<Coach Styles>

Ten-

Making it back to school, I gave him a quick kiss before speed walking toward my seventh period class and smiling when I saw Louis sitting at the desk. He eyed me suspiciously.

"What?" I laughed.

"Oh nothing," he shrugged, grinning from ear to ear. Rolling my eyes as I walked to my seat and sat down, I pulled out my notebook and the bell rang.

"Hello guys, I'm Mr. Tomlinson, I've taken over for Mrs. Cook. I'll be your teacher for the remainder of the year. To start off, I'll tell you a little bit about myself," he smiled widely. "I graduated from UCLA two years ago with a degree in calculus and high education. I have a dog, his name is Bruce, I've got four younger sisters and a little brother, and I love to read." Everyone in class seemed buzzing to ask him questions.

"Do you have a girlfriend?" Rachel blurted out.

"I don't actually. I've never really been a big fan of girls."

"So you're gay?" Mitchell gasped.

"Yes," Louis nodded.

"That's so cool," Caroline laughed. "I've never had a gay teacher before."

"Oh, I'm sure you have, they've just been afraid to tell you guys because you might have been too young to understand. It's 2014 now, it is what it is." As class continued, we learned about graphing quadratic functions and I wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. Once it had dwindled down to the last five minutes of class, everyone began to pack up and I anxiously waited for the bell to ring. Finally hearing the high pitched signal that the day was done, I stood from my seat and walked toward Louis at his desk.

"Why were you looking at me so funny earlier?" I asked, sitting on the corner.

"You rolled in here with sex hair and a glow. You and Harry finally get together?" he grinned, biting into a granola bar.

"Um no, it wasn't me and Harry and there was no sex to be had with anyone," I lied, hoping he wouldn't catch me.

"Who was it then? You don't have that glow just from anything, love. What's his name if not Harry?" Closing my eyes, I sighed and smiled.

"Do you know Colby Richardson?"

"He's in my second period class. Brilliant boy, acts like a right ar-" he stopped and his eyes widened.

"You hooked up with him?!" Louis gasped.

"Shhh," I snapped, looking toward the door. "It wasn't just a one time thing. We used to be together, but we broke up and now we're just friends with benefits."

"Don't get hurt is all I will tell you," he cautioned.

"It's completely under control," I assured him getting off the desk and straightening my shirt.

"I've gotta go to conditioning, but I'll see you later," I said as I walked toward the door.

"Bye Miss.Thang," he teased. My heels clicked against the linoleum as I made my way to the locker room and quickly went inside to change.

"Look at you all dressed up. Who are you trying to impress?" Catherine teased.

"I dressed up for myself," I lied again for what seemed the hundredth time today.

"Oh really?" she countered. "The last time you dressed up for yourself, you and Colby started dating."

"He's an asshole and I'd never get back with him. I thought if I felt like shit, I might was well look good doing it," I shrugged. Yes, Colby was an asshole, but he was a rock star in bed and right now, that was what I needed to distract me. From what? I wasn't sure yet. Finally getting. Changed, I pulled my hair into a bun and walked out of the locker room, toward the track. Coach Styles and Coach Payne were standing there ready to go.

"Alright, today we're gonna do a two mile run, some foot work and then abs and push-ups to finish it," he announced as we began to stretch. "Let's go ladies. It's the last day before a little break and I know you'll be sore." Break? Oh shit, Labor Day was coming up, that also meant my birthday. Well crap, I'd be 17 in a matter of days and I still got excited when Spongebob came on. Continuing to stretch, I took a deep breath as we finished and lined up on the starting line.

"Go," he said and we all took off. Watching him and Coach Payne jogging in front of me, my breathing quickened and I continued to try and not sound like a dying hippo as we ran and my eyes flipped to Mitchell Gaines running shirtless along with other members of the boys cross country team and I cleared my throat as I rounded the curve and continued to push my legs burning in protest.

"Let's go, Lisa Leslie," Catherine teased and I continued to push through, try into make it to the second mile. Clearing my throat and wiping the sweat from my forehead with the bottom of my shirt, and let the breeze flow across my sticky torso.

"We're gonna go do ladders and then abs on the hill," Coach Styles said wiping the sweat from his face. As we walked toward the ladders he set up, we all got in a line.

"One foot in each one, spring through at the end." Going two feet in each one, icky shuffle, lateral, and all the other ones we could do, my chest burned.

"Abs on the hill, twenty push-ups and we're done."

"Fuck me," I heaved, taking a sip from my water bottle and wiping at my face.

"Partner up," Coach Payne said as we all slowly climbed the hill and sat down.

"I don't have a partner," I sighed, raising my arm slightly. Coach Styles walked and sat down in front of me, his hands holding my feet.

"We're gonna go left, right, and to the middle. Stop at fifteen." Everything burned and ached. The simple gravity of the steep hill we were on was against me like the rest of the world and I clenched my jaw as I tried not to grunt.

"C'mon Neely, push yourself," Coach breathed, his grip tightening on my feet as I fought not to raise them.

"I am," I snapped and rolled my eyes, finishing the fifteen sit-ups and my torso was burning. By the time we finished with the push-ups, I felt like I was going to pass out. Walking back to the locker room and changing, I stormed out, making my way to Coach Styles' car and getting a text from Colby in the process.

Party tonight at Collin's house. You in?

Looking around the parking lot, I quickly replied.

What time? I don't have anything to wear.

I can pick you up and you can wear something of Grace's. You still at school?

Yeah. Coach was gonna take me home. I'm staying at a friends.

I'll come get you. See you soon.

Looking up at Coach Styles walking toward me, I took a deep breath.

"I'm going to a friends house. Do you want me to stay there or come back late?"

"Come back whenever you want, but please be careful. Is someone picking you up or do you need a ride there?" Seeing Colby's car pull into the parking lot, I left my stuff in the back of Coach Styles' car and walked toward Colby's.

"Bye," I smiled and quickly got inside.