Boot Camp

23: Old Version

"Alright girls, happy Monday!" Cheryl calls, standing between the squeaky blonde from the yoga sessions and another female trainer. "It's the fourth week of your training, and at this point if you want to boost your rank, you need to work harder than ever."

"Today, we're doing something different," the blonde says. "The top six, according to the ranks you will see in a moment, will be a part of Cheryl's group and will compete head-to-head. The other nine of you will come with me."

Anxiety grips me as Cheryl turns on her iPad.

"Here they are," Cheryl proclaims, and everyone stops talking, eager to hear what she is going to say. "The ranks go in order; number one, Joanna, two, Cynthia, three, Whitney, four, Willow, five Martina, and six, Alina."

I bite the edge of my lip; I haven't moved up or down one rank, but now I'm one spot above Willow.

She glances at me and our eyes lock. I know I should feel happy that I was mature enough to forgive her, but I don't. I feel stupid and weak, like I always have around her.

"What is the point of the ranks anyway? This feels like discrimination." Adriana asks in an irritating tone, making me want to throw her into the prickly bushes behind her. After the smoothie incident yesterday, I'm surprised I haven't done that already.

"We've explained over the past few weeks that the ranks are to motivate you to keep improving your skills," Cheryl explains, trying hard to keep a smile on her face as she talks to Adriana. Even she doesn't like her. "But the girl who is able to secure the number one spot in two weeks will win the camp prize."

Before Adriana can keep bitching, the blonde whisks the other nine girls away, leaving us with Cheryl.

She turns to us with her bright, expressive eyes. "You will do a series of challenges in pairs, in this case Joanna and Cynthia, Whitney and Willow, and Martina and Alina. The winner in each one of the pairs will then rank separately. So, for example, if Joanna, Willow and Martina win, they become one, two and three, subsequently. Then Cynthia, Whitney and Alina will be fourth, fifth and sixth."

If I win today, I'll be in second place. That means it may not be mission impossible to reach number one in two weeks.

"What will it be?" Joanna asks eagerly, her fingers playing with the ends of her straight light brown hair. Cynthia's head perks up, as if finally interested.

"That's for you to find out," Cheryl answers and then adds, "If you win."

"Maybe if you're number one Axel might have a surprise for you," Martina says, nudging me again with a wink.

"Martina!" I yell in a hushed tone. "That is not happening. Well I mean what you're thinking, at least."

She shrugs. "Just a thought, you know. Didn't hurt."

"Alright, you are going to start with a 100-meter dash. Then you will navigate through a series of obstacles and afterwards pick up some weights and run to the end of the course. Whoever makes it out first will win."

Up ahead is a cleared-out area surrounded by an abundance of trees and woods. The only way to get to the other side is to run through them. Fortunately, Willow and I are not the first to go; Joanna and Cynthia are at the start, preparing to run. Cheryl talks to them for a couple seconds and before anyone blink twice, they're gone.

Willow walks closer to me, and I try not to look her in the eye.

"Are you nervous?" she asks, toying with the end of her ponytail.

I shrug. "Not really." That is a partial lie; I'm slightly worried about where the end of this course is, hidden somewhere beyond the trees.

"There are a couple of trainers waiting at the end for you, so you'll know what to do," Cheryl tells the four of us, as if reading my thoughts. I breathe a sigh of relief and prepare to run.