THE MASKED GIRL

4

Competition among the teams started in the third week where different teams will participate in various exercises and the one that perform the most exercises wins. So there was no more resting time for her cause they are always participating in something, the night training being the worst but she manages to pass each one that is assigned to her.

The sprint drag carry where she has to run five times up and down a twenty-five-meter lane sprinting and dragging a sled weighing ninety pounds and carrying two forty-pound kettlebell weights in three minutes was the only one she couldn't do. Not because of her lazy nature but because it reminded her of something, her first memory with him.

'It was in the evening when her family visited Adamawa her hometown it was her first time there. The little her sneaked out to play outside with the other kids. They were playing with some kind of toy car she hasn't seen before, she asked to play with it and they agreed but after she do something for them. The naughty kids tied a rope to a rock and asked her to drag it, but she couldn't drag it for the rock was huge, she tried her best to drag it but couldn't her upper hands started paining she continued trying since she desperately wants to play with the toy till he came to her aid. That is where she first knows who he is, she was seven and he was ten'

The bell rang signaling the end of the three minutes of the sprint drag carry, she failed her team. And that made them go down on the list from winning and Aliyu was furious, he can't stand losing.

"I told you from the start she won't fit in" Aliyu shouted at Yusuf. "She is going to continue making us fail" He added.

Yusuf shouted back "She had been trying" He runs his hand through his hair in frustration "She did all the previous exercises well and never complain about the hard ones you chose"

Aliyu hissed and walked away.

Yusuf turned to her and apologized for his friend's behavior "He is used to winning and doesn't take failure lightly"

She only nodded and continued doing her best to not break down crying in front of him. Remembering him made her emotional, losing the exercise, and Their argument all got to her so she excused herself to the restroom and cried her heart out. Crying always helps her feel better, it is her solution to anything she cannot control. Aliyu is being a pain in the ass. Why can't he see that she is trying? Why can't he be nice to her? She has hurt too much for that to hurt her anymore but he should at least appreciates her doing. She returned to the field after getting herself back together only to meet them arguing again.

"You know she can't do that one" Yusuf pinpoint the truth to his friend.

"But that is the only way we could win" Aliyu barked in.

"And so what?" Yusuf disagreed again. "Is not like we will be given any award or anything" He added. "Since when do you actually care about the training?" Yusuf questioned.

"I've already signed so stop bickering" Aliyu deadpanned.

Yusuf sighed as his friend's attitude is getting worse than before. He knows he cares about winning but why can't he let this one go? Why is he this way?

Yusuf being the responsible one stopped talking after she joined them. He has been nice to her since she joined but she is still yet to say a single word to him. He always helps her with the exercises when the officer isn't looking. She wondered how a down-to-earth person like him ends up being friends with an arrogant self narcissistic person like Aliyu, opposite really attracts.