Royal Rumble
Torrie was pleasantly surprised by the reaction she received by a good percentage of the fans in attendance in the crowd. As she walked her way down the ramp to the ring, she had to really fake her true emotions, keeping in mind that her role was that of heel now.
She knew the fans didn't know where she'd really been during her three months away. If the truth were known, she had a near deathly fear of that coming out, because she had a feeling they would look at her in a whole different light...
... And that wouldn't be much different from the way her fellow superstars now viewed her.
Putting that out of her mind, the blonde instead reveled inside at the good amount of cheers she was getting. Aside from her small backstage vignettes, this was the first the fans were getting to see her in the flesh, and in the ring, since her three months of hell. The cheers were music to her ears, and it was damn near difficult for her to not get choked up.
However, once she entered the ring, the reality of her return match hit. She was going to be facing Michelle McCool, a fact that had weighed heavily on her ever since she'd returned. For some undetermined reason, the woman simply did not like her, and it made her downright uncomfortable.
Michelle's music, which was actually a recycling of one of her old theme songs, suddenly hit. Torrie watched as she appeared at the top of the ramp, taking a deep breath and exhaling it evenly as she stretched her arms a little, preparing herself. The "All American Girl" pranced to the ring, all grins, waving at the fans in the crowd. Torrie smirked to herself upon the realization that she was getting a rather lukewarm reaction.
The other blonde did her usual 'look at me' type of ring entrance, then entered the squared circled. Torrie had to act all aggressive, as though she just wanted to launch onto the other diva. In reality, as the referee stepped between them, she wished she could just walk away. Why did the WWE have to put her in a program with her? And why so soon after what she'd been through? She couldn't help wondering what she'd done to deserve this and wished, not for the first time, that she were at least back on RAW.
The referee signaled for the bell, and the timekeeper sounded it. The two women locked up in the middle of the ring, with McCool soon turning it into a Hammerlock. Torrie shortly after reversed it, slapping her opponent in the back of the head before going for a hair pull.
Referee Charles Robinson stepped in to angrily admonish her, and the platinum blonde retreated with her hands up in a placating manner.
The match went fairly and surprisingly smoothly for several minutes. Torrie was beginning to feel a lot better about herself, and the fact that she and Michelle seemed to be working well together. However, she realized she thought too soon when she executed her Swinging Neckbreaker.
It was the one move in the Boise Belle's arsenal that the snotty blonde despised more than any other. Michelle unsteadily got back on her feet, her slim left hand pressed to her chest as Torrie made a grab for her again.
Clearly noticing the very real rage on the other diva's face, Torrie tried the next spot but was given a great shove instead. Because that had been completely unexpected, the older woman landed backward on the canvas, on her butt. She looked up, shocked, into Michelle's eyes. The referee appeared equally shocked by the move, and perplexed as well.
Torrie recovered, getting back up for the final bits and pieces of this match. She tried to communicate with her opponent via eye contact, but all the other blonde seemed to do was give her dirty looks.
Finally, the ending spot came up. Torrie grabbed Michelle and slammed her down face-first for the Nose Job. Wearily, she made the cover for the pinfall and the win...
... Too bad she didn't feel as though she'd won.
She heard Lilian Garcia announce her as the victor as Robinson raised her hand high. Afterward, the platinum blonde was relieved as she left the squared circle and headed up the ramp to the backstage area.
*
Torrie had barely gotten backstage when she suddenly heard the shouts.
"Where is she?!" the angry woman's voice demanded.
It was, of course, Michelle McCool. She turned to see the younger woman holding the back of her head, quite possibly looking more angry than she'd ever seen her.
"You bitch!" she screamed. "You're never gonna do that Swinging Neckbreaker again!"
People in the hallway stopped whatever they were doing to stare.
Torrie felt her heart quivering and fully turned to face her. She narrowed her eyes and shook her head.
"I couldn't have hurt you... I did the move properly," she said in a calm tone. "Besides, you don't have the authority to say what moves people can or cannot use."
Michelle's blue eyes flashed dangerously.
"You wanna make a bet?" she demanded. "You're not gonna use it on me from here on out. I'll go to Mark if I have to."
The older woman stared at her apparent enemy, seething. It was pathetic that Michelle would threaten her in that manner - run to her boyfriend, who had tons of stroke in the company due to his eighteen years there. She shook her head.
"You do what you have to," Torrie countered. "All I know is that I have every right to do that move... And if you have to resort to crying to your sugar daddy about it, then you're not really as good as you thought, huh?" With that, she spun on her heel, leaving a shocked Michelle McCool standing with her mouth wide open.
Torrie didn't notice as Jeff Hardy stood there in the corridor, having overheard the exchange. A grin spread
across his handsome face as he nodded his approval.