I do not own Rocket Power...


Ray took in a deep breath and said, "Look...I know you are frustrated about the party. Noelani and I talked, and we both agreed we shouldn't have made you go through with the party. I'm sorry I didn't listen to you. You are now 18, and you are old enough to make your own choices. I should've asked you what you wanted to do today instead of jumping into throwing you a big party. So after tonight, I will let you make your own choices, but I am always going to be there to guide you through whatever you decide to do with your life. Sound fair?"

"Actually, Raymundo...yes. Thank you." Reggie said and kissed her dad on the cheek.

"Also..." Raymundo started, "I really don't want to know about the intimate details of your life. Please don't kill me early!"

Ray walked back into the party and Reggie smiled. Otto and Twister found her.

"What did he say?" Otto asked.

"He said that I could make my own choices, but he will be there to give me advice. And not to tell him who I am and am not sleeping with." Reggie laughed.

"Wait...you aren't sleeping with my brother, are you?" Twister asked.

"No, Twister!" Reggie snapped.

"Okay...just making sure," Twister said making Reggie roll her eyes.

"Twist, do me a favor and go dance with more girls. You did a good job at that." Reggie said.

Twister thought for a moment and ran back inside. He and Sam tied for the most girls while Otto was mostly dancing with Trish.

"What's going on with you and Trish out there? You two looked pretty friendly." Reggie joked.

"Nothing. We were just dancing." Otto blushed.

"Bull shit." Reggie joked. "You two were all over each other. Bust!"

"Shut up." Otto snickered. "Come on. Let's dance before the party is almost over."

Reggie followed her brother inside and continued dancing with their friends. She found Lars picking at appetizers. She pulled him aside.

"Party ends in 45 minutes. Dance with me." Reggie said, and she took him by the arm.


Forty-five minutes later...

The party was a success! Everyone had a good time. Reggie was just happy it was all over, and she made a compromise with her dad. Although she protested against the party, she did have fun eating delicious food and dancing with her friends, family and Lars (even though most of the girls at the party kept stealing him away from her on the dance floor...who wouldn't want to dance with a good looking guy in uniform?). Reggie walked out with the guys. Sam was pretty wasted from drinking too much.

"Reg, that party was rad!" Otto exclaimed.

"I guess it was okay..." Reggie replied. "Sam, you're sleeping over. If your mom knows you were drinking..."

"Guys...I don't..." Sam felt like he was going to throw up and ran to the bathroom.

"Oh man. He's going to be hung over tomorrow." Twister said.

Lars came up to Twister and smacked him in the back of the head.

"Ow! That hurt!" Twister cried rubbing his head.

"Bro, it was nice to know you aren't gay considering how many girls you crazy enough to grind up on you." Lars mocked.

"Lars, can you lay off for once!" Twister cried.

"I thought about it...but no." Lars laughed making his brother glare at him.

"Oh, Lars, I need to talk to you...in private..." Reggie said and pulled him aside.

They went to a corner, and Lars said, "What's up?"

"What's up is I'm paying you now." Reggie took money out of her purse and gave it to Lars. "That is your payment for tonight. Thank you for your services."

Lars smirked and said, "Now you make it sound like prostitution. Didn't know you were like that."

"Ew!" Reggie smirked and hit Lars, who was laughing. "Thank you for tonight, though."

"Anytime," Lars said. "But after this, I get back to whomping you dorks. Haven't done that in years."

Reggie smiled at him and said, "You got it."

"Lars! Let's go!" Clio called from outside. "Uncle Raoul is waiting for you!"

"So why can't my parents drive up ahead?" Lars asked lightly annoyed.

"Because Aunt Sandy wants you to follow them home. She's scared of you driving alone at night. Plus, I'm riding with you. I want to talk." Clio stated.

Lars rolled his eyes, took the money from Reggie and followed his cousin.

"What's going on there?" Clio asked as if she lived for gossip.

"Nothing. Mind your business." Lars snapped with a smile on his face.

Clio knew why he was smiling like that. She knew 'the smile.'


Three weeks after the party...

Being 18 had a different feel. Reggie had more responsibilities now, such as helping out around the shack. But she loved it. She loved being 18. It had its perks. One day after school, she went to the gym with Trish and Sherri. They did a Zumba class while Reggie hit up the weights for her back and shoulder day workout. After an hour and a half at the gym, the girls met up in the locker room talking about guys and relationships. Reggie just listened in on their conversation and snickered to herself.

"Do you girls know what I want?" Sherri started. "I want a guy to push me up against the wall and kiss me as if I had never been kissed before."

"That sounds sexy," Reggie said. "Trent never did that to me. He was pretty weird on PDA."

"Screw him, can do much better," Trish said. "Has Lars called you?"

"No," Reggie said. "It's whatever, though."

"Too bad. He's pretty hot. Got much hotter than when we were kids. Good riddance to that long hair, missing tooth, lisp and his immaturity." Tish said.

"Guys, he is still Twister's brother, and he will always be a bully. I'm not attracted to him." Reggie said, which was a lie.

"Then what was that when you two were dancing at the party? I even noticed him looking at you from afar." Sherri giggled.

"You two have gone cray. Now let's stop talking guys and take a post workout selfie. I need to update my Instagram." Reggie said.

Trish took Reggie's phone and all the girls gathered around for a selfie.

"Reggie, I wish I had your body. I can't wear a sports bra in public due to my back fat." Trish joked.

Reggie playfully hit her friend and laughed. Once the girls got out from the gym, Sherri offered Reggie a ride home, and she replied, "No. My dad will pick me up. Man, it's hotter in the gym than it is out here."

"Speaking of hot..." Trish pointed to Reggie's right.

Reggie turned her head and saw Lars leaning against his car looking at her. He was wearing his USMC shirt and sweat pants. He looks like he was working out because he was sweaty.

"What's he doing here?" she asked her friends.

"Who knows but we gotta go. Have fun with the hottie." Sherri said dragging Trish away.

Reggie ignored her friends teasing her and walked to Lars with a smirk on her face. She completely disregarded the fact that he was checking her out in her yoga capri pants and a green and orange sports bra.

"And what are you doing here at the women's gym?" she said.

"I kind of stalked you on Instagram. You shouldn't put your location due to creepers. You never know you could stalk you. Beautiful girls like you get kidnapped like that." Lars teased.

"Oh so your stalking me now? Charming." Reggie said with sarcasm.

"I actually came by to give this to you." Lars took Reggie's hand and placed a tube of clear lip gloss in her hand. "My mom went to get my uniform dry cleaned, and she found this. What I told her is belonged to Twister, and she smacked me."

Reggie looked up at him and said, "Okay. Yeah. Because you drove all the way to my gym just to give me my missing lip gloss. Now you're a real charmer."

"Shit...you caught me in a lie." Lars snickered at her sarcasm.

"Bust!" Reggie laughed. "Now why are you here?"

"Okay...I came to see you." Lars said in a serious voice.

"See me? My party was three weeks ago, from what I recall, you had most of the female population at my party hand you their numbers, and THEN you decide to see me after three weeks. Why?"

"Because maybe I'm having too much fun with this. After what you pulled in front of your family, I was impressed. A little turned on too."

"Whoa...okay..." Reggie blushed.

"And as for me getting numbers, I threw them all out when I got home. Plus, you need to do me a favor since I did you a favor." Lars said with a smirk.

Damn it! That smirk and how he was leaning against his car with his firm arms folded across his now developed chest was so sexy. Bench press had been good to Lars.

"Do you a favor?" Reggie laughed incredulously.

"Yeah. Get dinner with me Thursday night." Lars said. "I will keep asking. I don't take no for an answer."

"My brother will hurt you if you keep asking me." Reggie snickered.

"First of all, your lame-o brother can't take me. Secondly, I don't care if he threatens me. I will keep asking you."

"Is this just dinner or dinner and we end the date in the back of your car, which I am sure has been christened more than once." Reggie snickered.

"Oh and I'm a smart ass?" Lars chuckled.

"Thursday, I think our brothers are having a study party," Reggie said.

"Twister studying? Yeah. Okay." Lars said making them both laugh.

"Why else should I get dinner with you? Name another reason, Lars..." Reggie asked.

"Because you and I have known each other for a long time...I haven't seen you since I was out of town for about five years...I think we can get reacquainted with each other over dinner." Lars answered with seriousness in his voice.

At that moment, Raymundo drove by Reggie. He lowered the window and said, "Lars! How are you?"

"Good, Mr. Rocket. And yourself?" Lars said.

"Wonderful. Listen, tell your parents to come by and we'll have a barbecue."

"Sure. Will do. I'm sure they will appreciate it. Thanks." Lars said.

Reggie threw her gym bag in the back and said to her dad, "One moment. I need to take care of something."

Right there, she went over to Lars and said, "Thursday, pick me up in front of my house at 7:15. Just don't get out of the car."

Lars' eyes followed Reggie as she jumped into the passenger's seat and watched the car drive off. Reggie buckled herself in only for Raymundo to say, "What was he doing there?"

"Nothing. He just had to give me back lip gloss he found in his uniform jacket pocket." Reggie said.

"He came all that way to give you that? I see..." Ray snickered. "Reggie, a guy doesn't drive all the way over from where ever the hell he was coming from just to give a woman her lipstick. I'm sure he kept the lipstick after the party deliberately."

"Dad, just drive!" Reggie said with a blush on her face.


Thursday night came. Reggie wore a black sleeveless crop top that showed an appropriate amount of cleavage thanks to her "lucky bra," blue jean capris and white sneakers. She put on her late mother's starfish earrings and applied lip gloss, which was the only make up she was gong to wear. After she had been done getting ready, she ran downstairs to find Otto and Twister playing video games.

"Otto, where's dad and Noelani?" She asked her brother.

"Out to dinner," Otto replied keeping his eyes on the game.

"You guys are supposed to be studying," Reggie said. "After all, isn't this a 'study party'?'"

"Who are you? The studying cop?" Otto said.

"Hey Otto," Twister said looking at the game, "I'm ripping your head off...and throwing it at you..."

"Damn it, Twist!" Otto cried.

The door bell rang, and Reggie ran to get it. It was Sam.

"Hey, guys! I was invited to help you study." Sam said as he let himself in.

"Aw, man! That means we actually have to study!" Twister complained. "It hurts to think."

"Sorry, brainchild." Reggie snickered.

The boys looked at how Reggie was dressed.

"Gosh, Reggie. Don't you look nice." Sam said.

"Are those mom's earrings?" Otto asked.

"Yeah. I wear them for special occasions." Reggie gushed.

"What's the occasion?" Sam asked.

"I have a date," Reggie said looking to the side blushing.

"With who?" Otto asked suspiciously.

"A guy," Reggie replied.

"Who?" Otto was getting impatient.

"A cute guy."

"What kind of cute guy?" Twister asked.

"A very cute guy," Reggie said.

"Come on, Reg! Who is it?" Otto asked impatiently.

"I'm not entitled to tell you!" Reggie said.

"You know, Reggie," Twister started, "Lars has a date tonight too. Are you two going to double?"

Sam put two and two together and said, "You're going out with Lars?"

"I guess I'm busted," Reggie said. "I owe him. He was my escort to the party, and I'm going to get food with him as a way to thank him for at least attempting to sabotage my party."

"You don't owe Lars shit! How about you go upstairs and forget about that date!" Otto demanded.

"Otto, you now sound like the dating cop." Sam laughed.

"You know, he hasn't shut up about you since the party. He has gotten a bit nicer, and I mean A BIT nicer except when he whomps me once in a blue moon. Yesterday, while in the middle of whomping me, he asked, 'How is Reggie?' Or sometimes he will be like, 'Did you hear from Reggie?' 'Are you seeing Rocket dork and Reggie later?' 'Tell Reggie I said hi!' I don't know. I think you got a hold on him. Never seen him like this with any other girl." Twister explained. "Plus, of all the girls my mom has seen him with, you are the one she talks highly about. Reggie, what have you done to Lars?"

"I'm actually thinking of joining the service," Sam said.

The group heard a car horn honking. It was Lars picking her up. They were going to go into town to get food.

"He lives right there. Why can't he walk over?" Otto said annoyed at who his sister was dating.

"Sammy, make sure they are studying! I will see you guys later." Reggie grabbed her wallet, phone, and keys.

"Does Raymundo know you are going out on a date?" Otto asked.

"Yes, he does. Later...much." Reggie said and headed out the door.