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The next morning, I walked into another early morning session with Rove.

"Hey," I said, setting down my bag.

"Hey."

He tapped something on his phone, and music started playing over the speakers.

I opened my bag, reaching for my water bottle so I could wash down the vitamins and ibuprofen I'd been taking every day. Running behind that morning, I'd tossed my pill box inside, but my water bottle was nowhere to be found.

"Dang it," I muttered under my breath.

Rove glanced up, one eyebrow lifting.

"You okay?"

"I forgot my water to take my pills."

I turned to head for the water fountain downstairs, but Rove stopped me.

"Just take them with this."

He grabbed his coffee off the speaker and held it out to me.

I hesitated, suddenly very aware that my lips were about to touch the same cup as his.

Stop being weird.

Taking the warm foam cup from his hand, I tossed back my medicine and vitamins, then washed it down with some of his coffee.

"Ugh," I said, making a face. “It’s so sweet.”

He rolled his eyes and took back the cup. “Too sweet? There’s like one sugar packet in that.”

I made another face. “Coffee is much better with just cream.”

His eyes widened. “Just cream?” He set the coffee back down while shaking his head and then gestured for me to circle my number in the notebook. “Stop speaking nonsense and write your number down, Red.”

I fought a smile while circling a two on today's scale.

I handed it back to him, and he quickly glanced at the number. He nodded once, and just like that, Coach Rove was back.

"We've really got to focus on your breathing because we're going to have to work even harder leading up to the U.S Classic."

The Elite Qualifier got my foot in the door, but I’d have to do well at this next meet if I wanted to qualify for Nationals.

"Great," I said as I started to jog across the floor.

"You're getting better at the techniques we've been implementing, but the skills you're working are getting more intense, and your body has to catch up."

"Tell me about it," I muttered, switching into chassés.

"I know you're sore, but we can't slow down. If anything, we need to ramp things up. So make sure you're taking your ice baths and sticking to your vitamin regimen so your body can recover."

"Right," I said.

I'd been taking my vitamins. Vitamins were easy. In fact, I'd just downed a few of them.

But the ice baths?