leotard

"Come along, Leo, we'll be late for Emmy's lesson!" Leo dragged his paws all the way to the car. Emmy was already in the back, bouncing up and down on the seat in her fluffy pink tutu. 

"Come on, Leo! Gonna be late! Gonna be late!" Emmy giggled, banging the window with her ballet slippers. Leo sneered at her and slunk into the front seat, frowning sullenly as their mother started the car and backed out into the street. He slouched even further when they passed a group of kids from school playing football on the sidewalk. They drove the two short blocks to the studio, with Emmy babbling and blowing bubbles against the windows the whole way.

Emmy's friend Rachel was at the front door with her mother and a cluster of ballet moms. Leo grumbled to himself as his mom stopped to talk, nodding to him to take his sister inside while she caught up on the latest gossip with the ladies. He walked Rachel in to her class, helping her slip on her ballet shoes before she bounced off to join the gaggle of little cubs in matching pink tutus. Turning to duck out the door, his eyes caught on a taller, slimmer figure in a demure wraparound skirt.

"Alright girls, warm ups, and then we'll try something a little fun, like this!" Leo's breath caught as she twirled on one hindpaw, her tail draped elegantly across one forepaw and her other leg extended in a graceful arabesque. His legs kept moving on their own, and next thing he knew, he'd tripped over the metal ballet barres next to the door, bringing them crashing down about him. The dancer came to an abrupt halt, peering toward him as the class burst out into giggles.

Emmy stuck her tongue out at him. "You're a Leo-tard!"