Gymnasium Blues: Chapter II
#2 of Gymnasium Blues
"Gymnasium Blues: Chapter II"
Haru Tatsuyo
The morning dawned early for Joe, as we see him walking slowly from the front door of his fairly large house, his head covered in a large, thick hood that was connected to the sweater he was wearing. He sighed, reaching up with a hand and carefully rubbed the sleep from his eyes, shaking his head slightly as he walked to his car, and opened the driver's side door of his pearly white Furred Focus, and slid easily into the driver's seat, relaxing back into the seat and looking up at the rear view mirror, adjusting it a little bit before closing the car door, and pulling his keys from his sweatpants pocket, and slipping them in the ignition. "Ahh... a lovely Saturday morning... little cold... I'll need to kick up the heating system in the gym when I get in..." he murmured to himself as he started the car, the engine quietly coming to life under the hood, sending a pleasant hum through the entire frame. He had had soundproofing put in the front of his car, due to his preference of a very quiet ride.
He eased in the clutch and put a firm hand on the stick, easing it into reverse before backing out of his driveway. He turned his head, draping his arm over the headrest of the passenger seat to get a good look at the street behind him as he backed up, watching for oncoming traffic. He yawned loudly, looking down at the car radio's clock, giving a small groan of anguish as he rolled back into the darkened street, pushing it into first gear, and revving the engine a little bit, the car lurching eagerly forward to begin its daily journey. "4:00 in the morning... I don't think I can keep up these early hours... its killing me at work... can barely keep awake at my desk." He murred, feeling slightly annoyed at the time he was having to start his day, two hours earlier than normal, now that he was training Veruca, as well as himself.
His thoughts took a turn back to when he was in Veruca's position, learning the ropes. He was trying his best to make his late coach proud. He was an old fella, one of those badgery old gym guys who watches the boxers in the ring, and watches them carefully, analyzing them. He remembered the badger's old, sharp toothed smile, his brigt watery blue eyes, and his black and white striped fur that covered his then fairly well kempt form, which was hidden from view by his thick, wiry fur. He chuckled as he remembered all the old things he used to say, how he would have him stand in a certain position, poking and prodding him into correct posture when he was just twelve years old. Was it that long ago? Fifteen years ago? And this was the culmination of the old codger's work, a disciplined, well trained boxer of 27 years of age.
He shook his head clear of these thoughts, realizing that he had missed the gym about a mile back on the road. He berated himself silently for his lack of attentiveness, and turned his car into a department store parking lot, and turned back onto the road, driving back and taking his time in parking his fairly new car, noticing, with a groan, that Veruca Thompson's orange Dravo was already parked up next to the gym. He was late... "damn it...," he murred angrily at himself, "set an example... this isn't cutting it!" he snarled, giving the steering wheel a soft smack with his hand.
After venting a little bit, he looked up at the rear view mirror in slight despair as e Veruca rushed out, looking absolutely stunning in a bright orange top and a bright yellow pair of workout shorts. She smiled brightly, as the phrase "bright eyed and bushy tailed" came to his mind, making him give a suppressed snort of laughter as he rolled down his window, and summoned her in, "Hey, come on in, I want to take you somewhere today." He said, a warm smile flashing across his muzzle as she nodded, pulling open the passenger door and sliding into the car, "We need a little breakfast, this is gonna be a tough session today, I promise you that!" he said, chuckling as she slid into the seat and put on her seatbelt. It had been four weeks since they had started this coach-athlete idea, and it was already working brilliantly.
Veruca's voice suddenly jarred Joe from his thoughts, his eyes going from the chainlink fence they were parked in front of to the vixen across from him, "so where are we going anyway, Coach Miller?" she said playfully, suppressing a laugh as she put a hand to her muzzle, as though she were trying to catch the laugh and toss it out the window.
Joe chuckled as he replied, "We'll see, Ms. Vix, We'll see..." he smiled as he put the car into reverse after Veruca closed her door with a sharp snap.
After closing the door, Veruca's tail flicked up from the foot well up over her lap, and the tip was unconsciously flicking gently over his hand that was on the stick. She daintily folded her hands over her tail, smiling over at her coach, "I've always wanted a chauffeur..." she said in a mock southern accent, "Won't you be a lil' old dea' and take us tuh the denny's ova the ridge o'er yonder?"
The wolf glared warningly over at the younger female, raising an eyebrow after they pulled onto the main road. "Don't push your luck, you know I'm a bit of a tinkerer, and I might just have installed ejector seats in this car!" he said, sending her a mock glance of malevolence.
After a few moments of silence, the giggle started. Small, high pitched and almost suppressed, it slowly grew into more energy, joined by a quiet chuckle of Joe's that suddenly burst into simultaneous uproarious laughter which lasted for about an entire minute as they drove up the road.
Upon their return to the gymnasium, Joe gave Veruca a small poke in the back, which made Veruca stop, and give him a reproachful glare, "Hey! Whadidja do that for!?" she said angrily, poking Joe in the stomach, which didn't give an inch under her finger, making the wolf chuckle.
Veruca suddenly noticed what she found so entertaining about the wolf. His muzzle was a little crooked, his jaws not exactly meeting up correctly, close, but still with a noticeable overbite. Veruca tilted her head suddenly, her hand reaching up and gently resting under his muzzle, supporting it as she moved around it, trying to inspect it more carefully. "You poor thing... what happened to your muzzle? Was it always this way?" she asked, her eyes looking up at him with curiosity.
It was then that Joe gave a heavy sigh, looking down at the young vixen with slightly disheartened eyes, the fires seeming to die down in them slightly as he spoke, "Well... boxing is what happened to my muzzle... I think I need to tell you something, and it will prepare you if you want to go forward in this sport." His voice was soft, honest and gentle as he spoke, a hand coming up to rest on Veruca's soft shoulder fur.
She nodded softly as she whispered, "Yeah, I do... I've never done anything that has made me feel so... empowered..." she tilted her head slightly, "please tell me, I want to know." She said, her voice laced with the slightest bit of anxiety as she spoke.
Joe nodded once again, "well, this sport is a sport of mental toughness, as well as physical. strong body alone will not get you through it, it is a strong mind that is to stupid to quit that will. I guarantee that after today, you may rethink your views on boxing. When your in the ring, you are an opponent, an adversary, and they wont let up just because you are a female." At this point he took a deep breath, and continued in a very sincere tone, "That's what makes me think you may not want to do this sport. It will be a painful ordeal, you will be black and blue and bloodied by the end of it. Is that what you want?" he asked, his eyes boring down into hers as though they were guns of doom aimed directly at her soul.
Her face fell slightly, growing into a set, determined expression. "Yeah, that's what I want to do, Coach... I know that there will be pain and maybe even broken bones involved. But, if it means that I can achieve victory... I want to do this, I really do, and I'm ready to take on the challenge, and the pain of this sport. I want to be the best woman in this sport, Joe... so bring on the challenge..." she said, her voice holding a certain passion in it that seemed to pierce Joe's heart to the very core.
He had found something inside Veruca... a fighter, a competitor that wanted to have its chance to achieve glory in the fight, to go out and win, or find herself in the locker room in defeat, and to be thankful for the chance to compete. She wanted to find the will to try harder to beat that opponent, to defeat the adversary, to slay the foe. Joe smiled, his smile spreading across his muzzle broadly, "Well... then I guess you'd better suit up... because we're gonna see just what you got." He said, turning to a door on the far side of the gym, opening it and walking down a dimly lit flight of stairs.
Veruca followed the shadowy wolf, something tensing and clenching in her gut as she took each step. Was she ready for this? Had she overstepped her boundaries? Whatever the case may be, she knew that this was going to be a very difficult day.