✓ VIRTUAL AEROBICS; eli moskowitz

05. {scar insecurities}

"my bike? why?" miguel quizzed.

"after the lesson, i am supposed to be going to eli's house but i do not have a licence and my mamma is at work," she explained.

"eli? the one from lunch, right?" miguel asked as he began gently hitting the dummy.

"right." gioia nodded, "we are chemistry partners."

"i mean... sure. as long as you bring it back."

"oh, thank you!" she squealed, "and of course i will bring it back."

"no, no, no, no, no." johnny sighed, "you're doing it all wrong."

the two stopped hitting the mannequins and shifted to face him.

"what do you want, those kids at school to keep dumping shit in your head?" he questioned miguel, before turning to gioia, "and shoving you to the ground?"

"i slipped." gioia clarified as she crossed her arms.

"sure." he nodded, unconvinced, "you want all those girls to think you're a wang-less dork?"

gioia extended her hand, "i am wang-less, sensei."

"you'll just be a dork then." johnny concluded, "you can stop your training now, walk outside and let the world know you two are losers... or you can plant your feet, look your enemy in the eyes, and punch him in the face!"

gioia got into the lunge stance and stared at the human-sized doll.

"picture your enemy. you have a picture in your mind?"

"yes, sensei."

"what are you gonna do?" johnny asked.

she thumped the dummy in the face, and repeatedly.

"again!"

she did.

"are you two losers?"

"no, sensei!"

"hyah!"

"come on sushi, use that rage." johnny advised.

the blonde began constantly knocking the dummy in its face with her fist and grunting as she did, leaving johnny content.

─── ∙ ~εïз~ ∙ ───

"don't take all that rage over to eli's." miguel yelled out as she rode away.

"thank you again, miguel!" gioia shouted to him while she cycled, "enjoy cleaning the toilet."

"that's your job for tomorrow," miguel told her.

"we will see." gioia shook her head as she saluted the boy goodbye.

gioia began following the directions her phone directed her in. it took her no longer than ten or fifteen minutes to cycle to her chemistry partner's house.

once she reached the semi-detached house, she leaned miguel's bike on the front brick wall. gioia strolled over to the front door and immediately knocked.