Free Balancing Acts by Zoe Fishman

change and the class is early enough that it doesn’t cut into the day really.”
    â€œHey, I trust you,” said Julian, sprinkling some flaxseed into his yogurt. “You know what you’re doing. I am glad you pushed it to an earlier hour, though.”
    â€œThanks, Julian.”
    She heard footsteps on the stairs. Sabine walked in, her mass of dark hair concealed beneath a gigantic, rose-colored knit cap. She pulled it off and smiled nervously at Charlie.
    â€œHey!” Charlie greeted her warmly.
    â€œGood morning, Charlie.” She giggled nervously. “Don’t they say that in Charlie’s Angels ? You know, when they gather around the phone and talk to the mysterious voice?”
    â€œThey do!” agreed Julian. “I never thought of that.”
    â€œHi,” said Sabine, extending her hand. “I’m Sabine.”
    â€œI’m Julian. Welcome to Prana!”
    â€œOh thanks, I’m excited to be here.” Sabine unzipped her coat and Charlie showed her the closet.
    â€œYou can hang it here,” she explained. “How are you?”
    â€œI’m good. A little nervous.”
    â€œWhat’s to be nervous about?” She put her arm around Sabine’s shoulders. “This is going to be fun and relaxing,” she said. “No nerves.”
    Sabine smiled at Charlie. “No nerves,” she repeated. She couldn’t help but envision her terrible flexibility ruining the entire class. She had tried to touch her toes the night before in an attempt to limber up, but she hadn’t even made it to her knees. It wasn’t pretty.
    â€œHey!” they heard behind them. They turned to see Bess and then Naomi as she appeared behind her. Both were ensconced in their urban winter gear—only their bright eyes and chapped lips peeking out from gigantic, fake fur–rimmed down hoods. They unzipped themselves as Sabine, Charlie, and Julian greeted them—the studio suddenly abuzz with laughter and electricity.
    Despite her original intention of merely running a Saturday class, Charlie already felt herself warming to them. It was like freshmen year all over again, except Charlie had always been too focused and consumed by her schoolwork to reciprocate her classmates’ kindness. She paused, remembering how lonely she had felt in those first months, choosing—instead of making friends and hitting the requisite Landsdowne bars with abandon—to hole herself up in the library. If she could go back in time and change her behavior though, would she? Would she be here today if she had taken a different turn at an earlier point in her path? She thought so—her life had never felt so refreshingly “hers” and ultimately, so right—but she couldn’t be sure. Inevitably, she thought of Neil.
    â€œHey Charlie, where do we get our mats?” asked Naomi, shaking her out of her nostalgic coma.
    â€œOh, in the classroom there’s a pile of them against the wall,” she answered, leading the way. She pointed to the wall. “Just grab one.”
    Bess and Sabine followed behind her, each one of them selecting a mat from the wall.
    â€œWow, what a gorgeous studio,” said Bess, taking in the stark white walls, the huge windows, and the waxed wood floors. “I really like how spare it is. It’s soothing.”
    â€œOh thanks,” answered Charlie, pleased by the compliment. They had taken great pains to create a soothing atmosphere—ripping up the floors, knocking down walls, and painting over years of city soot on the walls. It was a labor of love, no doubt, but it was definitely labor.
    â€œOkay, if you have a seat, we can get started,” said Charlie. Bess, Sabine, and Naomi were all standing awkwardly in the middle of the studio, clutching their mats with apprehension. Charlie was suddenly sure that they hadn’t looked much different fourteen years earlier, arriving at college with