I do not own Rocket Power...

Frustrated and hurt by what Reggie said, Lars walked home and got to his car. He drove to visit Clio at her job. Since it was slow, she was behind a counter texting when she saw her cousin walk in.

"Hey!" She looked at Lars quizzically. "What are you doing here? I thought you'd be driving down to San Diego."

"I was," Lars said and sat to talk to his cousin. "We got into a fight, she called me stupid, and I stormed out."

"Why did you guys fight?" Clio asked. "You know, it is normal for couples to fight while engaged."

"Clio, what I'm about to tell you, don't repeat to my parents. Because when Reggie gets back, I will break the news." Lars started.

"Okay..." Clio looked confused.

Lars told her how he and Reggie went on a date three weeks after her party and how her dad caught them making out on her doorstep and not to get on her case on who she was dating, she blurted out they got engaged. Then he told her how he gave her his great grandmother's ring for her to wear while they pretended to be engaged, how he started to feel something the moment he slid the ring on her finger and over time, he started to act like the engagement was real while she kept saying to him it was all fake.

"Okay, so the whole thing was fake, and you started to act like it was real?" Clio said sympathetically and held his hand. "Oh, honey...do you love her?"

"Why are you asking that?" Lars said to his cousin.

"Because I and some people noticed how you kept looking at her at the party and when you were talking to me about her, you sounded like you do love her. And I can even tell by after she hurt you, you still do love her." Clio said. "Have you even told her how you felt when faking the engagement?"

"No," Lars said looking down in shame.

"You need to tell her! I know you love her! I saw how you looked at her at the party. I know the look, and I know the smile." Clio said. "Lars, you need to tell her."

"I can't. She's mad at me and me trying to call her will get her angrier and it's pointless."

"You know what," Clio was already done with him, "when I get off work, we are going down to San Diego, and you are going to tell her!"

"Clio, now you are talking out of your ass. You know, I regret telling you now." Lars said flatly.

Clio rolled her eyes at her cousin.

"Hey, Lars!" a voice called.

Lars turned around and saw his old crew of friends, Pi, Animal and Sputz. Clio saw them and pretended to be cleaning while they approached Lars.

"Dude, we saw you from outside! How you been?" Sputz asked.

"Pretty good...yeah..." Lars said nodding his head.

"We heard you got engaged. How's that going? You risking giving it all up?" Animal said. "Impressive."

"Actually..." Lars chuckled, "I don't know...she hates my guts as of now."

"Wait, you guys broke up? Oh man, what a bummer. But listen, there is this party tonight, and you should come. Get your mind off of Rocket dork's sister." Pi said.

"Didn't she get really hot or something?" Sputz asked.

"You have no idea! She's got a great ass." Pi said.

"Dude, at least you got to tear that shit up while you were engaged to her." Animal laughed.

Clio noticed Lars clench his fists at how they were talking about Reggie.

"But come to the party tonight. There will be booze, weed, girls...pretty easy girls that like Marines..." Pi said.

Lars thought for a moment and said, "You know what...count me in."

"Awesome!" Animal said.

"See you tonight!" Sputz said.

As the other three left, Clio interjected and said, "What are you doing? You were in military school because of those three! And what about Reggie?"

"Reggie and I are not engaged, remember?" Lars snapped. "And those guys were my friends before I went to military school. So why don't you mind your own business and let me go have fun while I'm NOT engaged."

As Lars left Clio's job, he drove off home while Clio wondered what he was doing.

Meanwhile on the road...

It had been a 45-minute drive for Reggie. She pulled into a gas station to stretch her legs and get gas for the car.

"Did you know in New Jersey, they don't even pump their gas?" Sam said.

"No one cares, Sam!" Otto said. "Reg, you want me to drive?"

"Sure. I did a lot of driving as is." Reggie replied.

Twister was still mad at her. Reggie gave Sam the gas pump and went to talk to Twister.

"Twist...look...I know you are mad at me. But please listen to me." Reggie said.

"Why? You hurt Lars' feelings. He cares about you, Reggie." Twister said. "Why did you say those mean things to him?"

"He was freaking me out, and I guess I wasn't thinking about what I said," Reggie said. "Twister, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt him like that, and I'm sorry I got your hopes up for a wedding."

Twister looked at Reggie. How could he be mad at his long time friend?

"Look," he started, "whether you had married Lars or not, you were always my sister."

Reggie giggled and hugged Twister.

"I'm sorry I ragged on you in the car earlier," Twister said sweetly.

"I've already forgotten about it." Reggie laughed.

"Yo, Reggie, Twister!" Otto called over. "Who's in the mood for gas station bean burritos?"

"Count me in, Rocket Boy!" Reggie said.

"Hell yeah! This guy right here!" Twister said.

"Well, last one in is a lame-o!" Otto called over and ran into the convince store while the other three ran in after.

This never got old for the four friends. Otto cheated in the race and started being obnoxious by saying, "Ha! In your face lame-os!"

Reggie, Twister, and Sam pushed him and ran inside the convenience store like a bunch of maniacs.

Meanwhile in Ocean Shores...

Lars got ready for the party at Pi's house that night. He was lucky his parents were out because they didn't know he was going out and with who. Clio came home and saw him wearing his favorite black t-shirt and jeans.

"What are you doing here?" Lars asked while he was applying cologne.

"I get out at 6 and am spending the night at Sherri's tonight. What are you doing?" she said.

"What does it look like? I'm going out." Lars snapped.

"Lars, please. You had those guys cut out of your life for a while, and I know you love Reggie! Please don't do this!" Clio begged.

"Clio, mind your damn business. Like I said, I'm not engaged and was never engaged, to begin with, so I'm going out to be with my real friends. Don't tell my parents where I am." Lars told her right before he left.

Lars drove to Pi's house thinking about what his cousin said. Why was he going out? He hasn't seen these guys in years, and he was told to cut off contact from them. Why was he doing this? Once he got to Pi's house, he snapped out of this thoughts and walked into the house. He wasn't engaged after all and he could get any girl he wanted. Pi saw him walk in and he cried, "Dude! You made it!"

Lars made his way to his old friends and greeted them like typical guys would greet each other. The house smelled of beer and weed. There was loud music playing. Something about being there made him feel out of place. He wasn't a troublemaker anymore, and the military shaped him up emotionally. After being there an hour or so, Animal made his way over to Lars with a girl and said, "Hey, Lars, I wanted to introduce you to someone."

Lars looked at the girl. She reminded him of his girlfriend, Alison; tall, skinny, blonde and beautiful. Just like Alison except she didn't have the southern belle charm Alison did.

"Lars, this is Stephanie. I told her you're a Marine and she's had her eye on you since you got here." Animal said as Stephanie slapped his arm.

Lars shook Stephanie's hand and simply said, "Hi..."

Stephanie took his hand and said, "Come on! Dance with me."

Lars gave his friends a look and a thumbs up while his friends cheered him on.

Lars danced with Stephanie to the loud hip-hop music playing in the party. He broke the ice and said, "So, you live around here?"

"Next town over. Animal told me you're a Marine?" Stephanie asked.

"Yeah. I was stationed in Louisiana for about sometime." Lars replied.

"That's awesome!" Stephanie said.

Lars already got the indication of Stephanie already. This was was an easy girl looking for a good time. Animal wanted to set him up with a girl that could satisfy him sexually. While dancing to a few more songs with Stephanie, Lars said, "You want to go somewhere and talk?"

"Yeah. It's a little loud here. What do you have in mind?" Stephanie asked.

Lars didn't know what came over him by taking Stephanie into a bedroom. Was it because he missed Reggie or was he still hurt? He disregarded the fact that Sputz and Animals were yelling to him, 'Yeah, bro! Get it in!' Stephanie locked the door and pushed Lars on the bed.

"Wow..." he chortled. "You don't fool around, baby..."

"Shut up!" Stephanie threw herself on top of Lars and started to make out with him.

For some reason, he wasn't reciprocating the affection. He pulled back a few times.

"What's wrong?" Stephanie asked sincerely confused.

"Nothing." Lars shook his head. "It's nothing..."

"Good!" Stephanie pushed Lars down on the bed and kept kissing him, and he pulled away again.

"Are you serious?" Stephanie said annoyed.

"Sorry...I was just...you know what, why don't we talk?" Lars suggested.

"Talking is overrated. Why don't we get to know each other by exploring one another..." Stephanie said in a seductive voice.

Stephanie pushed Lars down on the bed and started to kiss his jaw line and move lower to his neck. He couldn't get into it. He wasn't feeling anything. Giving up, Lars gently pushed Stephanie off and said, "No. I'm not into this."

"Why not?" Stephanie asked.

"How do I put this nicely?" Lars started. "Stephanie, you are not my type...at all. My type is a beautiful, smart and bad ass woman with purple hair and lets me say she is one hell of a surfer. I hope you understand."

"Wait...there is another woman?" Stephanie asked. "You kidding me?"

"Not just another woman. My fiancé. Now if you'll excuse me." Lars excused himself from the bedroom and was about to leave the party.

"Dude," Animal stopped him, "what happened?"

"Nothing." Lars simply said. "Nothing happened."

"She practically threw herself at you, and you're leaving?" Animal said as if he thought Lars was stupid to walk out on a good time.

"Yeah. I'm engaged to someone else." Lars snapped and was about to leave until Sputz blocked him.

"That's weak." Sputz laughed.

"First you say you aren't engaged anymore, and then you are engaged again? Tell me, Lars," Pi laughed, "are you whipped or something? Reggie must have real great pussy for you to..."

"Don't ever talk about her like that again!" Lars said in anger. "No, I am not whipped! I care about her, and I don't want to ruin it! She's the first thing in my life that's going great, and I'm not going to fuck it up! I care about Reggie and don't you ever forget it. Sorry, guys. I grew up. I'm out of here."

With that, Lars left the party and his old friends behind and didn't look back. When he got to his car, he called Clio.

"Yeah?" she said on the other line.

"So..." Lars started, "I met a girl. She was hot and pretty slutty."

"Don't tell me you..." Clio was about to yell at Lars.

"I took her into the bedroom, we could've had random sex...but I didn't go through with it," Lars said.

"No?" Clio was stunned.

"No. I thought of Reggie, and I couldn't do it. I love her, Clio." Lars said as he took in a deep breath. "My God...I love Reggie Rocket. I love Rocket dork's sister."

"Dios Mio, Lars! You need to tell her this!" Clio exclaimed. "Don't tell me this!"

"You and your girly friends in the mood for a little road trip to San Diego tomorrow morning?" Lars asked.

"Um...yeah...what time?" Clio said.

"Be up at 6 AM and I will be there to pick you up...we have a two-hour trip tomorrow," Lars said. "I need my girl in my arms again..."