I sat on the couch in my living room, phone clutched in my hand and held up to my ear as I waited for my best friend, Trish, to answer. She had been the one I had always turned to when I couldn't talk to my brother and today was no different. I had to get what's been bothering me for weeks off my chest and she was just the person I needed to talk to about it.
"Hey, YNN. What's up?" her voice came through the phone's speaker, filled with warmth and a little concern.
I took a deep breath and decided it was best just to dive right into it. "Do you think I did something wrong? Adam hasn't talked to me in weeks and it's like he's been pushing me away though I haven't the slightest idea of why."
"Oh, honey, I doubt you did anything wrong. You and your brother are like two peas in a pod. I don't know what's going on with him, but I highly doubt it has anything to do with you." she replied. Her words slightly calmed me down. Trish knew Adam and me better than anyone else. She knew that there wasn't much of anything that could cause a rift between the two of us.
"You're probably right," I said as I leaned back into the comfy cushions of the sofa.
"What brought this on anyway?" my best friend questioned.
I ran my fingers through my hair, my frustration clear in my voice as I spoke into my phone. "We used to be inseparable, you know? But ever since creative asked him to that storyline with Amy, he's been... distant. I haven't seen much of him at work, hell, he doesn't speak to me much on the off days either."
Trish let out a sympathetic sigh. "It is a pretty intense storyline. Not that I don't think that they both can keep work and home life separated but, do you think I may have something to do with it?"
I shrugged even though I knew she couldn't see it. "I don't know, T. It's unlike him. I mean, Adam normally tells me everything, but I can barely get a simple 'hello' at work and he's been ignoring texts here lately. I'm getting shut out. So don't know what to think as of this moment."
Trish was silent for a moment, probably thinking over what I had just told her. "Have you tried talking to him about it? I mean the boy probably doesn't even know the way he's been acting is affecting you the way it is."
I nodded to myself. "Yeah, I've tried. He just brushes it off saying he's too busy to talk about 'whatever it was' with me."
She let out a thoughtful hum. "Maybe you should give him some space. That and time is sometimes what people need to think through and get over some things."
I groaned in frustration. "I know but I don't want it to get to the point where he shuts me out completely. I don't think I could live like that. He's my big brother and he means the world to me. Been there for me when I needed him the most and I would like to think I've always done the same for him."
Her voice was gentle as she spoke. "YN, you and Adam have this connection that nobody could dare to break through. Not me, not Amy, not even creative. You have nothing to worry about. Family always comes first."
Her words did manage to bring me some comfort and a little bit of light during this glume party I was throwing for myself. "You're right. You're right. I guess I just needed someone to talk to and get some of this frustration out."
"I'll always be here to listen and help you keep your head on straight, YNN. You know I'm here for you. Sometimes you just have to remember that things have a way of working themselves out on their own."
As I hung up the phone with Trish, I couldn't help but feel a little better after talking to her. I knew she was right in every aspect of our conversation. Family was important and if I waited enough, time would fix what was not yet broken. At least I hoped it would.
A few days later I found myself walking through the backstage area at SmackDown, adjusting my gear as I waited for my time to go out into the ring. The arena was buzzing with enthusiasm from the fans as they cheered for either Christian or JBL. As I walked backstage, I spotted Adam from a distance. He was walking alone which was unusual. These days he was always followed by Amy to keep face, but since he wasn't it seemed like the best time to try and talk to him about everything.
Taking a deep breath, I made my way over to him. My heart was pounding faster with nervous anticipation with every step I took. As I approached him, I could see the tension in his shoulder. It was a stark contrast to the brother I knew and loved.
"Adam!" I called out as I finally caught up to him. He turned to me, the look of surprise in his eyes which he was quick to mask with a smile.
"YNN, hey," he said, his voice sounding a bit forced.
The two of us stood there for a moment, the sounds of the bussing arena fading into the background. I had given it as much time as I could handle, but I couldn't ignore the distance anymore. I had to know why.
"Umm, can we talk?" I asked, my voice slightly beginning to tremble. "I've been trying to figure out why you've been avoiding me, and I can't think of anything. If I did something wrong, can you just tell me and put me out of my misery?"
He hesitated for a moment, glancing around to make sure no one was within earshot. Finally, he sighed and nodded, leading me down the hall to a much more secluded area.
Once we were alone, I couldn't help but let my frustration and confusion be known. "Adam, we used to be close and always told each other everything. But now it feels like I did something wrong and you're pushing me away for it. Why? Did I do something that I'm not aware of? I'm confused."
He ran a hand through his hair, his eyes looking everywhere but at me. "YNN, it's not about you. It's not about anything you may have done wrong. In fact, you did absolutely nothing wrong. It's just... it's been crazy lately, with this new storyline with Lita and everything. I didn't want you to get caught up in it all. Didn't want it to drive you crazy insane like it's doing me right about now."
I frowned at the words that came from his mouth. None of it was convincing me in the slightest. "Both of us have been put through some pretty gnarly storylines before but we always had each other's back. So, why is this time any different from the last?"
My brother looked at me, his gaze softening with each passing moment. "It's different because it involves Amy, one of your closest friends. I didn't want to involve you in that chaos and feel uncomfortable during it all. I don't know how long this will last."
I blink in complete surprise. "Adam, you don't have to protect me from a storyline of all things. That is on the top of the list of things I can handle very well even if it involves my friends. Because it's just a storyline. What's more important to me is that my brother is by my side when I need him."
He sighed and finally met my gaze. "I guess I just didn't want you to see me in that kind of role, especially with Amy. It's been difficult to even think about and I thought if I kept my distance from you, it would be easier not to think about."
I reached out and put a hand on his arm. "You don't need to keep your distance from me because of all of that. I'm your sister, I probably know more about you than I possibly should, unfortunately, but none of that should ever deter the fact that we'll be there for each other. Not even the roles you or I have to play for the job we hold."
He smiled and the tension in his shoulders began to ease. "You're right. God, you're so right. I'm sorry for making you think you ever did something wrong and pushing you away. I should have just talked to you about it instead. I don't know why I didn't think you would be understanding of the whole situation."
I nodded, relieved that we had finally had this conversation and gotten through the worst of it. "You're forgiven, but you have to promise me you won't ever do it again. Nothing comes between us. If it does, I'm telling Mom."
With a chuckle and nod, Adam pulled me into a hug. "Yeah, I promise. From now on no more secrets and no more pushing you away."
