Cooling

Two weeks later, Terri sat before a mirror in Spokane, Washington applying eyeliner in the Hardy Brother's dressing room. Not by her own will was she a part of this scene; Mick had pushed for her admittance into the tag team's picture. Matt and Jeff were civil, if not overly-thrilled, at her presence in their room.
"Terri," She heard Matt call, "Do you like the orange shirt or the blue one?"
Expecting him to be naked, a shock of surprise rode her spine when she realized he was fully clothed. "You had Emma make you an orange shirt?" she asked, amused. Emma was the costume girl.
"I like orange." Matt proclaimed, unhooking the shirt from it's hanger and spreading it over his chest.
Jeff peered into the room, raising his left brow, "Dude, ORANGE?" He blurted out.
"Everyone's a critic." Muttered Matt. He put down the shirt and asked Terri, "You're in black tonight?"
"I'm always in black," Terri said. She wondered momentarily if this was some sort of personal insight.
"So wear black." He told Jeff.
"My black's being dry-cleaned," Jeff informed Matt, "I'm wearing purple."
"Purple?" Matt's face fell. "Purple and orange?"
"I told you not to get the orange until the next set of house shows," Jeff said, taking a seat on a couch a few feet away from Terri's seat. Half of his head glowed a bright, Manic Panic Purple.

Terri felt much more comfortable with the Hardys than with the Posse, for obvious reasons. Their rapport engaged her. But something nagged at Terri's subconscious. It centered around their apparent disinterest with her sexually. Each time she arrived at their dressing room, both were dressed. When they returned after the matches, both went to the communal shower room and returned fully-dressed.

Terri finally cornered Matt one afternoon and demanded to know why neither boy had made a move on her. Matt was more appalled than shocked.
"Terri," He said, exasperated, "What makes you think I would do such a thing?"
"Every man I've ever valeted has made a move," She said. What's wrong with me? She wondered.
"I've got a girl back in Carolina." He said. "Jeff's been dating a girl in accounting. We don't believe in fooling around, Terri."
We don't believe in fooling around, she thought. It seemed improbable.
"Not every man you meet is scum," He continued, "Not every man is the Posse. Look at Stevie, for God sakes..."
Stevie. She had a sudden, horrible feeling inside of her chest. A thunder of footsteps echoed in the hallway. There was shouting, confusion. Terri peered over Matt's shoulder, watching the sudden rush of people.
Mick peered into the room, "Stevie's been hurt!" Mick yelled.
Terri's gasped in dismay, pushing past Matt and following Mick out of the room. They chased through the building for information, Mick questioning everyone he could find. Finally, Pierre, the trainer, found them.
"Stevie has broken his foot," He explained, "We're flying him to a hospital in Philadelphia."
"Is it serious?" Terri wondered nervously.
"Non, mademoiselle. But we are close enough to his home, so that the surgery may take place there."
Terri nodded. The ambulance was already gone. They would set his foot, and he would get on a plane and be flown to Philadelphia. If she hurried, she could make it in time.

She ran from Mick, all the way back to the locker room, and she started to shove her clothing into a duffel.
Matt discovered her there, "Terri, what are you doing?"
"I'm going to Philadelphia, Matt," She said, "Stevie's been hurt."
He looked at his watch, "But..."
Jeff peered into the room beside his brother, "Four minutes to match time, Terri." He said.
She had her coat on, and her travelling hat tucked over her ears, "I can't...I have to go to Stevie." She was near tears. "You understand?"
The brothers gazed at each other. They did. They parted, allowing her to go. Not even Vince could stand in her way.

She knew that they followed her to the parking lot. She heard Matt's voice, calling her back. Over her shoulder, she peered back at them.
"You are a formidable woman, Terri." Matt told her. It was simple, and comforting.
She bought two tickets at the train station. Booking a flight out would have been a hassle. In a few hours, she stood at Dustin's door.
His surprise was evident, "You're a day early." He murmured, giving her their customary greeting of a kiss on the forehead.
She nodded, "I need your permission to take Dakota with me out of town."
"What?!"
"Only for a week. I'll send her back to you after, I promise."
Dustin's eyes watered in disgust, "This is ridiculous!" He exploded suddenly, "You want to drag our daughter across the country?!"
Her eyes were filled with subjugation, "Dustin, PLEASE..."
All at once, he calmed down. He walked to the desk and wrote down, "My wife, Terri Runnels, has permission to transport our daughter, Dakota, across the country to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania." He handed her the note.
"She's in her bedroom." He told her.

Up the stairs, Terri stole, packing away most of Dakota's things and clothing, then delivering them downstairs. Her sleeping daughter stayed that way as she bundled her into the car and drove to the train station, giving Dustin a departing hug.

In the train station, She awoke once, "Mommy?" She asked sleepily.
"I'm here, treasure." She said, cuddling her daughter's warm body.
"Where are we going?" She asked.
"To a place called Philadelphia."
"Phill-del-fya?" She asked.
"Uh-huh." Terri smiled.
"Can we see the Liberty bell?"
"You know what that is?"
Dakota yawned. "It's a big bell with a crack in it. I saw in Family Circus."
"That's right...we'll see it, I promise."
Dakota, satisfied, fell to sleep.

A few hours later, She slept in a hotel bed, while Terri watched her from a chair. She had tried for rest and failed. Mick had called her, announcing which hospital Stevie had been admitted to. Terri called the hospital, and managed to find out (by claiming that she was Michael's sister) that he would be going in for surgery in a few hours. She could come and visit any time up to two. She would wait for her daughter to wake and then get some breakfast in her.

Alone for the moment, Terri wandered onto her room's balcony, breathing deeply of the dawn air. Pale, the sun rose in the distance, spreading rosy fingers of light over the bridge of her nose. Something made her return to the room and retrieve a desk pad and pencil.

She placed the pencil to the pad and moved it. Sketching rapidly, she filled in holes, contrasted shades, and tried to impress herself on the paper. It was what her mother had hoped she would do as an adult, what she had been forced to take up, even though she didn't really need or want to.

She looked down at the pad, not at all surprised when she saw a perfect replica of the city scene below her.

Dakota stirred behind her in the room, getting out of bed and then pausing by the door, "What are you doing, mommy?" She asked.

Terri quickly crumpled the paper up and threw it into an ashtray. "Nothing, Sweetie." She said, getting up and scooping the girl up. She tickled Dakota, and was rewarded with a giggle.

"Let's get some breakfast," She said, "Then, there's some one I want you to meet...."


Go On