and some
machines you can use. And I’m going to get you a temporary
guest pass for you to come back on your own.”
“My test is tomorrow. I don’t think I’ll need to come
back.”
“You’re getting older. It’s time for you to start taking
care of yourself. What did you eat for breakfast?”
I thought about it a moment. “Ice cream,” I mumbled.
Ella opened the door of the gym. “That’s exactly what
I’m talking about.”
Her gym was just what I’d expected. Loud music
pumped from speakers in every corner of the space. The
walls were covered with mirrors. Rows of machinery filled
the main space with a large weight area off to the side. Even
before noon, it was filled with people wearing outfits much
more similar to Ella’s than to mine.
“Come on.” Ella grabbed my tee shirt and pulled me
over the receptionist desk. The receptionist, a beefy guy in a
tiny tank top, was turned away from us. “Excuse me,” Ella
said. “I need to check in and I want to get a guest pass for my
sister.”
“Is this her first time here.” The receptionist turned
around and I gasped. I knew this guy. He used to date
my sister. I’d only met him once but he was typical of the
inappropriate guys my sister tended to date. As smart as
Ella was, it wasn’t until I pointed out that a monosyllable
bodybuilder wasn’t a match that she broke up with him. Also,
his name was Rodney.
“Rodney.” Ella said his name exactly the way she said
mine when she wished I wasn’t there. It wasn’t a greeting. It
wasn’t a question. It was just an acknowledgement that he
still existed. Ella gestured to me as she filled out the form he
passed her. “You remember Audrey, don’t you?”
He gave me a tight lipped smile. “Sure. Audrey how
have you been?”
“Good,” I replied. “How’s your diet going?” Ella gave
me a warning look but I went on. “Also, I don’t know if you
know this, but that tank top is too small for you. Is that the
only size they make them in?”
Rodney just smiled. “The diet is going great. I cut out
the cheat days, though. Go big or go home, right? I’m really
serious about treating my body like a temple. And this shirt?
I love it. I think this is how it’s supposed to be worn, though.”
He knitted his eyebrows together and stared down at the shirt
like it might give him the answer.
Ella passed the form back to Rodney and grabbed the
guest pass on a lanyard that he slid back to her. “Ignore her.
She has emotional problems.” She tugged the lanyard over
my head, grabbed me, and dragged me away from the desk
toward a treadmill.
Her grip was pinching me. “Owwww! That hurts!”
Ella started mashing buttons on the treadmill and it
came to life. “You deserve it! Why are you so ridiculous? Get
on this treadmill.”
I stepped onto it and immediately started moving. “ I’m childish? You could see his nipples . Why aren’t you hitting
him?”
Ella pushed some buttons on the treadmill next to mine
and hopped on. “I come here every day. You’re embarrassing
me. Rod and I are still friendly.”
“Rod? When you call him that, it makes it even worse.”
I huffed. The treadmill was going a little faster than I’d like.
I tried to slow it down but she reached over and slapped
my hand away from the controls. “I want to slow down,” I
complained.
Ella pushed some buttons on her treadmill and sped
up. “Pain is weakness leaving the body.”
I laughed so hard, I almost fell off the treadmill. “Did
Rod teach you that?”
“Stop it! Just stop it! Every time you make fun of him,
you’re not really making fun of him—you’re making fun of
me. And you’re only making fun of me because I’m doing
something you can’t do.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that you can’t really connect with people.
You’ve never had a boyfriend. I actually don’t think you’ve
been on a date since high school. You don’t take any chances
to get out of your
machines you can use. And I’m going to get you a temporary
guest pass for you to come back on your own.”
“My test is tomorrow. I don’t think I’ll need to come
back.”
“You’re getting older. It’s time for you to start taking
care of yourself. What did you eat for breakfast?”
I thought about it a moment. “Ice cream,” I mumbled.
Ella opened the door of the gym. “That’s exactly what
I’m talking about.”
Her gym was just what I’d expected. Loud music
pumped from speakers in every corner of the space. The
walls were covered with mirrors. Rows of machinery filled
the main space with a large weight area off to the side. Even
before noon, it was filled with people wearing outfits much
more similar to Ella’s than to mine.
“Come on.” Ella grabbed my tee shirt and pulled me
over the receptionist desk. The receptionist, a beefy guy in a
tiny tank top, was turned away from us. “Excuse me,” Ella
said. “I need to check in and I want to get a guest pass for my
sister.”
“Is this her first time here.” The receptionist turned
around and I gasped. I knew this guy. He used to date
my sister. I’d only met him once but he was typical of the
inappropriate guys my sister tended to date. As smart as
Ella was, it wasn’t until I pointed out that a monosyllable
bodybuilder wasn’t a match that she broke up with him. Also,
his name was Rodney.
“Rodney.” Ella said his name exactly the way she said
mine when she wished I wasn’t there. It wasn’t a greeting. It
wasn’t a question. It was just an acknowledgement that he
still existed. Ella gestured to me as she filled out the form he
passed her. “You remember Audrey, don’t you?”
He gave me a tight lipped smile. “Sure. Audrey how
have you been?”
“Good,” I replied. “How’s your diet going?” Ella gave
me a warning look but I went on. “Also, I don’t know if you
know this, but that tank top is too small for you. Is that the
only size they make them in?”
Rodney just smiled. “The diet is going great. I cut out
the cheat days, though. Go big or go home, right? I’m really
serious about treating my body like a temple. And this shirt?
I love it. I think this is how it’s supposed to be worn, though.”
He knitted his eyebrows together and stared down at the shirt
like it might give him the answer.
Ella passed the form back to Rodney and grabbed the
guest pass on a lanyard that he slid back to her. “Ignore her.
She has emotional problems.” She tugged the lanyard over
my head, grabbed me, and dragged me away from the desk
toward a treadmill.
Her grip was pinching me. “Owwww! That hurts!”
Ella started mashing buttons on the treadmill and it
came to life. “You deserve it! Why are you so ridiculous? Get
on this treadmill.”
I stepped onto it and immediately started moving. “ I’m childish? You could see his nipples . Why aren’t you hitting
him?”
Ella pushed some buttons on the treadmill next to mine
and hopped on. “I come here every day. You’re embarrassing
me. Rod and I are still friendly.”
“Rod? When you call him that, it makes it even worse.”
I huffed. The treadmill was going a little faster than I’d like.
I tried to slow it down but she reached over and slapped
my hand away from the controls. “I want to slow down,” I
complained.
Ella pushed some buttons on her treadmill and sped
up. “Pain is weakness leaving the body.”
I laughed so hard, I almost fell off the treadmill. “Did
Rod teach you that?”
“Stop it! Just stop it! Every time you make fun of him,
you’re not really making fun of him—you’re making fun of
me. And you’re only making fun of me because I’m doing
something you can’t do.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that you can’t really connect with people.
You’ve never had a boyfriend. I actually don’t think you’ve
been on a date since high school. You don’t take any chances
to get out of your
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