"DO you want to take any longer??"Cynthia asked w/a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"Sorry. It's not MY fault that my alarm clock doesn't work." Kara lied. She knew it worked perfectly, but she had turned it off. She didn't want to wake up at 7:30 AM and be ready by 8:30AM. She thought her mom would just go w/o her, but her mom wasn't about to do that so she only had a half and hour to get ready.
"Well, let's go." Cynthia walked into the garage and unlocked the Mercedes. She stepped into the car and turned it on. Kara followed suit and they were soon cruising along the freeway toward Tulsa International Airport.
"Mom, can we listen to..." Kara began.
"NO. We are listening to the radio today." She flipped on the radio and turned it to her favorite station. Kara was hoping that her mom would listen to something good, but to her dismay, her mom had turned it on Kara's most disliked station. She knew it when she heard the announcer say: "QTWE 96.6 The greatast hits of the 70's. Next up, everyone's favorite band of the 70's. The Eagles!!!!!" Soon Hotel California came on. Kara moaned in digust. Good thing she brought her Sony Discman. She popped in Boomerang by Hanson. The songs were really good. One particularly, stuck out. It was called Poison Ivy. She began listening to that over and over and by the time they reached the airport she knew some of the words. They were walking down the terminal and the words, "You can look but you better not touch. Poison Ivy.....Poison Ivy..." were stuck in her head. She was so intent on the song, that she didn't even notice her 2 cousins running out from the Gate to meet her and her mom.
"Carrie, Mark! You've grown so much!" Cynthia exclaimed and hugged each one. Kara knew her mom was right. Mark was only 14 last time she saw him and he looked so young then. Now he was 16 going to be 17 in November and his tan and his brown hair and blue eyes really set it off.
"Hey Mark!" Kara exclaimed and gave him a hug. "You've been working out I see." She joked. But it wasn't really a joke he had worked out. Next her cousin Carrie ran up and gave her a hug. Boy, she had changed too. Last time Kara saw her she was 9 and a HUGE brat. But now she 11 going on 12 in September and her once chin length auburn hair was now a little past shoulder length. Her green eyes sparkled with excitement as she began telling her whole inflight story.
"Well, shall we go to our house?' Cynthia said cheerfully.
"Sure!" Carrie said. Kara noticed the one thing about Carrie that HADN'T changed. Her hyperness. When they reached the airport parking lot they hopped into the car. Kara decided that she would sit in back with Carrie and let Mark sit up front w/her mom. They buckled their seatbelts and soon they were on the road again. Carrie soon began to talk to Kara about different things that had happened. Then she brought up the subject of Hanson to Kara.
"So Kara. Like, have you ever seen Hanson around since they like live in Tulsa?" Carrie asked her green eyes wide.
"Well, um, Carrie. I'm gonna tell you a really long story when we get to my house, but I...just trust me...I'll tell you later." Kara replied. Carrie had a look of confusion cross her face but it quickly disappeared and they rode the rest of the way to Kara's house in silence except for the quiet background noise of Journey or the Eagles playing in the background.
