Heroes for Hire

Chapter One

So this is my very first story and I'd love to know what everbody thinks. Constructive critisism is totally welcome. Thanks for reading!

© 2013. Heroes for Hire. All rights reserved.                                                                                 

                                                                                      ~

Chapter One

 My whole life has been decided by luck; my parents literally ran into each other while trying to get to class (Physics for my dad and advanced Chinese culture for my mom), the night I was conceived they had run out of condoms, my first martial arts lesson began by ducking into a dojo after running away from a scary looking cat.

So it shouldn’t be a surprise that some of the biggest things to happen in my life were started because of one, seemingly inconsequential action. Like leaving Japan.

“Passengers, please fasten your seat belts, the flight will be taking off momentarily.”

 I yawned and snapped belt into place.

It sounds like a big deal, leaving one country for another, but this wasn’t the biggest move we’d ever made. That belongs to the non-stop flight from Los Angeles to Singapore; 18 hours of two crying babies and a creepy looking old man.

I looked around me; these were the people I’d be spending the next thirteen hours with, not a very exciting bunch. Lots of businessmen, a few stuffy looking old Japanese women, and then there was my mom and I.

My mother, a native to Finland, was a cultural enthusiast.

At least that’s how I explain her to all my friends. At home, she was just the crazy lady with a bunch of maps and way too much free time.

We had been to and studied fourteen countries and for each one my mother had written an amazing book on its cultural heritage. Recently though, with Dad being away for extended business, her obnoxious amount of free time had taken to a new outlet.

“Please Tessa?”

“No.”

“Tessa,” she whined, “how is this book going to be ready for publishing if you won’t read it? You’ve read all my other books.”

“Mom, your other books weren’t like this.” I gestured to the paper bound fiend on her lap.

“And? There’s absolutely nothing wrong with this book.”

“But Mom, I don’t wanna read it.” I whined. Not something I did often, but this situation called for drastic measures.

“Why not?”

“Mom, I am not reading your dumb romance novel!”

“Theresa Herron O’Dale, Sunset Lovers is not dumb!”

“Fine.” I shrugged my shoulders at her.

“So you’ll read it?” She smiled.

“No.”

“Tessa!”

“Mother, I am making the executive decision that I am not yet old enough to be exposed to such…such…pornography and I find it wildly irresponsible that you suggest I read such material.” I pursed my lips tight and did my best impersonationof the snooty librarian that we met last year in London.

My mother tried to keep a stern face, but her lips were quivering and it took exactly two seconds for both of us to burst out laughing. Eventually one of the stuffy old women behind us decided to admonish us in a mixture of Japanese and broken English until we stopped.