Being Hartley Read Online Free PDF

she got off the plane in and hasn't changed into a ball gown.
    It's like she turns into this totally different person in LA.
    "Thanks for coming, Cass," Erik says. "I mean it."
    "Well, I won't say it's my idea of what I should be doing on vacation, but anything for you guys. You know that."
    "Um, Dad," Rory says, making everyone look at her. "I thought Thea and I might head over to Allie's dance class. I said I might be able to help out today…?"
    Nice way to change the subject, cuz. Real subtle.
    "I guess that would be okay. Allie would love that," Uncle Erik says. "She'll be thrilled to see Thea, too."
    "We might, um, head out then and grab a juice on the way," Rory says before halting in her tracks. "So…I was thinking of taking Frank? My other car might be low on gas."
    Uncle Erik's face instantly hardens. "Rory, you're in enough trouble as it is. Don't push things. You know the studio will fill the car for you anytime you ask."
    Beside me, Rory hmpfs. "Fine, then. See you at dinner." She grabs me by the arm as she heads for the front door.
    "Um, bye!" I say as I get dragged along.
    * * *
    "What was that about?" I ask Rory as we close the front door behind us and make our way down the front steps and over to the garage.
    "That was about this…" Rory presses a button on her car keys, and one of the garage doors opens. Inside is not her usual silver Prius, Frank, but a very expensive looking, very pink convertible with vanity plates that say RORY.
    "Holy…" I start. I want to look away, but can't. "What is it?"
    "That is a Bentley Continental GTC. That is my Bentley Continental GTC, which I am contractually obligated to drive. You know, so it's easier for someone to find me and kidnap me. The girls have pink ones and the guys have blue ones. It's trés cute. Apparently."
    "It's awfully…pink." My brain, shocked by the color overload, can't seem to come up with a more appropriate adjective on such short notice.
    "Really? Pink?" Rory double takes. "Is it? I hadn't noticed. Now stop pointing out the painfully obvious already and get in."
    "Okay, but hang on a second." I race back over to the steps and pull my cell from my pocket. I hold it up, click a button, and then, by the time I've run around the car, slid into the smooth, beige leather seat and buckled up, my dad already has the photo. "Just hoping Dad will buy me one for Christmas," I tell Rory.
    Rory just sighs and backs out of the garage. "You know something? You're the annoying younger sister I never had." She glances over at me.
    I frown, thinking about this for a second. "But you've got a younger sister."
    "Yes, but she's not annoying like you."
    "Oh, right." I nod. "Gotcha. Thanks!"
    "That's not a compliment. Now, hold on tight," Rory says as the iron gates in front of us creak open and her foot hits the accelerator. "I haven't managed to crash this thing yet, but if I'm lucky, today might be the day."

- 5 -
     
    Rory cranks the radio up , and we drive out through the gates and start down the twists and turns of Sunset Plaza Drive.
    We chat as we stop at all the stop signs and slowly make our way to Sunset Boulevard. At one stop sign, someone honks and waves at us, and Rory waves back. "That's Cindy, one of our neighbors," she says before moving forward again. "Hey, you'll love this juice bar. It's fantastic—everything's organic and they use this raw sugarcane sweetener…yum."
    "Sounds good," I say as we make a right-hand turn and hit the main road. As we do, someone sitting and waiting at the set of lights honks and waves. "Who's that?" I ask Rory.
    "Beats me," she says. "We'll get a lot of that. Just ignore it."
    "Oh, right. I see." I guess the combination of pink Bentley and RORY plates attracts a bit of attention. Which is what SMD is after, I suppose.
    Over the next few minutes, I get to see why Rory's not so keen on her new wheels. The few times I've been allowed to let Rory drive me somewhere in Frank, I didn't realize there were quite so many sets