I don't own Lizzie McGuire or any of its characters. If I did, I'd be rich, which I'm not.
===Voices Carry===
"She's late," Lizzie observed, checking her watch.
Gordo tapped his fingers against Lizzie's locker door. "Bell's gonna ring soon."
Another minute passed, and when the bell did ring, they cast each other a concerned look. It wasn't like Miranda to be late to school. "We should get going," Gordo pointed out gently, and Lizzie nodded. "She's probably running late," he added as they walked to class. "Or maybe she's sick."
"Her mom usually calls my mom if she's sick," Lizzie said.
"Yeah, I know," Gordo agreed in a sad tone, as if he'd known all along that his suggestion held no merit.
They settled into their usual seats in study hall, talking quietly as the teacher folded papers. The door creaked open, breaking the study hall atmosphere, and all heads looked up front to see who would dare walk in ten minutes late. It was Miranda.
"Sanchez, right?" the monitor said tonelessly. Miranda nodded. "Do you have a late pass?" She shook her head.
The monitor rolled his eyes, just barely hiding his disgust. "Take your seat."
Miranda slid into the empty desk next to Lizzie, not looking up and still saying nothing. Finally she caved under the weight of Lizzie and Gordo's stares, and glanced at them. "Hi."
"'Hi?'" Lizzie echoed disbelievingly. "Miranda, what's up? You're ten minutes late, no pass..." For the first time, Miranda's friends got a good look at her eyes. They looked dull. Sad. Tired. Lizzie immediately cast a fleeting look at Gordo, worried.
"Miranda?" she asked, much more softly this time, both in volume and in tone. "Are you okay?"
Miranda just stared at her blankly for a fraction of a second, then very slowly and cautiously, her lips curved upward in a half smile that was hardly sincere. "Yeah, 'm fine," she said.
"Swear?" Lizzie pressed.
Miranda nodded curtly, and flushed when the monitor cast the trio an irritated look. "Swear," she hissed, flipping open her notebook and ignoring them for the remainder of the period.
When the bell rang excusing them, the class rose as a whole and flocked out of the door. Lizzie, Gordo, and Miranda lagged behind, but still Miranda said nothing. They walked in silence to the next class, tensions high as a black cloud hovered over Miranda's head. Gordo opened the door to History, and held it for Lizzie, who walked through. Miranda hovered in front of it, then shook her head. "I'm...I'm going to the bathroom," she muttered, and ducking her head and clutching her books to her chest, wove her way through the hall.
Lizzie stuck her head into the hallway and Gordo stood, still propping the door open with one hand, and they watched her go. "Okay, what the heck is going on?" Lizzie said. "I'm worried, Gordo."
"Me too."
"Should I follow her?"
"Nah, she said she was just going to the bathroom, and she'd freak if you followed."
They were left with no other options than to walk into class, which they did. When the warning bell rang, Mr. Dig rushed into class. He was the only one rushing into class. As he took attendance, the only absence was glaringly Miranda's, and he looked to her two best friends for confirmation. "Miss McGuire, Mr. Gordon? Any idea as to Miss Sanchez's whereabouts?"
Lizzie looked worriedly at Gordo, then flashed Mr. Dig a fixed smile. "She's not feeling well."
"Ah. Well, my regards."
Lizzie nodded, and Mr. Dig finished attendance and started the lesson. Miranda didn't come to class at all, nor was she in the rest of Lizzie and Gordo's morning classes.
"Gordo?" Lizzie said as they exited math, their last morning class. "I just have this awful awful feeling...that this is bigger than just skipping class... Something bad is happening."
===Voices Carry===
"She's late," Lizzie observed, checking her watch.
Gordo tapped his fingers against Lizzie's locker door. "Bell's gonna ring soon."
Another minute passed, and when the bell did ring, they cast each other a concerned look. It wasn't like Miranda to be late to school. "We should get going," Gordo pointed out gently, and Lizzie nodded. "She's probably running late," he added as they walked to class. "Or maybe she's sick."
"Her mom usually calls my mom if she's sick," Lizzie said.
"Yeah, I know," Gordo agreed in a sad tone, as if he'd known all along that his suggestion held no merit.
They settled into their usual seats in study hall, talking quietly as the teacher folded papers. The door creaked open, breaking the study hall atmosphere, and all heads looked up front to see who would dare walk in ten minutes late. It was Miranda.
"Sanchez, right?" the monitor said tonelessly. Miranda nodded. "Do you have a late pass?" She shook her head.
The monitor rolled his eyes, just barely hiding his disgust. "Take your seat."
Miranda slid into the empty desk next to Lizzie, not looking up and still saying nothing. Finally she caved under the weight of Lizzie and Gordo's stares, and glanced at them. "Hi."
"'Hi?'" Lizzie echoed disbelievingly. "Miranda, what's up? You're ten minutes late, no pass..." For the first time, Miranda's friends got a good look at her eyes. They looked dull. Sad. Tired. Lizzie immediately cast a fleeting look at Gordo, worried.
"Miranda?" she asked, much more softly this time, both in volume and in tone. "Are you okay?"
Miranda just stared at her blankly for a fraction of a second, then very slowly and cautiously, her lips curved upward in a half smile that was hardly sincere. "Yeah, 'm fine," she said.
"Swear?" Lizzie pressed.
Miranda nodded curtly, and flushed when the monitor cast the trio an irritated look. "Swear," she hissed, flipping open her notebook and ignoring them for the remainder of the period.
When the bell rang excusing them, the class rose as a whole and flocked out of the door. Lizzie, Gordo, and Miranda lagged behind, but still Miranda said nothing. They walked in silence to the next class, tensions high as a black cloud hovered over Miranda's head. Gordo opened the door to History, and held it for Lizzie, who walked through. Miranda hovered in front of it, then shook her head. "I'm...I'm going to the bathroom," she muttered, and ducking her head and clutching her books to her chest, wove her way through the hall.
Lizzie stuck her head into the hallway and Gordo stood, still propping the door open with one hand, and they watched her go. "Okay, what the heck is going on?" Lizzie said. "I'm worried, Gordo."
"Me too."
"Should I follow her?"
"Nah, she said she was just going to the bathroom, and she'd freak if you followed."
They were left with no other options than to walk into class, which they did. When the warning bell rang, Mr. Dig rushed into class. He was the only one rushing into class. As he took attendance, the only absence was glaringly Miranda's, and he looked to her two best friends for confirmation. "Miss McGuire, Mr. Gordon? Any idea as to Miss Sanchez's whereabouts?"
Lizzie looked worriedly at Gordo, then flashed Mr. Dig a fixed smile. "She's not feeling well."
"Ah. Well, my regards."
Lizzie nodded, and Mr. Dig finished attendance and started the lesson. Miranda didn't come to class at all, nor was she in the rest of Lizzie and Gordo's morning classes.
"Gordo?" Lizzie said as they exited math, their last morning class. "I just have this awful awful feeling...that this is bigger than just skipping class... Something bad is happening."