The car suddenly stopped, throwing the four boys forward. Davy, who had been expecting the stop since he was the one driving, was able to brace himself on the steering wheel.
"Is that how they teach you to drive in England?" Micky mumbled as he picked himself up off the floor board and resumed his position in the front passenger seat.
"Next time you want to wake us up, say 'Hey, guys!' or something." Mike added from the back seat.
"Sorry, guys! But it looks like an emergency." Davy said.
Micky, Mike and Peter all looked around for any signs of an accident, devastation, trauma...anything. All they found was a lone girl walking down the road toward their car.
"Oh, no! Not again!" Micky moaned as he ducked down in his seat.
"Drive away, Davy. Just keep driving." Mike ordered.
"You can do it, man! I have faith in you." Peter added.
"I can't, guys! It's not safe for a girl to be walking all by herself this time of night." Davy said.
"Yeah, four long-haired weirdos in a souped-up red GTO might come along and snatch her away." Micky grinned.
"Davy, you get us into more trouble because of these not-so-helpless girls you run across." Mike said.
"Remember the girl in Mexico?" Peter said.
"And the vampiress." Micky added.
"And then there was the girl with the circus." Mike said.
"Am I to be blamed for the girl at Dance-A-Go-Go, Miss 'Yeah, brains!' Brenda, and Russian ballerina also?" Davy asked.
"One time, shotgun! Just one time for us!" Mike said.
"Shh! Here she comes!" Peter said.
A young woman walked up to the car and set her duffel bag on the ground.
"Need a lift?" Davy asked.
"I would appreciate it." the girl smiled.
Mike and Peter made room for her in the middle seat, and she squeezed in between them.
"Where from?" Mike asked.
"Bayonet Point. A small town of maybe two stores about thirty miles south of here." she smiled.
"I didn't see it." Peter said.
"We were probably sleeping." Micky said.
"Oh if you sneezed you would have missed it." the girl laughed. "My name is Leslie Howard."
The four boys gave their introductions.
"Pleasure to meet you." Davy smiled into the rear-view mirror at the girl.
"Eyes on the road, babe." Micky said.
Davy frowned at him, but continued to drive.
"Where are you headed?" Peter asked.
"Oh, I'm not sure yet." Leslie shrugged.
"Well we stop in Malibu, so you'd better make up your mind by then." Mike said.
"Malibu!" Leslie grinned. "That sounds wonderful! I'd be happy to!"
"Happy to what?" Davy asked.
"Stay with you guys for a while. Thanks!"
Once again the car lurched forward as Davy slammed on the breaks.
"That does it!" Micky exclaimed. "I'm driving!"
As Davy and Micky traded places in the front seat, Mike tried to get them out of this hole before they got in too deep.
"Now look miss, we in no way said you could stay with us and you can't!" Mike said.
"I wouldn't be any trouble. I'm a good cook!" Leslie said.
"Sold!" Micky exclaimed from the driver's seat.
Mike offered him a sour look.
"I rather like the idea me-self!" Davy smiled.
"Cut it out, you two!" Mike said.
"Really, Miss Howard, you wouldn't like it there. There aren't any other girls, and what would your parents think?" Peter said.
"Oh it doesn't matter!" Leslie shrugged. "I'm running away."
Everyone was thrown forward as - this time - Micky hit the breaks.
"You were saying?" Davy glared at Micky.
"A runaway?" Peter asked.
"You're kidding, right?" Micky asked.
"No, I'm not!" Leslie said.
"How old are you?" Mike asked.
"Fifteen." she answered.
All four of the guys groaned.
"Micky...."
"Got it, Mike!" Micky said as he did a U-Turn.
"What are you doing?" Leslie asked.
"Taking you back home." Mike said.
"You can't!" Leslie exclaimed.
"We will!" Mike said.
"Leslie, you can't run away from home. You're just a kid." Davy said.
"And we can't just leave you here in the middle of no-where." Peter said.
"So all that we can do is take you home." Mike said.
"You take me back, and you'll be sorry!" Leslie warned.
"Oh and what are you gonna do?" Mike snorted.
"I'll tell the police that you four kidnapped and mistreated me."
Mike, Leslie and Peter hit the back of the front seat while Davy nearly flew over the dash. Micky, who had stopped the car in the middle of the road, was now looking at Leslie in horror. His eyes shifted to Mike.
"Mike?"
"She's bluffing!" Mike said.
"Am not!" Leslie said.
"You wouldn't!" Davy said.
"Watch me!" Leslie smirked.
"We were only trying to help you." Peter said.
"If you want to help me you'll take me with you or drop me off right here." Leslie argued.
Meanwhile, Micky glared at Davy.
"Good going, midget! You did it again!"