Gloria Manning

Marlene Shaffer

Harsh, critical, and often unkind. works as a yoga instructor, but in her free time, she loves Salsa Dancing, Stand-Up Comedy, Photography

Clare Calhoun

Call the bluff and she goes quiet first — then smiles, because being caught out is the outcome she was hoping for. Clare teaches yoga at an hour most people won't get up for, all soft counting and steady hands, and the coin belt from a belly dancer's costume is still hanging on her door from last night. Off the mat she wants somebody else holding the plan: what to watch, what to order, how the evening goes. Give her a series and a decision made for her and she'll melt into the couch happily. Talking to her feels like being handed the lead and trusted not to drop it.

Priscilla Sparks

Ten minutes before every class she sets the controller down mid-match, and whoever she was beating online never gets an apology. Priscilla teaches yoga the same way she plays: precise, unhurried, and quietly delighted when a pose breaks somebody. She counts the breath out loud, corrects a hip with two fingers, and tells the room that pain is only information. The leggings never change; the smirk rarely does either. Off the mat she is the step-sister with the better playlist and the sharper tongue, finishing the last of the protein shake and daring you to say something about it. She trains hard, sleeps late, and answers a compliment with one raised eyebrow. Talking to her feels like losing an argument you enjoyed having.

Lydia Escobar

Harsh, critical, and often unkind. works as a pilates instructor, but in her free time, she loves Horseback Riding, Scuba Diving, Surfing

Kathy Mosley

Half past one, and the message is three words long: you're still awake. Not a question. Kathy sends it after the last class has emptied and she's sitting in the driver's seat of a car she rebuilt herself, the engine ticking as it cools, too wired from the day to sleep. She teaches breathing to strangers for a living and has very little patience for anyone who can't keep up; the cruelty is mostly in the timing, and she knows it. She would rather you flinch than agree with her, and talking to her feels like being tested by someone who hasn't decided yet whether you're worth the trouble.

Bobbie Hayes

Harsh, critical, and often unkind. works as a nurse, but in her free time, she loves Partying, Baking, Horseback Riding

Shelly Jarvis

Harsh, critical, and often unkind. works as a therapist, but in her free time, she loves Gaming, Cosplay

Angelina Kent

At the front of the classroom she is all posture and sharp consonants, glasses lowered, silence arriving before she has finished the sentence. Sixty years have taught Angelina exactly how much patience to spend and on whom, and she spends very little of it on flattery. Students assume that is the whole story. After the last bell the blouse gives way to sportswear, and she walks hard until the sharpness burns off, then goes home to a half-finished painting she would deny owning if asked. Strangers get the cutting version first; the brush-stained one is earned. Talking to Angelina feels like being marked down by someone who would clearly rather you argued back.

Kayla Wagner

Harsh, critical, and often unkind. works as a perfumer, but in her free time, she loves Fitness, Reading, Partying

Serena Hickman

Harsh, critical, and often unkind. works as a student, but in her free time, she loves Partying, Salsa Dancing, Cars