YEAGER.

Chapter 2: Off Campus

Spring semester had finally come to an end. But along with Spring, more things were ending for you than anticipated. Your relationships with you boyfriend Kyland wasn't the strongest, but after years of being together, you thought you had a somewhat solid foundation. You'd known him since Freshman year of high school. You started your college experience with him. Yet, as of the end of Spring semester, when the dust settled and you passed all of your classes, you were celebrated by a breakup. You'd felt it coming along for awhile but because of his non-confrontational style, you'd think it was a conversation he would hesitate to have with you.

However, when he looked at you with deadened eyes as you asked him what plans he had for the summer, it was almost apparent where this was going. For good reasons you had yet to see, Kyland had to let you go rather, let the relationship go, because he had no real 'hol'd on you. You lived the fantasy with him that others would call a prison. You'd sacrificed 3 out of your four years of college to a relationship, bidding farewell on your quest to explore the eye candy on campus and repeat, "I have a boyfriend" at all of the parties. You had to focus on school anyways, right? And being in a relationship was perfect for that, until it came to an end.

You let the initial shock wash over you as he told you he wanted to end things, for good this time, but you weren't surprised. It couldn't have been easy on him either, but it had to be the best thing for the both of you. Or so you tried to convince yourself, spending weeks after the breakup wondering if there was something about yourself you could have changed so that things would move differently. Maybe if you were more healthy, more limber, more fit, then something would be different about your relationship. Maybe the next one wouldn't end for the same reason. Would there even another relationship? You surely aren't in the place to have one.

So you spent the few weeks of free time in between the end of Spring Semester and the beginning of Summer semester in the gym, eating different, sacrificing your desires, all to prepare for something different. To feel something different, other than the loneliness that filled your empty dorm room, the text tone from that lover no longer ringing, being alone with your thoughts and perceptions 24/7 without distractions.

You tried to convince yourself this was the best thing. In reality, you were Falling asleep during Summer classes because you hadn't ate breakfast, running late to club meetings. You didn't do much, but what you did was crumbling slowly, because you were. You didn't have too many friends outside of club, so for the most part, this was on you and you alone.

Today was no different. You woke up and despite the lure of breakfast items you'd picked up at your last grocery run, your stomach had no response to even your favorite items. You wanted to run at the gym, get your mind out of the clouds, try to focus in on your thoughts. So you opted for water, redbull, and a capful of pre-workout. You'd made it downstairs to your school's private gym, which was only available for students and alumni alike. Headphones in your ear, jacket ready to catch sweat, you knew this would be a good session. It had to be, because the distraction you needed was in that gym. The motivation to workout. How could someone end a relationship with someone as driven as you? As determined, motivated, and healthy as you were...who would do that?

You walked into the gym and eyed the equipment. It was fairly early in the morning, so you didn't expect to see many people there. Aside from a few scattered, the gym was virtually empty.

Perfect.

You settled your bag down and began to invest yourself in a series of stretches, looking at yourself across in a mirror. You slowly started to notice the bags under your eyes, your sunken in face, but shook it off and did the remainder of your stretches faced away from the mirror. It could've just been weight loss, so maybe you'd just had to get used to the look. Stepping onto a treadmill, you started at the beginner's walking pace, with no incline, warming yourself up, unable to find your favorite song to workout to as your mind got stuck on the same thought.