Never Stop (open)

[Rose Hoff]

Rose sighed, sitting down on her bed. Christmas had been wonderful with her father, and she'd missed being around him. The break from Blue Ridge had been nice, though she'd chosen to go back pretty early, wanting to have some time with Vintage and Eleanor before classes started up again. The campus was less crowded than usual, since most students were still away, and she'd already been with Eleanor today. Later, she planned on lunging Vintage, since the mare had seemed a bit off and she wanted to make sure that is was nothing horrible.

It was late morning, and she's decided that today she was going to go to the gym. She hated the idea, but it had been forever since she'd done so, and based on how many unnecessary christmas cookies she'd eaten, she was going to need it. She quickly pulled on her leggings and tank top, pulling on a fleece over it and lacing up her running sneakers. Petting Tulip a couple times before leaving, she took one last look around the room and left, making her way over to the gym.

Immediately, she moved to the workout room and pulled out her phone, which she'd put an armband holder over. Back at home, her father had had a bit of a home gym in their basement, and she'd worked out often. Putting her phone around her upper arm, she wrapped the velcro as far as it would go so it wouldn't slip down, and put her earbuds in her ears, turning the music on. Hopping on the eliptical machine, she started up immediately, moving into that zone of hers where she forgot everything that was happening around her. She preferred the eliptical over any of the other machines, as it was lighter on her joints.

clothes

[Leonardo Jacobs]

Leo shivered slightly, pulling his jacket closer around his chest. Even after winter break, the weather was still quite cold and the boy was not in the mood to really do much. A gym bag plopped along the side of his body as he walked along the paved walkways of the academy. The one efficient way to get heated up was to exercise and the brunette figured if he was to do something productive, exercise certainly made it onto the list. He was definitely piling on the pounds anyway from his grandparent’s big Christmas dinner and all the extra chocolate that he had eaten anyway.

He was quite certain he would forever smell of peppermint with all the candy canes he’d eaten. His grandmother had brought a bunch of candy canes in thought of Avery, who much to his un-surprise had refused to come home for the holidays. Still, even without the familiar giggles of excitement from his sister, Christmas had been alright. He’d gained a new dressage saddle and his father had given him the tractor. Of course, Leo wasn’t quite sure what to do with the thing still sitting back home. Now that there was no farm, the tractor really wasn’t much use. Christmas had been a mix of unpleasant memories and beautifully decorated things. He’d enjoyed some of it, but it had felt a bit empty without his sister or his mother. It had felt this way ever since the night she’d died.

Dressed in shorts, and having a huge jacket covering his upper body, Leo was certain he looked a bit odd. Still, his appearance really didn’t matter to him as much as it mattered to others and the boy entered the gym as calmly as he did anything. Immediately, his eyes went to the redhead on the elliptical machine. He’d forgotten her name yet again, but her image caused yet again another bad memory to be formed in his head. The two of them and another girl had been caught before winter break, sneaking out in the night to the barn.

Of course, he hadn’t actually been doing anything considered even close to naughty, but that still had been a pretty terrible experience. Nevertheless, the boy offered the girl a polite little smile though he doubted she’d see it working out as she was. Finally shrugging out of his jacket, Leo slipped on his sneakers afterwards and walked over to where the line of treadmills stood. He preferred to do what he did best; run. His head phones all plugged in and music already pumping him up, the brunette climbed on and began at a fast paced walk to warm up.