Vic shouted, grabbing the lei and ripping it off Sydney’s neck, sending white petals flying in every directions. “Oh my gosh—somebody do something!” Donald the PA exclaimed, hurrying forward and flapping his hands helplessly in Sydney’s direction. Meanwhile Sydney was still crying out in pain as she spun in circles, trying frantically to brush off the tiny insects. My friends and I rushed forward to help, along with Sydney’s mother, Candy and Akinyi, and most of the other people within view. But I was blocked by the bushy-browed cameraman, who stepped in front of me for a better view, filming every second of Sydney’s distress. “Excuse us!” Bess said firmly, trying to push past him. That did about as much good as trying to shove aside the Sears Tower. The cameraman held his ground, ignoring us. “This is great stuff,” he muttered with a barely muffled, rather mean-spirited guffaw. “Awesome.” We managed to dodge around him just in time to see Vic brush Donald, the other models, and Aunt Ellie aside.
