My heart nearly stops. I know he didn’t meanlike melike me, but still, we didn’t openly admit this. Ever. Westandeach other. We’reobligedto hang out because our dads are inseparable, but we don’tlikeeach other. I thought we forgot how nice we were to each other yesterday. I mean, come on, I woke up with his foot on my face. Am I reading something wrong or what?
I stare at the ground, trying to gain a sense of the fact I’m awake, and a yawn stretches my mouth to its widest. I glance sideways at a bird chirping in a young tree planted near the main square, along with several others, to encourage green spaces in our town. The air seems different as it reaches my lungs. I hate to admit it, but besides the fact that I’m dying a bit and my brain is not making sense of anything all that much, being awake this early is quite- Beautiful. Refreshing. I take a deep breath in, something I struggle with a lot, and that, according to my therapist, is due to anxiety. That’s why I’m always yawning. Because I’m trying to fill my lungs as much as I can and feel like I took thatone perfect breath.
“Huh. I didn’t know crazy Jared woke up this early…” I comment, talking about the town’s lunatic who, actually, funnily enough, teaches…Yoga…
“Did you make an appointment with crazy Jared for me to do yoga?” I ask. I must be imagining things, right?
“Of course not.” Jake dismisses, and I let a big breath out.
“Good… Imagine my first time doing yoga is with crazy Jared, ha! That would be…” Jake runs a bit to greet Jared. “…hilarious.”
“Madelaine! Namasté.” He bows, and I bow a bit instinctively. And because I’m a little bit afraid he’s going to invoke some kind of demon on me. “Are you ready?”
I nod tightly and look behind me at West.
“You lied!” I whisper in his face, and he bounces his head as if there’s a blurry line between lying and whatever it was that he said to me.
“Oh, you’re welcome, honey!” He places his arm around me stiffly. “I knew you’d love it.”
Jared claps and gestures to three mats in the middle of the park, and my eye starts twitching.
“West,did you sign us up for couples’ yoga?!” I speak sideways so Jared won’t hear me.
“What? Of course not-”
“I find your love so refreshing that I couldn’t believe it when Jacob signed you up for couples’ yoga.” Jared says while putting up his red hair in a ponytail.
“Okay, technically I did, but you have to stay because crazy Jaredwillcall his friends on the other side if you leave.” West mutters back, and my head nods side to side in disapproval of, well,him.
“Whoa, guys, I’m sensing some tension. Is everything okay?”
“Oh, you know, Madelaine, her head is always working and analyzing everything.”
I’m pretty sure I look like I’m having a stroke.
Jared grabs West’s hand, calmly, and places his other hand on his heart.
“You’re such a good partner, Jacob, I hope you know that.”
“I really am, aren’t I?” He smiles contentedly, and I just shake my head.
“I’m sorry, Jared, but this one didn’t warn me about this, so I’m not even dressed, and I would hate to waste your time. Maybe another day-”
This time, he grabs my hand and places it together with West’s in both his hands.
“Your honeypot is right, Madelaine, you think too much. Spontaneity only treats you right. You should be grateful you have such an attentive partner to your needs.”
“So lucky…” I mutter as he drops our hands — and I slap Jake’s away from mine — and leads us towards the mats. West only smiles like a dumbass at me.
“I thought we could start with the Superman pose today.” Jared points to our mats, and West and I look at each other, confused.
“Superman? We don’t know that one…”
“No problem. It’s when one partner lies on the ground and holds the other’s body over theirs.”
“I’m sorry, Jared, I thought we were doing regular yoga, like you know, separate but by each other’s side.” West clears his throat, clearly thrown off his game.
“I’m afraid there’s been a misunderstanding. Couples’ yoga involves the two people working together, in order to bring balance and harmony to each other.”
