Soffe shorts really don’t cover much when you get down to it. Sometimes they even seem to shrink so that the exposed waistband seems bigger than the actual shorts. You see, Soffe shorts are very shy articles of clothing, they don’t like crowds or lots of attention, which is why they shrink when under pressure. Twyla Ashby hadn’t realized that Soffe shorts possess that particular trait when she left her room earlier that morning wearing her green leotard and a pair of black shorts and nothing else. As she had walked the halls of the mansion the black shorts had seemed to shrink, to crawl up her legs and disappear into their exposed waistband. She had never been embarrassed back home in a similar outfit and she walked around her high school after gymnastics practice plenty of times looking almost identical. There was something different about wearing a leotard and short shorts while in the mansion, apparently. That something made Twyla feel very self conscious and she had rushed through the halls, drawing more attention to herself, so that she could get outside to practice.

This was her second attempt at practicing gymnastics since her arrival and Twyla had found a quiet clearing that was far enough from the pool and basketball court to be private. Her shoes and socks and shorts watched her stretch out from the base of a tree a few feet away. The stretching felt good, like meeting an old friend that you haven’t seen in a while. Her body fought her a bit at first, but after a few minutes of slow stretching she felt limber and comfortable with herself again. Graceful arms bent low to touch bare toes and she wished that she had a studio to practice in. Grass would cushion her movements but nothing could compare with the padding and added height that a sprung floor gave. Maybe she would look around New York for a gym that she could practice at but these thoughts weren’t important now. All that was important were the reactions that her body were giving her, the tension, the endorphins, the pain, the release. These were the feelings she had most missed since she had found out that she was a mutant.

Strong arms this time, were used to complete a simple round off. Strong arms and strong legs and she landed perfectly, but she expected to, she’d been doing round offs since she was little. Next a back handspring, this one finished with the graceful arms of a completed move. Things were coming back. She was doing better than her first attempt at practice. Being daring she attempted a double back that she landed shakily. It was exhilarating and upsetting at the same time. Twyla still remember the moves, but her body had lost the perfection of them that it had once had. A determined looked pasted itself to her face and she tried the move again. This time she fell in between the first and second back flip. Her landing was hard but she stood up and dusted her back off. A bruised tail-bone would greet her in the morning but that wasn’t important now. All that was important was getting her old moves back. She set herself up and tried the double back again.

On her way inside the mansion, Deathstar breathed heavily as she slowed her jogging stride coming to a complete as she entered the pool area. "Whew!, I gotta do better than this", Deathstar said as she checked her heart rate with her middle and index finger tilting her head to the side placing them both on her neck. Disappointed with her progress she released her hands to her hips inhaling and exhaling slowing the heart-rate while absorbing pool-side scenery, "Damn!, I was two seconds off", she said locking her hands behind her neck as she beats herself up mentally. She palms back her ponytail pulling any loose strands of hair, and wipes sweat off her face with the back of her hand mentally correcting errors of her daily jog in her mind. In the far distance she notices a new face on the mansion grounds, squinting her eyes hoping it will make a familiar face appear, "I wonder who that could be?a spy maybe?, better check it out", she walks along the pool toward the stranger grabbing a towel from a chair and throws it on her shoulder as she heads in that direction.

As Deathstar slowly approaches the stranger she adjusts her tank-top and shorts while taking a drink from her water bottle. She was amazed by the girl athletic ability, so she stops about 20 feet away fearing she might startled the girl and cause an accident. The strange girl attempted a double back flip but the landing tells Deathstar she won't be going to the Olympics anytime soon. Deathstar smiled to herself as the girl got off the ground to attempt the gymnastics move again, "Maybe you shouldn't open early as you land", Deathstar advised to the girl, by this time she knew she couldn't be spy, what spy do you know practice gymnastics in the open on enemy territory Deathstar thought to herself. "Sorry don't mean to intrude I'm Deathstar, I used to be a gymnast myself you know" Deathstar said as she extends her hand for the greeting.

Frustration had begun to creep in and settle over Twyla’s determined mood. Although, if her coach’s words were to be believed, frustration meant that she was growing. More like taking giant steps in the wrong direction. She thought. She wouldn’t even be in this sorry state if she had never been born a mutant. In fact, she’d probably be in her high school gym practicing a new floor exercise if she was back home. Angry thoughts clouded her mind but she forced them away and set herself up again but another distraction lay in wait for her. "Maybe you shouldn't open early as you land.” A woman’s voice spoke from the space behind her. Twyla jumped and turned around, a flush creeping up her chest to meet the blush in her face. "Sorry don't mean to intrude I'm Deathstar, I used to be a gymnast myself you know." The woman continued, extending her hand in greeting.

“I had problems with that the first time I learned to do a double back.” Twyla said by way of reply to the advice. Not meeting Deathstar’s eyes out of embarrassment she shook her hand. Messing up in front of your average person was bad but not nearly as bad as messing up in front of another gymnast. “I’m Twyla, by the way.” Pausing for a moment she added “I used to be a gymnast too.” in a slightly bitter tone. Now there was time for a fleeting up down of the other woman. Blonde hair with highlights--red eyes–red eyes?–red eyes– lots of peircings–skinny with muscles–dressed to jog. Twyla’s brown eyes took it all in and with only one look. She was feeling a lot of emotions at once. Shame, anger, frustration, and shyness all churned inside her frame and she couldn’t decide which of them was going to come out first.

“I’m Twyla, by the way.” Pausing for a moment she added “I used to be a gymnast too.”

"Welcome to the mansion", Deathstar said semi-cheerful as she shook the new girl hand firmly, she couldn't help but notice the girl uneasy demeanor. "So Twyla, you used to be a gymnasts eh!, what level are you?, the last level I completed was level 10, I could've went elite but chose to quit while I still had my body in tact". Deathstar said laughing out loud trying to throw out some gymnastics humor to ease the new girl's mood. "My favorite event is the vault, theres something about running down the runway, punching the springboard sending you 20 feet in the air while twisting and somersaulting mid flight", Deathstar said smiling. The memories of her secret favorite sport banished thoughts from her disappointing jog earlier that day putting her in a good mood. Deathstar continued to wipe sweat from her body using the towel as she converse with the girl, she threw the towel over her shoulder as she awaits Twyla's reply.

Deathstar welcomed her to the mansion and Twyla replied brightly with a quick “Thanks.” So far she liked the mansion, she was still getting used to things but she felt it was the place for her to be at the moment. "So Twyla, you used to be a gymnasts eh!, what level are you?, the last level I completed was level 10, I could've went elite but chose to quit while I still had my body in tact". Twyla laughed with the other woman but her laugh was quieter. Twyla had realized early on that she would never make it to Elite but that had never stopped her from forcing herself to excel at whatever level she was in. “Before I ran away from home...” A brief pause due to the shock of what she had just admitted to a total stranger. “I was in level 7 but my coach thought that this coming year I could try competing at level 8. Obviously that’s not going to happen.” Her tone was a bit lighter because she was actually talking ‘shop’ with someone who knew what she was talking about.

"My favorite event is the vault, there’s something about running down the runway, punching the springboard sending you 20 feet in the air while twisting and somersaulting mid flight.” Deathstar told her with a smile. Twyla had seen that smile on many other girls faces as they talked about their favorite events. The same smile had probably crossed Twyla’s face quite a few times; although none of those times were recent. “When I first started really training I was terrified of the vault. I’m not very good at it at all. My best event is uneven bars but my favorite is floor exercise. I like to dance.” She shrugged. Her smile was small and it barely reached her brown eyes. She must have been running or something. Twyla noted as Deathstar toweled herself off.

Deathstar heard the running away from home comment, but Twyla's body language reads she's not ready to release that kind of information so Deathstar chose not to force it out of her. "Level 8!, wow!, thats a big leap from double tucks" She said while stretching her neck from side to side. "I think you are ready for level 8 despite what your coach say, you have good form from what I see, and maybe you can work on your toe point", Deathstar says to Twyla as if she was her coach. " I don't mean to be crucial, but the elite world is very harsh", She said raising her eyebrows at her comment, "I would had been elite, but my coach said I wasn't artistic, but whatever!, he's a jerk".

Deathstar begins her cool-down by stretching her legs shoulder width apart at the same time bending over putting her hands on the ground stretching her lower back "As you can see I am still a little bitter". She raises her torso with a puzzled look on her face "So!, what kind of powers do you have?, is that why you ran away...." Deathstar caught herself but it was too late she returns to stretching hoping the new mutant didn't hear the last part.

"Level 8!, wow!, that’s a big leap from double tucks" Deathstar was stretching as she said this. "I think you are ready for level 8 despite what your coach say, you have good form from what I see, and maybe you can work on your toe point. I don't mean to be crucial, but the elite world is very harsh" Deathstar’s tone reminded Twyla of the type her coach would use back home. She wasn’t offended, it almost felt normal to her. "I would had been elite, but my coach said I wasn't artistic, but whatever!, he's a jerk .” Twyla shrugged at this. “Some coaches are....I’m glad someone thinks I’m ready to move up, but it’s never going to happen–not while I’m still out here at least.” She controlled the bitterness in her voice this time and her statement came out in only a slightly forced nonchalant tone.

As Deathstar moved into another stretching stance she made a comment about still being bitter. Twyla shrugged a bit at this. Then came the Big question, the inevitable question, the one that could only come after admitting she had ran away. "So!, what kind of powers do you have?, is that why you ran away...." Twyla knew this would come at some point; she had to talk to someone about it at some point. Running away from home had been one of the worst decisions she had made in her life and she was ashamed to admit that she had made it because she was a coward. A coward who would rather face the big bad world than tell the people that love her that she is a mutant. “I can camouflage myself and anything I’m touching.” She replied to the first part of the other girl’s question. That part was easy. “I ran away because I was afraid to tell my parents that I’m a mutant. “ This part was harder and her voice was softer than it had been a few moments ago. “I was afraid that they’d hate me or throw me out or a hundred other ridiculous scenario. I ran away because I’m a coward.” There, she’d said it. Her face may be pointed towards the ground and her eyes may be slightly moist but she HAD said it; that’s what matters, right?

Deathstar sensed a bit of sadness from the new mutant, she's been there before and finds herself consoling the new one. "Look!, my best advice for you is to go back home and tell your parents, trust me running away will not solve any of your problems, I know, I've been there", Deathstar's eyes glanced away with a blank stare toward the horizon thinking of the mistakes she made before she arrived from the mansion. "I ran away from home too!, I regret running til this day", she said as she look back toward Twyla, "If you do go back home, you will help all humans understand that us muties aren't bad at all, we are different, but again we come the same place". Deathstar hoped she made sense to the new girl, she would feel guilty if she allowed Twyla to run away from all her problems.

"Atleast you have a family, some us here don't have that anymore", she didn't mean to come down hard on Twyla, but She had to be honest about Twyla's choice. "If you want to go back home, I am more than willing to accompany you".

Deathstar told her to go home and tell her parents because running away solved nothing. She admitted to Twyla that she had run away from home and regretted it as well. Twyla knew that her reaction to her powers wasn’t uncommon but she wished it was just because she knew now that things would have been easier if she had told her parents in person instead of over the phone. Her life would have been much less stressful and scary. Not that telling her parents, no matter where or how, would have been less scary but all the things that had happened before that phone call home could have been avoided. Her life would have been infinitely different if she had stayed home but there was no knowing who she would be if she hadn’t run like she had. Deathstar went on to talk about teaching humans that mutants weren’t bad, just different. Twyla just nodded, sensing that her companion would continue to talk.

Then came the major blow. “At least you have a family, some us here don't have that anymore." Twyla’s face flushed at this but she didn’t say anything, just looked down. She was still looking down when the woman made her offer to go back home with her. This was unexpected and Twyla wished someone had made it to her when she was still wandering up and down the east coast. “My family knows now. I called them a few days after I arrived here. My mom cried on the phone but we’ve talked a few more times since then and she’s coming around. I shouldn’t have bailed like I did, but maybe this way is easier for her to cope with. She doesn’t have to see me everyday and know that I’m not the normal girl she thought I was. I know it was stupid to run away but at the time I needed and plan but I didn’t think my options through. I regret it but I’m making it better. It wasn’t fair of me not to give them the chance to react to my power.” All this was said while Twyla stared at her bare feet. The family comment had made her felt guilty. She finally looked up to reply to Deathstar’s offer to go with her back home. “Thank you for saying that.” She smiled a bit to show her how much she appreciated it. “But I think that’s one trip I’m going to have to take alone.” Her tone conveyed that her words were not meant to offend, she was just telling the truth. She couldn’t have a crutch when she finally reunited with her family. She had to stand on her won and face whatever welcome she got.