Average Joe (2018)

25

Albert Einstein once said, "Learn from yesterday, live for today, and hope for tomorrow." Well, I'm not sure what I learned from the past six months. I am not sure how to live today, and by the way things are going, I can't seem to hope for tomorrow.

I sat on the swing, my form gently swinging back and forth, my hands gripping the warm chains. My sneakers were scraping against the mulch.

"How do Mom and Dad do this?"

"Well, for one thing, after doing some surveillance we learned they're pretty violent drinkers." I jumped at Cora's voice.

"Good God, how do you sneak up on people like that?" Cora sat on the swing next to me.

"I can teleport."

"Look, I... you're not talking me into going back there."

"I just came to talk." We stared at the darkening sky for a little bit.

"I can't believe this," Cora said. "They've polluted the sky so much you can't even see the stars."

"It's not that hard. If you look very closely you can see the Big Dipper." We were quite a moment more.

"Norman, I... you know I don't hate you, right?"

"Could've fooled me."

"I was just mad," she said, embarrassed.

"At me?"

"At... him."

Cora pulled a police description of the Chronicle from her pocket. I took it from her. I winced. The last time I saw those crazy eyes, he was trying to murder me. He beat my Dad. My Dad, a superhero of sixteen years, who has superpowers, was beaten by this man. I put the photo in my pocket.

"Bryan said you lost someone."

"Not exactly.... my... Mom. She was working late at the office. I wanted to go to summer camp. I begged and pleaded and finally, she promised I'd be able to go. She was working late to get the money. She was in the parking lot when..." she choked up. "She's not dead. She's in a coma, and... they're not sure if she'll wake up. My Dad won't take her off life support, and since our insurance doesn't cover it, we have to keep every penny we make for the bills."

"Cora... I..."

"The worst part is the Chronicle didn't just take my mom. He took my Dad's sanity. My brother's... smile. He used to smile so wide. Now, he just..."

"Cora..."

"He doesn't smile. He... never smiles." Cora's eyes went glossy with tears and I became uncomfortable.

"When... my Dad got put into the hospital, I kept thinking that it was all my fault. But it wasn't. It's his fault. All of this was his fault. You know that right?"

"Now I do." She laughed. "I've never cried in front of anyone before. I'm so embarrassed."

"Don't be."

"Knight!" A voice called. I recognized the voice all too well.

"Crap! It's Ross!"

"Who?"

"My 'bodyguard'. I ditched him before I came here. How am I supposed to explain where I've been all day!"

Cora grabbed me by the front of my shirt and pulled me to the ground. Before I could ask what the hell she was doing, her lips locked with mine, a warmth settling in my chest. My thoughts became fogged as we stumbled to the mulch.

Ross stomped up, his chest puffed out.

"Knight!" Ross suddenly saw us. "Oh... uh..." Cora broke her lips from mine and looked at Ross.

"Do you mind?"

"Uhh... yes... I mean, no! I mean... sorry." Ross stepped back and walked to the edge of the playground.

Cora's face was inches above mine. Our breathing was ragged and her dark brown eyes seemed to sparkle. Cora's breathless expression turned angry. She shoved my chest and pushed herself up.

"Make sure you know where your bodyguard is next time," Cora whispered to me.

Cora stood and ran off, her expression still fierce. But for a second... I saw her smile.

I didn't know what had just happened, or what was to come. All I knew was that when Bryan and Cora called the next day I came.