Curves | ONC 2020 Shortlist

5. Jenny, Falling

Jenny sighed and looked at the clock again. Enrique was late. Again. It would cut into her workout time, unless she went to class late. Or maybe she would skip class today. The teacher was boring anyway, and she was already doing well. One day wouldn't make a difference. Missing a workout might.

She approved next week's schedule, showed one customer where the scuba gear was, and rang up several sales before Enrique showed up for his cashier position.

"Carla couldn't stay late, so I covered," she said. "I was beginning to think you weren't going to show up. Car trouble again?"

"If it's not one thing, it's another," he replied, slightly out of breath. "My mother's church thing went long, so I had pick up my sisters from school and take my brother to his interview."

"How many brothers and sisters do you have?"

"Six."

"Wow."

"I'd move out, but my mom seems to need me a lot, so I stick around. Besides, if I moved out, I'd have to cook."

"You're telling me. Scott is in the back if you need anything. I'm heading out."

"See you later, boss."

Boss. Jenny liked the sound of that.

Jenny arrived at the gym and parked in the far corner, heading for the locker room to change out of her work clothes. After strapping on her little MP3 player, she selected Chapter Four of her Learn Spanish in 30 Days audio recording. Since she only listened to it at the gym, it was taking much longer than thirty days. It didn't matter though, she just wanted to learn.

She had been on the elliptical for about ten minutes when her MP3 player went silent. Jenny looked at its display and found the battery dead. "Dammit," she mumbled to herself. She'd forgotten to charge it last night.

She was about to remove the MP3 player from her arm when she heard a familiar laugh.

No, it couldn't be. Danielle?

Frantic eyes scanned the gym, but she didn't see her. Maybe she'd just imagined it.

The front door opened as someone exited, and there was that voice again, as loud and vociferous as she remembered. She looked through the large plate glass windows, and there she was.

Danielle Washington.

Looking fit and glorious as ever.

She stood outside, talking with that raven-haired lawyer she'd hooked up with shortly after breaking up with Jenny. What was her name again? Simone? Jenny reminded herself it was perfectly normal to stalk one's ex on social media. Emotional torture was a standard part of the breakup process. How else was she supposed to stop fantasizing about Danielle calling her up to apologize and then coming over for some sweet-yet-animalistic makeup sex?

Was she happy with this new woman? Was this Simone person ambitious enough for her? More importantly, what were they doing here?

They stood very close to each other, talking animatedly. Simone, if that was her name, was holding a coffee. Then, to Jenny's extreme dismay, they leaned in and began kissing. Passionately. It was enough to literally send Jenny over the edge.

Somehow she lost her footing on the elliptical. One foot slipped off while the other snagged onto the edge of the foot plate. She lurched to one side and went careening to the floor. The neighboring elliptical machine was so close she ended up hitting her head on its rail, then mashing her shoulder into its foot plate before rolling to the floor in a massive pile of humiliation.

Jenny blinked and forced air into her lungs. She did not just go flying off the machine... did she? She moved a little and groaned at the dull pain radiating from her shoulder. Did she break something? Was she bleeding?

Worst of all, did Danielle see her?

Can someone die of humiliation? Maybe some votes will cheer her up!