Her Confession

I jog onto the field, there is just one light.

"Hey Coach Matthew."

"Hey Aristide, you ready for the extra?" I nod, "Well, give me four laps and then do some stretching so that you don't hurt yourself, come on," I nod and begin running.

I walk up to my room with my bag on one shoulder and unlock my door. I toss my bag in the floor and then realize that Cassandra left some of her stuff in my room, all of her stuff nearly. I sigh and put her stuff back in her bag. I place it at the foot of my bed and sit down at my computer as I hear a knock on the door, "Yeah?"

"And my stuff?"

"Oh yeah, sorry about that," I open my door and she walks in and sits on my bed again, nearly barging past me, "I forgot that you left it there and."

"I know, you are embarrassing yourself."

"Maybe I am, um, are you staying?"

"No, not for long, but, I did want to ask you for your number."

"Okay, um, let me see," I grab a tiny phone on my desk, "Um, I should've written it down."

"You don't remember it?"

"Nope, I normally have my phone on me so yeah, and it is written down."

"Well, I guess that's fine."

"What's up?"

"Hmm?"

"You seem down."

"You noticed, huh?"

"Yeah, I did and it is bothering me."

"Just thinking about how Michael will react."

"How long have you wanted to do this?"

"Some time now."

"How about tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?"

"Yeah, like after practice."

"If you are there, sure."

"Okay, well, sure, I'll be there."

"Thank you so much," 'I don't even know why I am doing this, I just got here, what is up with me? I am normally a quiet guy, what the hell am I doing standing up against some popular punk,' "Aristide? Are you listening to me?"

"Huh? What? No, sorry, I wasn't, what were you saying?"

"What's the helmet in your wardrobe?"

"Motorcycle helmet."

"You have your permit?"

"Yeah, even if I am just 17, I have my full permit, they failed and had me at 18 when I did it so better for me," I laughed as she got up from my bed, "You going?"

"Yeah, I am pretty, yawn, tired," She walked to the door, "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, sleep well."

"You too," I stay standing by the door as she walks out of my building. I feel my heart racing. My head is spinning. My knees feel weak. I stumble back to my bed and sat down. I feel my phone under my leg. I unlock my phone and see her number written on a note, I roll my eyes and smile.

"Saves me from asking her," I save it into my contacts. I toss my phone on my pillow and walk into my bathroom. I look at myself in the window after pulling off my shirt. I look at my beard and then at my less than appealing moustache. I grab my razor and shave it off. I sigh and turn on my shower, the water is freezing, but I don't care and walk in. My breathing deepens as the cold water brushes over my skin.

I walk out of the shower and begin drying myself, 'Why do I feel like this?' I can't stop thinking of her, something is wrong. I pull on boxers and walk to my bed and collapse in bed, I am exhausted, so many things have happened. I turn off my lights and quickly fall asleep.

I wake up early in the morning, 'I didn't even close my curtains' I roll out of bed and walk into my bathroom. I comb down my messy beard and then shave the outline of my beard, keeping it in the shape I want. I throw on some clothes and grab my sports bag. It is 5:30 in the morning, breakfast is at 7:30 and classes start at 8:30.

I push open the doors to the empty gym. No one is there. I start with a short warm-up before heading to the weight section of the gym. I grab a powerbelt and walk over to the squat bar and load a couple plates on each side, then begin talking to myself, "So, this is 2, 4, 6, so that is 45 times 6, is, um, 270, cool," I buckle the power belt and put on my headphones, I place myself under the bar and lift it off easily and just begin squatting, I don't normally give myself a number per set, I just go until I can't. I stand back up and lock the bar back into place. Something catches my eye, the leg press machine, I smile as I see the larger machine and the more plates, in my old gym I was limited to a small amount of plates, here I had more of them. I unloaded the bar and then walked over to the leg press machine. I tossed my bag against the chair of the machine and load the weights onto the sled, and once again, begin talking to myself, "So, um, so, um, 50 per plate, with um, one, two, three four five, six, seven, eight, nine ten, and the same on the other side, so 1000 pounds, if I add these one, I can get 1100 pounds and then I can get to my normal amount," I sit down under the sled and pull out my knee wraps, old but useful. I wrap my knees tightly and then place my feet shoulder distance under the sled. My music is blasting in my ears as I begin pressing the 1100 pounds with my knees nearly hitting my chest. My whole lower body strains with each press, moving the massive weight up and down over, and over, and over again. I lock out the weights and exhale deeply. I pull myself up and release my knees from the wrap prison. I pull out my bottle and drink. I notice someone looking at me. I turn and see Cassandra standing there, "Hey."

"Gymming?" She walked next to me and looked at the machine, "How much is that?"

"1200 if you count the machine."

"Oka-, what?! 1200?"

"Yeah, what are you here for?"

"Um, to use the gym?" She looked at me weirdly, I noticed her wearing sports clothes, another short short, "Um, can you spot me?"

"S-S-Sure," I stammer my way through the word.

"What are you nervous about?"

"N-N-Nothing."

"Come on, tell me," She smiles at me making me blush more, "Aristide, tell me."

"Well, um, nothing nothing, what do you want help with?"

"Can you help me with my bench press?"

"Okay, how much weight?"

"100 pounds?"

"Okay, you wear wrist wraps or no?"

"No, I've never used them."

"Okay, well, just get set, I'll spot you," She smiles at me as she lies down under the bar, "How many?"

"10, I can only do ten at a time."

"Okay," I help her lift the bar and then place my hands under the bar to make sure she doesn't drop it or gets unbalanced, "7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1," I pull the bar back and she sits up on the bench, her face is red and already sweaty.

"Why are you blushing?"

"Am I? Um, I don't know why."

"I wanted to ask you something."

"Shoot."

"Do you like me?" The question doesn't hit me directly.

"Huh?"

"Do you like me?" She is blushing now, "Cuz, like, I don't know why but, like, I like you, like, you aren't the physical attraction I had with Michael, but you are better than him, like I don't know why," She is embarrassing herself.

"I guess I do, I am new with relationships so, like, yeah, but I think I do," I cut her off and stop her from embarrassing herself more, "So yeah, anything else you want to do?"