The Girl in the Middle

Tom’s training regime

*Tom*

Putting a face to the threat hanging over her head turned out to be exactly the motivation Amber needed. She don't just give up any longer as soon as she get tired, but keep fighting until her body can't go any longer. Instead of pressuring her to do better, I now need to hold her back, get her to listen to her body and stop before she collapses.

Very fast she feel at home in the training rooms. Working on the machines and the treadmill without paying attention to others. Mike, Clay, Kattie or I am with her and has to keep telling her that it wouldn't work putting more weight on, not yet. She is impatient, but she still listen to us, mostly.

"If I make a complete training schedule for you, do you promise me to follow it ?" I ask her, while she once again sits with her head between her knees, trying not to throw up.

"It need to go faster". She mumbles through her pressed together lips. "I don't have time for this".

"Amber". I sigh, rubbing my face in frustration. "Your body can't change in a matter of weeks. Pressuring it like you try to do now will only destroy it, and wouldn't that be such a shame ?"

"I don't have time". She repeat, looking up at me. Her eyes, that before would always flicker around, now holds my gaze with no wavering. "He kissed me Tom". She points out. "Zombie kissed me and I could do nothing to stop him. And even worst, he did it in front of Clay".

"Amber look at me !" I places my hands on her shoulders, squeezing slightly. "I promise you will get the possibility to take revenge on Zombie. But to get there you will have to do as I tell you. I actually know what I am talking about here".

"I don't get anywhere by playing football with the kids". She huffs in an annoyed tone.

"Could little miss know it all please hold her complaints till she has heard the actual schedule ?" I have to be hard, I would get nowhere with her by being soft. She can hate me if she wants to. And by the way she almost never play football anymore. Even if I tell her to, I will more often than not find her training instead.

"Fine!" She makes a face. "Come with it then".

"You are to be here every morning at 8 o'clock and start the day by running along the wall. When you can do the whole lap without walking or stopping you start taking time and report you lap time to me every day. After that you go down here and go through the routine I have put together, with the weight I have told you. Nothing more or nothing less, get it ?" I hand her the paper were everything is written down.

She nod as her eyes scan the paper slowly.

"When you are through the series on the paper, you will take a walk along the wall, and make sure to drink two bottles of water while you do it. When that is done you are to take a fifteen minute break and eat one of these". I hand her a protein bar. It is necessary to get a lot of extra proteins in her when she is training this hard and I doubt she had gotten a lot of proteins in her life. "And then you take another walk along the wall. Only walking. That should fit with lunch. Make sure to eat plenty of meat and vegetables. After lunch you are to spend an hour doing absolutely nothing. You can go sleep an hour in my bed if you feel like it".

"Seriously, you are going to tell me when to sleep ?" She look angrily at me. "How old am I ? You are not my father you know".

"Right now you are acting like you are about eight years old". I tell her. "After your break, you take twenty minutes on the treadmill as fast as you can. Then you repeat the series, then another walk along the wall drinking another two bottles of water and another protein bar. The rest of the afternoon and the evening you can spend as you want, except no training whatsoever. And I expect you to sleep at least ten hours every night".

"So you haven't scheduled my free time too ?" She say dryly.

"No, but I could come up with some fun ideas that Burns some extra calories". I send her a teasing grin and she rolls her eyes, but her cheeks get suspiciously red. "No seriously, if you want an advice. Spend time with your gang, get to know people and have a bit of fun".

"And what if I don't follow your schedule ?" She look at me challenging. When she first came here, she would never have dared talking back to me like this.

"Well then I am going to wash my hands and I will tell Ben that you don't have the reason or good sence you need to be an active member". I hold her gaze and the challenge disappears from her eyes when she realised that I am serious.

"And I guess that Clay is only interested in active members ?" She sigh sadly. "I need to become strong so he won't have to protect me all the time".

I can't help smiling. I understand the look in her eyes, because I have seen that look in the eyes of dozens of young girls under my protection. "Well without claiming to know how Clay thinks, I am guessing he actually enjoys protecting you, it's a male thing you know, we like to be the stronger ones. You have given him something to care about again. You should really insist on spending more time with him".

"He is always out selling or working at the club. Or taking inventory or delivering or at some kind of meeting". She stop to breath in. "I don't like him selling drugs".

"Then tell him". I suggest, quickly adding that she shouldn't do it if he has used said drugs or if he had been drinking.