Ally

"Ally, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"You did say she only had to do one session."

Trish shot her head to the right, shooting daggers at Cassidy.

"I will beat you."

Sighing, I lifted the straw of the juice I ordered from next door to my lips, watching my two best friends bicker back and forth in the middle of my place of work. The sad thing was this wasn't the first time this had taken place.

"You can't force her to do something she doesn't want to do."

"I can if it will be good for her!"

"Trish, she isn't a child. You said one session."

"I'm aware of what I said, Cassidy, but I –."

"Guys!"

Each of them turned towards me, both crossing their arms over their chest while sticking a hip out. While Trish just grumbled, Cassidy shot me an apologetic look before walking up towards the counter.

And we waited until Trish stomped the few feet forward to join us.

I chuckled softly – they were so different.

When meeting both the first day of freshmen year, Trish and Cassidy had no idea who the other was until a few weeks after I had individually befriended them.

I had met Cassidy during first period; we had bonded over our mutual hatred for biology before eventually finding out that both of our crushes were on the football team – Dallas being mine and Trace Hartfield being hers. We had laughed and giggled the entire time, earning dirty looks from the teacher, and it was safe to say after one class that we were not on his list of teacher's favorites.

Hours later came Trish, the girl who plopped down beside me during first lunch hour, and since Cassidy had second lunch, I had been all by myself in a corner. She hadn't even bothered introducing herself before immediately spilling into how she wanted to dump her soda over the cheerleader captain's head. Whenever I had laughed, she had just smiled, reaching her hand over the table before formally introducing herself.

It was weeks later that I had drug Trish to a football game where she eventually met Cassidy, and they hated one another. It had been a miserable game of awkward conversation between Cassidy and Trish starting conversations with me that didn't include the other.

But after a comment made about a player's butt on the field during the fourth quarter by Trish, something between them clicked – an understanding of sorts. They still weren't fond of one another for nearly a year to come, and sometimes, they still weren't. But in their own way, I knew they loved one another and needed each other.

Whereas Cassidy was soft spoken and sound, Trish was loud and outgoing. And in any predicament, I had ever had, Cassidy had been the angel and Trish had been the devil perched atop of my shoulders. But, in a way, I was thankful – Cassidy kept me grounded and Trish kept me alive.

And I kept them from killing one another.

"So," Cassidy broke the silence first. "Is there a particular reason you don't want to do the lessons? I thought you said you enjoyed it."

"I did."

And I had.

It had been less than four hours since ending my first gym session with Austin, and while I had enjoyed it, more than I would admit to the either of them, I didn't think I would go back.

And once uttering those words it was the spark that set off World War Three.

"Then why won't you continue to do it," Trish whined, throwing her hands up in the air. Her voice had lowered, and she looked exasperated. I only found it a tad bit funny.

"Because." I sighed, "this is something that I would have to commit to, and I just don't think I'm ready to commit to anything right now, Trish." I plucked at the sleeve of my knitted cardigan. "Plus, that trainer is a hard-ass, and I don't think I will be able to get through a week before he has me in tears."

While Cassidy twisted her lips in understanding, Trish rolled her eyes – again.

"Don't you think that's what you need, Ally," she claimed, "something to commit to other than this." She waved her hand around to the empty shop. "Maybe you need someone, other than me, to get on your ass."

"Trish," Cassidy warned, but I was already drug into the argument.

"What is that supposed to mean," I challenged, my eyes narrowing on her.

But as usual, Trish didn't waver. If anything, she stood taller.

"Exactly what I said."

I fought against the urge to flip her the bird at that comment. But when her face softened, mine did too.

"Ally, I love you, you are my best friend in the entire world." She reached across the counter to grasp my hand. "But you need something to commit to other than this job and being our friend. You need to commit to something for yourself. And it would be different if you hated it, but you said you enjoyed it, Als."

I looked away, tonguing my cheek.

"And so, what if he is a hardass, maybe that's what you need. Someone other than me putting a fire under your ass. That's his job, Ally. Quite frankly, I'd be disappointed if you said he took it easy on you."

Cassidy let out a breath, "honestly, she's right."

I turned to her, eyes widening. "Cass, you are supposed to be on my side!"

She smiled gently, a soft chuckle escaping her gloss covered lips. "I wouldn't be a good friend if I urged you to quit something just because you are afraid to commit to it."

I rolled my eyes. "I didn't want to commit to anything, you two forced me into it without my permission. I can't quit something that I never wanted to start in the first place," I pointed out, and while Cassidy raised her brows with a tilt of her head, Trish just shrugged.

"Aren't you just a little bit curious to see what would happen if you tried it," Trish asked, "I can image punching your frustrations away on plastic is the best therapy you could try."

I let out a single chuckle. Other than listening to Austin's demanding voice, I hadn't been focused on anything than that swinging bag as I delivered each punch and kick, making them as powerful as I could. For ninety minutes I hadn't worried about a single thing nor dwelled over the past.

But Austin's words rang through my head.

"I expect to see you back here Monday, Ally."

He expected to see me back there, he expected me to give my all to this, and I didn't think I could handle anyone expecting anything of me. I also didn't think I was ready to give my all to something that may fail like everything else had.

My gaze fell to where my hand met Trish's, and I bit my lip.

"I liked it," I admitted, "I really liked it."

"Then what's the problem, babe."

Cassidy's voice brought my eyes up to hers. And I shrugged, looking away from the two of them.

"That it won't work. Or that you two and my trainer will expect something of me, and I just don't think I can handle disappointing any more people than I already have."

"Bull shit," Trish stated immediately. "You could never disappoint us. In fact, you haven't disappointed anyone."

Cassidy nodded in agreement, sending me a loving smile. "Als, you've just been handling the curve balls life has thrown at you. And I think it's time you do something that benefits you, and only you. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, even your ass of a trainer."

I smiled softly. "He actually isn't an ass. A hard ass for sure, but not an actual ass."

They laughed, and Trish reached to push my shoulder lightly.

"Look, even though I'll be aggravated if you don't do it, I won't be disappointed. But don't worry whether I or anybody else will be. I signed you up so it can be something for you, no one else. This is all up to you, and while I'll tell you that I think it will benefit you greatly in the end, it's mainly your decision."

I nodded, lost in my own thoughts.

"But," Trish said, "do it for you, Ally, not anyone else."

I glanced at the two of them who gave me gentle smiles, and I returned my own.

"Tomorrow's my day off, I'll take the day and think about it."

When Sunday morning rolled around, my muscles screamed with each movement and I thought then as I lied in my bed, unable to move my legs, that there wasn't a single ounce of me that wanted to step foot in that gym ever again.

I could barely move my arm to insert popcorn into my mouth from the bowl on my lap during movie night with Trish and Cassidy the night before.

Spending the entire day without those two in my ear was a nice retreat, though. I didn't feel forced to decide along with worrying whether it would be the decision that would please them, although I still knew what they wanted.

However, the voice that kept ringing through my head wasn't someone I had known for years, or even days – it was Austin's.

"I expect to see you back here Monday, Ally."

Austin Moon shouldn't be someone I should be worried about disappointing or pleasing. He was simply my trainer if I wanted him to be. Just because he expected me to be back there on Monday didn't mean I owed him a thing.

But it didn't matter how many times I reminded myself of that as I tidied my apartment up or did my Sunday rituals.

Each time his voice rang through my head, I would growl in frustration, putting my focus harder into my task at hand. And before I knew it, my entire apartment was clean from top to bottom and my muscles ached worse than when I had gotten out of bed.

It wasn't until I had gotten home from my grocery run later in the evening that I realized I had picked up all the items I need to make the meals that Austin had planned out for me.

And by the time I had tucked myself into bed that night, I had figured out my answer.

So, I found myself walking through the doors of the gym Monday morning soaking wet after trekking my way through an early morning thunderstorm. And to my surprise, I found Austin standing right outside of his kickboxing room, looking down at everyone.

His face remained neutral, those lips of his in the same frown they had been whenever I bid him a goodbye nearly two days ago – one that he hadn't returned. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest again, but the defined lines of muscle were covered with the sleeves of a black hoodie.

The intimidation factor was at an all-time high as he stood above everyone, his eyes low as they bounced from person to person throughout the entire gym, never staying on anyone for longer than a second.

Until his eyes found me – they slowly raked over me, taking in my sopping locks framing my face along with the thick, rain repellent pull over that fell to my mid thigh. And had I blinked, I would've missed the smirk that crossed his lips before he turned on his heel.

A bright flash filled the room the same time someone dropped a weight, and a clap of thunder immediately followed. My stomach flipped, and somewhere in the back of my mind, I vaguely remembered that thunder following closely behind lightning meant that the heart of the storm was overhead.

And I should've known then that lightning can indeed strike the same place twice.

So? What do you guys think so far!

It's about to start picking up! So, don't give up on me just yet.

I've been having a really hard time writing this, and I don't understand why. So I'm sorry if it seems like I'm struggling, but I hope you are enjoying it so far.

Anyways, I hope to have another chapter out soon!

-Meg