"What is up with all the noise over here? I'm trying to teach a class next door," shouted one of the assistant instructors.
Thinking quickly, Chan hurriedly explained the situation before the instructor could get more than a few feet in the door.
"I see," she said calmly. "This is Alice's daughter. She's been saying that she'd bring her in for a visit again. So you want to take classes like all the big kids, eh, Paula?" asked the instructor kneeling down and rubbing his back. "Wait here and I'll go get her mother."
Once alone again, Paul looked up at Chan through crimson, blood shot eyes and sniffled.
"Why did you tell her that?" asked Paul.
"Like I said before, no one is ever going to believe that you were once a boy, or fifteen to say the least."
"Ms. Chan!" bellowed Paul's mother from the doorway. "I thought you said that you'd look after my little Paula. So why is she crying her eyes out?"
"I'm sorry Mrs. Miller, but I told Paula that I couldn't show her any thing without first wearing the proper equipment and when I suggested we go get changed, she fell to the floor crying and pouting that she didn't want to wear that stuff. That she just wanted to dance as she is."
Paul's mother looked back at Paul and hugged him like he'd never been hugged before. Paul took a deep breath, the smell of her perfume making him dizzy. Then before letting him go, she kissed his cheek and started to speak with a reassuring smile across her face.
"You know, sweetie, that to do ballet, you can't be wearing a dress. You need to go with Chan here and get changed into the proper gear."
After two hours, Paul was beginning to improve his basic foot work. However, as his mother entered the room to help him get changed back into the dress he'd been wearing, the memory of what Chan had said to him about forgetting he was born male stirred in the back of his mind. Again, he began to whimper.
"Don't cry, sweetie, we'll be back tomorrow and you can do this again," said his mother trying to sooth him without having the slightest idea as to why he was crying.
That night, things went pretty much the same as the previous evening. Paul and his mother ate in silence and an hour later, he was ushered upstairs for his bath and bed. However, unlike the previous evening, Paul found a pink nightie with a picture of a care-bear waiting for him on his bed instead of a two piece sleeping set. In addition to this, there was a Pull-Ups Night Time Training Pants waiting for him to slide over his naked legs and up to his now slender waste.
"Do I have to wear these, mom?" asked Paul grimacing as he saw her shake her head yes.
"I think its best since you wet yourself last night, Paula, but I'll make you a deal. Keep dry for the rest of the week and you'll be able to wear big girl pants back to bed again."
'That should be easy enough,' thought Paul nodding his head in agreement and lifting his arms for his mother to slide the nightie over his head.
"Alright into bed and I'll read you a story. Any suggestions?"
Paul thought for a minute, then decided on the book he'd been assigned in English class to read alone. "To Kill A Mockingbird," he said innocently enough, somewhat surprised that he'd asked for that, especially since he'd not really liked the book, he still thought it be best to be prepared for the test he had on it in two days time. His mother on the other hand just stared blankly into his eyes and then after what he said hit her, she began to laugh.
"I think that book's a bit too advanced for you, sweetie. How about this one instead?" she said pulling a thin Doctor Seuss book off the shelf. "The Cat in the Hat."
Paul was surprised as his mother sat down on the edge of the bed and began to read how easy the words she was saying seemed to become jumbled in his head. Then half way through the book, Alice looked over and saw that Paul was sound asleep. Quietly, she finished tucking him into the covers, kissed his forehead, and walked out of the room as she flicked on the night light before closing the door.
As Paul lay there asleep, he began to dream about what Chan had told him. He could see himself slowly transforming into the girl he was now and then before the transformation was entirely complete, he'd be stuck between Paul and Paula; and then just as he reached this stage, he'd begin to fall through a bottomless pit of people laughing at him and his mother saying, "You look more like a girl now, Paul; therefore I'm going to turn you into the sweetest little girl I've always wanted you to be. So you won't be needing any of those yucky boy things anymore." Hearing this, Paul screams as his bladder empties in his dream.
"What's the matter, Paula?" asked his mother as she comes rushing into his room.