Connection

Under the lightless hollow of their room, Frankie was awake in bed again. Despite how tired she was, she couldn’t get to sleep. It wasn’t anything spectacular keeping her up- even if she’d taken a beating today, her anxieties were relatively calm tonight.

She felt bad for Nate, but that wasn’t it. He seemed more ready to face the future than anyone she knew. He was brave, strong, and wouldn’t invoke worry in anyone who really knew him.

Not that Katie wasn’t worried.

She wondered if her big sister lay awake as she was turned around to face the wall. She didn’t move, but one couldn’t imagine a girl like her wasn’t picturing it after today. It was an ordinary thing to think of, really- one day, we always have to let go of our hold on this world. She thought Katie had little to worry about. Even if her dreams were big, she wasn’t about to back down from them. In that moment, she even imagined her sister’s would probably go down as one of the most fulfilling lives ever lived, if the day ever came on which a flame like her could be snuffed.

The exhausted Frankie mustered a hearty smile. She was very proud of her big sister.

Her cellphone rang on the bedside table.

Hastily lifting up the device as to not potentially wake her sister, her thumb moved to reject the ill-timed call when she read what the contact’s name was.

Frankie picked up immediately.

“Hey… Frankie.” Cheryl’s voice greeted, nervous as usual.

“Hey.” The young lady whispered back under her covers.

“You’re in Japan now, right? Sorry if it’s late for you…”

“Not… really, but… oh, I’m so tired…” She couldn’t help but groan.

“What the-“ The sharpshooter stuttered. “T-Then why the heck did you pick up? I don’t wanna be the cause of your sleep deprivation.” She could hear her crush mimicking the reload of a toy gun in her hands as she talked.

“It’s fine… your voice is… calming, it’ll help…”

“W-what?”

“It’ll help!” She scream-whispered.

“Okay… um, thank you. Did you have a good day…?”

“Yeah… um, it was crazy, but… my days usually are. I need to text mom again… I met this cool weirdo who punches people on the street, she’ll probably want a picture of them…”

“…Yeah.”

“Are you… having fun?”

“Recently, yeah. I think park management is being run by a substitute right now or something? There was this big event in Eagle Frontier, and that never happens these days. I frickin’ destroyed all these people that came in from other zones to try and outshoot me. It was a blast.”

Frankie laughed, feeling just as happy as the cowgirl sounded describing it. “Saint doing alright?”

“Yeah, that brat’s got it in his head now that he’s gonna be a better sharpshooter than me after he won the kid’s bracket in that event. I think your sister rubbed off on him a little.”

“Aw, that’s sweet.” Frankie murmured.

“Do you know when… um, you’ll be back in America again…?”

“I… couldn’t say, no… Katie and I don’t typically plan things in advance, we just… go.”

“Oh. Well, uh… if you do ever come back, let me know, okay? Even if it’s not in Kansas, I’ll come see you.”

“Thanks. I hope that gets to happen soon.”

“T-thanks. Well, I should probably let you sleep…”

“M-Mhm. L-love you.”

“B-Bye. Love you.”

Giggling under her pillow, Frankie only found it harder to sleep as her pseudo-relationship inched closer to a solidified one.