I have this theory about Hayden Panettiere. She’s America’s sweetheart. The people love her, and with good reason - she’s a cute girl with a successful TV show. And she insists she’s a good girl:

“For God knows what reason, [the paparazzi] compare me with Lindsay Lohan!” Panettiere, 18, tells Teen magazine for its winter issue. “It’s kind of become, ‘All right, you guys can stay there and try knocking me off my horse.’ I want to prove them wrong now…I think that, now more than ever, young girls need a good role model,” she says.

But I think there’s a little wild child just WAITING to bust out. That wild child has been slowly building and sometimes briefly surfacing. I’m just saying, I wouldn’t be surprised if Hayden has some paparazzi-documented drama in her life one of these days. Watch as Hayden has subtly shown us the wild child within:

Hayden Panettiere 2 1

December 6, 2006 (posted then, probably taken earlier)

Paris Hilton? ‘Nuff said.

What’s going on here?

See the rest of Panettiere’s photo timeline .

Because you haven’t lived until you’ve licked a statue. I’m just glad it’s not David.

Flashing some bikini while saving the dolphins in Japan. Nice.

Channeling a pin-up girl at the ripe old age of 18? Great photos, but not so innocent.

Those boots are insane! Add the mini skirt and the girl is screaming wild child.

Maybe I’m the only one here - the girl has been acting since she seven, so Hollywood is pretty much what she knows. But there’s got to be a drunken, stumbly moment hidden in Hayden somewhere.