Falling in Love With a Nerd (A Marcel Fanfic)

Chapter 16

She giggles and picks up a 40 in one hand.
"Now what."
"I don't know. You tell me." I smile as I grab a 60 pounder.
She flips her hair back with one hand.
"Show off..." She mumbles, smirking at me. I grab the other one and just do a few lifts as I put them back.
She stares at me. She literally stared at me. Not just me, but my arms. Both. What was she looking at? My other tattoos? Or were my arms just that fascinating?
She continues to lift the weights.
"Do you wanna take it up a bit? I'm guessing your goal is one of those ones." I point to the weights on the other side of the room, where you lay on a black leather yet cushiony stool, and lift it above your head.
"Oh my god. I would love to do that but you know what? I know I can never do it." She smiles politely and sets the 40's down.
"Now. For the big ones." She grins and goes for the 60's that I was doing.
I roll my eyes and sit down, watching her carefully, making sure her bones don't snap. I laugh to the thought. She was skinny, perhaps too skinny? I don't know. I never judged a girl by how big or small, little or tall she was. It never really mattered until now. Weird. I guess I'm starting to notice myself changing too. I mean I did before but now, I am not the same person I was just a few days ago. Not even a week ago. It was crazy. Super unnatural for me. But, I sorta liked it.
"HOLY CRAP!"
She yells as she sets them down lightly back onto the weight cart.
"What? What? Did you hurt something?" I say, just waking up from my thinking.
"No dummy." She laughs and sits down.
"Their heavy. Now sit down before you hurt yourself."
I smile and look at her.
"Oops. I was in a daydream."
"About what?" She takes a big chug from her water.
"Just, how much Ive changed in just a few days. Not even a week. If someone from school saw me now, they wouldn't recognize me. My own father wouldn't have even recognized me if he came back..." I trail off to a pile of mumbles as Natalie cocks her head.
"What happened to your dad?"
"I...I don't really know. Well, I do know. He left. He left my mom, me and Gemma. I don't know why exactly. I think he had depression. I was never too sure. He left me in my senior year of middle school. Ever since than my mom just forgot about him. Me and Gemma haven't. Not at all. We loved him. I started to wonder if it was because him and mom just didn't love each other anymore or something. It was all confusing than." I sigh.
"Everything happens for a reason." She smiles and puts her hand on my shoulder.
"My dad was in the military for so long until one day we got a call. Let me just tell you, the call changed my whole life. I'll never forget the morning after the call. None of us talked. Of course, my dad was shot. Killed by someone he never knew. I cried myself to sleep for a bout a week after that. But now, like I said, everything happens for a reason, even though I loved my dad dearly and I still do, God planned it. He knew what to do and I trust God." She smiles and stands up.
"Wow...I'm sorry about him. And you're right. Everything does happen for a reason."
"Exactly. But screw the sadness! This is a gym! Let's get working!" She goes back to the 60's.
I laughs and follow her, moving up 1 onto the 70's. While we lift, I realize all she said never came out of her mouth before. I knew it. I could feel it in her touch. Her hand on my shoulder and the soft look in her eyes. She trusts me. I trust her.