Tweaked

Summary: After five years, it's back to New Zealand for the Rocket Gang, but what happens when one of their own leaves the team, teenage hormones, and old faces come along from the ride?

Author's Note: Ah. The epilogue is here. Thank you all who have read and review this story. It's been a pleasure. I love Rocket Power. As long as I live, I will always love it. My children will be Rocket Power children. It's all over guys. Please let me know how you liked it.

Epilogue: In Keoni's Eyes

I, Keoni Khaloa Herbert Makani Jr., have absolutely no idea whose bed I am in right now. I have a pounding headache, and I'm not quite sure what's going on. I think I am be hungover.

Let's backtrack...

What was my last coherent thought?

I am not suited for snow. (Weird... but true) I wasn't when I had to snowboard in the Wakikikamukau games. That's another thing. I'm not a fan of snowboarding. I can do it just fine, but it's not my forte. I can surf; I can skate; but hey, you can't be good at everything.

Wait... wait... OH that's right! I'm in Mt. Baldy with the gang. The gang along with Trish, Clio, Sherry, Trent (who was invited because of the fact he didn't return to New Zealand during break and the gang felt bad) and I were all spending a week at Mt. Baldy. We already spend two days here, and tonight's New Years Eve.

It's been nearly six months since we conquered New Zealand, and now its winter break. After our trip to New Zealand I returned home to Hawaii where I was without my best brahs. However thanks to letters and phones and emails from the gang, I was still up to date to the gossip.

Otto and Trish remained a strong couple. They fight every now and then, but they're happy. Their goal apparently is for both of them to become pro-surfers. Otto's been killing his division, and Trish manages to always win. I wish them the best of luck.

Twister and Reggie still dating and doing well. Twister's officially retired from competing. After one too many injuries, he finally decided to focus solely on his cinematography. He finally became the official president of the A/V club. He's been doing better in school, and by better, I mean he at least gets C's in his classes (with the exception of PE and Mass Media Production). He hopes that when he graduates high school, he'll be able to As for Reggie, she got her competition edge back. She's been competing regularly with her brother, though she never did manage to beat Trish in a surfing competition. However, her main focus is school. She's been applying to colleges. Her college of choice is UCLA, but her back up school is SDSU.

Sam's good. He's been talking to Lena via email and phone every day. He and Sherry finally had the talk where she confessed that she hooked up with another guy when she was aboard. He admitted to his fling with Lena. The two decided that they would longer pursue each other. According to Reggie, it's awkward for the two of them to be around each other to the point they just avoid it. Reg also mentioned that if you're ever caught in between them alone, there's so much tension you could cut it with a knife. Other than Sherry drama, Sam's has also been applying to colleges. He applies to several Ivy League schools, but his number one is MIT.

Clio's been doing well too. Like me, she doesn't live in Ocean Shores either. She actually came to visit me in Oahu after we left New Zealand. She's been focusing on school and her ice-skating. She met a boy at her school, and now they're dating and been together for two months now. She and her guy won Homecoming King and Queen. They both applied the same colleges, but they both had different first choice. Nevertheless, I've never seen Clio so happy.

As for me, I've been focusing on my surfing and school like always. I've applied to colleges like the others. My first choice is University of Hawaii (naturally), but I also don't mind Arizona State. Something about it speaks to me. As for my love life, I am forever alone. I'm not very good with the ladies. Clio helped in New Zealand and again when she came to Oahu, but I'm still quite awkward when it comes to girls. I had a date for my senior homecoming, but that all it was, a single date. I don't mind, I'll find a girl one day. I'm not too worried.

Right... right... right... so back to my predicament... I open my eyes only to have the light burn my eyes. Whose smart idea was it to have a sky light right above the bed? I reach down my body to make sure I have clothes on. I would really like to still be a virgin (okay, not really, but I'd rather remember my first time). I'm shirtless, but I'm still wearing boxers. Hopefully that's a good sign.

I shift over to my right and catch myself nose deep into short blonde hair. Sherry. I scan her body and notice she's fully clothed. I move back and find myself face to face, and dangerously close, to Trent's face. He's under the blankets, and he looks naked... but he has a girlfriend and is straight for the most part, so I can bet that nothing happened between us. I decide to sit up, and realize Clio's sleeping on my legs. She too is fully clothed.

Alright, I may have not gotten lucky, but no more alcohol for me.

I manage to untangle myself from the mass of limbs and appendages. I find a pair of sweatpants and put them on and don't even bother looking for a sweat. The room reeks of alcohol, weed, vomit, and shame. I make my way down to the kitchen. I find the gang already up and sitting around the breakfast nook. Trish is cooking some eggs. There's already pancakes and bacon in the middle of the kitchen island. I approach the island and automatically press my head against the hard surface top.

"You okay man?" I hear Sam ask me. I look up slightly and groan. "I'm hungover brah." Otto and Twister shake their heads at me. "Sucks man." Twister says. Reggie gets up and starts preparing a coffee which I assuming, and hoping, is for me.

"Tell me about it." Twister looks as if he's going to repeat his statement, but I cut him off. "Don't. What the hell happened last night? I woke up in bed with three people."

"You kissed Sherry," Sam says glaring at me. I give him a sheepish smile, and he realizes what's he's doing and looks away. "Not to mention Trent!" Trish turns her head over her shoulder to me. "I what?" I practically scream. Ah, son of a bitch, my head. My own voice sounds like ten thousand nails on a blackboards. Reggie hands me a cup of coffee and the creamer and sugar. I mix my drink.

"Yeah, Clio dared you guys to kiss and you too started going at it." Otto laughed. I vaguely recalled the Truth or Dare game we played last night, but everything's still blurry. "You aren't serious?" I pale. "Wish we were," Reggie says sweetly.

"You aren't gay right Keoni? But if you are, it's totally cool. I mean I have a friend at school, gay as a rainbow and..." "Twister shut up. I'm not gay." I defend myself. "Okay brah, but if you are it's totally." "TWISTER!" The rest of the gang including myself scolds. The hat wearing boy melts into his seat. "Sorry, I was just saying."

"Ugh... no more alcohol for me." I swear as I sip the coffee. "No way man, tonight's New Year's Eve," Sam protests. I shake my head. "No. No more alcohol. I swear."

"That's what you said in New Zealand after you threw up all over that Australian girl's dress at the last party of the trip," Otto says. "Don't remind me." I moan. "Remind you of what?" A new voice joins us. I look up and see Clio. I hate her. She drank more than me, but she looks as flawless as ever. (Damn, I'm such a girl.)

"The Keoni-Mick incident," Trish replies. Clio nods and smiles. "That's right, you were so close to closing the deal, and you vomited all over her." "Thanks for reminding me. Assholes." "Calm down bro, you still got game right?" Reggie smiles as she said that.

"You did kissed two people last night." Sam tells me. "Trust me brah, I got no game at all, and I'm still hungover as fuck. My life sucks." I complain. I feel someone throw something against my head and a package lands on the table before me. "What's this?" "Blowfish," Otto answers. "Dunk it in water and it will cure your hungover." I don't question it and do exactly as he says.

"You're life doesn't suck, Makani." Otto says as I drink some of the concoction. I gulp it down. "I know, it's just a figure of speech Ottoman." I instantly start to feel better. "My life is great." I sip my coffee to wash out the taste of the blowfish.

"Even if my life didn't change dramatically since New Zealand like your guys." My statement is met with silence. I look around and see everyone staring blankly at me. "What?" "What do you mean we've changed?" Reggie asks. "Dramatically!" Twister adds. I smile.

"Well, let's start with you guys. Reg, you stopped competing, but now you're always out and about in every competition overpowering everyone. Twist, you loved competing, but now you're behind the scenes filming all the action. Now that's not a bad thing, but it's different. Another thing with you two, you're finally together!" I see the two of them blush, Twister more than Reg. "Seriously, Twister's liked you since forever—" "HOW DOES EVERYONE KNOW THAT?" "—and Reg, you've liked him too. Don't think I haven't noticed." She blushes harder. I see Otto laughing at the two.

"Don't laugh Otto, you've changed too. I mean after all, you did propose to Trish on stage." "I DID NOT PROPOSE!" "Sure you didn't," Sam jokes. I turn to my best bud. "And you! Before New Zealand, you were, for lack of a better word, the squid. We could all make fun of you, and you care and be offended of course, but you were too passive to stand up to us. Then Leeeeeeena, comes along, and suddenly you're Sam the man. Brave, mature, not afraid to speak your mind, and apparently a sex god." Sam smirks and involuntarily puffs out his chest in pride.

"Well, you know me." Sam lowers his voice. "Gross." Otto snickers. Sam smiles politely at him while flipping him the bird. Twister laughs hysterically. I turn to Trish who has finished cooking and is now seated on Otto's lap. "Sorry Trish, I didn't know you too well before New Zealand." She smiles at me. "No problemo Keoni." "What about me? Have I changed?" Clio leans against the counter towards me.

"Well, you started believing in love. No offense, Clio, but you were a man-eating slut. Sleeping around, home-wrecking, we all knew that. Some more than others," at this, Otto, Trish, and Clio all looked away awkwardly. "But after seeing Trish and Otto, Twist and Reg, Sam and Lena, Trent and Tara. You started believing that you could find someone, and you did."

"You guys are lucky, I wish I changed in New Zealand." "Bro, you're great just the way you are." "You're right, but I'd be nothing while out my best friends." I lift my coffee cup. "I know it's early, but here's to the greatest year of my life." The gang lifts their drinks too, or in Clio's case, her cell phone.

"Here here! Whoogity, whoogity, whoogity."

The End.