“HHmmmnngggg!,” Arslan stretches his arms, reaching toward the sky. Making a weird noise as he does. He’s already changed, wearing a white and black windbreaker atop a black tank top and some fluffy sweats with his sneakers.
“That was a good sweat!” Arslan exclaims. Rexford leans down to close up the garage door. There’s a lock at the bottom of a large metallic door. The type that rolls up.
“Yeah, it would be good if you paid my membership,” Rexford retorts.
“Aw, come on, bro! I help out with the clients sometimes.” Arslan retorts. Finally, Rexford stands and meets Arslan face-to-face. Both boys are sort of the same height. Rexford being just a tiny bit shorter.
“Exactly—sometimes.” Rexford crosses his arms. Rex is wearing an all-black hoodie with the words. Git/Gud written across in different fonts. He also wears black sweats and flat shoes.
“Most of the time you’re either goofing off—distracting my real staff with your water cooler stories or giving pointers to my clients.” Rexford claims like it’s a bad thing.
“Or even crazier—actually doing my sets,” Arslan cheekily replies.
“That’s literally the bare minimum you could be doing at a gym.” Rexford says as he narrows his eyes.
“Besides your clients ask me for pointers, you should give me one of those staff shirts. I wear oversized, by the way.” Arslan can’t help but toy with Rex. A devilish grin on his face.
“In your dreams!” Rex retorts playfully.
Both boys chuckle as they fall into an old routine. It’s a little awkward as silence falls between them. Screaming about what has once been and no longer is. They both are entangled somewhere else and promised to only stay friends.
Not that they ever formalized anything anyway.
“So, you want me to call you an Uber?” Rex breaks the silence.
“Oh, actually, Eiden’s taking me to that sushi place on 5th and Main!” Arlan’s boasts.
“Not in those clothes!” Rex says as he chuckles and scoffs at the same time—then notices Arslan is serious.
“I mean, it’s a fancy place!” Rex continues.
“So?” Arslan stares dumbfounded, a little evil behind those eyes. It’s always like this with Arslan—he gets weird about money. Rexford had known this firsthand. And also knows Eiden pays for mostly everything. Sometimes he wonders who’s taking advantage of whom.
“Never mind—sorry I brought it up, anyway—so you good, bro? Boyfriend picking you up in that fancy all-leather piano black BMW?” Rex says without missing a beat.
“Yep—says he’ll be here in 5!” Arslan looked down at his phone. Eiden had managed to share his live location with him.
“Okay then—text me if you need anything,” They bro-fisted, and Rex started walking in the opposite direction. Rexford’s house was nearby, a small two-story apartment that felt like a long hallway with stairs in the middle. Arslan knew where Rex had grown up. A mansion fell short.
“Have fun with Emmet; say hi to them for me!” Arslan shouted as Rex was still in earshot.
Rex looked back and waved a final goodbye, like saying he’ll mention it to them.
Emmet presented fem and used they/them pronouns. Boy or girl bits we shall never know, but they were ambiguous about their sex. Still not knowing where they landed.
Seconds later, Rex turned a corner, and Arslan was left alone on the sidewalk of the gym.
Arslan then leaned against the building wall, pushing his back against it; he felt a chill run down his spine.
He blew air into his hands; a small glow the color of the sun came through and warmed him up. He rubbed both hands together. The glow dimly going away. Most of the time he ran hot. But at night he could feel the sting of the cold air. It was getting colder by the minute. His favorite nights were Summer Nights.
“Should have brought a hoodie,” he mentions to himself.
It wasn’t long before he heard a familiar silent hum of a hybrid car he knew all too well. Eiden parking right in front of him. Arslan walking to the other side of the car. Opening the door and shouting a big, enthusiastic hello. He jumped inside the car and threw himself on his boyfriend before showering him with kisses.
Anamnesis 