"You got the keys?" He asked, casually looking her up and down. Jalie nodded and tossed them to him.

The two of them headed out the door to Cody's truck as a female voice called goodbye to Carson from the bedroom.

"Yeah, love you too Angela.." Cody replied, not paying attention.

"It's Rachel..." Came the voice. Cody shrugged and shut the door behind him. Jalie was already downstairs sitting in the passenger side of the pickup. She'd slipped a CD into the stereo and 'Dirt House' by static x was blaring over the high priced sound system. Cody hopped inside and started the ignition, glancing at his passenger as he backed out of the parking cover.

"So you sure about this whole thing? I hear they get pretty rowdy at these concerts.." Cody asked, smirking. Jalie giggled.

"We can only hope." She added.

“So, don‘t mean to bring this up, but how is the old limp noodle? You to ok?”

"I don't know... He's... Weird, lately. I mean he was always weird, but... He's changed. It's like he's always preoccupied with something. He doesn't even talk to me anymore unless he's scolding me for something." Jalie said, looking hurt. She quickly turned to glance out the window.

"Sometimes I wonder if he's just tired of me being around... I mean, I know he loves me... He's just... Distant, I guess. I'm beginning to wonder if we don't just need some time away from each other. Sort of, let him get his shit together. Maybe then he'll realize i'm not the one who's making his life a living hell... He is. But what the hell do I know. I don't even have anywhere to go. Carmen's staying with some guy in Palm Springs, and my parents wouldn't let me back in the house once I hit eighteen."

She sighed, leaning back in the seat and closing her eyes.

"Sorry to lay all this shit on you..."

“You can stay with me…” Cody mumbled.

“What?”

“I said you could stay with me? Hell I could use the company and the bail mon… Mother fucker…..” A guy whipped out in front of Cody. Cody hit’s the horn and flips the guy all. “I mean hell Jalie, your like a hot sexy sister, who isn‘t really my sister so it means I can hit on you and If… It ever happened…” Jalie smirked and cut him off.

"If meaning never. Contrary to what you may believe, I don't do one night stands."

She rubbed her head where it had connected with the window in Cody's mad swerve to avoid the asshole. Luckily, her thick skull softened the blow.

"I appreciate it, though... I'm beginning to think thats what it's gonna come to."

"You mean...?" Cody asked hopefully. Jalie snorted.

"Living with you, not fucking you." She added.

Cody stuck out his lower lip and the sight mad Jalie chuckle. “Ah hell, I knew you couldn‘t resist me. Face it Jalie, You love me.” He reaches over and wraps his arm around her.

"Yeah, yeah... Just don't go parading it around. You'll ruin my reputation." Jalie smirked. She pointed to a Circle K across the street and motioned for Cody to pull in. He parked and the two of them climbed out of the truck. Inside, the store was completely empty except for the highly creepy cashier, who was continually staring at Cody. Jalie went off to the cooler in the back to grab a drink, leaving Cody standing by the counter and looking uncomfortable.

Cody picks up a choclate bar and starts to look at it. He looks up and the guy is still staring at him. Cody tosses the bar back. “What are you looking at slappy?”

The clerk continued to stare intently.

"You smell nice." He said softly.

Cody blinked, then began to back away slowly.

"My mother smelled nice." The clerk added. Cody's eyes widened. Jalie came back up front holding a Smirnoff and set it on the counter. The clerk glanced at it curiously. *not done

"Okay... You gonna ring it up or just admire it?" Jalie asked.

"Oh, I don't work here..." The man said casually. Cody frowned and tossed a five onto the counter, then grabbed Jalie by the arm and led her out of the store.

“Lets just get the fuck out of here.” He said jumping into his truck.

Jalie climbed in after him and Cody started it up, peeling out of the parking lot. Jalie opened the glovebox and sifted through the garbage to find the map. She stared at it for a solid five minutes before yelling in frustration.

"This makes no fucking sense!"

Cody glanced at it. "Probably because that's a map of Detroit."

"Oh..." She stuffed it back in and pulled out the correct one. "Oh yeah... I get it now. Right, so take the next exit."

Cody nodded and pulled into the right lane.

Later, Cody pulled into a loaded parking lot outside a San Bernardino convention center. Due to it being a concert, they'd expected the people to be dressed oddly. But nothing had prepared them for what they were now seeing.

"You sure this is the right place?" Cody asked. Jalie nodded.

"According to the map."

Cody shrugged and they headed inside. It was nothing like they had expected. On stage, in place of the familiar metal band was a podium with a large crucifix fixed to the wall behind it.

Jalie screamed. She turned to run but the doors were shut and a crowd had gathered about them, blocking off the exit. Cody wrenched the map from her hand and soon realized she'd been holding it upside down. A man dressed in black robes ascended the stage to stand behind the podium.

"Brothers and sisters... Welcome, to our hour of worship." He proclaimed. Jalie began to twitch nervously.

"Cult....CULT!" She exclaimed. Cody gripped her by the shoulders and shook her.

"No, they're Christians!" He explained.

"Thats what I said! CULT!" She cried. The crowd around them was casting them cold glances. Cody led Jalie to a bench and sat down.

“Jesus Christ girl. Chill the fuck out. I‘ll handle this.” Cody said with a smirk.

Later you see Cody Carson and Jalie Thomas bent over out of breath. “I thought you said you would handle it…” Jalie exclaimed.

“We are out of there are we not…” Suddenly a flaming torch just misses Cody Carson’s head as an angry mob comes running over a near by hill. “Shit.” They both look at each other and start running again.

________________________________________________________________________

MAtch Talk

There are people in this world that belong and others that just don’t. Everyone has their point of view, but if you think everyone belongs, think about back in your high school days. Did you ever bug a kid for being different, ever look down on someone because they where poor? If you say know, take your hand and slap yourself across the face. Everyone did it. Hell, I was one of those kids that took a beating day in and day out. I fought because I wanted to, not because I had to. Well, I guess sometime I had to but that’s not the point. The point is that I looked down on every one of those poor helpless bastards that thought they could beat me. I pity them still to this day. So, I was one of those kids that everyone thought didn’t belong. But look at me now, Everyone wants a piece of this. I can have who ever I want when ever I want… Well, almost. But Adonis, YOU DON’T BELONG!

You will never belong you piece of shit. Look at your matches so far son. You have fought nothing but a worthless homophobic bastard in Jimmy Stryker. You have never had to fight someone with any wrestling talent, until now. Think about it kid, your stepping into the ring with the greatest fucking wrestler since hulk fuckin Hogan.

Kid, I’m not a babysitter, I’m not a wrestler, I‘m a champion. If you think that I’m going to take it easy on you just because you’re still in diapers, your wrong, this title mean the world to me. It brings in the money, it bring me pride, it mean that I am the best in the fucking world. Not that I needed it to prove that. I am Cody fuck Carson boy. You have no idea what you are getting yourself into. I am an asshole, I don’t care what your say or how you say it. I know all of the shit is true. But the only thing you can’t say, is that I have beat jobbers. I know you won’t say that because your fucking smarter then that, and if you do, You would be the first Jobber I would add to my list. But fuck who I have beaten, No, wait you might like that to much.

But you know what Adonis, you think that your hot shit right now right? I mean your beating Jimmy Stryker Night in and Night out. You know what that means, that your scared shitless of a challenge. You Can worship me if you want, you after Sunday, I promise to break every one of your fucking toes, Cut them off… And make you eat them. I mean hell Seth Thomas whipped you ass before the federation closed it doors… What do you think I’m going to do to you. Your nothing but a bitch that will be put in his place come Sunday. So, I want you to go home, Suck on your little thumb, curl up with Jimmy, have crazy monkey sex with him and then cry. Because god knows, when I get to the ring. It won’t be my dick in your ass. It will be my size 11 boot.