CHAPTER 9: DINNER AT RAY'S, PART 2
Long days are had for all, and the day for all comes close to the time of the afternoon. It is now when those who still have jobs to work can return home, or perhaps on a detour to home to finish errands needing to be completed. It is now when many prepare to have a nice dinner, whether by themselves or shared with others, to rest and replenish their bodies after a long day of work put upon them.
For Lars Rodriguez, there is little physical effort in his job with the exception of speech, and a multitude of it, and the exchanging of the cash of others with the narcotics in his trench coat. Nonetheless, he finds his own work to be taxing on his body and mind, and, with the new location of Zero Gravity Zone's VIP lounge to call a crash pad, he enters the room with the intent to unwind after his illegal business dealings.
And as true to his taste in fashion, on his chest was a t-shirt with text that read 'I'VE HAD IT UP TO HERE WITH MIDGETS', with an arrow pointing at his waistline.
He began making his way to the couch of the entertainment center to relax and sleep away all stress accumulated for the day, but was soon stopped short by the lights to the room coming on upon his arrival. Turning to the sound of approaching footsteps, Lars turned to find Alex Gravity awaiting him, with his other subordinates behind him.
"You were out late last night. Got any explanations to give?" Alex Gravity asked.
"Not that it's any of your fucking business, but I was out at a party last night, ran into my retarded little brother, took part in a royal rumble of a fight, it was a good time by all. After that, I went home, then started selling some product for the day. Made a decent pay considering how the customer base around here's been drying up." Lars said.
"Well, I believe I should remind you that you now have a place of employment here, with me, and your purpose is to help dry up that 'customer base' until it's completely nil. And I am going to pay you far more handsomely than all that junk in your suit could make you."
"You obviously haven't seen how good a salesman I am, or my product. I get my meth from this bald nigga in Albuquerque, motherfucker cooks it so pure it turns blue. Sells like fuckin' hotcakes."
"Never mind that. You're still my employee, and I expect you to be on call where I can reach you, and available for the basic work I need."
"Okay, fine, 'dad'. I'm here. The fuck you want me to do?"
"Put this on."
Alex Gravity then tossed Lars a one-piece suit, which he caught with a quick reflex. As he looked to the other subordinates of the millionaire park owner, he noticed that the others were wearing similar versions of the suit he was given, all of their glowing a bright blue with various neon lights running across them.
And as he always does, Lars assumes the worst of what the situation is in front of him.
"Hey, hey, what is this shit? You're a fuckin' leather daddy? I signed up to be your fuckin' gimp? Hey, listen, I'm not into this shit, you faggot! I ain't-!" Lars began to protest.
"Shut up, dumbass. That's not what these things are for." One subordinate said.
"He's correct, Lars. These are a nice little disguise we've whipped up to ensure none of you can be recognized." Alex Gravity said.
"And you made 'em look like these gay-ass rave costumes?" Lars asked.
"Couldn't help it. I'm a massive Tron fan as well. Jeff Bridges is a very underappreciated actor, in my opinion: Big Lebowski, Fisher King, Starman, just to name a few. And that's not to mention his father, Lloyd. Airplane and Hot Shots, I laugh harder every time I see them."
"Great. My fuckin' boss is a leather fag, and he likes shitty old movies nobody remembers."
"I prefer the term 'cinephile' myself. And I've been happily married to at least 4 different women, I'll have you know."
"Ha, sure."
"Just put the fucking suit on, already. This is the part where you get to blow shit up, like you wanted."
"Shit, well, why didn't you say that? One sec."
Lars then stepped inside the suit and quickly zipped it up, completely enclosing his body inside. Pulling up the hood of the suit over his face, he then placed a set of goggles over it, completely concealing his face and body, leaving no traces of his identity able to be revealed.
Satisfied, Alex Gravity then tossed Lars a hoverboard, which he quickly caught as well.
"Good. Now, the rest of the team will lead the way. They've already been briefed on what to do, you just follow their exact directions, and we can all walk out of this mission successfully." Alex Gravity said.
"Alright, I'm down. You guys lead the way." Lars said.
"This way. Try not to get distracted over the view of our asses in these suits. We've all seen how silent sinners scream the loudest about gays." One subordinate said.
"Hey, fuck you guys. I love the pussy. You guys might love the cock, but I don't."
"As a matter of fact, I do like cock. So deal with it."
Lars gave a confused face at the response of the leader of Alex Gravity's team, not expecting him to give a response that shut down his criticism.
"Shit. Whatever. I'm just glad nobody'll recognize me in this thing. Wouldn't want to go to a dinner party wearing this." Lars complained.
[Soundtrack Cue: Kid Rock feat. Joe C. - Early Mornin' Stoned Pimp]
Indeed, Lars does not have chance to attend any sort of outing, for he is a man of little friends or family. But there are two subjects next which are family, whether they accept or deny it, and one of the two has made more than his attempt to deny his connection to the family.
Wide awake from his sleep the night before and a few short hours away from the dinner date premeditated by his father, Otto began the first of the steps needed to be taken before leaving. Disrobing all of his clothing, he entered the shower of his house to cleanse himself before the party.
Like nearly everything else in the house, the bathroom and shower is not well-kept and quite dirty, with dirt and grime across nearly every surface in the washroom. Otto is either oblivious or accustomed to the filth, disregarding the sights and smells that pollute the bathroom, and proceeds to use the shower all the same.
The lack of upkeep is only noticed upon Otto when he makes his attempt to turn on the shower, turning the dial controlling the water to full power, and adjusted to give warm water. Upon turning the dial, however, no water came out from the shower head as expected, making Otto look up to the head to seek out what problem might be preventing the flow of water.
Picking the head off its holster, Otto began shaking it in a primitive attempt to solve the problem. His attempt to fix the problem is one that no one would expect any success from, but Otto does indeed find his problem solved, and what he does managed to make water come out from the shower head at last.
But his next problem came when he found that the first blast of water was backed-up sewage water.
Receiving a full blast of water turned brown from fecal matter and urine, much of it produced from the unhealthy eating habits of Otto and Twister's diet of junk food, Otto closed his eyes to the blast, immediately spitting out what unwanted contents landed in his mouth.
"Oh, fuck!" Otto shouted.
The water then changed to a stream of clear, clean water, indicating what backup of sewage that had made its way through was now gone. Taking advantage of his new stream of fresh water, Otto let the stream spray into his mouth, allowing him to rinse out the unwanted excremental liquid that made it in.
Taking the soap bar from its place on the counter, he began rubbing it against his mouth and tongue, deliberately subjecting himself to an unpleasant experience forced upon children by abusive parents in response of a perceived moral slight. Tasting the soap on his bare mouth and tongue is not a flavor or feeling pleasant to Otto, but his disgust over the sewage entering it first drives him to keep washing his own mouth.
Aiming the shower head in his mouth again, he rinsed out the soap and spat out all contents in his mouth, properly cleansing it of all the unwanted human waste in it. However, feeling around his mouth with his hand, he then pulled out a small pubic hair from it, looking back at the soap bar and recognizing it as the source of the errand strand that made its way in his mouth.
And the displeasure he felt before has increased greatly at the sight.
"Twister, I swear to god, this better be one of my pubes." Otto lamented.
Concurrently, the other of the two estranged Rockets also cleanses himself with a shower, attempting to freshen himself after the many errands he ran prior to the dinner party, taking care of every possible detail before the arrival of his guests. Gaining a decent covering of sweat across his body after his work, Ray Rocket takes to his shower to cleanse himself of the physical byproduct of his own productivity.
Lathering his hands with soap from his soap bar, he scrubbed down his body and washed away all sweat and dirt accumulated on it, leaving behind reopened pores and a smooth, sun-kissed epidermis that showed its age with all the journeys and adventures it had been brought along.
Many choose to take their journeys through life alone as they began, but many also choose to take along a partner for the ride. Ray Rocket has married once before, but, after losing his first wife long ago, he has taken a new one in the lovely Noelani Makani, who stepped into the shower to join him.
Taking to the shower head, Noelani leaned back and allowed it to wet her hair, allowing her the chance to wash it. Taking a hearty pump out of the bottle of shampoo in the shower, needing a large amount for her long hair, she began rubbing it into her scalp and running it through her hair, cleansing it of all dirt and leaving in nutrients to maintain its healthy form.
Offering himself as a form of help as any husband would desire for their wives, Ray reached his own hands across Noelani's head, rubbing the shampoo into her scalp and running it through her hair, all with a gentle hand with a subtle since of firmness. The kind gesture allows Noelani to relax her hands, allowing her husband to do the work for her, and smile as she feels his hands on him.
Concluded with his work on her hair, Ray turned Noelani around to face him, bringing her in for a kiss under the flow of the shower head.
Finished with his own cleansing, accepting what work he could do with cleaning himself, Otto entered his room to get himself dressed. Tossing his towel aside, he took to his wardrobe to find a suitable set of attire for the evening, needing something that could be considered acceptable for a family gathering.
For Otto Rocket, his wardrobe is nothing of the sort of a closet or any means of stashing clothes, but instead his many articles of wear are laid across the floor. Clean is mixed with dirty alike, much of it unable to be discerned from one another without the aide of a keen eye.
In order to find a suitable set of clothes, Otto relies instead on his nose, which may or may not still be keen following his cannabis smoking habits.
First starting with underwear, Otto picked up the first pair that he came across on the floor, holding it to his face and smelling it to discern any signs of use or not. What he smells in the underwear is a salty aroma resembling bodily odor, allowing him to conclude that the undergarments have already been used.
Tossing the underwear aside, he picked up another pair, again sniffing this one as he did the last. Again did he find the same smell of bodily sweat and odor, this one possessing an even stronger scent that suggested multiple uses without wash, leading him to toss it aside even more vigilantly.
Taking to the next pair on the floor, he found one with brown marks left behind from multiple instances of flatulence, making an obvious sign that the underwear was in no state of cleanliness. Annoyed, he tossed the pair aside to find a new one, this time having to dig deeper among his clothes and items on the floor to find a pair.
After a long period of searching, however, Otto found no more pairs of underwear in sight, indicating a shortage. Letting out an annoyed sigh, he decided...
"Fuck it, I'm going commando." Otto said.
With their shower concluded, Ray and Noelani both retreated to their main bedroom, taking to the closet to select their wear for the evening. Ray is somewhat indecisive regarding what he desired to wear, not sure what might fit for the evening, standing in front of his closet in contemplation.
Noelani is the one who makes a decision for him, reaching into the closet and pulling out a Hawaiian-styled button-up shirt and putting it against him. Looking down at the shirt, Ray smiled and nodded at the shirt in approval, taking it alongside the choices of a pair of shorts.
With his clothing selected by his partner, Ray returned to Noelani's side to repay the favor, helping her select wear for herself. Her initial choice is a fancy blue dress, holding it against herself and turning to Ray to propose the wear. The dress is indeed a fine one, and it looks beautiful on his wife, but Ray does not agree with her choice.
Instead, he took out a dark pink shirt, proposing that her wear be more casual, while still choosing a brighter color for the evening. Looking to the selected shirt, Noelani pondered on it for a moment in contemplation, eventually coming around to agreement with her husband's suggestion.
With both of their outfits selected for the evening, the two then began to get dressed together.
Dressing himself up in an semi-acceptable appearance of a skating T-shirt and jeans, forgoing the underwear with a lack of clean options, Otto carried out his remaining clothes and threw them in the washing machine before departing, ensuring that he would have some clean clothes upon his rearrival.
When trying to turn the washing machine on, no signs of power came to the washer, indicating that it was somehow broken. Banging his fist against the machine, Otto's efforts to power it back on again yielded no fruit, nor his more reasonable decision to ensure that it was plugged into the wall.
Finding that it indeed was, he concluded that the washing machine was indeed broken, leaving his clothes unwashed and leaving no time to find a replacement for the machine. Leaving the clothes behind inside the nonfunctional washing machine, he instead proceeded to leave for the dinner party at his father's house.
Stepping into the living room, he found Twister at the laptop, again pressing the 'refresh' button in attempt to boost their NewTube channel's view count and revenue.
"Hey, Twist, we need a new washing machine. We get any more money yet?" Otto asked.
"Not yet. Can't we just use some of the money we got from Eddie?" Twister asked.
"That's going for our food budget. Let's just go to the junkyard and find another one."
"Okay, cool. Enjoy your dad's party, okay?"
"Yeah, sure. See you later, Twister."
Stepping out of the front door to his house, Otto brought with him his skateboard, dropping it on the ground. Placing himself on the skateboard, he began skating off to Ray's house, covering a long distance and ground by the only means of transportation he possesses, or will ever take a liking to.
Now dressed and ready for the party, then came the task of preparing for the guests. Setting the table with a nice tablecloth and laying out paper plates and plastic utensils for the soon-to-arrive guests, the task now needed to be fulfilled was to cook and prepare the food.
Filling up the grill with fresh charcoal and lighting fluid, Ray ignited the fuel with a match, sending up flames out from the grill and making it ready to cook their dinner on. Taking out hamburgers and hot dogs fresh from the grocery store, Ray reached for the nearest item of food to begin cooking...
...but was stopped short by a hand grabbing his own, looking up to find Tito intervening to ensure he would be the one to cook instead.
"Not so fast, brotha. You promised me I was gonna cook, remember?" Tito asked.
Laughing off Tito's jest, Ray stepped aside to allow him to cook instead.
Taking the hot dogs out from the selected food first, Tito threw many across the grill, searing the meat with a kiss of flame that left a black mark across its skin. Juices began to drip from the cooked meat and drip into the fire, sending into the air a pleasant smell that aroused the appetites of all present.
As the food began to cook, Otto continued to skate down the streets of Ocean Shores to make an on-time arrival to the party. Living a long ways away from the house he used to live in with his father, the time he spends skating leaves plenty of time for the food to finish cooking and other guests to arrive.
The streets of Ocean Shores remained empty and lifeless as they have for many years, leaving only the sound of Otto's board rolling across the concrete ground filling the air, the rattling of polyurethane against concrete monotonously cutting through the eerie, unnatural silence.
The droning noise is enough to make Otto reflect on the silence behind it, reminding him once again of Twister's comments about the town's emptiness. He has lived on these streets for many years as a youth, partaking in the cycle of life that existed within, and he can feel the noticeable difference in it now.
Missing the loud music of beach parties and the loud music fueling them on, the rolling of skateboards, cheering of happy children and teenagers that all took place in these very streets and the gave the sounds of endless summers filling the air, he knows that the glory days he once lived are behind him now.
Now, only a few skaters could be heard if listening hard enough, the waves of the ocean, while still ridden, only were ridden by jobless and derelict surfers like himself, and even the most luxurious houses were still unoccupied, unoccupied and left without life that gives the places meaning.
It makes him wonder again, was Twister simply romanticizing the past, searching for a time in his life before he knew hardships and struggles?
Or, was Ocean Shores truly a shadow of its former self, and giving out its last gasps of life?
His thoughts about the state of his city, brought by his hopes to remember some of the old days of his childhood, a time that he continues to seek in his neverending search for a ride, all that is gone when his sense of logic brought his thoughts back to Ray's dinner party as he came near his destination at last.
[Soundtrack Cue End]
Upon finally reaching the cul-de-sac that he was raised in, Otto skated up to the Rocket home, at last arriving at his destination. Standing outside the house, he hesitates on the knowledge that he will meet his father for the first time in many years, fearing what issues may arise on the event of their reunity.
When first leaving his father's house, moving in with Twister, the only thing that was on his mind was getting out and doing whatever he pleased as an adult. No longer having his father to hold him back from anything, Otto wanted to live things up as much as he could, all in spite of his father, never planning to speak with him again.
Now, with his father actively trying to repair the damage on their relationship as father and son, Otto is forced to meet with him for the first time in almost a decade, leaving him in a situation where he is not comfortable in the slightest, and with no idea what to do. The delay he gives to the meeting is but delaying the inevitable, and he can no longer push aside what must be done.
Taking in a deep breath, Otto mustered up all of his energy to approach the door.
After setting his skateboard on the side of the house, Otto rang the doorbell, anxiously awaiting an answer. As he awaited the door to open, Otto began contemplating the thought of walking away, hoping to simply avoid his problems, but, for the sake of the promise he made to Tito, a parental figure he has never wished to disappoint, he fought his urge to do so.
Following a few seconds, seconds that seemed to last much longer than normal, had passed, the door opened, revealing Ray Rocket standing at the threshold.
Ray's own excitement at the chance to see one of his children again is a moment that he expected to meet with joy, but, upon looking at Otto, both he and his son found themselves at a loss for words, neither of them fully prepared to say anything to one another.
Like son, the father, too, did not know what to say to his estranged son turned prodigal. Despite how much Ray had planned out his party to the finest detail, he had no idea on how to begin the simple task of speaking to his son, let alone repair the bond he once shared with him.
After a tense moment of awkward waiting, Otto finally broke the silence with a simple, but effective, greeting.
"Hey." Otto said.
"Hey... Rocket Boy. Been a while." Ray replied.
"Yeah, it has."
After Otto let out his greeting, the two began to share another awkward moment, neither still having anything to say to each other. Trying to show some initiative and move on with his plan as he desired, Ray decided to break the silence this time, inviting Otto inside the house.
"Well, uh, won't you come in?" Ray asked.
"Oh, yeah. Sure." Otto replied.
Stepping inside the house, reentering his childhood home for the first time in years, Otto began taking note of his surroundings. Although neither he nor Reggie had been in the house for years now, much less lived in it, the house had not changed almost at all from when he last saw it, still looking the same as it was so long ago.
"Sure has been a while since I've been here. Hasn't changed much." Otto said.
"Yeah, really not much to change. It's just been me and Noelani for the past few years." Ray replied.
Not having anything more to say, more awkward silence fell between the two; having fallen out so much and been so far apart, their meeting is like one of strangers in how foreign they have become to each other. Ray, remembering his mission on repairing his relationship with his son, pushed on with his mission, began to inquire into Otto's life, trying to find a way to connect.
"So... How, uh... How've you been doing?" Ray asked.
"Okay, I guess. Me and Twister moved in to a small place." Otto said.
"Yeah, Tito tells me you don't keep it very clean."
"Yeah, I really don't. I'll admit that."
"So... are you... you know, seeing anybody?"
The answer is one that Otto does not have an honest answer to, so, in a moment of panic, he offered a lie in lieu of the truth.
"Uh... You remember Clio?" Otto asked.
"Oh, Twister's cousin? You two hit it off?" Ray asked.
"Yeah, well, no, well... it's kind of complicated. She just shows up every now and then, we hang out, we kiss, we... you know..."
"What do I know?"
Otto gave Ray a suggestive shrug of his shoulders, not wanting to verbally explain what the two did during their time together.
"Ooh, uh... Right. So... you're... you guys are... what do they call it?" Ray asked.
"...Friends with benefits?" Otto shrugged.
"Yeah, that's it."
"Kind of, I guess, I... Meh, I really don't know."
Another awkward silence fell on the two, still not able to continue a friendly or casual conversation, whether it be for lack of conversation topic or withholding statements neither wanted to say to each other. With nothing else to say to each other, Ray instead urged Otto on to the main party for dinner, moving on to the main part of his plan.
"How about we go sit at the table?" Ray asked.
"Yeah, sounds good. I'm pretty hungry." Otto said.
"Yeah, me too. I could go for a Hotdurger right about now."
"Same here."
Walking onto the balcony to get themselves some food, coming to the main event of the party, coming to a patio lit by torchlight in the setting sun, Ray and Otto were immediately greeted by its primary guests of Noelani, Reggie and Tito, all happy to see to the whole family together again. Among friendlier faces and a warmer environment, the two smiled, with Otto raising his hand in a wave.
"Hey-hey. So, you decided to show up, little cuz." Tito said.
"Yeah, well, I wouldn't want to disappoint anybody." Otto said.
Noelani, ever the nicest of the family and happy to see her stepchildren again after a long time apart, rushed to Otto and gave a hug.
"Otto! Oh, it's so good to see you again, I missed you a lot!" Noelani said.
Her kindness is as motherly as one can ask for in a stepmother, but, unfortunately, Noelani put too much zeal into her hug, causing Otto to struggle to breathe.
"Yeah... I... missed... you guys... too.. Can't really breathe..." Otto choked.
Taking notice of his respiratory struggles, Reggie stepped up and urged Noelani loosen up her hug, allowing Otto to catch his breath.
"Hey, he just got here, are you trying to choke him already?" Reggie joked.
"Oh, goodness. I'm so sorry, I didn't-" Noelani tried to say.
"It's cool, Noelani. Just go easy on the grip next time." Otto laughed.
Dismissing Noelani back to the table, Reggie gave her own greeting to her brother, taking a lukewarm approach in contrast to the rest of the family.
"Hey, Rocket Boy." Reggie said
"'Sup, Reg? Looks like he got everybody back here, huh?" Otto asked.
"Yeah. You cause a scene, I'm gonna be the one who chokes you, because Noelani's too nice to do it to you."
With the group sharing a small chuckle together, the setting seemed all too well for this family gathering; all came in a good mood, a good laugh was shared, and all seemed genuinely happy together as a family. After all had sat back down at the table, Tito got up to retrieve and serve the food, having spent much time on making it.
Returning to the table, Tito passed out to each of them a plate holding Hotdurgers, a hamburger bun filled with hotdogs and various condiments intended for both hamburgers and hotdogs, with french fries boiled to a perfect crisp. None had eaten yet for the day, making each member at the table reach for the main course to devour the well-cooked food.
Feeling the flavor of Tito's home cooking reach their tongues, the savory taste of high-quality hotdogs mixed with lettuce, relish, tomato, onion, ketchup, mustard, as well as Tito's obligatory addition of a slice of pineapple, the food is enough to make all moan in delight, even with the not-necessarily welcome pineapple in the mix.
It is a good start to the evening, as a helping of food will always accomplish.
"Mmm... Goddamn, Tito, this is delicious! You really perfected the Hotdurger recipe!" Otto cheered.
"I sure did, cuz. Who would've thought you forgetting the hotdog buns would've led to one of my greatest creations?" Tito asked.
"Yeah. Pro tip, though, I'd probably go less on the pineapple. Like... zero percent pineapple."
"Yeah, Tito. It's great, but... I don't think pineapple and meat is really a good combination." Reggie agreed.
"Ah, you cuzes ain't got no taste for good Hawaiian cuisine. The pineapple makes all the difference. The acid helps make the meat more tender, and adds a sweetness to it. What's not to love? Cuzes?" Tito asked.
The family silently disagreed with Tito with smiles and head shakes, leaving him to sway off the criticism with a chuckle of his own.
"So, Otto, good food, right? Aren't you glad you showed up?" Ray asked.
"Yeah, but I'm not staying all night. Me and Twist got plans." Otto said.
"Plans to smoke marijuana with Twister, I hear?"
"Yeah. We like our grass."
"Heh. Yeah, I figured you'd be a pothead in no time hanging out with Twister all that time. You two always struck me as the guys that would go for it."
"You sound like you know from experience."
"Heh-heh, yeah. Tito and I smoked a lot at your age way before pot was legal. One time, we even had a smoke-off against Bradley Nowell, and we won."
Not believing his father's story but nonetheless enticed by its premise, Otto looked on with shock and then let out a laugh.
"Wow. No shit, really?!" Otto asked.
Tito, both reminiscing on the aforementioned event and viewing it from an objective point of view, interjected with a chuckle and a more truthful answer.
"Well, parts of that story may be a little exaggerated, little cuz. The guy did look like Bradley, and we did smoke two joints, or maybe more." Tito said.
Everyone at the table gave another hearty laugh at the anecdote and its subsequent fact-correction, the family making light of Ray and Tito's ridiculous antics during their younger years. Turning the exaggeration into one of humility, the family are able to laugh and share a moment of happiness together.
"So, guys, what have you been doing for work? Got a job somewhere?" Noelani asked.
"Well, I was working at Ocean Shores Today for a lot of years, but we recently..." Reggie began to say.
Reggie has been a woman committed to the truth and nothing but the whole truth for her adult years, but to tell the truth regarding her employment status, or now a lack thereof is an admission of shame that she cannot bring herself to say. She knows that her father and stepmother would immediately step in and offer her help without taking 'no' for an answer, a response her pride would not allow.
In order to save face for her own personal success and make her family proud, she instead concluded her response with a falsity.
"...had one of our chief editors retire, and I got promoted to the position!" Reggie lied.
Her lie managed to get cheers and applause from the entire family, save for Otto, making Reggie feel guilt and an instant regret for her lie.
"Oh, Reggie, girl, I'm so proud of you! I knew you'd grow up to do great things!" Noelani said.
"Way to go! That's my Rocket Girl!" Ray shouted.
"Good on you, cuz!" Tito said.
"Heh. Y-Yeah, it was nothing, really. Absolutely nothing." Reggie chuckled.
"What about you, Otto? You must've been up to a lot of great things all this time, right? You must've gotten a fun job somewhere, right?" Noelani asked.
"A job? No way. Me and Twist run a NewTube channel where we film ourselves, mainly me, doing all kinds of sports. Skating, rollerblading, surfing, biking, all kinds of stuff." Otto said.
Ray found himself slightly disheartened by Otto's reaction to the concept of a job, but still tried to keep an open mind to how he maintains himself..
"A NewTube channel, huh? I hear a lot of people make some pretty good money doing stuff on there. Even stuff from just watching other videos and talking about them. Does it pay good?" Ray asked.
"It pays okay, I guess. We've got a decent amount of people watching us and getting some ad money. We're waiting for some more people to catch on to the channel and give us more views. In the meantime, me and Twister play some music down in Huntington Beach on the weekends and get a decent amount of money." Otto replied.
Ray was not too pleased to hear how Otto and his best friend were living their unproductive lives, but he nonetheless tried his best to keep his opinions down in order to keep the party stable. Not wishing to say something that he would regret, Ray decided not to pry further, hiding his frustration behind an effort of a smile.
"Oh, what kind of music do you play?" Noelani asked.
"Mostly skunk and reggae. Last week we did some Sublime, some 311, and Slightly Stoopid, now we're thinking about Rancid and Reel Big Fish next weekend to switch it up." Otto replied.
"'Skunk'? What kind of music is that?"
"It's just another name for ska punk. You take the 'sk' from 'ska' and the 'unk' from 'punk', and that turns to 'skunk'."
"I see. What kind of instruments do you play?"
"I play acoustic guitar and Twist does acoustic bass and ukulele; we trade off who sings lead between songs. We all actually used to have our own band back in the day called 'No Worries'. Reggie and Sam were part of it. We kinda still use the name now."
"Ugh. Otto, we totally sucked. You know I saw 'Surf Town' on one of those one-hit-wonder lists once? You know what they said about us? They called us the Vanilla Ice of ska punk." Reggie complained.
"Yeah, well, I at least got better. Just takes some practice, that's all."
"Ooh, could you play something for us now?" Noelani asked.
"Uh, I didn't really bring my guitar with me-"
"We've got one, hang on."
Noelani left the table to retrieve the aforementioned guitar, subsequently returning with an acoustic guitar and handing it off to Otto. Put on the spotlight with all eyes looking on him, Otto nervously looked back at his family, all anticipating from him a performance on the guitar.
"Uh, look, I didn't really-" Otto began to say.
"Oh, come on, Otto, please? You can do it, I want to hear! C'mon! Otto! Otto! Otto!" Noelani chanted.
The rest of the family slowly but surely joined in on Noelani's chanting, soon making Otto succumb to the pressure put upon him.
"Alright, alright. You brought up Bradley Nowell, I'll do a little something from him." Otto said.
Taking to the guitar and playing a smooth beat, he began playing one of the most well-known songs from the deceased musician's band, singing out the lyrics.
"Early in the mornin', risin' to the street,
Light me up that cigarette, and I'll strap shoes on my feet,
Got to find the reason, reason things went wrong,
Got to find a reason why my money's all gone,
I got a dalmatian and I can still get high,
I can play the guitar like a motherfuckin' riot..." Otto sang.
The family began to get invested in the song as well, nodding along and tapping on the table to a drumbeat, and soon adding their own vocals to the song.
"Life is, so love the one you got,
'Cause you might get run over, or you might get shot..." Noelani sang.
"Never start no static, I just get it off my chest,
Never had to battle with a bulletproof vest..." Reggie sang.
"Take a small example, take a tip from me-hee,
Take all of your money, give it all to charity-hee..." Tito sang.
"Love is what I got, it's within my reach,
And the Sublime style's still straight from Long Beach..." Ray sang.
"It all comes back to you, you're bound to get what you deserve,
Try and test that, you're bound to get served..." Otto sang.
"Love's what I got, don't start a riot,
You'll feel it when the dance gets hot..." The family sang together.
Moving onto the chorus, the family continued to sing the song together, coming as one in the chours in complete harmonization.
"Lovin',
Is what I got,
I said, remember that,
Lovin',
Is what I got,
And remember that,
Lovin',
Is what I got,
I said, remember that,
Lovin',
Is what I got..." The family sang.
Finished with the performance, Otto set down the guitar, gaining applause from the entire family in response. Otto in turn clapped as well and cheered with them, congratulating them on their own efforts in the song. In the shared activity of singing, he feels in complete connection with them, erasing what conflict there was between them for a single moment.
"Oh, that was so much fun! You oughtta bring us along to your next show." Noelani said.
"Eh, well it's not really a 'show' that much, but I'll give you a call next time we go." Otto said.
"With a voice and guitar skills like that, you must get a lot of girls, huh?"
Forced to answer the question once again, Otto was left with no choice but to keep up his lie, giving the same response to her as he gave his father.
"Uh, yeah. I got a girl named Clio. You, uh, you wouldn't know her. She goes to college and shit." Otto said.
"Well, she sounds like a very smart girl. How about you, Reggie? Find any boys yet?" Noelani asked.
As anyone would be in the forced position to answer questions of romance from a parental figure, Reggie initially shied away from answering her stepmother.
"Uh... Well... I don't know yet." Reggie answered.
"Then who would?" Noelani asked.
"I don't know."
"Sounds like you've been cooped up too much at work. You oughtta get out some more and try to find a boy. What about you and Clio, Otto? You found her at college, a lot of young people meet there, right?"
"Actually, Clio's Twister's cousin, that's how I know her. Never went to college." Otto said.
"Maybe you should've." Ray mumbled.
The attempt at discretion is not well-made on Ray's part, and his comment is heard by the rest of the family. It is an uncomfortable enough remark to make the party come to an unfortunate turn in direction, and all turn silent at Ray's words, making all turn to him with their full attention.
Otto is the one who takes the most interest in what he says, and the most offense.
"What was that, Raymundo? I didn't hear that." Otto said.
Forced to stand by his comment, Ray at last moved the conversation to a point where he hoped to procrastinate, moving to one of the primary reasons for getting the party together in the first place. Attempting to be more charitable and accessible to his son, he attempted to reiterate his point in the most gentle way possible.
"Well, Otto... It's... Listen. I get it. I get what you're doing. You're an adult now, you just wanna do whatever you want, you just wanna be free a little. I get it. I've been right there, too. Tito and I were doing stuff just as crazy and irresponsible as you back in the day. You just wanna skate and surf all day, just have some fun. All for it, I get it. That's what I tried to give you as much as I could back when you were a kid. But... is the kind of life you like to live, for the rest of your life, Otto?" Ray asked.
"Yeah, I guess so. Things go pretty well." Otto said.
"Pretty well, huh? Don't you ever think about doing something different with your life?"
"Different how?"
"Different like... more productive to society?"
Otto lifted an eyebrow, preparing to challenge Ray's words and sentiments. Noelani, recognizing the potential problems that could and most possible would ensue from such a conversation, tried to defuse the situation as best as she could, laying a hand on Ray to get his attention.
"Ray, honey, I thought we agreed not to bring this up-" Noelani tried to say.
"No, no, no, hang on a sec, Noelani. I wanna hear what Dad's idea of 'more productive' is." Otto said.
"Well , by 'more productive', I mean something like a real job." Ray said.
"Define 'real job'."
"Something you go to school to learn how to do. Like, you know, Reggie really wanted to pursue her interest in reporting and writing, and she went to school, worked really hard, and, now, she's got a job she can be proud of. Haven't you ever wanted to do something like that for yourself? Have something you can be proud of, too?"
"Dad, I never did well in school as a kid. What makes you think that I wanna go back to suck harder than last time? I'd just be wasting my own money and time."
"You never did well in school because you always focused too much on sports and never enough on school. If you focused a little harder, you might get further. Hell, I'd even be willing to help you pay some of it off, I want to help you see success. If you don't want to do that, okay, there's plenty of jobs that don't require school to do. But at least you'll be going somewhere."
"Going where? To a shitty job that'll bore me to death? Why would I want that when I have everything I want right now?"
"A NewTube channel with no money, playing music on the side of the road, and living in a dingy pigsty of a house is everything you want out of life?"
"Ray, maybe we should talk about something else-" Noelani tried say.
Despite Noelani's attempts to diffuse the situation, her attempts went unheard, as the conversation was already on its course and set to self-destruct. Everyone at the table took notice of the intensity brewing, only watching in discomfort as the anger between the father and son began to boil.
"Hey, at least I'm enjoying my life right now. What about you? Still flipping burgers at 60?" Otto replied.
"I've always liked doing it, Otto. I've been doing it for years. Not because I'm not successful, but because that's what I wanted to do with my life. But I started my own business out of it, and I saw success. I've always loved to flip burgers, and I made something of what I loved doing. But I was also using that to try to open more doors for you and your sister. I worked hard so you wouldn't have to." Ray said.
"I'm doing what I want to do with my life right now, and I'm enjoying it just fine. How is that so different from you?"
"I'm actually trying to make an honest living and doing work, you're skating on the internet while getting paid nothing to do it. I consider that a big difference when my son could be doing much more for himself and others, when I know he can."
"You mean, be a total sellout. I've never believed in all that crap you spew. 'Be successful! Make something out of yourself! Be somebody!' Be somebody for who? Someone else, and someone else's bullshit dreams. I've never sucked up to any establishment. I've always been about Otto Rocket, and Otto Rocket alone. And maybe Twister, too, I guess. But I ain't no sellout."
"I didn't 'sell out', Otto. I... I cashed in. I made a life for myself that I can be happy with. You know? So what if I played into the system? The system at least worked for me, and it can work for you, too, if you let it."
"Oh, okay, I see. So, you think I should go to school, pick a job that I like, and keep doing it until I get old and retire, the old American Dream. Well, let's see how that's worked out for you, shall we? You never went to school, so you obviously don't practice what you preach there, but, okay, I can accept that. You at least found a job you like. But, oh, wait! You're getting almost no business because Good Burger is taking all your business for crappier burgers, made by people who did go to school and hire people who didn't. So you obviously failed at that, too. And how about retiring? You have to struggle to get by on a failing business, and you're still working as an old man. So, in other words, you're asking me to go down the same road you have, for the result you're getting now. Tell me, why the hell would I want that? If I'm gonna end up like that down the road anyway, I at least oughtta enjoy myself while I still can, right? So why the fuck should I ever try to be like you when that clearly doesn't work, huh? Why don't you tell me that, Raymundo?"
As the conversation continued to uncomfortable levels, Ray and Otto were starting to become visibly becoming hostile with each other, leaning closer in towards one another across the table. The rest of the family, still extremely uncomfortable with the turn of events, continued to try to calm things down, but the fight was at the point of no return.
"Otto! Dad! What are you two doing?!" Reggie cut in.
"Because at least I'm not a failure with no future who lives in a rat's nest with a brain-dead stoner! I'm man with a family, even if one of my kids is a little asshole that doesn't know help when it's right here for him!" Ray replied.
After Ray hurled his final blow to the argument, all present at the dinner table went dead silent, all shocked at his demeaning remark towards his own son. Otto, after taking a moment to process being called a failure by his own father, finally gave his own reply to Ray, delivering his own damning response as well.
"Is that what you think I am? A failure? Who the hell are you to speak, running a two-bit burger stand with no customers? I'm actually making some money from what I do, and I'm actually happy with what I do. Most importantly, I don't waste my breath over someone who doesn't want your fucking help. Who's the real failure? Fact of the matter is, I'm an adult now, and I can do whatever I want, and I can say: 'Fuck you, dad'!" Otto replied.
After hearing Otto let out his final response, Ray's anger elevated to the point where he no longer wished to have his son present at the party, demanding he leave.
"That's it, Otto, get the hell out of my house!" Ray shouted.
Having tried his father's patience far enough, Otto had at last invoked his wrath and brought a punishing response from him, a repeat of their relationship for many years during his childhood. Clearly put down and upset by the response given from his father, Otto began breathing heavily in distress over his treatment.
Doubling down on the response brought about by his poor behavior, he then retaliated with a further provocative response.
"Well, then, Raymundo, again I say: 'Fuck you-ooh'!" Otto squealed.
Giving a juvenile jest in his vulgar remark, he extended a middle finger to his father, then proceeding to give it to the rest of the Rocket family.
"And fuck you, Reggie, you suck-up, and fuck you, my fairy stepmother, and fuck YOU, my lovely uncle..." Otto continued.
Getting up from the table with both middle fingers extended on his hands, theatrically bidding the family goodbye.
"...and fuck you all very much, and to all a fucking good night!" Otto shouted.
Stepping up to the grill, he served himself one final Hotdurger for the road, taking a spoil before leaving the house.
"HAVE A GOOD NIGHT, EVERYBODY!" Otto shouted.
Smashing his fist on a nearby table as he departed, Otto's absence made Ray get up from the table as well, stepping away to face over the balcony and hide from the others. Noelani, trying to pull the pieces of the party back together, rushed to stop Otto from leaving, trying to get him to return to the table.
"Otto, please, wait! Ray didn't really mean all that. He's just... a tad frustrated with himself." Noelani explained.
"Oh, he's frustrated with himself, alright. Frustrated that he didn't get the son he wanted." Otto said.
Not ready to listen to any help, Otto brushed Noelani off, walking back in the house to head out the front door.
As her stepson left, Noelani found herself feeling defeated, not being able to persuade Otto to stay, marking the party as unofficially ruined. Lowering her head in preparation to cry, Reggie got up and rushed to comfort her, trying to stop Noelani from feeling bad about herself.
"Hey, Noelani. Don't feel bad. You guys tried your best. I guess some people you just can't reach." Reggie said.
"Oh, I don't care about that. Otto is who he is. I just wanted him and his father to be happy. I wanted this to be a nice party for everyone, Ray was so dedicated to making this right. Now, everything's ruined." Noelani cried.
"No, no, no, no, no. Here, let's sit back down. Nothing's ruined, just sit down and we'll have a good time. Please. For me."
As Reggie brought Noelani back to the table in attempt to cheer her up, Ray continued to lean on the side of the balcony, upset at both at himself for acting out at his son, and disappointed that his dinner party was ruined. More importantly, he felt that what had occurred between him and Otto is an experience that may have ruined their relationship forever, a fact that he cannot accept.
Tito, trying to comfort his best friend, gave him a hearty pat on the back, accompanying him as he silently mourned his failure.
"Well, brotha, it was a good try." Tito said.
"Goddammit, Tito. What am I supposed to do with that boy? I ruined everything." Ray replied.
"You were just trying to push him to do something better with his life. All fathers want to do that for their sons."
"Yeah, but I failed at that miserably. How much longer do I have to watch him waste his own life? When is he gonna grow up?"
Tito has no answer to give for his best friend, only able to sigh as he continued to hug Ray from his side.
"I don't know, brotha. I don't know." Tito said.