Chapter 19: The Gym Nap Adventure

The Gym Equipment Room: An Unexpected Sanctuary

Alex wandered through the empty hallways of Riverview High, his eyes half-closed, his pillow tucked under his arm, and his footsteps soft against the linoleum floors.

While other students were in class, Alex was on a different mission—to find the perfect nap spot.

He had already napped under trees, in the nurse's office, and even in the library, but today, his sleepy instincts led him toward the gym equipment room.

The door creaked open, and Alex slipped inside, his expression shifting from groggy to serene.

The room was filled with stacks of rubber mats, yoga balls rolling gently, and weights resting quietly in their racks. The soft hum of the ventilation system provided a white noise ambiance, and the dim lighting felt like twilight on a cloudy day.

"Perfect..." he whispered, already sinking to the floor.

Making a Nap Nest

Alex set his pillow down, arranged a few mats into a makeshift bed, and pulled a foam roller as a backrest.

He tucked himself in with his blanket, positioned his pillow, and closed his eyes, his body melting into the soft surface.

The yoga balls occasionally bumped into each other, creating a gentle, rhythmic sound, like water droplets in a forest.

"Mats... softer than expected," he mumbled, his voice drifting off.

The PE Teacher's Surprise

Just as Alex's breathing slowed, the gym equipment room door swung open, and in walked Mr. Barlow, the PE teacher.

He was carrying a box of cones and hurdles, his clipboard balanced precariously on top. As he set the box down, he froze, his eyes locking onto the sight of Alex curled up on the mats, his pillow tucked under his cheek.

"Alex?"

The boy didn't move, his chest rising and falling in gentle rhythm.

"Alex!" Mr. Barlow called out, a bit louder this time.

Alex's eyelids fluttered, and he murmured, "Five more minutes..."

Mr. Barlow, not sure whether to wake him up or call the nurse, opted for a gentle nudge with his sneaker.

"Hey, kid. This is the gym equipment room, not a bedroom."

Alex sat up slowly, his hair tousled, a mat crease imprinted on his cheek.

"Ambiance... good for naps," he explained, as if this were the most logical reason to be sleeping among dumbbells.

The Hilarious Conversation

Mr. Barlow crouched down to Alex's level, his whistle dangling from his neck, and his clipboard now a makeshift stool.

"You can't just nap wherever you want, Alex."

Alex, still rubbing sleep from his eyes, looked around.

"Mats are soft. Air is cool. Yoga balls... sound like rain."

The PE teacher, struggling to maintain a serious expression, asked:

"You know, most kids come here to exercise, not to hibernate."

Alex nodded slowly, as if the concept of exercise was new information.

"Exercise... tires you out... good for naps."

"That's not... entirely wrong," Mr. Barlow admitted, his lips twitching into a smile.

A Creative Solution

Seeing that Alex's intentions were harmless, Mr. Barlow offered a compromise.

"Tell you what, Alex. If you help me stack the mats after gym class, I'll let you nap here—as long as you're invisible during school hours."

Alex's eyes brightened, not because of the deal, but at the thought of a consistent nap spot.

"Deal... nap deal."

As Mr. Barlow stood up, he tossed a small blanket over Alex, chuckling.

"Just... don't snore too loudly. The soccer team gets distracted."

Meanwhile: The Pillow Business Brainstorm

While drifting back to sleep, Alex's mind danced between dreams of clouds and his pillow business conundrum.

He still had 25 pillows left to sell, but with the online license requirement, he needed a new plan.

In his half-dream state, he imagined a "nap truck", like an ice cream truck, where people could test the pillows by napping in the back.

"Pillow truck... mobile naps..." he whispered, a tiny smile on his sleepy face.

He also considered setting up a nap booth, offering five-minute naps in exchange for feedback, but his business strategy always seemed to circle back to napping first, and selling second.

A Funny Ending

By the end of the day, when the final bell rang, Mr. Barlow returned to find Alex still asleep, his pillow hugged close, and a yoga ball resting gently against his leg, as if even the equipment wanted a nap.

With a sigh, Mr. Barlow gently shook him awake.

"Come on, Alex. You can't sleep here all night."

Alex, still half-asleep, nodded.

"Okay... but if I could... I would."

And as he shuffled out of the gym, pillow in hand, his mind was already drifting to the next sleep spot, perhaps a corner of the library, or maybe the art room, where the soft canvas sheets might just be the perfect blanket