ONLY ONE
by SANDEFUR
Disclaimer: I have no claims on any Lizzie McGuire or Joan of Arcadia character.
Only one student sat at the center-most table in the high school's cafeteria. This was unusual, because all of the tables held seating for eight, and the cafeteria was crowded. But the reason this one student sat alone was because she is the most despised girl in school- Lizzie McGuire.
Lizzie looked about the cafeteria in the hope that just one brave soul would give her an encouraging smile, or a simple nod of acknowledgement. But no, peer pressure was too strong. Then Lizzie spotted him. Some weirdo dressed in Goth style was headed directly towards her. Even before he sat down and spoke a casual: "Hello Lizzie," she knew it had to be God in another of his strange guises.
Lizzie whispered, "I'm not so sure about you any more."
Goth Kid God replied, "A small crisis of faith. The simple assignment I gave you of joining the cheerleaders turned out far worse than you could have imagined. Now you doubt if it is wise to be in my service."
"Can you blame me? Look at this!" (she indicates the empty table) "I'm the school pariah."
"Those that follow a righteous path often earn the enmity of the world. Remember how shocked you were when you discovered all the other cheerleaders were cheating on their assignments and tests?"
Lizzie nods, "They were using their influence with the jocks to get them to intimidate the nerds into cheating for them. Still, I was going to keep my mouth shut until I saw Tudgeman with a black-eye. I couldn't let that go on."
"As a result of your brave stand, Cindy McCracken, the head cheerleader, was expelled and the other six were kicked off the cheerleader squad and suspended for a month."
"Then Principal Ungermeyer makes me head cheerleader with the authority to pick a new squad. Which I did, using a list supplied by you. No open try outs, just a hand-picked seven. That made me even more unpopular. The school newspaper called it a Machiavellian scheme to seize power."
He asks, "Hasn't the new squad shaped up well?"
"Yes, but only because Kate was on your list. With her cheerleading experience, she's managed to shape the other girls into the semblance of a cheerleading squad. But what a weird bunch of losers you picked! Everyone of them has always been a quiet loner, an outsider who has refused to participate in anything. Their choice just doesn't make any sense."
"Is that why you want to leave my service?"
"God, this is just too hard. I don't get what it is I'm suppose to be doing. I remember last month when you told me to join the cheerleaders, and I said it sounded like fun! How naïve I was. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad the cheating was stopped, and the nerds are safe, but I've had to pay a hell of a price. Pardon my language."
"You're pardoned. I know this first assignment was unusually rough, so I'm going to do something I rarely do. I will explain. Cindy McCracken was raised a spoiled brat who was never disciplined no matter what she did wrong. As a result, she grew up believing she was entitled to act any way she wanted, and their would be no consequences."
"Spare the rod and spoil the child?"
"Or at least the occasional time-out. When Cindy began her cheating scheme, the other cheerleaders were as shocked as you were. But high school is hard, and eventually they all succumbed to the temptation to cheat on a particularly tough assignment or test. Bit by bit, Cindy managed to corrupt them all."
Cautiously, Lizzie asked, "Would that have happened to me too?"
"Do you really want to know?"
Lizzie paused, bit her lip and shook her head no.
Goth Kid God continued, "Those six girls were started on a path that was going to ruin their lives. They too were adopting the attitude of actions without consequences. If you hadn't done your part Lizzie, those six faced a miserable future, and would have spread that misery to many others. Between the six of them, there would have been eleven divorces, four failed companies due to unethical business practices, two would have gone to jail and one would have been murdered. All of that has changed because they were caught early and taught a harsh lesson."
"Wow, I never imagined… Wait, the six new girls. Was this a critical moment for them too?"
"The over-looked, the neglected are the ones most vulnerable to the lure of a dark path for their lives. Your six new cheerleaders will now have a chance to gain popularity, new friends and most importantly, a sense of self-confidence."
"The good ripples you once spoke of…"
"Will be pronounced in their cases. They will gain the confidence to try new things, to pursue higher educations and fulfilling careers. Also, they will avoid the fate they were headed towards: abusive relationships, varying degrees of alcohol and drug abuse, crushing poverty, and in two cases, early death by suicide. In total, twelve lives reborn and the lives of all those around them improved due to you, Lizzie McGuire. Because you had the faith to obey me, and the courage to endure the injustice heaped upon you due to your righteous ways."
By now, tears were freely flowing down Lizzie's cheeks. She had to clear her throat a couple of times before she sould speak.
"To think, I almost didn't take action."
"I knew it would be a difficult choice for you, but I believe in giving people the chance to do the right thing. Don't you?"
"Yeah, I guess."
Smiling, he added, "Now I have two new assignments for you. First, I want you to stay alert for an opportunity to do something nice for your brother. Don't ask why."
Lizzie choked back the word that was automatically on her lips.
"Okay, do something nice for the Toad. Got it. And the other thing?"
"When Jeff Bianco asks you to the homecoming dance, I want you to accept."
"Oh, ha-ha. Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor? Jeff Bianco is Cindy McCracken's boyfriend. Everyone knows that. I'm the last girl on the planet he would ask out."
"Accept the date."
"Sure, why not? And next, rainbows will start flying out my nose."
"Hmm, don't tempt me."
Goth Kid God smiled briefly to let Lizzie know he was joking. He then left the table, giving her a backhanded wave as he went. Lizzie watched until he was out of the room.
Suddenly she was aware she was not alone. She was startled to see who was standing next to her: the incredibly handsome and popular captain of the football team, Jeff Bianco. Lizzie couldn't help thinking: Here we go again…
TBC