Breaking Loose

Physical Education Gone Wrong

At 7:45 everybody was in their classroom. Cristina sat on the sixth chair of the penultimate row of the classroom almost next to the large windows. Skylar sat on the chair before her on the fifth chair. They were trying to pursue their conversation when the History teacher came in and set the classroom ready for today's lesson.

History was one of Cristina's favorite subjects but today like most Wednesdays, she could not enjoy this class so much because the next period was going to be Physical Education. Despite her being a good student, she dreaded the PE class because she was not good at it and the professor was an obnoxious bastard whose only purpose in life appeared to be to make her have a hard time at something that was supposed to be fun and relaxing. To make matters worse, today they had a test.

The bell rang marking the end of the first period and all students in the classroom stood up to walk like a crowd of cows to the Gym. Cristina walked with Skylar but she felt her heart pound in her chest.

Skylar noticed her good friend was quiet, she knew this was certainly not her favorite subject.

"Calm down Cristina, you will do fine. Just try it and I am sure he will give you a passing grade." Skylar touched Cristina's wrist.

"Do you really think so?" Cristina looked at Skylar with worry in her eyes.

"Yes, I do! if not I will personally object on your behalf." Skylar said with a reassuring smile.

"Are you going to cry Cristina?" a boy coming behind her poked her around her waist.

"Stop that!" Cristina twisted her back to the left side trying to minimize the unpleasant poke. Her male classmate passed her by quickly with a wicked smile.

"Asshole" Cristina said in a quiet voice.

They were near the entrance of the Gym when another classmate called Trevor brushed her arm as he passed by her side.

"Good luck!, " Trevor said turning back to her and pointing his thumbs up and giving her a nice, honest smile, "You can do it."

Cristina smiled back at Trevor. He usually sat on the chair next to her left on the row that is right along the large windows of their classroom.

Despite that, Cristina felt very apprehensive about everything that happened in this class. It was certainly the worst period of the whole week and she could only wish for it to end as soon as possible.

They left their carry on belongings on the floor near the wall and in a few minutes, everybody had already changed into the customary white T-shirt with the school logo and blue shorts with white side straps.

The evil figure of the professor with a beard appeared from a primitive cave he called an office. It only made Cristina more anxious.

"You will do fine!" Skylar pulled Cristina by the waist and pecked her in the cheek.

"Eek!" one of the guys nearby said, "You got a girlfriend now, Cristina."

They both looked at the guy. Cristina had blushed and Skylar frowned upon him to which he responded with a smile of satisfaction.

The professor asked the first group of ten to stand in line for the test while the rest watched sitting on the dirty wooden floor. Cristina's heart raced in anticipation, luckily she was not in the first group but she knew that like death, this was inescapable. Her turn will inevitably come and she did not know whether she should feel glad it was going to pass or delay it as much as she possibly could.

Today's test was something that came naturally for many but to her, it was ultra scary. They had to run a few meters as fast as they could before jumping onto some floor trampoline with their arms up and once in the air do a salto landing with their arms on the vaulting horse and then completing the circle to land on their legs on the cushioned area on the other side of the vault.