After reading Frank’s last email, Jesse closed her laptop and sat back against her bed pillows and stared up at the popcorn ceiling. If Frankie is the kind of kid to put his faith into comic book heroes, she wondered his position on American heroes like her father. Jesse had never really been able to think of her father as a hero, but teachers and strangers seemed to expect her to think so. They were always thanking him and saying how honored they were to shake his hand. As a child, Jesse resented him for their transient lifestyle. When he toured Iraq they were stationed in Germany, an unfriendly environment for a little girl who was still grasping the English language. Now at sixteen, Jesse had grown out of that childish selfishness, understood his duty, and also a great deal about the masked man in green. However, she wasn’t so sure that her father really knew anything more about her, which kind of worked out. Years ago a silent agreement was made between them; you to yours and me to mine. Her father could go out as many times a week as he wanted, stay out as late as he wanted, and Jesse would never say a thing. All he had to do was leave a note. That was his rule, not hers. Perhaps he felt it justified it.
And Jesse, well, excluding any piercings and tattoos, Jesse was free to do as she pleased. And, rather unfortunately, as she got older she was really starting to take advantage of that. After all, trouble really only builds when you’re in one place for too long. So if she and the green masked man continued to leap around the globe, trouble would never catch up to her.
Tomorrow would be her first day at another new school. She’d alreadying decided during a previous to email to Frankie that she’d be a good sport about this place, not be the bitchy know-it-all, been-there-done-that, no-shit girl. Potentially, this place could be fun.
Frankie,
So tomorrow’s the big day, I guess. Am I supposed to meet you somewhere? I’m skateboarding to school, the guy at the grocery store said it wasn’t too far. How do you get to school? I went for a run yesterday and I think I passed by your store, but I wasn’t sure. What’s the name of it? Anyway, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow. The grand meeting, right?
Jesse
It sounded funny, oddly out of character and a bit sarcastic, but it would have to do. She closed her laptop once more, shoved it aside and began tying up the laces of her running shoes.
