projects in his garage. He spent most of his spare change shopping on Amazon buying DC motors, cables, gears and various parts he would need to see his vision come alive. He liked to be alone most of the time and always had some sort of project that required private focus time. He was very secretive about his designs; he wouldn’t share them with anyone at all. Most of his projects consisted of robotic vehicles, other motorized gadgets and protective gear for law enforcement. Many of his experiments were defective and many sat incomplete because there never was enough time to finish before the next bright idea came streaming into his mind. Roger’s engineering career had been over before it started.
At MIT he was at the top of his class. He was envied by many of the students and was extremely popular among the students and faculty at the school. By Roger’s sophomore year, he had won various awards, including the most prestigious MIT Student Engineer of the Year Award, which landed him an internship at Deere’s engine manufacturing facility. This was the first time the award had been given to a sophomore. It was rare that the award didn’t go to a senior student.
One day, Roger called the dean of students and had a long talk about his mother’s health and how he needed to leave for a year and return the next fall. He convinced the dean to allow him to retain his scholarship for when he returned a year later. The dean agreed in writing to hold Roger’s scholarship until he returned. Roger never returned. Truth is, Roger felt like MIT was not the place for him. Many students felt threatened by his abilities and refused to befriend him. It was true that his mother’s health was not the best, but it hadn’t been good for many years now; this was just his excuse. Roger had received a few threats from students and unknown sources for his unmatched success. Some students, faculty and parents felt that he deprived other students of a chance at recognition. After all of this, Roger took a hiatus from engineering projects for a few years. Since he had left MIT, Roger lost his engineering mojo. He just couldn’t build anything that worked.
Roger lived at home with his mother, Terry Atkins, in a three bedroom, two–floor Cape Cod home built in 1964. Roger’s mother had renovated the house when they moved in, but the house was overdue for a serious update as witnessed by the ‘80s Italian lacquer furniture and wooden beads hanging in the entry ways.
Roger’s room was on the ground level. He had posters on the walls of Halle Berry and Melissa Ford. One wall was practically covered by a shelf full of ‘80s action figures. He had three For Her Pleasure Trojan condoms between Heman and Chitara of the ThunderCats. For many months, he considered asking Frankie about renting the room above the bar where Abigail was now staying, but he didn’t think Frankie wanted company. Although he enjoyed living with his mother, he thought he needed some private space once in a while. Roger also liked having the space to work on his designs where no one would snoop or be annoyed with the noise. He also needed a significant amount of space and storage to be able to create and invent. Maybe when Frankie closes the fight club he’ll let me stay in the basement.
Roger and Abigail became good friends as the months passed. He had never been very open about his past or let her know too much about his personal life. He was slightly embarrassed that he didn’t have much of a life outside of Frankie’s pub. Roger and Abigail didn’t initially like one another. It probably started when he first called her Elvis. He knew she didn’t like it, but she would never give him the satisfaction of letting him know that it irked her nerves. Abigail barely made eye contact with Roger for the first two weeks she was there. She didn’t crack a smile until the day he tripped over the mop and cracked his chin on the counter. That was the first time she
At MIT he was at the top of his class. He was envied by many of the students and was extremely popular among the students and faculty at the school. By Roger’s sophomore year, he had won various awards, including the most prestigious MIT Student Engineer of the Year Award, which landed him an internship at Deere’s engine manufacturing facility. This was the first time the award had been given to a sophomore. It was rare that the award didn’t go to a senior student.
One day, Roger called the dean of students and had a long talk about his mother’s health and how he needed to leave for a year and return the next fall. He convinced the dean to allow him to retain his scholarship for when he returned a year later. The dean agreed in writing to hold Roger’s scholarship until he returned. Roger never returned. Truth is, Roger felt like MIT was not the place for him. Many students felt threatened by his abilities and refused to befriend him. It was true that his mother’s health was not the best, but it hadn’t been good for many years now; this was just his excuse. Roger had received a few threats from students and unknown sources for his unmatched success. Some students, faculty and parents felt that he deprived other students of a chance at recognition. After all of this, Roger took a hiatus from engineering projects for a few years. Since he had left MIT, Roger lost his engineering mojo. He just couldn’t build anything that worked.
Roger lived at home with his mother, Terry Atkins, in a three bedroom, two–floor Cape Cod home built in 1964. Roger’s mother had renovated the house when they moved in, but the house was overdue for a serious update as witnessed by the ‘80s Italian lacquer furniture and wooden beads hanging in the entry ways.
Roger’s room was on the ground level. He had posters on the walls of Halle Berry and Melissa Ford. One wall was practically covered by a shelf full of ‘80s action figures. He had three For Her Pleasure Trojan condoms between Heman and Chitara of the ThunderCats. For many months, he considered asking Frankie about renting the room above the bar where Abigail was now staying, but he didn’t think Frankie wanted company. Although he enjoyed living with his mother, he thought he needed some private space once in a while. Roger also liked having the space to work on his designs where no one would snoop or be annoyed with the noise. He also needed a significant amount of space and storage to be able to create and invent. Maybe when Frankie closes the fight club he’ll let me stay in the basement.
Roger and Abigail became good friends as the months passed. He had never been very open about his past or let her know too much about his personal life. He was slightly embarrassed that he didn’t have much of a life outside of Frankie’s pub. Roger and Abigail didn’t initially like one another. It probably started when he first called her Elvis. He knew she didn’t like it, but she would never give him the satisfaction of letting him know that it irked her nerves. Abigail barely made eye contact with Roger for the first two weeks she was there. She didn’t crack a smile until the day he tripped over the mop and cracked his chin on the counter. That was the first time she