Chapter Text
Jolene Milford's POV
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As I walk into the arena for Nitro, I inhale a deep breath of crisp, emotionally intoxicating air. This building isn't any different from the countless ones that I've been in over the course of my profession wrestling career, but tonight is so fuckin' special. I know I must look like a damn fool, smiling the way that I am, but I can't help it!
Jolene Milford is back at World Championship Wrestling!
"You look like you can barely control yourself over there." Kev jokes as he wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me closer to his side. "You're finally back, babe!"
"I didn't expect to be as floored as I am. This is just... It's great." My heart is throbbing so damn quickly, but in a good way. I'm so fucking happy.
"It really is. Everything is the way it should be again." Kev gives me a one-armed hug before dropping his arm from around me. As soon as his touch is gone, I miss it.
I look up at Kev and give him a quick smile as we walk, something that he returns. These past few days as I've prepared for my return, Kev has helped me so very much. God, I love this man.
We head to the backstage area, and after dropping our bags off in the locker room, Kev and I hunt down Eric. He's standing off to one of the sides, talking to Hulk. Eric spots Kev and I first, and once he lays eyes on us, he claps and waves us over.
"I'll talk to you later, brother. I'll give you three some space." Hulk nods to Eric, and then to Kev and I. "It's good to see you back, Jolene."
"Thanks, Hulkster." I wave to Hulk as he walks off. He's a good guy, deep down. I mean, we rarely talk, but I'm glad he likes me enough.
"It is nice to see you back here, Jolene! It's been too long, hasn't it?" Eric grins as he crosses his arms over his chest. "Welcome back!"
"I'd have been back several weeks ago if you'd have let me." I point out, trying to not sound too bitter about it. Don't get me wrong, I'm absolutely thrilled to be back tonight! I just wish that I had been able to come back earlier. "But, it's great to be here. I'm glad I'm back."
"Well, you know we have big plans for you. You're an important piece of our New World Order puzzle." Eric's eyes quickly scan over me, but as soon as Kev clears his throat, Eric goes back to acting as if nothing had happened. Asswipe. "When will Sean and Scott be here?"
"Don't know. We tried calling Scott last night, but he didn't answer. As for the Kid, he said he'd be here before noon; unless we missed him, he's not here yet." Kev replies. We all three look over to a nearby clock on the wall. It's after two.
"They'd better show up before too much longer. If they don't, we're going to have come up with a different for plan tonight." Eric warns. "You may be taking Sean's match tonight, Kevin. If he no-shows, it's yours. Your pre-match and post-match segments will be the same, but without the two of them."
"They'll show up." I tell Eric crossly. "Why would they miss tonight?"
"I don't know. I would've thought that tonight would be one of the most important ones to them, but we never know what's going on in those two's heads." The way Eric says that makes me sick. He fuckin' knows that they've not got the best mental track record, and he wants to say shit like that? I instantly tense up, but Kev places a hand on my hand on my back and begins to rub it. I relax under his touch. "Come talk to me an hour before air and we'll settle it all. I have things to attend to right now, okay?"
"Have fun." I try to keep the venom out of my voice. The smile Eric gives me churns my stomach.
"I'll see the two of you later. Again, welcome back, Jolene!"
I wait until Eric's gone to fake gag and spit out air. Kev gives my shoulder a reassuring squeeze before we turn to face one another. One look at him proves that he's as aggravated by Eric as I am.
"Is it wrong for me to want to punch him square in the mouth? Without holding anything back?" I ask with a tart laugh. "I mean, I doubt I could do too much damage to him, but I'm sure it'd be enough to knock that damn smug look off of his face."
"I won't stop you, if that's what you really want to do." Kev chuckles before wrapping his arms around and me and pulling me close to his chest. I snake my arms around his waist with a smile. He places a soft kiss on the top of my head before commenting, "I'm so fuckin' glad you're back, Joli."
"I'm glad I'm back too, Kev."
We stand there for a moment, just enjoying being in each other's hold. When Kev drops his arms from around me, I do the same. I see him grin before he nudges for me to turn around.
Dallas and Kimberly are standing several feet away, obviously just waiting for me to notice them. I giggle as I look between them; Dally opens his arms wide and I don't hesitate to run and jump into them.
"There you are!" He laughs. "We wondered when you two were going to get here."
I give my big brother a hug before doing the same to Kim. Honestly, why should I even worry about that Shitwad Bischoff when Dallas and Kim make me feel so damn welcome?
"It's so nice to see you back, Joli. We've all missed you so much!" Kim's smile is so bright that I almost need my sunglasses. This is so great.
"I missed this like hell. I can't explain how wonderful I felt when we walked in. I'm glad I'm here."
"Welcome back, sis." Dallas ruffles my hair. I bump his side with my elbow.
"I guess it's a good thing that I had to fix my hair anyway." I joke, making Dallas laugh.
"Ah, you'll be fine." Dallas places his hands on his hips. "Where's Scott?"
"Your guess is as good as ours." Kev shrugs as he walks closer to us. He places a hand on my shoulder as we all talk. "We've not heard from him all day."
"What about Sean?" Kim asks with a frown.
"No sign of him, either." I try not to sound too heartbroken about it, but based on the looks Dally and Kim give me, I don't do a good job at that. Kev rubs my shoulder, trying to provide some sort of comfort.
"I'm sure they'll be here soon, Joli." Kim's trying her best to convince me of that. I hope she's right.
"If they're not, I'll kick their asses. There are two of them, so that's one for me, and one for you." Dallas points between Kev and himself a couple of times. "Because I know you'll want to smack them around a couple of times, too. Unless they've got damn good reasons, they'd better not miss Joli's return."
"Oh, I definitely agree. If they're just gone to be gone, I'll be right there with you." Kev chuckles. "We'll kick their asses from here to the other side of this fuckin' country. But, I'm hoping they'll show before too long."
"They'd better." Dally scoffs and rolls his eyes. I know he's just being protective, but he's not really helping.
I let out a small sigh and Kim instantly grabs one of my hands. She gives me a smile, and as soon as I look into her eyes, I know what she's doing. Kimberly is goddamn blessing.
"Hey, let's go ahead and get ready for tonight! It's been forever since we did our hair and makeup together." Kim pulls me over to her side. "I'm sorry, Kev. I'd like to borrow her for a little bit."
"Go right ahead." Kev grins at her before looking over at me. "Have fun, babe. I'll meet back up with you later. Come find me once you girls are done, all right?"
"I will. I'll see you, Kev. Later, Dally!" I wink at Kev and wave to Dally.
"Enjoy yourselves, ladies!" Dallas kisses Kim's cheek.
"We'll see you two later." Kim chuckles before leading me away from our men. God, it's so weird, saying that I actually have someone. "All right, lets go get your clothes."
I grab my bag of clothes from the locker room and meet back up with Kim. I follow her to the female locker room, and once we're in there, we change into what we're wearing tonight.
Once I'm dressed, I walk over to a nearby mirror to look at myself. I smile as I look at my outfit, from the nWo logo across my chest on my cut t-shirt to my simple dark shorts. My wrists sport these badass black bracelets; they're spiked.
"Woah! Look at you over there. You're going to kill it tonight." Kim whistles as she walks over to me, a wide grin upon her face. "Kevin's a lucky guy."
"You think so?" I ask playfully. "I'm flattered."
"I know so. You're quite the catch, sister. I mean that. I'm glad that you're finally reaching out and giving love a chance." Kim's such a sweetheart. I give her a smile and motions for us to head on out. We both grab our hair/makeup bags and I follow her lead once more.
"It isn't easy to do, but I'm trying. Kev's the absolute best. He's so considerate and understanding. I love him, Kim." I look forward to the day that I'm strong enough to make my relationship with Kev official.
"You two are the perfect fit. I'm happy for you, Joli." Kim pokes my upper arm playfully. "You and Kev are really good together."
"I don't know if I really would've even entertained the thought of preparing for a relationship if it weren't for you." I admit, bumping Kim with my elbow. "You're great, Kimmy."
"I'm so glad you're back." Kim giggles. We walk into the big dressing room where all of us ladies go to fix our hair and makeup. There are several different stylists and makeup artists here, but Kim and I have never bothered with them. We either take care of ourselves or each other.
We walk over to one of the big counters and sit down our bags. There aren't many other people in here at the moment, where we've still got a bit of time before Nitro starts. I can't stop myself from feeling so damn excited as I get out my makeup, my hairbrushes, and my straightener.
This is just such a natural routine for me. It's been so long since Kim and I did this together, but it feels like the last time was only yesterday. Wow. I love my job.
"I hope Kid and Scott show up." I comment as I plug in my straightener. While it heats up, I begin working on my makeup. I occasionally glance over at Kim as we both prepare ourselves.
"I wouldn't give up on them just yet, Joli. They've still got time." Kim's trying her best to reassure me, but I don't believe even she buys that idea.
"But what if they don't show up? Bischoff will throw a fit. I don't want them to get in trouble." I frown for just a moment.
"Scott, at least, won't get in too much trouble." Kim wants to add something about them missing my return, I know she does. She just doesn't want to upset me anymore. "Have they got a backup plan?"
"Yep. If they no-show, it's me and Kev. He'll be taking Kid's match, and instead of the four of us meeting up backstage, it'll just be me and Kev. I'll still cut the same promo and everything post-match."
In all honesty, I can't help but wonder, will my return have the same kind of impact if there are just two of us? I'm sure the crowd will be happy to see me -at least, I hope so- but wouldn't they lose their shit to see Hall, Nash, Syxx, and Jolene together again? I hope this doesn't end up being a damn dud.
"You'll kill it, regardless of how many members of the nWo are with you. Trust me, everyone will just be happy to see you back on camera." Kim says in a matter-of-fact tone. I carefully apply my mascara before laughing.
"Thank you. I'd seriously be lost without you, girly." I mean that. Kim's wonderful.
We finish applying our makeup and then we work on our hair. Kim straightens my hair, simply because she wants to. I completely enjoy all of my time getting ready with Kim, don't get me wrong, but I can't shake this doubt that Scott and Kid will show up. Surely, they'll be here.
"Oh, shoot!" Kim exclaims as we pack up our makeup and our hair supplies. "I told Page we'd catch a bite at catering before the show." She looks over at a nearby clock and shakes her head before giving me a sympathetic look. "Do you-"
"Go ahead. I've got to go find Kev, too." I cut Kim off with a smile. She thanks me, gives me a hug, and then scurries off. I zip up my bag and leave after she does.
I find Big Sexy standing near our locker room with a scowl upon his face. He has already changed out of his street clothes, and I'd be lying if I said it didn't make my heart skip a beat. I've missed seeing him in his gear in person. It's a nice sight. As soon as he spots me, Kev's expression softens. His eyes roam over my body and for the first time in a long time, that causes a blush to come onto my cheeks. Kev grins when I stand in front of him.
"Goddamn, girl! You look hot! I mean, you always do, but seeing you in your usual gear... I love it." Have I mentioned that I love this man? Because I do.
"You look pretty fuckin' good yourself." I smirk up at Kev. He fakes this flattered look of surprise and excitement.
"Really? I did something different with my hair today. I didn't think you'd notice." He reaches a hand back and unties his ponytail, then he holds the tie out for me to see. "My hair band is white today instead of black, like I normally use." Kev then pulls his hair back once more.
"... I'm the one that bought the pack of four for you this morning." I giggle.
"Huh. How about that?" Kev chuckles before reaching into his pockets and pulling out my cigarettes and my lighter. His expression changes to one of both frustration and uncertainty as he hands them to me. "You're going to want to go ahead and get one of those out."
"Why?" I'm already pulling a cigarette from my carton.
"Let's walk outside." Kev says casually. I frown and follow him. Thankfully, our locker room is close to one of the exits. I place my cigarette into my mouth as we walk out of the door. "You're either going to be really pissed, or really upset. I don't know which one." The moment Kev starts talking, I know where he's going.
I take my first puff of my smoke before I reply, "They're not coming, are they?"
"I've done everything I could to try and find their asses, but they're missing." My heart shatters as I take a long drag on my cigarette. "Eric has already officially changed the plans for tonight. Now, it's us backstage, a solo match between me and Stevie Ray, and then your promo." Kev sighs heavily, looking so sadly at me with his deep, dark eyes. "I'm sorry, babe."
I don't reply immediately, because I honestly don't know what to say. I'm hurt. I'm so fucking hurt. Last time I talked to Kid and Scott both, they were completely fine, so why aren't they here? I mean, yeah, okay, Scott and Kev had some problems last week. They got over that, or at least, I was under the impression that they had. Is Scott mad at Kev again? Or is he mad at me?
I don't know. I just don't fucking know.
"It's not your fault that they're not here. You'd drag them by their hair and make sure they showed up if you could find them. I'm just kind of aggravated that tonight is my first night back and they're not here." It stings more than Steve Borden.
"I'm ticked off, too. It's fuckin' ridiculous. The entire time that you were out, the three of us would spend each night on the road talking about how great it'd be to have you back. We wanted to make it such a great night for you, and now they're not even here." Kev shakes his head.
"Even if they're not here, I've still got Kim and Dally." I puff on my cigarette, then give Kev a smile. "Most importantly, I've got you." The hardened look of aggravation that Kev had been wearing instantly vanishes, replaced by this sweet, caring expression.
"Jolene, even if you didn't love me, you'd never be able to get rid of me." Kev tells me playfully. I put my cigarette into my mouth so that I can jokingly punch his chest.
"I'd never want to." Kev gives me the most charming smile I believe I've ever seen.
I'm so lucky to have him in my life. It seems as though each and every day, I begin to fall more and more in love with him. I wish I was ready to make our relationship official.
I finish my cigarette and then Kev and I head inside. We head on back to our locker room and sit around, just shootin' shit and killing time until our first segment. When Kev and I walk out to the part of the area where we're filming, I feel as though my heart will jump from my chest. I haven't been this excited for a segment since I first joined up with my boys.
Dammit Scott, where are you?
Kev and I stand across from each other, looking absolutely casual as we wait for our cue to start. There's this amused yet proud gleam in Kev's eyes and I love it. I love him. When they tell us to go, we do.
"All right! Damn, is it good to be back." I start off with a grin, cracking my knuckles. "It has been way too long since I've been here at this pitiful little show. Our New World Order has grown since February."
"Oh, you know it, Joli! We are the most dominate group around here, and WCW still hasn't been able to stop us. They will never be able to stop us. No one can." Kev laughs, placing one hand on his hip and the other on the tag title that rests on his shoulder. "We are unstoppable. Everyone thought you were long gone, but once again, we've proved them wrong."
"With. Out. A. Doubt." I then laugh as well. I shake my head with a sick little smile on my face. "Tonight is going to be so much fun. Tonight, I will be avenged as you destroy Stevie Ray in your match. I can't wait to see that little troll suffer in the way that I did. But, you see, I'm back and I'm fighting; after your match, Stevie Ray will never. Fight. Again."
"Welcome back, Jolene!" Kev grins and throws up a too sweet. I return the gesture, and after we too sweet one another, we laugh. "I hope he enjoys these last few minutes that he has before the match, because he certainly won't be having any fun afterwards."
"I don't think he ever has any fun with anyone. I mean, I certainly wouldn't be interested in having any fun with Stevie Ray." I smirk.
"Oh, Joli baby, no one is interested in that."
We both shake our heads and walk off camera, laughing and goofing around as we do so. As soon as we get the signal that we're no longer live, I jump into the air.
"Fuck, that was awesome!" I cheer while making sure that we're far enough away that nothing we say can be captured by the mics or cameras. "That felt great."
"You did great, babe." Kev smacks my ass with a smile. "Think you're ready for the crowd?"
"As ready as I'll ever be." I'm actually ridiculously excited, but Kev knows that. He wraps an arm around my shoulders and leads us over to gorilla. Oh my God, I love the adrenaline that's running through my veins.
I lean against Kev and fidget with the hem of my shirt as we wait for Nitro to come back from commercial. Stevie Ray passes us as he goes to make his entrance; before he walks out, he sends me a smile.
I know you didn't mean to hurt me, my man. It's perfectly fine.
When the nWo theme hits, I want to scream. Kev nudges me with his elbow and then the two of us walk on out. As soon as I'm in sight for the crowd, they lose their fuckin' minds. Can I cry on camera? No, I can't, not now, not ever. But oh God, I want to. I want to bawl like a damn baby as the crowd cheers for me. They missed me. They really fuckin' did.
Don't worry, WCW fans. I missed you, too.
Kev and I walk out to the ring together, something that feels a bit odd, but natural all the same. There haven't been many times that Kev and I have been alone walking to the ring; we've usually had at least one other person, whether it be Scott, Kid, or some other random member of our group. Yet, I fall right into our routine without a single problem.
When we get into the ring, Kev goes over to the turnbuckle and does his pose while I laugh in the middle of it. I blow kisses into the crowd and then too sweet my babe. Stevie paces outside of the ring, watching us cautiously. I lean over the ropes so that I can look at him. I wink at Stevie and he shakes his head.
After Kev and I do a little pose in the ring, I exit it and take my usual position by the steps. A few of the fans nearby start screaming for me and trying to get my attention as the match starts, so I look over my shoulder and give them grins.
"Don't worry," I yell to them, "I missed you miserable little pawns, too!"
Of course, that gets them all riled up. I love it. I really do. I giggle to myself as I turn around, watching Kev and Stevie Ray face off. Each and every time Kev knocks into Stevie, I cheer and smack the ring. When Stevie tries to get the upper hand, I get up on the ring skirt and fake sell my ankle. It's perfect.
Kev brutalizes Stevie in the ring. He smacks him around and beats him up as much as he possibly can without getting disqualified, not that he'd care either way. At one point, Kev distracts the referee long enough for me to kick Stevie in the balls. I really don't hold any ill feelings towards him, but it is satisfactory, you know? I make sure to kick him with the foot that had been injured, just to help prove that I'm completely healed now.
After that, it doesn't take Kev long to get the three count. He picks Stevie up, powerbombs him, and that's it. I get in the ring as soon as the match is over. Kev hands his tag title to me once he gets it back and I beat Stevie with it a few times. Eventually, Booker comes out to save his brother. Book carries Stevie to the back while Kev and I laugh in the ring.
I hand Kev his title back and in return he gives me a microphone. My first big promo in ages! Let's do this thing.
"WCW! It's nice to be back." I pause for a moment as the crowd cheers. "Isn't that sweet, big guy? They really did miss me." I smirk over at Kev, who just laughs.
"For the past four months, I've been stuck at home with an ankle injury that I received due to the carelessness of one little Stevie Ray. Over these past four months, I've had several offers from members within our group to take care of him for me, but I turned them all down. You see, I wanted to be here for this."
I look over at the monitor as it shows Stevie Ray and Booker backstage. Stevie is being tended to by our medics and Book is freaking out, ready to come back out here to the ring and fight. It's perfect.
"Since I joined the New World Order last August, I have been out here every week to help further our cause. Time and time again, I have helped show each and every one of you exactly why we're the most dominate group in this profession."
"Nothing will ever stop the New World Order, especially not some washed-up little tag team. Really, how desperate were Harlem Heat? They tried to take me -someone who is not a wrestler, mind you- out because they knew they couldn't defeat The Outsiders. It's quite pathetic, honestly."
I look over at Kev as I shrug, and he nods in agreement.
"Stevie Ray made a huge mistake when he fractured my ankle, and that mistake will be paid for by all of you little losers that continue to align yourself with WCW. There has been some wonderful work done while I've been gone, but I can assure you all, it's only going to get better from here on out. Jolene Milford is back with a vengeance, baby!"
I drop the mic and smile at the crowd. They're screaming and yelling and cheering, and all of their sounds mesh together into this loud mess. I absolutely love it. This is what I've missed. This is what I've craved!
Kev and I do another little pose for the crowd before we both exit the ring. On our way to the back, we taunt to the crowd, joking around with those in our shirts.
As soon as we're backstage, I run forward a few feet and then jump. It's official; I'm back!
"Holy fuck that was amazing!" I cheer, looking over at Kev. He's grinning as he walks to me.
"You did great, Joli." Kev is so genuinely happy.
I wish Scott and Kid had been here, too. Come on guys, where the fuck are you? Even with as much fun as I had in my return, I can't shake this feeling that the whole thing would've been so much better if all four of us were involved.
"Really, that was- Shit!" I cut off mid-sentence with a curse and a squeal as I'm lifted into the air from behind, by two big arms around my waist. The chuckle that comes from near my ear confirms my suspicion. "Dally!"
"The crowd was on fire for you, Jolene! They could barely control themselves!" Dally sounds so proud. "Hot damn, that's my sister!"
"We're so happy for you, Joli. Your return was amazing." Kim pipes in, smiling as she walks over to stand by Kev.
"Thank you, guys. You're so good to me." I grin, looking over my shoulder at Dallas. "Dally?"
"Yeah, Joli?"
"Can you put me down, please?"
"Oh, yeah! Sorry!"
As soon as my feet touch the ground, I laugh and stand beside of my unofficial big brother. I shift my gaze between Dallas and Kimberly as I gratefully tell them, "I'm so glad you two were here."
"You can always count on us, sis, even when the two jackasses you travel with flake on you." Dallas ruffles my hair.
"Page! They're not jackasses." Kim lightly scolds.
"Really? That's what you called them earlier, babydoll." Dallas shrugs nonchalantly.
"Joli, I didn't-" Kim tries to defend herself, but I cut her off.
"I agree, actually. It really sucks that neither Scott nor Kid could be bothered to show up today. I hope they're okay, but they'd better have some damn good excuses for not being here." It hurts, you know? Two of my closest friends missed my big return, something they were supposed to be a part of.
On top of that, Eric's not happy with them at all. They're going to be in a shitload of trouble.
"Quite frankly, if they're both in good health, I don't give a shit what their excuses are." Kev says with obvious frustration. "I enjoyed the fuck out of going out there with you, babe, but they should've shown up. Tonight was your night and they tried to make it about themselves by not being here."
"If you find them before I do, knock them around a few times for me." Dallas tells Kev. I know he's not joking.
"Gladly." Kev agrees.
"What are the two of you going to do after Nitro?" Kim changes the topic quickly, and I send her a grateful glance. She smiles back at me.
"You still want to hit up a bar and grab some drinks?" Kev asks.
"Oh, definitely. I'd love something to drink right about now." I nod. Soon as we're done talking to Dally and Kim, you'd better believe my ass is rushing outside to smoke, too.
"That's what we're doing, then." Kev chuckles and looks over at Kim.
"I hope you two have a great time." She's the sweetest woman ever.
"Thanks, Kim." I graciously tell her. She just nods happily.
We talk with Dallas and Kim for a while more before heading off on our own. Kev and I really just kill as much time as we can, until we're able to head out. The more I sit and think about my return, the more I begin to believe that it could've been so much better. I'm still damn happy, and I'm glad I'm back, but it had room for improvement.
"How's it feel to have completed your first Nitro after being back?" Kev asks with a grin as he tosses our bags into the trunk of our rental. "Damn good?"
"I don't know if I'd say damn good, but it's pretty great." I send him a grin, but he's not buying it. Kev frowns at me as we both get into the car.
"What makes you say that? Your return was fuckin' amazing. You picked right back up where you left off." I grab a cigarette and light it up as Kev talks and begins to drive.
"I feel like it could've been more." I admit as I roll down my window. "I'm not sad about it; I'm more aggravated than anything." I take a long drag.
"Joli, the crowd loved you. There's not a person in WCW or its fanbase that wasn't fuckin' ecstatic to see your sexy little ass tonight. Your were fantastic, baby. Don't doubt yourself like that."
I take a moment to just smile at Kev. Goddamn, I'm falling more and more in love with him with each day that passes.
"Thank you. Seriously."
"You know it's not a problem." Kev chuckles softly as he moves his right hand over to my thigh. His contact does send sparks throughout that area, but it's more comforting than anything.
"I guess I'm really just ticked that Scott and Kid weren't there tonight. I miss them. It's probably selfish of me to say, but I feel like they should've been there for me." I hate to say that, I really do.
"I'm right there with you on that. I'm ticked at them, too." Kev shakes his head and then lets out an aggravated scoff. It's kind of hot. "They should've been here for you, but they weren't. I'm sorry. I'd have done anything I could've to help get them here, if I knew where they were."
"I know, Kev. You're the best." I tell him before taking a quick puff on my cigarette.
"I love you too much to not do everything I can for you." Kev slides his thumb across my thigh, just to comfort me.
"I know you do. I'm lucky to have you as my inevitable boyfriend." I grin.
"As soon as you say the word, I'm yours. I mean, I'm already yours, just unofficially." Kev laughs. I love my babe.
It doesn't take us all that long to get to the bar. We take a seat at the counter and order a couple of shots, and once they're in front of us, Kev and I raise them to one another in toast.
"To one kick ass return, and two best friends who are being dumb." Kev speaks. I nod in agreement with an amused look on my face, then clink my glass with his. We both laugh before downing our drinks.
Damn, that feels good.
We've no more than sat our glasses down when the doors to the bar swing wide open. The noise gathers both my attention and Kev's, and once we see who's stumbling in here, my heart sinks down to my stomach.
Scott and Kid are clinging to one another and trying to make their way over to the counter. They look like they're out of their damn minds. I've never see any two people look this bad.
"What the fuck?" Kev whispers, unable to hide the aggravation in his voice. "You have got to be kidding me."
While Kev gets up and walks over to them, I slip the money for our drinks to the bartender. As I get up, I see Kev grab both Scott and Kid by the collars of their shirts.
"Oh, hey, Kev! Shit! What're you doing here?" Scott asks with a nervous laugh. "I thought you'd be back at the hotel by this hour!"
"Oh fuck, is Joli here? She's gonna be really mad at me." Kid says in a panicky voice. "I missed her return, man! We were supposed to go out together, and I had a match!"
"No fucking shit you did." My voice startles Kid, who tries to hide behind Scott. It doesn't work, because Kev has a hard hold on his shirt.
"J-Joli! Oh, God, I-"
"Save it for a time when you're in your right mind." I can't tell if I'm more pissed off or distraught. "Really, you two?"
"What?" Scott whines. Kev shakes his head and starts dragging the two of them outside. I follow him. "Come on, man! We can walk!"
"Like hell you can." Kev mutters. As soon as we're outside, Kev drops his hold on Scott and Kid. They both collapse to the ground. "See?"
"Oh, fuck off." Kid mutters, slowly picking himself up. He props against a nearby light post. "Joli, I really-"
"You really what, Kid? You really didn't mean to miss my return? You really didn't mean to get drunk off of your goddamn ass and take God-only-knows what else?" I look over at Scott. "You both are so much better than this!"
"Oh, what's it fuckin' matter?" Scott mumbles, trying to haul himself up. "We're fine."
"I can't believe you two. We're going back to the hotel." Kev once more grabs their shirt collars. Kid doesn't protest, but Scott tries to.
"We're fine! Come on!"
"I dare you to try and fight me on this, Scott. I dare you to." I don't like the cold tone in Kev's voice, but it gets his point across. Scott hangs his head and follows Kev's lead back to the car.
Kev gets Scott and Kid into the back seat and while he buckles Scott up, I do the same for the Kid. As I go to pull back, Kid grabs my hand.
"I really am sorry, Joli." I can faintly see the young lad that I adore behind Kid's glazed eyes and slurred voice. "I'll make it up to you, I..." He trails off as his head drops.
I instantly panic.
"Kev?! The fuck is he- Is he okay?!" I start to shake Kid, but Kev stops me. He leans over past Scott, who is scowling and barely conscious, and checks on Kid.
"He's fine, baby. He's just sleeping. 'Must've been so fuckin' tired after all the shit they've done today." The disappointment in Kev's voice shatters the few little pieces of my heart that remained tonight. "Lets go."
I can't believe that this what Scott and Kid were doing tonight, instead of being with Kev and I at Nitro. I'm hurt. I'm so fucking hurt! I look at my friends in the backseat over my shoulder and just shake my head.
I love you two, I do, but why? I guess we'll have to wait until they sober up in the morning to find out.
As I buckle up in my seat, Kev places a hand on top of one of mine and mouths the words 'I love you.' I give him a weak smile and do the same.
At least I can always count on Kev.