The gym part 1

„Hey Gwen, do you have a minute?”, I ask, stopping her in front of the women changing room. “The boys and I thought about grabbing a drink later. I know you don’t drink, but maybe you can get yourself a virgin Cuba libre or something.” “So - a coke?”, Gwen replies. “I don’t know. It’s getting late and I should probably head home.” “Oh come on please”, I beg her “Tyrone can drive you home later. It’ll be fun!” She thinks for a moment. Eventually she says, “Ok then. But not for too long. My father will kill me and you otherwise.”

The bar mile isn’t far from the gym. It’s a ten minute walk and so Tyrone, Sam, Jason, Sasha and I wait for Gwen in front of the gym. It’s quite a mixed group if you look at us. Sam and I are best friends since kindergarten and although he can’t lift at the moment due to a broken hip, he always comes with us to the gym. Jason is the guy that convinced us to go to the gym in the first place. By the time he left Highschool he was jacked as fuck, so Sam and I approached him and we’ve been gym buddies ever since. Tyrone is an apprentice gym coach. The oldest of the bunch, mid-thirties, black guy, build like an F-150. Sasha is a guy from the Balkan region. None of us really knows much about him, since he doesn’t speak English, but he’s nice enough to be around and the best when it comes to drinking. He’s about as old as Tyrone — I think. I’m the youngest one in the group, although Sam is just one, and Jason only two years older than me. Gwen was the newest member of our 'gym-clique'. She in her late twenties and very religious. Religious as in 'wearing a hijab, long sleeves and lose clothes in the gym and being careful not to be seen talking to boys/men by neither her parents nor siblings or cousins'.

There’s cheers and applause when Gwen finally showed up, after what felt like half an enternity. She acts coyly humble, “calm down boys, it’s not going to be a wild night with Miss Headscarf today.” She’s confident as always. “I’m just an innocent little girl, bear in mind.” “A rose with thorns.”, Jason says mocking one of the fitness trainers in the gym, who always drops the same line when he walks by Gwen mid-set. We all share a laugh and head towards the bar mile.