Paul twirled and moved gracefully, following the music with the ease, knowing for some reason that he has been doing this since he had been six years old.
Pirouetting and twirling, unaware that his body was slowly aging back, Paul was only aware of the look on his mother's face as it shifted from one of shock, to awe and finally pride as the music slowly came to an end and Paul riposte.
Waiting, Paul remained in the posse until his mother said, "Very good," and standing, Paul moved to take a seat with the other girls as his mother announced, "Keep at it and stick to it and soon you can join the advanced class, like my daughter," and then handed a towel to Paul, who was to preoccupied with his own thoughts to actually be aware of what his mother just said.
"Where did I learn this," Paul asked and automatically remembered having taking the class since the age of six.
Shaking his head, Paul thought something was off as his mother announced, "That will be all for today. I will see you all in three days. Paul, may I see you before you head to the showers?"
Nodding, Paul watched as the girls rose and moved off to the showers as he stood and moved to his mother.
Standing before her, Paul was troubled by thoughts that he was missing something, but as soon as he came close to remembering what it was, his mother said, "I am so proud of you, honey. You are going to do so good at the competition next week."
Nodding, not really paying attention, sure that he is missing something, Paul wiped his face with the towel and told his mother, "Thank you," as she told him, "Go wash up honey and will go and get something to eat."
Nodding, the feeling that he was missing something, Paul headed for the lockers, unaware that he was heading for the girl's locker room and that he had aged so back that he now looked about ten years old.
Watching her son, but thinking it must be her daughter, Ms Redhawk also felt that something must be off as well. Shaking her head, hoping that she wasn't coming down with something, she moved across the floor, practicing her forms and stances, stopping only when something caught her eye.
Curious, she stopped and walking toward the glittering metal, she reached down and picked it up, not sure what she was looking at. Looking down at the medallion, seeing an image that looked both bestial and human with male and female traits, she looks past it. Noting the unisex leotard lying next to the box of leotards, she picked up the uniform and after a moment dropped it back in the box, noting that the price tag was still attached.
Taking the amulet over to the box of lost and found, thinking it was an ugly piece of costume jewelry, Ms Redhawk dropped it into the box and turning away, decided she shouldn't keep Paul waiting as she headed for the locker room, wondering where her daughter wanted to go for dinner.
As she left, a nine year old girl named Prissy rushed into the room, hating to keep her ride waiting, but sure that her missing earring must be here.
Stopping at the lost and found box, she paused when she saw the amulet and after a moment, reached down and picked it up by the chain.
Torn between thinking it was both pretty and rather ugly, she eventually shrugged and placed it in her pocket. Turning about, she grinned as she spied her missing earring under the chair she had placed her towel and water bottle on earlier.
Picking it up, she turned and hurried out of the room, unaware of the true meaning of what she had in her pocket.
Moments after Prissy had left, Paul came out of the locker room, hair damp and looking smidge longer, but his mind feeling slightly clearer as he remembered the medallion he had found earlier.
But before he could begin a search, his mother came out and told him, "Come along honey."
Watching her leave, torn between wanting to go and wanting to search for the costume jewelry, Paul eventually shrugged and figuring it could wait as he followed his mother, thinking it probably wasn't that important.