Chin-ups
The Phys Ed teacher said, "Time for pull-ups," but the girls told her, "No, we're gonna do chin-ups." "What?" the teacher said. "Chin-ups? Those are for little girls. That's grammar school," contempt dripping from her voice. "Chin-ups are cool," said Nia. "Chin-ups are Rihanna, are DeRulo, are r&b." "You want to do well," said the teacher threateningly, "You will do pull-ups. I'll be watching you."
Chanice was puzzled. She spoke in a low voice to her friend. "Nia," she asked. "Aren't chin-ups and pull-ups the same thing?" Nia tried to look aghast. "The same thing? Are you kidding?" "Well, what's the difference?" "The difference is in what it feels like. In a chin-up, you're getting your chin up over the bar, while in a pull-up you're pulling up with your arms." "But to get your chin over the bar you pull with your arms too," said Chanice. Nia tried to look disgusted. "It's the ethos," she said, not quite knowing if she knew what "ethos" meant. "Chin-ups belong to a whole greater ethos; it's like an entire cultural bunch of families and cousins, skating and drawing masterpieces, all with you as your chin is going over the bar. But pull-ups, well, they're just-" she paused and searched for the right word. "Pull-ups are gym socks. It's like eggplant. Would you eat eggplant?" "I do eat eggplant," said Chanice. "No you don't," said Nia. "You eat aubergine." She wasn't sure she'd pronounced it correctly. "OH-ber-jean" or "OH-ber-jine"? "I eat what?" Chanice asked. "Aubergine" said Nia with more confidence. "Just as dark, just as purple, but while you eat it you don't have to be thinking you got your aubergine from the same field where they grow liverplant, and gizzardplant, and neckplant, and breastplant." Nia shivered, as if in horror.
"What are you two talking about?" The Phys Ed teacher called.
"Chicken," said Chanice.
"Do your pull-ups," said the teacher.
Chanice was puzzled. She spoke in a low voice to her friend. "Nia," she asked. "Aren't chin-ups and pull-ups the same thing?" Nia tried to look aghast. "The same thing? Are you kidding?" "Well, what's the difference?" "The difference is in what it feels like. In a chin-up, you're getting your chin up over the bar, while in a pull-up you're pulling up with your arms." "But to get your chin over the bar you pull with your arms too," said Chanice. Nia tried to look disgusted. "It's the ethos," she said, not quite knowing if she knew what "ethos" meant. "Chin-ups belong to a whole greater ethos; it's like an entire cultural bunch of families and cousins, skating and drawing masterpieces, all with you as your chin is going over the bar. But pull-ups, well, they're just-" she paused and searched for the right word. "Pull-ups are gym socks. It's like eggplant. Would you eat eggplant?" "I do eat eggplant," said Chanice. "No you don't," said Nia. "You eat aubergine." She wasn't sure she'd pronounced it correctly. "OH-ber-jean" or "OH-ber-jine"? "I eat what?" Chanice asked. "Aubergine" said Nia with more confidence. "Just as dark, just as purple, but while you eat it you don't have to be thinking you got your aubergine from the same field where they grow liverplant, and gizzardplant, and neckplant, and breastplant." Nia shivered, as if in horror.
"What are you two talking about?" The Phys Ed teacher called.
"Chicken," said Chanice.
"Do your pull-ups," said the teacher.