JOANNA
"Alright, this has been a great last day for all of you cadets. Many of you have already surpassed and exceeded your personal goals with retesting on the fitness assessments." Joel looks down at his clipboard.
I chuckle when Oli flexes her arms—we all witnessed her big improvement of doing an actual pull up compared to her memorable attempt at the start of boot camp.
"Last team up for individual challenges, we have Coach Sage and his Cadets, Olivia Espinoza and Joanna Lozano," Joel announces.
The other participants cheer while we prepare for our individual sets. Oli decided on deadlifts while I'm doing barbell squats. I take her lightweight jacket after she unzips it, wanting to go first.
"You bitches better hype me up. I nearly lost my voice for both of you," she tells Nati, but then faces Quique. "Quique, this is the only time you can smack my ass."
Nati and I chuckle as he winds up his arm and smacks her butt hard. "You got this Girl! But did you really think we'd not hype you up?" Quique quirks his eyebrow as he presses an icon on his phone.
Nati and I join him in snapping our fingers and dancing to Lil Jon's Snap Yo Fingers. Oli's eyes shift to each of us and she begins laughing.
"Oh, shit! Are you guys for real?!" She asks enthusiastically.
Quique starts doing Lil Jon's opening of the song. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's about that time!" The other participants chuckle and join in by snapping their fingers with us.
Oli begins dancing along with Nati and me. We laugh and clap when Quique ends the song shortly after, not playing the whole thing and Oli shoves us all playfully.
"That was fucking dope!"
"It's time, Oli," Joel tells her and she nods, taking a deep breath.
"Let's go, cuz!" I tell her, squeezing her shoulders. She pops her neck and then her knuckles.
"Come on, girl!" Nati encourages as she gets her phone ready to record her.
"You ready, Espinzoa?" Sage asks after getting the barbell ready for her.
"You bet your fine ass I am, Coach." She grins at him, bouncing on her toes.
"It's ten pounds more than we originally had on your goals. Your hard work got you here, now let's see you break through this number, alright?"
"Yes, Coach!"
She gets in her stance and Sage positions himself next to her. Joel gives her the go ahead and everyone starts joining in, cheering her on as she begins.
"Come, Oli!" Sage shouts, he claps his hands. "Last set. Give it all you got! Right here! Let's go!"
She blows out air and grips the barbell, adjusting her hands and fingers and then pulls up. She keeps going, her face strains with effort as we all shout with excitement and on her final rep we rush to congratulate her.
"I'm so proud of you, prima. Look at what you did!" Wiping the tears from my eyes, when I pull away after hugging her.
She chuckles. "Don't start crying or you're gonna make me cry, JoJo! And you still have your turn, girl." She gives me a tight hug.
I take off my own zip up jacket and hand it to her, mentally preparing myself. Not enjoying the fact that everyone is now going to be watching me. Taking advantage of the attention still on Oli I close my eyes, inhaling and exhaling deeply, shaking out my arms and my legs, visually picturing myself completing the reps with ease.
YOU ARE READING
Imperfect Fit
ChickLitA jilted, curvy accountant joins a gym on a journey of self-love. The last thing she plans for is to fall for her grumpy trainer. ***** Who needs men, anyway? Certainly not Joanna Lozano. The youngest of five and the only girl, she has learned at a...
