Banks Dynasty – Day 12

It’s raining yet again when we leave for school the next morning. Outside…

Raul: I’ll race you to the end of the block.

I attempt to chase after him, but it’s hard to run while holding an umbrella…and my socks end up completely wet after splashing down hard in a puddle.

Alida: No, you go ahead. I’ll just wait for Claudia and Mike.

After a very boring day of school and an equally uneventful drama club meeting…Michael insists that we go to the gym in order to get in shape for our next performance. Mama Nadine gives us permission, so we take a S-Uber over to the kickboxing gym close on Starlight Boulevard. I’m not really in the mood to go, but we both know that Mama Nadine would have never given Michael permission to go alone…so I drag myself inside behind him.

We both walk over to a punching bag. Michael throws a few punches, then decides that boxing isn’t for him.

Michael: I think I’ll go check out the yoga room instead.

He turns and walks away. Him leaving like that does nothing for my mood.

The yoga room is actually more like a big dance studio…right up Michael’s alley. He turns on the music and begins moving to the beat. I remain at the bag, hoping to punch my frustrations away.

Boxing is a bit harder than it looks. A few miscalculated punches and I end up with sore wrists. I take off my gloves for a moment to stretch them out, before sliding them back on and trying again. It’s not long before I capture some unwanted attention.

Unknown Teen: Locking your wrists and tightening up your gloves a bit will help.

Alida: What?

Unknown Teen: Your technique is bad. If you keep punching like that you’re going to hurt yourself.

I can tell that he’s right about that, but I refuse to admit it. I take my gloves off once again…glad to be relieved of them.

Alida: Who are you and why are you bothering me?

Q: I’m Q…short for –

Alida: *interrupts* Uh…it was a rhetorical question. I don’t really care who you are!

Q: I wasn’t trying to bother you. I just saw you stretching your wrists and thought I’d help you out.

Alida: So…are you some type of expert or just nosy as hell?

Q nods to a man punching a bag near us.

Q: No…I’m no expert. *nods to a man punching a bag nearby* But my dad’s a pretty good boxer. He’s been coaching me for a while.

Alida: *unimpressed* Okay…well thanks for your unsolicited advice.

With that, I turn and walk away without even bothering to give the boy my name.

I go and get Michael, more than ready to go home and eat dinner. As we leave the yoga room…

Alida: Ugh…don’t look now, but can you believe that guy right there just had the nerves to walk up to me trying to give me boxing advice out of the blue.

Michael looks anyway.

Michael: The good looking one?

Alida: Good looking?

I was so bothered by the intrusion that I never even bothered to decide if he was attractive or not.

Michael: That’s a lesson you probably shouldn’t have turned down.

Alida: *chuckles* Really Mike?

Michael: I’m just saying…maybe boxing isn’t so bad after all.

I realize that I may have just discovered something new about Michael…as if I didn’t already know enough. We make our way out of the gym and call up a S-Uber to take us home.

Michael and I arrive home right on time for dinner. Mama Nadine has prepared something new…Italian Meatballs. It immediately makes it onto my favorite food list. Raul is up to his usual self…finding whatever he can to tease Michael about. Luckily, Michael is beginning to get a lot better at defending himself, so there’s no need for me to intervene.

After dinner, Michael practices his lines and since I still don’t have any lines to remember…I turn on some music and pull out my homework. Eventually, everyone begins to scatter into their bedrooms for bed. I’m left alone. It’s rare to be the only one still up in a quiet house and the solitude does wonders for my mood.

(Generation 1 Chapter Summaries)