The simplicity of the question caught Joe off-guard. The spoon stopped halfway to his mouth and he looked up at Roxie, perched upon the counter, and something in his expression changed. Suddenly, he wasn't looking so much at her, or even through her, but back down the years to a place he didn't really want to go. He wasn't even sure why he was telling her this but...he didn't want Sammy or Bruce to see him the way he saw himself. It was the same reason he hadn't told his mother and father the details of what happened.
"I'm here, Roxanne. I got kicked out of the Air Force Academy for violating the Honor Code. It was one of the only things I ever really wanted and I...I blew it. I wrecked the life of someone I cared about and I can't make up for that. I can't fix it. I was arrogant and an innocent person paid the price for it.
I couldn't take the disappointment I saw in my dad's eyes when he confronted me about it. I couldn't tell him what I'd done. I'm the son of the most stalwart and righteous man walking the earth and when it was time to do him proud, I blew it." Joe told her.
"So I ran like a coward. I got on my bike and started moving from place to place, taking out my anger at my cowardice on any thug I could see. I told myself I was making up for what I'd done, but you don't really come back from something like this. I didn't care if they killed me. I didn't think about what it would do to my parents if someone found my cold, stiff carcass in a dumpster someday." he said, pausing. Only now did he take a bite of the ice cream and look up at her.
"The night Sammy found me, I had three broken ribs and I was in bad shape. The nights were getting to me. I narrowly escaped being blown up and it was literally dumb luck that got me out. I...I wasn't really trying to get out.
So, I'm here. I screwed up and people got hurt. Samuel Rogers, son of Captain America and all-American Screw-Up, reporting for duty, ma'am." he finished, his voice bitter and full of self-loathing.
no subject
"I'm here, Roxanne. I got kicked out of the Air Force Academy for violating the Honor Code. It was one of the only things I ever really wanted and I...I blew it. I wrecked the life of someone I cared about and I can't make up for that. I can't fix it. I was arrogant and an innocent person paid the price for it.
I couldn't take the disappointment I saw in my dad's eyes when he confronted me about it. I couldn't tell him what I'd done. I'm the son of the most stalwart and righteous man walking the earth and when it was time to do him proud, I blew it." Joe told her.
"So I ran like a coward. I got on my bike and started moving from place to place, taking out my anger at my cowardice on any thug I could see. I told myself I was making up for what I'd done, but you don't really come back from something like this. I didn't care if they killed me. I didn't think about what it would do to my parents if someone found my cold, stiff carcass in a dumpster someday." he said, pausing. Only now did he take a bite of the ice cream and look up at her.
"The night Sammy found me, I had three broken ribs and I was in bad shape. The nights were getting to me. I narrowly escaped being blown up and it was literally dumb luck that got me out. I...I wasn't really trying to get out.
So, I'm here. I screwed up and people got hurt. Samuel Rogers, son of Captain America and all-American Screw-Up, reporting for duty, ma'am." he finished, his voice bitter and full of self-loathing.