I do not own Rocket Power or A Walk To Remember.
Chapter 13: Who's Scared Now?
It was the first Monday morning after the school play. I decided that I had to tell Reggie how I felt. I saw little chance of being blown off, since she was so sweet and innocent. This would probably be the first time that she would hear the words I planned to say to her. Speaking of firsts, this also would be the first time that I would treat her like a queen, and not care about what others think. I truly didn't care anymore. If my friends didn't approve of Reggie and I, too bad. Reggie was a true friend. One who wouldn't turn her back on me. One who would like me no matter what. Or at least, I hoped. She might still be mad about what I did to her.
Nervously, I walked over to her at lunch. She sat alone at the lunch table, reading her Bible, as always. As I walked, I saw Margaret and her friend staring at me as if they were mad at me. But I didn't care. I didn't need them; I had something better. I had Reggie. Or like I said, I hoped. I sat down at the table next to her.
"People can see," she said to me sarcastically, not looking up from her Bible.
"I know," I told her. "Look," I continued, "I know you've heard this from me several times, but I'm really sorry." She just took a sip from her juice box and continued to read.
"Look, Reggie, I'm trying here," I said to her. "I miss spending time with you. You inspire me. You inspire me to be good." I said as she closed her Bible.
"I think that is all bull," she replied.
"What part of it?"
"All of it," she said as she got up and walked away. I followed her. When we got to her locker, I grabbed her arm.
"Reggie, you're afraid that someone actually wants to be with you!" I said as she looked up at me.
"Why would I be afraid of that?" She asked me.
"Because you wouldn't have to hide behind your telescope, or your Bible, or your faith. And ya' know what, I know the real reason you're scared. It's because you want to be with me too!" I told her as she pulled away from me and ran to class. I blew it. Maybe if I hadn't spoken the words that I just spoke to her, we would be together right now. I thought she hated me earlier, but now I knew she hated me even more. What would it take to get her attention?
That afternoon, Mom and I picked up Twister from the hospital. He felt a lot better, and I asked him if he wanted to hang out with Pi and me, with no initiation. I didn't think he quite trusted me, because he said that he wanted to go hang with his friends. So it was just Pi and me. We were going to go to Mad Town, the skate park, but my car broke down. So I tried to fix it while he waited. He then turned on his boom box and cranked up the volume as Powerman 5000 played.
"Dude, we gonna rock!" He said as he started head banging.
"Can you turn Ozzfest down for a little bit? Some of us are trying to work, " I said to him, continuing to fix my car.
"OK, man," he said as he turned it off. But all of the sudden, he pushed a button, and ABBA started playing. "What the hell is this?" He asked me with a confused look in his face.
"ABBA. Reggie lent it to me back when we rehearsed for the play, and I haven't had the chance to give it back to her." I replied.
"So Reggie has you listening to her people now, huh?" He said sarcastically.
"Her people?" I asked, confused.
"Her people," Pi replied. "The cross-wearing, Bible-reading, 'Oh if you love Jesus' people."
"She different than that."
"Sure, man. But you've been acting different lately. What's up, man?" Pi asked as he put an arm on my shoulder.
"I don't know. I'm just tired of being the same shit that I was for eighteen years," I replied, putting the hood of the car down. "Well, I think she's done."
"Ya' know, Margaret said that she thought that lip action between you and Reggie at the play looked a little real." He grinned at me.
"Well, shows how much she knows."
"What do you mean?"
"I really don't care what she or others think about me now. I don't know why, but if people don't like me, that's their problem." I said as I looked down at the hood of the car.
"Whoa, Reggie's changed your life, and you don't even know it, man. Plus, it's like you don't even have time for your real friend anymore."
"I've just been busy. I'm sorry." I said as Pi put his arm on my shoulder.
"Man, we'll always be buds, right?" He asked me.
"Until the very end," I told him as we did our secret handshake.
That night, I went to Reggie's house. I had a gift for her that I thought she would like. When I arrived there, she and Otto were sitting on the porch swing, talking and looking up at the sky. I went up the steps, and the two looked at me.
"You?" Reggie asked, with a confused look on her face.
"Me," I told her as I grinned. She smiled back, then turned to Otto.
"Otto, why don't you start dinner tonight?" She asked him.
"But Reg, Raymundo said that tonight was your night," Otto replied.
"Please, Otto. I'll make it up to you."
"OK, Reg, but you owe me," Otto said as he walked into the house.
"What's this?" She asked as I handed her the bag.
"It's for you. To say that I'm sorry," I told her as she smiled at me gratefully. Then, Ray came out.
"Mr. Rodriguez, go home!" He told me sternly. I looked at Reggie.
"Good night, Reggie." I told her. I turned to Ray. "Good night, Reverend!" I walked off to my car, and I looked back at Reggie, who pulled a brand new, beautiful baby-blue sweater out of the bag.
Chapter 13: Who's Scared Now?
It was the first Monday morning after the school play. I decided that I had to tell Reggie how I felt. I saw little chance of being blown off, since she was so sweet and innocent. This would probably be the first time that she would hear the words I planned to say to her. Speaking of firsts, this also would be the first time that I would treat her like a queen, and not care about what others think. I truly didn't care anymore. If my friends didn't approve of Reggie and I, too bad. Reggie was a true friend. One who wouldn't turn her back on me. One who would like me no matter what. Or at least, I hoped. She might still be mad about what I did to her.
Nervously, I walked over to her at lunch. She sat alone at the lunch table, reading her Bible, as always. As I walked, I saw Margaret and her friend staring at me as if they were mad at me. But I didn't care. I didn't need them; I had something better. I had Reggie. Or like I said, I hoped. I sat down at the table next to her.
"People can see," she said to me sarcastically, not looking up from her Bible.
"I know," I told her. "Look," I continued, "I know you've heard this from me several times, but I'm really sorry." She just took a sip from her juice box and continued to read.
"Look, Reggie, I'm trying here," I said to her. "I miss spending time with you. You inspire me. You inspire me to be good." I said as she closed her Bible.
"I think that is all bull," she replied.
"What part of it?"
"All of it," she said as she got up and walked away. I followed her. When we got to her locker, I grabbed her arm.
"Reggie, you're afraid that someone actually wants to be with you!" I said as she looked up at me.
"Why would I be afraid of that?" She asked me.
"Because you wouldn't have to hide behind your telescope, or your Bible, or your faith. And ya' know what, I know the real reason you're scared. It's because you want to be with me too!" I told her as she pulled away from me and ran to class. I blew it. Maybe if I hadn't spoken the words that I just spoke to her, we would be together right now. I thought she hated me earlier, but now I knew she hated me even more. What would it take to get her attention?
That afternoon, Mom and I picked up Twister from the hospital. He felt a lot better, and I asked him if he wanted to hang out with Pi and me, with no initiation. I didn't think he quite trusted me, because he said that he wanted to go hang with his friends. So it was just Pi and me. We were going to go to Mad Town, the skate park, but my car broke down. So I tried to fix it while he waited. He then turned on his boom box and cranked up the volume as Powerman 5000 played.
"Dude, we gonna rock!" He said as he started head banging.
"Can you turn Ozzfest down for a little bit? Some of us are trying to work, " I said to him, continuing to fix my car.
"OK, man," he said as he turned it off. But all of the sudden, he pushed a button, and ABBA started playing. "What the hell is this?" He asked me with a confused look in his face.
"ABBA. Reggie lent it to me back when we rehearsed for the play, and I haven't had the chance to give it back to her." I replied.
"So Reggie has you listening to her people now, huh?" He said sarcastically.
"Her people?" I asked, confused.
"Her people," Pi replied. "The cross-wearing, Bible-reading, 'Oh if you love Jesus' people."
"She different than that."
"Sure, man. But you've been acting different lately. What's up, man?" Pi asked as he put an arm on my shoulder.
"I don't know. I'm just tired of being the same shit that I was for eighteen years," I replied, putting the hood of the car down. "Well, I think she's done."
"Ya' know, Margaret said that she thought that lip action between you and Reggie at the play looked a little real." He grinned at me.
"Well, shows how much she knows."
"What do you mean?"
"I really don't care what she or others think about me now. I don't know why, but if people don't like me, that's their problem." I said as I looked down at the hood of the car.
"Whoa, Reggie's changed your life, and you don't even know it, man. Plus, it's like you don't even have time for your real friend anymore."
"I've just been busy. I'm sorry." I said as Pi put his arm on my shoulder.
"Man, we'll always be buds, right?" He asked me.
"Until the very end," I told him as we did our secret handshake.
That night, I went to Reggie's house. I had a gift for her that I thought she would like. When I arrived there, she and Otto were sitting on the porch swing, talking and looking up at the sky. I went up the steps, and the two looked at me.
"You?" Reggie asked, with a confused look on her face.
"Me," I told her as I grinned. She smiled back, then turned to Otto.
"Otto, why don't you start dinner tonight?" She asked him.
"But Reg, Raymundo said that tonight was your night," Otto replied.
"Please, Otto. I'll make it up to you."
"OK, Reg, but you owe me," Otto said as he walked into the house.
"What's this?" She asked as I handed her the bag.
"It's for you. To say that I'm sorry," I told her as she smiled at me gratefully. Then, Ray came out.
"Mr. Rodriguez, go home!" He told me sternly. I looked at Reggie.
"Good night, Reggie." I told her. I turned to Ray. "Good night, Reverend!" I walked off to my car, and I looked back at Reggie, who pulled a brand new, beautiful baby-blue sweater out of the bag.