because I had voted
against her. But she did it without comment. It was only when
she handed them to me that she said “You owe me.” The way
she said it made me think twice about taking the food but in
the end, I did it. I was doing OK financially but I was no fool.
Free food was still free food.
“Are you following me home to pick up your cat?” Ella
asked when I finally caught up to her.
I knew she wasn’t serious. “No, I told you I can’t do
it.”
“Then what do you want?”
Ella was really into fitness. She worked out five times
a week. I wasn’t sure if it was just another way for her to be
an overachiever, but I knew she could help me with what I
needed next. “I need some gym recommendations.”
“What?” Ella’s mouth dropped open. “You want to
work out?”
I balanced my mother’s Tupperware on my hip. “Well,
I have this physical fitness test coming up and I—”
Ella narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Is this for the
building manager’s license?”
“Yes!” I said, kinda excited that I’d already told a lie
that would fit for this situation, too. “Yes, that’s exactly it.
And I want to get some endurance up. Maybe help with my
flexibility.”
“I guess I can take you to my gym on Saturday.”
“Well, the test is Friday.”
Ella put her hand on her hip and for a second she
looked even more like Mom than usual. “You think you’re
going to increase your endurance and flexibility by going to
the gym one time?”
I shrugged. “It couldn’t hurt.”
Ella shook her head. “You’re hopeless, but I’ll take
you.”
“Great!”
“I’m working from home this week. Meet me at my
place tomorrow morning.”
I winced. “Ugh. Morning?”
“Yes, you have to get there before it gets crowded. We
could make it ten. That’s not that early.”
Beggars can’t be choosers. “Sure. I just have to find
something I could work out in. I don’t think I have anything.”
Ella looked my tee and jeans combo up and down. “Just
wear your regular clothes. It’s not like you’re ever wearing
anything nice. You could probably dig a ditch most of your
stuff and no one would even notice.”
“You’re late,” Ella said as she opened the door on
Thursday morning.
Of course I was late. If you ask me to come some place
before noon, I’m probably going to be late. The only time
I’d even really worried about it was with Miss Fine. And as
annoying as my sister was, she wasn’t anyway as scary as
Miss Fine.
But I couldn’t tell Ella that. “It was a crazy morning. I’m
still collecting rent. And I think one of the tenants is hiding a
dog. I was hearing weird noises last night.”
“But you said it’s a pet free building!” Ella cried. “If
they have a dog, you can take Din-Din.” At the sound of her
name, Din-Din appeared behind Ella and rubbed her body
up and down Ella’s leg.
“It is! It is! If there’s a dog, he’s got to go.”
Ella narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously. “Sure. Let’s
get going.” We both gave Din-Din some goodbye petting, Ella
locked up, and then we headed down the street to her gym.
On the walk there, I had time to compare Ella’s outfit
to mine. She was wearing form fitting workout capris, a
racerback top with the logo of a very expensive athletics
company, and a matching jacket. And she was wearing
sneakers that probably cost more than my Twinkie budget
each month, which was pretty considerable. On the other
hand, I was wearing an oversized white tee shirt, a pair of
ratty, holey sweats, and an old pair of sneakers I’d found in
the back of my closet. But for our reddish brown curls and
the fact that we always seemed on the edge of a fight, people
might not know we were sisters.
I was huffing to keep up with Ella. “Why are you
walking so fast?”
“It helps to get your warmup up on the way there.
Then you can go right into the workout,” she explained. “I’m
going to show you a few exercises you can perform
against her. But she did it without comment. It was only when
she handed them to me that she said “You owe me.” The way
she said it made me think twice about taking the food but in
the end, I did it. I was doing OK financially but I was no fool.
Free food was still free food.
“Are you following me home to pick up your cat?” Ella
asked when I finally caught up to her.
I knew she wasn’t serious. “No, I told you I can’t do
it.”
“Then what do you want?”
Ella was really into fitness. She worked out five times
a week. I wasn’t sure if it was just another way for her to be
an overachiever, but I knew she could help me with what I
needed next. “I need some gym recommendations.”
“What?” Ella’s mouth dropped open. “You want to
work out?”
I balanced my mother’s Tupperware on my hip. “Well,
I have this physical fitness test coming up and I—”
Ella narrowed her eyes suspiciously. “Is this for the
building manager’s license?”
“Yes!” I said, kinda excited that I’d already told a lie
that would fit for this situation, too. “Yes, that’s exactly it.
And I want to get some endurance up. Maybe help with my
flexibility.”
“I guess I can take you to my gym on Saturday.”
“Well, the test is Friday.”
Ella put her hand on her hip and for a second she
looked even more like Mom than usual. “You think you’re
going to increase your endurance and flexibility by going to
the gym one time?”
I shrugged. “It couldn’t hurt.”
Ella shook her head. “You’re hopeless, but I’ll take
you.”
“Great!”
“I’m working from home this week. Meet me at my
place tomorrow morning.”
I winced. “Ugh. Morning?”
“Yes, you have to get there before it gets crowded. We
could make it ten. That’s not that early.”
Beggars can’t be choosers. “Sure. I just have to find
something I could work out in. I don’t think I have anything.”
Ella looked my tee and jeans combo up and down. “Just
wear your regular clothes. It’s not like you’re ever wearing
anything nice. You could probably dig a ditch most of your
stuff and no one would even notice.”
“You’re late,” Ella said as she opened the door on
Thursday morning.
Of course I was late. If you ask me to come some place
before noon, I’m probably going to be late. The only time
I’d even really worried about it was with Miss Fine. And as
annoying as my sister was, she wasn’t anyway as scary as
Miss Fine.
But I couldn’t tell Ella that. “It was a crazy morning. I’m
still collecting rent. And I think one of the tenants is hiding a
dog. I was hearing weird noises last night.”
“But you said it’s a pet free building!” Ella cried. “If
they have a dog, you can take Din-Din.” At the sound of her
name, Din-Din appeared behind Ella and rubbed her body
up and down Ella’s leg.
“It is! It is! If there’s a dog, he’s got to go.”
Ella narrowed her eyes at me suspiciously. “Sure. Let’s
get going.” We both gave Din-Din some goodbye petting, Ella
locked up, and then we headed down the street to her gym.
On the walk there, I had time to compare Ella’s outfit
to mine. She was wearing form fitting workout capris, a
racerback top with the logo of a very expensive athletics
company, and a matching jacket. And she was wearing
sneakers that probably cost more than my Twinkie budget
each month, which was pretty considerable. On the other
hand, I was wearing an oversized white tee shirt, a pair of
ratty, holey sweats, and an old pair of sneakers I’d found in
the back of my closet. But for our reddish brown curls and
the fact that we always seemed on the edge of a fight, people
might not know we were sisters.
I was huffing to keep up with Ella. “Why are you
walking so fast?”
“It helps to get your warmup up on the way there.
Then you can go right into the workout,” she explained. “I’m
going to show you a few exercises you can perform
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