"So when can I turn back into Jon, Mother?"
"I don't know yet, Cee-Jay, but you can bet it'll be a little bit longer now." Mom said with a sudden forcefulness.
Cee-Jay was taken aback, but only for a moment. She was about to protest this newest indignity, along with ballet, but thought better of it. Cee-Jay had set out to win a small battle earlier in the night, but only half an hour later, she had won the war.
"I'm sorry, mother. I'll stop asking you about Jon."
"And ballet?"
"I'll TRY it, but I probably won't like it."
Mom smiled, "That's all I ask. Now, what do you want for dinner?" After that, mother and daughter had a nice and fun dinner together. The subject of Jon never really came up; at least, not overtly. But every now and again, Cee-Jay would hint about him.
After dinner, they headed down to the nearest dance supply shop. Of course, CJ's mom wanted the pinkest and girliest of everything. Cee-Jay managed to talk herself into a more contemporary baby blue leotard and skirt set.
Oddly, as they were shopping, Cee-Jay felt more resentment over being ten than being a girl; she saw pictures of older ballerinas, and envied their long and more graceful bodies. Being ten, Cee-Jay still had some baby fat to work off. She silently joked that Jon was merely attracted to the ballerinas, but she couldn't quite convince herself of that.
"Watch'a got there, mother?" Cee-Jay asked, inquiring about two DVD cases.
"Just a few recordings of ballet performances."
Probably instructional, Cee-Jay thought sourly, "Which ones?"
"Copellia and The Firebird"
"Never heard of them." Mom just smiled and paid the cashier. After that, the two left for home. Mom reminded her that Cee-Jay should get a good night sleep; she had both school and ballet tomorrow.
