The Special

Chapter 16

I just want to take a moment to thank all of you for reading my story or stories. It means a lot to me. thanks!
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Within 10 minutes I am lead down several hallways, turns, and am finally led into a room. There are treadmills, bicycles, stair steppers, and weight lifters.
I just stand there in awe, as Robin switches the lights on.
"So," Robin smirks, " what do you want to do?"
"Um, stair steppers?" I say.
"Good choice." she says.
"Next, treadmills, weights and finally bicycles." she says.
" With stretches in between." she adds with another smirk.
She walks, more like a strut, over to the stairsteppers.
She presses a few buttons producing multiple "beep" sounds.
"Hop on." is all she says.
So I do it.
"Ok. 5 minutes ready go." she says.
For the first minute, there is no sweat  and I am breathing fine.
By the 3rd minute, I'm breathing heavily and my heart is fluttering as fast as a humming bird's wings.
"Burning yet?"Robyn asks with a smirk.
I nod my head no.
"No air in lungs," I gasp between breaths," when's THAT start?"
Robyn looked at her purple wristwatch. "I'd give it about 12 more minutes."
The math is easy. 12+3 makes 15- so after 15 minutes has me feel the burn.
Terrific news for me.

My legs have started burning, my temples are covered in sweat and my hair has somehow finagled its way out of my pony tail. The stair step is finally done so we move on to the treadmill- my dreaded excersise back when I was in school. Then I realize what I was thinking- school. 

"Robin?"I ask tentatively. 

"Yeee-ss?" she drawls. 

"Uh, I've missed school for about 3 weeks so uh..." I stutter unsure where this conversation is going. Since when did I like school? The homework? The popular girls? And especially tests? Never.

"OH! A studier I see. You will start meeting with your tutor tomorrow. I thought you knew that?" She replies, with a slightly confused expression. 

I try to determine if she's teasing me. I decide she's not. 

"HMM, ok, thanks." I say, and return to my running. I glance at the glowing red letters, which blares "4 minutes, .64 miles, and a speed of 5.5." 

"OH, and by the way you'll by running for as long as it takes to run 2 miles." Robyn smirks, almost like she read my exact thoughts. I sigh and think, ' Robyn always seems so nice on TV, and she is such a great athlete. She's not as nice as she seems.' But then again, my family and I hardly ever watch TV other than the news occasionally and when there are announcements from the Mayor. Suddenly, I get a pang in my chest that sets me off my pace and causes me to trip on the treadmill. I realize how much I miss my brothers even if they are easier. It feels like ages ago that it was Family Day, and even that day wasn't enough. It was only 3 hours I got to spend with them. I see Robyn curiously, and obviously looking at me with concern, so I try to form my face back into a somewhat neutral expression.  The pang doesn't go away for the rest of the afternoon- in fact it grows into a sharp ache.