Have You Forgotten?
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
He hated this time of the year. It always hurt so damn bad. It was the time of year that he wished Vince would make him work twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week to keep his mind off of other things. The past couple of years he had been lucky enough to work on the anniversary of that fateful day. This year, however, no such luck.
Randy Orton sighed as he walked down the hallway to the locker room. That night the RAW brand had a house show in Springfield, Missouri and the next day he would be heading to St. Louis for his dreaded day off.
He reached his destination and walked in to see that it was empty except for the Tag Team Champions, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr.
"Hey, Orton," Cody greeted as Randy walked in.
"Hey, fellas," he said and set his bag on the bench before sitting down. "Have you guys seen Dave around anywhere?" He really needed to talk to the older man.
"No, he's not here," Ted spoke up. "He and Candice are off doing something for the Smackdown Your Vote campaign."
"Yeah, we need as many people to vote as possible so we don't get another Bush in office," Cody rolled his eyes.
Randy began to tune them out as they started talking politics. He wasn't a very political man. As a matter of fact, he couldn't remember the last time he voted for anything other that what kind of outfits the Divas should wear in their match at the WWE's annual interactive pay-per-view Cyber Sunday.
He reached into his bag and pulled out his gear and started to put it on. He was just lacing up his boots when something Cody said caused his ears to perk up.
"You know what Bush's biggest fuck up is? This goddamn war he's gotten us into."
"Totally," Ted agreed. "Who really gives a shit about finding Bin Laden anyway?"
Randy stared at them as anger began to boil in the pit of his stomach. "I think I might know some people who care about finding Bin Laden. Maybe the people whose loved ones were killed by that bastard."
"Dude, that was five years ago," Cody said, looking over at the former WWE Champion.
Randy stopped tying his boots and turned his angry gaze to the young wrestler. "Try seven, Rhodes. And I can guarantee that those seven years doesn't dull the pain any."
"Orton, calm down," Ted said, holding a hand up in defense. "It's not like you were affected personally by it."
"Everyone in this country was affected by that!" Randy stood up and got in the two younger men's faces. "Why do you think that every time we go through an airport, we have to wait in mile long lines just to get through fucking security? Why do you think that gas prices are so damn high? Why do you think that there are millions of children in this country whose mothers and fathers are overseas and are going to be there for God only knows how long? Why do you think we go to Afghanistan and Iraq every year to visit those men and women? BECAUSE of 9-11! And if you sorry sons of bitches had even an ounce of patriotism, you would realize that! You would realize that if every American soldier over in Afghanistan and Iraq weren't there, those fucking towelheads would be over here! You would realize that all of those troops are defending your right to say that this is all bullshit! You want to say it's fucking worthless to send troops to find Bin Laden? Put yourselves in the shoes of the people who lost their mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, wives, husbands, boyfriends…girlfriends. I can almost guaran-damn-tee that you'd want to find the son of bitch that ripped them away from you!"
As Randy ended his emotion filled tirade, he drew back from Cody and Ted to see the shocked looks on their faces. He ran his hand over his face and immediately felt the tears that had been streaming down his face, probably contributing to the astonished looks on the Tag champions' faces. He quickly wiped them away before dropping his hands to his sides and backing out of the locker room. He slammed the door behind him and began to head for the exit. He needed some air. It was going to be a long night.
September 11, 2008
Randy sat in the living room of the small apartment in Louisville, Kentucky where he was in training at Ohio Valley Wrestling. He smiled to himself as he watched her through the doorway, dancing around the kitchen in those tiny shorts that he loved so much. A few seconds later, she walked over to him and handed him an ice cold beer.
"I really wish you could come with me tomorrow," she said, sitting beside him and resting her head on his shoulder.
"I know. Believe me when I say I really want to, but you know I've got to work really hard if I want to make it to the WWE anytime soon," he sighed before bringing the beer up to his lips.
"And I wouldn't want to do anything that would cause you not to reach your lifelong dream."
"I know you wouldn't. I just wish I could be there for you when you start yours," he said, running his fingers through her soft blonde curls. "Although, I'm really having a hard time picturing you, a sweet little girl from Missouri, toughing it out in New York City."
"Listen here, Orton, you of all people should know that I can be tough when I need to be."
"Are you kidding me, Jordy? I bet you won't last one day in the big city."
"I lived in downtown St. Louis for five years, Randy."
"Honey, you need to realize that St. Louis is a hell of a lot different than New York City. I can totally see you out on the street in the pouring rain for hours on end because you don't have the heart to steal a cab from someone. You need to toughen up, sweetheart," he chuckled as she stuck out her bottom lip.
"I need to toughen up? Who was it that just yesterday they stubbed their toe and began bawling like a little baby, huh?" she questioned, punching him in his arm. "And when did you ever go to New York to know that it's different from St. Louis, huh?"
"Wrestlemania I when Dad flew us out. We spent a whole bunch of time going around and seeing the sites and what not."
"Randy, you were five years old."
"Actually, I was four, but my birthday was the next day and that's one of the reasons why we went out there," he smiled and pulled her close to him. "You know what? Just forget about everything I said, okay? I have all the confidence in the world that you'll do just fine."
She nodded and smiled against his chest. "Wow, can you believe that I'm going to one of the United States' most recognizable landmarks; The World Trade Center. And I'm going to be interning there for the next six months? Oh my God, this is unbelievable."
"I know, honey. But I always knew that you would get where you wanted to be and this just proves it," he said and kissed the top of her head as tears began to fill his eyes at the thought of his soul mate being away from him for that long.
She leaned up as she realized that he had grown quiet which was something that Randy only did when he was asleep. "What's wrong, baby?"
He just shrugged but immediately knew that was not an acceptable answer for her. "I guess I just don't want you to leave, but I know you have to."
"I'm sorry, Randy. You know that if I could've gotten an internship here with you I would've, but when this opportunity popped up, I just had to take it."
"I know that, Jordan, and you wouldn't believe how upset with you I'd be if you didn't take this. This is your dream; to be a world-renowned news anchor and what better place to go than New York. I'm just going to miss you like crazy."
"And I'm going to miss you, too, Randy. But you're going to be back here making your dreams come true, also. And just think when this is all over, we're going to be together forever."
Randy woke up in a cold sweat and looked over at the clock. It was 5:30 A.M; he had only been asleep for a half an hour. His body was exhausted but his mind was running rampant with memories from the night before his life changed forever. He decided to get up and make the short journey back to St. Louis. He jumped in the shower and grabbed his already packed suitcase and headed downstairs to the hotel lobby where he saw Cody and Ted who were talking but instantly stopped once they saw Randy. He barely spared them a glance as he walked out to his rental car.
Once out the door, he immediately noted that there was rain coming down in heavy sheets. He looked up to the sky, allowing the water to cover his face. It almost felt refreshing to him until he remembered where he was headed. He brought his head down and stared at the car in front of him, momentarily thinking of getting inside and driving it into a brick wall just so he could be with her again. He decided against it and put his bag in the trunk before getting into the driver's seat.
The drive was silent for he knew what the radio stations would be broadcasting all day long. The only sounds that reached his ears were the constant pounding of the rain on the car and the low humming of the engine. As he aimlessly drove down I-44, his mind began to drift off to exactly seven years prior.
It took all Randy had to drag himself into OVW that morning. He was up early that morning when Jordan had to leave to catch her red-eye flight to New York. She had called when she got there and told him that she had to be at the WTC at around 8:30 which was what time it was.
He wandered into the locker room to see John Cena and Dave Bautista, two more up and comers much like himself, hoping to break into the big leagues sometime soon. "Hey, Orton," John said, looking up from his bag. "What's up? You look kinda down today."
"Jordy left for New York this morning," he replied, sliding his bag off of his shoulder and setting it on the floor. "Ya know, I'm really proud of her and everything. It's just we've never been apart for very long. EVER."
"That's all part of growin' up, kid," Dave smiled over at him.
"I know, it's a pain in the ass though. I mean…we've known each other since we were five years old and it seems like we were just destined to be together. By the time we were thirteen we had already decided that we were going to get married. She would be a career mom working as a broadcaster and I'd be WWF Champion and then once we were ready, we'd have kids and everything. I mean, we always knew we'd grow old together…"
"You're such a girl, Orton," John rolled his eyes, cutting him off. "Get a grip, man. I know you love your girl but, damn. Calm down with that mushy shit."
"You're just jealous, Cena," Randy said as his cell phone began vibrating in his pocket. He took it out and smiled at the name flashing across the screen. He flipped it open and put it up to his ear. "Hey, honey. Tired of the big city already?"
"Randy," she sobbed.
"Jordy? What's wrong?" he asked, standing up from the bench he had been sitting on.
"A plane…building," she said, the commotion behind her making it unable for him to hear her full sentence.
"What? I can't hear you, sweetie. What's all of that noise in the background?"
"A plane hit the building!"
"What do you mean a plane hit the building?" he asked, his heart beginning to drop as Dave and John looked on in concern.
"I don't know! There was just an explosion! Randy, I don't want to die!"
"You're not gonna die, Jordy. You need to get out of there, NOW!"
"I can't! Too many people! They're blocking the stairwells! I don't want to die, Randy. I never should've come here. I should've stayed with you."
"Jordan! Listen to me! I need you to try and get out as quick as you can, alright? I know you can do this! I just need you to stay on the phone with me."
"I can't do it, Randy! There's too many people!"
"Jordy, just stop and listen to me for a minute, okay? You have to get out of there. You have to do it for us. Remember our plan?" he asked, tears forming in his eyes.
"I do," she managed to choke out.
"We can't go through with our plan if you don't get out of there. What floor are you on?"
"Eighty-three."
"Get moving then, Jordan!"
"I'm going, Randy!"
He turned around and noticed that John was gone but Dave was standing right next to him. "What's going on Randy?"
Randy pulled the phone away from his ear and covered the mouthpiece. "She says a plane just hit the World Trade Center. She's in there on the eighty-third floor. Dave, man, I don't think she's going to make it."
"You can't think like Orton. She may be able to get out. You gotta keep your cool. If you panic, she's going to panic even more. Alright? Stay calm"
"How the hell am I supposed to stay calm, Dave? She's trapped! People are blocking the stairwells. She can't get out," he said, sobs beginning bubble up from his throat before he faintly heard his name being hollered through the phone.
"Randy!" Jordan yelled.
"I'm here, baby," he told her, putting the phone back up to his ear. "How far have you gotten?"
"I can't even get down to the next floor! I'm going to die here!"
"You're not going to die, honey. Just stay calm and try and push your way through, please. Don't give up, Jordy."
John burst back into the room. "Guys, another plane just hit the second of the twin towers. They're afraid the first one's going to collapse. They're trying to get firefighters in there as quickly as possible. The guys have it on the TV down the hall."
The three men ran down the hallway and pushed their way through the small crowd that had gathered around the TV.
"Jordy, you still there?" Randy asked as he watched on in horror.
"Randy…I love you. I really do. I really wanted to grow old with you. Just don't forget about me, okay?"
"I could never forget you, Jordan. You're my soul mate," he said, as he watched smoke billow out from the two towers. "Hey, why don't you tell me the names of our kids that you picked out?" He was trying to get her mind off the inevitable. After seeing the footage for himself, he knew that there was no way she would survive and he wanted her last moments to be thinking about something that would make her happy
She understood Randy's motives and sat down on the floor, all the while trying to stop the constant sobbing that was coming out of her. "Well, our first born, our son, would be named after his father; Randall Keith Orton Jr. Then our little girl would be Abigail Michaela Orton. Randy Jr. would have your stunning blue eyes and my gorgeous blond hair. And Abby would be just the same. And we'd have a beautiful two story house right outside of St. Louis, probably in Florissant or St. Peters. A nice big yard with one, maybe two dogs running around outside around the swing set. And then at night, when the kids are in bed, we'll come out there and just sit under the stars like we used to. Staring up into the heavens like we're just a couple of young kids trying to figure the whole world out, all the while knowing that we never would."
"And I never will; not without you. I'll never understand," he choked out, causing the rest of the up and comers around him to momentarily divert their attention from the screen in front of them to him. He began to hear an even louder commotion in the background of the phone.
"I love you, Randy," she whimpered.
"I love you too, Jordy." He looked up at the screen just in time to see the horrific sight of the first tower collapsing. He dropped the phone in his hand knowing that he had just lost the love of his life.
Randy had been so caught up in remembering that terrible day that he didn't even realize that he had seemingly had the car on autopilot as he pulled into the cemetery. He put the car in park, staring ahead and listening to the rain beating on the windshield for just a few moments before getting out and walking the familiar path to her gravestone. He sat on the damp ground, not caring that the wetness was seeping through the thick denim fabric of his jeans, and ran his fingers over the engravings; her name, the dates.
Jordan Liberty Evans
August 31, 1980-September 11, 2001
Our Untamed Angel
Ever since the first anniversary of her death, he always found it kind of ironic in a demented sort of way that her middle name was Liberty, yet those fucking bastards didn't give her the freedom to decide whether or not she was going to go back to the apartment that she had rented for her internship.
He took a deep breath, unsure of where he should begin. "Hey, Jordy," he finally choked out as he chuckled slightly, always remembering that he was the only one allowed to call her that. "I've been thinking about you a lot lately. I always do this time of year. Hell, who am I kidding? There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of you."
It was then that he noticed a bouquet of pink roses. "They made it here on time," he smiled, picking them up. "I ordered them kind of late this year. I didn't know if they'd make it on time. But, I'm glad they did. I'll always remember how much you loved pink roses. They were always your favorite."
Randy sat the bouquet directly in front of the tombstone and stayed silent for a few minutes, before chuckling at himself. "I know what you're thinking. Why the hell am I so quiet? I haven't been a very talkative person lately. You know how they say that time heals all wounds? Well, if that's true then how come it gets harder each year that I'm without you? You know maybe it's because with every year that passes people just seem to forget what happened. It's like, how can you forget something that was so horrible? I just don't get it, Jordy. I really don't. I don't understand the world; then again, I told you I wouldn't."
He sighed again as he noticed the rain was starting to let up. "I know you'd probably kill me for sitting out in the rain like this. In a way, I wish you would so I could be with you again. I think like that a lot lately. I know I shouldn't and I know you wouldn't want me to. It just…" he trailed off, his throat constricting as tears stung the back of his eyes. "It's just that it kills me every day that I'm here living my dream and you never got the chance to live yours. It kills me that you had to go through that terrifying event on your own and I wasn't there to comfort you or save you. I feel so guilty, Jordy."
He didn't wipe the tears from his eyes as the rain completely stopped and the clouds started to dissipate. He stared on in awe as within moments they completely disappeared and the sun popped out. He felt the warmth come over his face and suddenly was relaxed and comforted. It was a feeling that he hadn't felt for over seven years; one that he only felt whenever she was around.
As he closed his eyes, a true smile crossed his face; something that hadn't happened in such a long time. He felt her as if she was right there next to him, as if her long curls were sprawled out over his chest. It even seemed as if he could smell her perfume; a light vanilla scent.
Randy opened his eyes and leaned forward, placing his lips on his soul mate's gravestone. "I love you, Jordy. And I haven't forgotten."
He got up from the ground and placed another kiss on the top of the stone before slowly walking back to his car, his soaked clothes sticking to every inch of his body. But he didn't care. As much as he dreaded this trip, he was glad he had made it. And as God as his witness, he would make sure that no one around him would ever, ever forget.
I would've had this up earlier, however my computer lost this document after it was already halfway done. But, in a way, I'm kind of thankful for it because I think I made it a bit better the second time around.
This oneshot is dedicated not only to all the people who lost their lives on September 11, 2001 but also to the every single man and woman serving in our armed forces today. They are the ones that are fighting for my right to post this. So, THANK YOU!
This was based on the song "Have You Forgotten?" by Darryl Worley.
Please read, review and remember!
-Keep it rockin'-
Gabby