"Yes. Among other things,"Laila exclaimed.
"Like what?"

"Like we'll get in trouble, like we went here all freakin summer and it was all for nothing, like it's all your fault!"Laila explained angrily.
"My fault?!"Julie asked, outraged.
"For sleeping late. Don't talk to me!"Laila warned.

Julie just shook her head and kept walking. Laila kicked a rock in disgust. Every single day for one whole month of her summer she had drove the 40 miles to her summerschool in a small nearby town. While everybody else was partying and having fun where had she been? Doing homework and studying with Julie...the cause of the problem at hand.

And for what? Nothing. To run out of gas 20 miles outside of the small town the school was in. Which was all Julie's fault for sleeping late which had pressed them for time. Which had made Laila decide to just go for it rather than stop and get gas and risk a tardy.

Her whole summer was ruined. She'd been hoping this summer could be an improved last summer. A summer where she and Sanders got back together and didn't argue and break up. But he was off somewhere with Kaylee who didn't care anything about him and she was walking down a hot, sweltering interstate wishing she was with him.
"We could try and hitch a ride,"Julie suggested.
"Yup and be all over the news when they find our bodies,"Laila agreed dryly.

"Do you have a better idea?"Julie demanded in exasperation.
"Sure do! Fail summerschool. There ya go."

Julie kicked a small rock and kept walking. This was not all her fault. Laila could have stopped and got gas. She had even told her to! She sighed and looked hopefully down the road for a familiar car. Ok no familiar car but she did see the next best thing.
"Laila? A limo would be ok to flag down b/c they'd be some kind of important people right?"

"No that just means that it's a prosperous crack lord- Julie no!"Laila exclaimed as Julie waved and jumped and stuck her thumb out to a black stretch limo.
It went a few yards, slowed and came to a halt on the side of the road.
"Yes!"
"Oh God. We're gonna be in the headlines."

Julie skipped/ran the few feet up the road to the limo. Laila reluctantly followed to see Julie talking excitedly to a confused looking driver.
"So!"Julie finished taking a deep breath,"Could you give us a ride? Pleeeaaassseee!"

"Uh...one second please."the driver stammered nervously. The window slowly came up and closed.

"But it's bad business,"Isaac argued.
"I think we need to see these girls first!"Zac put in trying to catch a glimpse out the window.

Diana Hanson rolled the connecting window down.

"Keith tell the girls to get in back with us but to give you directions first,"she ordered, putting an end to the argument. She turned her head and looked out the window, indicating that the case was closed.

About 5 minutes later the door was opened.
"Well hello! Thanks so much for the ride! Now we'll pass summerschool and Laila won't go on about this forever and ever! Oh By the way my name is Julie!"

They all stared, dumbfounded at the tiny little bubbly girl that was leaning in the door.
Walker recovered first.

"Hi nice to meet you. I'm Walker, this is my wife Diana and these are our boys, Isaac, Taylor and Zac,"Walker introduced.
"Well....hi all,"Julie mumbled slowly.
And here comes the screaming, Taylor silently predicted.

"Oh yeah!"Julie exclaimed, hopping in,"This is Laila, my best friend. Laila meet Hanson plus their parents!"
Ok she'll scream, Taylor repredicted.

She didn't. She got in and kind of smiled. She also looked embarrassed.

"Hi. Nice to meet you all. My name is Laila and.....I'm glad we won't be in headlines!"she blurted quickly.

Isaac rolled his eyes. They had picked up 2 idiots. Go mom.
Julie giggled and explained Julie's previous fear.
Laila cleared her throat.

"I know you probably think we're both stupid but we're not. We've been walking for over an hour in 90º weather. I was scared to try and hitch a ride then when we did it's like this hit pop group.

"I figured it'd be a drug lord and our lives were through. So I'm sorry if we're kind of spaced out,"she apologized.
Diana smiled and patted her hand, then signaled for the driver to go ahead.

The car was silent and Laila took that time to survey "Hanson". They looked pretty much like they did in videos, she supposed. Zac was all squirming and hyper like you always heard he was. Taylor seemed kind of shy and quiet....which could also mean stuck up and snobbish. And Isaac...well he looked ill.

Taylor was cute but not her type. Then again she was sure she wasn't his either. She looked down at her outfit. She liked it but a little rich boy probably wouldn't. She had on faded hiphuggers, some black disco sandals that were killing her feet and a black tank top with a little silver, sequined butterfly in the middle. Her dyed red streaked hair hung around her shoulders and she had on sparkly green eyeshadow to make her eyes look more green than golden. A look in the mirror assured her that her mascara was severely smeared.

Julie of course looked great as always. Her short blondish brown hair hadn't suffered from the heat and wind and her LEI jeans and silver tank top looked neither grimy nor wrinkled. On her feet were small Doc sandals that showed her cherry toenails.
But, Lailia figured thoughtfully, when you were 5'1 you pretty much always looked small and cute.

At the moment she was carrying on a conversation with the youngest and oldest Hanson siblings. The middle one was staring sullenly out the window. Laila made an inner face at him. So he was a snob. Well he might think he was all bad but any girl could sing MmmBop or whatever like him!

He had girls all over the world drooling over him. And this unfriendly, not particularly pretty girl was giving him go to hell looks. She wasn't impressed at all.
It was great!

She wasn't dazzled by his looks or fame and when you knew most people liked you for who they wanted you to be and not who you are....well it was mystifying.

He thought about talking to her but decided against it. She wasn't his type anyway.

"Well they were nice little girls,"Diana remarked.
Taylor rolled his eyes. Had she seen Laila? Apparently not.

"Yeah but they didn't seem to be fans and the fans are waiting,"Walker half heartedly fussed.
"Yeah,"Taylor agreed,"We'll never see them again."