Free Fashion Frenzy by Annie Bryant Page B

rest!”
    “Great!” Maeve clapped. She crawled into the front seat and popped open the middle arm rest to find everything—maps, a little flashlight, car registration, insurance information, and underneath the mass of paper—a small silver cell phone.
    “Yes!” she breathed excitedly. She turned it on and handed it to her father. “Here you go!”
    “Thanks, sweetheart.” Fortunately, he had programmed his auto club emergency number into the phone. In under a minute he was in touch with someone from the AAA hotline. When he hung up, he announced that they were sending out a truck with someone to change the tire in about twenty minutes.
    Maeve and Katani smiled at each other. Things were definitely looking up.
    After fifteen minutes, Katani shivered and noticed that she could not longer see the exit sign in the distance. On the horizon, the sun was casting its last glimmer of gold. And through the magenta clouds, the pale moon was beginning to peek out.
    “Look!” Katani said, pointing at the beautiful country sunset. She couldn’t believe the day had ended so soon. They’d left Brookline in the early afternoon, and here it was already getting dark! “Where is daylight savings time when you really need it?” Katani whispered to Maeve.
    Maeve cupped her ear. “Listen!” she said. There was a soft hooting that sounded like it came from the trees just behind them.
    “Owls!” Sam said excitedly.
    “Oh, no,” Katani moaned. She liked some things about the nighttime, but creepy noises were not among them. Looking at the stars was pleasant; imagining big birds of prey that hovered all around in the darkness was not!
    Behind them, Mr. Taylor talked softly on his cell phone. “That’s right, Larry,” he said. “It’s been a rough day, and we’re temporarily stranded…Well, no…Thanks for the offer, but we can’t stay with you…I’ve got to get my daughter and her friend to New York City, and hopefully tonight…Yup, I’m sure we’ll do it another time soon…Sure thing, Larry…Thanks for being so understanding.”
    He clicked off the phone and smiled cheerfully at Katani. “Well, this is quite an adventure!”
    Katani tried to smile at him. She also knew lots of people who thought outdoor adventures were great, who liked dealing with challenges and problems. Katani Summers was not a nature lover, and furthermore, she’d already overcome a ton of problems just last week. And for what? To end up stranded in the middle of nowhere in the dark with a hooting owl, an injured man, and a crippled vehicle? Adventure , Katani thought dismally, is definitely overrated . Give me fashion any day!

CHAPTER
8
Sally to the Rescue
    T en minutes crawled by, though to the stranded travelers it felt like an hour. The night sounds grew louder, as Mr. Taylor managed to lower himself into a comfortable position without groaning. Maeve and Katani looked nervously at each other. This was not fun. Would Mr. Taylor ever be able to drive?
    Then suddenly, they heard a sound that made them all hopeful. It was the low rumble of a car.
    Even better—it was a state trooper’s car!
    “Look!” Katani cried. She threw up her arms and shouted, “Stop. Please stop!”
    The car slowed down and pulled to a stop behind them.
    “Oh, sweet!” Sam exclaimed. “Whoa, a state trooper! Awesome! This is almost as cool as meeting an army dude!”
    “Sam, stop trying to sound like you’re a teenager,” an annoyed Maeve snapped at her brother.
    Ignoring his sister, Sam dropped his jack on the ground and dashed over to meet the trooper. The trooper was a tall young man who drove a beige cruiser with flashing lights.
    The trooper got out of his car and sauntered over to Mr. Taylor, who was on the grass. He was clad in full uniform with a brimmed black hat, shiny black boots, and a black leather belt. “Wait ‘til I tell Harry!” Sam murmured under his breath when he saw the shiny gleam of the trooper’s pistol resting safely in the