Ch2
Three months out from National Team Trials
Training went well for Arya that day, despite the news from Syrio, and even maybe because of it. It does always feel great to be able to throw these weights around for a while and get out some of that excess emotion. Her shift at Indigo was just as easy as it usually is. It was an easy job that got her out of the gym and her mind off of her training for a few hours a day, and even though it only paid just above minimum wage, there was a surprising market for noontime coffee in downtown Winterfell, so the tips added up quickly. Hot Pie, her friend she'd known since at least elementary school, but really as long as she could remember, was the assistant manager, and had been partially responsible for helping persuade the owner that they did in fact need an extra barista during the lunch shift.
She got a text from Jaqen halfway through work, just after the last of the lunch crowd. It was like clockwork by now. He'd want to hash out their dinner details, sending a barrage of texts letting her know who all was planning on coming to dinner that particular week. Monday night dinners had started out small, but caught on quick once everyone else found out about it. What began as just Arya, Jaqen, and a friend or two grilling up a couple burgers and watching YouTube videos on the projector at the gym after all the classes were done, since Arya did have a key and all, had morphed into a weekly party. Even in the coldness of a Winterfell February evening, Jon was still outside, manning the grill with Ygritte leaning up against the concrete wall, the big furry hood of her coat dwarfing her face.
Arya startled slightly when she felt someone sit down next to her at dinner. By that time, almost everyone had heard about her walk-out that morning, and it seemed like they were all a little standoff-ish, trying to give her time to cool down. She looked to her right and saw Asha Greyjoy next to her. Arya remembered when she'd first moved up north from Pyke about two years ago, all brash attitude and an odd amount of swagger, raw strength to her lifts but lacking the finesse and fine-tuning she'd need if she was really serious about making it to the next level. They'd become fast friends, especially when Asha's search for a roommate turned into Arya moving out of her parents' house and into her unused second bedroom. She was proud of how much Asha had refined her skills since moving to Winterfell to join SSC and get coached by Syrio, but at the same time, Arya was also very glad that her friend was two weight classes above her, so there was no way they'd be vying for the same awards or placements.
"Hey, Ar," she started, and then pulled over a small plyometrics box to set her plate of food on. "Sorry about the bad news today. I totally get that he's Braavosi and all, has to rep for his country, but it's pretty shit timing… It's gonna take some getting used to for me too, hells, he was my first real coach ya know? Before that it was just me fucking around in my garage back on Pyke… but you've been training with Syrio longer than any of the rest of us here."
"Yea, it totally blows... Least I've still got everything he's taught me stuck up here," Arya replied, tapping on the side of her head.
"Right? That's exactly what I was trying to tell Dayne earlier, when he picked me up from my massage appointment this morning, but that boy's like talking to a bloody wall sometimes." She paused, taking a drink from the liter of water she always carried, then offered it over to Arya. "I mean, besides, we'll all have a new coach come Friday and all, and I'm sure he's—"
"Friday?" she interrupted, trying not to choke on the large drink of water she'd just taken. "The new guy is starting… Friday? As in, four days from now."
"Well, yea. Syrio's flight out is Saturday morning. The Braavosi team wanted him to start right away apparently. Dayne told me that was part of the announcement when he picked me up. You didn't know?"
Arya groaned, leaning her head back against the wall. "No, what you might not have heard that I didn't exactly sit through all of Syrio's announcement this morning… and then I might've ignored him while I was lifting. Shit, Asha, why does this all have to change so soon?"
"If it didn't happen now you'd be even worse off if they changed later on. It's only three months out 'til the team trials." She shrugged her shoulders, mumbling at Asha that she guessed she was right after all. "Besides, you've been doing awesome this year, and I'm sure that Syrio has picked a new coach that's up to his own ridiculously high standards. Now, come on, finish that burger and then we're gonna sneak off to the backroom, get us some of those brownies that Ygritte made."
"But Sansa will kill me, literally kill me if I fuck up my macros," she explained, then took another forkful of the burger she'd cut up. "She runs on helluva tight ship and you know that."
"Tell me, Ar, you seen Sansa 'round here this evening?"
"Actually, no…" Arya answered, looking around to take stock of who had joined that evening. A devilish smile grew on her face as her sister was nowhere to be found. She grabbed her paper plate and stood up from her spot quickly, then looked down at Asha and held out her hand. "Screw that, we're getting those brownies now. You know just how to cheer me up."
XxXxX
The weekdays seemed to always blend into each other with the way her schedule was set up. There were some lighter days mixed in amongst the heavier ones, but not much, especially not since she started a building up cycle that would last up to the week before Nationals, allowing her a week to de-load and then peak at the competition… well, unless this new coach totally fucks with all my training, she realized on Wednesday morning. Wednesdays were usually a lighter day for her, still heading to the gym at the same time in the morning, but there was no lifting programmed for her. She started with her mobility webcast, the same as she did every morning, and then would alternate between some cardio on the rower and the core exercises that Syrio changed on the "extra credit" board each day.
Thursday passed quickly, but that was usually the case. Jerks from the boxes, front squats, and push presses consumed her morning lifting session, followed by a shift at Indigo and then afterwards catching a late lunch with Margaery. Although they'd gotten off to a weird start, with Arya not totally feeling the flower-child vibe of her sister's girlfriend, they quickly became close friends and weekly lunch companions once Margaery let her secret snarky side slip out at a Stark family dinner one day, and even more so when it got out that she was also into women's boxing just as much as Arya was, though maybe not for entirely the same reasons.
The gym-wide meeting was held that Friday evening at seven, purposely giving enough time for the morning people to get there after work and the five-thirty pm CrossFit class to finish up and clean up the room. Her father was there, making a number of announcements that would normally have been sent out via email, but she knew he loved it whenever he would get the opportunity to just talk to the full group of members like this. It didn't happen often, maybe only twice a year, the Winter Solstice party and then the Unification Day party each summer. He stood in front of the group, still a commanding figure even in his late 50s, wearing a SSC long-sleeve shirt and faded jeans.
"…on top of that, I think everyone will be pleased to hear that we've got a couple of orders for some more equipment scheduled to show up next week. It's looking to be a rather large delivery, and I'd like to get some volunteers to help put everything away and help with some assembly, especially since we're getting three new sets of kilo plates and new racks for the back room. There's also new wrist wraps and speed jump ropes," Ned continued, then paused, smiling when he heard the claps and whistles from a few of the athletes. "Yes, I think are all happy about that…"
He continued on a few more minutes, Arya not listening terribly close since the majority of what her father was announcing was already news he'd told her, since he had a habit of letting most of his ideas for the gym bounce off her first, or was information that she was not very interested in. The new coach still hadn't shown up yet, but the murmurs she'd heard so far is that he was flying up that same day and Syrio was out to pick him up at the airport, but no one was exactly sure where he was flying in from. She'd questioned Syrio about it earlier in the week, she couldn't remember which day it was now, but she knew the answer she was going to get from him before she even asked. No, Arya, I won't tell you my choice. You will need to trust me when I say that I have your best interests in mind.
She was leaned over, slumped on Asha next to her, bored now, and trying not to look too antsy. Her dad was still talking, explaining about the nutritional programming that Sansa was in charge of, the extra costs for anyone interested, and how she is able to tailor the programming so that it would help them to meet their specific goals.
Arya made a loud, surprised noise when the door creaked open, first noticing Syrio come partially inside, holding the door open at the same time as he stomped snow off his boots.
"Oh, here they are now," Ned stated. "Get lost on the way back from the airport, Syrio?"
Her head whipped off Asha's shoulder, faster than she knew she could move, and she thought she heard Syrio give some complaint about airport traffic, but her full attention was now being aimed at the front door, first going to where Syrio was still loudly kicking the snow clumps off his boots. Her eyes moved over to the new coach who walked in behind him, much taller than Syrio, dressed in a large puffy winter jacket with a furry hood that was still over his face. When he finally reached up, pushed the hood back and then unzipped the coat, she noticed familiar eyes, dark hair that was bit too long, and she thought that he's an uncanny reminder of someone she knew… until she shifted her eyes down slightly and her mind finally kicked into gear, taking full note of the large text that was screen-printed across the front of his hoodie.
Storms End Barbell Club.
It only took him getting three steps closer for it finally cement in her that she knew him, knew exactly who this was, but then her father was already introducing him to everyone.
No, no, no. Shit, she thought. It can't be him… he's only a few years older than me. Is he even a coach?
"Everyone, I'd like to introduce our new weightlifting coach, Gendry Waters."
Guess so.
She didn't think he'd seen her yet, thankfully. His eyes busily scanned his new surroundings, going over to the rack of barbells that hung off the far wall, flicking across to the large whiteboard of gym PRs, and then to the line of rowers, before finally settling on the group of athletes setting on the ground, then narrowing in on Arya. He had a cheeky smile on his face as he watched her while Ned finished up the introductions, then let everyone know about the food in the backroom that Catelyn had made.
He knew about this, she realized. I just saw him two weeks ago at that Storms End meet, and he knew this was going to happen. That's why he's got this shit-eating grin on his face.
He'd said nothing at all to her at the meet in Storms End, nothing about this at least. Sure, she wasn't best friends with him, her rival, but she'd think he'd mention something as big as this. She tried to think back to two weeks ago and what they'd even talked about.
"Hey, Stark… good job on your snatches earlier."
"Holy crap, that's awesome… I'm hoping to PR today too but I'm not sure it'll happen."
"Well, I'd say good luck, but since you're my rival and all…"
"Gendry, what are you doing? Stop stealing protein bars from my backpack, you ass! My mom made those."
"Seriously? You're so lucky. I'd love the chance to have these every single day."
She had to stop herself from smiling at the last memory, since he'd probably think she was smiling at him.
She thought he would've walked straight up to her after her father was done talking, especially with how he'd kept his eyes on her the whole time, but as she stood up and prepared herself for a conversation she really didn't want to have, she noticed he was being overwhelmed by a large group. Though her father was speaking to one of the CrossFit coaches, Syrio was still there, along with Jaqen, a couple other lifters, and a small gaggle of girls who she figured thought he was attractive.
A moment later, Asha walked up, yawning widely, and asked if Arya also wanted to head home for some real dinner. She agreed enthusiastically, thank the gods for Asha Greyjoy, but as they walked towards the backroom to grab their bags and sneak out the back door to where her car was parked, Arya felt his eyes on her as she left. I'll deal with this mess in the morning.