Jammed (Camren)

Hawaii

"Oh. My. God.", Camila gasped as she looked out the window of the State Department's jet.

Because this wasn't a commercial airliner, their aircraft wasn't connected to a jet bridge when they landed. A jet bridge would allow the passengers to deplane directly into the terminal. Instead, their plane came to a stop on the tarmac and an old fashioned mobile staircase was connected to it. They expected to see their families standing at the bottom of the stairs. Perhaps they were there, but the enormous multitude of reporters and cameramen crowding around the stairs was keeping them successfully hidden from the two anxious teenagers.

"Looooo!?" Camila's voice was high, shrill and tinged with panic. "I really need you to tell me to not panic right now."

"Nu-huh", Lauren replied numbly over her shoulder as she took in the chaotic scene below them. "This really is the perfect time to panic, Camz. I'm scared shi..."

"Hi, girls! You two ready to face the music?", Jeff leaned in from behind them and placed a hand on each of their shoulders.

Lauren and Camila looked up at him simultaneously and answered, "Nu-huh."

"We can't go out there", Camila whispered. "There's too many people."

Jeff came around and plopped down into the aisle seat next to Lauren. "Come on, Camila. I thought you told me you wanted to be a famous actress. Well, there's your red carpet. And Lauren... you said you wanted to play pro softball. Well, just pretend that's center court in the Final Four."

"The Final Four is NCAA. That's college ball, not pro ball."

Both Lauren and Jeff turned to Camila in disbelief. "What?", she shrugged nonchalantly. "You think I wasn't listening to you? You talked nothing but softball for six weeks, Laur."

"Well, yeah", she shrugged back.

"Anyway..." Jeff was getting exasperated.

"How did all those reporters find out about us?" Lauren finally asked the obvious.

"Now. That. Is. A. Good. Question", Probst said while looking suspiciously at the Assistant Adjunct for Administration, Citizen Services and Legal Affairs to the Undersecretary of the Ambassador of the Republic of the Fiji Islands, Daniel Webster. "Oh, Danny-boy? Is there something you wanted to tell us about the kids' reunion with their families?"

Daniel Webster took off his wire-rimmed glasses and started nervously cleaning the lens. "Well, the Ambassador thought it would enhance the status of Fiji if everyone knew we had rescued them."

"We? What we, Mr. Webster? Because Lauren and I only remember seeing Mr. Probst and that little weasel with the video camera."

"Well, come on kids..."

"Will everyone stop calling us kids! I think we've proved we're not kids, anymore!"

Everyone turned their heads to stare at Lauren. The normally level-headed, calm teenager had had enough. "We're not here to be in some spotlight; we-we just want to go home." With that she stood up and started heading up the aisle towards the exit. Lauren stopped suddenly and held her hand out to the little brunette. "You coming, Camila? Our families are in that mess somewhere. Let's go find them." She nodded silently and hurried to catch up with her. Although she would never admit it out loud, Camila secretly liked this take-charge Lauren.

They walked out onto the top of the stairway and were immediately overwhelmed with shouts of the reporters and bright lights coming from the many cameras surrounding the bottom of the stairs. Grasping onto her hand more tightly, Lauren turned a reassuring smile to Camila, "Wow, this must be what it's like to be famous."