Issue 1 Downtime

Theresa was dressed in a tank top and sweats and was half-heartedly throwing punches at a punching bag. There was no technique or form, just the occasional punch. Every once in a while, she'd throw one with particular force, but that was the exception and not the rule.

((Open))

Brigid eventually made her way in, and spotting Theresa walked over awkwardly.

"...hey."

"I'll be done in a minute," she said by way of greeting.

"Well, I don't need the bag or anything..."

"Well, I figured you must want it when you came over here," she said, throwing one of her more forceful punches.

"Look, I'm sorry about what happened in class. I just... I didn't want to let either of you down."

"No. I get it, you don't want to be caught in the middle and I get that. You just picked a devil of a time to not pick sides."

"I know," she sighed. "I'm sorry. I flaked."

"Not your fault. Purely mine for putting you in that position. Makes me wish I'd never started that damn relationship. It's done nothing but screw everything up lately."

"Look, maybe you just need something to take your mind off things?"

"I've tried a bunch of things. So far, I'm 0 for... well, I've lost count. It's a good thing I'm not allowed to drink at this point although I kind of wish I was."

"Yeah, but you mostly do those alone."

"Well, I'm fresh out of people to do other things with," she said.

"Look, I'm offering."

Theresa went quiet as she considered the offer, throwing a few more light punches at the bag.

"Could show you how to really hit that bag," she teased.

"I have a feeling that I would have a hard time learning from you," she said.

"A lot of it's just practice."

Alex walked in, ready to work out, his entrance happening about as much time after Brigid's as it would have taken someone to see his girlfriend dressed to work out and to change accordingly. Whatever witty greeting he had, though, died in his throat when he saw Brigid over with Theresa at the punching bag. Oh. Should have figured, he thought as he headed over to the free weights, scowling behind their backs.

"No, it's okay. I'm really not that interested in learning."

"Fair enough."

A bit of motion in the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she looked over to Alex, smiling when she saw who it was. She waved him over.

Theresa looked over to where Brigid was motioning. Great. Paging Theresa for third wheel duty.

"Hey," Alex said, walking over, trying to be... diplomatic to Theresa. Brigid was her friend, after all, for some reason. "Don't want to interrupt, I just needed to catch up on my workouts. Went a week without them and all," he said somewhat truthfully.

"Well you might have some good ideas too. We were thinking of things to do."

"Yeah, we were trying to come up with stuff you two could do together," Theresa dropped the bold-faced lie like it was the gospel truth. "I'm kind of bad at coming up with boy-girl stuff though," she said with a sheepish shrug.

"Wait, what?" For some reason, this turn seemed to both surprise him and elicit doubt from him.

"Uhm..." She too looked to Theresa dubiously.

Damn. "Yeah, didn't think so," he sighed. "Look, I... can just see you later." Figures.

"What? No!"

"You guys are doing stuff, I'll just... go work out." That has to be a euphamism in the making there... "It's all right."

"Honestly, Alex, we're not doing anything." She seemed to feel a little guilty about what her attempt at shifting attention had caused. "Changing subjects just appears to be yet another thing I suck at. Your girlfriend was trying to come up with something for me to do to take my mind off things and not having any luck."