So who is the "right one," so to speak? Ever since childhood we've all been taught what and who is right and what and who is wrong. As we mature, we're expected to find the "right people" and eventually settle down with said "right one." Of course, this is all subjective. There really is no set right and no set wrong...it's all from your point of view, isn't it?
Anyway...
Chris Jericho made the "right" career choice in signing with the World Wrestling Federation, or so he thought at the time. On the other hand, in another life, Chris Irvine also thought that his ex-girlfriend Cynthia was the "right" girl for him to be with. So far he was batting a big zero in choosing the right, or at least what he thought was right.
Now it was important, however. He wanted to make sure he talked to the "right" people, as he'd told Adam and Jason as he left them at breakfast. He wanted to tell the right people his side of the story, which was the truth.
Even though there are variations of what's right, keep in mind that there's no denying the truth.
And the truth was what he wanted to tell.
He hadn't gone far from the little hotel restaurant; only a few floors up. CJ hoped he'd gotten the room number right, this was where he was looking last night. Just in case he needed to talk. He was glad he'd paid attention, because now was the perfect time to talk.
He knocked on the door, a little nervous but trying to maintain the control that he'd lost so many times before.
As moments passed, that control was fading. He was about to bolt and forget about his courage when he heard a voice from behind him.
"She's not in."
CJ quickly turned around to find Shane McMahon there, smiling at him. Just like Vince had smiled. Uncanny, baby.
"Oh..yeah. I was just looking to see if..she was in." Duh.
"Yeah, I think she went downstairs for breakfast. She got up pretty late, she didn't eat with us this morning. I bet you just missed her."
CJ nodded, looked about, and figured easily that "us" was the rest of the McMahon family. Eh well, they were the right people. The people he wanted to talk to about this. Shane would do for now.
"I can talk to you about this, I suppose." He drew in a little closer to Shane, who all of a sudden was eager to hear what the golden egg had to say.
"What's up?"
"You know already, though, don't you? About...me?"
"Oh, that," Shane chuckled it off as if Chris had merely thumped a saltshaker in someone's lap. "Is that bothering you?"
CJ wasn't surprised at Shane's ability to brush things off. "Yes, actually, it is, Shane. I don't want people thinking I'm some sort of pervert, and..."
"Nobody's gonna think of you that way," responded Shane, putting a comforting arm around CJ, walking him back down the hallway. He leaned in a little as they walked. "Besides, even if it is true, you're still safe. You can't lose, bud. You're golden."
CJ shook his head, not seduced by the popularity of his newfound sexual prowess at all. "No, Shane. You don't understand. I mean, your own sister has come up to me and..."
Shane continued, as if he were ignoring this. "Hey, don't *worry* about it, Chris. Stephanie's a girl, and the girls are gonna look at you funny for a little while, but hell. It doesn't matter really, does it?"
"Shane.."
Shane stopped walking, then faced the golden boy. "Look, man. It'd be best if you dropped this, really. What happened happened, and we'll all go on."
Frustrated, Our Hero tried to keep his voice down as he melted into lava right there in front of the boy wonder. "Shane, she WANTED me to."
Shane paused, thought, then chuckled and looked CJ right in the eye. "This is their way of testing your mettle, I'll bet."
"What?"
"Testing you. I can't explain it, it's just something you have to deal with on your own." Shane looked at his watch. "I gotta go."
"Well what the hell? What am I gonna do about my reputation?"
Shane shrugged as he brushed past Our Hero. "Save it. Prove them wrong."
The Initiated - 27 "Truth and the Canadian Way"
Innocent until proven guilty. That's the way it's supposed to go, right?
Not in the WWF. Or at least not for Our Hero Chris Jericho. For him, it was straight guilty until proven innocent. And the proof was the hardest part. How do you prove something that's strictly your word against someone else's?
What was he gonna do, go straight to Joanie Lee Laurer and demand that she tell everyone that he hadn't forced himself on her? Scchyah, like that mattered. He *had* sex with her, after all. That was one mark against him. What mattered now, though, is the fact that Shane McMahon was problably right, that this was all a test done by that little clique. Something to get under his skin, problably even make him, God forfend, quit the WWF.
Well, he knew he sure as hell wasn't going to quit. Well...maybe. He wasn't sure of much anymore. But he *did* want to salvage what was left of his good Christian reputation.
As Shane left Chris behind with a nice parting word of advice, Our Hero went back to the dining hall, where he saw who he was looking for earlier when he ran into the Boy Wonder.
Stephanie McMahon was sitting with Andrew Martin, spreading butter on his toast for him. Jesus, not only is she his personal cocksucker but a maid and mommy as well. For a moment, he wondered if Andrew was telling the truth about having had sex with Joanie before. If he had, and if Miss Joanie had acted the same way with Andrew as she did with CJ, Stephanie surely wouldn't be THIS nice to her "Test."
Jesus, for someone who "doesn't date people in the business" she sure does spend a lot of time with that braggart big-cocked asshole...
As he watched them for a moment, CJ closed his eyes and remembered the flash of pure disgust in Stephanie's eyes that day he ran into her. It'd be hard to talk to her again, but he wanted to clear his name with the "right person". Tell her everything, as he'd felt compelled to do. She obviously had quite a say-so in the goings-on of the company. Hell, maybe she could start it around that Our Hero wasn't a mad rabid rapist after all. Shane and Vince just plain didn't care. They just wanted to keep him happy. Chris, on the other hand, wanted more.
He wanted to tell Stephanie, or someone that cared, everything. He wanted to make her understand him, so she wouldn't be upset with him like she'd been that day. Something inside CJ, maybe what they called the "inner child," hated when people were upset with him. Problably all those years trying to please his hockey-playing father. Still, something inside him wanted to go to Stephanie...to...
"FUCK!!" Adam had said this a little loudly on the other side of the room, looking around to see if anyone heard him, as he realized that his hair had just been moussed with Smucker's jam. CJ jumped a little then, as if roused, walked over to Stephanie's table.
"Well well," said Andrew, noticing him first. "There's The Man."
"Whassup," Chris said, trying to be cool. Stephanie turned around and looked up to see him. He looked down at her. She turned away, looking down at her uneaten bagel. She murmured a quick hallo.
"Mind if I sit?"
"Have at it," Andrew said, coolly waving a hand towards an empty chair at the table and winking at Stephanie, trying obviously to show off his prized Princess Moneybags. He was jealous of CJ after all that he'd heard. Showing Stephanie off to him was just like saying "here's one you haven't gotten yet."
Asshole.
"So how's it going?" Andrew initiated the conversation. "I hear you've been paying a few visits to Chyna."
As if it was funny, Andrew chuckled at his own joke. Stephanie managed a weak smile.
Well, now that the ice was broken in half thanks to Drew, Chris managed to sigh and nod. "It's...not what you think."
"Oh really," said Andrew, as if to test CJ's manhood against his. "So you didn't do anything. Good boy, huh?"
"Not exactly." CJ cast a sideways glance at Stephanie, who looked as if she'd rather be anywhere but here right now. Seeing her discomfort made him a little more uncomfortable.
"So what happened? You gotta know everyone's talking, right?"
"Yeah, but it's not what it seems. I didn't do what she..said I did."
There. There it was, he had his foot in the door, and now it was time to run with it. He just prayed to God that Stephanie wouldn't get impatient and walk off before he said what he wanted to.
The Initiated - 28 "Alone"
Well, at least that's where Our Hero wanted to be with Stephanie. Having Andrew here would be good to get the word out that CJ wasn't the evil bastard that Joanie painted him out to be, but he'd rather not intimate all the little details with Andrew.
Still, there she sat. Good, she hadn't gotten up and left with disgust yet. Something inside Chris wanted so badly for everyone...especially Stephanie right now, to know the truth.
"See, here's the way it happened..."
He didn't care if he looked like a little dejected bitch in front of Andrew. Chris felt rather happy, actually, as he told them everything. Florida, Cynthia, Joanie, room 558, the kiss, the move, the shower, *everything*. He was a little let down at the fact that Stephanie hadn't had some bright revalation from heaven to shower him with apologies and hugs. She sat there looking at him still, those blue eyes attentive and fixed on him. She was thinking, obviously. About what, Our Hero didn't know. He hoped it was in his favor, whatever it was.
Andrew was obviously not much of a thinker, on the other hand. He listened to the story, smirked whenever he could, and generally gave an aura of "I'm So Much Better Than You, You Pathetic Puss." But then again, Andrew Martin wasn't meant to be CJ's target for drawing sympathy.
"That's some story, man," Andrew finally said, shaking his head. "So you really think they did all this shit just to fuck you over?"
"Maybe. I don't know, not yet. I just want people to know I'm not like that." He looked over at Stephanie. "At *all*."
"She was never like that with me, you know." Andrew was sure a bold bastard, talking about past exploits in front of his current one. "They may be jealous of you. I mean hell, people love you, man." It was the nicest thing Andrew'd said to him so far. Chris didn't care. He wanted Stephanie's response, and yet she hadn't said anything except to greet him.
Finally she did, however much to Our Hero's dismay. She got up and, excusing herself, said she had to go. A quick peck on the cheek for Andrew, a nod to CJ {with maybe a hint of a smile}, and she left the table. Andrew must've noticed the crestfallen look on CJ's face, as he was compelled to comment on it.
"You don't think she believes you." Bright boy.
"I want her to."
"It'd be damn good for you if she did believe you. I believe you though. Some of the shit that group does, you would piss your pants if I told you what happened to some people I know."
"Yeah?" CJ was only slightly interested.
"Yeah. See, the office doesn't see the things we see. They only know what we tell them, you know that. But be glad. If it was me in your shoes, I would have been shitcanned a long time ago. But they love you, like I say."
Chris fiddled around with a napkin as Andrew got up, leaving a few parting words. "If all this is what it really looks like and they *are* fucking with you, though, a word of advice since I like you so much." He paused for dramatic effect. "Don't let them make you their bitch."
As he left, Chris wondered why everyone was so full of advice when it wasn't *their* burden to carry. However, now he just wanted to talk to Stephanie alone. Just to see if she really would believe him, and just so he could have a very powerful ally on his side.
The Initiated - 29 "Whipping Boy"
That night in California, Our Hero was scheduled to have yet another confrontation with Jesse before their match at Unforgiven {CJ just couldn't get over the irony of that title}. Of course he knew he'd be getting it royally; Jesse would be told to "fuck him up and over" and hey, that's what the Dogg would do for his buddies Joanie and Paul. That was no question. However, Chris Jericho was more interested in what he could do about this from here on out.
As CJ gathered his thoughts backstage, he couldn't help but stifle a laugh at how comical his character was supposed to be and how grave of a situation was in his reality.
"The beatings will continue until morale improves," or so the saying went. CJ never understood that saying, really. Especially now, as he thought of it before the in-ring beating was to take place. What were they after just by kicking his ass? Whatever it was, they were doing a damn good job of hurting him.
And hurt him they did..
The "confrontation" was similar to the other ones that had taken place between Jericho and Jesse. CJ was to take the upper hand at first and then, as usual, the Doggy would beat him down. CJ hadn't discussed anything with Jesse. What would be the point anyway? He'd never get a good answer anyway.
CJ mentally berated himself for not at least beforehand trying to talk sense into Joanie and Paul's thug-buddy as the steel chair came crashing down into Our Hero's head.
He fell backwards and braced himself for the attack. Punches, kicks, chair, punch, kick, pain. Shot after shot, the blows were stiffer and the crowd's bloodlust grew stronger with their cheers. For a second, through the pain, CJ actually thought Jesse'd try to kill him. He'd already taken a steel chair to the head and face, and fallen halfway out of the ring completely dazed.
"Holy Jesus," he muttered as he dangled upside down from the apron, watching the officials come down to "break the boys up." The crowd showed their love for the combatants with loud roars of approval. Problably mostly for Road Dogg, but CJ didn't care. His job was done, and hopefully...yes...hopefully...the bruises and cuts would be very visible tonight. He winced a little as he limped to the backstage area on a leg that was a little weaker having suffered various kicks.
The Initiated - 30 "The Afterparty"
Two hours after the shoot-beating and counting. CJ had taken all of the "holy shit that looked stiff" and "you sure you're gonna be okay"'s that he could stand. He tried his best not to snap at Adam and Jay on the way back, who kept annoying him with petty arguments over what Transformer was the best.
He praised God when he was back in his hotel room, alone. The way he wanted it right now. Now it could take place.
So now it was set in motion, or at least he hoped. He'd made the phone call already. He lay there in his bed, in the dark, an ice-pack on his knee and his arm draped over his head. Hopefully he looked as pitiful on the outside as he felt on the inside.
Come on, baby.
He waited another five minutes, praying it would happen, and then it happened.
A knock on the door. His heart beat a little faster for a moment and then he struggled up to answer, walking across the darkened room and opening the door.
There stood Stephanie, looking a little sleepy after such a long day. He sympathized with her, but this had to be done. She had to see what they'd done before she'd ever really be on his side.
"Hi," she ventured softly.
"Hey. Thanks for coming." He answered softly, trying to set the tone. At least trying to get the control before anyone else could this time around. She nodded. CJ looked around her. "You're by yourself?"
"Yes. You asked me to be, remember?" She walked in the room, him following closely after shutting the door.
"Good. Thanks. I'm not going to be weird or anything, promise. I just felt I should talk to you about this alone."
"This...meaning your situation?"
"Yes. I want you to see something." With that, CJ walked over to the window to let in a little light from outside. Stephanie still stood not far away from the door, as if she'd have something to run from. She got a little closer after the room was somewhat brighter from the outdoor lights coming in through the window.
"Come a little closer. Please."
"Why?"
"I'd really like you to see this, Stephanie."
She neared him. When he was satisfied, he pulled his t-shirt off and straightened. What she saw made her draw in her breath.
The entire front of Our Hero was covered with scrapes and darkening bruises from earlier in the evening.
"Christ."
"Pretty bad, huh? That's what I've had to look forward to for the past while here in your company."
"Jesus..." She was practically speechless.
"That's what Joanie's friends are doing to me. I hadn't even done anything to her, Stephanie, except for turning her down."
Stephanie sank into a seat across from him and held her hand to her forehead. She sighed weakly. "I didn't want to doubt them," she murmured softly.
"Do what?"
She looked at him again for a moment, silent, tears glistening in her eyes. "I didn't want to think that she was wrong."
"You wanted to believe her story."
"Yes," she said, her lip quivering. "She's...a friend, you know. She's been good...and I..." Stephanie's words trailed off into a sob.
Chris didn't know whether to hold her or to just let her sit there. Obviously she was just as confused as he'd been, and his heart went out to her. So he sat there and let it subside.
"I'm sorry," she murmured.
"No. Please, don't be, Stephanie," CJ said this, getting her a tissue. He felt a little guilty, having brought this sleepy girl here just to make her cry. However, he was still wary of holding her. He didn't want to upset her any further.
"I'm just sorry...I shouldn't have treated you like I did." She dabbed at her nose. "You know, you're not the first."
"Hm?"
"You aren't the first man she's done this to, Chris."
The Initiated - 31 "Keeping Secrets"
Our Hero felt as if a steel chair had been bashed into his skull yet again. He took this bit of news right on the chin, as it knocked him back onto his bed. He lay there, half chuckling at himself and feeling ready to burst out in anger and kill the first person he saw. Thankfully, he was able to control his emotions enough to let out a very harried sigh.
"Who was it?"
Stephanie still sat there sniffling like a child. "I don't want to talk about this now. I really need to go."
Chris mustered up the strength to sit up and face her. "I'd at least like to know who was in my same position, Stephanie."
She started to get up, but he finally decided that now was the time that she should be held. He leaned forward and gently gripped her shoulder. "Please...tell me?"
"Chris, no. It's not important, it doesn't matter now." A fresh wave of tears was coming on. He was afraid she'd get into hysterics, but he had to know. Someone else that knew about this was an important thing to CJ right now.
"Just let me go, please. I'm so tired, and I need to lie down."
"Why won't you tell me? Is the guy still around?"
She debated answering this, casting her tearful glance down to the floor. "I can't...Chris...I don't want to say."
"Are you afraid they'll hurt him even worse?"
She shook her head. "No. They can't."
"Are you afraid they'll hurt you if they find out you told me?"
"I really want to go. Look, I'm sorry you got hurt but I really don't need to get involved in this." He loosened his grip a little. She saw this as her way out and pushed his hand away, then stood. Chris quickly stood with her, despite the shooting pain in his head and legs.
"You *are* involved in this now, Stephanie. I *wanted* you involved in this because I wanted you on my side." Chris said this slowly and carefully, as he was having trouble taking a deep breath.
"Why me?" She was now on her second set of fresh tears, more from fatigue than despair.
"Because you care. I could tell you cared the day I saw you at the office. You care about what happens and what goes on, and your father and brother don't, Stephanie."
"What the hell am I gonna do, huh? What is it that I have to do??"
"For right now? Tell me who else they've done this to."
"I can't..don't you understand that I just *can't*?"
"No, no I don't understand. You haven't told me much and I won't let you just leave me hanging like this."
Stephanie turned away and buried her face in her hands, sobbing harder now. Obviously this was hurting her just as badly, yet CJ needed to know. But not this badly. He felt like a complete dick for attempting to forcing it out of her like this.
"Hey..hey..come here." He turned her back to him and held her against him. She was really soft...really warm. He held her there as if she were a little girl, gently shushing her and caressing her hair. As she sobbed and pressed against CJ, his bruises stung at him and his ribcage ached. However, none of that mattered. He'd reached a breakthrough, he realized, as he heard her tear-soaked words.
"They didn't have to hurt him like that...."
"Who, honey?" He whispered this back to her, trying to calm her enough so she could speak.
Through a faint gasp and sniffle, he heard her speak clearly and distinctly.
"Shane..."