WebNovels

Chapter 3 - First Steps

Chapter 3: First Steps

Aiden's alarm went off at 6:00 a.m., the same default chime that was starting to feel like a battle cry. It was early November, two months since the pep rally disaster, and the air outside his window was cold enough to make him dread the bike ride to the gym. He rolled out of bed anyway, his muscles sore from yesterday's workout. The ache wasn't as bad as it had been that first week, when he could barely lift his arms after a set of push-ups.

Now, it was a reminder he was doing something. He pulled on a black hoodie, sweatpants, and his sneakers, which were starting to show some wear. His gym bag was packed the night before—a water bottle, a towel, and a protein bar he'd bought after watching another YouTube fitness video. He wasn't sure if the bar would actually do anything, but it felt like progress.

Downstairs, the house was dark except for the kitchen light. His dad, Mike, was already up, sipping coffee and scrolling through his phone, still in his flannel pajama pants. "You're up early again," Mike said, not looking up. "This gym thing's sticking, huh?"

"Yeah," Aiden said, grabbing an apple from the counter. "Trying to make it a habit."

Mike grunted, a sound that could mean approval or skepticism. "Just don't overdo it. You're not training for the Olympics."

Aiden smirked, biting into the apple. "Not yet." He headed out, the cold air hitting him like a slap as he unlocked his bike. The streets of Westbridge were quiet, the only sound the hum of his tires and the occasional car heading to the highway. The gym was starting to feel familiar, not like home but less like enemy territory. He'd gone five times last week, each session a little less intimidating. Sophie's advice—just keep showing up—was stuck in his head, and it was working.

Inside Westbridge Fitness, the morning crowd was thinner than the after-school rush. The same hip-hop playlist blared, and the guy with the shaved head from his first day was there, lifting weights like he was auditioning for a superhero movie. Aiden ignored him, heading for the dumbbell rack.

He'd moved up to 20-pound weights now, still light compared to the monsters some guys were using, but it felt like a win. He started his curls, focusing on his form—elbows in, slow and controlled, just like Sophie had shown him.

Halfway through his set, he spotted her across the gym, setting up a barbell for squats. Sophie was in a blue tank top, her short dark hair pulled back with a headband. She caught his eye and gave a quick wave, which Aiden returned with a nod. He wasn't sure if they were friends yet, but she was the only person here who didn't make him feel like an imposter. After his set, he grabbed his water bottle and wandered over.

"Morning," Sophie said, racking her barbell. "You're sticking with it. That's more than most newbies."

Aiden shrugged, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Figure I've got nothing else going on."

She laughed, a sharp sound that cut through the gym's noise. "That's the spirit. You try the bench yet? Or you still scared of it?"

"Not scared," Aiden said, a little too quickly. "Just... taking my time."

"Uh-huh." She smirked, grabbing her towel. "Come on, I'll spot you. Start light—you don't need to impress anyone."

Aiden hesitated but followed her to the bench press. She helped him load the bar with 25-pound plates, keeping the weight manageable. He lay back, gripping the bar, his heart pounding more from nerves than effort. Sophie stood behind him, her hands hovering in case he screwed up. "Breathe out when you push," she said. "Don't lock your elbows."

He managed eight reps, shaky but clean, and racked the bar with a clang. Sophie nodded. "Not bad. You'll be less wobbly next time."

"Thanks," Aiden said, sitting up. His arms felt like jelly, but he was grinning. "You do this every day?"

"Most days," she said, adjusting her headband. "I'm at the community college, so I've got weird hours. This place keeps me sane." She paused, eyeing him. "What's your deal? You don't seem like the gym-bro type."

Aiden's grin faded. He wasn't about to spill the whole Lila saga. "Just wanted a change," he said, keeping it vague. "Got tired of sitting around."

"Fair enough." Sophie grabbed her water bottle. "Stick with it, Aiden. You're doing better than you think." She headed to the treadmills, leaving him to finish his workout. He moved to the pull-up bar, managing three wobbly pull-ups before his arms gave out. It wasn't much, but it was more than he could've done a month ago. He left the gym feeling sore but lighter, like he was carving out a version of himself that didn't flinch at mirrors.

At school, Aiden's new routine was starting to show. His hoodies fit a little tighter around his shoulders, and he didn't slouch as much in the halls. It wasn't a full-on transformation—nobody was stopping to stare—but he noticed small things. A girl in his math class smiled at him during roll call, and a guy from his history class, one of the popular ones, nodded at him like they were cool. It was weird, but it felt good.

Debate practice was another story. He'd been going twice a week, and while he wasn't bombing as badly as that first day, he was still rough. Ms. Torres had paired him with a senior named Priya, who was patient but didn't sugarize anything. "Your points are solid," she'd said yesterday, "but you talk too fast. Slow down, or you'll lose the room.

" Aiden had nodded, taking notes, but it was hard not to feel like he was playing catch-up with kids who'd been doing this for years.

Today's practice was in the same stuffy classroom, the air thick with the smell of dry-erase markers. Ms. Torres was at the whiteboard, outlining the next topic: Resolved: Social media does more harm than good. Aiden was on the "pro" side, teamed with Priya again. They'd prepared arguments about cyberbullying and addiction, but when it was his turn to speak, his nerves kicked in. He stood at the front, his notecards creased from gripping them too hard.

"Social media, uh, it's a problem because it makes people compare themselves," he started, his voice steadier than last time but still shaky. "Like, kids see perfect lives online, and it messes with their heads. Studies show anxiety rates are up because of it." He stumbled through his points, citing a stat he half-remembered, but managed to finish without tripping over his words. Priya jumped in, her delivery smooth and sharp, making their side sound unbeatable.

When they sat down, Ms. Torres gave Aiden a nod. "Better, Carter. You're finding your voice. Keep practicing." It wasn't high praise, but it was enough to make him sit a little straighter. Priya leaned over, whispering, "You're getting it. Just don't sound like you're apologizing."

"Thanks," Aiden said, his face warm. He glanced around the room, catching the eye of a senior named Matt, one of the popular kids who'd never spoken to him before. Matt gave him a thumbs-up, which threw Aiden off. Was he actually starting to fit in somewhere?

Lunch was the usual chaos in the Westbridge High cafeteria—trays clattering, kids shouting over each other, the smell of overcooked pizza hanging in the air. Aiden sat with Ryan, who was hunched over his laptop, typing code for his startup idea. "You're gonna burn out your eyes," Aiden said, grabbing a fry from Ryan's tray.

"Says the guy who's suddenly a gym rat," Ryan shot back, not looking up. "How's the debate thing going? You famous yet?"

Aiden snorted. "Hardly. But I didn't suck today, so that's something."

Ryan grinned, closing his laptop. "Look at you, Mr. Confidence. Next thing you know, you'll be running for prom king."

"Shut up," Aiden said, but he was smiling. He glanced across the cafeteria, his eyes landing on Lila's table out of habit. She was with Jess and Mia, as usual, laughing at something on her phone. Her red hair was loose today, and she looked like she belonged on a magazine cover. Aiden's chest tightened, but he forced himself to look away. He wasn't that guy anymore, the one who'd pine after her.

Then Lila looked up, her green eyes meeting his for a split second. She smiled—not the polite one from the rally, but a real one, like she was surprised to see him. Before he could overthink it, she got up, leaving her friends, and walked toward his table. Aiden's pulse spiked. Ryan noticed, raising an eyebrow but saying nothing.

"Hey, Aiden," Lila said, stopping a few feet away. She was holding her phone, her fingers tapping nervously against the case. "I heard you're doing debate now. That's cool."

Aiden leaned back in his chair, keeping his expression neutral. "Yeah, it's something to do." His voice was steady, but inside, he was reeling. Why was she talking to him now? After two months of radio silence?

Lila shifted her weight, like she wasn't sure what to say next. "I didn't know you were into that stuff. It's... impressive."

"Thanks," Aiden said, his tone clipped. He wasn't going to make this easy for her. Not after the way she'd shut him down in front of half the school. "Just trying new things."

She nodded, biting her lip. "Cool. Well, good luck with it." She hesitated, like she wanted to say more, but Aiden just nodded back, picking up a fry and popping it in his mouth. She took the hint, turning back to her table, her shoulders a little hunched.

Ryan let out a low whistle. "Damn, man. You just iced her out. That was cold."

Aiden shrugged, but his stomach was in knots. "She doesn't get to act like nothing happened."

"Fair," Ryan said, opening his laptop again. "But you know she's gonna keep trying, right? Girls like Lila don't like being ignored."

"Let her try," Aiden said, his voice harder than he felt. He didn't know what he wanted from Lila—maybe nothing, maybe everything. All he knew was he wasn't going to be the one chasing anymore.

That night, Aiden was at the dinner table with his dad, the smell of tacos filling the small kitchen. Mike had gone all out—ground beef, fresh salsa, even some avocado he'd splurged on. Aiden piled his plate, his appetite bigger than usual after the gym. Mike was in a good mood, telling a story about a customer at the garage who'd tried to argue about an oil change.

"You're looking less like a scrawny kid," Mike said, passing the salsa. "This gym thing's doing something."

Aiden grinned, taking a bite of his taco. "Trying to."

Mike nodded, his expression softening. "I'm proud of you, kid. Takes guts to stick with something new. Just don't let it change who you are."

Aiden paused, the taco halfway to his mouth. "What's that mean?"

"Means you're a good kid. Don't start acting like those guys who think they're better than everyone else." Mike took a sip of his beer, his eyes on Aiden. "You're enough as is."

Aiden didn't know what to say to that. He nodded, focusing on his food. His dad wasn't big on heart-to-hearts, so the words hit harder than they might've from someone else. He thought about Lila's smile in the cafeteria, the way it had thrown him off. He wasn't doing this for her, he reminded himself. He was doing it for him.

After dinner, Aiden was in his room, scrolling through his phone. His gym selfie from last week had more likes now—twenty, including Sophie and a few kids from school. He opened his laptop, pulling up the debate team's group chat. Priya had posted a new article about social media's impact on mental health. Read this before regionals, she'd written. Aiden clicked the link, skimming the stats. He wasn't great at debate yet, but he was starting to see how it worked—facts, logic, confidence. He could get there.

His phone buzzed again. Another like, this time from Matt, the senior from debate. Aiden's lips twitched into a smile. He wasn't popular, not by a long shot, but he was starting to exist in a way he hadn't before. People were noticing him—not just Lila, but others. It felt good, like he was finally stepping out of the shadows.

Across town, Lila was at her desk, her laptop open to a blank document for her journalism internship. She couldn't focus.

Aiden's voice kept replaying in her head—Just trying new things. He'd been so... different today, not the nervous guy who'd asked her out at the rally. She opened her phone, pulling up his profile again. The gym selfie was still there, his face serious but determined. She scrolled through his other posts—nothing flashy, just a few shots of textbooks and a debate flyer. He was changing, and she didn't know why it bothered her so much.

Maya poked her head into the room, her phone in hand. "You're staring at Aiden's page again, aren't you?" she said, smirking. "You messed up, sis. He's not the same guy you shut down."

"I didn't shut him down," Lila snapped, closing her phone. "I just said I wasn't interested. There's a difference."

"Sure," Maya said, flopping onto Lila's bed. "But he's not chasing you anymore. Bet that stings."

Lila rolled her eyes, but her sister wasn't wrong. She'd seen the way Aiden carried himself today, the way he didn't linger on her like he used to. It shouldn't matter—she had college apps, her internship, her friends. But it did. She turned back to her laptop, trying to focus, but Aiden's face stayed in her mind.

Back in his room, Aiden closed his laptop, his eyes on the debate flyer pinned to his wall. Regionals were in two weeks, his first real competition. He wasn't ready, not by a long shot, but he was going. He'd show up, just like at the gym. He wasn't the guy who got laughed off anymore. He was someone new, someone who didn't flinch. And if Lila was starting to notice, that was her problem, not his.

More Chapters