That’s when Taylor knew that if she really wanted to make a career out of her love of fitness, she would have to do whatever it took to make it happen, even if it meant facing her biggest fear.

She just had to find the courage to do it.

That’s why you’re here. Get off your ass and get that practice manual!

Taylor slapped the magazine closed and took it back to the rack. But instead of going over to the study aids section, she moved to the comics, hoping there were still copies of her favorite graphic novel series.

She used to refer to her comics as her guilty pleasure, but fuck that shit. Anything that brought her pleasure these days was welcomed and she refused to feel guilty about it.

Of course, the entire Nisekoi: False Love series was sold out, because Austin comic geeks knew what was up. She picked out a couple of other contemporary romance manga that looked promising, then tossed her empty coffee cup into the trash and took a deep breath.

It was time for her to embrace the grown-up version of herself and face her demons. She straightened her spine and marched over to the aisle marked STUDY AIDS AND TEST PREP, approaching the ACT prep guide as if it were a snake.

“Stop being ridiculous,” she chided herself.

But she still didn’t reach for the thick book. Instead, she retreated until her shoulders met the opposite shelf.

Closing her eyes, she dropped her head back and blew out a deep, weary breath. She needed a moment to work through the painful memories that enveloped her whenever she was reminded about what happened the last time she’d made a failed attempt at being a student. The hurt and anger, the paralyzing sense of worthlessness; it was demoralizing.

Taylor had been so sure that she’d finally gathered the courage to face the college entrance exam when she’d sat down to take it last spring. She’d spent weeks studying—well, conducting her own brand of studying, which admittedly, left a lot to be desired. Still, she’d been so sure of herself.

The morning of the test, she’d spent an hour meditating to the calming hum of Tibetan singing bowls from one of the apps on her phone. When she slid into the chair in the lecture hall a few hours later, she’d felt calmer and more confident than she ever had in a classroom. But, per her standard operating procedure when it came to anything to do with school, the weeks of preparation and positive self-talk dissipated the moment the test administrator told them to break the seal on their testing booklet.