After school, team Rocket is heading in separate directions, for once. Reggie is staying after school for a journalism club meeting. Sam, too, is staying after. He says he needs to get some work done for his advanced placement computer class, but he's lounging by the field, where the cheerleaders practice, his eye on one particular perky blonde. Twister has, for once, rushed home after school. He'd bumped into his best friend's sister in the hall after the final bell, and, with his face as red as his hair, had streaked out of the school, mumbling something about having to "clear his head". Oblivious Otto, on the other hand, is taking the opportunity afforded by his sisters absence to ask a certain brunette out.

"Now, what's a girl like you doing walking all alone…?"

'I'm just walking to my car, Otto…' giggled Trish. With her two best friends staying after school, she too was alone.

"What you need is a handsome escort"

'The parking lot's not too far, Otto'

"I wasn't talking about the parking lot… I was talking about to dinner and a movie tonight." Like everything else about him, Otto's flirting skills were legendary. Trish had looked on him with interest since puberty set in a few years ago. The short, cocky, dreadlocked little boy had grown up into a tall, tan athlete, with some smooth moves up his nonexistent sleeve.

'What… what about Reg?' Trish was reluctant to say no, just in case he took her seriously.

"She can come if she wants…"

'H-huh? She…. Can?'

"That is… unless you don't want her to… I'll leave it to you… meanwhile… I'll pick you up at eight… with or without my sister for a chaperon" With a wink and a half smile, Otto turned and sloped off… leaving a very flustered Trish in the hallway.

"3….2….1…"

'WAIT!'

"Yeah?" Otto turns with an expectant grin.

'R-reg is taking your car home… I was thinking… do you need a lift?'

" That IS a generous offer… that I can only accept if you let me buy you a shake at the shack on the way back…"

'W-well… if you insist…'

With his arm around her shoulder, Otto leads her towards her car. Meanwhile, his best friend is having a pseudo crisis… which involves an extensive talk with himself.

'Dude, you are NOT interested in Reggie.'

'Who are you kidding… you KNOW you are…'

'But… you guys grew up together! It's wrong!'

'She knows you inside out… she's ALWAYS been there for you'

'She's just a friend'

'A beautiful, smart, sweet, tough, cool, talented friend'

'Otto will kill you'

'No, he won't… she's just a friend…'

Calming himself down somewhat, he walks into his house, surprised to see his brother and his two cousins sitting on the couch with his parents, somber faced.

"Maurice… Cleo and Thomas are going to be moving in with us for awhile…"

At this statement, Twister just looks at his mother, puzzled.

"Their parents are getting a divorce, dork. That's why Thomas transferred to my college… didn't you pay attention when Mom told you?"

Truthfully, Twister hadn't been paying attention. At the time, he'd been about ready to take up his usual position by the half pipe outside the Rocket house, looking up into a particular window until the light went out. He'd been doing that every night since he was fourteen. He didn't know WHY he did it, nor did he know what he would do if anyone ever found out about his night watches. So, he just giggled nervously (and girlishly) at Lars' comment.

'I hope you don't mind, Maurice… it's only until the end of the school year…' Cleo chimes in awkwardly.

"Are you kidding… of course not…I only wish there was some way I could make you feel better about the whole thing…"

'Yeah… that's usually Reggie's job… or Otto's,' she replies quietly. Both her brother and Twister's turn their heads sharply at the mention of Otto's name.

"Cuz, I don't want you getting involved with that dork,"

'Yeah… he's got a reputation as the town flirt…'

"Why? Because girls actually LIKE him?" For an inexplicable reason, Cleo is highly offended by her cousin and her brother's protectiveness.

Remembering his earlier conversation with Otto, Twister is confused. On one hand, he knows his friend really does have deep feelings for his cousin (although he would probably die before admitting it), and that his cousin does reciprocate. However, he also knows that Reggie would be devastated if Trish were to stop talking to her because of a break up with Otto. Trish and Sherry had been Reggie's oldest friends, with the exception of himself.

"Maybe… you should listen to them, cuz"

"You TOO, Maurice?"

"You've… got a lot on your plate right now… it's probably not the best idea to rush into things…" For once, Twister knows exactly what to say. He resolves to say the same to Otto BEFORE he actually has a chance to ask Trish out…

What Maurice Rodriguez doesn't know, of course, is that his best friend epitomizes the phrase "rushing into things." At that moment, he's walking hand in hand with his sister's friend along the beach, after a shared strawberry shake at the Shore Shack. His father and Tito, seeing the new 'couple' just shake their heads.

"I'll bet you twenty dollars, brudda, that they don't last more than a week."

'I'll take that bet. I say it'll last at least a month.'

"Brudda… you don't know your own son…"

'Maybe I don't, Tito… maybe I don't.'