The Art Class (MXM)

Alex:

I decided to wake up early today—7 a.m., which is early by my standards! It's been far too long since I last hit the gym, and today felt like the perfect day to get back into the routine.

I started by prepping my gym bag with all the essentials: pre-workout, towel, and, of course, my headphones—because there's no way I'm working out without my music.

For my outfit, I kept it simple with a pair of grey track pants and a black compression top. If you've seen JJK, you'll know exactly what I'm channelling.

Once I felt somewhat presentable, I headed out the door for my 20-minute walk to the gym. I'm lucky to live close to almost everything, so it's a quick and convenient walk.

By the time I was nearing the gym, it was about 7:30 am., so I didn't have much time left before Evie came to pick me up.

Class started at 9 this morning to I had to get a move on.

...

After an intense chest and back workout, I decided it was time to head home. By now, it was around 8:45 am., and Evie was probably going to arrive at my place any minute.

Rather than taking a leisurely walk back, I put on my headphones and decided to run the entire way home I put on Like a prayer by Madonna. Thankfully, the route is mostly flat, so it wasn't too crazy of a sprint.

When I finally got home, I noticed that Evie hadn't arrived yet. I took advantage of the extra time and quickly went inside to change into something more comfortable. I opted for a pair of loose-fitting cargo pants and a sage-green flannel—keeping it casual because I wasn't in the mood to put much effort into my outfit.

As I was finishing up by putting on my cologne, I heard a knock at the door. I hurried downstairs to answer it and was greeted by a bright and cheery Evie standing on the other side. "Morning, baby girlllll!" she sang out in her signature high-pitched voice, a mischievous grin spreading across her face.

It was almost like she knew how much that tone annoyed me. "Morning," I grumbled back, barely managing any enthusiasm.

"Hurry up and get your stuff; we're gonna be late," she said, her tone suddenly shifting into something almost motherly. Not wanting to test her patience, I quickly grabbed my things for class and followed her out the door.

The walk to the car was quiet, but it wasn't the kind of silence that felt awkward. Still, it struck me as odd because Evie is usually the type to talk my ear off, even if it's early in the morning. Curious, I glanced over at her. She had a puzzled look on her face, almost as if something was bothering her. Her expression seemed distant, and that didn't sit well with me.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked, trying to sound as kind and concerned as possible.

"Who, me? Oh, I'm fine," she responded, quickly plastering on a happy smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Something was definitely off, but she clearly wasn't ready to talk about it.

Not wanting to pry any further, I decided to let it go for now. I simply waited as she unlocked the car, hoping that if something was really bothering her, she'd eventually open up to me.

When we arrived at campus, we quickly got out of the car and made our way to class with only a few minutes to spare. Evie seemed to be back in her usual chipper mood, a stark contrast to the quiet concern I'd seen earlier.

She linked her arm with mine, practically skipping as we walked together. It was like she was trying to shake off whatever had been bothering her earlier, and for a moment, it almost worked.