I do not own Rocket Power...
The kids finally made it to San Diego. The drive was long only because they stopped a few times along the way either to stretch their legs or because Otto saw scenery that he wanted to use to practice some skating moves as Twister filmed him. The best way to describe it was beautiful. It was absolutely beautiful, and Reggie was ready to tear those waves apart.
"Wow. I can't believe we made it in the nick of time." Sam said.
"Now I have to call my girlfriend to let her know we made it," Otto said and pulled out his phone to call Trish.
Reggie went to check in the hotel while the guys got to observe the pool and the whole area. She walked into the lobby, got up to the front desk and said to the clerk, "Hello! We're checking in for two nights. The reservation should be under Ray Rocket."
"Of course! I will look into that." The clerk said.
As Reggie was waiting, she saw a great looking guy starting at her from the lobby. He was tall, blonde, muscular and had nice olive skin. He wasn't as handsome as Lars, but he was cute.
"Miss, I need you to sign this." the clerk said handing Reggie the receipt.
"Sure." Reggie signed the receipt and handed it back to the clerk.
As she was about to leave, the guy approached her and said, "Excuse me. Why haven't I seen you around here before?"
"Um...because I'm not from here?" Reggie chuckled.
"What brings you to town?" the guy asked.
"Well...I'm in the surfing competition and yeah..." Reggie chuckled nervously. "Name's Reggie."
Reggie held out her hand.
"I'm Ethan." the guy shook her hand. "I'm also in the competition."
"Wow. It looks like we are up against one another then." Reggie said. "Hey, may the best surfer win."
"Likewise. You doing anything tonight?" Ethan asked.
"Wow. It isn't every day that I go on vacation and I get asked out." Reggie giggled.
"Well, there is a party on the beach tonight and I were going to ask you if you wanted to meet up. You should come out." Ethan suggested.
"Where? I live for parties. Especially ones with rad cover bands." Reggie said.
Ethan took Reggie's phone and added himself to her contact list. He sent himself a text only to get her number.
"I will text you the details before 5:00 tonight. You better be there. I'd love for you to come." Ethan said.
"Awesome!" Reggie gloated.
Ethan winked at her and walked off. Reggie smiled to herself. The guys saw everything and walked over to Reggie.
"Careful. That guy looks like a tool." Otto said.
"Otto, first you said Lars is a tool, and now this guy is a tool. Can't I just have fun? Besides, he is inviting us to a party on the beach tonight." Reggie said. "You three down?"
"I'm down," Sam said.
"I'm down too," Twister said. "But can I make a suggestion?"
"What, Twist?" Reggie asked.
"If you are going to go to a party to get picked up by other guys, I would not wear my great grandmother's ring that my brother gave you." Twister snapped. "Just saying."
Reggie totally forgot she was wearing the engagement ring. She looked down at it and felt guilty.
The kids got a suite room. Sam took the sofa, Otto and Twister took the bedroom with the two queen size beds while Reggie took the while master bedroom for herself. The gang hit up the hotel pool, ate pizza and by 7, they were getting ready for the party that was going to be held on the beach.
"Dude, you are going to feel left out at this party," Twister said. "While Sam and I are going to pick up college chicks, you will be the third wheel with a girlfriend."
"No regrets. Trish is worth everything." Otto said.
"You sound serious about her," Reggie said.
"I am. She's the best girlfriend I've had so far." Otto gushed.
"I'm happy for you, Otto," Sam said. "Trish is great."
"While you guys are going to talk about girls," Reggie started, "I'm going to dry my hair."
"Reggie, you going to stay out all night? You have the competition early tomorrow." Sam said.
"I know. I just want to have fun." Reggie said. "I will be ready in a few."
Reggie was planning on dressing sexy for the night and decided to tend to her "girly" side. She had to get close to that Ethan guy. Why not? She wasn't engaged and never was. She pulled out her short thigh high shorts, a white, lace crop top, and white flip flops. She put on her mother's starfish earrings and applied pink lip gloss to her lips. Out of habit, she was about to put on the engagement ring but stopped herself. It didn't look appropriate, especially if she was single. When she got out of the room, she said to the guys, "Okay! I'm ready! Let's jet!"
"Are you aware I can see your bra through that shirt?" Twister said.
"Congratulations, Twister. I'm happy you are observant of random things. Now let's get to this party." Reggie said.
The group got to the party on the beach. It was crowded, and there were a lot of people, mostly late high school and college aged people. Otto, Twister, and Sam were going to be seniors next years, and they thought it would be good to get in with college aged people. Reggie looked around and found Ethan waving to her. He walked over to her and said, "Wow...you made it. You look great."
"Thanks...um...so do you..." Reggie giggled. "Do you want to go listen to the band?"
Ethan took Reggie's hand and led her away from her friends.
"Dude, did you see that guy just drag her away?" Otto said. "I better keep an eye on him that he doesn't take advantage of her."
"Lars never looked at her like she was a piece of meat," Twister said. "I swear...if that guy thinks he's..."
A group of girls walked by Twister and winked at him. Twister took off and ran over to flirt with girls that walked by. Sam was approached by a pretty blonde that wanted to dance with him. He took off with her, and Otto was left to keep an eye on Reggie.
Reggie was dancing all night with Ethan. After dancing, they went somewhere in private to talk. She told him about her love for surfing and sports, her Zine, her dreams of being a publisher and much more. He told her that he was apart of an elite country club in Connecticut and surfs in the Hampton beaches in New York. He told her he was attending a boarding high school in California and would come down from time to time just to get away and stay in his family's summer home. While talking some more, she said, "You okay there?"
"Yeah..." he said.
She was oblivious to his lustful gaze. He obviously saw her like fresh meat.
"What color are your eyes? Brown or hazel?" Ethan asked.
"Um...brown?" Reggie snickered. "Gee, that isn't a random question."
"Well, they are the most beautiful eyes I'd seen. I swear you must have a lot of boyfriends back home."
Reggie nodded her head. Yeah, she caught on to what he wanted. Lars was never like this to her. He was rather more respectful of her.
"Reggie, I feel like you are the only one who gets me," Ethan said. "I feel we have this connection. I have never had a deep connection to any other girl I've met. And I feel...like you get me."
"Um...okay..." Reggie snickered. "We just met."
"I'm serious. You are different from the other girls I've met. And I feel...I feel close to you."
As Ethan moved into kiss her, Reggie pulled back and said, "No! I'm sorry but no!"
Ethan looked confused and said, "Is there another guy?"
"Not just another guy..." Reggie got up and said, "I have a fiancé. His name is Lars, and he's a Marine."
"Fiancé? You didn't mention you were engaged!" Ethan exclaimed.
"Well, I am. Excuse me." Reggie walked off and was about to head back to the hotel.
Otto saw this and chased after her.
"That party was so lame! I couldn't wait to leave and..."
Otto noticed Reggie was crying.
"You okay?" Otto asked.
"Yeah...I will tell you when we get back." Reggie said.
Otto and Reggie went to the hotel and sat by the pool. Reggie was pouring everything out to Otto.
"I was talking to Ethan and all I was thinking is, 'I'm not engaged. I can go out and have fun!' But when I was with Ethan, all I was thinking of was Lars. I miss Lars, and I regret ever kicking him off this trip! I told Ethan I was engaged and I couldn't go through with hooking up with him!" Reggie cried.
"Was that your intention?" Otto asked.
"Sort of. I figured since Lars and I faked this engagement, I would break it off, and I could have fun in college! But it was so hard! I feel like the more we faked it, the more it felt real, but I just ignored it!"
"Reggie..." Otto couldn't believe he was going to ask this, "do you love Lars?"
"I don't know...I think I do...okay! I realized tonight I did!" Reggie said through tears. "And you're probably thinking that I'm crazy because you hate him and he's a dick and...a part of me hopes he still wants this to be real because..."
"Reggie...Reggie...Reggie!" Otto screamed.
Reggie looked up at Otto.
"Listen to me." Otto started. "I'm NEVER going to like Lars, and that's a fact. I'm always going to think you can do better than Lars... or any guy you decided to be with. But from what I saw when you two faked the engagement was that he truly cares for you. And it wasn't just his gestures...it was a lot of things. And I thought about it. Why guy gives a girl a real diamond engagement ring when they have to fake an engagement? He could've given you cubic, but I'm sure he gave you a real ring because he felt something for you. I noticed how he looked at you at your party."
"Everyone keeps saying that," Reggie said.
"Yeah. He looked at you like you were pretty awesome." Otto said. "Everyone else noticed this too. Dad, Noelani, Tito, the guys, Trish...even the Stimpleton's noticed how he looked at you. Fuck, Mr. Stimpleton pulled dad aside the other day and said to him, and I quote, 'The way Lars looks at your daughter is how all men should look at their women.'"
"Are you coaching me through this?" Reggie giggled through tears.
"Maybe..." Otto said bashfully.
She hugged Otto and said, "Oh, Otto! You're maturing!"
"Okay, okay! Chill!" Otto nudged her off him.
Reggie smiled at him, and he smiled back.
"I do miss him and wish he was here," Reggie said.
Otto put his arm around his sister, and she rested her head on his shoulder, typical brother/sister affection.
"I know you do. I wish Trish were here too." Otto said.
Twister and Sam came back, and Sam gushed, "You guys missed the party! That was a rad party and..."
Reggie looked up at them with tears in her eyes. Twister immediately caught on and said, "So you do care about him."
"Who said I never did?" Reggie said.
"Then you need to tell him this," Sam said. "Call him up and tell him this!"
"Sam, I said mean things to him in the car. I can't call him up. I hurt him. Forget it. Why would be still want to pretend to be engaged to me?" Reggie said crying. "I need to get to sleep. I have a competition to kill tomorrow."
Reggie went back to her room and left the guys there by the pool.
