Page 37 of The Game Is Afoot

I have a lot of other questions swirling in my mind.Bethany and Cole knew each other? They were in business together? Why didn’t she mention that yesterday? And what about the game on Saturday—did they even say hi to each other that day?

Also, Why does everyone keep trying to pitch me? Do I look like an easy mark?

First, I need to know what I’ve just signed up for, though, because there’s an electric energy, an almost rabid enthusiasm, in the air—reminiscent of a Christian youth group or the crowd that waits outside of T.J.Maxx before it opens. What the hell does this have to do with the guy who just died on a soccer field three days ago? The guy the cops think wasmurdered?

“Oh, this is a memorial exercise boot camp. To honor Cole.”

I try to keep my face in neutral. I’m probably going to have to ice it later from the strain.

“What exactly is a…memorial…boot camp?”

“Well, we’re wearing black,” she says slowly, holding her hands out to the other women, who have stopped walking and are already organizing into perfect, evenly spaced lines.

“Yes. I gathered that.”

“And we’re going to work out together, like we did with him every Tuesday morning. You know, burpees and squat jacks andlotsof suicides—because those were his favorites.” My eyes gowide, but she’s oblivious to my horror, apparently, and just keeps making it worse. “He always said to push past your comfort. If you feel like you’re dying then you’re doing it ri—”

I see the exact moment it finally clicks for her because her eyes widen, just like mine, and her cheeks turn a shade of pink that matches the sports bra and leggings sets she normally wears.

“It’s what he would have wanted,” she adds, defensiveness creeping into her tone.

Bethany appears in between us, her face now a mask of concern.

“You still can leave if you want to, Mavis. It’s going to be really intense, and we understand if you’re not really…operating at this level.”

Irritation burns in my chest. Why is she being like this? So…bitchy. This can’t just be because I yelled at her yesterday, can it? I mean, here I am, ready to be sucked into one of her MLM activities, like she wanted. You’d think she’d be pulling up the lifetime contract on her phone, ready to lock me down as her newest downstream.

There has to be some other reason…is there something she doesn’t want me to know? Shedidkeep it from me that she and Cole knew each other well. And it wasn’t just that it didn’t come up—it was purposeful. Because she was trying to use Cole’s death to scam me into her MLM just yesterday. It would havehelpedher cause if she brought up their personal relationship and her own grief, but instead she lied by omission…

“Isaid, I’ll do it.” I raise my eyebrow in challenge, and she mirrors me.

Sure, I’m still winded from the mere brisk walk over to the park, but something’s not right with this, withBethany. I need to see if I can find anything else out.

Mackenzie squeezes my hand encouragingly, like we’ve been besties for years and not just vaguely friendly neighbors, and then she walks to the front of the group, facing everyone. She clutches her hands under her chin as she smiles beatifically at her audience

“I’m humbled and honored to take the lead this morning. As we all know, Bethany and Cole were so,soclose. And she wanted to be up here—you know she did! But I wanted to give her an opportunity to be fully present today as she’s navigating this very intense grief journey.”

So close? Very intense grief?

I’m sure of it now, theydidn’tgreet each other or talk Saturday morning. She was right behind Jack—I would have noticed. And actually…she disappeared after making such a big deal of saving that spot. Was that before Cole showed up, or after? I don’t remember, but if they’re such close friends and longtime business partners, wouldn’t she have at least said hi when he first walked up?

A few spots down from me, Bethany wipes a tear from her cheek. But is it real?

I follow her gaze to the phone she has set up on a tripod behind Mackenzie to record this event. It’s probably for content to recruit even more “self-care consultants,” make even more money. No, she can’t betoodevastated.

I look at her again to see if this performance is fooling anyone, but she’s good. There are more tears streaming down her face as Claudia pulls her into a hug and another woman rubs her back with—is that a crystal? Yeah, it’s a crystal. Oh my lord. As Bethany tucks her short hair behind her ears and accepts condolences, I get another overwhelming feeling that I know her from somewhere else, before she targeted me at that Clover Scouts meeting. But where? I still can’t place her.

“All right, Balanced With Bethany family!” I turn back to the front and Mackenzie is now jogging in place. “Are you ready to sweat out the grief?!”

She’s smiling joyfully,exuberantly, like this is a tampon commercial and not…a memorial exercise boot camp. But I guess I don’t really have other memorial exercise boot camps to compare this to.

No one else looks horrified. They’re smiling and jogging in place, too. So I push away the feeling that Bethany’s phone footage is also going to be used in a future HBO cult documentary and let the herd mentality take over. I also start jogging—and not even to run home to Polly and no-commercial episodes ofThe Bachelorwaiting for me on Hulu.

“Looking good! Now we’re going to start with a light warm-up!” Mackenzie presses her hands together in the middle and starts lunging from side to side. “And we’re going to pray that Cole has found peace! Hold that pose! And pray, and pray!”

I hold in the eye roll that wants to unleash and follow the motion. It definitely doesn’t feel like a warm-up to me. My hips and thighs already feel like they’re on fire, but I can do this. I’m fine.

“Okay, now, heels to glutes! Heels out!” She starts doing this weird kicking back and then front thing, like an agitated donkey, and everyone switches flawlessly, as if this was previously choreographed. “Heels to glutes! Heels out! And we’re going to kick away those sad feelings becausewe knowhe’s found peace! Woo!”

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