<div style="text-align: center;"><a class="postlink" href="http://i312.photobucket.com/albums/ll353/JackieD0509/RPing%20Purposes/5e2f6d44-f9b1-41c5-b7dd-bb82b79bbb76_zps222d90b9.jpg">[ img ]</a></div><br/><br/>Music pounded in her ears, throbbing along with her heartbeat. Muscles aching, head dancing along with the music, and a pulse that was racing through her limbs. Deep breaths, soft exhales, and more pushing. Her eyes focused forward as she ran through the streets. People on either side of her as she passed them. It was a never ending sea of people and she had to run through the tides of them to the gym. Having her ear buds deep into her ears, she didn't even bother to pay attention to others that might be yelling at her as she accidentally hits them as she's running past. Her legs push her forward. The air rough in her lungs as she ran up the hills and down the slopes was feeling as if she was having the life sucked out of her. It had been a while since her lungs had this much pain in them. Reaching the top of the biggest hill before reaching the gym, she raced up as far as she could without stopping, and once she reached the top, she felt as if she was on top of the world. Yet she wasn't finished yet. Not even near close to finish yet. Gathering herself, she pushed forward and ran up the steps, stepping inside of the gym's foyer. At the desk, her friend waved back at her.<span style="color: #40BFFF">Hey, it's been a while. Where have you been?</span>He asked from behind the computer, barely looking up. She came to a stop, leaning against the desk where she took in a deep breath and pulled the ear buds from her ears, having read his lips as he spoke.<span style="font-weight: bold">I've been around. I don't know why you haven't seen me. This is such a small town.</span><br/><br/>He rolled his eyes.<span style="color: #40BFFF">Pfft. Town my ass. You've been hiding from me, Essence.</span>He said, finally glancing up from the computer. She shrugged her shoulders, running her fingers through her short red hair before shaking her head.<span style="font-weight: bold">You would know if I have been hiding from you.</span>He laughed at her before nodding her off as customers showed up. She smiled at him before she pulled away, heading toward the women's locker room. There, she gathered her wits, chose some more songs to get her back into the game before heading back into the gym. Grabbing a towel, she headed for the mats upstairs. Passing by, she saw a few guys that she had known to work out in the place. Giving them a wave, she continued on her way upstairs, making herself comfortable on the mats near the track. The music still pounded in her ears with her circuits and sets. Each one, she pushed harder, keeping herself sane and trying to not focus on the pain that was in her abs. Abs was always good after cardio...She thought to herself, bracing herself for the pain that she was going to feel when she was going to be in work the next morning.<br/><br/>It wasn't long after she was finishing up with abs and a few things of cardio, she came back downstairs to lift. Working out had never been her favorite thing to do, but she has come to like it over the time being here at the gym. People were nice, some were encouraging, others were just pissed off all the time, and then there were the newbies. She glanced at one, trying to hit on some of the veteran ladies. The man had no chance. It was heartbreaking just watching him. Pressing her lips together, she turned her head away, focusing more on the things she had to do. Inside her head though, she remembered. She remembered being in his place, getting courage to go and talk to the men that she had been interested for a while. It never turned out right though. Until Aiden...Her eyes blinked heavier and she finished up her set and headed toward the sand bags to give some rough around. The moment that her mind went to him, her body had tensed. She could barely hold tears back but she did as she lifted her hands, not even caring about wrapping her already sore hands. She just needed to hit something. Anything to get away from the pain that was deep inside. Yet she would never tell a soul. Some people knew, but that was it. They just knew. Nothing else was said or done. And that was how she liked it.<br/><br/>She'd rather have no friends at all than be talked to constantly about him...<br/><br/>Yet behind the bags, she had come to a close. A new face had arrived...