It had been a day or two after the restaurant incident, as Chris had come to call it, had occured, and he hadn't said a word to Joanie since then. Sure, he debated calling her, but what good would it do? He'd learned his lesson from Cynthia, anyway.
Cynthia. Now her name comes back up. Yep. The little bitch from Orlando that he loved so much that had the nerve to dump him over the answering machine. And hey, he loved her still. Of course he was still wondering whether or not if he loved Joanie Lee. Was it really love, or just passion spread out over a couple of weeks? Whatever it was, he knew for a fact that he wanted them to remain friends. It wasn't very good to make enemies this early in his WWF career.
Speaking of which, although there was heartache and mass confusion, there would always be RAW. And he was on the threshold of starting this new feud with Sean Waltman, who was really looking forward to working with him again. So maybe things weren't all that bad. At least not on the business end.
The fans still adored every word he said. The front office jizzed all over the ratings that Our Hero was pulling in. The internet buzzed for days about how this pending feud between Chris Jericho and X-Pac would blow the lid off of any arena it was taken into. By Monday morning, Chris made up his mind to put Joanie off for a little bit and concentrate on the task that lay ahead of him. This would prove to be a huge mistake later. But again, that's foreshadowing.
Monday evening arrived after a day of working out with Adam and Jason, this time with the Hardy brothers. Less talk about sex now that Mr. Martin wasn't around. He had bragged to them at breakfast about how spent he was after a night with Daddy's Little Girl. How valid was this proclamation was still debatable. CJ didn't like Andrew Martin, but he tolerated him. Maybe all that swagger about his conquests was covering up for some sort of sexual incapability he had. Whatever it was, it sure wasn't his cock size.
Yet CJ tolerated him allll the way to the Reunion Arena for Raw. Adam and Jay had took off earlier from the hotel, and the only one left around to catch a ride with was Mr. Sexual Prowess himself. So Our Hero listened to every smutty detail about how Stephanie McMahon likes to swallow. He wondered if she'd be ever so willing to spit it back out in Andrew's face if she ever knew the things he told everyone.
Meanwhile as the Paragon was silently swearing to himself on the way to the arena, people were lined up left and right, waiting to get in to enjoy the show. Electricity was everywhere. People screamed and shouted as the stars arrived. Much confusion outside as well as in the backstage, and everyone loved it.
However, Paul Levesque had found someplace quiet. This was what he needed right now. He was happy he'd gotten his good little buddy Sean to ride to the arena with him and Joanie...they'd need his cooperation. As he chatted with Sean Waltman in low tones outside of the dressing areas, he kept looking around to make sure no one but Mr. Waltman would hear what he'd have to say. Yet, even if someone had just been walking by casually, they would have heard Paul whisper fiercely to his good friend:
"Fuck him up."
The Initiated - 20 "What Do You Do When You're Branded"
Our Hero walked alone back to the dressing area, limping sorely. Well, wasn't that a sight. That had to be one of *the* stiffest matches he ever fought. As he walked, he realized that he'd forgotten most of what happened there in the ring that night. He remembered the pre-match blustering that he did. The fans loved it; they ate it with a spoon. He remembered the spot-calling going well. He could hear everything perfectly. Yet what stuck out most in his mind Waltman assaulting him with incredibly painful kicks and punches. At first he thought it was the adrenaline rush, but then he asked Sean what was up.
He got no response, just a quick whisper to send him into the ropes.
Well, Chris Jericho was no dummy. He was aware, painfully aware, even, of what was going on. He and Sean Waltman got along without any problems at all before this night. He knew it had to be Paul; either he found out or he was getting pretty damned suspicious. And he was right. Paul Levesque *was* behind that stiff-worked match. But what was he going to do about it?
There wasn't anything *to* do except for go to Waltman himself and ask him man-to-man what was up, and what they could do about it.
As he looked in the mirror over the sink in his dressing space, he saw various formations of bruises all over his chest and arms. X-Pac sure left a mark on him that night.
Speaking of the devil, he entered the area not too long after CJ arrived. Jericho turned to face him. No words.
"So what was up with that?"
"With what?" Waltman played dumb. Smart man, he knew he'd have nothing to lose with lying.
"Well shit, that was a stiff match, you and I both know it. I just wanted to know if you're all right. Did I do something to piss you off?"
Waltman shrugged. "If you can't take it, I can't do nothing about it."
"No, fuck that. Something's wrong, what, did I piss you off? Tell me and we'll talk about it."
Sean opted to stay quiet. He left CJ alone in the dressing space, having grabbed his gym bag and ran off without another word.
CJ watched him leave and shook his head, looking down at a larger bruise that was starting to form around the left side of his torso.
Okay, then. Now we've got trouble.
The Initiated - 21 "Finding Who Your Friends Are"
CJ knew the first step in solving his problems was to go to Joanie herself and ask what the hell was going on. Then again he could be wrong, she could know completely nothing. For all CJ knew, poor Joanie could be suffering the same abuse. The thought of them hurting her was a little more painful to him, no matter what kind of bruises or scratches he had on himself. Those bastards. As if she wasn't hurt enough already.
He knew he had to talk to her, anyway. Just to touch base with things. Just to find out if she was okay. He left the little dressing area in search of Joanie, and a large part of him prayed to God that Paul wasn't with her. He wasn't in the mood, physically or mentally, for a fight.
As he passed people in the hallway by, Our Hero Chris Jericho got the usual pats on the back and praises. It wasn't like he didn't appreciate it...it was just that he was occupied with more important things.
Something inside hurt a little when he remembered Joanie's gentle hand on his shoulder not so long ago. Her supportiveness. She didn't deserve to be let down like he let her down. Maybe if he hadn't been so damned selfish, maybe if he just would have toughed it out with her...
Hey, there's still a chance, he thought. What more could I lose? They're already out to kick my ass about "it". It's time I capitalized on the situation. She needs me. She said so, didn't she?
And there she was, standing alone admist all that hustle and bustle, by the curtain that lead to the ring entrances. Hallelujah!
"Joanie," he called out, almost yelling in spite of himself. He caught her attention. Good.
He closed in a little to avoid anyone else hearing. When he was sure others were out of earshot, he spoke. "Are you okay?"
She turned away as if to look to see if anyone else was coming, then at him, with a blank expression. Wordless.
"Joanie...you're okay?"
She didn't speak. Instead, she looked past him again, and this time he followed her gaze. He turned around and almost let out a little choke of surprise. Paul stood there, almost nose to nose with him.
"Fucker," Paul said, almost spitting it at him. "You fucker!"
"Wha..."
CJ didn't get to finish the thought. Before he knew it, he'd recieved a stiff punch to the mouth and was reeling from it, almost falling to the floor.
Immediately the hustle and bustle of the backstage was focused on Chris and Paul. Chris could barely see out of the daze that the "Hunter" had knocked him into, but he saw his enemy being restrained. He felt hands on his shoulders pulling him away...he looked around in a slight blur for Joanie.
Maybe it was the punch that Paul threw, or maybe it was the pain from earlier that was already clouding CJ's mind that was making him see things, but as he was being pulled away, and he saw his friend Joanie standing there, he could have sworn he saw a smile on that pretty, braceless mouth of hers.
The Initiated - 22 "Brokenhearted"
The next day came and went without any trouble. CJ sat in his hotel room most of the time with an icepack and his thoughts. The Smackdown tapings came and he didn't wrestle. Hell, he couldn't at the moment. The backstage incident had been handled professionally. It'd problably be all over the internet in the next few days, but Our Hero didn't care. He'd replayed the scene so many times over and over in his mind, and now there was no doubt that the things that happened between him and Miss Joanie Lee Laurer weren't the way that they seemed. As he lay in his bed that Tuesday evening, he closed his eyes and moaned softly. What an idiot he was.
His thoughts were interrupted by the phone. Wonderful, another headache. He picked it up and almost whispered inaudibly into it..."Hullo?"
"Dude, what was up with last night?" Hello, Mr. Nosy Copeland.
"You mean you haven't gotten the story yet from sixteen different people?" CJ smirked a little at his weak attempt at humor.
"I heard Paul kicked your ass." What a friend.
"Something like that."
"What'd you do?"
"I fucked his woman, I think."
"WHAT??"
CJ chuckled a little. "Stupid, huh?"
"Damn stupid. What the hell were you thinking?" Before CJ could answer, Adam continued. "You heard that the office wants to talk to you about it, right?"
Our Hero sighed. "No..thanks for telling me." Great. Now he'd problably be soundly fired. He pictured Vince and JR sitting as they'd done the first day he visited them, this time in big black judicial robes and big white wigs, passing judgements of doom on him. Then he wondered how the hell Adam heard about this before *he* did.
"It's true. It's ok though, I'll bet Paul will take more than you did, he threw the first punch I heard."
"First and last."
"Dude, are you serious though? Did you really fuck his girl?"
"Yeah. Now that I see this a lot more clearly...I really think I shouldn't have."
"Good job."
"I really need to sleep now, Adam."
"Ok. Damn..he must have really kicked your.."
CJ hung up before Adam could finish. As he sat there and thought things through, he wondered what hurt worse...his cuts and bruises or the fact that Joanie could possibly be low enough to play with his emotions like this.
He chuckled again at what an idiot he had been, and as soon as he knew it, he was crying over what a cold-hearted bitch he'd begun to fall in love with could really be.
The Initiated - 23 "Chance Meeting"
So there he was, entering the Titan Tower a little more than afraid. Would they chew him up and spit him out? Would he walk back out unemployed? Would they commend him for banging such a hot piece of ass? CJ walked past the front desk, almost not noticing the hellos and good mornings he was getting. Those that saw him walk in that Friday morning could say he was in a daze. Of course, they didn't know the whole story. Nobody did, really. Except for him and Joanie. How embarrasing it was going to be to have to air his dirty laundry.
He thought about her again, as he'd done constantly for the past week. He didn't hate her at all for what she'd done. Surely there had to be a reason. It'd be a while before he forgave her, though, but he was willing to. Besides, he thought as he turned down the empty corridor leading to Vince's office, she hadn't been the one that bruised him and cut up his lip with a stiff punch...
"Oh!"
Whoops..that was a person he just ran into, wasn't it? He came out of his daze for a second long enough to see a flash of long brown hair bending over a bunch of scattered white papers on the floor.
"Uh oh...I'm sorry..." He awkwardly bent over to help out the girl, yet didn't notice she was coming back up, rather quickly at that. Their heads collided in a rather slapstick display.
"Oww...oh God, it just goes from bad to worse..." she said this with a slight laugh, rubbing her head. Stephanie then turned up to face him. He looked down to face her.
The smile on the pretty face faded when she saw him. Oh, well now, it was Stephanie McMahon. Andrew Martin's swallower.
"Uh.." He knelt down again to help her with the papers.
"I can get them myself," she said quickly, a little coldly.
She bent over to collect the scattered sheets of paper, trying to ignore him.
"I just wanted to help," he said, a little feebly. It was getting *really* hard to get along with anyone lately. She looked up at him as she gathered up the last sheet.
"You've done enough," she said quietly with a sense of finality as she straightened up and attempted to pass him.
"Wait, what?" He stepped in front of her to block her path. At least he could try to reason with her. He didn't need the boss' daughter upset with him. It wasn't working, she was adamant to pass him.
"Let me by, please," she said, trying to sidestep him, not looking him in the face.
"Just wait a second. I know I may seem like the world's biggest loser now, but..."
Finally she looked him in the eye, her own blue eyes glaring up at him. "Loser, huh? That's putting it rather mildly, don't you think?"
"Well..."
She continued as she shook her head angrily. "You're scum. You know that? I've never seen such an animal. How could you do that? How could you do that to that poor woman?"
As usual, he was confused. Huh? "Do...what?"
Stephanie laughed in spite of her anger. "Don't play stupid with me. Everyone knows you're a sick jerk. Forcing yourself on that poor woman..you should be locked up!"
What?? Forcing...what? "Hey, wait a minute," he said as Stephanie finally passed him, as he was too confused to block her this time. He turned around and grabbed her arm, hoping to God she wouldn't scream. "Wait a minute!"
"Let go of me! What the hell are you doing?"
"Let's get something straight here," he said fiercely, finding that control that he was so desperately looking for before. "I don't know what the hell she told everyone but I did NOT force myself on Joanie. What we did was mutual!"
Stephanie wriggled out of his grasp. "You're sick. You expect me to believe you? You think you're such a tough guy, coming in here and thinking you can make this whole place yours? You make me sick!"
"What proof does she have? Nothing. I never hurt her, I would never hurt her!"
Stephanie was quiet then, but still burning mad at him. Obviously she didn't believe him, but then there was no reason that she should. She looked away, then back at him, looking a little calmer. Then she spoke a little softer. "She told me that..when you moved here..you called her to help you move over and you..tried to.."
"Stephanie, it's a lie. I tell you I would never hurt Joanie." He said this looking right in her eyes, as calm as he could be even though right now there was nothing more he'd love to do than wring Joanie's neck off of her shoulders. That lying bitch.
Stephanie was quiet then, then turned to leave. "I have to go."
"You believe me?"
She shrugged. "I don't know." With that, she walked off, leaving him left to face her father.
As he watched her walk off, he couldn't help but note that she was right. It *was* going from bad to worse.
The Initiated - 24 "Slap On The Wrist"
Vince McMahon sat behind the big mahogany desk, the "father figure" role playing more prominently than ever. He smiled as Our Hero sat down and sighed, either a lame attempt to draw sympathy to himself or just plain weariness in general.
"So how are you doing, Chris?"
"I could do better."
Vince chuckled. "I understand, I understand. You'll forgive Jim for not sitting down with us, he had something else to tend to this morning." CJ nodded, not really caring whether Jim Ross was there or not. Just get this overwith. Tell me I'm fired, something. Waiting sucks.
Vince must have felt this vibe from Chris, as he continued without a hassle. "Well I'm sure you know what you're here for. I'm sure you know we've gotten...complaints." He said this last line as if he were covering for a more abrasive word. Heh. Chris was now genuinely wondering what Joanie told them.
"I heard. They're all wrong, you know, Vince. I didn't attack Joanie. I don't..."
Vince held up a hand dismissively, with a slight grin. "No need for explanations, son. I understand you wholeheartedly."
A little shock, which Chris tried to cover with a smooth "I'm glad." "Oh sure." A little conspiratorily, he leaned a little closer in his desk. "You see, working where I've worked for the past 25 or so years, you see things that may or may not happen, and some things slip through the cracks faster than others."
Chris blinked, almost wary of the support he was now getting. "I'm not sure I follow you, sir."
"Don't worry about it. That's all I'm saying, son. You needn't fear for your position in this company, Chris. You're an incredible asset to us, and," Vince paused, with a smile, "we'll keep you happy by any means necessary."
Well what the hell was that supposed to mean? CJ shifted in the comfortable leatherbound chair, a little nervously. Vince McMahon thought he did it. This lecherous, dirty man actually thought he did the deed and...get this...not only pardoned him but thought he needed it to make him happy! Holy shit.
"Vince...if what you're thinking is that what she said has validity..." Almost as if he was anticipating this, Vince shook his head. "No, no. I'm not saying that at all. I'm just saying go forth, and sin no more. Stay happy, that's all we want. Really."
On cue, the telephone rang, interrupting the momentary silence and almost causing Our Hero to jump out of his chair.
"You'll excuse me, son. I'll need to take this call." Vince winked and smiled at his moneymaker, his golden egg. Almost in complete disgust, Chris Jericho got up and walked out of Mr. McMahon's office feeling lower than dirt. What kind of person did he appear to be now?
On his way out, he thought of Joanie again. She'd played him like a ten-cent flute, and was basically getting away with tarnishing his reputation. The question of the moment, though, was whether or not they were done with him.
The Initiated - 25 "Friends"
His answer would come quickly. Joanie and her little friends were far from being done with Chris Jericho. Whether it was over revenge or something more petty, CJ didn't know. He just knew that it was getting harder and harder to get out of bed some mornings. What a wonderful WWF career, eh?
September's end came about and so did the next pay-per-view. Unforgiven, aptly titled, and Our Hero was scheduled to face the Road Dogg Jesse James, a close buddy of the people that weren't exactly close buddies with Jericho anymore. Jesse had seemingly kept out of this budding war between Jericho and the clique of friends, but then again Chris had pushed all trust aside. For now, it was for the better. There really *was* no one to trust. Even his obvious friends Adam and Jay were silent targets of mistrust for CJ.
"What is WRONG with you? You've been absolved of all crime, yet you still go around acting like you're on death row? I don't get it." Adam said this the Monday before the pay-per-view, sitting in a California hotel restaurant beside Jay, who was playing with the sugar dispenser, barely listening to the conversation.
CJ stirred a spoon around in his decaf. "Nobody gets it. Nobody fucking believes me, they just act like it's some sort of high school prank."
"Well hell, I believe you, for what it's worth."
Chris looked up at his friend and smiled a little. "It's worth a lot. I appreciate it." He looked away. "So far you guys are about the only ones, seems like it."
"Bullshit. A lot of guys in the back are behind you. It just seems like the world is on your shoulders because you got the big kids on your ass." Adam picked a seed out of his grapefruit and flicked it at Jay, who batted it away and flipped the bird to his partner.
"Cocksmoker."
"I don't see why you fucked her anyway, dude," continued Adam, not missing a beat. "Sure she looked like she liked you, but I mean..damn."
"I told you, it was almost like she was forcing herself on *me*."
"I wish some girl would force herself on me." Jay spoke this then, interrupting his quiet search for something to toss at Adam.
"Don't get whiny just because your girl left you," Adam said, rolling his eyes.
"At least she didn't dump him over his answering machine."
"What are you doing about Joanie?" Jay looked up at him after thumping the saltshaker into Adam's lap.
"Shit!"
"Nothing, really. Not much I can do, they're all out to kick my ass anyway."
"No, seriously, dude. What you should do is show them you're not their bitch. Stand up to Paul, he's the one behind all this."
"I'll get blackballed."
"Hell no you won't," Adam said, wiping salt off his jeans. "Everyone wants to see that fuckwad get his."
"Like who?"
"Like everyone."
Chris was quiet for a moment, contemplating this. "It may work," he finally said, "but first I need to clear my name. I need to make sure that the right people know I didn't do this." With that, he got up and excused himself from the table.
Adam and Jay watched him leave, and Adam shook his head. "What, like we're the wrong people?" As he said this, he hadn't noticed Jay had ornately decorated the back of his head with sticky little smears of strawberry jam.