Chapter two, yup, yup! I don’t feel much like writing today, and I don’t really have any ideas any way. Everything seems filler to me, le sigh…

Following a restless sleep, Michelle finally pulled herself up out of bed, glaring at the neon red numbers that mocked her from the clock on the nightstand: 4:07am.
“You’ve got to be kidding me.”
Sighing, she threw her legs over the side of the bed and stood, grumbling as she stretched and made her way to the bathroom. Shielding her eyes from the oncoming onslaught of light, she flicked the switch and reached into the shower, turning the water on. Opting for a cold shower to wake her up, she discarded her knee-length cotton Gators T-shirt and stepped in, recoiling slightly at the icy water pelting her skin. She washed quickly and rinsed gingerly before happily turning the faucet off and stepping out. Grabbing her towel, she relished in the warmth slowly seeping into her body as she made her way back into the bedroom. After some searching, she pulled out a pair of dark blue jeans, a white turtleneck, and a matching denim vest.
Much better, she thought as her skin continued to warm. Feeling in a slightly better mood, Michelle ignored the 4:34 flashing at her from across the room and threw on a pair of white flats before heading down to the dinning room.

Michelle was one of the only people up that early, just as she figured she'd be, but that didn’t stop her from relishing in the freshly brought-out breakfast trays. Sausage and mushroom omelets were the meal de jour, and she gladly helped herself to one, along with a bowl of mixed berries, a bagel with cream cheese and a glass of orange juice. She had fun glancing about the room at her compatriots, all of whom were business people. She imagined the deals they were making on their expensive cell phones, the important emails they were sending and receiving on their equally pricy laptops and PDA’s and the top-priority conference calls they were having with boardroom members most likely half-way across the country, or even the world. She laughed at herself for picturing something as dramatic as a contract signing or missed meeting that ended up causing the next Armageddon, or some other biblical disaster, and shook her head at her own ridiculousness. She felt her back pocket begin to quiver and she pulled out her buzzing cell phone.
“Fat lot of good this does me now,” she said as she dismissed her 5:15 alarm. Searching through her recent calls list, she found her fellow Diva’s number and dialed. Of course, there was no answer.
Grinning to herself, Michelle dialed Torrie’s cell again. This is going to be fun.
Torrie’s ring back song played itself out in Michelle’s ear before being replaced by the voicemail operator’s cool, even voice.
Three tries later, the blonde Boise native picked up.
“This had better be important,” she barked.
Smothering a snicker, Michelle replied, “Well I hope you think missing your plane is important.”
The cringe-inducing, near-deafening shriek that followed startled the crisply-dressed man at the table to her left, and Michelle smiled apologetically at him before bringing the phone back to her ear.
“’Chelle, why didn’t you wake me up, wasn’t that the deal?! You were supposed to call me!!” Torrie cried, and Michelle could hear rustling bed covers and stomping feet.
“I did call you darling, for the last hour. If only you didn’t sleep like an absolute rock.”
Her best friend groaned and swore. “Kelly! Kelly, damn it, get up!”
The former teacher could scarcely make out the ECW Diva’s mumbling, but she got the gist of it: “Shut up and let me sleep.”
“We’ve slept long enough! We’re going to be late, now up!”
“God damn it, Tor, its only 5:20 chill!!” Michelle could hear Kelly snap.
There was silence at the other end of the line as realization finally dawned upon Torrie to check the clock, and Michelle snorted back her laughter.
“You’re rotten and I hate you.”
And then there was dial tone.

“Aw, come on Tor, it was funny!”
Standing in line waiting for their bags to be checked, Torrie Wilson was still not amused. It was now 7:30, and the sun was shining weakly through the large bullet-proof airport windows and doing positively nothing to brighten the SmackDown Diva’s mood.
“You can’t stay mad forever you know,” Michelle added as Torrie’s turn with an airport security guard came.
Shouldering her now-approved duffle over her shoulder, Torrie stuck her tongue out at Michelle before walking through the metal detectors towards Kelly, leaving the Florida native behind.
Rolling her eyes, Michelle sighed and handed her bags over to the guard and waited for him to finish pawing her belongings. Pulling the handle on her suitcase, she began rolling it towards the terminal, steeling herself for a long plane ride.

Sitting in her seat waiting for the plane to take off, Michelle concentrated on the crossword puzzle book she always brought along to keep her entertained. A huffy Torrie sat with Kelly a few rows back, leaving the former school teacher to wonder who her seat mate would be.
“Not Matt Striker,” she prayed, the thought of having to listen to her former fellow teacher drone on and on the entire trip making her shudder. “Anyone but Matt Striker…”
“And Jamie too,” a voice came from above her. She stared up into the face of an amused Chuck, who grinned down at her. “Mind if I sit?” he asked.
“Do I have a choice?” she sniffed disdainfully before cracking a bright smile. “Sure, help yourself. These chairs don’t move like hotel couches.”
Slumping down in the seat repeatedly, he pouted when he realized that she was right.

“Um, do ya mind?” the face of an irritated Miz popped up between them. “I’m tryin to get some beauty sleep here!”
“Oh, well, you’re going to need more than this plane ride, eh Mike?” Kelly called from her seat, causing a hefty chunk of both rosters to crack up laughing; the Tag Team Champion scowled, but merely settled back down next to Layla, who was shooting her former dance partner murderous glances.
At that time, the seatbelt light pinged on, and the flight attendants swarmed the aisles, much to the delight of a few male Superstars, including the beauty-deprived Miz, whose lascivious grin did nothing but earn himself a slap from Layla.
They all finally settled down as the attendants went through flight procedures, and Michelle was soon once again absorbed in her crossword puzzles. Chuck thought she was adorable, hunched over the folding table, concentrating and muttering to herself, but after a half hour had passed, his loneliness got the better of him.
Leaning over, he studied her decidedly full margins and half-empty puzzle. “Not doin so well, are you?” he teased.
She raised her eyebrow at him. “I happen to be a Junior Crossword Puzzle Champion,” she retorted matter-of-factly.
“Yee-ouch, pardon me Ma’am,” he grinned, settling back against his seat and getting comfortable.
After a few minutes of silence, she gnawed her lip as she looked dolefully at him. “Got a 7 letter word for ‘cornmeal mush’?”
He gave a shout of laughter, causing her to glare and slam her book shut. Crossing her arms, she huffed and leaned against the window. “I’m taking a nap,” she muttered petulantly as she closed her eyes, once again leaving him to his own devices.

An hour later, Michelle was firmly asleep, and Chuck looked on enviously. For the life of him, he could sleep anywhere but on a plane, no matter how tired he was. His sleepless mind mumbled and he yawned, but the feel of Michelle’s head suddenly leaning against his shoulder stunned him mid-gape. Staring down at her, he smiled in spite of himself. Any traces of irritation or stress were gone from her slumbering face, and her breaths came in soft little puffs as she inhaled and exhaled. He gently rested his head upon hers before quietly sliding her puzzle book over to his meal table. Opening to the page she had hastily marked with the pencil she put inside, he grinned as he wrote out seven letters.

P-O-L-E-N-T-A.

Yes, friends, that is the answer to Michelle’s question. Chuck knew it all along, sly dog, ha, ha! Anyway, the ending seems really sweet to me. I think I actually like this chapter. Anyway, thanks for waiting for indecisive ‘ole me, and stay tuned for the next chapter!!

Love, me!