<em>Caroline moving forward a bit, hope nobody minds</em><br/><br/>Anger pulsed in the air.  Frustration and anger blended into an intoxicating sound that pummeled the walls of the room.  Beating drums pounded out the primal chorus that would send the blood circulating in her veins while a screaming guitar made the soul soar above the pain.  Words were dimly heard but enough was caught to keep her interest, to keep her connected to the suffering of the song.  Enough meaning kept inside the lyrics to direct her turmoil into something more constructive.  Palms felt the burn of rough metal while she grunted her affirmation to the man’s declaration of rage.  Caroline could not help but push herself harder in response.  Yet the thoughts lingered, the turmoil boiled forth in her mind as her body began to succumb to the high of exercise.<br/><br/>Caroline had seen her leave with the man.  Watched the way he looked at her and heard a touch of the words he gave to her.  John Aaron he had said his name was and she had made sure to pay attention to that part.  She had also paid attention when the pair made their exit.  No part of her blamed either for doing so.  Carol was everything a man could want in a woman.  She was beautiful, confident and quick with the words.  She also seemed to be a genuinely caring person.  Obviously Caroline could not blame the woman for being attracted to John.  The man was strong, powerful and heady to be around.  Other thoughts fueled her next lift up to the bar while her skin flushed despite the pain in her arms and body.  She couldn’t help the images that followed the thought of him, but he was not the only one to bring up such a spark.<br/><br/>There was no denying the attractiveness of Steve.  The man looked as if he should be on the cover of a magazine for style.  Those eyes were the kind that her mother often talked about and his face probably haunted quite a few dreams at night.  That he seemed to be such a sweetheart only made him all the more attractive.  Dismissing Logan was hard to do.  He was so brash and forceful.  A mouth that would put her father to shame, the man was certainly confident.  Confidence was always something to be respectful of and drawn toward.  Gamoran, she did not know what to make of the man.  Still, she had never been surrounded by so many in her past and none of them ridiculed her.  Logan said a few things but she knew none of those words were meant to her like the others.  Shem, amazon, dyke and so many others were constant barbs beneath her skin.  Her grip shifted while hanging in order to focus on a different exercise.<br/><br/>Few truly understood why she pushed herself in the gym.  Her mother had thought she was trying to become more attractive until the physique had passed the picturesque.  Her father had thought she wanted to fight back against the bullies, but she that soon faded away too.  Caroline did not have to work out to be bigger than most men, but still she was at the weights each day.  Homework and weights, there was nothing different for her at home.  Even her sisters failed to know her so well to understand.  Caroline lifted the weights because she could, because it allowed her to own this body.  Her mother had always tried to dress her up, to put fresh makeup or clothes on her.  No amount of covering could hide the muscles now and Caroline wanted it that way.  Her body, her choice and it was something no one could take.  The ridicule didn’t become worse, just different.  At least they were making fun of her for something she did rather than just being born this way.<br/><br/>The straps of her muscle shirt and sports bra beneath flexed while her exercise grew more intense with emotions flooding into her system.  Teeth pressed together as she dove head first into the blissful pain of the workout.  Ankles, tightly bound in black combat boots, crossed beneath her while the camouflage pants were flexed by her muscular legs.  Thighs pressed together so that the pair of 100lb weights she was lifting with each pull up were held in her legs.  Caroline was stronger than almost any normal human, stronger still when the metal took her skin.  So for a normal gym she would have been gauked at as she used her legs to lift the weights and work on her abdomen.  This exercise was still done with her arms holding to the bar and her body suspended above the air. At home she could never do this and so the pain was new.  She growled as she completed the last set and let go the bar.<br/><br/>Beneath her the ground shook from her weight and that of the free weights held to her by the belt.  One hand moved to unclasp the belt while the other brushed back her hair.  Stupid men still invaded her thoughts but she let them melt away while the weights were tossed aside.  Her hand then sought out a bottle of water while she looked around the weight room.  The hour was late and she was alone.  Best that way.  Nothing could be awkward that way.  A laugh was given to her own thoughts before another angry song pounded to life.  She still had a lot of exercises to try and equipment to test.<br/>