Welcome Back

In today's story, Welcome Back, Jennie just has one of those faces, the kind where people think they have seen her somewhere before. 

Today's prompt was inspired by a yoga student who returned to one of my classes after a long absence. While the story itself is not related, I was happy to welcome them back to my class. 

If you enjoy today's story, please share it with your friends and leave a review for Freely Written. You can also send me  a prompt suggestion, and I'll be sure to credit you in the episode. Thank you!

More about Susan Quilty

Susan Quilty mainly writes novels, including two standalone novels and her current YA series: The Psychic Traveler Society.  Susan's short stories for Freely Written are created during quick writing breaks and shared as a way to practice her narration skills before she dives into recording audio versions of her novels.

Website:  SusanQuilty.com
Facebook: Freely Written
The Freely Written Book: Freely Written Vol. 1
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Transcript

Below is the transcript for Season 1, Episode 138 of Freely Written, a podcast by author Susan Quilty:

Welcome to Freely Written where a simple prompt leads to a little unplanned fiction.  

[Light piano music]

Hi, friends! I’m Susan Quilty and today’s prompt is Welcome Back.

As you may or may not know, when I’m not writing, I teach yoga. I’ve been a yoga teacher for 10 years, which means I’ve met a lot of students. It can be hard to remember everyone who comes to my classes, especially when they attend infrequently. 

There have been times where I’ve introduced myself to a student only to have them tell me they’ve been in my class before. Less often, I think I remember someone when it’s actually their first class with me. Both situations are awkward, but, luckily, most people are nice about it. 

This morning, I had a student return who I did remember well and was very happy to see. It’s always a nice surprise when someone comes back after an extended time away. Their return inspired today’s prompt of Welcome Back. It may have also influenced the path of this story, though I tried to start with a blank slate.  

I wrote today’s prompt using my typical Freely Written process, where I sit down with the prompt and write whatever comes to mind, using no planning and very little editing, before recording the story to share it with you. 

As always, I would love it if you could share this podcast with your friends and check out my books at my website, SusanQuilty.com. I’ll add a link in the show notes. 

Now, on to today’s story:

Welcome Back

Jennie had one of those faces. The kind that made people think they had seen her somewhere before. Do you work at the bank on 42nd street? I think you might live in my neighborhood. Jennie didn’t work at a bank, and she’d never been to that neighborhood. Just as she didn’t read books to kids at the library, take swim classes at the community pool, or routinely visit any of the places where people were sure they had seen her before. 

Most of the time, these cases of mistaken identity were mildly amusing, if a bit tiring. Sometimes, depending on Jennie’s mood, they were a source of frustration or even feelings of inadequacy. 

Why wasn’t she reading books at the library or working at a soup kitchen? Was her doppelganger a tireless do-gooder? Should she be more like this phantom volunteer? 

But it happened too often for Jennie to have a single lookalike living nearby. That mystery twin would have to work multiple jobs and live in neighborhoods all across town. 

No, Jennie decided it wasn’t one copy of her people were seeing. She just had one of those faces. Familiar. Non-descript. Not particularly memorable in an individual way but comprised of features that were reminiscent of others. 

A friend once told Jennie she should take it as a compliment. She was an attractive woman with classic features, the kind you see in movies or tv shows. But Jennie didn’t feel particularly attractive, and she certainly didn’t feel glamorous. 

If anything, she saw herself as a background extra or a character actor at best. The quiet girl next door or a woman at the bus stop. Someone who smiled shyly at a main character or had a single line, like, “Would you pass the sugar, please?”

Jennie’s oddly familiar features seemed to break down barriers with strangers. They talked to her like an old friend, opening up about their day, their health, their relationships. Luckily, Jennie enjoyed meeting new people and was intrigued by the stories they shared.

Sometimes, Jennie worried that she was a bit nosy, always gathering details of strangers’ lives. Though she comforted herself by knowing that she didn’t pry or make any effort to get people to share. She was simply a good listener and had learned that a few well-placed, open-ended questions were often enough to hear a person’s life story, including some of their deepest secrets. 

One Tuesday, Jennie woke up on the wrong side of the bed. There was nothing particularly wrong, just a general sense that something wasn’t quite right. Her rhythm was off as she moved around her apartment, getting ready for the gym. She couldn’t find her favorite leggings. She broke a hair elastic while braiding her hair. After pouring a bowl of cereal, she remembered that she was out of milk. As she was leaving, her personal trainer texted that she had to cancel their session. 

Jennie went to the gym anyway. She planned to work out on her own but wasn’t feeling motivated, so she stopped by the group fitness room and saw there was a Pilates class starting in 10 minutes. 

“Oh, hi!” the teacher called, as Jennie walked into the room. “Welcome back!” 

Jennie hesitated. The teacher was a young woman with a bright smile. She was talking with a few students who were lining up their mats and getting ready for class to begin. 

Jennie had never been to this class. She had never met the teacher. But Jennie didn’t want to go through the whole “you look so familiar” song and dance, so she simply nodded hello and found a mat from the bin at the side of the room. 

As she rolled out her mat, Jennie listened to the students chat about something that had happened in another class last week. 

“Hey,” one of them called to Jennie. “You take Carla’s class on Thursdays, right?”

“Oh, um,” Jennie glanced at the Pilates teacher wondering if she was Carla or if they were talking about another class. She hadn’t noted the teacher’s name on the schedule outside the door. 

“Yeah, I’ve seen you there,” another woman said. “But it’s been a while. You were out with a sprained wrist, right?”

Jennie mindlessly rubbed her left wrist, not wanting to lie but also not wanting to explain that she’d never taken a group class here. That she was new to this gym and usually worked with a trainer using free weights. 

“Is it better now?” the teacher asked, sounding mildly concerned. 

“Uh, yeah,” Jennie dropped her wrist and shrugged. “Totally fine.”

“Oh, good! If it bothers you, feel free to modify.” 

“Always,” Jennie agreed reassuringly, though it had been years since she’d taken a Pilates class, and she could barely remember anything about the classes she had taken before. 

A steady stream of students began entering and setting up their mats, saving Jennie from saying anything more. There was light talk about the weather and errands that needed to be run before the rain began. The women included Jennie with friendly smiles, though she only nodded without adding to the conversation. 

“All right, let’s begin!” the teacher announced, after standing up to close the door. When she returned to her mat, she tapped on her phone to start some music, then looked around the room with an encouraging smile. 

“Welcome to those who are new to this class,” the teacher greeted, looking at two women at the back of the room. “Welcome back to my regulars, and a special welcome back to those who are returning after some time away. We’re glad to have you back!” 

She turned toward Jennie during those last words. Those nearest her also turned, copying the teacher’s friendly smile. 

Jennie felt a fluttering in the center of her chest. She pushed the feeling down and took a deep breath, ready for whatever might happen next. 

What happened was a Pilates class. One that was reasonably familiar to Jennie once they got moving. Halfway through, the teacher glanced toward Jennie and said, “See, it comes back to you, like riding a bike!” 

Jennie gritted her teeth and kept on with her leg lifts. The teacher wasn’t wrong. The Pilates moves were coming back to her, just not from this class. 

When the class was over, the teacher asked Jennie if her wrist felt okay. Another student looked over and asked, “Oh, did you hurt your wrist?” 

“Uh, it’s fine,” Jennie muttered. She quickly rolled up her mat, avoiding everyone’s eyes as she felt her face flush. 

“You have taken this class before…?” the teacher asked awkwardly, her own cheeks beginning to turn pink. “I mean, you do seem familiar, but I meet so many students…” 

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure I did,” Jennie lied, trying to sound casual as she returned her mat to the bin. “It’s just been a while…”

Most of the class had filed out. Those who remained, watched their exchange with mild curiosity. Jennie glanced quickly around the room. She thought about fessing up. Admitting that she’d never taken this class before, but it was too late for that. 

Instead, she rushed for the door, calling back, “Great class, thanks!” 

That night at dinner, Jenny told her friend the whole story. 

“I can never show my face there again! I’ll have to find a new gym. A new trainer.”

She shook her head and sipped her wine sadly, but her friend only laughed. 

“Oh, you can go back. If anyone recognizes you, just say you’ve never met them. It wasn’t you in that class.”

“And they’ll believe that?” Jennie asked sarcastically, but her friend nodded emphatically. 

“Of course they will. You just have one of those faces!” 

The End 

Thanks for listening. Luckily, I don’t think this has happened with any of my students, but if it did, I guess I might never know. 

If you enjoyed this story, please share it with your friends, and don’t forget to check out my novels and other books on my website, SusanQuilty.com. Your support is truly appreciated. 

Until next time, try a little free writing of your own. Let go of any planning and see where your imagination takes you. 

[Light piano music]