You Give Me Hope 2

by Sophia Smith

  “Hello there! Are you looking to sign up?” she asked.

  “Yes, we want to work out here. We’re trying to lose weight,” Angela said.

  “That’s totally great! Se do have personal trainers if you both are interested. If not, we can also help you put together a program to help you lose weight, if that’s okay with you?” she asked.

  Angela and Linda both looked at one another.

  “I think a how-to on how to lose weight, or some way to begin with this would be wonderful,” Angela said.

  “Yeah, it couldn’t hurt,” Linda pointed out.

  “True. I think that would be great for us,,” the lady at the gym said.

  They were given a regimen of various exercises to do, and a program that they would follow after talking with the trainer. It was free with the membership, which was pretty cool, and Angela felt both excite, yet also nervous about this.

  It was her first time here at the gym. Linda seemed to look at this the same way, but then, Angela spoke.

  “No need to fret. We’ll make this work,” she said.

  “Yeah, I know that we will. I’m just worried I’ll be judged,” she said.

  “If you’re worried about that, we do have a women’s’ s only place for you to work out, and this is usually what a lot of people who start out here go to. I think it’s a good beginning action,” the lady at the front desk said.

  They both looked at one another, nodding in agreement at this.

  “True. I think this would prove useful,” Angela said.

  “Yeah, let’s go there first,” Linda said.

  They walked inside, looking at the program that they would begin with. It was simple, a couple of free-weight exercises and then later on some cardio.

  The first thing that they did was barbell bicep curls. Angela tried to hold the 20 pounds that she had in her hands, and she immediately grimaced.

  “This is actually hard! What the heck?”

  “Right? I’m surprised that this is such a challenge,” Linda said.

  They worked together, completing their first day together, and once they finished the exercises, they started to work out on the cardio machines. But, Angela felt bored with this. She wished she could run outside.

  “By the way, do you want to maybe run at the park by our place tomorrow?” she asked Linda.

  “Sure, I wouldn’t mind that. after all, it seems a little bit less boring. We can come in to do our workouts first, and then go running. Or vice-versa,” she said.

  “I think either or would be fine. But, thanks for sticking with me Linda. You’re kind of also the inspiration I have for losing weight. I wanted to do something with my best friend, and I think this is the way to do it,” she said.

  “I think that’s wonderful,” Linda said, smiling.

  The truth was, Angela didn’t want to let her know that she was definitely happy with the way things were, and she was definitely happy to have her best friend by her side, but in reality she wanted…more.

  After they finished their first day at the gym, they went back home. While Linda was tempted to have some cookies Angela took them away and put them in a hiding place.

  “No, we can only have those on cheat days. Let’s work on cutting out sugar as much as we can. I had a good time together, and I’m glad that I got to do this. I think it’ll be a win if we don’t eat that stuff,” she said.

  “You know, you have a good point. Thanks Angela. You’re always there keeping me grounded and on the right track, and that’s super appreciated,” she said with a smile.

  The truth was, Angela said a lot of this because she needed the same levels of inspiration. Together, they both ate healthy, going to the grocery store and getting the foods that they wanted. Whenever Linda would grab something super sugary, Angela would tell her not yet, that they can have something for a cheat day, and Linda would immediately put it down.

  It was strange, for Angela, she felt more inspired to lose weight when Linda was involved. In the past, she would do this on her own, but it wasn’t the same. She always felt like she was doing this for nothing, but when Linda was involved, it was like they both implicitly agreed to do this together. It was quite fun, and quite amazing, and for Angela, she wanted nothing more than to have Linda by her side, and make things easier.

  After a bit, they both realized something: running was fun.

  After their third lap around the park, they both stopped, breathing heavily but able to at least speak to one another.

  “This is fun,” Angela said.

  “Right? I’m actually surprised that running is this fun,” she said.

  “I am too. I always used to hate this, but here I am doing it. It’s weird, I feel like I’ve been missing out on something for so long. Maybe I should’ve tried running sooner,” she said with a laugh.

  “I feel the same way. Like wow, I went all this time without running and always trying to hold back. It’s weird, I feel a little bit stupid for doing this,” she said.

  “It’s okay. We all make mistakes,” Angela said.

  They looked at one another, both of them smiling in excitement and looking at one another for inspiration. Angela did feel inspired to continue down this path, because running was fun, and she never regretted this.

  After the first month, they already saw changes. They were already much skinnier, and Angela noticed a first that her pants were fitting differently. They weren’t so tight, and she needed to buy a belt for this.

  “I’m noticing changes already,” she said.

  “I am too,” Linda replied.

  “How so?”

  “When I walk up and down the stairs, I don’t feel as worn out or anything. It’s wonderful,” Linda said.

  “That’s true. I notice I don’t get as tired when I run either. Remember the first day we ran outside? We couldn’t even last ten minutes, and now here we are, running almost every single day for so much longer,” Angela said.

  “Yeah, it’s wonderful. I feel so inspired by this, and I feel happy to have you here with me. You know, you’re my inspiration, and I’ve wanted to quit so many times before, but…you’ve kept me on track Angela. So I thank you for that. You know, I’ve always felt like you cared a lot more about me than others have, and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me,” she said.

  “I feel the same way there Linda. You know, we’re a team, and no matter what happens next, we’ll continue to work together. We’re going to have to keep on going, and even if things get hard, remember we have each other,” Angela said.

  It was definitely something that made her happy, and for Angela, she wanted nothing more than to support her best friend. While she was scared to tell her the truth, she always felt that closeness that camaraderie, and together, they would work through this.

  In truth, Angela felt happier about this than ever before. She was definitely a bit shocked that it would even happen like this, and she was surprised by everything that was going on, but in truth, she was ready for action, ready for whatever, and ready for a whole new world. For a while, she definitely felt like she was making the right changes, and she loved that Linda was right here with her.

  For a long time, it was hard. She wanted to quit, and she knew that Linda felt the same way. But, about three months in, after a hard day, Linda grabbed her hand.

  “Come on, we need to do this together,” she insisted.

  Angela felt happier now that she had Linda by her side, picking her up when she wanted to quit. She felt ready for whatever life would throw at her.

  This continued on for about six months. They both agreed to work together, in order to lose the weight, being the support that the other person needed to have.

  The beginning was very rough, and Linda was almost ready to quit a few times, Angela felt that way about working out, but together over the next six months, they cut their portion sizes, almost got rid of sugar period for a bit and then slowly reintroduced it in a way that was easy for them to manage, and w
ent to the gym.

  The beginning of the gym saga was much harder for both of them than they thought. Angela wanted to quit after her weight training and cardio, but she didn’t.

  They both developed a love for running, which was one of the best ways that they connected. They managed to go out on runs together, and while it was a challenge, they continued to do this together, no matter what the odds may be.

  Angela felt happy, and she saw the difference finally.

  It took about six months, but when they met up together for their weigh-ins, Angela looked at Linda with surprise on her face.

  “What’s the matter?” Linda said.

  “Nothing it’s just…woah,” she said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You’ve lost some serious weight Linda. I don’t know if you realize this or not,” she said.

  “I…I don’t know,” Linda said.

  Angela then grabbed the pictures, one from the beginning of their journey, and then, she brought the picture that she just took of Linda to view.

  “Look at this,” she said.

  Linda looked at the numbers, and then she looked at the pictures.

  “I look…so different! I’ve had to buy different clothes every now and then, but I didn’t expect this. I feel like a whole different person,” she said.

  “In a sense, you are. I saw the same difference,” she said.

  “Yeah well you’ve become quite beautiful Angela,” Linda said.

  Angela blushed, but she quickly dismissed these feelings that she had.

  “Nonsense, I just did the same thing that you did. I’m just happy that we managed to do it together. I feel happy about that,” Angela said.

  In truth, she was nervous, but also happy that she got to experience this with Linda. But, there was that realization that Linda would probably go talk to that guy again soon and the idea of that was a little crushing to Angela.

  She didn’t want Linda to rush off and do that, and in truth, she felt a small hint of jealousy flow through her.

  “Something the matter there Angela?” Linda asked.

  “Oh nothing. You look amazing though, truly beautiful. I think you can win that guy back now. the one that rejected you at first,” Angela said.

  “I think so too! I may go talk to him today,” she said.

  “Does he still work with you?”

  “No, he moved to a branch office a month into my weight loss, but he didn’t seem to notice then. however, I may talk to him once again. I just hope…I hope it goes okay,” Linda said.

  In truth, Angela wanted to be supportive, but she was mad that she was still going through with it, especially after all that they went through. Angela was a little jealous that Linda continued to do this, and she felt slightly flustered by it all.

  But, she had to keep her wits about her. She couldn’t just focus on the bad parts of this, but the good parts too. She definitely was happy and wanted to be supportive of Linda, even though in her heart, she felt slightly hurt. But, maybe things would get better.

  Angela hoped that one day Linda would look at her the same way she did with guys like that one she was trying to win. She wanted to tell Linda the truth, but right now, she just needed to praise the gains that she made, and the changes that did happen to her as a result of her hard work, and her training as well.

  Chapter 5

  Angela went back to her house, feeling a little bit sad about the fact that Linda was going off to see that guy. She didn’t really find out much about how it went after she parted ways. Linda seemed happy that she made it and she did thank Angela for all the help, but she also felt like there was some tension there.

  Angela just knew it would be better if she worked on herself. While working at a boring office was fine and all, she wanted to do something more.

  That’s when she found it. She looked online for something, anything which could be different and fun, and that’s when she started to smile.

  It was a brochure that talked about studying abroad in London. It would be a schooling experience that would change her life. Angela wanted to go back to school, especially since she didn’t get a chance to finish. She decided to apply on a whim, pressing the send button after she did that. When she sat back, she felt both nervous, but also very excited for everything that was happening.

  About a week had passed, and Angela didn’t hear from Linda. She decided to call her, and after a couple of rings, she heard Linda speak.

  “Hey there Angela! Sorry, I was a little busy the last two times you texted me,” she said.

  “It’s all good. We all get to like that. how has it been?” she asked.

  “It’s been great actually! Remember the guy I was trying to win back? you know, the one who got me inspired to lose weight?” she said.

  Linda’s tone of voice was shay, and while Angela was a little upset with that, she needed to stay happy and chipper.

  “Yeah, I remember him. What happened to him by the way?” she asked.

  “Well, he called me, and we talked. We met up for a date the other week, and well…we’re together now! she said.

  “That’s great!” Angela said, trying to feign happiness for her best friend, but in reality, a little bit upset about how this went.

  “Is everything okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah, it’s good. Sorry, I’m just surprised that’s all,” she said.

  “You don’t sound all that happy? Are you sure that you’re going to be okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah. By the way Linda, I’ll be gone for a little bit,” Angela said.

  There was a pause, and for a moment, Angela wondered if Linda even cared.

  “Why? What happened? Did I do something wrong?” she said.

  Angela felt her heart race, and she wondered when she would tell her.

  “Yeah well, I decided to go back to school,” she said.

  “That’s amazing! I know you wanted to do that Angela! Where you going to?” she asked.

  “I’m…going to be in London for about two years,” she said.

  There was a pause, and then, Linda spoke.

  “Oh. Well that stinks. I am surprised you decided to go there,” she said.

  “I found an exchange program that fits with the major that I went into at first, and I’m pretty surprised that it worked out for me like that. I’m sorry I have to tell you over the phone like this. I’ll be starting in a couple of weeks, but maybe we can…maybe we can hang out a couple more times before I head out,” she said.

  “I’d love that Angela! maybe you can meet the guy that I am with too,” she said.

  Angela tensed up, cringing a little bit when she heard those words.

  “I’d rather not,” she said.

  “Why? Is something the matter?” Linda said.

  “It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it,” Angela said.

  In truth, she would rather not meet that guy. She was pretty pissed that Linda did end up with him, but she was also her friend, and she didn’t really want to cause trouble.

  “I see, you want it to be just the two of us. You’re sweet Angela. You care about our friendship a lot,” she said.

  “I do Linda. And I’d rather it just be the two of us,” she said.

  “Totally understandable. I guess we can meet up for lunch or something during the week. I can’t wait to tell you about my boyfriend. I’m going to see him in a little bit, but I hope things in London work out for you,” she said.

  “Yeah. I hope things work out for you too,” Angela said. Her voice felt hollow and she didn’t really know what else to do at this point other than to just say these words and go from there.

  She didn’t want to lose Linda, but already, she had a feeling this would go nowhere fast.

  They decided to meet up for lunch a week later. When Angela got there, she saw Linda on her phone, typing energetically.

  “Hey!” Linda said, motioning for Angela to sit down.

  “Hey there. You seem pretty happy.
”

  “Yeah, I’m like super excited to see Thomas tonight,” Linda said.

  “Thomas’s your…boyfriend right?”

  “Yeah. He’s super cool. He was kind of a dick when I was fatter, but now that I’m skinny he’s just…super cool, you know,” she said.

  “I don’t really know, but I can relate,” Angela said.

  “You okay? You seem a bit upset at the fact that I have a boyfriend,” she said.

  “I’m not mad at all Linda. I’m just…surprised that this worked out so well for you,” Angela said. In truth, she was pretty angry with the way Linda was treating her.

  “Yeah, I’m worried about telling Jenny though. She might get pissed at me,” she said.

  “She’s your sister. It seems right to tell her, right?”

  “Yeah well, she might try to tell me that I’m wrong for this or something. She seems to always think she knows what’s best for me, but she doesn’t,” Linda said with a pout.

  Angela had to hold her tongue so much when she was around Linda. She didn’t like that Linda treated her like this either, but she knew that, if she told Linda everything, it would get awkward. But, throughout the rest of lunch, all Linda could talk about was her stupid boyfriend. Angela almost told her to shut the hell up at times, but she wanted to be supportive to Linda. She knew that Linda was definitely happy, but she felt that it was wrong. After they parted ways, Angela got a phone call. She picked up, and of course Jenny was on the other line.

  “Hey, did you know that my sister—”

  “Has a boyfriend? Yeah, she wouldn’t shut up about it over lunch today,” Angela said, annoyance obvious in her voice.

  “I swear…that girl is going to be the death of me at times. Did she seriously go back to him even though you two worked together, that you were by her side doing all of this? Ugh, she’s so immature,” Jenny said.

  “Yeah, I’m pretty annoyed by it too. But it’s fine, I’m heading out to London in a few days anyways,” she said.

  “Why’s that?” Jenny asked.

  “I’m going to…study abroad for a bit. I do care about Linda, but it’s pretty obvious that she doesn’t need me anymore. She’s in her own world, and she’s very happy about this,” Angela said.