My Only Hope

Chapter 11

After a week of eating one hundred percent healthy and doing exercises, I had lost four pounds. I thought I looked skinnier, but that was probably just me getting my hopes up. David always went to the gym with me and motivated me when Mom was too busy to help me exercise and lose weight.

"Five, four, three, two, one, annnnnd stop." David counted the seconds down right before the timer beeped. I stopped and slouched down, trying to catch my breath. We were at the gym and we were just doing random exercises, like jumping jacks, jump rope, treadmill, and a few more. We would take a ten minute break every now and then.

"You don't have to do this with me, you know." I said as David sat down on the mat with me.

"I want to," he replied, "besides, it gives me an excuse to hang out with you." he said real cute like.

"Whatever," I blushed and rolled my eyes, "you give such lame compliments."

"Well, you're my first girlfriend. I'm at armature level." he replied.

"Then you need to up your game, Davey." I punched him playfully in the shoulder.

"Davey?" he laughed and raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it's my new nickname for you." I hit him over the head.

"You're so abusive." he said.

"What? How?"

"You're always hittin' me in the shoulder and slappin' the back of my head. You're the most abusive girlfriend I've ever had, even if you are the only girlfriend I've ever had." he pretended to cry.

"Stop crying, people are staring." I punched his shoulder, hard.

"There you go again!" he started fake crying even louder.

"This is so embarrassing. I'm leaving." I stood up and started walking away from him.

"Now you're leaving our relationship? First you abuse me, then you break up with me! You're so rude." he stopped crying and shook his head, squinting his eyes.

"Stop!" I laughed.

"You know what?" he said, and I knew he was going to do something weird.

"No, I don't know what, and I don't think I want to know what." I replied, starting to run. He got up and chased me. He tackled me on the ground and started tickling me. "David! Stop!" I said in between laughs.

"Why should I?" David continued tickling me.

"Because I said so!" I pushed him away.

"Now you're shoving? What is up with you today!" David shrugged and helped me up.

"Don't act like the victim here; you tackled me!" I giggled.

He cleared his throat. "I believe I tickled you, so you are incorrect."

"Um, no, you abused me by tackling me, then your fingers abused me by tickling me." I laughed sarcastically.

"Fine. You win this round." he gave in.

"Hush and take me home."

"Pushy now, are we?" David raised his eyebrows and tilted his head.

"Meh heh." I replied.

"Isn't that from the Amanda Show? Where that old lady yells, 'MEH HEH,' in everyone's faces?" David squinted his eyebrows.

"Whaaaaat? Noooooo." I said sarcastically.

"Fibbing now, are we?"

"It's called sarcasm, Davey. You really need to up your game. Now, please, can we leave?" I said, this time being serious.

"Yeah, let me just get my phone." he grabbed something that looked like a purse.

"You mean your man purse?" I asked, about to crack up.

"This isn't a purse, it's a phone case. My phone is in here." David replied.

"You're just too embarrassed to admit you keep your phone in your man purse." I rolled my eyes playfully. "Silly Davey."

David opened his mouth and squinted his eyes as if he was frustrated; then he grinned and we left.

I was finally happy. I was laughing and having fun for the first time since seventh grade. If I'm filled with all of this joy now, just imagine what joy my Hope, Jesus Christ, will bring to me sooner or later. Now, I was definitely sure this was a new start for me. Jesus gave me a fresh start. A fresh start to smile again, and a fresh start to be happy in life again.