Page 4 of Foul Territory
“You’re really starting to scare me now. I know you do not like exercising this much.” Yep, she definitely has something up her sleeve.
“It’s not the running that I’m looking forward to. Don’t worry. There’s nothing to be afraid of. I promise you will be in good hands.”
I follow Charlie as she giggles down the path until it connects to the sidewalk that leads to the student gym. We head left, passing the gym, and continue toward the track and field.
Charlie stops and applies two layers of pink lip gloss. “Here.” She passes me the tube that is definitely not my color.
“I don’t need this. We’re going to workout. My hair is going to get stuck to my lips. It will be a mess,” I explain. I mentally add ‘develop a formula for a lip gloss with shine but isn’t sticky’ to my product creation to do list.
She huffs in annoyance. “Fine. Just remember I offered.”
As we get closer to our destination, I hold out my hand and silently ask for the lip gloss. Had I known running club equates to over thirty guys milling around either shirtless or in tank tops showing off well defined biceps and abdominal muscles I would have signed up months ago.
“Now you know why I told you to wear the good leggings,” she says, tightening her high ponytail and smoothing down any stray hairs.
“I will never question you again.” I’m glad I took the time to throw my hair into Dutch braids this morning. I can already tell the humidity is trying to mess with my curls. “What’s our plan?” I ask as we get closer.
I’ve become Charlie’s wingwoman as of late. I don’t know if I’m helping her get a man or if this is her way of helping me.
I’m not convinced anything will help me but I keep trying my best.Because I am not in love with Koa Mahina anymore.Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
“I’ll talk to Trevor.” She nods towards a tall, slender, but muscular guy with dark, wavy hair. “He’s the genius who started this whole thing.Bless him.” She presses her palmstogether and bows her head. “We’ll introduce ourselves and see if there is anyone who wants to teach us a few things.”
“About running? Isn’t that obvious? You’re walking but much faster.”
“But there is technique and proper breathing,” she says with a dramatic eye roll. “Just follow my lead.”
Charlie sashays toward Trevor where he’s standing with a few of his running buddies and I reluctantly follow. I do clock a few guys hanging on the fringe I wouldn’t mind teaching me a proper stretch or two.
This is what I continue to tell myself at least. It's part of my process to retrain my brain and heart. What is it people say about the power of words? If you repeat them over and over, eventually they will become your truth.
That’s what I’m hoping at least. I have been for years. If I keep saying I want someone different, eventually it will become a reality.
Maybe I should switch to reading more nonfiction books about women empowerment instead of filling my head with romantic fantasies.Yeah, no. That won’t be happening,I think, laughing at myself.
“Hi there.” Charlie beams at Trevor, flashing a flirty smile. “I’m Charlie and this is my friend Sydney.” She grabs my hand and pulls me closer to the semicircle of men that surround us. I bump into her shoulder, which causes me to stumble over my feet.
My roommate, Lauren, would get a kick out of this. I understand how awkward she must have felt when I introducedher to all my friends when we went to The Warehouse at the beginning of the school year. I wanted her to come out of her shell a little but putting her on the spot might have been a bad call. This is awful.
Four sets of eyes roam over our bodies checking us out. One of the guys offers a shy smile. I grin back with a shrug and slight roll of my eyes over Charlie’s enthusiastic introductions, making him snort a quiet laugh.
“Charlie, you're just in time. We’re doing some stretching to warm up before we start our five mile run,” Trevor informs us.
Five miles? That’s a joke, right? He doesn’t expect us to actually run around this track twenty times, does he?
“Don’t worry,” the guy with the shy smile from earlier says. “You can bail at any time. A lot of people don’t get to all five miles before tapping out. I’m Joe,” he says, stretching out a hand in my direction.
“Sydney,” I reply, placing my sweaty palm in his. His grip is gentle and soft. Not at all what I expected.
“Come on. You need to get your muscles warmed up or you’re going to get cramps.” He gestures toward an open space on the grass where we'll have more room to spread out.
I glance over at Charlie. She gives me a wink before bending over at the waist to touch her toes with an attentive Trevor behind her.I guess she'll be fine on her own.
I ease myself onto the grass opposite Joe and begin to mimic his movements. Sitting with my right foot touching myinner thigh, I stretch my arms out to reach my left foot. I should have participated more in the Pilates classes we took. This would be a lot easier if I had.
“Flexibility isn’t my forte,” I explain, as I struggle with the simple act of touching my toes.
His eyes glide down the length of my leg making me feel exposed in my thin leggings. “What is your forte?”
