Chapter 12 Thank goodness Kari’s best friend was a professional make-up artist.  Shea had taught her a few years ago, how to cover up bruises and cuts.  It wasn’t  a talent that she was necessarily proud of having to have learned, but none the less, she had become an expert an covering up these things.  By the time she was done, other than the small bandage on her forehead, her wounds were unnoticeable.  They arrived at the arena three hours before the show was to start.  They hung out with the other superstars.  Some of them that hadn’t met Kari the night before, asked for her autograph and had their picture taken with her.  This display amused Amy.  Here were all of these big guys, her co-workers, who spent much of their time doing autograph signings themselves, and they were star struck.  It made her laugh.  An hour later, Matt, Jeff and Amy decided to go out behind the arena and sign autographs for the crowd that had formed.  Kari stood back and watched.  They stayed out there for about twenty minutes.  Jeff turned around and motioned to Kari as he saw Shea and Jason pull into the parking lot.  She walked over and greeted them.  A few minutes later, Jeff walked over and grabbed Kari’s hand, "Let’s go inside."  The six friends walked into the arena and went to the dressing room.  Kari and Jeff - hand in hand.  ‘I could really get use to this’, was the thought that filled her mind.  They sat around and talked for a bit.  "I think he likes her.", Kari said to Jeff with a smile as she pointed to Matt and Shea who were huddled in the corner talking and laughing.  "I think you’re right.", he replied wrapping his arms around her waist.  Amy had gone down the hall and when she came back, she walked through the door and said, "Jeff, look who’s here…..Kristin."  Jeff let go of Kari who immediately walked over and sat down next to Jason.  "What are you doing here?, he asked with a guilty look on his face.  "I thought I’d suprise you.", she said giving him a hug.  As he hugged her, he looked at Kari apologetically.  "This should be fun.", Kari whispered to Jason.  He put his arm around her and gave a little squeeze, "You want to go get a soda or something?"  "Yeah.", she replied.  Jason always knew what Kari was thinking, and he knew how to make it better, that’s why she loved her friend so much.  "Why’d it get so quiet in here?", Kristin asked.  "Sorry, we were just suprised that’s all.", Matt said, "We’re glad you came."  "Well, some of us are.", Shea mumbled.  Matt cleared his throat rather loudly and looked at Shea causing her to bust out laughing.  "I’m sorry, my name’s Shea.  It’s nice to meet you, Kristin is it?", she said.  "Yes.  It’s nice to meet you too.", Kristin said as she shook  Shea’s hand.  "We’ll be right back.", Jason said as he and Kari walked out the door.  "Where you going?", Matt asked.  "We’ll be right back.", Jason said again.  When they got outside the door, Kari turned to Jason and said, "thank you."  "Your welcome.  Now where do you think there’s a soda machine?", he asked.  She smiled at him, knowing that he was trying to blow off the whole situation, "I don’t know.  But I’m sure if we wander around long enough we’ll find one, or at least someone who knows where one is."  So the duo headed off in search of sodas.  "Was that who I think it was?", Kristin asked.  "Yeah.", Amy confirmed.  "Oh, I didn’t know she was gonna be here.", she said.  She knew about Jeff’s feelings for Kari from the first time that she met him.  He hadn’t hidden it from her, although he wished that he had.  "Yeah, well, I invited her.", Matt said trying to cover for his brother.  That seemed to make Kristin feel a little less uneasy about the whole thing.  There was still a feeling of tension in the air.  The door opened and in walked Adam and Jay, the team that Matt and Jeff were wrestling that night.  "We need to go over this one more time.", Jay said to Matt, "I’m not clear about that one part."  "Hey, didn’t I meet you last night?", Adam asked Shea.  Jeff’s muscles tensed up even more.  Maybe Kristin wouldn’t put the connection together. "Yes.  I’m Shea.", she replied.  "Oh yeah, Kari Knight’s friend.  Nice to see you again.", Adam said.  Well, so much for that.  Thanks to Adam’s big mouth.  "You too.", she responded.  "I just saw her headed down the hall with her friend.  Said they were looking for sodas so I sent them over to the room where the food is.", Adam informed them.  "Hey Kristin.", Jay said nudging at Adam who was obviously oblivious to the fact that she was in the room.  "Oh, hey Kristin.", he said almost tripping over his own words.  "Hey Adam.", she responded.  "Kristin, we’ve got to go over this match, so you’ll have to excuse us.", Jay said pulling Jeff away from her.  She took a seat on the couch where Shea was now sitting.  Shea smiled at her.  ‘And the plot thickens.", Shea thought to herself.  Jason and Kari grabbed some sodas and headed back to the dressing room.  Just before they reached the door, Jason looked at her, "You okay with this?"  "Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?", she asked as if she didn’t care, "It’s not like I’m in love with him or anything."  "I beg to differ.", he stated.  "You don’t know what you’re talking about.", she insisted.  "Okay.  Keep telling yourself that.  I don’t believe you.", he said.  "Everyone’s entitled to their own beliefs.", she said.  "If you can walk back in this room and watch the two of them together, without it bothering you in the least little bit, then I’ll believe you.  Otherwise, there’s no convincing me.", he said.  "That won’t be a problem.", she said.  "And remember, I know what you’re thinking.", he reminded her.  "Whatever!", she said laughing as she made her way back into the room.  Jeff glanced up at her.  "Jeff….", Matt said pulling him back into the conversation.  "Sorry.", he said and then gave his full attention back to the task at hand.  Kari and Jason took a seat on the couch that was opposite of where Shea and Kristin were sitting.  "What’s so funny?", Shea asked.  "Jase is just being goofy as usual.", Kari responded, "He thinks he knows me so well."  "Well, you two do share a brain.", Shea commented.  "And it’s obvious who has the lion’s share.", Kari said just as Jason took a drink of his soda.  He got choked and spit soda all over Kristin.  "Oh gees, I’m sorry.", Jason said getting up and grabbing a napkin for Kristin.  Kari was laughing so hard that she could hardly breathe.  "Now, see what you’ve done.", Jason said seriously.  Kari regained her composure and apologized to Kristin, "I’m sorry.  He just makes me laugh sometimes."  "That’s okay.  It was an accident.", Kristin said wiping the soda off of her arm.  ‘And she’s nice.  That sucks.’, Kari thought to herself.  "We have to go on in a few minutes if you guys want to go get your seats.", Matt explained.  They all headed towards the curtain.  "I’m just going to hang back here and watch on the monitor.", Kari told them. Shea wished the boys luck as she and Jason headed out into the arena.  "I’m gonna hang back here too.", Kristin said as she gave Jeff a kiss for good luck.  Kari wouldn’t admit it, but that bothered her.  Kari kissed Matt on the cheek and told him ‘good luck’.  "Hey, squirt!", she yelled to Jeff.  He turned to her and smiled, "Yeah?"  "Good luck.", she said.  "Thanks.", he said.  And then their music hit.  They stepped through the curtain and made their way to the ring.  Kari and Kristin found a monitor and sat in some chairs in front of it.  "This is gonna be ugly.", she thought to herself.               Last Chapter ..*.. Next Chapter ..*.. Chapter Index ..*.. Home