AllFreeNovel
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Not all of us are athletes.
Most of the student body here is, but not all!
“I missed you! How was your summer?” I ask, letting her go to see that she hasn’t changed one bit.
I didn’t really think we were good friends, but before the new semester started, Layla reached out to me and we’ve been in touch as if we were best friends the last two weeks. It’s as if we didn’t just spend months apart, picking up right where we left off.
“You know. Training.” Layla shrugs.
We walk to the gym together while she tells me about her summer gymnastics training. She’s the real deal. She lives and breathes gymnastics, but was never good enough for the Olympic team. I know it killed her to be rejected by them. I saw the disappointment in her face when she first told me about it, but she waves it off like it was nothing, saying she prefers to focus on getting her degree anyway.
“Great, you two are back already?” Jerrick mutters as we walk up to the front counter.
“Aw!” Layla beams sarcastically at him. “I think he missed us, Len.”
We already emailed the owner and he was happy to welcome us back. During the summer, the gym is dead. It doesn’t need as many employees since it’s the official gym for Dexton Hall students and faculty. During the school season is when they really need help, so the owner, Mr. Connolly was more than happy to give us seasonal positions.
Jerrick on the other hand just thinks seasonal help is a handful. He scoffs at us and makes us go through training seminars again as if something changed, but it’s the same shit.
The proper way to fold towels, clean and sanitize the machines and equipment. Being available for anyone who needs help spotting or using the machines. Oh, and the protocol on entering the opposite sex locker rooms.
This time, I pay extra attention to that last one.
I don’t want any more run-ins with hot naked hockey players.
After training, we go right back to work. And of course, we’re put on cleanup duty. Nothing has changed. I really think it’s because Jerrick hates us the most. He’s always sticking us with cleanup duty.
“Ugh, my first class starts tomorrow! I wish I took Mondays off like you did.” Layla groans as we wipe down and pile the yoga mats in the aerobics and yoga room.
“It’s good to have an extra study day when everyone is in classes.” I agree.
“Yeah, or an extra sleep-in day after the weekend,” Layla adds, laying down on a mat I just wiped down and pretending to sleep.
“Hey, I just cleaned that!” I hit her with my towel.
She rolls off laughing.
“Show me some yoga moves!” Layla sits up and pretends to meditate. “I have a pain in my shoulders. Got anything for that.”
This is our usual camaraderie. She’ll make a comment about her sore muscles and I’ll show her some yoga moves to help with it. Layla always talks about joining me for yoga class, but her schedule is too hectic, she never has any extra time. When she’s not in class she’s training, or studying. She has her own exercise and stretch routines with the rest of the gymnastics team. Most of them are just like yoga.
I immediately go on all fours and show her a few moves to stretch and work her shoulders. She follows along and we do a small sequence of downward dog and threading the needle to really stretch out her shoulders.
It’s my little way of impressing her with my minimal athletic ability.
I don’t even hear the door to the room open. Or anyone walking up to us.
Layla did. She stopped following me and is sitting up. While my ass is up in the air.
She saw him.
I didn’t see him until he crouched down, looking through my legs to see my face hanging in between my outstretched arms.
“Hey stranger.” Nick Miller says, smiling at me.
His eyes follow my legs up and back down to my face before I topple over.
Did he just check out my ass?
