.” Maria said and paused.“Didn’t what?” The team leader said as he was helped back to his feet after regaining his breathing pattern.“Well, ...t’s just ... you’ve been doing this for so long, I didn’t think I had a chance so...” Maria said.“Are you telling me you held back?” he asked.“Yeah,” Maria said.“Okay,” he said. “That’s it. Full on sprint, no holding back around the course now.”“Fifty bucks, she does it in under a minute,” Kyle said.“Oh I’ll take that action,” his team-mate said.“No way,. She continued, "I think we should take him tothe barber tomorrow." No!" I squealed, my high-pitched voice rising another octave in fear."I don't want to get my hair cut. Mum! You can't let her do that tome!"I begged my mother and Aunt June not to make me cut my hair, protestingthat long hair was the current style amongst my city peers and myself,all budding fans of hard-rock music. I didn't mention why I reallypreferred my feminine hairstyle. I thought I looked more like a realgirl when I posed. After getting settled back into his new flat, orienting himself with the role of ‘teacher’ and finding that his love and proficiency level at fencing had stayed almost as they were two decades ago, he felt he was starting to relax into this new phase of his life. The energetic variables in the equation were Valerie and Tera. He had been immediately attracted to Valerie, her softness, her easy laugh, the light that danced behind her eyes when he touched her, it was a parallel to what he had seen. . my mind confused. All I wanted to do was stay in bed and savour the memories of the night before. But I knew I had to get up because I needed to renew my work permit or I would have to leave the country ... and that would mean the end of Renaud and me.So I dragged myself into the shower, quickly dressed and ran to catch the bus to the main village. I was sitting on the bus daydreaming when I suddenly realised that I was naked under my dress. In my haste I hadn’t even thought to put any.