X~ Waiting for Superman~X

Author's Note: I want to thank everyone who read, followed, reviewed, and subscribed. [:

Warning: Strong language, sexual nature, violence.

Disclaimer: I don't own anyone expected my created character. This is a work of fiction. This story does not reflect reality in any way, shape, or form. All proprieties that are not mine belong to their owners.

Chapter Two: Sooner or Later

Aria sighed in annoyance as her hand reached out slapping randomly at the buttons on her phone in an attempt to silence the alarm. Eventually, she managed to get the snooze button, and rolled tiredly on to her back with her left arm draped across her eyes. It was far too early to have to leave the warmth of her shockingly comfortable hotel bed. Sadly, she knew she didn't have much of a choice. The buses had to leave at 10 that morning, and she wasn't going to make the mistake of spending hours on yet another bus ride without a small workout in.

Groaning, she rolled on to her right side, grabbing her phone as the 5 minute snooze began to blare annoyingly within her. She grabbed her iPhone, and checked the time. 7:05 A.M. It was time to get up and at least make a semi conscious effort to start her day.

Aria rolled out of bed, making sure to turn off all her other alarms as she dragged her body to the pull out sofa where her suitcases laid. She unzipped the large pocket grabbing out a purple sports bra, grey yoga shorts that had a purple waist band, and changed in to it. She made her way to the bathroom and brushed her teeth, put on some deodorant, then brushed her hair and threw it up in a pony tail. It was the best she could manage; Not that it mattered, she was only going to the gym.

Aria grabbed her phone, placing it within her case that she strapped on to her arm and made her way out of her room. It was quiet the entire walk down to the cafeteria of the hotel. She didn't mind the few shocked stares of somebody having the courage to wear work out gear so openly, but it's not like it mattered. She was only grabbing an apple and bottle of water before she was going to be leaving for a morning run.

As Aria began to head out of the cafeteria, a bite of apple now being chewed she noticed Phil beginning to head out the main entrance door as well. A pair of black shorts was the only thing beyond his shoes that he had on, and Aria would be lying if she didn't stop dead in her tracks at the site of him. Shaking her head from her thoughts she tossed her apple in to a nearby trash can suddenly not hungry as she made a be-line to catch up with him.

"You're up early." She commented with a friendly smile having never been one for formal greetings.

"I could say the same about you." He replied with what she was beginning to learn was his trademark smirk.

"Observant." She teased, taking sip of her water they both made their way out of the hotel lobby and on to the sidewalk.

"I don't sleep much. Perks of being an insomniac." Phil exclaimed as he crossed his arms across his bare chest.

"Kudos. I'd die without at least 5 hours a night." She replied.

"Where you headed?" He asked as she watched his eyes explore the surroundings.

"Around," Aria began with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders, "Just wanted to get a run in before I'm stuck on a bus and then a plane. Yesterday kind of killed my muscles."

"Mind if I join you?" He questioned, even shocking himself.

"Sure!" Aria said a little too quickly, "I mean, yeah, I don't mind. Company would be nice." Her cheeks were already flushing a bright shade of red.

"You don't have to hide it. Everyone wants a piece of this." Phil joked gesturing to himself with a cocky smirk.

"Dream on, pretty boy." Aria teased, "So, we doing this run or not?" She asked as she stretched her arms above her head.

"If you can keep up." Phil challenged.

"Oh, you're on." Aria exclaimed with a determined grin.

With that both Aria and Phil found themselves running at a side by side pace, both keeping up and attempting to pull ahead of the other. After a mile they both found themselves back at the hotel sitting contently on a bench just outside of the doors.

"What were you doing before you got called up to the big leagues?" Phil questioned after taking a large drink of his water.

"I was at Ring of Honor. God, I think it was like 8 years." She exclaimed trying to do the math in her head. Something she wasn't the greatest at. "Paul Heyman discovered me, got me an audition, and I was sent to NXT from there. I was only there for a few weeks before Vince called me up."

"Ah, man. Ring of Honor?" Phil questioned with a soft smile, "Man. Those were the good ole days."

"You wrestled there?" Aria asked.

"The best years of my life were spent there." His tone almost seemed too reminiscent. It was clear he missed his Indie days. "Now you're in the big leagues. How's it feel?" Phil wondered.

"Big fish, but really little pond." Aria joked. "No, in all seriousness, it's mind blowing. I'm kind of overwhelmed here. Everything moves so fast. I just want to get in the ring, ya know? Once I'm there nothing else really matters. I'm just doing what I love. Wrestling is just wrestling. The lights and cameras are just a bit to get use to."

"I get that," Phil exclaimed as he nodded his head, "Gotta say though you got called up pretty quick. Some people are down there for ten, hell even twenty years before they make it here. I'm gonna guess you're something special."

Aria laughed, shaking her head with a blush as she looked out on to the street.

"No, really. What's your selling point?" Phil questioned curiously.

"I'm a high flyer," Aria exclaimed with a small shrug. "I did gymnastics up till I was 18. I do better technical work than what the Divas can do now, but I can sell moves like a 'Hardy' as Vince explained."

"Damn. Sounds like exactly what the divas need." Phil noted.

"We should spar some time. I bet I'd kick your ass." Aria grinned cheekily.

"Oh please, they don't call me CM Punk for nothing. I've been breaking hearts since you were in diapers." He winked with a smirk.

"Oh, I get it now. Punk is your ring name." Aria face palmed herself as she slouched on to the bench, "Don't go there. I'm not up to date with the roster." Aria laughed off.

"What do you go by?" Phil questioned with a laugh in his voice.

"Aria…" She spoke with a small shrug, "It's me. It's really who I am. I never felt the need to go by anything else."

Phil faked a yawn, "So creative. Nah, I get it. I chose mine back in the day when I wrestled out of a makeshift ring in a backyard." He exclaimed with a laugh, "Punk is who I am though. A smartass. It's just me."

"What about the CM part?" Aria asked curiously.

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you." Phil deadpanned.

"Guess you'll just never know about the tattoos then," Aria deadpanned back.

"Nah, I'm kidding. It's out on my DVD. It's Chick Magnet." He exclaimed with a laugh.

"Oh, real original." She teased back.

"So, what's 'Fight Hard' mean?" Phil questioned as he took her wrist in to his hand, tracing the ink pattern upon her wrist. Aria's body stiffened at the contact for a brief second before relaxing once more.

"Truthfully?" Aria questioned as she met his brown eyes, "I was in a bad relationship in high school. I survived having a boyfriend who literally beat me. He threw me down a flight of steps once, and I broke my wrist. He cut my wrist before, hense the tattoo placement. I finally had enough one day. I got the balls to leave him, and I never looked back. When I turned 18 I got the tattoo to remind me to always fight for what I want. What I believe in. For myself. That I'm a whole hell of a lot stronger than I may feel sometimes."

Phil shook his head as he digested the story of the girl sitting in front of him. He wouldn't have put her to be a victim, but she never claimed to be a victim either. She was a survivor. And she had the courage to be so open about her past. It amazed just how dark both their back grounds were.

"I don't find myself at a lack for words often, but damn." Phil exclaimed as he placed his arm around her shoulders, tugging her petite frame in to a side hug, "You got more balls than half the guys on this roster."

"I know." Aria quipped as she looked up at him. The mood immediately lightening as the pair fell in to a shared laugh.

Aria found herself walking to the back of what appeared to be an empty bus. She was happy to have made it earlier than the rest of the roster this go around, not wanting to have to fight for a seat, or be stuck to somebody she didn't know. Not that it didn't turn out well the first time she just didn't think she had that great of luck to meet someone actually nice again.

"Here, let me give you a hand." The familiar voice of Phil filled her ears as she was kneeling down to grab the bottom of her suitcase.

"Are you sure?" Aria questioned standing up as Phil already began to hoist her backpack up on the overhead storage compartment beside his very own.

"Take a seat," he began as he sat back down in his window seat once more. "I know what it's like to be new. Guess what though? I've been here for years, and I still don't want to be around more than half these fuckers. "

Aria let a loud laugh pass through her lips as she immediately slouched down in to the aisle seat beside him. "Good to know. Seriously though, I don't want to be that new girl who follows you around like a clingy ring rat. So, let me know if you want some space, alright?" She asked with a friendly.

"Well if that's the case, let's be honest. You are a bit clingy." Phil exclaimed with a dead serious.

Aria's eyes widened and she immediately began to wonder if he was being serious or joking.

"Calm down, I'm only fucking with you. I actually like having you around," Phil started with a warm grin as he draped his arm over her shoulders once more, "It's nice to having somebody around who doesn't have an agenda. Or who doesn't look like they've gone under the knife one too many times." He laughed.

"Alright, young grasshopper, this is where I'll have to leave you." Phil dramatized as he stood with Aria outside of the door to the Diva's locker room.

"Are you sure they aren't going to spray me in the face with one of the thousand cheap perfume scents I smelled on the bus?" Aria began to question, "Seriously, I'm not sure if I'm going to go blind or lose my sense of smell first."

Phil immediately let out a loud laugh as he leaned in to the wall outside the door, "I promise. Just change and you can come back to my locker room. That's if you survive." He joked as he pushed off the wall and began his own walk to his very own locker room, "Come find me if you need me, alright?" Phil called back to Aria as she watched him walk away.

With one deep breath she turned the handle and made her in to a room filled with partially clothed women, while the other half were caking on make-up. Aria dropped her bag in to a secluded corner, and began to pull out her ring gear when she felt a finger tap her shoulder.

"You the new girl?" A tall, slender, tanned, dark hair woman asked.

"I prefer to go by, Aria, but yeah. I am." Aria finished as she stood up with her ring gear in her hand.

"I'm Nikki," she introduced placing out her hand, "John told me you were out for drinks with the guys the other night. Said you were a nice kid." She explained with a surprisingly friendly smile. "Don't let the others get to you. If you need some back up to kick some ass just let me know, alright?" She offered with a friendly smile before she walked off to a woman who looked identical to her.

"Alright then…" Aria trailed off slightly taken aback by the sudden act of kindness, "Maybe they aren't all mindless Barbie dolls after all."

Aria walked out of the curtain and made her way down to the ring. The arena was still empty, and she could tell the tech team was now working to get everything ready for any entrances and promos that were going to be aired out that night. Down in the ring she saw a pair of the Divas working out their spots for the night. William Regal and Paul Heyman were standing ring side coaching the girls on what needed to be done or improved on.

When they both finally noticed Aria's attendance, Paul motioned for her to join him in between the two veterans of the business.

"There's my girl!" Paul greeted in his boisterous tone, bringing Aria in to a hug.

"Hey Paul," she began with a small smile before turning her attention to William Regal, "Didn't think I'd ever see you out here." She exclaimed.

"The second I met you, I knew you'd make it here, Aria. Don't under estimate yourself." Regal stated with a fatherly smile, "Have you met AJ and Alicia yet?" He asked her.

"Haven't had a chance yet." Aria admitted.

"Girls!" Heyman called stopping all in ring action.

"Introduce yourselves." Regal instructed to both of them, "Aria will be working with you both tonight."

"Looking forward to it. I'm Alicia," the taller dark skinned female introduced with a friendly wave as she turned to the petite black haired Diva, "you gonna say anything?" She asked with a tone of confusion.

"Why? She'll just be yesterdays news in a few weeks." She stated in a tone of carelessness.

"Introduce yourself, and stop acting like a petulant child." Regal instructed in a firmer tone.

"I'm the Diva's Champion. AJ Lee." She stated with an eye roll before she turned her attention back to sparring with Alicia in the ring.

"She's the one I'm spearing tonight, right?" Aria asked as she looked between both the veteran men, directing her hand towards AJ.

"I'm assuming you'll be happy if I say yes?" Paul questioned with a laugh.

"Oh, yes." Aria finished with a small glare in the direction of the current Diva's Champion. "I'm going to love ripping that title from her."

"Twenty minutes till show time!" A stage worker called around to everyone. Aria was currently making her way around the hall in hopes of finding Phil's locker room. After the hostility AJ Lee had shown her at ring side, Aria didn't feel like much of risking getting in to an altercation on her first day of work. That didn't seem like it was going to do much good when she saw none other than the devil herself making her way towards her.

Aria immediately rolled her eyes as she attempted to dodge the Diva, but her plan failed when AJ immediately sped up and slammed in to Aria's shoulder, which only led to her falling in to a steel equipment box. As Aria winced in pain, her hand immediately fanning to cradle her side she blandly heard AJ mock her. "Oops, my bad. Sorry, not sorry."

Aria took a deep breath, and forced herself to calm down. Phil's locker room was only a few inches away, and once inside there she could seclude herself away from childish antics like that. Raising her hand she knocked on his door, relieved to see him open it up rather quickly.

"Hey, I see you didn't die." He exclaimed with a grin.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought," Aria began as she leaned in to the wall outside the door, "you gonna let me in?" She asked with a small laugh.

"Right, yeah." He exclaimed rubbing the back of his head and stepped aside, closing the door behind her. "You alright?" He asked curiously as he motioned his head towards her hand.

A large red mark could be seen even above the palm she was using to nurture the sore spot that formed from the corner of the storage box. "Yeah, just not so liked by the Diva's champ apparently." Aria murmured as she slumped in to the leather couch.

"You need some ice?" Phil asked with a saddened expression as he took a seat beside Aria, "It looks irritated."

"Nah, I've had worse." Aria shrugged as she turned her head to face him, "Besides, she'll need it more than I do when I spear her ass tonight."

Phil immediately shook his head with a laugh, "I knew I liked you for a reason."

You know the drill, please review! I have tons of chapters prepped and ready to go, so the more feedback I get, the quicker I'll be inspired to update. [: