Endure

N I N E

"These stretches shouldn't be new to you," Charlie said once everyone's laughter had died down. He walked around the players as they now attempted to achieve the splits. "You're athletes."

"Yeah, but now I'm feeling them in muscles I didn't even know I had," Tom muttered.

I looked down to see him still in a lunge, not making a move to lower into the splits like the rest of his teammates.

He looked up, catching my eye. "There's no way I'm doing that." He pointed to the tall player who had completely lowered himself onto the floor in a full front split.

"I think I'm doing pretty good, right?" The tall player looked up at Charlie and me.

We both raised our eyebrows at each other before nodding at the tall player.

"That's okay." I turned back to Tom. "Just start with the half split."

"Really?"

"Yeah, extend your leg out in front of you. Bend your other leg." I tapped his front leg, and he adjusted his form. "And reach forward."

He extended his arms out, barely reaching his knee.

"Reach farther," I told him, lowering myself on the ground next to him.

He grunted, yet moved his hands just a tiny bit farther.

"All the way forward."

"That's as far as I can go!!"

"Reach all the way over. Touch your chest to your knee."

"That's--That's impossible!!" He turned to me with wide eyes.

I nodded to Nick, the tall player, who was still in the front splits, but had now completely lowered his upper body to reach over his front leg. I raised an eyebrow at Tom.

"That's not happening." He shook his head.

"At least try, Tom."

He let out a groan and reached his hands out, barely touching his knee again.

"Try to lean forward." I stood up and knelt behind him, before placing my hands on his broad back. His muscles flexed beneath my touch as I pushed him to stretch lower. "All the way over."

He grumbled, cursing under his breath.

"Sir, please," Charlie said as he walked by, holding out his hand. "This is a family show." He nodded to the cameras at the front.

Tom inhaled sharply. "This is like--" He winced as he reached further. "This is not fun."

"There you go!" I pressed against his back as Charlie went around the class. "Hold it there!!"

He gasped, lifting himself up.

"Giving up already, Willy?" Ben grinned teasingly at him as he held his stretch.

"No," Tom grumbled, resuming his stretch. He reached further this time, almost touching his ankle. "Like this?" He looked up at me.

I let out a laugh. "Yeah . . . no." I pushed down on his back again, causing him to reach even more forward with a groan.

"If you feel pain . . ." Charlie began.

"Yes!" the class chorused.

"Good!" Charlie exclaimed. "Well, not the bad kind of pain," he quickly corrected. "The good kind, you know? The one where it hurts so good?"

Tom grunted in reply. 

"Yeah, embrace that." Charlie chuckled. "Learn to love it."

"Maddie, how much longer?" Tom's voice was strained as I pushed against his back even more.