#Chapter 13: Race to the Finish

Celeste

The gym echoed with a constant symphony of footsteps, clanging weights, and stifled conversation.

“Hey. Celeste.” Fiona nudged me with her elbow, breaking me out of my short-lived reverie with Matt, who had now returned to his conversation with his friends. “Come on.”

I nodded and followed her, feeling my face turning a deep shade of red—both from Matt’s unexpected presence and the other people around me, who were no doubt staring at the chubby newcomer in her baggy sweatpants and men’s t-shirt.

As Fiona and I walked over to the treadmills, I caught snippets of whispered conversations that seemed to have one thing in common: me.

"...can't believe she's here..."

"...does she think she can keep up?"

I felt a nudge. Fiona rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Sounds like you're the talk of the town. Congrats.”

I sighed. “Yeah, for all the wrong reasons.”

Under so-called ‘normal’ circumstances, maybe I would have listened to the advice of others who said that people i