A/N: Next chapter.
The pronouns referring to Mike/Svetlana kind of go all over the place.
Enjoy!
One day later that week, Zoey was outside as usual. She wasn't drawing, just staring up at the clouds, a smile on her face.
"Yes! Svetlana is the best gymnast in the world!" She heard a voice talking in a weird accent, coming from across the street. Zoey sat up and saw Mike doing a handstand on a plastic balance beam in his yard. Except his lips were red and fuller than before, and his eyes were twinkling. His voice was more female.
Zoey stood up, brushed her red dress down, and, looking both ways before hand like her mom taught her to, made her way across the street. "Mike? What are you doing?" she asked.
Mike looked at Zoey and smiled. "Oh, hello!" He got down from his handstand gracefully, pushing off of the balance beam, flipping in midair, and landing next to Zoey on his feet. "Svetlana has heard the nice things about you! You are Zoey? From across the street?"
"Um, yeah, that's me." Zoey figured this was another character, apparently a girl from somewhere else.
"Svetlana adores your outfit! So pretty!" Mike/Svetlana looked at her red dress.
"Thanks." Zoey blushed at the complement.
"Although Svetlana does not think it is good for gymnastics practice." Svetlana was clad in grey sweatpants and a white t-shirt with five intertwined rings in different colors on the front. "Mike has better clothing for this." She then looked at Zoey. "Do you want to do the gymnastics with Svetlana? She is very good, the best!" She smiled pridefully.
"Um, can I ask my mom first if it's okay with her? I don't like getting in trouble."
"Of course, Svetlana can wait." She went back to doing all sorts of things on the balance beam, flipping over it and landing on her feet.
Zoey took her time getting across the street again, and this time she went back into her house.
She went to her bedroom and looked through it to find something that would work. She did like the idea of learning gymnastics. It looked like fun. She was ignoring the fact that it was Mike's character who would be showing her how.
She ended up in a pair of army green shorts that were not exactly athletic, and a red t-shirt. She was about to leave again when her mom asked from the kitchen, "Zoey? Is that you?"
"Yes, Mom, I'm gonna go over to Mike's house."
"Wearing that? Weren't you in a dress earlier?"
"They said they'd teach me gymnastics..." Zoey decided to refer to Mike/Svetlana as they since he was two people at once. At least, that's what she thought.
"But he's only five. How could he possibly know gymnastics at such a young age?"
Zoey shrugged and left to go back across the street.
Svetlana was now doing some things on a small set of monkey bars. It wasn't very high off the ground, but she didn't seem to care. She was doing another handstand, this time from the top of the bars.
"I'm back, Svetlana." Zoey played along with the character.
"Wonderful!" Svetlana climbed down and smiled at Zoey. "Let's see what you can do."
Svetlana had her try a few basic things, like a cartwheel followed by a handstand. Zoey stumbled at first, but she got the hang of it.
"You did good!" Svetlana complemented. "Now, watch Svetlana."
Zoey nodded and took a seat in the grass.
Svetlana started on the edge of the lawn where the balance beam was, their five year old body looking small. She cartwheeled onto the beam, landing square on her feet. She caught her breath before flipping backwards back onto the beam. She cartwheeled off and went to the bars. She climbed up. There was a decent amount of space between each bar, and flipped around so she was on top in a handstand position again. She bent her legs and went down, flipping herself as she did so. She ended up dropping to the ground onto her feet again, holding her arms up and smiling.
Zoey clapped. "That was really good," she said politely.
"Yes, Svetlana enjoys the complements you give her."
"Um...I'm gonna go home now." Zoey began to leave, turning away from Svetlana and beginning to look across the street for cars.
She heard a gasp behind her. She turned. Svetlana was rubbing her head. "What...what happened?" Mike was back to himself. He looked at her. "Zoey? Why are you here?"
"Svetlana showed me her skills. She's good."
"Oh! She did? No wonder my arms are sore..." He touched his arm and winced.
"I should go..." Zoey went across the street, looking again beforehand.
Mike sighed before go big inside to lay down on the couch. His arms hurt a lot.
His mother looked at him with concern as he fell asleep and began mumbling in different voices.
Please review!