Reggie was driving right into the apartment complex and a million thoughts were entering her head. She had tried to teach him how to do the right thing thousands of times. But he never did. Otto was Rocket Boy, a person who answered to no one. Reggie knew that this would happen. And she wanted to see that Otto grew up happy and independent, not living with his dad. What was she to do? Otto was sleeping on the couch and there was a knock on the door. Lars said "I'll go and get it. You stay there." The reason why Otto was sleeping on the couch was that he had been drinking the last night. He didn't care. Why should anyone care about Otto anymore? He took a knife and started to stab himself in the arm, just like Lars tried eight years ago after Laura
told him the relationship wouldn't work out.
"Hey, Lars. Is Otto here?" "Yes, he is. He's over....Otto NO!!!!" Lars snatched the knife from Otto. "Are you crazy?! Have you lost your mind?!
You're going to do this in front of your sister. What the hell is wrong
with you?!" "Screw this!" Otto replied. He was still acting like a teenager. Reggie smelled the breath on Otto. "Whew, you've been drinking!
Since when did Otto Rocket drink?!" "Since yesterday, Reg." He burped
loudly.
Reggie just shook her head in sorrow. "Let's first get this wound cleaned off." "No, Reg I don't need this!" "Otto, stop crying like a little baby! I need to treat this and the more you squirm, the more it's going to hurt." After an hour, the wound was treated. Reggie told Lars that she was going to take Otto out to talk. Lars nodded in approval and started washing up
the dishes.
"Come on, let's get in the car. You need help, badly." With that, Otto
started to take off his shorts and shirt and started hollering at the
neighbors. Reggie could not believe her own brother was this much of a mess. "WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME?! I try to help you, but you keep pushing
people away from you, Otto." Otto just started to cry and sob. He just broke down completely on the ground. "I'm sorry, Reggie. I'm really sorry."
What was Reggie to do? He was in no condition to go back to Ray's. And she
didn't want to put him in jail. She knew he was better than that. Yet,
where could she get him some help? Maybe if she had Otto hang out with Twister, his best friend, maybe he'd listen to him? She looked at Otto, and
he just had a look of sad despair on his face that implied he had no
answers where he was going to go with his life. It was a mess.
"Where are we?!" Otto looked surprised. Reggie said "I'm enrolling you into a Life Management class. Like or not, little bro, I am going to get your life straight. And an old friend of mine is going to help you out. Her name is Violet." Violet Stimpleton?! Otto couldn't believe it. "Please help me
now, I'll do anything, just not this!" "It's for your own good, Otto. I have to finish up my paper and I'll be back by 3, which is in two hours.
See you then." Otto just sighed. How much worse could this get?! Violet said, "Okay, let's settle down and get to work. The first lesson you
need to learn is to respect yourself and others." "Without respecting yourself, there's no hope for you." "Positive thinking is the key." "Yeah, right." Otto said. "There's no hope for me, I'm stuck in a crappy situation that I can't get out of." Violet knew this as she watched young Otto grew up into an adult. "Otto, is there something bothering you?" Otto nodded, "It's my dad's fault, he keeps telling me what to do and what I should and
shouldn't do. I'm my own man." Violet just sighed. "Otto, that's the problem right there. You don't listen to anyone. What I want you to do for next week, which is next Wednesday is to write 5 good things about yourself. Because if you respect yourself, maybe people will
start treating you better and they'll help you out." Otto just sighed. "What the hell am I doing here? This is dumb, there's nothing good in my life. What a waste of time!" Reggie picked up Otto and said nothing on the way back to campus. The dean of the college agreed for Reggie to let Otto
stay until his family issues were resolved.
Meanwhile, Ray was by himself looking at pictures of Otto. "Where did I go wrong?" "I mean, I wanted him to be happy and now look at him. He has no life and no future ahead of him." All Ray wanted to do was give both of his kids a future. Not one, not zero, but both. And if one of them didn't have
a future, it felt like he was a failure. Ray got a phone call. It was Officer Shirley. "What can I do for you, Officer?" "Ray, your son is fine, he's with Reggie right now. And I think it's best that he'd stay with her for a while." "Thanks, Officer, I appreciate it." Ray was furious! He was going to choke that kid of his for running away from him and put him in his
place. Not to mention Reggie was hiding him from his own grasp. Back at Reggie's dorm, Twister and Sam were just playing hackey sack, while Otto was sleeping. Reggie had just emailed the English professor her final draft of her essay about professionalism in the journalistic field. "Let's get some lunch, I'm hungry. Sam, Twister, let's let Otto sleep. He needs some time to himself." Otto hadn't talked to either three since he first came to the college with Reggie. They were on their way to lunch, when they
saw someone familiar.
"Hello, Reggie." It was a familiar voice. "I've heard you been keeping Otto from me." It was Ray. Reggie said "Yes, and I'm trying to help him out."
"Reggie, you don't understand. He's 22 years old. Otto needs to sink or
swim. That's his problem not yours. Give him to me." Reggie was usually
obedient to what her father said. But not this time. "Dad, I'm sorry, I can't give him to you. I'm trying to help him out. I'm not doing this for extra responsibility. I love him, Dad, no matter how childish he may act sometimes, he's my brother and he's really close to me." "The answer is no,
Dad." Ray didn't know what to do now. Even her own daughter was becoming defiant,
despite the fact that she was doing something noble for her brother. "Where's Otto? Is he in your room, Twister?" Reggie said, "Dad, you're not
getting to him and that's final! This is the wrong way to go about it!" "I'm sorry, Dad, but I'm going to call security if you don't leave now."
Ray replied "Fine, mess his life up if you want to. He's not my problem
anymore!"
"Mess up his life? He's already messed up, and that's one hell of an attitude for you to take. I would have moved heaven and earth to make you happy...and I'll do just as much to save Otto's life, thank you very much!" With that, Ray drove off. Reggie was reduced to tears. Otto overheard the whole conversation, and he too was crying. He had just divided his family
up.
TO BE CONTINUED...