Boot Camp

14

And when her burdened conscience is revived with that meaningless five-letter word, everyone else is still left with an open wound of bitter resentment, only widened by the guilt of refusing to accept that stupid fucking sorry.

"Alright, well, have fun with that one," I scoff and make sure the door bangs shut behind me.

***

"Good afternoon, all you half-asleep young ladies!" Cindy calls, clapping her hands together. "Today's challenge will surely wake you all up. Walk ahead, and you'll see an obstacle course, where you can, and probably will, get messy!"

Please don't let it be mud. Please don't let it be mud. Please don't let it—

"That's right, I'm talking about mud." She reads my mind, a bright smile appearing on her face.

Cold silence replaces the buzzing chatter.

"Mud?" Adriana repeats. Her lips part in disgust. "We're not boys. That's revolting."

"Yeah, like, I don't wanna be that person, but is there any way I can change my shoes?" Joanna sticks her leg up, letting us see her white Nikes in mint condition. "I just got these babies."

"Sorry, girls, but we have to get things going," Cindy says and moves to the left. "Today I have Axel with me to help out with this challenge. He'll explain how this all works."           

He trudges up the grass, dressed in all black, fit for a funeral—but for my morale, instead. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to focus on not faceplanting into sticky mud with his eyes dead set on mine.

He smirks, as if reading my apprehensive mind.

"The first portion of this obstacle course involves a basic sprint down a narrow path. This will lead you to a set of monkey bars, through a series of tires, a balance beam over a mass of dirt, and lastly, a rope swing over a pool of mud." He takes a couple steps forward, his arms clasped behind his back. "The course is doubled, so each of you will compete against someone else."

Adriana, as always, has to ask a question. "Is there a reward waiting for us like last time?"

He glances between my reserved stance and her cocky expression. "You know, you seem like you have an ego that just a win would satisfy. But if you have any ideas for a prize, go right ahead. I'll wait."

Finding fifteen waiting pairs of eyes, Adriana titters nervously. "Oh no, um, I'm good. Thanks."

"Alright then, do I have two volunteers, or should I choose?" He glances at Cindy. She gives him the go-ahead, and he waits a couple of seconds for any desperate hands to shoot up in the air. No one. "Okay, I'll just go ahead. How about...you, with the blonde hair." He points to none other than Willow, who glances up, bewildered. "And how about...you."

I look around to find who he gestured to, wondering why the girls on my left and right give me a little space. Then it hits; he means me.

The enmity between us has never been obvious to Axel, making me wonder what prompted him to pair us together. Either way, I drag my body to the beginning of the course, refusing to make eye contact with him or her.

"Alright, the course starts in three, two, one—go!"

My competitor no longer matters to me as a burst of energy sends me breezing through the first part of the course, a simple sprint down a dirt path. I catch my breath and then jump up to the first monkey bar. I hold in a laugh as I struggle to latch onto the next one, feeling like I'm in elementary school again. Willow is at my heels, but she finds the wooden bars equally onerous. We finish at the same time and take a few seconds to soothe our aching hands.

The next obstacle seems right up a football player's alley, but too bad I only watch the Super Bowl every year. I groan at the burn in my thighs as I navigate my way in and out of each tire. My foot gets caught on the second to last one, but I catch myself before kissing the ground.

By the third obstacle, this course is seeming too easy, or so I think, until I get a good look at the long piece of wood, appearing more like a twig than a beam. One wrong step, and I'll be a goner. I glance at Willow, who doesn't look nearly as fazed, probably confident in her balance from years of dancing. She holds her arms out and places one foot on the wood and then the other.

I take a different approach and crawl up onto the beam, using my hands for support. When I feel stable enough, I extend my body and take the first few baby steps, my arms fanned out on either side of my hips. I swallow and continue down the unnerving beam, noticing how much farther ahead Willow is than me.

Mistakenly feeling confident, I increase my speed and zoom across the second half of the beam. On the last step, my strategy fails, and the edge of my shoe drags down the side of the beam. I lose my balance and slam my shin against the hard wood, the force sending me to my back on the dirt.

Tears prick my eyes as I try to drag myself to my feet, either from the pain surging down my leg or my utter embarrassment. When Willow notices my plight, she turns around and runs towards me.

"Whitney, are you okay?" She grabs my arm and helps pull me up, her eyes growing wide with concern. "Oh my god, I didn't even notice you fall."

"You should just finish the course," I grumble, rubbing my right leg. "I'll be fine."

"Do you think I really care about a dumb little prize? Here, let's walk to the end together."

I can't refuse her help, unable to bear much weight on my leg, now that I notice blood trickling out of the wood chip sticking out of my knee.

As she leads the way, I whisper a small thank you and for once leave my ego in the dirt behind me, right where it belongs.