Chapter Seven

Gotta Get Some Satisfaction

“Alright, listen up ya pansies.” Coach Henry waited two seconds for the laughter and random talking to cease and when it didn’t he lifted a shiny black whistle to his lips and blew. “I said listen up!”

Coach Henry, like every P.E. teacher I had known wore short shorts, sandals with tube socks and a clip board in his right hand. Unlike any P.E. teacher I had known, his legs were the hairiest things I had ever had the misfortune of seeing. I was half disgusted and half in awe at the sheer amount of hair follicles on just one calf.

“That means shut your trap Gibbs.”

“It’s shut sir.” I was too tired to glance back at the offender.

I couldn’t go back to sleep last night. I had stayed up the whole night trying to stop my fucking tear ducts from spilling. I was grateful for the two black eyes Austin had granted me on my first day, because boys didn’t cry. Pretend boys however, stay up the whole night crying like little girls. My eyes were bloodshot and irritated from the contacts but camouflaged in the black and purple bruises.

“We’re hittin’ the gym today. I don’t want to hear any whiny-girl complaining either, Newman.” His finger shot towards someone in the front row of seated males and he shook it.

I felt a cold draft snake through my thin shirt and pulled my chest in as much as I could. The P.E uniforms were standard thin clothing made for sweating. They were even themed with the schools colors, red and black.

“I’ll be pairin’ ya up and I don’t want to hear any complainin’ on that either. You’ll both be takin’ a turn spottin’ each other and writtin’ down your stats on this.” He waved around a neon green stack of papers in his hand and glanced down at his clipboard.

The thin fabric of the shirt made it impossible to wear the vest and so I had bandaged my breasts as flat as I could. At one point in time I had cursed my small boobs, but now it was just a welcome relief.

“Coach?” A small kid to the left of me raised his hand.

His cracking, pubescent voice drew my eyes. He was shorter than the rest of the guys I had encountered in this school aside from myself. His face was pale and thin and his limbs were just as slender and awkward. On his nose sat the thickest glasses I had ever seen, they magnified his intelligent grey eyes ten times their normal size. On his neck, on a thick cord hung an inhaler and his knees and elbows were covered with pads.

“Yeah Johnson, you are excused from this activity.” The coach sighed waving off the slip of paper the kid was holding out. “You’ll be doin’ laps.”

The kid nodded and folded the paper. A punch landed on the back of Johnson’s head as the coach turned. The small kid lurched forward, still sitting as his face went red. I glared back at the person responsible and felt a surge of pleasure. Austin Braker and his short temper were in my P.E class.

“Adams and Zoole.” Coach Henry barked.

Two tall males jumped to their feet and grabbed the neon papers. I had neglected taking my Vicodin this morning; I wanted to feel the burn of my ribs, to wallow in pain, so maybe I’d be able to forget. Austin was a welcome surprise. I silently prayed to be assigned to him as a partner.

“Avery and Williams.”

A stout, thick fellow and the grumpy bastard I recognized as my roommate stood and grabbed the papers. Jack glanced back at me with a smirk on his face and made his way into the blue double doors on the other side of the gym.

“Bentley and Wayne.” I stood and grabbed a neon flyer and watched as Ralphie rose to his feet with a huge white smile on his face.

“Tucker!” He smiled even bigger and clapped me on the back.

I followed him to the doors and reveled in the pain shooting through my system. We entered a chilly back room with workout equipment placed everywhere. Jack and his partner were already in the corner on the workout bench, shirtless and sweating. I averted my eyes to find Ralphie staring down at my arms.

“What?” I snarled my best snarl and he frowned.

Trying not to act too self-conscious I folded my arms across my chest, regretting having to ditch my vest. The huge white letters, FBI, on the back of it however, would undoubtedly provoke questions and eventually get me found out.

“Maybe we should start at the pull up bar.”

I glanced down at my thin pale arms and then at his shockingly contrasted black and buff arms. I shrugged and nodded as Ralph broke into another smile. More pairs entered the room as we got to the pull up bar. Ralph took my paper and glanced at my arms again.

“You first.”

The bar stood above my head a good three feet away, of fucking course. I sighed and bent my knees as Ralph stood back a bit. Preparing myself for humiliation I took a deep breath and lunged for the bar. The cold metal grazed my fingers tips, but I was back on the floor before I could grip it. The burning ache in my chest was distracting and welcoming, but still not enough to erase the echoes of the dream in the back of my mind.

Ralph coughed, but his hand couldn’t hide the entertained smile behind it. I tried again, really only wanting the wave of pain to wash over me again when I jumped. The bar was still just beyond my grasp. Ralph, this time, let out a low chuckle as the rest of the class made their way into the cold room. I tried again, almost getting a hold on the bar but again, it was just barely out of my reach.

“Would you like some help?” Ralph boomed as my face flushed scarlet.

“No.” I jumped again.

Once more I missed the god damn bar and landed back on the pavement as another wave of pain came through my feet. Damn my average female height. I glared around the room and my eyes landed on Jack, who was watching me with a smirk on his face. I glared harder wishing for lasers beams instead of eyes and decided to get to the bar from a different angle.

I couldn’t jump, but I could climb. I grabbed one leg of the pole and shimmied my way up the blasted thing. The pole against my recently mended ribs sent another wave of pain through my body and for a moment I could remember nothing. I made it to the top and hung from the pole, letting my legs dangle as more pain shot through me.

“Are you gonna start?” Ralph asked still smiling.

I blushed again and glanced down at my chest, making sure no mammary glands were showing. Assured they were hidden, I began my pull-ups. Or rather, flailed.

Let me just state for the record, I am not a weakling. At one point in my girl life I had been forced to take self defense classes. I was good at those classes. I was a self-defense god. Had those dummies been real, they would have cowered at me entering the room.

It had been a long time since my old girl life. It had been even longer since I was something resembling a girl, let alone human. Watching the murder of my father and then being taken prisoner by the killer who ironically had a complex about executing girls had something to do with that. Not to mention the long, bleak days in high-security holding cell where I could do nothing but replay the death of my father over and over and wonder why I did nothing to stop it. But still I expected at least one pull up to happen.

This time I pulled with all my might, but my body refused to reach the top of the bar. I kicked my legs out, hoping the sudden movement would send me over, but instead it just swung me to and fro. Ralph stepped back again dodging my flying legs and covered his mouth with another cough.

I let myself hang and panted while my eyes burned with unshed tears. An unbelievable shock of pain was suffocating my senses every time I tried to pull myself up. I took another deep breath and pulled once more with every single muscle in my arms and chest. My nose touched the bar and my arms gave out. I hung there panting and watching as Ralph stifled another cough and wrote on my paper.

“One.” He stated with an amused expression.

I cringed again and dropped to the floor. He was being generous with one I thought, but how would it look if my paper read one half? Ralphie traded places with me and reached up, barely stretching his arms and clasped the bar. I frowned and grabbed the papers off the pavement.

He pulled himself up effortlessly. I kept my mouth closed, surprised that this massive person could remove his body from the ground with just sheer the power of his arms. I was thankful that he was a ‘happy giant’ and tried to keep track of the number.

“57…58...59...60…” No matter how hard I tried to focus on the neon green papers in my hands, my eyes keeping wandering around the room full of bare chested boys.

Ralph was counting quietly as he pulled his colossal self up; he hadn’t even started sweating. I glanced around the gym as other students exercised trying not to look as if I was ogling. Some looked like professionals, others were having a harder time but none were as pathetic as me.

A certain defined chest caught my attention. Jack was in the corner, pumping iron. Shirtless. Flexing. Glistening. Flexing. Smirking.

I averted my eyes blushing when he caught me looking. Great, he was going to think I was a fag. I scanned the room and caught sight of Austin. His smile fell when we locked eyes and his eyes narrowed when I smirked.

“Wayne!” The coach knocked me out of my staring contest and made me glance back at the huge man still doing pull ups.

“87.” He grunted, sweat finally showing up on his face. He looked over at the coach who was reading a slip of paper.

“Office.” Henry stated holding out the white paper.

Ralph smiled at me and uncurled his legs, letting go of the bar at the same time. He glided past me and disappeared out of the double doors. Unsure as to what to put down I just wrote ninety.

I glanced back around the room, purposefully avoiding any eye contact with Jack and trying to stare a hole in Austin. He finally felt me looking and glanced up from his partner. His eyes narrowed once more and I grinned. His face flushed and his fists clenched. This kid had some kind of anger issues if a simple grin provoked this kind of ire.

I racked my brain for things boys found insulting. I couldn’t shout, ‘You exercise like a girl!’ across the room. I couldn’t trip him from this position and I really couldn’t insult his mother.

I glanced around for a moment trying to find some inspiration, locked eyes with Jack who was now spotting his partner and had a revelation. I grinned back at Austin who hadn’t looked away. His eyes were slits and his fists were white on the bar. I grinned wider, relaxed my stance and winked. His eyes flew open and the little gesture knocked him into action. I watched in satisfaction as he stomped his way to me and shoved me back.

“What the fuck are you winking at me for fag?” He hissed as little bits of saliva hit my face.

“Hey buddy.” I wiped face trying to look nonchalant.

My back connected with the pull-up bar leg and pain tore up my spine, I couldn’t help but grin wider. He sent his fist into my stomach. Tears welled in my eyes as another unbelievable shock of pain shot through my chest.

I hadn’t realized just how much the vest had taken when he pummeled me the first time. I was still smiling at him and reeling from the shock of hurt. My smiling just seemed to piss him off further. His fist collided with my face again and his knee met with my gut. The wind was forced out of my lungs and my face burned with the contact.

“Stop fucking smiling!” His voice was hissing still and infuriated.

His fists and knees were all over me. I was drowning in a single sensation that wiped everything else away. Hurt had now replaced any thoughts of my dead father and the guilt I was harboring towards his death.

“Braker! Bentley!” The pounding was cut short when the coach wrenched Austin off of me. “You. Office!”

He shoved Austin back, the boy looked as if he was going to lunge at me again but the hairy man stood in his way. Austin glared at me and threw himself out of the double doors.

“You-” His hairy finer shot towards me, whistle in his teeth. “Walk it off.”