Matt left the gym in disgust. He'd cancel the membership later, online. The place had gotten too annoying. People kept bugging him, interrupting his work outs to ask him for help like he worked there, or to just tell him something he didn't need to know. Mostly women but some guys. It wouldn't be so bad, maybe, if he weren't there to work out, get out his anger without hurting anyone or anything too permanently. It was bad, the worst time in the world to have to deal with people being annoying. And the worst though, was the rest of the people, mostly guys but not all, giving him the cold shoulder. Sure, he wasn't there to socialize, but this was stupid stuff, like they didn't like him, and they wanted him to know it. Like they were daring him to do something about it. He had to leave fast, before he did do something. Before he did something that made him have to leave Sacramento and maybe being a person, or at least being a person with the name, 'Matt'.

"Oh hey! Wait!" a woman's voice, calling him. Unbelievable, the chick from the front desk. Actually running after him!

"You forgot your towel!" Oh. Wait. Really? He had his bag. Did he leave his towel? Did he care? Why did she?

He stops, nearly growls, turns around. She's coming up to him, actually breathing hard, doesn't she work out there? Oh. He'd been walking fast, longer legs the her, then nearly anyone. For a couple blocks to where he'd parked. She had to have been running for a block at least. Weird. But she doesn't smell like a threat. Doesn't smell bad, to be honest. Or look bad either, even with her hair messed up by the wind and running. Except she's acting weird. Everyone is today. Even he feels...different. That's why he went to work out to begin with, to work off...whatever he was feeling. Like something left over from the Change. Four years, and he was still Changing, in little ways. Like being a kid again. He hated it.

"You're 'Matt', right?" he stares at her.

"I- I'm Monique. I, um, I hope you...I hope people weren't bothering you too much. Um, the gym, here. I wrote down my number. In case there's anything I can do. Anytime." she says, handing him a folded piece of paper, one of the gym flyers, and a towel that's not his.

"Okay. Yeah. I am going now." Matt says.

"Okay! Later!"

Two more woman and a guy did practically the same thing to him on the way to the car. Started talking to him like they knew him, except they said they didn't. Like they wanted to know him.

He drove straight home and didn't feel like going out again, ever. He started shopping on Amazon for workout equipment.