chapter 1- the compromise (part 1)

“Academic probation?!?! You mean I’m off the team!?” Jill’s voice cracked from the shear shock of her track coach’s announcement.

“I’m sorry Jill. On paper you’re my best half miler. If there was any other option I would have done it, but the university has a policy. You failed two classes last semester and barely passed your others. If you are not able to bring up your grades this semester you won’t have to worry about running for this university, because you’ll lose your scholarship. Do you think your parents are willing to pay full tuition just so you can run in this program?” Coach Jackson chastised Jill, as she looked ready to cry.

“No.. I guess not.. but I’m.. really not good at school.” Jill muttered, as tears rolled down her cheeks. Jill’s long brown hair was pulled up into a high ponytail. It was not going to obscure any of her tears from her young coach.

“Get your priorities straight this semester. You did fine in high school, I’m sure you can do fine in college if you put your mind to it.” Coach Jackson assured her. This wasn’t the first time he’d had to console a struggling athlete. Running at their level was time consuming and combined with the rigors of class, it was no wonder freshman like Jill Gibbins struggled.

Little did Coach Jackson know that Jill’s struggles were not born out of an overwhelming schedule, it was quite the contrary. During cross country season Jill had a very open schedule. She just was not filling her time with homework and studying. Her days were spent grinding away on the road, training her athletic body to new limits.

Jill had a nearly perfect middle distance runner’s body. Her stomach was flat and toned, her legs were long and lean with muscular thighs, her butt was built like a rock with all the lean muscle she had acquired from her daily runs, however, Jill noticed its slight growth with each passing year. Since her junior year of high school her shape had slowly grown more ‘womanly.’ Her friends used to tease her that she was a ‘beanpole’ but now with her tight curved hips, shapely butt, and respectable bust, she looked like less of a ‘beanpole’ and more like a ‘rockstar.’

So, while her days were spent keeping her 5’4 110lbs body in running shape, her nights were spent exploring the university's numerous frat houses and indulging in alcoholic beverages. She liked going out. She was always the life of the party. She preferred to be out doing something than be stuck in her dorm room with her fat and nerdy roommate Alexa.

Alexa was a big girl. Well.. Big as in fat. She was a little taller than Jill, but probably weighted more than double her own weight. They had been randomly paired as roommates by the university and Jill hated her. She was lazy, antisocial, and not to mention a totally introverted bookworm. Any time spent away from the room was time well spent as far as Jill was concerned.

Jill knew she partied too much her previous semester. It was probably the reason why she’d done so poorly in her classes. Well, another reason was that she just could not bring herself to care about them. But that was then and this was now. It was time for her to buckle down and really bust her ass getting good grades.