Chapter 13 - All You Wanted

Well, I'm gonna skip the talk and move straight to the action. This chapter is like those sections of a movie where the music is the centerpiece of the scene and there are action clips that fit in with the song.

WARNING: This chapter may get a little "sappy"--there's a bit of romance in here

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I wanted to be like you,
I wanted everything.
So I tried to be like you,
And I got swept away.

The sunlight coming through Otto's window interrupted his sleep and he began to stir. It was 10:00 according to his alarm clock, but Otto didn't care; it was summer vacation. "Geez, I had the best dream," Otto thought as he recalled his dancing with Amy in the Shore Shack with everyone watching him. Looking up at his bed and seeing Amy sleeping peacefully, reality sunk in. It wasn't a dream; it had actually happened.

He quietly rose from the floor and bent over Amy, placing his hands over her eyes. She sensed the contact and began to stir. "Guess who?" he shouted.

"Oh, Otto. You little jokester," she teased as she opened her eyes and pried his hands away playfully. She then got up and kissed Otto on the cheek.

I didn't know that it was so cold and,
You needed someone to show you the way.
So I took your hand and,
We figured out that, when the tide comes I'll take you away.

Amy looked out Otto's window at the beautiful ocean view. "I've forgotten how great it was to live by the ocean and how much I've missed this place."

"Well, I guess it's time to remind you," Otto suggested as he pulled out a pair of surf shorts from his drawer and walked toward the bathroom. While he was there, Amy went to her suitcase and produced a two-piece surf set. Although the colors were different, it was very similar to Reggie's set. Otto called Sam and Twister and the gang left the neighborhood shortly thereafter.

If you want to I can save you,
I can take you away from here.
So lonely inside, so busy out there,
And all you wanted was somebody who cared.

Amy couldn't wait to hit the water. Ray had given her a surfboard from the rental shop to use since she had outgrown her old surfboard. Although Amy was confident that she would have no problem surfing despite not having done it for so long, her body still wasn't as strong as she would have liked and her skills were still a bit rusty. She tried to catch her first wave but wiped out rather quickly. When she tried to get on her board, she slipped and fell back in to the water.

I'm sinkin' slowly, so hurry hold me.
Your hand is all I have to keep me hangin' on.

That's when she noticed the hand stretched out to her. It was Otto's. She grabbed his hand and he helped pull her up on to her surfboard. In order to regain her balance, she needed to put her other hand on something. She felt for the first thing she could find. Her smile turned to shock when she noticed where her hand had landed: right on Otto's chest. It was then that she noticed his solid upper body and tan, muscular arms. "Boy is he handsome," she thought to herself. At the same time, she was a little embarrassed as she knew this situation wasn't what either of them had intended, especially in public. Otto felt the same way too, and to break the awkwardness, he began to laugh. Amy looked at him and smiled, as his laughter was abruptly cut off by a splash of ocean water that was directed at him by Amy's hand. He gave her a sly look and then paddled out with Amy behind him. Although her next few tries were a bit rough, she began to regain her form and before long, she was surfing as well as she had years before.

Later on, while waiting for a wave to come, Amy lost sight of Otto. "Where could he be?" she wondered. Little did she know that the answer would soon come. Suddenly, she felt the rear end of her board lift up. Despite her best efforts, Amy was unable to keep control and soon slid forward in to the water as the surfboard flipped. After she returned to the surface and recovered from the shock (and swallowed water), she turned to see the source of her mishap. "Otto, Otto, Otto," she chuckled as she shook her head. The teenage boy smiled at his accomplishment. Reggie had seen the events of the day unfold, and as she was watching this, she failed to notice Twister sneaking up behind her. Before she knew it, she was in the water right beside her friend. She smirked playfully at the boy and then sent a stream of water at his face, which nearly knocked off his hat.


Please can you tell me, so I can finally see,
Where you go when you're gone?
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The next day, Otto took Amy to Madtown, since she had left town before the skatepark ever opened. Amy loved the way everything was set up. To start, both of them went to the halfpipe and took turns trying to impress each other. Normally, very few people would be able to catch Otto's attention, as he could usually outdo anybody, except for maybe Tony Hawk. But this time, he was honestly impressed with Amy's ability. She had definitely improved over the years, doing many tricks that Otto recognized and even a few he didn't. When he asked if she would teach them to him, she replied, "Maybe, maybe not." When Otto looked surprised at her response, she admitted, "Bust! I'm kidding. Of course I'll show you, after you show me what you've got."

"With pleasure," Otto confidently asserted as he entered the halfpipe. Like most other people, Amy was amazed at his skill. It was almost as if she were watching a smaller version of Tony Hawk perform in person. To tease him, she shouted out when he finished, "Hey, you think you can teach me some of that?" Otto got the joke and mockingly replied, "Maybe, maybe not." The two then looked at each other and laughed.

"Hey, Rocket Boy, what's up with you two?" a loud female voice echoed. Both turned around to see Reggie, Twister, and Sam joining them. Otto shrugged off her question and then challenged everyone to a game of Follow the Leader, with Amy being the leader. Everybody agreed and they all skated in to the blader bowl.


If you want to, I can save you.
I can take you away from here.
So lonely inside, so busy out there.
And all you wanted was somebody who cared.
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Later that week, the gang decided to play a scrimmage game of hockey. It was 3-on-3 as Kioni joined Reggie's team. Normally, Otto wanted to be where the action was: near the opponent's goal. This time, however, he wanted Amy to get a chance to play, so he volunteered to be his team's goalie, leaving Twister and Amy to go up against Kioni and Reggie. Although Amy had never really played hockey before, she tried her best to catch on. A few times, she made some "novice" mistakes, but Otto didn't yell as his usual character might suggest. Instead, he yelled out, "That's OK, Amy, keep going!" Amy smiled and chuckled when she heard this, knowing that she was one of the few people who could tame Otto Rocket without a fight or challenge.

At one point, Otto's team was down 2-1 thanks to Sam "Stonewall" Dullard, but Twister tied the game with a quick wrist shot. Otto was determined not to let another shot pass him, and he knew that Sam was thinking the same thing. He knew that the game could go either way; usually, winning would matter. This time, however, he noticed how much fun Amy was having, and that made him forget about winning. Then again, that determination returned with only 1 minute left in the game. Amy skated around Reggie and was able to fake out Sam at the goal. Otto was so excited that he jumped out of the goal, skated up to Amy, and kissed her by surprise. Play then resumed and time ran out without anyone scoring. Otto and Amy had won. Otto threw his gear off, ran back up to Amy, and tried to lift her up in victory. While Otto had gotten stronger, he wasn't quite strong enough to lift a girl his age by himself. That's when Twister and Kioni came up to help hoist Amy on to their shoulders, and the three boys carried her back to Otto's house for a well-deserved break.


All you wanted was somebody who cared.
If you need me you know I'll be there.
Ho oh oh oh, yeah.

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As the saying goes, "Time flies when you're having fun," and the week Amy spent in Ocean Shores was no exception. The night before Amy was scheduled to return home arrived. To celebrate, Ray and Tito created a Hawaiian party on the Rockets' deck. They had everything from fresh leis to real tiki torches. The three guys and two girls sat out back after the celebration had died down, looking up at the stars. It was a beautiful night; a perfect ending to a perfect week. Otto and Amy had two lounge chairs placed side-by-side and held each other's hand while staring at the sky.

Amy finally broke the silence: "Otto, words can't express how wonderful it feels to be here. A few months ago, I was thinking about things most teenagers don't even imagine having to consider. But then you came back in to my life and everything changed. Now everything, even things as simple as the sky, seem so important. After almost losing my life, I can't take anything for granted."

Otto nodded his head in agreement. While he had lived without Amy for all those years, he couldn't even imagine how he would feel if none of this had happened. He knew everything was meant to be. In fact, he noticed something else. He didn't feel quite the same as he had before. Now he felt as if he wasn't the only important person in the world, as his behavior had previously indicated at times. He realized then what had happened. He had saved her physically from death; she had saved him from future trouble. She now meant more to him than ever before. He couldn't explain it, but he felt a bond to Amy that he didn't feel with Reggie or Ray.

Suddenly, something in the sky caught their attention. It was a shooting star.

"Don't forget to make a wish, Otto," Amy reminded him. Otto then thought about what he would wish for. When he made up his mind, he knew that it was very likely that his wish would come true.

"Amy?" he asked calmly. She turned and looked in to his eyes as he continued: "I know I've said this so many times before, but I love you. And I don't mean just as friends. You have found your way in to my heart and I don't think you'll ever leave there. I'm a better boy because of what you've taught me."

"And you've done the same for me, Otto. I love you, too."

"You wanna know what my wish was?"

"Otto, you're not supposed to tell me your wish, or it won't come true."

"Oh, I doubt that," he confidently replied. "As a matter of fact, I won't tell you; I'll show you instead." At that point, their heads drifted together as their lips locked in a deep, meaningful kiss.

If you want to, I can save you.
I can take you away from here.
So lonely inside, so busy out there.

They held together for what seemed like hours, but suddenly their romantic moment was broken by a sound of even more passionate kissing coming from behind them. Otto and Amy slowly turned around to find Reggie and Twister making out as if they had just gotten married.

"What's up with those two?" Otto whispered to Amy, wondering what Sam would say if he saw what was happening.

Amy laughed in response: "I don't know, Otto. I don't know." She then winked at her newly-found boyfriend.

And all you wanted was somebody who cared.

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It was finally time for Amy to leave. On the way to the airport, Amy and Otto vowed to visit each other as often as possible, not to mention to call each other on a regular basis. Although both couldn't imagine how they could manage a long-distance relationship, the bond that had been created through Otto's gift was too strong for it to just fade away.

"Otto," Amy told him as she prepared to leave for the gate, "I don't know how to thank you enough. I'll be forever in debt to you."

"No problemo," Otto assured her. They then hugged and Amy kissed Otto one last time. Just then, her father called out for her and she knew she had to go.

If you want to ((If you want to)) I can save you (woah)
I can take you away from here. ((I can take you away))
So lonely inside, so busy out there.
And all you wanted was somebody who cares.

"Good bye, Otto. Until we meet again. Remember, I'd still walk a thousand miles to see you again."

"Me too, Amy. Me too."

She then walked towards the door to the plane and before she disappeared out of sight, she turned and waved. Otto waved back, and if one looked closely, a tear could be seen forming behind his sunglasses. He then suddenly thought, "I wonder what Amy's wish was from last night?"

Please can you tell me, so I can finally see,
Where you go when you're gone?

THE END

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Well, I said that this is the last official chapter. However, I think that an epilogue is in order. Plus, I want to put in a Public Service Announcement (PSA) featuring Amy and Otto that I think would follow this episode, and I'll tell you why next time I write.