Paul. There were still so many questions he needed to answer before I could come close to trusting him. But one was much more important than the others. “Why didn’t you help Quinn?” I asked.
“Because…I couldn’t.”
“Why not?!” I demanded. I felt tears roll down my face. “She’s my friend, why didn’t you help her?”
“Because you would have been fired. They’re blackmailing me Quinn-”
“I work for Teddy! Johnny can’t just fire me for no reason!” Paul looked at me for a long time before he let out a long sigh.
“They know about your nightmares.” He said finally.
“W-what?”
“I don’t know how, but they know you’re not mentally fit to compete. They’re going to tell Stephanie and Vince if I don’t do what they say.” I felt my knees go weak and collapsed onto the ground. Paul sat down in front of me and took my hands in his.
“I love you Ani, I couldn’t let you go out. Not like that.” I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe him so badly but…
“Why didn’t you just tell me?” I asked.
“Because I know you would have quit Ani. I could never let you do that. I know you, whether you like it or not.”
“Why have you been making my life Hell and interfering in my matches and-”
“I was trying to help you.”
“What?”
“The other night, when you found me pinned by your damned little goon squad, I was trying to come down and help you, but they wouldn’t let me through.” Paul looked at me with his beautiful, warm brown eyes and I just wanted to trust him again, to be in his arms again, but…
I thought about Cody telling me that he wanted to love me, that he would do anything for me. His eyes when we almost kissed, how desperately he wanted me to know that he cared about me. I shook my head and stood up.
“I need time to think about this.” I said quietly. “Please unlock the door.”
“I can’t do that Ani. I’m not letting you fight Mark, he’ll destroy you.”
“I won’t let anyone get in any more trouble because of me. I have to do this.” I got up and turned to the door, but Paul touched my shoulder and turned me around. He looked heartbroken and I wanted to tell him no matter what it was it’d be okay.
“Ani.” Paul sighed. “How long did you wait?”
“What?” Where was he going with this.
“Sleeping with Cody. How long did you wait before you two...?” He looked like he was going to cry and I wanted to do nothing more than hug him.
“Paul…I…”
“Did he force you? Because I swear to God-”
“N-no…” I remembered Cody grabbing my arm so tightly, pulling me so roughly against him. “Well, not really.”
“I waited a whole year, remember? I never forced you to-”
“I know Paul.” I said, tears rolling down my face. “I have a match I need to get to, so if you don’t mind.” I pointed to the door, wiping the tears from my eyes. He looked at me for an eternity before he finally unlocked it. But before I could walk out he enveloped me in a huge hug.
“I love you, Anita May Rosewood. Never forget that.” I pulled myself away and ran out, wiping the new tears angrily from my face as a techie ran over to me.
“Miss Rosewood! You better get out there! Mark is pretty pissed.”
Shit. This was the last thing I needed. I ran to the backstage area and could hear the anger in Mark’s voice. “Bobbie! Get out here so I can add your pretty little name to the Hall of Pain!” I swallowed my fear as I walked out to cheers from the fans.
As I slipped into the ring I realized how much trouble I was actually in. Mark was like a giant, towering over me and looking furious. The fans must have seen my terror because they started screaming ‘Save her Cody!’ but I knew as well as he did that he couldn’t help me. Barbra and Eve were surely watching this and we’d never be able to end this garbage if he ran out. As the bell rung I locked up with Mark, but he easily overpowered me and ran me into the corner post. I screamed out in pain as he backed off and I fell onto my hands and knees.
“Get up!” He growled. He grabbed my hair and pulled me to my feet, then off the ground and threw me to the other side of the ring. As he started over and dove at his feet, knocking him down for a beautiful moment. I knew I couldn’t stop to breathe as I hit a high kick to the back of his head, but he grabbed my leg and held me upside down off the ground. He just laughed, true heel style, and I took the moment to take my free leg and kick him in the face. He dropped me and reeled backwards, falling into the ropes. I hit a flying roundhouse and he sunk even lower. I looped his arm through the ropes and jumped over outside the ring, bending his arm backwards. I waited until four to let go, then rolled back into the ring. I smiled. I might actually survive this after all! But no sooner had the thought crossed my mind when Mark grabbed me with his good arm, wrapping his fingers around my throat and lifting me a good six inches off the ground. I kept trying to kick at him, but he dodged all of my attempts. Everything was going fuzzy when I heard the fans screaming, a good or bad scream I wasn’t quite sure, but a scream. Then Mark’s eyes got big and I was dropped unceremoniously on my ass. I took greedy gulps of air and looked up to see Paul. He must have drop kicked him, because Mark was out. I stood up and we just looked at each other for the longest time before he slid out of the ring and ran up to the backstage area. I looked at Mark as the fans were screaming for me to hit the New Orleans with Love, so I happily obliged and went into a pin and picking up the win. After the match was over Mark was regaining consciousness and, now that I was a face, I reached down and helped him up. He looked at me for a while and I was wondering if maybe he was going to shake my hand or something, so I happily extended it, only for him to grab me and hit me with a World’s Strongest Slam before stalking out. I rolled on the ring floor in agony, trying to get my breath back as the ref helped me up and I walked backstage.
Quinn ran up to me, seeing me holding my stomach. “Oh my God! Anita, are you okay?”
“I think my organs exploded.” I joked, trying to mask how much pain I was actually in as Quinn walked me to the trainer’s room. “How are your ribs holding up?”
“They’re better, I’m not supposed to be fighting tomorrow though.” I shrugged.
“You can accompany me to knock Johnny’s block off.” I growled.
“Actually.” The trainer said. I looked up. “I don’t want you fighting tomorrow either, I want you to go to a hospital and get your stomach checked out.” I sighed as I slowly slid off the examining table.
“Sounds good doc. Please make sure Johnny knows that this time.”
“Of course Miss Rosewood. Would you mind taking her Miss Davro? I don’t want her driving like this.” Quinn nodded, but was quiet as she helped me to the locker room. But finally I guess she couldn’t hold back anymore as she spoke.
“Why did Paul help you?” She finally asked as I changed. I let out a long sigh.
“During your match Chris lured Phil backstage and I followed, not wanting Phil to walk into a trap-”
“I know.” Quinn said. “He told me.”
“Well, I was chasing them when Paul pulled me into a room and…” I sighed and told Quinn everything Paul had told me. She took it all in and was quiet for a while before she spoke.
“You’re not medically fit to compete?” She asked.
“No..Well, yes... I don’t know. It was an old diagnostic back when I was in Florida. I don’t know if it’s still true, I’ve been afraid to go back and find out.
“Anita, you have to.” Quinn said as she loaded me up into the rental to take me to the hospital.
“What if they say the same thing?” I asked, terrified.
“Then you’ll take a leave of absence until you’re okay to come back again.” She sighed. “Now as for Paul, do you believe him?” I sighed.
“I want to but…” I ran my hands through my hair. “I don’t know what to believe anymore.”
“You should talk to Cody and get his side too.” She suggested.
“I have to wait until he finds out what the skanks are hiding. Either that or beat it out of Stephanie.” I teased. Quinn just shook her head laughing.
“You could probably just touch her and she’d tap out.” She added.
It turned out my stomach was just a little woozy from having a car pretty much dropped on it. I would be fine to compete next Monday. As we walked out I smiled.
“Thank god, I was waiting to hear my spleen had burst or something.”
“No kidding.” Quinn agreed. “So, we need to figure this Paul stuff-” No sooner had she started then my phone alerted me that someone was calling. I picked it up and looked at the Caller I.D.
“It’s Cody.” I said. Quinn looked a bit worried, but told me to answer. I hit speaker as Cody voice came on in the car. “Cody, what’s up, I have you on speaker.”
“Okay, I need to talk to everyone ASAP. Meet me at the Holiday Inn Ani.” I pressed my lips together. Remembering Paul. Every time Cody called me Ani I thought about Paul, I couldn’t help it.
“I’ll see you as soon as we get Phil.” I said, and hung up. Quinn drove back to the stadium as I called Phil and filled him in. He met us at the garage and leapt into the car.
“So, what do you think it is?” He asked Quinn, who shrugged.
“Hopefully he found out what they have.” She answered plainly. We were all lost in thought, imagining what in the world they could have as we pulled up to the Holiday Inn and saw Cody’s rental. There was a note in his wind shield that just said “same room.” Phil and Quinn looked at me for a second, but I lied and said that he’d just wanted to talk to me and make sure no one saw us this time. I was pretty sure they bought it, but Quinn had that smile on her face and it was making me blush.
We got to 503 and I knocked, Cody answered and ushered us inside, a huge grin on his face. “You guys are going to want to sit down.” He said. Quinn and Phil sat on the couch as Cody pulled up a chair and sat across from them. I pulled up a chair and sat next to Cody.
“So what’s up?” Phil asked.
“Well, since Eve is in the hospital I was able to talk Barbie into telling me what she had on Johnny-”
“How in the Hell did you do that?” I asked.
“Simple, I said that we should reveal to the world what a slime ball Johnny is, and with my…persuasive ways, she agreed. I told her that I needed to know what they had.”
“And?!” Quinn asked, on the edge of her seat.
“See for yourself.” Cody said, beaming and tossing several photographs on the table. I looked them over and gasped.
No way.