If You Can't Beat 'Em... Resign
If it was possible for your heart to break over a wrestling match, then Kalli McMahon's just had.
She stared, tears streaming down her face, at the monitor before her, slightly aback from the WWF Superstars who were crammed into the tiny lockeroom to watch the evening's matches.
As always, she had made Jeff promise to keep the results of his match a secret, hoping that she would be pleasantly surprised.
Instead she was bitterly disappointed.
"Kalli?"
The girl didn't even look up at the sound of Matt Hardy's voice, her eyes still locked on the screen as Jeff, flanked by two WWF Officials, made his way toward the back, his disappointment written clearly on his face.
"Kalli?"
Still not looking up, face pale, fists clenched, Kalli whispered, "Go tell Jeff I'll just be a minute."
She turned to go, but Matt darted out a hand, grabbing her wrist and whirling her back to face him, his voice gentle, but urgent, "Kalli? Where are you going?"
Her voice tight she whispered, "I have a feeling you'll hear..." She shook her arm loose and stormed out of the locker room, straight across the hall into her Father's make shift office. She shoved the door open so hard that it snapped back, slamming instantly behind her.
"Honey..."
But Kalli McMahon wasn't there to hear one word of her what her Father had to say. She was going to talk, and by God he was going to listen to her.
"I know you're upset..." His voice trailed away when her open palm slapped loudly across his face. Vince grasped his cheek, surprise on his face. "Kalleasto..."
"No. For once Dad you are going to sit there and SHUT THE HELL UP and listen to me." Her tears still touched her cheeks, "Why, Daddy? WHY do you keep doing this?" Exasperated, the words fell from her lips quickly, completely uncontrolled. "JEFF HARDY works his ASS off for the WWF Dad, and you..." she shoved him, "...keep..." another shove, "...making him JOB..." she gave him one last, hard shove, "ALL THE FUCKING TIME!!!"
Vince's face set in an angry glare, "Kalli..."
"SHUT UP!!!" She matched her fathers glare effortlessly, "Why, Daddy? Why do you keep doing this? Does Jeff not to deserve to KEEP a title?" She threw her hands up, "And tonight? In a LADDER MATCH??? Daddy, The Hardys & Edge & Christian redefined the meaning of the term 'Ladder match' over the last couple of years... Ladder matches are their domain, and we BOTH know damn well that there is no way in blue HELL that," she spat the name out, "Rob Van Dam could ever beat him in a ladder match. EVER!!!" She shrugged, lost and confused, "But you make him lose anyway?" She hissed nastily, "Why, Daddy?"
Completely taken aback by his daughters passion, Vince spoke as soothingly as he could, "Kalli, you were there, at the meetings, it wasn't just me who made this decision..."
"At the last meeting with the Writing Team, no decision had been made... I campaigned my ass off for Jeff to win, and I wasn't the only one..." She gave him a long hard look, "Do you EVER listen to any of the input that I have into these meetings? I'm part of the Writing Team, Dad, and I can't even have my suggestions seriously considered?"
Reaching out to place a hand on Kalli's arm, Vince told her, "Kalli, you're not exactly unbiased where The Hardy Boys are concerned..."
She yanked her arm away, "So you're PUNISHING him because I love him? You're stripping of titles because he's dating one of your little girls?"
"Kalli..." There were slight hints of anger in his voice now, "You know that his dating you has nothing to do with this...."
His daughter practically snarled as she cut him off, "I used to believe that, Daddy. I mean, Linds is with Hunter, and he wins titles. He keeps titles. Jericho too, and he's with Melly. And then Krissy and Adam..." If it was even possible, her glare hardened all the more, "Adam has won King of the Ring AND TONIGHT? He became the WWF Intercontinental Champion. Do you remember Daddy? Do you remember what you said to me when Jeff lost that title back to Triple H?" The tears came a little harder, her hurt filtering through her anger, "You said it was because the Intercontinental Title was higher calibre... It was for guys with Main Event draw power... And you said Jeffy wasn't ready for that yet... But then what? A few months later, Albert gets the title? Albert who has the Main Event draw power of a PRETZEL!!! And THEN the title ends up around Lance Storm's waist... It goes to WCW... And as a final insult you give the title to EDGE!!! I love Adam, and you know that, but is he any MORE deserving than Jeff?" She shook her head, "Don't tell me that you're not punishing Jeff for being with me, because I really don't believe that."
Angry himself now, Vince snapped, "Kalli, I don't punish Jeff for being with you, I do what I feel is right..."
"And RVD winning AGAIN is right?"
"You are being totally unreasonable about this." His voice was a low and threatening, "All you see anymore is Jeff. Now, I'm NOT punishing him, Kalli, I'm NOT, but I can't just GIVE him titles because you love him. You're on the writing staff, and I have to consider how its going to look to the other members of the WWF Roster if I give Jeff a title..."
She cut him off again, "So its okay that Paul and Chris and Adam get rewarded for their work, but if you let Jeff keep a title, that's favouritism? That's favouritism because I'M on the writing team? Krissy and Melly and Linds and Stephanie and Shane all have input, but its favourtisim in this instance because of ME?"
"Kalli..." Her open palm met his face again. For the second time he clutched his face as though he was soothing his wounded pride. "Listen to me..."
"No." Her voice finally stayed level, her hands rest on her hips and the tears that had been streaming down her cheeks came a little faster, leaving little splotches on her pale pink Baby T. "I'm a member of the WWF Roster. I'll do my promos and interviews and I'll work my ass off in that ring when you give me matches... I'll do whatever you tell me..." She took a steadying breath, "But I hereby resign my position on the WWF Writing Team."
The anger on his face melted, shock on his face, "Honey..."
She shook her head, backing away when he reached out for her, "No. No Daddy. I won't do it anymore. You don't listen to me anyway because every time I open mouth about The Hardy Boys you think I'm being bias. That I just want my boyfriend to get a push. I want what the fans want. I want what's fair. And what you're doing to Jeff is not fair, and if it takes my not being part of the team anymore for you to see that, then so be it." She threw her hands up, "I'm done, Daddy. I'm gone." And with that she turned on her heel and marched out the door, leaving her father, standing in stunned silence, behind her.
Outside the locker room, Melly was waiting for her, "Kalli..." She took hold of her hand, gently whispering, "Everyone in that locker room just heard you..."
She gave her sister a sad, hurt little look and said, "I don't care." She gave her sisters hand a little squeeze, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a boyfriend to fuss over."
And again she walked away.
Vince appeared in the door way, looking after her. "Melly?" He asked his other daughter, shock on his face and in his voice, "What just happened?"
Melly shook her head, replying softly, "You have some serious ass kissing to do to fix this, Daddy." She sighed, "Some SERIOUS ass kissing." Then she moved back into the locker room to watch the last of the Pay Per View.
~ The End ~