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You Can't Please Everybody

I’m pumped after the match. I don’t see Seth once I’m backstage again, but I don’t mind. He told me good luck and th the most important. I’ll also see him later tonight.

I’m congratulated by all the people around me. Wade pulls me into a big hug and tells me how great I did. He and I may not be close, but he was one of the first people to talk to me when I debuted. He also knows that defeating the champ is a big deal. I wish him luck on his match tonight, and we part ways. He doesn’t seem affected by my onscreen relationship with Seth, and it’s refreshing to know somebody doesn’t care.

I wait for Nikki and Brie to come back. I want to see Nikki’s reaction and talk to Brie. The twins walk back together, talking about something. When Nikki sees me, she walks over to where I’m standing. “I’m surprised, Shay. Maybe I was wrong about you.”

Brie stands quietly, smiling at the two of us. I know it bothered her having Nikki mad at me because her and I are so close. “I just want you to know things weren’t handed to me. I debuted after you guys. I earned my Battleground match, and I have nothing but respect for you.”

Nikki extends her hand, and I take it. “I’m sorry, I really had the wrong mindset. Can we have brunch soon? All three of us?”

“That’s a great idea,” I say.

“Let’s take an Instagram photo!” Brie says. She grabs her phone from her pocket and we all pose. I love taking photos, and it makes me so happy everybody else here enjoys them, too. We all walk back to the locker room together. I can’t change yet because I’ll be ringside for Seth, but I want to avoid seeing Dolph. I haven’t responded to any of his messages and I don’t want him to try to talk to me before.

We sit together, watch a few matches, and gossip. Paige and Alicia aren’t in the building today, so the locker room is very quiet compared to usual. Nattie sits with the twins and me. She fills me in on her problems with TJ, and I try my best to offer my advice to her. I may not have good advice, but I love to listen to her. Nikki gives Nattie actual advice. Even though Nikki was upset with me before, she really is kindhearted. It’s important to set a good example as a champion, in and out of the locker room. Nikki and Natalya might not be close friends, but she uses her position as champion to help her the best she can, and I really admire it.

While we’re sitting, Brie posts the photo I took with the twins earlier. The feedback from the photo is crazy. Fans seem to be confused on why Nikki and I took a happy photo together. We’re friends in real life, but rivals at work. It seems to be a difficult thing for people to wrap their heads around. I get it, though. People don’t see what’s behind the scenes.

Stephanie and Hunter also instructed Seth and I to make our scripted relationship seem real. In a sense, he and I are fooling the WWE Universe. I know there are inconsistencies in the Instagram posts, but people dig too deep into things. I always want to reply to people’s rude comments, but I have to refrain. It’s easier to not say anything.

Ten minutes before Seth’s match, I walk out. I see him by where he met me earlier. He’s in his ringwear now. He’s pouring water on his head when I see him. He’s standing behind me, and I decide to surprise him. I run up and hook my hands around his waist. He jumps slightly from my touch, but he looks down and sees my manicured hands and knows it’s me. “Hey, Shay,” He says.

“Hi, Seth.” I let go of him so he can turn around. He looks down at me with a big smile on his face. He runs his hands through his wet hair.

“Are you ready for tonight?” He asks.

“My part of the night is already over. Are you ready?” I ask, grinning.

“I’m ready to kick ass,” Seth says, trying to sound casual. I chuckle, and he grins. “You absolutely killed it tonight, by the way. You’re going to be champion in less than a week.”

“Hopefully,” I smile. A new look overtakes Seth’s face. I can tell without looking at him that Dolph is close. I can’t quite pinpoint the expression on Seth’s face. He doesn’t look happy, but he doesn’t look angry. I decide not to turn around and face Dolph. I put my hand on Seth’s shoulder so he’ll look back at me. His expression changes into a much more pleasant one. “Remember, it’s not personal,” I say quietly.

Seth nods, but he won’t say anything. Dolph’s music starts. A few minutes later, we hear Seth’s music. I grab Seth’s hand. We repeat the actions from last week. I hold Seth’s hand as we walk out. Once we’re in the ring, he hands me his belt. He looks me up and down, a smirk on his face. I kiss his cheek, which causes a mixed reaction from the crowd and a look of disgust from Dolph. I exit the ring and hand Lillian Seth’s belt.

I told Seth so many times to keep the match from being personal, but it ends up being the exact opposite from what I wanted. Dolph’s demeanor has changed. He’s usually just a confident, clean wrestler. Tonight, he talks smack. His moves are dirty. When the ref isn’t paying attention, he gives Seth a low blow. Despite Dolph’s classless moves, Seth conquers.

Seth is champion for a reason. He’s tough and has endurance - more endurance than people give him credit for. He can also adapt to most situations. Seth doesn’t escalate to the level Dolph does, but he does talk down to Dolph. The cameras don’t capture it, but I can hear every word. The two men are insulting each other between punches.

The match ends in Seth’s favor. After getting the three count on Dolph, I grab Seth’s belt and get back into the ring. I hand him his title, and he slings it over his shoulder. He grabs my hand and I lift it into the air. Seth loops his free arm around my waist and pulls me close. Remembering we’re in character, I kiss his sweaty cheek again and tell him how well he did. The fans can’t hear what I’ve said, but it’s important for them to know I’ve said something. He nods, even though I don’t think he heard what I said. We spend a few seconds looking down at Dolph, who is still covering his head on the ground.

We exit the ring. I look back at Dolph as we leave, even though I don’t think I’m supposed to. Dolph deserves this. He wanted this match, and he got exactly what he asked for. He has no right to disrespect the champion.

I’m so happy about this outcome that I want to jump in Seth’s arms. I refrain from doing so because I don’t want to catch him off guard. Once we’re backstage, though, I pull him into a long hug. He wraps his arms around my waist immediately. I don’t know if he’s surprised by my hug, but he doesn’t object to it. “Thank you for accepting the match,” I whisper.

He pulls back from me just enough so he can see my face. “I thought you didn’t want it.”

“I realize how necessary it was now. He can’t disrespect you anymore because you beat him.” Seth pulls me back into our hug. Even though he’s covered in sweat, I don’t at all mind it. When we let go, I look over and see Dolph. He’s scowling from the distance. “Should I talk to him?” I say quietly, so only Seth can hear me.

“If you want, you can. I have to go talk to Hunter, but it’ll take just a minute.”

“Will I see you after?” I ask. I don’t want to sound desperate, but I just want to be around him. I want to celebrate our wins together and figure out my mess of feelings.

Seth nods. “I can come over after, if you want. I need to shower and I should be there.” I agree with him and tell him to bring a change of clothes, just in case. He gives me a playful wink before turning around to leave.

I walk over to Dolph, who is still just standing there. “What’s up?” I ask. My voice is surprisingly calmer than I expected.

“You’ve been ignoring me, Shay,” Dolph says.

I cross my arms, sighing loudly. “You’ve been an asshole. I don’t want anything to do with that.”

“Can we talk about it, at least?” He asks.

I shake my head. I wish I didn’t walk over to him. The last thing I want to do is explain anything to him. “What is there to talk about?”

He motions for me to walk with him, so I do. As we walk, he talks. “You’ve just been lying to me and I don’t get why. I thought we had a good thing going.”

“I haven’t lied to you about anything?” I mean for it to come out as a statement, but it sounds more inquisitive. I haven’t lied about anything. I have no idea what he’s talking about.

“Are you serious?” His voice sounds angrier. “We talked consistently and you never once mentioned Seth. Now you’re all about him. You tell me it’s just work, but you’re posting pictures on Instagram. I just saw you two flirt without cameras present. Friends don’t hold each other like that. You’re lying to me, and I’ve done nothing but be a good friend to you. I’m trying to look out for you.”

“You’ve got it twisted. We’re friends, but we’ve very rarely made conversations work related. I was surprised when I was asked to work closely with Seth, but I’m not going to tell my bosses no. I don’t care what you say, but I’m not going to refuse a good position. I have never lied to you, and I never will. Seth is a good friend to me. Lately, he’s been there for me more than you have. And, honestly Dolph, it was extremely petty for you to request a match against Seth because you think you’re so much better than him. I thought you were a rad dude when we first met, but you’re not. You’re conceited when you shouldn’t be. Hell, you just had your ass handed to you in the ring tonight, yet you still have the nerve to talk shit.” I end my rant.

I don’t like conflict, but I know he and I needed to discuss this. Dolph thinks he’s doing me a favor, but he’s wrong. He stops walking and crosses his arms. He opens his mouth like he’s going to say something, but he closes it. After a few minutes of just staring at me, he speaks. “Call me when you realize how wrong you are.” I don’t say anything. I just walk away.

I walk back to the now empty locker room and grab my bag. I stop by a liquor store close to my apartment and grab a bottle of vodka. I don’t want to get drunk, but I don’t want to be sober tonight. A mixed drink or two is all I need tonight.

I shower once I’m back in my apartment. I change into cloth shorts and a Social Distortion t-shirt. I text Seth once I’m finished and tell him to come over anytime. He responds quickly, telling me he’s packing a bag now and should be there soon.

I pour myself a pink lemonade and vodka drink. While I wait for Seth, I send Paige and Alicia a text. I want the girls to know I miss their loud presence, and I need to see the girls soon. Aside from my recent conflict with Nikki, I’ve gotten along with every Diva. I may be closest with Brie, but I adore all the girls.

I also try to process my feelings on the Dolph situation. I have such mixed feelings about the situation; it’s hard to wrap my head around the confusion. I’m not as annoyed about Dolph’s actions, but his comments about Seth stick with me. His telling me that I’m a liar gets to me, too. I’ve tried to be upfront with everybody.

I hear a few taps on my door, breaking me from my thought process. I shout to who I presume is Seth that my door is open. He opens my door, armed with a duffle bag. “What’s up?” He says, smiling. He sets his bag on the counter next to me.

I take a sip of my drink and shrug. “How was your talk with Hunter?”

“It was good,” Seth smiles. “You should be expecting a call for them soon. That’s what they told me, anyway.” He sits down on the seat next to mine. “What are you drinking?”

I tell him my drink and offer him one, which he accepts. I prepare him a glass. He accepts it, still as smiley as before. “How was talking to Dolph?”

I groan. “About as bad as expected.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” He asks. His voice sounds genuinely concerned. I know Seth cares, but part of me is still holding back on opening up completely. I am glad he had that match, but is it too much to tell Seth the details of my broken friendship, especially if it started because of him?

“I don’t know. I don’t want to upset you.”

Seth scoots his stool a little closer to mine. He takes a big swig of his drink and sets it on the counter. “You won’t upset me, I promise. I told you before, your business is now mine. I want to be here for you.”

I sigh, nodding. He’s right, and I need to vent. “He thinks I’m lying to him, and when I tried to explain myself to him, he completely dismissed it. He’s just rude. Dolph was one of my first friends here, and now he’s the rudest person to me.” I can feel myself getting upset, so I stop talking.

“What does he think you lied about?”

I don’t want to tell Seth this part. I know people treat him poorly, and I don’t want to tell him how much Dolph doesn’t like him. “He thinks I lied about you and the circumstances that led us to where we are. He can’t accept this friendship for what it is.” I take another drink so I don’t have to talk anymore.

I look over at Seth, and he looks so sad. “You told me you wouldn’t get upset,” I remind him.

“I know.” He says. His voice sounds as down as his face looks. He may be a good character at work, but he’s having a hard time hiding his emotions now. “I love Social Distortion,” he says, changing the subject.

I smile, looking down at my shirt. “They’re the best.”

We finish our drinks off. Nobody brings up the Dolph situation, and I’m okay with that. Seth’s face is still off, so I keep him talking about music with me for a few minutes. The conversation puts a smile on his face, and I want to keep it that way.

After our talk of music fades away, Seth asks if we can continue watching our tv show, and I agree that it’s a good idea. I tell him where to find the discs, and he does so while I refill our drinks. I take the glasses over to him. He already has season two started. I sit next to him closely, but not how we were this morning.

Halfway through our first episode of the night, I take my eyes off the television to look at Seth. He has an off expression - the same one he had earlier that night. I grab the remote and pause the tv. He looks down at me, surprised I paused the tv. “What’s wrong?” I ask him.

“Nothing’s wrong,” He tries to play off whatever’s bothering him, but I see through it.

“Please don’t make me get you drunk so you’ll talk to me.”

Seth laughs. “I just don’t want you losing your friends, Shay.”

I move to completely face him. I’m now horizontally sitting on the couch. I prop my legs over Seth’s knees. I grab one of his hands and look into his beautiful brown eyes. “Seth, please listen to me on this. He wasn’t a good friend to me if he can’t accept my friendship with you. My last two weeks with you have been fantastic. I’m not going to have movie marathons in my apartment with just anybody. I like you. You’re different than the other guys around here. You’re genuine and I trust you. I didn’t have that bond with Dolph. Sure, I’m upset. But I’ll get over it. It doesn’t sting as much when I know I still have you to lean on.”

He gives me an unsure smile. His free hand rests on my lower back. He pulls me a little closer to him. “Promise?”

I nod, resting my head on his shoulder. “I promise.”

The rest of the night goes smoothly. Seth and I hang out on my couch, watching television. I sneak glances at him from time to time, and he looks much happier. When it’s time to call it a night, Seth and I decide he’ll sleep on the couch and I’ll sleep in my bedroom. I give Seth a few blankets and tell him if he needs anything to come get me. He tells me he will, and I go to my bedroom.

Instead of sleeping, I spend my whole night thinking about Seth. I think about crazy it is that I love everything I know about him so far. I think about how breathtaking he is. His appearance is something I’ll never be able to remove from my mind. I think about how much I hate myself for not giving him a chance beforehand and believing rumors. And, most importantly, I think about how crazy this situation is turning. I’m finally coming to terms with the fact that I’m actually starting to fall for this man, even if I shouldn’t be.
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I almost want to start posting twice a week. This story is finished, and I have to wait to post my next one until this is finished. Feel free to provide feedback/opinions. (: