Mia Hill. College bound with an athletic scholarship. A go-getter with big dreams and a fully thought out plan to make sure they come true.
But with her father's release from prison looming and the inevitable stresses of adulting, everything she wa...
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"I never thought I'd actually hear these words fall from my lips, but I can't wait for the weight room tomorrow," Lindsey exhales as her butt hits the bench beside the track.
If I had enough strength left in me, I'd laugh at her dramatics. But I'm pretty sure I just lost a bit of my soul on that field today. I knew D1 conditioning would be a real bitch, but I never thought the term run until you puke was a real thing. I like to think I'm in shape, and maybe the fact that I was one of the ones to actually hold my breakfast in is proof of that, but the fact that my legs are still shaking and my breath is still working to find its rhythm tells me I'm nowhere near where I need to be.
With the first day of cardio now behind us, we have the weight room to look forward to tomorrow.
"You really think it will be any less brutal?" I question, plopping myself down beside her.
"It's worse," Natasha, our starting center fielder, comes into view now. "I remember thinking the same thing my freshman year. That cardio had to be the worst day of training. Truth is, they all pretty much suck. Not one day feels better than the one before it."
"Ugh," Lindsey's theatrical exhale causes her to fall back against the bench. "You mean I have no relief to look forward to?"
"You have the weekend. At least, when we don't have a game. But on the bright side-"
"There's a bright side to this?" Lindsey questions, causing a glistening smile to emerge across Natasha's face.
"The bright side is that it gets easier. Your body adjusts and the training becomes second nature."
"I don't see this becoming second nature," Lindsey rolls her eyes.
"Come on, Linds," my shoulder taps hers. "Where's that spunky roommate of mine?"
"She died on that field."
"If you two think this is bad, just wait until we have to do the stadium."
Both of our eyes fly over to Natasha who has a knowing smile on her face. I don't like that smile.
"The stadium?" I question, giving Lindsey a break to breathe.
"Yeah. Coach loves having us run the football stadium stairs in the fall. Now that is hell."
"Like, all of them?" Lindsey nearly whines.
Natasha nods, her smile widening. I don't exactly know how many stairs are in a college football stadium, and I sure as hell am not looking forward to finding out. I'm all for a challenge, but this year is really going to test me.
Lindsey nearly leaps forward, her eyes filled with a new sense of life I thought had vanished during the last sprint. "At least tell me the football team is out there when we have to run them. I could really use some eye candy while I slowly dig my grave."
