59.
Jamie
Without anything else to do, Jamie came to her conclusion pretty fast. She needed to get to Curtis High School to pick up Kyra, but she didn’t have a car, so her only method of transportation to reach the school in a reasonable time was—
Jamie soared over the rooftops of apartment buildings across from the school, looking for the cover of the trees between them and Richmond Terrace. She could see the Staten Island Ferry parking lot as she tried to lose herself in the small, forested grove, hoping that her height would shield her from prying eyes until she was under the cover of the heavy, green boughs.
She came down with a rustle, bouncing between the branches as she lowered herself to the slope of the hill behind the apartments. Getting from here to the school wasn’t going to be the easiest thing, but at least the trees offered some cover.
Once she was down, Jamie unrolled the clothes she’d been carrying under her arm, stuffing herself into her pants, hiding the Spandex leotard under them. Then she hurriedly buttoned her blouse to the top so that her costume wasn’t visible, and finally, with one last sweep of the area to make sure she was alone, pulled off her mask and stuffed it into her pocket.
She came strolling out through the courtyard between the apartments, trying to act casual, as though she hadn’t just been forced to make a superhero landing and clothing change almost in public. She felt her cheeks burning, probably from the sheer embarrassment of what had happened this afternoon. The fact she’d had her car repossessed was mind-boggling, but the fact that she’d lost the loan that she’d been counting on to save her company was so much worse, because it virtually guaranteed that the next time a creditor repossessed something, it would be for genuine non-payment and not because of an error.
Jamie threaded her way between the two towering apartment buildings, the trees providing a lush green canopy that she couldn’t find it in herself to appreciate at the moment. Her world seemed to be crashing in around her, but she knew enough about hard times to know that as stunned and defeated as she felt—and she felt both deeply—she needed to keep walking on. Not just to get Kyra, but through this whole mess.
Her head was spinning in the warm afternoon air. She looked up at the sun, which was low in the sky as she crossed St. Marks Place between cars. Someone honked, but she ignored them, making her way up to the high school.
Curtis High School had a look like an old castle crossed with a colonial architect’s dream of a manor house. It seemed peaceful and sedate, a contrast to what she suspected Kyra’s reaction would be. She sighed as she walked up the sidewalk to the entry. She could see Kyra up there, talking to some of her friends, and she hesitated.
It was a subtle thing holding her back, the dread from the idea of having to cop to her car being repo’d. It was embarrassing, even if it was no fault of her own. She certainly wasn’t going to say anything about the business loan, because Kyra was sixteen. She didn’t need to know about these things.
“Kyra,” Jamie said, too quietly the first time. She didn’t even look up from her conversation. Kyra was smiling and laughing, listening to one of her classmates. “Kyra,” she said, louder this time, and caught a fleeting look from her daughter.
“Ugh, I have to go,” Kyra said, under her breath, where she probably thought only her friends could hear her. Jamie could hear every word of it, though, with her meta hearing. “My mom’s here.”
“Text me later,” one of her friends said, and that brightened Kyra up for a second as she gathered her things and started down the walk. Only for a second, though; the moment she settled her eyes on Jamie again, she immediately turned sullen, as though they’d already had a fight.
“Where’s the car?” Kyra asked as she reached Jamie, that same sour look on her face.
“I—I don’t have it right now,” Jamie said, caught a little off guard. She’d had the entire flight over here to prepare, and she’d been so caught up in her own worries that she hadn’t even figured out how she’d explain this to Kyra. “It’s—it’s a long story. We’re walking home.”
“That’s like—miles!” Kyra said, and lifted a foot. “Do you see what I’m wearing? These shoes were not meant for a hike.”
Jamie stared down at her daughter’s shoes, which did have a little bit of a heel. The toe also looked a little narrow. “I’m sorry, but—”
“I have blisters already,” Kyra said, staring at her in stunned disbelief. “Where’s the car?”
“I don’t have it,” Jamie said again.
“This sucks so hard.” Kyra turned her back on her mother, and threw her head back like she was going to howl at the heavens. “I can’t even. I just. Can’t even.”
Jamie stared at her. “Can’t even … what?”
“I can’t even!” Kyra shouted. “I’m gonna see if I can get a ride with Melanie.” And she turned her back on Jamie and strode right back up to the school.
Jamie just stood there, staring after her. She could have run her down, could have had another argument right there, had it out … but they’d done that lately more times than she could count. She’d hit Kyra over the head with her parental authority so many times lately she’d lost count and it felt like it was losing all effect. “All right,” she said instead, though she knew Kyra couldn’t hear her. Instead Jamie turned, once again feeling spurned by her only remaining family, and started the long walk home by herself.