Daniel was thoroughly confused by Arlo's behavior, knowing full well that his friend was not one to act on impulse.
Arlo was typically a cautious, well-considered individual, taking his time to research and weigh his options before making any purchase, let alone an expensive video game.
So when Arlo returned with a new game that he had seemingly picked up on a whim, Daniel couldn't help but wonder if there was something more going on.
Perhaps Arlo was dealing with some sort of personal issue that was causing him to act out of character?
Daniel determined that he needed to pay closer attention to his friend's behavior, to see if there were any other signs that something was amiss.
****
Arlo sighed with relief as he pushed open the doors to the school gymnasium, finding himself met with the comforting silence of an empty room.
The smell of sweat and disinfectant filled his nostrils, and he found solace in the fact that he would be able to complete his workout without interruption.
He had chosen to skip lunch and come to the gym in order to make the most of his time and increase the efficiency of his training, something that had become increasingly important to him lately.
Arlo positioned himself on the ground, hands placed squarely beneath his shoulders, and began to lower himself in the slow, controlled movement of a push-up.
His arms protested, straining against the weight of his body as he pushed himself back up, the burn in his triceps and shoulders growing more intense with each repetition.
Despite his best efforts, Arlo managed to complete only ten push-ups before his arms gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath.
With a groan of frustration, Arlo rolled over onto his back, his muscles still aching from the push-ups.
Undeterred, he shifted his focus to sit-ups, crunching his torso upwards as he brought his elbows towards his knees in a controlled motion.
As he reached twelve repetitions, his abdominal muscles began to spasm, signaling the end of his endurance for this exercise
Rising to his feet, Arlo allowed himself a brief moment of rest before transitioning into jumping jacks.
His feet slapped the ground as he hopped from side to side, arms extended and legs spread wide with each repetition.
The motion was tiring, but the rhythm of his movements helped to keep his energy up, providing him with a much-needed burst of adrenaline as he pushed his body to its limits.
Arlo continued to move through his jumping jacks, unaware of his surroundings until the sound of the office door creaking open caught his attention.
As he turned his head to look, he was met with the sight of a stunning young woman, her long blonde hair flowing down her back and framing her delicate features.
Her high cheekbones and slim nose lent an ethereal quality to her appearance, and her slender waist gently tapered into a curvy butt that was impossible to ignore.
As the young woman turned to face Arlo, her huge melons came into view, straining against the fabric of her clothing in a tantalizing display of cleavage.
Arlo's heart skipped a beat as his eyes were drawn to her ample bosom, his mouth going slightly agape as he stared at her with unashamed admiration.
The sheer size and fullness of her melons were mesmerizing, and Arlo found himself unable to tear his gaze away from the sexy display before him.
As Arlo continued to observe the young woman's movements, his mind raced with the possibilities of how he could approach her and win her attention.
"I need to get her," he thought to himself, his gaze fixed on the way she scribbled on a nearby whiteboard before moving to the center of the gymnasium to demonstrate some moves.
"She must be part of the coaching staff," he reasoned, watching as she returned to the board and jotted down a few notes before turning her attention back to the empty space before her.
The identity of the young woman was still a mystery to Arlo, but one thing was certain: she was not the head coach of the team.
The current coach, a man of advanced years with a receding hairline and a grizzled countenance, was a far cry from the picture of loveliness that Arlo had encountered in the gym.
With the mystery woman having disappeared from view, Arlo returned his attention to his workout, pushing himself harder than before as he sought to channel the energy of his newfound infatuation into his physical training.
Richard, Arlo's friend and classmate, was in the midst of making conversation, but Arlo was barely registering his words, his mind still fixated on the vision of the assistant coach and her form-fitting shorts.
The memory of her shapely figure, her flowing golden locks, and her alluring smile lingered in Arlo's mind, distracting him from the conversation at hand.
He struggled to focus on anything other than the image of the beautiful young woman, his thoughts wandering back to the gymnasium as he wondered what it would take to get the assistant coach to notice him.
Arlo's determination to win the hearts of the girls who had previously rejected him was still on his mind, but his recent encounter with the beautiful assistant coach and the alluring woman he'd met in the gym left him with a difficult choice.
He weighed the pros and cons of pursuing each of the women, trying to determine which one he should focus his attention on first.
After careful consideration, Arlo decided to proceed in the order that they appeared in the pages of his little black book, a methodical approach that would allow him to dedicate his attention to each one in turn.
Arlo felt a sense of relief wash over him as he settled on a plan of action.
Now that he had decided to pursue the women in his book in the order they appeared, he could focus his efforts on each one without the added stress of making a choice.