The Girl Who Said No (GirlxGirl)

5.0

It turns out I'd be able to see Brooklyn again a few days since last Tuesday. It would also turn out that it would not be in the privacy of my small office in the private practice I co-owned with four other licensed health professionals. It would be, however, in the just as quiet fitness center down the street from my apartment complex. The fitness center was small and run down. It was the kind of building that felt random and isolated from the rest of the city bustle. It wasn't by any means the sort of place that received high traffic, in fact, it had hardly any at all. The parking lot, though large, housed only three cars on an average week day, five or six it was a good day. If not for the slightly pricey membership fee, I'd doubt they'd still be open for business. Still, I enjoyed coming here every now and then. I was a frequent customer, but the employees instantly recognized me.

"Hi, Tayla. It's been a while." Grim, the owner of the fitness center, greets me at the entrance, holding the door open for me. 

"Yeah, it has. I just felt like I had to come here today." I admit, lifting the strap of my exercise bag to a more comfortable position higher on my shoulder. 

"Well, you know you're way around. Come and get me if you need anything." He smiles, before disappearing behind the the front desk.

Shooting him one last smile, I make my way towards the woman's locker room in the back to change into more appropriate clothes. Grim and I were friendly towards each other because we were familiar we each other, but he was just another person passing through my life like a ghost. I didn't really know him and he didn't really know me. Growing up, I felt so desperate to be close to other people but no matter how hard I tried I could never really connect. I could manage a little bit of small talk here and there, but beyond that I was a mess. I had hoped that by becoming a psychiatrist I could work through it and at least satisfy the need for human interaction, but I still felt like I was missing something. I sighed, removing my pants and loose T-shirt to reveal a simple one-piece swimsuit. I needed to swim. 

I slowly dip my toes into the swimming pool, testing its temperature. Satisfied that the temperature was sufficient, I dived head-first into the deep end of the pool. The water rushed across my skin, enveloping me in a blanket of warmth and comfort. As my body began to rise to the surface I swiftly flipped onto my back to float and closed my eyes. I was never the type of person to take exercising very seriously. I didn't work out daily or even weekly. I absolutely despised the entire practice with every fiber of my being. It just felt like another chore that I didn't have the time or energy for. Swimming has never felt that way for me. I've always felt at ease in the water as if I belonged there all along and that's why I had never been content in my life on land. 

I laid there for a while with my eyes closed just listening to the gentle sloshing of the pool. It didn't come close to the real thing, but it was enough. And with how few people came to the center it was the perfect place to sneak off to. When I felt that I had floated for long enough I began to swim laps across the pool. 

I never stay long out of fear that I might never want to leave if I gave in to the waters magnetic pull on me. Using the ladder I carefully rise out of the water while goosebumps formed the moment the cold air touched my skin. Shivering, I darted towards my towel using it to shield myself from the cold and went to go change.

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"What's that noise?" I inquired, stepping out of the locker room and towards the front desk where Grim was currently sorting through paperwork, his glasses resting on the tip of his nose.

"A new member from a few weeks ago. She's been boxing for over an hour now." He looked up at me, motioning down the hall. 

It was a long shot, but my mind instantly drifted to Brooklyn, my newest client. I'm not sure what possessed me to go confirm if it was her or if it was just a coincidence but my feet began to pad down the hallway where the source of the noise seemed to grow exponentially louder.

I watched in a mixture of awe and intimidation as she recklessly swung one punch after the other at the poor punching bag. The loud sounds of the boxing gloves slapping against the bag rang throughout the room, demanding my attention. Her eyebrows were scrunched, wrinkling her forehead in intense concentration. She was drenched from head to toe in sweat, but she didn't seem to notice or care. She carried on, completely focused on giving the bag a piece of her mind. I couldn't help but wonder if where I saw a red, overused punching bag, she saw something else. I've been accused of looking a little too closely at things before, but the more I stared at her the more it felt that despite the fierce look on her face and the ferocity of her punches, she was afraid of something. No. She seemed absolutely terrified. 

It was her, without a doubt. Michael wasn't exaggerating when he said he could see her ribs. Looking at her now, she seemed more skeleton than flesh. I quickly averted my gaze and shuddered. I'm ashamed to admit that it hurt to look at her. Something horrible must have happen to her for her to reach this point. Her body was failing her and here she was pushing it even further to the limit. It was like she didn't care if she lived or died. Maybe she didn't.

As if I wasn't acting abnormally enough I decide against my better judgement to approach Brooklyn. She didn't seem to see me until I was standing beside the punching bag. Her hand stopped mid-air during a punch, her eyes widening in shock. 

"You should be more careful." I say softly so as not to scare her any more than I already had. I shouldn't have interrupted her. She was too sucked in and miles away from me. Still, I continue. "You're going to hurt yourself if you continue like this."

Her pale blue eyes narrowed, searching for a reason why I'd have the nerve to not just interrupt her in the middle of her workout but tell her what to do on top of it. "I didn't realize we had scheduled a meeting." She glared menacingly, holding the bag to steady its swaying.

"We don't." I frowned, puzzled.

"Then, I don't understand why you're talking to me." She fumed, the muscles in her neck visibly popping. Then, if that didn't deliver the intended message her fist flung out towards my face, my upper body involuntarily stiffened and my eyes clenched shut in preparation of being hit. I waited and waited for what felt like minutes for the glove to strike my face but it never did. Cautiously, I pried my eyes open. When they fluttered opened I half expected her to be standing in front of me with that scowl painted on her face again, but instead there was no one there. From the corner of my eye I could catch a glimpse of Brooklyn shoving her water bottle and towel into the empty exercise bag in the corner of the room before aggressively grabbing her bag and scurrying from the room.

I didn't bother chasing after her. If she was still planning on attending her next appointment I'd see her next Tuesday. And if not...well it isn't my job to follow her. Besides I learned a long time ago when my presence wasn't wanted.

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Hey! It has been a long time since I have written an update for this story much less given it any thought! I know the wait has been long and that most of you have probably jumped off this ship months ago, but for those of you who are still here and for the people who are just arriving I want to thank you so much for choosing to read this story. It has a long way to go but I can't wait to see it in its completed form and I promise I will dedicate more of my time towards finishing it. <3 Thanks guys!