Joanne Lee

Airplane 'TOS-#W1'

           I was so distracted about the recent events that I realized something is not OK only when I was sitting at the line with Kala. I disappeared in the middle of October, leaving behind me a mother who'll probably freak out when she'll figure out that I'm gone, a whole set of grades and a bunch of friends and teachers who'll worry about me, and, of course, Lindsey, who will claim that I stole her right of being a superhero. There's a  chance for her being considered crazy. My situation won't be all right. Maybe one of those old photos of mine will be on the news, telling people across America that I'm missing. 

         'Your letter, miss.', a lady said, looking at me above her glasses. 

   So it was our turn. 

    'Yes, ma'am.', I said, handing her the letter.

  She took a short look at it and asked me: 

'Is your name Lindsey Green?'

I was THIS close to approve, but Patty spoke before me, coming out of nowhere.

'No, ma'am ! Her name is Joanne Lee!'

A break. A break in that no one did nothing else but staring at me at me.

'Securi-', the lady started, but I found an excuse in the last moment, trying an weird accent.

'That's my Polish name, miss!'

After a moment of silence, she repeated:

'Your Polish name?'

'Yes, but I'd rather be called Joanne. Joanne Lee, as my American father wanted to name me. Neither mom nor dad wanted to change their names, so my mother remained Green and my father, Lee. My mom is from Poland, so she gave me a Polish name, and I also have an American one from my old man. I don't know why, but you gave me the letter on my other name.'

'.... are you a veteran or a new one?'

   I couldn't believe I made that up on spot. Seemed like I was pretty good at lying, because, after all, the woman believed me. After I told her that I was new, and Kala said she's a veteran, we headed to the next part of the airport, where we were separated before we even had  time to say something to each other.

          A tall man pushed me through some big revolving gates. I got on a crowded place with a lot of kids who seemed to be the same age as me. At  the edge of the room were some scanners that had the shape of a door, and, of course, huge lines were covering the surface, as in the previous rooms. I took a seat at one of them. After a certain amount of time, I realized that all the kids from that room were new, exactly like me. No one seemed to know A THING  from what was going on, and they didn't have bags nor lugages, like the veterans. Besides, everyone was chatting about how they suddenly got a weird letter and a magic object that brought them here. It was weird how all the people were so relaxed and were starting conversations so easily. But I tried to pay attention to them talking, hoping that I could get a new information, but nothing useful showed up. I haven't heard any other language than English, but there weren't just Americans, there were British people as well, though I haven't spotted any Scottish accent. The atmosphere was dynamic and I was feeling that I can't keep up with it. After some time I realized that in half an hour I advanced just with 3 spots.

   'Oh, COME ON!' I said out loud, knowing that nobody will notice. 

        But somebody actually did.

    'Oh, did something happen?'

      The boy after me at the line turned. His clear, green eyes, in which you could see any of the silver sparks that were taking shape in them, were looking exactly into mine, making me feel like I froze. I'm not very good at socializing, especially when some stranger suddenly addresses to me.  For a second, all I could focus on were his eyes, then, for another second, his blonde hair. Although I didn't need more than 3 seconds to regain my senses, for me it seemed to be, like always, an eternity.