LAGUARDIA AIRPORT

CHECK-IN COUNTER

Monday, June 7

9:02 A.M.

A cool morning breeze tickled Massie's face as she and the PC exited the Range Rover and made their way into the airport, leaving Isaac and Clive to deal with the massive load of luggage in the trunk.

"Um, should we leave them with all those bags?" Derrington asked. "I mean, it looks like they could use some hel-"

"Go ahead," replied Massie, hitching up her new C&C bowler bag on her shoulder. "You, Josh and Cam can help them. We'll be inside. This breeze is nawt good for my blowout."

The rest of the girls sympathetically helped Massie hurry up to the revolving entrance doors. Dylan and Alicia waved to their crushes with a sugary thanks-for-helping look. The 3 boys huffed back to the immense load of baggage that Isaac and Clive were struggling to haul onto the curb.

Claire watched Cam as he retreated towards the car. She hadn't wanted to admit it, but Cam seemed to be acting strange. He hadn't even been that excited to see her when they had picked him up on the way to the airport. Here they were, about to spend 2 weeks together in another country, without their parents, and he had barely said 10 words to her the whole ride.

Claire bit down on her pinky nail as she stared anxiously at the back of Cam's wavy dark hair. Maybe he's just tired she thought. I mean, we picked him up at 7:15 A.M. and he is a teenage guy. Yeah, I'm sure he's just-

"Kuh-laire!"

She hurried after the PC.

"Morrrniing dearies!" the tour guide/chaperone, Marianne Moseley, that the girl's parents had hired to guide them through their vacation, trilled brightly. She and Landon's mother, Celia Crane, a fellow chaperone, were waiting near the check-in counter for the travelers.

"Morning!" the PC replied, almost as brightly. After all, they had to get up at 5 in the morning to make themselves look good for the boys.

"Marianne and I were about to head over to the Starbucks kiosk to grab lattes and biscotti." Celia smiled. "Care to join us?"

The girls agreed more enthusiastically, desperate for a caffeine break. "Is, um, Landon around here?" Massie blushed despite herself.

"Right here," a voice came from behind her.

Massie spun around quickly, coming face to face with the most ah-dorable boy in Westchester. Maybe in the entire state of New York.

"Hey!" she squealed excitedly. Alicia coughed audibly behind her. Massie cleared her throat. "I mean, um," she smiled. "Hi."

"Hi," Landon grinned back. "Early morning?"

Massie paused. What? Does it show? Do I have eye-bags? Oh Gawd, I knew I should have went to bed earlier, but I was awake thinking about-

"When I texted last night, you didn't answer. I figured you went to bed earlier than usual. Must've wanted to get up early, huh?"

Massie exhaled, and grinned. "Yup," she answered. "And I'm dying for a cinnamon-soy latte. Coming?"

He nodded, and they ambled towards the Starbucks, arm in arm.

"Ah, young love," Kristen mock-swooned. Alicia elbowed her and they both giggled.

"Speaking of luvv, where's your guy?" Dylan asked Kristen, wiggling her way in between her and Alicia.

"Dempsey should be here any second," Kristen replied, her green eyes lighting up. "He said he'd text when he got here…" She glanced down at her phone, which buzzed almost instantaneously. Kristen squealed happily and rushed off to the entrance to meet him. In her hurry to receive her crush, she almost ran into Josh, Derrington and Cam, who were heading for the Starbucks counter.

"There's our guys," Alicia said with a sigh of relief. She did nawt like waiting for her crush while everyone was picking up refreshments at Starbucks. "Let's go!" She said, pulling on Dylan's arm.

"Coming," Dylan muttered. Alicia glanced at her. "What's up Dyl?"

Dylan jerked her chin in the direction of the customer service counter. Merri-Lee was flirting with the young, trim man behind the counter.

"I wondered where she wandered off to." Dylan hissed. "It's so embarrassing!"

Alicia put an arm around her sympathetically, driving her away from her mother and towards their group.

As the group chatted and enjoyed their morning snack, Clive (accompanied by the now unoccupied Merri-Lee) approached them. "Do we have everyone?"

"Headcount!" Merri-Lee cried happily. "Where's my camera crew? Why aren't they getting this?"

Dylan sighed. "They had to go cover that People and Pets Parade in Brooklyn. Remember Mom?"

Merri-Lee sighed dramatically.

Marianne pulled a turquoise glitter pen from behind her ear and checked something off on her clipboard. "Yup, we've got everyone!" she called perkily. "This is so exciting! OK ladies and gents, follow me!"