Welcome to the Queendom

Chapter Thirty-Two

I screamed into the pillow in pain. "Dean," I cried out.
"I'm telling you, it'll help, promise," he insisted as he massaged my blue and purple ankle. Luckily it was only bruising. Dr. Sampson said that I should lay off it for a couple of days and said that it should be okay by Wednesday or Thursday. Once I made it backstage, Steph was waiting for me with a smile on her face, but I just brushed past her. Brie and Nikki congratulated me and smothered me in hugs.
"Our baby's champion!" they had exclaimed in unison.
After my match, it was time for the triple threat and Randy was right. Daniel won the title. I was happy for Daniel, but Randy seemed really distraught when he got backstage. I turned to my duffel bag that was sitting on the floor beside the bed where my championship was resting on the very top. I smiled and winced as Dean applied more pressure.
"You did great out there," he said trying to steer me away from the pain by starting a conversation. It still hurt.
"Thanks," I said, my voice breathless by the pain and muffled by the pillow. "And I didn't need help from The Authority."
"Sure didn't," Dean agreed. "I'm proud of you."
That's when I uncovered my face and sat up, staring straight at him. "Can I tell you something?" I asked.
"Of course," Dean said as he stopped massaging my ankle and propped it up with a pillow.
I took a deep breath. "I've had a plan," I began to say, "ever since I got here. I didn't plan on telling anyone but I also didn't plan on this to happen." I gestured between him and I. I took another breath, considering to bail out, but I sucked it up and continued.
I jumped into the explanation of my plan involving the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships and how I was gonna try to steal it from Randy, before we became friends. I told him that in order to do that and even hold the possibility of succeeding I had to get in good with The Authority, hence me joining their circle.
The whole time I was talking, Dean stared at me, nodding his head from time to time, really listening and letting me finish.
"I still want the championship," I told him. "Because I want to prove to people that divas are more than what they make us out to be. I'm trying to bring back the Attitude Era, kinda where girls like Chyna didn't think twice about getting in the ring with a man. Am I crazy for thinking that way?"
Dean nodded his head causally. "Sure are but a good crazy." I couldn't help but smile at him. This was the reaction that I wasn't expecting but wasn't pushing away either. "So, what?" Dean asked. "You want my help?"
"It's not discouraged," I replied. "Just don't tell anyone else. Not even the guys...yet, okay?"
Dean smiled. "Of course."

When I woke up the next day, Dean was gone. Tell me why it's so hard to find a pair of shoes that weren't heels. Brie and Nikki have changed me. But after scrounging around, I finally found a cute pair of blue sandals that would go great with a matching strapless dress with a bow at the breasts. Luckily, Dean wrapped my ankle in clear gauze so you couldn't see it unless you were right on me. I decided to make the outfit a little more formal by adding pearl stud earrings, a pearl clustered necklace, and a bright pink purse, though I'm not sure if you'd consider that formal. The purse, I mean.

I limped down the hall to The Authority's office, not bothering to stop by my locker room to put up my duffel bag.
"You called me in, Steph?" I asked as I stepped inside.
Triple H was nowhere in sight, but Kane and Randy were sitting on the couches opposite each other, sulking about their loses last night.
"Yes, please have a seat, Chelsea," Stephanie replied, gesturing toward Randy's couch. I sat down and rubbed a deeply distressed snake on the back. Looking at him made me think back to last night when I confessed to Dean about my intentions with Randy. But now that he didn't have the belts anymore, I didn't have to worry about our new found friendship being ruined, which was a relief.
"I wasn't able to do so last night, but I want to congratulate you on your win," Stephanie said. "I also want to apologize about last Wednesday. I wasn't implying that you weren't capable of winning the belt, I was just-"
"Save it, Steph," I said as I held my hand up to stop her. I winced as I got to my feet. "I know what you meant. You thought I couldn't do it. You thought you had to hold my hand during this match, but you were wrong and I proved that. You don't have to explain yourself to me just like I don't have to do the same to you. I think we're done here."
As I made my way down the hall, I heard the office door open again.
"Hey, wait up," Randy called out as he jogged up to me.
"Hey," I greeted.
He nodded his head in my direction. "I couldn't stay in there anymore," he stated. "Kane kept going on and on about his match last night. It's one thing to be mad about it, it's another to talk about for hours on end."
I giggled and winced as I accidentally put all my weight on my bandaged right ankle.
"You okay?" Randy asked.
"Tamina hurt my ankle last night," I answered.
"You gonna be okay?"
"Yeah. Dr. Sampson said I should be okay later on this week. No biggie."
Randy nodded his head in understanding. "Well, I'm heading to catering, wanna come?"
I shook my head. "No thanks. I'll talk to you later.
I watched Randy disappear into the catering room, but ran smack dab into the wall. I looked up and groaned.
"Hello, Ms. Renee," Paul Heyman greeted as Brock Lesnar wiped the front of his shirt where I ran into it.
"What do you two want?" I groaned as I tried to stand but fell back down on my butt. I held my right ankle in pain.
"Aw, is someone hurt," Lesnar teased as he squatted down in front of me. He grabbed my bad ankle and examined the bruise through the clear gauze. "Poor baby."
I glared at him. "You know, you really should watch your back," he said casually as he examined my ankle some more. "Don't want you disappearing, right?"
"What are you talking about?" I questioned.
He didn't clarify, he just grinned at me and started to squeeze my ankle. I screamed out in pain as he drove his thumb knuckle into it.
"Stop!" I shouted. "Stop it!"
Heyman tapped Lesnar's shoulder and the beast dropped my leg before standing. "See you later champ," he mocked before walking away.
I couldn't move my leg. It felt like lead. I rummaged through my duffel for my phone to call The Bellas, Dean, anyone who could come and help. As I dialed Dean's number and put it up to my ear, I saw shadows swimming around in front of me, the silhouettes looking eerily familiar.
My heart dropped in my stomach, being gnawed away by the acid. I dropped my phone in my lap and turned around.
Bray grinned at me before squatting down and stroking my hair. He sighed happily. "Hello, Sister Abigail."