Meche could hear the girls in the background, but she was making a real effort not to listen to them. Even when she carefully set--not dropped; even heels this good wouldn't prevent her from breaking a toe--the spear on the floor and started rolling her shoulders, she kept facing the other way. The conversation sounded like it was taking a serious turn, but it wasn't any of her business to eavesdrop or interrupt unless something really went wrong. Right now she had to keep focused.

She did a quick series of stretches, mostly with her arms and then a few with her legs. A couple of joints cracked audibly. Boy, between the foot races and the spear, she was well on her way to coming up with the definitive Landel's Institute fitness program here--for added aerobic benefits, just beat up a few zombies on your commute home. Maybe she should pitch it to Manny when he got back.

All right, time to get serious again. Meche did one last stretch and picked up the spear again to show that she was ready for Round Two. "Anything else I should fix about those?" she asked.