Shortly after, the weekends roll around. I waste no time hopping onto my bed and relaxing early in the morning when I get a message from Liem.
gym?
I think about my schedule and don't see anything so I text back "sure."
sure
aight my sister is gon pick you up
k man, cya
cya
Sure enough, in a measly ten minutes after, a car pulls up into the driveway as I hurry downstairs.
"Mom! I'm going to the gym!" I yell.
"Okay! Come back before breakfast!" She yells back. I tie my shoes and run out the door and near the car door as Liem pops it open for me.
"Sup, man." He says.
"Nothin'," I say.
Like usual, the car ride stays silent for most of the time until we get to the gym. I open the car door on my side and Liem opens his as we walk up to the gym.
"So, how's that break-up treating you?" He asks.
"We talk everyday- why did you wait 'till now to ask me?" I reply.
"Because I don't want anything to leak into our bus." He says.
"Good point." I agree.
"So, how is it?" He asks.
"Pretty okay. The guilt kinda stings but it gets better and better, I guess." I say.
"Well, cool then." He says.
"Honestly, romance is- well- romanticized way too much." I say.
"Hahaha- you're so funny." He says in his very sarcastic voice.
"That wasn't even intentional." I exclaim.
"Intentional? What are you- a nerd?" He says. I snicker. We both pause for a bit.
"So, running?" I ask.
"Yeah." He responds. We both stroll over to the treadmill and I pause. I see a familiar face- on a body, doing curls. Cara goes to the gym? Really? That's insane! And the fact that we're here too. Oh god! My body gets confused and excited and interested and so many things at just one glance that I freeze, looking right at her. Luckily, she didn't look back - or unluckily.
"Oh." Liem says, catching on to what's happening. He kicks me in my thigh.
"You can stare at girls later, dude. This is weird." He whispers. I go out of my frozen state and nod as I run to the treadmill, a little embarrassed. He sets up the treadmill for me and I immediately slam the start button to start running.
Oh god. What if she sees me? Thinks that- thinks that I'm working because I'm not in shape? No! How could she be into that? Or maybe she sees me as confident enough to go to the gym. I don't know! Oddly enough, the confusion occupies me enough to run for a whole ten minutes on seven. Ever so often, I look at Cara and look back.
After I get off the treadmill, panting, Cara puts her weights away and seems to walk toward us. Oh god! What if she thinks I'm really bad for running at such small intervals. Oh god! Oh god! Oh god! She walks over to the treadmills and sees us.
"Hey, Aline!" She says.
"Oh, hey Cara!" I say, pretending I didn't notice her before.
"You work out?" She asks.
"Mhm." I say casually.
"Really? I haven't even seen you here before!" She says.
"Yeah, it's weird. Anyway, I'm here with my friend Liem." I say, shifting to focus towards him.
"Hey." He says.
"Hello!" She says.
"I think I may have seen you here before." She says. Is she trying to embarrass me?
"That's cool!" I say.
"So- um- do- do you wanna join us?" I asked, conflicted. What if she sees my incompetence? What if she thinks I'm puny? This is bad.
"Um, sure!" She says, tilting her face and smiling.
"Wanna do some curls with me?" She asks.
"Yeah!" I nod adamantly. All three of us strut over to the weights where Cara was beforehand.
"Alright, I'm going to do ten-pounds." Liem says.
"Me too!" Cara agrees.
"Sure, why not?" I ask.
"Wait, you? Ten-pounds?" He asks. I look him dead in the eyes.
"Yes. You got a problem?" I say casually.
"Nah, it's just- can you really do that?" He says.
"I'm sure he would!" Cara says. I nod and smirk. Everyone picks up weights- well, except me. I'm wrestling them. Somehow, I manage to tow them up and do one curl. This is so embarrassing! I have to be able to do this! In a matter of two minutes, I end up doing seven more curls.
"How's the weight treating you?" Liem asks.
"Great." I groan.
"Oh, Liem, stop underestimating him. He can do it!" She says. I imagine her saying "Oh, Liem…" over and over in my head. What if he takes her? He clearly looks stronger and better. After fifty more curls, I slam them down.
"Arghh!" I yell.
"You okay?" Liem asks.
"I'm ti- I'm fine." I say, quickly grasping the weights once again. Sixty. Seventy. Eighty. Ninety. One-hundred! My muscles almost flop out of my arms as soon as I drop the weights.
"How many have you guys done?" I ask, cockily.
"I don't know. Maybe three-hundred." Liem says.
"Wow, Liem! I only got two-hundred!" She says. "Wow, Liem…" echoes in my head.
"Nice!" I say, walking off.
"Where are you going?" Liem asks.
"To get better weights." I say. I come back a minute later with fourteen pound weights.
"Was that so easy?" Liem asks.
"Pretty." I say as I barely curl the weights. I should probably work out more. After just a few curls, Liem's phone rings.
"Op- we have to go." He says to Cara.
"We do? Man." I say, sad to leave Cara.
"Alright then. Bye!" She says. As we walk away, Liem mutters something.
"What did you say?" I ask loudly.
"Nothing." He replied.
"Just that you're head over heels." He says.
"Shhh! Be quiet!" I say, starting to whisper.
"Really, though!" He says softly.
"Whatever." I whisper. There's a short pause as we wait for his sister.
"Am I really 'head over heels'?" I ask.
"Probably." He responds.
"How do you notice?" I ask.
"Simple. I didn't have to. It stuck out like a sore thumb." He says.
"Really? Do you think she might have caught onto me?" I ask.
"If she has all five senses." He says.