Frank, a character in The Sophomore series, is Chris Powell and AJ Powell’s dad. He is first seen in Book 2, Chapter 6.
Appearance
Frank has short, graying brown hair, blue eyes, and fair skin.
Personality
Frank appears to be personable and friendly. He has a relaxed demeanor and appears to be apologetic about his past behavior. However, he seems oblivious on how to make the changes needed to re-enter his family's lives.
Background
When Chris was ten years old, Frank abandoned the family[2]. Frank wasn't happy with his life and convinced himself that leaving his family was the solution. He thought he wasn't providing enough and thought they would be better off without him. He felt trapped in Cherryfield, Maine and that he would be a failure forever if he stayed. He realized later that it was the biggest mistake of his life.
Chapters
The Freshman
Book 2
- Chapter 1: Winter in Hartfeld (Mentioned; Determinant)
Book 3
- Chapter 1: New Leaves (Mentioned; Determinant)
The Sophomore
Book 2
- Chapter 6: Daddy Wasn't There
- Chapter 8: Family Affairs
- Chapter 12: Just Dance
Relationships
Chris
During Chris's sophomore year at Hartfeld University, Frank appears on his doorstep, asking for forgiveness. It had been nine years since Chris had seen him, and Chris is hesitant and unsure if he should welcome his father back into his life. Frank tells him that he has been keeping tabs on his son, and is incredibly proud of what Chris has achieved. Frank feels ashamed for not being around to support his son. He promises to try to do better and that it will all change since he has a job interview in Northbridge. Frank wants to be Chris's dad again.
When he leaves AJ alone in the middle of the night, Chris reprimands him. Although Frank seems genuinely interested in rebuilding a relationship with Chris, he appears to only be interested in bonding with Chris and not his other children. Chris comes to the decision to kick Frank out of their lives because Frank proved to be the same unreliable irresponsible person from the past.
AJ
When AJ arrives unexpectedly at Chris's home, she, Chris, and their father go out to reconnect. While Frank is interested in Chris's life and seems to relate to him better, Frank is awkward around AJ. He first think she is older than her age and thus thinks she is more emotionally mature than her age. She tries to impress him with her skills, like her knowledge of computers. They bring up the Powell family's version of the tooth fairy, where they bartered with the fairy. One tooth would get a child out of doing a chore or two, but if she traded five teeth at one time, she could get a "Get Out of Punishment Free" card to use in the future.
When he volunteers to watch AJ and brings her back to his motel room, Frank leaves in the middle of the night to grab something to eat. He is unaware of his mistake, and AJ wakes up to find him gone and is freaked out. She runs back to Chris, which causes Chris to realize that he hasn't changed.
Trivia
- He shares the same name as Frank Walter from the High School Story series, Frank from the LoveHacks, Book 2 and Frank from Bachelorette Party.
- In a premium scene of The Sophomore, Book 2, Chapter 12, AJ creates a comic book Supervillain based on Frank called The Talker.
- The name Frank is of English origin and means "free man".
- The surname Powell is of Welsh origin and means "child of a eminent person".
- He used to be a truck driver.
References
- ↑ The Sophomore, Book 2, Chapter 8
- ↑ The Freshman, Book 3, Chapter 1