Friday night...
Reggie was excited about dinner. She thought her dad was going to regret throwing the party and cancel it once he got to talk to Lars. This was going to be golden.
"You sure you don't want to stay?" she asked Otto.
"Nope. I can't stand Lars' face so why should I stay?" Otto said.
"Because this will be golden and you were the one with the brilliant idea?" Reggie said.
"Well, you know what, I'm not going to stay for this. Sorry, but if it were another guy, I would love to watch but not Lars." Otto said heading out the door. "If you need me, I will be in Mad Town. Later."
Ray saw Otto leave and said, "Where is he going?"
"Mad Town." Reggie snickered. "He doesn't want to see Lars' face."
"Oh but Noelani and I made pulled pork. He's going to miss dinner." Ray said. "When is Lars getting here? It's already 7, and he lives right on our block."
Perfect! Lars was tardy! All the reason for Ray to hate Lars and cancel the big party. Just then, the doorbell rang, and Reggie said, "I will get it! Just get dinner ready!"
Reggie answered the door to see Lars standing there looking rather nicer than usual. A white button down shirt with the two top buttons open and blue jeans. His shirt was tight around the sleeves, giving a nice outline of his muscular arms. He wasn't wearing that gray hat he normally wore, showing off his military haircut. He was holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand.
'Wow...he did get pretty fit, and muscular...he is gorgeous...geeze the Marines did wonders to him...' Reggie thought. 'Wait...this is Lars!'
"What are you doing?" she asked pretty annoyed.
"What? I'm doing what you told me to do. Look like a tool and come off as one. By the way, these are for you." Lars handed Reggie the flowers.
"Okay...cool it with the flowers," Reggie said. "Is this how you get in good with girl's fathers? Giving their daughter's flowers?"
"Most of the time," Lars said smirking.
"Okay...you know what...just give me the flowers and get inside!" Reggie pulled Lars into her house and shut the door.
"By the way, where is Rocket dork?" Lars asked.
"At Mad Town avoiding you," Reggie said.
"Reggie is Lars here?" Ray asked from the kitchen.
"Yeah, dad. He is here...in our living room..." Reggie said as Ray and Noelani walked into the living room.
"Lars! Long time no see. How are you?" Ray shook hands with Lars.
"Pretty good, sir," Lars responded.
"I see your parents a lot," Ray said.
"Hi, I'm Noelani. Reggie and Otto's stepmother." Noelani introduced herself.
"Nice to meet you." Lars took her hand and kissed her on the cheek.
Reggie wasn't surprised by his gesture. It was a part of Hispanic culture to kiss someone you just met on the cheek.
"Quite the charmer you are." Noelani giggled and noticed the flowers. "Oh, you got Reggie flowers. How nice of you."
"Yeah...it was pretty nice of him," Reggie said with a lack of emotion.
Why did he have to get her flowers? This plan had to work. Her parents had to hate him and cancel the party.
"Here," Ray took the flowers and Noelani followed, "I will put these in water. I hope you like pulled pork."
"I love it," Lars said.
Reggie shot him a glare.
"What?" Lars said annoyed at her already.
Reggie rolled her eyes and shook her head as she marched into the kitchen annoyed with Lars already.
The four sat for dinner as Raymundo started talking to Lars.
"So I hear you were in military school and then joined the Marines, which explains why we haven't seen you," Ray said.
"Yeah...he was...for bad behavior and to avoid juvenile detention. Right, Lars?" Reggie asked.
"Reggie, don't be rude. I was talking to Lars." Ray said.
"It's fine, sir," Lars said. "What she said is true. I'm sure she heard it from my brother."
"Well, thanks for your services," Ray said sincerely.
"You're doing a great thing for our country, Lars," Noelani added.
"Thank you," Lars said. "I enlisted because they thought it would keep me out of trouble."
"Gee, isn't it shocking how you even have to mention that," Reggie said with sarcasm.
"Reggie, stop with the sarcastic remarks." Raymundo was getting impatient with his daughter.
"Teenage daughters," Lars said. "Always with an attitude. My mom is lucky she has boys and not girls."
"Lars, trust me...all women have an attitude," Ray said.
"Excuse me?" Noelani eyed Raymundo who just chuckled lightly.
"Not to mention they are terrible drivers." Lars chuckled as Reggie kicked him hard under the table.
Lars winced in pain after Reggie kicked him.
"Sorry...was that your shin?" she said.
"Speaking of drivers, I heard you got a job at your uncle's auto shop. How's that going?" Ray asked.
"Good. I took an auto shop class in military school because I needed an elective and I enjoyed it. Now I have a job." Lars chuckled lightly.
"That's actually a very good job, Lars," Noelani stated.
"It's always good to work," Ray said.
"I'm sure you don't make much," Reggie said.
"There isn't anything wrong with honest hard work, Reggie," Ray said and turned back to Lars. "I have to give it to you. You've matured into a young man from the last time I saw you."
"Thank you, sir," Lars said nodding his head.
This enraged Reggie on the inside. Great! Her potential loser date wins over her father and stepmother, which meant the party was still on. Unbelievable.
"Excuse me. I have to...wash my hands." Reggie got up and excused herself from the table.
"They love him! I mean they REALLY LOVE him! Never mind Lars bullied us as kids and never mind he is still a dick. Dad thinks he awesome and they were talking and shit...oh get this...when Lars made a sexist joke, dad chimes in! What they hell?" Reggie was screaming at Otto over the phone.
"Wow, Reggie. Now you have a real problem on your hands." Otto laughed. "Bust!"
"No! This was your idea!" Reggie said.
"But I didn't think they would like Lars." Otto snickered. "So he got your flowers?"
"Yeah and Noelani thought it was a nice gesture," Reggie said with an eye roll. "She called him a charmer!"
"Oh man. That's a bummer. Wow...now I feel bad I'm not there. I would've laughed." Otto snickered.
"You know what, you are no help. I have to go. Dad is going to get suspicious. Bye." Reggie hung up on her brother and ran back downstairs.
"Reggie, I was starting to get worried about you," Ray said.
"Well here I am, dad," Reggie said with sarcasm. "So what did I miss."
"Lars was telling us about his job. It sounds like you have a lot going for you, Lars." Noelani said.
"I guess you can say that." Lars looked a little bashful.
After dinner, which turned out to be disastrous to Reggie, she walked Lars out the door and said, "Boy, you did a great job at making my parents hate you, especially my dad! He loves you and is happy you are my escort."
"You act like that's a bad thing," Lars said with humor in his voice.
"This is not funny! You were supposed to be a jerk and have Raymundo and Noelani hate you so they can cancel the party but no. You act respectful, and they love you. Now the party is on, and I have to go through with it! Thank you, Lars, for ruining everything!"
"Damn woman, is it your time of the month or something?" Lars joked. "All you have done since we ran into each other again was yell at me."
Reggie took in a breath and said, "Okay...okay...Friday after next week, come to my party as my escort. Look like a hot mess. Got it?"
"Yes, Queen Regina," Lars said with sarcasm in his voice. "Any more requests?"
"Don't call me Regina. Now please leave." Reggie slammed the door in Lars' face.
Lars just shook his head and whispered to himself, "Bitch..."
"So," Reggie started, "probably not what you were expecting me to bring to my party."
"Actually, Reggie," Ray said, "he grew up, I must say."
"Wait, so you approve of him as my escort?" Reggie said. "Dad he was in military school to avoid juvie, he is working as an auto mechanic's apprentice, and you like him? Need I remind you he was a complete and utter tool when we were kids?"
"Well, military school must've helped him mature because that he did," Noelani said.
"Plus, if you know he was mean to you, why did you think of inviting him as your escort?" Raymundo asked.
"Well...I...aaarrggghhh!" Reggie just stormed up to her room and slammed the door.
Raymundo just shook his head to himself and said, "Teenage daughters..."
