I do not own Rocket Power or A Walk To Remember.
Chapter 21: Reggie's Confession
It was a week later, on a Friday night. Reggie and I decided to go downtown, get a bite to eat, and just walk around. She was unusually quiet that night. Sure, she was a quiet girl, but she barely talked throughout the night. I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know what. Margaret walked by us with one of her friends, giving us a dirty look, and when I whispered, "Citizen high to citizen low," to Reggie, she didn't say anything. Usually, she would chuckle at remarks like this, or at the very least smile, but not that night.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing," she replied weakly, but I knew that that was not the case. Something was wrong.
"Are you worried about college applications or something?" I asked her as we continued to walk.
"No," she told me sadly. "I'm not applying for college." This one shocked me. Reggie Rocket not applying to college? Surely there was a good reason for this.
"Are you going to take a year off, maybe try that peace choir thing?" I asked as she began to lead me to a corner off to the side. She obviously had something to tell me, and it was probably important.
"No," she told me. "Lars, I'm sick."
"Ya' want me to take you home? You'll be............"
"No, Lars," she cut me off. "I'm sick." Tears started to rush to her eyes. She sniffled. "I have leukemia." By now tears were sliding heavily down her face. Down the face that usually lighted up, but not at that time.
"No," I replied, not believing this. "You're eighteen; you're perfectly healthy."
"No," she told me sadly. It was that face that told me that she wasn't kidding. "I found out two years ago, and I've stopped responding to treatments."
"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked her, bewildered.
"The doctors told me to live life normally the best that I could. Everything was fine; I accepted the fact that I was going to die. And then you came into my life." By now she was sobbing uncontrollably. "I don't want a reason to be angry with God," she said as she walked away. I couldn't believe it. But that was when the pieces all came together. Why she told me not to fall in love with her. Why Ray was so stubborn about us. Why she looked at me uneasily that night in the graveyard when I told her that she would easily achieve her number one.
I decided that I must get help. I turned to the only doctor I really knew. Raul Rodriguez. I decided that if he could help Reggie, maybe we could get along again. I drove up to his house and hesitantly knocked on his door. No answer.
"Dad, open the door!" I said as I continued to knock. After a minute, I gave up. Either he wasn't home, or he didn't want to talk to me. Whatever it was, I didn't care, and I started to turn back to my car when I heard a voice behind me.
"Lars!" I turned around to see my father standing in his doorway. I walked up to him. "Lars, is everything OK?" he asked me. He probably saw the major look of worry on my face. And not to mention, it's not like I've talked to him in years.
"I need help," I told him. "It's my girlfriend, Reggie. She has leukemia. I need you to come check her out."
"Lars, I don't know if I can do that. I don't know her case, I'd have to talk with her physician, and-----"
"Forget it," I cut him off. "I don't know why I even bothered." I started to walk back to my car.
"Lars, I'm a cardiologist, I don't usually deal with these kinds of things," my father's voice trailed off as I got closer to my car. He just stood there as I got into my car and drove home.
On the way home, I'll admit that I cried for the first time in years. Reggie Rocket was had leukemia. Reggie was dying. My sweet Reggie. I had no idea how I was going to go on without her to help me; to keep me company; to lead me in the right path; but most of all, to love me. I looked back at all the times we had together and I couldn't believe that her time here on Earth was running short.
The next morning at dawn, I sat on the dock over the water and looked up at the sky, even though the sun rises in Virginia and states on the east coast, but not in California. Anyways, I suddenly felt a presence behind me. I hoped it was Reggie, because I just wanted to talk with her. I turned around, and I saw Pi standing there. I wondered what he was going to say.
"Hey man. Your mom told me that you were here," he said to me gently. I continued to look up at the sky. "Talk to me," he continued.
"About what?" I asked.
"About you. About Reggie." He stopped for a moment. "Man, I didn't understand. But now I do. Reggie's changed your life and made it better."
"She's the best person I know," I replied. "She's strong, she has amazing faith, and she helped me more than I can ever give her credit for."
"I know, man. I heard from your mother about her. I'm sorry." He gave me the most sympathetic look that ever crossed on his face. "You know I'll be there for you," Pi continued. "I'll pick up where she leaves off. Well, except for all the love part, but you know what I mean," he grinned at me. I just had to grin back. At that moment I was more proud of Pi than I had ever been. I knew that he was truly my best friend, along with Reggie. We did our secret handshake, and then continued to watch the orange sky.
Chapter 21: Reggie's Confession
It was a week later, on a Friday night. Reggie and I decided to go downtown, get a bite to eat, and just walk around. She was unusually quiet that night. Sure, she was a quiet girl, but she barely talked throughout the night. I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know what. Margaret walked by us with one of her friends, giving us a dirty look, and when I whispered, "Citizen high to citizen low," to Reggie, she didn't say anything. Usually, she would chuckle at remarks like this, or at the very least smile, but not that night.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Nothing," she replied weakly, but I knew that that was not the case. Something was wrong.
"Are you worried about college applications or something?" I asked her as we continued to walk.
"No," she told me sadly. "I'm not applying for college." This one shocked me. Reggie Rocket not applying to college? Surely there was a good reason for this.
"Are you going to take a year off, maybe try that peace choir thing?" I asked as she began to lead me to a corner off to the side. She obviously had something to tell me, and it was probably important.
"No," she told me. "Lars, I'm sick."
"Ya' want me to take you home? You'll be............"
"No, Lars," she cut me off. "I'm sick." Tears started to rush to her eyes. She sniffled. "I have leukemia." By now tears were sliding heavily down her face. Down the face that usually lighted up, but not at that time.
"No," I replied, not believing this. "You're eighteen; you're perfectly healthy."
"No," she told me sadly. It was that face that told me that she wasn't kidding. "I found out two years ago, and I've stopped responding to treatments."
"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked her, bewildered.
"The doctors told me to live life normally the best that I could. Everything was fine; I accepted the fact that I was going to die. And then you came into my life." By now she was sobbing uncontrollably. "I don't want a reason to be angry with God," she said as she walked away. I couldn't believe it. But that was when the pieces all came together. Why she told me not to fall in love with her. Why Ray was so stubborn about us. Why she looked at me uneasily that night in the graveyard when I told her that she would easily achieve her number one.
I decided that I must get help. I turned to the only doctor I really knew. Raul Rodriguez. I decided that if he could help Reggie, maybe we could get along again. I drove up to his house and hesitantly knocked on his door. No answer.
"Dad, open the door!" I said as I continued to knock. After a minute, I gave up. Either he wasn't home, or he didn't want to talk to me. Whatever it was, I didn't care, and I started to turn back to my car when I heard a voice behind me.
"Lars!" I turned around to see my father standing in his doorway. I walked up to him. "Lars, is everything OK?" he asked me. He probably saw the major look of worry on my face. And not to mention, it's not like I've talked to him in years.
"I need help," I told him. "It's my girlfriend, Reggie. She has leukemia. I need you to come check her out."
"Lars, I don't know if I can do that. I don't know her case, I'd have to talk with her physician, and-----"
"Forget it," I cut him off. "I don't know why I even bothered." I started to walk back to my car.
"Lars, I'm a cardiologist, I don't usually deal with these kinds of things," my father's voice trailed off as I got closer to my car. He just stood there as I got into my car and drove home.
On the way home, I'll admit that I cried for the first time in years. Reggie Rocket was had leukemia. Reggie was dying. My sweet Reggie. I had no idea how I was going to go on without her to help me; to keep me company; to lead me in the right path; but most of all, to love me. I looked back at all the times we had together and I couldn't believe that her time here on Earth was running short.
The next morning at dawn, I sat on the dock over the water and looked up at the sky, even though the sun rises in Virginia and states on the east coast, but not in California. Anyways, I suddenly felt a presence behind me. I hoped it was Reggie, because I just wanted to talk with her. I turned around, and I saw Pi standing there. I wondered what he was going to say.
"Hey man. Your mom told me that you were here," he said to me gently. I continued to look up at the sky. "Talk to me," he continued.
"About what?" I asked.
"About you. About Reggie." He stopped for a moment. "Man, I didn't understand. But now I do. Reggie's changed your life and made it better."
"She's the best person I know," I replied. "She's strong, she has amazing faith, and she helped me more than I can ever give her credit for."
"I know, man. I heard from your mother about her. I'm sorry." He gave me the most sympathetic look that ever crossed on his face. "You know I'll be there for you," Pi continued. "I'll pick up where she leaves off. Well, except for all the love part, but you know what I mean," he grinned at me. I just had to grin back. At that moment I was more proud of Pi than I had ever been. I knew that he was truly my best friend, along with Reggie. We did our secret handshake, and then continued to watch the orange sky.