The Permutation

Breakthrough (Part 13) Jordan

Friday, November 4th, 5:45 p.m.

For the past hour and a half, Jordan watched the Kinghorn family with silent awe. In fiction, she'd read about countless families and what family life looked and sounded like, but she'd always thought those families didn't exist. Jordan was delighted that she was wrong.

Mr. and Mrs. Kinghorn seemed fascinated with even the smallest details of their children's day. Their oldest daughter, Jessica, was not forthcoming with information, but her parents laughed regardless as if going upstairs and locking herself in her room was a part of some long running joke.

The little Kinghorn, ten-year old Diana, was more than happy to pick up her sister's slack. She gave a firsthand account of the shot-for-shot recounting of her day, and her parents listened. They didn't half-listen while doing other things. Heather, her mother, sat patiently while nodding along and asking intelligent questions.

It made Jordan acutely aware of everything she'd been missing. As a child, Jordan never felt any doubt that her parents loved her, but whether or not they had time for her was another matter.

Jordan's dad would be gone for days sometimes weeks at a time, but when he came back he showered Jordan with affection. He checked her out of school without her mom knowing and took her out on the town. They'd go to the zoo or watch a movie in the middle of the day, and Jordan would giggle at the thought of all her classmates stuck in school because their dads weren't as amazing as hers.

Jordan's mom spent a lot of time worrying. The longer Jordan's dad would be gone, the more worried she would get. She jumped whenever somebody knocked at the door, and had a hard time listening when Jordan spoke to her. If Jordan asked why, her mom would just say how much she missed Jordan's dad. Despite all that, she did her best to make sure Jordan got to school on time and always had meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but itt was like Delilah Bryant was in two places at once: her mind was with Jordan's dad, but her body was with Jordan.

Losing herself in the love and compassion of the Kinghorn family may have been the happiest Jordan had felt since she arrived in Lancet Falls. A dark little part of Jordan tried to remind her that her mom was still in a hospital bed, Jordan had killed two things last night, and the whole town, possibly world was in danger; she didn't have any right to be happy right now. Jordan pretended like she didn't hear the dark voice. She wished Derek were there, his loud enthusiasm would drown it out.

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At the tail end of lunch, Jordan thought Derek was going to die of pure ecstasy when he found out that he too had become a "superhero."

He told Jordan he could fly and tried to get her to ditch class, so he could show her, but Jordan convinced him to wait until after school. Derek conceded with a loud groan.

Jordan spent the rest of school imagining Derek flying around Lancet Falls giggling the whole time, and Jordan couldn't help but think how perfect of a power that was for him. A twinge of jealousy pinged at her subconscious, Jordan's ability hurt just as much as it helped, a lot like Jordan herself.

Jordan met Derek at their usual spot, the place where they first met. She got there first. She waited and watched for Derek. When he finally crashed through the front doors, Jordan thought he was going to fly to her right then and there. Jordan thanked her lucky stars that he at least he had that much restraint.

"Derek!" A voice called out, Derek's mother. Amelia Spencer.

"Can Jordan come over?" Derek screamed back, his voice cracking.

"Not tonight hun, maybe next time."

Derek looked at Jordan with that personified human suffering, "I'm sorry. It's my mom's night off. I'll sneak out and show you tonight. Pinky promise."