Belligerent Bethany lived in a large city with lots of hills. Her roommate had moved out recently to a different hill two blocks away because Belligerent Bethany kept punching her. Belligerent Bethany had always woken up to her roommate’s alarm. She had forgotten to set her own alarm, so she woke up at 9:45 to the sun shining in through her curtains. She ripped the curtains off her wall and growled like a lion.

Belligerent Bethany was almost late for her job. Belligerent Bethany was a licensed boxer and taught how to fight professionally in her free time. Belligerent Bethany’s refrigerator wouldn’t open so she kicked it until it fell over. She had to skip breakfast or she would be late for her job. She was being overly aggressive for no apparent reason.

Belligerent Bethany stomped all the way to the boxing ring. Her first student, Little Ms. Annihilate (who totally destroyed things), was coming to the door just as Belligerent Bethany got there. She grumbled at her student as she shoved her past to unlock the door. They worked on Little Ms. Annihilate uppercut until it was time to leave, an hour and a half later. It was then 11:30 and Belligerent Bethany had an hour before her next lesson.

Belligerent Bethany went to a little café on her corner called Coffee Cantata where she got a Jimi Hendrix (a white mocha with lavender) and a blueberry scone. Her barista had made the drink too hot and Belligerent Bethany aggressively demanded a refund.

“Just wait 5 minutes and it will be the perfect temperature,” the barista said in a calm tone. But Belligerent Bethany didn’t want to wait that long. Belligerent Bethany was always looking for a fight, especially after teaching.

She decided to cancel her 12:30 student to complain to the barista. Belligerent Bethany complained for another five minutes until Ms. Firebrand (her passionate, revolutionary friend) called her.

“Hi, Belligerent Bethany! Did you know there’s a new, hot, yoga class downtown? Do you want to come?” Ms. Firebrand asked with passion. It took a lot of persuading, and Bethany had the urge to fight back and say no, but she finally said yes.

At 5:55, Ms. Firebrand came to pick up Belligerent Bethany for their 6 o’clock yoga class.

“Bethany, did you know that Yogi Tranquil is our teacher today?! She’s the best one of the bunch!” Ms. Firebrand exclaimed. Belligerent Bethany just sighed in a rare moment of non-belligerence. She only came because she had the afternoon off.

Once they got to the yoga studio, Ms. Firebrand signed them both in. There were lots of essential oils and cool rocks. Bethany picked one up and the cashier asked if she wanted to buy it. Belligerent Bethany said no. The only reason she’d want a rock would be to throw it at someone.

Inside the yoga room, Belligerent Bethany saw something aggravating. The barista that made her drink too hot was the yoga teacher! “That’s why she was so calm at the café,” Bethany remembered.

“Hello, students,” Yogi Tranquil (who is always calm) calmly said, “I am your yoga teacher, Yogi Tranquil. I want to achieve peace and zen in this class. Now, let us get to the music. Today, we will feature all of the latest hits. Any suggestions?”

Yogi Tranquil called on Belligerent Bethany first. It wasn’t until she was picked that Yogi Tranquil remembered her.

“Yogi Tranquil, I want to request the song ‘Make my drink at a drinkable temperature.’”

Belligerent Bethany was enraged by the memory of her hot drink. Yogi Tranquil was offended by the break in the peaceful ambiance. Ms. Firebrand was astounded by her friend’s behavior. Ms. Firebrand thought that Belligerent Bethany had worked out her anger management problems. Miss Firebrand just wanted a peaceful, zen, hot yoga class.

Belligerent Bethany ran out of the studio. She ran out into the busy streets and many cars stopped abruptly to honk. Ms. Firebrand was close behind, but instead of making others mad about her crossing, she explained the reason and calmed everyone down. The drivers all showed their empathy. Ms. Firebrand had passionately twisted the story to help her friend.

Once Ms. Firebrand caught up with Belligerent Bethany, she grabbed her arm and sat her down. “Dearie, remember when you had that awful club about hating everything?” Belligerent Bethany nodded hesitantly at the reminder of that terrible time of her life. Ms. Firebrand changed Bethany’s mind and the club was now owned by Ms. Firebrand (who ran it with passion and for a good cause).

“You went to anger management therapy, and I think you need to go back,” Ms. Firebrand said with caution. She didn’t want to upset Bethany even more. Bethany nodded again in agreement. She knew Ms. Firebrand was just looking out for her.

The next day, Belligerent Bethany went to her anger management therapist, Mr. Ethical (who always did the right thing). He worked in a small building that looked like it used to be a house. They talked for two hours about how Belligerent Bethany had been since her last session, and what they should do to keep her hostility away from others. They didn’t find any good solutions and Belligerent Bethany got mad.

“Mr. Ethical, I know you’re trying to help, but in these past two hours, we haven’t done anything! I have wasted 175 dollars on this session!” Belligerent Bethany exclaimed.

“Bethany, it takes time to figure out what’s right. It took seven weeks last time you had a problem. Yes, that problem was much bigger, but it still takes time,” Mr. Ethical confirmed. Bethany understood, and then she wanted to apologize to Yogi Tranquil.

On the next Monday, Belligerent Bethany had a breakthrough at therapy. Mr. Ethical and she decided to channel her anger more into boxing instead of just letting it out on people. They also decided that she should apologize to Yogi Tranquil. Yogi Tranquil had a class that Tuesday.

Belligerent Bethany called Ms. Firebrand and asked her to go with her. Ms. Firebrand was delighted to help her friend mend fences with her favorite yoga teacher.

That Tuesday, Belligerent Bethany and Ms. Firebrand went to the yoga class fifteen minutes early. They found Yogi Tranquil to apologize.

“Yogi Tranquil, I’m so sorry about what I did in your class and in the café. I shouldn’t have acted that rudely and I’m embarrassed about what I did. I went to my therapist and we decided that I should mend fences. I hope you can forgive me.” It was when Yogi Tranquil smiled that both Belligerent Bethany and Ms. Firebrand knew they were all going to be friends.

That next Monday, a new schedule was established. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons were when Belligerent Bethany would go to therapy. She did very well there and they came up with new tactics to face her anger every week.

Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday were yoga days, where she and Ms. Firebrand would go to Yoga Tranquil classes. They were very calm and chatted a lot before and after classes.

Epilogue

Belligerent Bethany still punches her new punching bag every morning before she goes to work. Little Ms. Annihilate is doing very well and is thinking of destroying some things. Belligerent Bethany encourages her to follow her heart, but not to get too hostile like who she once was.

Bethany goes to Coffee Cantata every morning for her Jimi Hendrix and a blueberry scone. Yogi Tranquil always makes her drink.

Belligerent Bethany is also going to various marches to fight for human rights and against Donald Trump, and they are all peaceful protests. Belligerent Bethany is living a much happier life, and she is thinking about legally changing her name to Buoyant Bethany (who was always cheerful and optimistic).