Chapter 15

                                    

                                          
Chapter 15

                          
Niall's POV

                          
June seemed very far away. Ever since I returned to the UK, things didn't seem the way they once were. I couldn't keep up with the boys anymore. I wasn't sure what my problem was, but I always seemed two steps behind.
                          
"Push-up position!" Paul barked at me, and I obeyed. "Knees tucked in! Jump! Reach for the sky! Fifteen reps!"
                          
"What?" I gasped. "My legs will turn to jelly!"
                          
"Since you're complaining... three sets, fifteen repetitions!"
                          
I groaned in frustration. It was like Paul wanted to kill me. I wasn't as fit as the other boys. Liam could beat me to a pulp if he wanted to. Zayn could throw me across a football field if he wanted to. Louis could beat me in a race if he wanted to. Harry could do all three of those things if he wanted to. I couldn't surpass them in anything.
                          
As soon as Paul's back was turned, I let my arms fall to either side. I lay on my stomach and stared into space for a moment. My thighs were burning. I wasn't going to be able to walk tomorrow.
                          
"Come on, Nialler!" Harry crowed, jogging over to me. He stopped and grinned down at me. "You have to be strong enough to fend off those fangirls somehow!"
                          
"He's just a bag of skin and bones," Louis smirked by the water cooler. He hung out over there a lot.
                          
"You're never going to get a girlfriend without tattoos or muscles," Zayn informed me. "Perrie loves my tattoo of her." He flexed his muscles. "Look at these babies."
                          
"Oh, yeah?" Liam countered from across the room. He abandoned his punching bag and raced over to us. Where did his energy come from? "My biceps are twice the size of yours."
                          
"I beg to differ," Harry countered.
                          
Soon, all of the boys were bickering over who had the biggest biceps. I rolled my eyes, then closed them. Maybe I didn't have what it took to be a "real" man. I hated exercise and tattoos. I'd rather sit inside all day, eat, and mess around on Twitter.
                          
"One, two, three, heave!" someone shouted, and I was suddenly lifted into the air. People were holding onto my hands and feet. I struggled in surprise.
                          
"What the hell!" I shouted.
                          
"Put him down, lads," the same voice--Liam--said, and they dropped me. My head banged onto the concrete ground. I groaned in pain.
                          
"Whoops," another voice said. It was Louis. He didn't sound very sorry.
                          
"Are we done for the day?" I asked desperately. "I'm exhausted."
                          
"You still have to do your three sets of fifteen reps of burpees," Paul told me. He suddenly appeared over my head.
                          
"Burpees?" Harry echoed. Louis giggled like a child.
                          
"Ah! Paul!" I hollered. I scrambled to my feet and sprinted away as fast as I could. I did NOT want to be tortured anymore.
                          
"Look! He's running!" I heard Zayn exclaim behind me.
                          
"It's a Christmas miracle in May!" Harry added.
                          
I ignored them. I raced around the outdoor track at full speed. Unfortunately for me, I quickly ran out of breath. Since I didn't want Paul making me do more burpees, I turned off the track and hid behind a pine tree.
                          
I pressed my back against the trunk of the tree, panting hard. My legs couldn't support my weight, so I slowly slid down to my bum. I sat in the grass. Sweat was probably sparkling on my forehead, and my t-shirt was pasted to my abdomen. I rested my head back and closed my eyes.