"Oh, it's you!" I glared at him.

"No, it's not me. It's Meghan Trainor," he responded.

"Don't be funny with me, Larry. I don't even like her."

He smiled mischievously. "Oh, no? But how about Rowan Blanchard? Or Cozi Zuehlsdorff? Or Taylor Blackwell? You've got a crush on those actresses, don't you?"

Okay, yes I do. But I mean every teen's got his or her celebrity crush and there's nothing wrong with that, right? However, I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. "For your information, bucko, I have a romantic rendezvous with the most beautiful girl in the world at her house this evening. And nothing and no one on this planet will stop me!"

"No one in the whole planet?" he asked.

I crossed my arms and nodded. "No one!"

"Huh. How about an alien?"

"What?"

"Well, you said that no one in the planet will stop you. But how about someone from another planet?"

"You're not funny, you know?" I pushed him aside and walked into the Palace Gates and into the Palace. I walked across the marble floor illuminated by the bright yellow chandelier hanging overhead.

I wiped my shoes on the floor mat and placed them in the closet near the front doors. "Spiny, is that you?" Kathy's voice yelled from down the hallway.

"Yeah, it's me. Where are you?" I yelled back.

"Living room!"

I walked down to the door on the left side of the hallway that led to the large and spacious living room. There was my sister on the sofa, her legs wrapped under her. She had her hair in a ponytail on her side. She was writing in a light green notebook with an Algebra textbook open.

"Doing last-minute review for test, right?"

"No! Of course not! I'm just studying, that's all."

"Really? Because in the last report card you have a C+ in Algebra."

"Oh, Spiny!" I sighed and walked past her. "You going to do anything this evening?"

"No, why?"

"Lilia invited me over to her house for tonight?"

Well, that certainly got her attention away from homework. "Ohhh!" In her typical-annoying-sister voice. "What'd you have in mind?"

Trying to hide the annoyance in my voice, I responded, "We're going to do some swimming in her back pool and I'm going to teach her some water polo. Then, maybe a nice formal dinner."

She started with her ohhhh and her ahhh and her teasing smile. "Sounds like things got get…really good tonight!"

"KATHY! Please, we're fourteen!"

"Love knows no age."

"Love may not know age, but passion and lust do. And I'm too young for that." I mean, sheesh! What would ever make Kathy think that…oh well. Let's just forget about it. "Listen, Kathy, could you do me a favor?"

"Sure, what is it?"

"I have to go up to my room to do some important work and all. Uh, could you press my dark blue suit?"

"Which one?"

"What do you mean which one?"

"Well, you have five dark blue suits."

"I do not! I only have three! Those other two are navy blue!"

"Dark blue, navy blue, what's the difference?!"

I sighed and tried to keep my temper in. "Never mind. Just any of those three. Could you press it for me please? A little while later I'm going to take a shower and get cleaned up. So could you do me that favor?"

She put her notebook aside and pulled me closer into a killer hug. "Your suit will be ready by 7:30."

I tried to pull away but she wouldn't let go. "Okay, okay. I know you love me and that I'm adorable and charming and all, but I have things to do."

She finally let go, leaving the collar of my shirt somewhat wrinkled. Just before I left the living room, she said, "Hey, Spiny!"

I turned around to look at her. "Yeah?"

"You're not that charming, you know?" she said, smiling teasingly.

I mocked laughed at her and said, "You're not funny, you know?" I left her to her studies, rolling my eyeballs. I went in my room and pulled out some important government documents I needed to look over.

I wasn't there for more than when Larry popped out of nowhere. I kept my eyes on my desk. "Hey, Larry. Where'd you come from?"

"From wandering around the earth and going through it."

"Larry, that wasn't an answer worthy of the School Clown and Practical Joker. And it isn't original."

"It isn't huh? Is this original?" He walked behind me and…AHH! I jumped out of my seat feeling the sudden cold sensation down my back. "Hey! What's the matter you?!"

"Hey, things have been dull around here. I've got nothing to do. When I get bored, I get antsy."

"Antsy to do something childish as putting an ice cube down my back?"

"Well, no. I could also fill your dress shoes with toothpaste, or smear your face with shaving cream while your sleeping, put your hand in warm water…"

"Okay, okay! That's enough. Larry, look. I have important Royal duties. Can't you let me run my country in peace?"

"Can I think about it?"

"No. You know what? Just get out of here."

"But, I want to…"

"Get out of my room!"

Larry sighed and put his hands on his hips. "Okay, all right!" He turned around and headed for the door. "Grumpy grumperson," he muttered under his breath. Well, under other circumstances I would've let him have it. But I wanted to get all that important governmental work out of the way so I could fully enjoy my date with Lilia.

Well, now that I think of it, even if it were normal circumstances I wouldn't be able to let him have it. No, he'd probably let me have it. If have any common decency of being a good friend, he'd let me beat him a few times. I mean, it's not a huge sacrifice.

Just because he's got every single super-power and ability does not give him the right to…ah, forget it! Why should I let that kind of thinking torment me?

Anyways, where were we?

What the heck was I talking about?

You see what Larry does to me?

Let me ask you something. You know what cavities can do to your teeth, right? They leave huge holes and are very painful. Well, I wouldn't know because I've never had any. But anyways, the point is that cavities cause huge problems.

So always remember to brush twice a day for two minutes, after eating candy or drinking soda. And always floss each night.

Just be careful you don't swallow the string. That happened to me once (because of Larry, of course) and it just about ruined my stomach. You wouldn't believe all the trouble that that caused. But that's not the point I'm trying to make.

You get me all confused. Stop doing that!

Anyways, after years working and living under the same roof with Larry, cavities have formed in my brain. Can you imagine what that does to brain cells? It causes you to act like a darn idiot and makes you mumble and mix up you words. You don't even know what you're saying!

So that's the consequences of being with Larry.

And let's just say that it's inevitable that his stupidity and smart-aleck personality starts to get you. Believe me, it really is contagious.

Well, anyways, I was going over some legislation that the High Assembly of Amarkia had considered and had sent me for my approval. They were not happy with all what the UN had done and wanted to charge billions of dollars in war reparations to almost the US, since most of the UN troops were American.

I mean, they did cause a great deal of physical and emotional damage, but I didn't want to open more floodgates. And yes, they would deserve to pay with their economies, but, I knew for a fact that a lot of people were also against what they did to us.

And the fact that people knew our side of the events and how we suffered and that they supported me and my loved ones made it much easier. That was enough for me. I placed my signature on the Unapproved line.

A few hours later and with a half hour of a well-deserved nap, I took a shower and combed my hair. I was still in my bathrobe when Kathy walked in with my suit. "It's ready."

"Oh, thanks, sis. Can you hang it on the doorknob?" After I finished combing my hair I got out a pair of jean shorts and a short-sleeve, red, collared T-shirt with lots of thin yellow stripes.

"Hold the phone!" Kathy yelled stopping me in my tracks.

"What? What is it?"

"I thought you said you were going on a swim date with Lilia in her pool."

"I am."

"And didn't you say you were going to have a formal dinner after you get out?"

"Yes, that's what we had planned."

"Then, may I ask why you are going to put that on?" she said, pointing at the clothes I'd just grabbed.

"I'll change into my swimming trunks when I get over there. Then I'll dry off and change into my suit. This is just for walking across the street and for whatever brief talk and milk and cookies we may have before getting in the pool."

She stood there for a good long while, just staring. Then she nodded and said, "Good thinking."

"Yes, would you kindly leave so that I can change?"

"Okay. I'll leave you now."

After she left and closed the door, I changed into the jean shorts and the T-shirt. As I changed and tidied myself up in front of the mirror, I made a mental note to myself to make sure that this date would be unforgettable.