CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR ~ Hawaiian Princess

   As the three girls walked to the baggage claim area of the airport, Rachel tried to make some small talk with this girl who was obviously very important to one of the finalists for the group.  "So, Malia, tell us a little bit about yourself.  Ikaika hasn't really said very much about you to us."
    "I'm his girlfriend, what else do you need to know?" she snapped.  "There's my luggage, let's get it and go," she added as her luggage came around the baggage carousel.  Rachel and Nicole looked at each other, and grabbed two of the bags she pointed out.  "You're forgetting those five!" Malia said, exasperated.  "Why can't they get any good help around here?"
    "Whoa...slow down right there," Rachel said before Nicole could say anything.  "We are here to give you a ride, not act as your valets.  Neither of us mind HELPING you with your things, but we sure aren't going to be lugging all of it while you aren't lifting a finger to take your own stuff to the car," Rachel explained as politely as possible.
    "Well, why should I take anything with me?  You're the one getting paid to work for O-town."
    "Yeah, to work in the Public Relations department, my dear, not to carry their luggage," Rachel snapped back.  "Now get your hands on some of your own luggage, or I'll leave it all here, INCLUDING YOU!"
    "You wouldn't dare!" Malia said, trying to determine if Rachel was only joking or not about leaving her stranded at the airport.
    "Wanna bet?  Just avoid picking up your own luggage, and see how fast I'm outta here, girl," Rachel spat back, noticing the look in Nicole's eyes that said, "Let's make a run for it."
    "I'm sorry.  I guess I'm just really nervous about all the filming that goes on with this group," Malia said as she reached for the two smallest suitcases she had brought with her.
    "Listen, Malia, I was in the same situation you're in last week, only it's not my boyfriend I came here to see.  I came because my brother is involved in the group as well, and it was very nerve-wracking having the cameras around all the time, but they did give me more privacy than they did the guys.  It was only when I was with one of them that they would actually come around me to tape anything," Nicole said, trying to reassure this stranger that it wasn't really a bad experience.  "Now let's get back.  I know that the guys should be breaking for a dinner break soon, right, Rachel?" Nicole said.
    "Ummmm...yeah, I'm pretty sure they should be getting a break soon.  Hopefully we'll miss the hectic rush hour traffic from here so we'll make it in time to join them," Rachel said as she signalled for a porter to come and take Malia's luggage out to her car, realizing that she would be the one paying for the service.  She just decided that she was going to make sure that she got a receipt for it, and made Lou reimburse her for the unexpected expense.
    At 4:00, Rachel pulled her car into her parking spot at Trans-Con, and helped move Malia's luggage into the van that the guys were using.  "Well, are you ready to start your life 'in the media spotlight'?" Rachel asked Malia, hoping to help her lighten her mood somewhat.
    "I don't know if I can do this," Malia said, her voice shaking, and the gruff front she put on at the airport gone.
    "You'll do just fine, Malia," Rachel said.  "The guys are all terrific, and they'll all be really nice to you.  You and Ikaika will have a room to yourselves, as Bryan is going to be staying over at Mark's house while you're here.  Now, let's go help you feel comfortable," Rachel said leading the way through the maze called a hallway through the studios until she got to the rehearsal hall that the guys were using for their dance sessions that day. The minute that Ikaika saw Malia walk through the door, he broke out of the formation he was dancing in and ran over to greet her, causing Tyjuan to get upset because of the interuption.
    "Malia, I've missed you, sweetheart," Ikaika said as the others joined him to welcome his girlfriend to the unofficial Trans-Con family.
    "Hi, you must be Malia.  You are much prettier in person than the photos that I see Ikaika kiss every night indicate," Bryan said as he gave her a friendly hug.
    After he greeted the girl who would be staying at the house for the next week, Jacob pulled Nicole into a secluded corner.  "Are you ready to pick up where we left off earlier?" he asked with a sexy smile forming on his lips.
    "Aren't you supposed to go back to rehearsal?" Nicole asked noticing that Tyjuan was trying to get all the guys back to the business at hand.
    "Ummm..yeah, but will you give me a kiss, so I can dance better?" he asked, hoping that he wasn't seeming too forward.
    "Ahhhh," Nicole said, noticing that her brother was looking towards her and Jacob.  "I don't know if I should.  What's Ashley gonna think?" she said, trying to hide her nerves.
    "Well, I think he should be thankful that you're interested in me instead of Paul or Trevor," Jacob said as he quickly leaned in a stole a quick kiss from Nicole.
    "Hey, why don't the three of us leave the boys and get things set up for the picnic that has been ordered for tonight while they try to finish up their rehearsal?" Rachel suggested.
    "Sure," Nicole agreed, while Malia only half-heartedly agreed to help out.
    Once out in the picnic area, Rachel and Nicole continued to try to draw Malia out of the shell she seemed to have built around herself.  "Look, I don't want to talk with you two.  You don't need to know anything about me," Malia spit out.
    "I think I've just about had it with you, you witch," Nicole shot back.  "Your boyfriend cost me a date with someone I really like tonight.  Don't you even think about giving me that kind of attitude."
    "Well, that's your tough luck.  Ikaika is taking me to Chez L'Oceania for supper, so I don't understand why we need to set up for this picnic," Malia said, not losing the attitude she had constantly displayed towards Rachel and Nicole.
    "Malia, the guys were late for their rehearsals this morning.  They are all going to have a late night," Rachel tried explaining politely, wishing that she and Erik would be able to go out on real dates soon, because she hated seeing him, and not being able to kiss every inch of, in her opinion, his beautiful body.
    "Well, he told me we have reservations at 5:30, so that is when he's taking me, and where he's taking me," Malia responded.

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