Code: Love

Chapter Three: Dearly Beloved

A Few Weeks Later

"James, hustle! We don't have all damn day," Coach Tribett blew his whistle and yelled at the player. "Step in for Tyler."

"What," Tyler tilted his head and watched Spencer jog to the center of the field. "Coach, what the hell? You're letting a freshman take my spot?"

"Question me one more time and see if your ass is still on this team! That freshman is putting in more effort than you. Get off my field," the coach yelled, waving Tyler off once more.

"You'll never be me," Tyler said through clenched teeth. Spencer didn't even respond because he knew if he did, he would have to get physical with Tyler in order to defend himself.

After practice, Tyler threw a fit in the locker room, yelling about the freshmen coming in and thinking they ran things. "None of you bitches will ever amount to anything. Walking up in here like your shit don't stank. Especially the James kid. You think you're better than me, huh?"

"I advise you to leave me alone, man. I'm just here to do my job. Whatever you got going on is no business of mine. Maybe you should focus on practice more than you focus on me," Spencer suggested, closing his locker.

"What did you say to me," Tyler said, slamming his locker shut and walking towards Spencer on the other side of the bench. Two of their teammates held him back before he could even reach the freshman who was ready to defend himself. "That's what I thought."

"I'm not even going to waste my time on you," Spencer grabbed his bag and walked out of the locker room, leaving Tyler to argue with himself.

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While Spencer finished up his practice, Olivia and Syn were just finishing up at dance team rehearsal. Olivia noticed their coach's eyes stayed on her the entire practice, even though she never pointed out anything Olivia was doing wrong. After practice, Coach Lee asked to see Olivia in her office.

"Something I do wrong, Coach," Olivia asked, taking the seat closest to the desk.

"You seem winded. You were winded last game and you're not keeping up in practices. Everything okay," the coach asked, concern written on her face as she looked over her dancer.

"I just need to get a little more cardio in, that's all." Olivia hadn't noticed that much of a difference in her dancing but she knew she hadn't been working out much outside of practice.

"You've put on a few pounds since our summer program. Olivia, you understand that I hold all of you to a high standard when it comes to fitness. The uniforms we wear aren't forgiving," Coach Lee explained.

That stung. Sure, she had put on a few pounds but no one else had even noticed. The dance world could be cruel to any type of changes to the body, especially to female dancers. Even still, Olivia had never had a coach or instructor point out her weight. 

"These few pounds can't even be seen. That's not why I'm winded either," Olivia replied defensively.

"If you don't trim down a bit, I'll have to bench you. I know you're new to the team, but you'll learn how college teams work. It doesn't get any easier when you reach the professional level. Lose the weight, Baker."

Olivia had never been made to feel so small in her life. Body image wasn't something she struggled with as a teen, even after being a dancer since she was four years old. This type of pressure was new and it felt terrible. Why did how she looked matter to a college dance team coach?