by C Zinnia
Mel was stunned. “That’s a lot of physical activity,” she said. “I’m taken a few self-defense classes. I like taking dance classes here and there, but I’m not big into working out.”
“Don’t worry, we can get you on a good training regimen,” Viola said.
Mel didn’t know how to respond. She did know she didn’t like the thought of training so much. If I say I don’t like training, Viola may not like me. I don’t want her to breakup with me, she thought. “Sounds great,” she said lamely. “So, you fight once a month, every month?”
“Not every month, but at least six months out of the year,” Viola answered. “Sometimes, we having more meetings in the month. Randomly, packs will want to throw some celebration or another. We don’t need much of an excuse to meet. Four times a year, we celebrate the equinoxes. For example, we’ve having a huge gathering of many packs from the East Coast on September to celebrate Mabon. We typically have a couple of fighting tournaments that lasts for a few days. I don’t compete every year because I like giving others a chance to win, but every time I compete, I win.” Viola glanced over at her. “I already planned to compete this year, so you’ll get to watch me win the tournament.”
“Oh,” Mel said. She felt anxious at the prospect of meeting so many packs so soon. Mel could barely handle the thought of meeting everyone from Viola’s pack. I’ll mess it up, I just know it, she thought. She tried to suppress her doubts and refocus her attention of Viola. “How many years have you been competing?” she asked.
“I started fighting in competitions at twenty and I’ve been fighting for the past eight years,” Viola said. “On average I’ve had seven fights a year. Tournament years it jumps up to fifteen fights a year.”
“How many have you won?” Mel asked.
“All of them,” Viola said. “And I’ve competed and won six tournaments.”
Mel thought her eyes were going to pop out of her head. “All? That’s over a hundred fights! How do you do it?”
Viola enjoyed the look on Mel’s face. She couldn’t help but puff out her chest. “I train hard.”
Chapter 7
Viola and Mel pulled into a small parking lot beside a warehouse. There was a sign that read “Shinin’ Off the Moon Wellness Center”.
Mel saw the name and glanced at Viola with a raised eyebrow. “Really?” Mel said.
“Actually, they picked the name because of Franklin County’s history of making and selling illegal moonshine,” Viola said.
“Why name a wellness center about liquor?” Mel asked.
“Why not?” Viola asked. “There are people who work out and enjoy liquor. I don’t, but there are those who do. Besides, it shows camaraderie with the community.”
The parking lot had three other cars. Two or three elderly people patiently waiting inside each car.
“Are they all waiting for you?” Mel asked.
“Yes,” Viola said.
“Do you own this building?” Mel asked.
“The pack does,” Viola said. “A couple of other members teach classes here as well. There’s even a book club and knitting club that meet here when it’s not used as a gym. There are a couple of massage therapists, Reiki, and energy work practitioners who rent rooms in the back. This place makes income, or is at least occupied, constantly.”
“Are all packs this good at finances?” Mel asked.
“No clue,” Viola said. “The gym being used all the time was Silvia’s idea. She has a knack for business stuff and Bruce has always supported her investments. They always turn a good profit. I stay out of the pack’s finances. I know I always get my check and I’m always paid what I’ve earned. They’ve helped me set up my Roth IRA and whatnot, but otherwise, I prefer to focus on my work and training. I know Mason’s pack isn’t this cohesive.”
“That’s amazing your pack does so well and works well together,” Mel said.
“It is,” Viola agreed. “Not many packs have the unity that has been created here. My old pack certainly wasn’t like that.” Her face darkened at the mention of the pack. Mel felt stinging along her aura from Viola’s anger. Mel knew Viola had repressed anger and hurt and . . . shame regarding her old pack and Mel didn’t know why. She also knew it wasn’t the time to ask.
Viola turned off the car and got out. She opened the door on Mel’s side.
Everyone got out of their cars. There were seven elderly humans. They were smiling, waving, and hugging each other and Viola. They made their introductions to Mel, but Mel couldn’t keep up with their names. Some of them mumbled or didn’t speak clearly, so Mel couldn’t hear what they were saying. They were all so kind and friendly that Mel almost forgot about all of her worries.
“Did you hear about the fire at the Countryside B&B?” one of the ladies asked.
Mentioning the Countryside B&B made Mel’s pulse increase. Viola glanced at Mel before saying; “I know there was a fire but didn’t ask much else.”
“Do they know what caused it? How much damage did it do?” another woman asked.
“The house was destroyed. They say it was because of faulty electrical wiring, but I’m suspicious since I know for a fact Lee and Dana always took good care of that place,” the woman said, happy she knew the most information of the group. She looked expectantly at Viola, waiting for more information.
“They have always taken excellent care of the B&B, but the wiring could have been behind one of the walls or in a place Lee and Dana can’t keep an eye on,” Viola said. “I could be wrong. Electrical work isn’t my forte. Daren hasn’t really wanted to talk about it.”
The mention of Daren wiped away their desire to gossip about conspiracy. “Poor Daren,” one of the ladies exclaimed. “He’s such a sweetheart. I’ll have to make him my chocolate brownie pie. That’ll cheer him up.”
“And I’ll make my world-famous egg casserole,” another lady said.
“Oh, my grandson is around Daren’s size. I’ll ask if he has clothes that Daren can have. Oh, and his mom is around Dana’s size,” another lady said.
The ladies immediately planned meals and items they could donate to Lee, Dana, and Daren. Mel was stunned by their thoughtfulness and generosity. The ladies went inside of the building as they continued strategizing how to help.
“What is it, Mel?” Viola asked.
“It’s just . . . they are all so wonderful,” Mel said.
“They believe in taking care of their own,” Viola said. “Small towns can be like that. They’re hesitant of outsiders, but once they open up to you, they’ll do anything for you. They can gossip like no tomorrow. And they can be small-minded. And there’s plenty of racism, sexism, and homophobia, but it exists in big cities too. It’s just easier to hide the bigotry in big cities.”
“Interesting,” Mel said. Seeing the ladies and their kindness made her think of her grandma. Mel missed her. “Can I use your phone to call Grandma?”
“Later,” Viola said dismissingly as she walked into the building.
Frowning, Mel went inside the warehouse after Viola to find a lobby that led to a well-taken care of gym.
One corner had purple mats on the floor. The rest of the floor was covered with a dark grey material that almost sparkled. There weren’t many exercise machines, but there were a lot of weights, exercise balls, medicine balls, and other items Mel was unfamiliar with.
Most of the cinder block walls were white, but one wall was a memorial painting of Franklin County and its various stores and landmarks. The person who painted it did an amazing job.
“Dana did that,” Viola said, gesturing to the wall.
“She’s so talented,” Mel said.
“She is,” Viola agreed.
Mel noticed a hallway. “Does that lead to the wellness rooms?” she asked.
“Yes,” Viola said. “You can explore the gym later, after class.”
Viola put on music. It was lively and robust.
A woman’s voice belted out strong and confident in Spanish. The way she sang made
Mel feel like every day was a blessing. The woman was so carefree and joyful. It made Mel want to dance around and laugh and carry on like a child. Mel hoped she could one day create such music.
“Who is this?” Mel asked.
“This is Celia Cruz. She was one of the best and most charismatic artists of her time and her legacy still lives on today,” Viola answered. “Let’s start warming up. Mel, go ahead and take off your sling, but don’t do any of the exercises that involve the shoulder. We don’t need you to injure it any further. Okay?”
“Okay,” Mel said as she placed her shoulder sling on the front desk.
Everyone followed Viola’s lead. They went through a routine of light balance drills. Some of them complained when Viola gave them exercises, but they still did them with begrudging smiles. Viola was very aware of each person’s limits.
The class lasted for an hour and a half. Viola had made sure to give plenty of long breaks so everyone could recuperate.
By the time it was over, Mel felt muscles activated she didn’t know existed. Her buttocks and legs were twitching. She couldn’t believe how much work balancing on one leg required and that was only a piece of the workout.
“Don’t you worry, honey,” one of the women said. “You don’t see the benefits now, but when you get older and your rump is still perky while everyone else’s has gone south, you’ll be grateful you did this.”
“My rump?” Mel repeated.
“Your hind end, dear,” another woman said. “I started this class because I had fallen and my doctor recommended me to take this class. Falling is a scary feeling that I never wanted to happen again. I’ve been in Viola’s class for a year. I haven’t had a fall since and my body feels ten times younger.”
“Mine too,” a man said. “My wife here was so happy with the results that I figured I better start getting in shape before she trades me in for a newer model.”
“Never,” his wife said. She kissed his cheek.
Viola chatted and visited with everyone. It was easy to see she cared deeply for all of them.
A tall wiry young man came in.
“Tom!” one of the ladies said. “It’s so good to see you. I saw your football game with your Grandma and you did so good! I bet all of the girls were fawning over you.”
He blushed. “Thank you, Mrs. Hill,” he said. “I don’t know, ma’am. They don’t say anything to me.”
“We better get going so Viola and Tom can get to work,” Mrs. Hill said.
All of the seniors left, but not before giving plenty of hugs and pats on the back.
“You can do whatever workout you’d like,” Viola said to Mel. “Tom’s routine is intense and your body isn’t used to high level physical activity. You’d get hurt.”
“Okay,” Mel said. “I’ll go check out the rooms.”
“Don’t check them out yet. I want to show the rooms to you. Just do a workout until I’m done,” Viola said.
Mel felt weird about Viola telling her what to do, especially when the energy Viola projected showed she’d tolerate no arguing about the matter. It seemed like exploring the back rooms was so insignificant. Why would it matter if I check it out alone? Mel thought. Why do I have to work out when I just did a workout?
Before Mel could comment, Viola pulled out headphones and a mp3 player for Mel. “Here. In case you don’t like the music. Tom requires a certain genre to work out,” Viola said as she went behind the desk.
Mel looked at the mp3 player. “I can’t wear headphones,” she said.
“That’s right,” she said. “Maybe you could put them on your shoulders? It may help block out the sound a little.”
Heavy metal music came on over the speakers. The grated screams of the singer made Mel more than a little uncomfortable. She put the headphones around her shoulders and wandered over to the elliptical. She tried to ignore the fact that she could hear the music more easily in her left ear than her right ear. I can still be a musician even with hearing loss, she reminded herself. Look at all Beethoven accomplished.
There were mirrors across the wall in front of Mel, so she could see Viola and Tom.
During the first couple of minutes, Mel didn’t understand why Viola thought she couldn’t handle the workout. It was similar to the warm up they had done earlier. Then, the movements veered away from the balance and core routine Mel had just done.
Viola and Tom did jump rope drills. They started incorporating exercises that utilized their body weight. They did wheelbarrows, bear crawls, gorilla crawls, spider crawls, side crawls, crab walks, inch worms, frog hops, and from there, the exercises got ridiculous. They used each other’s body weight to do movements that seemed impossible to Mel. Mel didn’t recognize any of the moves, but the look on Tom’s face showed it was hard work. Mel could tell Viola was holding back as she breezed through the workout.
Mel understood Viola’s bluntness. Mel wasn’t prepared to handle even a minute of that kind of workout. Not that I even have a desire to ever get to that level. And that doesn’t explain her telling me to work out, she thought. I just did a workout. Why do I need to work out again?
Mel’s thoughts about the situation disappeared as she watched Viola workout. From here, she was able to appreciate how fluidly Viola moved. Her muscles glided under her skin. Mel wondered what it would be like when they-
Mel blushed. Her body heated up at the thought. If the kiss was any indication, then Mel wasn’t sure she’d be able to handle it. Who is supposed to initiate? she thought.
Whoa, she thought. No need to rush things. She’ll think I’m a floozy or something.
Mel immediately knew that wasn’t the case. She knew even if she tackled Viola then and there, Viola wouldn’t look down on her. Mel also knew there was nothing wrong with having sex immediately or waiting in a relationship. Every couple is different and the ‘right’ pace is different for every couple, she thought. When will I be ready? Am I ready? She had never done anything with a woman before other than kissing.
Mel had tried to have sex a couple of times with guys, but it wasn’t fulfilling or enjoyable either time. She was never really attracted to men like she was to women. She tried to deny it and tried to “reprogram” herself to change it, but she never could. Being a lesbian was just a part of who Mel was. She was still struggling with the concept of not being ashamed of it.
Mel lost focus when a Celia Cruz song came on the mp3 player. She really enjoyed listening to her. Celia was a true artist. Other Spanish songs came on. Some were rap and some were salsa. Mel wasn’t familiar with the artists, but she looked forward to learning about them.
Mel enjoyed Viola’s taste in music. It was all upbeat and rhythms Mel could dance to. It helped her keep a good pace on the elliptical.
What am I going to do? Mel wondered. Bruce had mentioned Mel picking a career, but the only thing she truly enjoyed was playing music. And science. Maybe I could teach science classes.
Mel’s heart hurt. All of her music equipment was destroyed. She had been too overwhelmed to come to terms with what she had truly lost in the fire. Her journal with all of her recent lyrics. Her computer with all of her music software and all of her songs. I think I have most of my songs saved on my hard drive at home, but not all of the recent changes, she thought. She was grateful she had backed up her files on the hard drive.
All of her instruments were gone. Mel would have to save money for a while to be able to afford to replace all of her equipment. She had some money in a savings account, but she didn’t like the thought of using a chunk of it to replace everything. She preferred to save up and buy a few things at a time. Last thing I need is for another emergency to happen where I need to go into my savings and I can’t because I spent it all on equipment. And even then, I can never replace my guitar from Grandma, she thought sadly.
Mel could always help Viola at Shinin’ Off the Moon Wellness Center like Bruce had suggested. There were probably behind-the-scene things Mel could do. She refused to sit around a
nd do nothing. She liked to earn her keep. She never wanted Viola to ever feel like she wasn’t pulling her weight. She figured she could work at the wellness center short term until she found a job she meshed with better. Mel didn’t like the idea of working at the gym, but it was better than nothing. What am I thinking? Would I really move here so impulsively? she wondered.
Yes, Mel realized. She didn’t look forward to having that conversation with her mother. She already knew her mother would vehemently oppose the idea. Either way, I have to go back in a few weeks at least to put in my two weeks and work whatever hours my job has already scheduled for me. And I would need to go back to pack up some clothes as well, especially since I don’t have any right now. Mel wondered if Viola would be willing to take the trip with her. It probably depends on what they find out from Bill about any other hunters.
Viola finished training Tom. They were soaked in sweat. The floor around them was covered with drops of sweat. Viola was stretching Tom when Mel got off the elliptical.
Mel’s legs felt wobbly being on a non-moving surface. Her legs were already sore as well. She wasn’t used to working out so much.
When Tom left, Viola turned to Mel. “You did really good today,” Viola said. “We’re technically done for the day, but I want to go over some self-defense moves with you. We’ll have to be careful of your shoulder, but I think it’s important you learn how to protect yourself. An attacker isn’t going to take pity on you just because you have an injury.”
Mel fought the urge to sigh. Why did she have me workout if she was going to have me to it again? she thought. I’m not used to doing this much of these kinds of activities in a row.
“Okay,” Mel said. “What do I do?”
Viola changed the music. Spanish rap boomed through the speakers.
“I like this artist. Who is it?” Mel asked.
“Don Omar,” Viola said. “He’s very talented and has influenced a lot of artists in the industry. Now, let’s get to work.”
Chapter 8
Viola first discussed with Mel the concept of using Mel’s surroundings to protect and defend herself. They went over vital points and how to use everyday objects against an attacker. Viola gave Mel a set of keys and taught her how to gouge her attacker’s eyes. Most of the techniques were familiar to Mel due to her previous self-defense classes, but she opted not to mention that fact to Viola.