stepping on cracks

Eric found out Steve wasn't even living at home, anymore. He'd been moved to a group home. His family couldn't exactly control him, lately. He'd lost his job to, cleaning cars at the dealership.

"What has happened to you?" Eric finally tracked him down.

"Its better this way." He just shrugged as if he'd intended to do all the wrong things.

"But weren't your parents wanting you to get out on your own, somehow?" They had planned for him to get his own apartment even if it was actually a place for handicap individuals. Of course, he might be 30 before he could move in to such an establishment.

"I don't care." He was so angry now.

"Yes, you do." Eric didn't like the downward spiral of all this. Naturally, with Steve's autism he'd been so calloused, but there was always this glimmer that he was not an anti-social who would threaten others. "What's next then?"

Eric wanted him to stop using this as a crutch.

"You're smart. You should be taking college classes. You very well could, but no, you have to opt to being banned from places, like the library." Eric told him.

"Like they'd ever let me be janitor at a school." Steve winced. As it was he said he'd lost all his friends. Eric and Olivia.

"That just means you have to get out more. Take some courses that you like. You were always handy with taking apart computers." Eric had given him an old computer once. Of course, all Steve had done was take it apart. "Maybe its time you learned how to put them together."

Steve just gave him a mean look.

"Then there's always your poetry. You could have a writing club, right here at the group home." Eric suggested. "I think if you start helping, you might feel better. You have to think positive."

"But, I don't have you around, anymore." Steve was in a huff.

"All right, I'll help you with the writers group if you want." Eric guessed he could make a little time once a week to visit Steve more. He didn't want to see Steve fall through the cracks.