Sleepover

It was quarter 'til seven at the McGuire household on a Saturday evening. Matt and his friend Lanny were down in the basement for a sleepover—uh, "hangout time" as they call it in middle school. The boys just had their first week of seventh grade and they love it, mostly because the bully from the past years moved away, so no more worries about having to hide in a locker or get stuffed in anyway.

"Ahh, watch out for that guy!" Matt yelled as he and his silent friend played a wrestling video game. It was on tag-team mode. A few more clanking from the buttons on the controller remained until Matt put it down. "I hate that guy!" Lanny agreed and got up from the couch with his friend.

The boys made their way upstairs for some snacks. Matt's mom, Jo walked by and asked how everything was going down there. It was the first time in history that her and her husband let their son have a sleepover in the basement.

"Awesome! We were just hungry." Matt replied.

"I can fix you guys some snacks if you want."

Matt shook his head and said boldly, "We, men, can fix our own."

Jo just chuckled, "Okay, boys, don't make a mess." She went back into the living room to continue her book that she was reading.

The boys gathered a variety of snacks in their arms, and then went back downstairs. They instantly started playing the game while munching on delicious goods.

A few minutes later, Matt put the game on pause and admitted, "We suck at this game."

"You sure do, McGuire." The boys looked behind them and saw their friend, Melina coming down the steps.

"Hey, Melina," Matt greeted, and Lanny just waved.

"What're playing?" Melina asked as she walked over to them.

"Smackdown," Matt simply replied.

"Scoot over guys and let me show you how it's done!" She demanded.

They watched quietly as Melina began to play. She was very still, except her hands were moving very fast. It flashed before their eyes as she beat the level. "That's how, boys!" She stood up and looked around. "Um, what else is there to do?"

Matt just shrugged his shoulders.

"Hey, it's your sleepover, McGuire. Think of something."

The boys got quiet as for they were thinking.

Lanny looked over at Matt with a huge grin on his face.

"Uh, Lanny, how in the world can we play spin the bottle with only three people?"

The silent friend was going to do another gesture, but Melina came in and said, "How about truth or dare?"

Both of the boys agreed on that game.

*LM*

Lizzie was in her room on the computer. She was typing to Miranda via instant message.

Lizzie: So, how's Mexico?

Miranda: Good. But I wish I was home, so I could hang out with you guys. : )

Lizzie: Aww, we miss you too, 'Randa. 3

Miranda: How's high school? Did Kate and Ethan get back together?

Lizzie: It's alright. I hate how much homework there is! I miss middle school, wahhhh! LOL! And I don't think they will be getting back together.

Miranda: Ohhh, so you going to finally get with him?

Lizzie: I don't think so.

Miranda: Wha? You're so crazy over that guy, Liz!

Lizzie: I know. He's still cute as heck. But I think my heart is set on someone else, ATM.

Miranda: WHO IS IT? O_o

Lizzie: Um, well, he's in our grade and he's very smart…

Miranda: GORDO!

Lizzie: *blush*

*LM*

"No, Lanny, I'm not doing that dare!" Matt said.

The silent friend just looked at him and grinned.

"I do not want to do it." Matt said as he blushed.

"Aww, come on, you big baby!" Melina said.

Sighing heavily, Matt faced Melina. He wasn't upset; he was just scared and he just stared at her for a moment.

"Kiss me, you fool!" Melina spat out.

Matt breathed out very slowly and trembled as he began to turn his head toward Melina's lips. He closed his eyes and for ten seconds it felt like he was floating on a cloud. It was his very first kiss.

He pulled back and blushed even more. Melina just smiled and said, "See, it wasn't that bad."

Matt nervously laughed and shook his head no.

The silent friend had yet another huge grin upon his face, and Matt looked over at him and asked if he wanted a truth or dare. Lanny chose dare.

"Okay, I dare you to call that one girl that you have a crush on."

Lanny glared at his best friend.

"You've got to do it." Matt smiled.

Sighing, Lanny picked up the phone and began to dial the number.

*LM*

"Hello?"

"Hi, is Gordo home?"

"This is Gordo. Lizzie, what's wrong? You sound worried."

"N-nothing, it's nothing. I wanted to see if you wanted to come over and watch this new movie we rented."

"Sure. What's it about?"

"I'm not sure. But I'm sure you will love it."

"Okay. I'll be right over."

They said their goodbyes, and Lizzie hung up the phone, sighing; it was a nervous sigh. Miranda told her to call him up and take the next step. Though, Lizzie wasn't very sure about this. Gordo was her best friend since forever, and she doesn't know if they can date and it still be the same. All she knows is that she is falling for him… hard.

Pacing back and forth, Lizzie was down at the bottom of the stairs waiting for Gordo. Why was she nervous? It was just her friend, who will maybe possibly become her boyfriend. They both liked each other; well, Gordo was the first one who started the feelings. Lizzie was getting too deep in her head with all of those thoughts; it was driving her crazy.

Her mom walked to her. "Honey, what's wrong?"

Lizzie stopped biting her nails and explained. Her mom was about to cry when she told her the news.

"Sweetie, it's okay. You and Gordo have been there for each other since birth. Why not would it work out between you two?"

"That's what I'm afraid of ruining."

Suddenly, a knock came from the door. Lizzie slowly opened it and greeted, "Hey, Gordo."

"Hey, you guys." He stepped in and closed the door behind him. "So, you ready to watch the movie?" he asked.

Lizzie took a breath and said, "Yep. It's all set up in my room."

"Your room," Gordo questioned. "Why not in the living room?"

"Sam and I already watched it last night." Mrs. Jo McGuire explained, "And Sam is watching some dog show tonight." She looked at Lizzie with a smile on her face.

Gordo began to climb the stairs. Lizzie went over to her mom and mouthed the words, thank you, to her. Jo trusted her daughter wouldn't do anything too risky.

*LM*

Meanwhile, down in the basement, the three friends decided to play a game of Legend of Zelda.

"So, when is that girl getting here, Lanny?" Melina asked, still focused on the game. It was only one player this time. Matt looked over at Lanny who gave a gesture.

"You better get ready." Matt exclaimed.

Lanny looked at him with a raised eyebrow, and Matt just winked. Lanny shook his head no because he knew what that meant.

Matt just kept making kissing faces at him.

The silent friend rolled his eyes and continued watching Melina play the game.

"Boo-yeah!" Melina shouted a few minutes later. She had just gotten entirely through the game.

Matt couldn't believe his eyes, "Wow, that's the fastest that I ever seen!" He blushed once again as he watched Melina jumping up and down with her blonde hair going in her face.

Lanny had gotten up when he heard the knock at the basement outside door. It was her. He opened it and greeted her.

She greeted herself to the friends. She was silent like Lanny, but everyone knew what she was saying by the gestures. Her skin color was light brown and she had brown hair.

"Hi, Natalie," Melina said. "Did you bring any goods?"

Natalie reached into her jean jacket pocket and pulled them out.

*LM*

A guy carrying a shovel was upon the screen.

"Creepy guy," Lizzie seemed disgusted at the apparel that he wore, which was a bloody pair of jeans and a white tank top.

Gordo looked at Lizzie with a crooked eyebrow, "No offense, but this movie sucks."

He was right; it did. What can you expect when it was only three dollars at the store? Cheesy plot involving three teenagers who get murdered by this psycho guy, then stashes the bodies in his basement and lives down there with them.

"The whole movie is the basement scene, basically." Gordo stated. "Where's the creativity in other scenes?"

Lizzie just chuckled. Gordo was always a perfectionist when it came to films. She had gotten up off her bed and pressed stop on the DVD player.

"Thank you." Gordo smiled.

"Sorry, I thought it was going to be a good flick."

Gordo just shrugged and got up from the bean-bag he was sitting in. "Your mom is baking cookies, isn't she?" he asked Lizzie. "I smell them." He quickly hurried out the bedroom door. Lizzie sighed silently. If it was going to go anywhere with Gordo, she had to be the one who made a move. She followed him down the stairs.

"Hey, guys." Jo greeted from the oven. "How is the movie?"

"Boring," Lizzie answered.

"Hey," Gordo greeted back. "I can't pass up some of your cookies, Mrs. McGuire."

"Ah, thank you." Jo said as she handed him a cookie that has been cooled from the other cookie sheet.

Gordo had taken a bite and smiled, "Delicious as usual." He motioned his head toward Lizzie, "Yeah, the movie was terrible."

Jo nodded, "The whole movie was just one huge scene."

"The man was creepy as hell also." Lizzie shuddered. Her mom agreed.

"Do you want to watch another movie, Gordo?" Lizzie asked.

Gordo thought about it for a second. "That's fine. But I have to be home around eleven."

*LM*

Laughter came from the basement.

"Wonder what they're doing down there, Sam?"

"They're boys, Hun."

"Yeah, but I just hope they behave down there."Jo said and then rested her head on her husbands shoulder. They were on the couch, watching a dog show on TV.

"Pass it, McGuire." Melina demanded. "You had enough."

Matt rolled his eyes and gave the joint to her. She took a puff.

"Yo, Lanny, why don't you come up for air sometime soon?" Matt teased as he watched Lanny and Natalie making out on the couch.

Melina leaned toward Matt and she whispered in his ear, "That could be us too."

His eyes widen as she planted her lips on his. He quickly pulled away and asked nervously, "How do you make out?"

"Follow me." Melina said.

*LM*

Lizzie and Gordo were back upstairs, watching another movie. It was one they both already had seen, and always got a good laugh when it was watched.

Lizzie bit her lip and looked over at Gordo. Kiss him, she thought, go for it. She scooted closer to Gordo who was sitting at the edge of the bed. He was so interested in the movie and didn't notice her. It was a few seconds before Lizzie had faked a cough or two, and this time he looked over asking her, "You okay?"

"Yeah, it's that popcorn." She lied. It was actually good popcorn.

Gordo went back to watching the movie, and Lizzie just sighed to herself.

She liked him, really liked him.

"Gordo," Lizzie asked in a soft voice. "What do you think of me?"

He looked at her, "You are my best friend, so I think of you as a kind and caring person."

Lizzie sighed once again. JUST DO IT, she thought.

Without any hesitation, she planted her lips on his.

Gordo didn't know what to do, except to kiss her back. A few more minutes went by and it got more passionate as they both fell onto the bed.

A few seconds later Gordo pulled away.

"What's wrong?"

"Your parents are downstairs. What if they come in here?"

Lizzie had gotten up and dragged her clothes hamper to block the door. "There, now nobody can get through."

Gordo just shrugged and they resumed making out.

*LM*

"Matthew McGuire!" Jo yelled in shock. And he just looked over Melina's shoulder.

Jo couldn't believe her eyes. Her baby boy was kissing.

"Uh," is all Matt could get out when his mom walked over to him.

Sam came running downstairs, "Honey, what's wrong?" He looked over and saw her tearing up, so he embraced her in his arms. "Matt, what did you do?" he asked.

Matt just chuckled.

"Why are you laughing?" Sam questioned. Then he looked over at Matt's friends, who were all on the couch trying to hold in their laugher.

"Dad, I don't know." Matt said through his laughter.

Sam looked puzzled as Jo began to tell him what she had seen.

"That'd kid!" Sam whispered in his son's ear. Jo nudged his ribcage with her elbow.

"Uh, no, um…" Sam struggled to get the words right. Jo stepped in, "You're grounded!"

"What did I do? Am I allowed to kiss my girlfriend?" Matt looked over at Melina and she smiled back at him.

Jo looked around. She had to find another reason. A few seconds later, she spotted ashes on the couch. "That's what you did, mister!"

"I didn't do it." Matt chuckled a bit. His friends started walking up the stairs. Melina said, "We'll see you later."

"Don't think I'm not calling up your parents and telling them!" Jo yelled at all of them.

*LM*

A door slammed shut and startled the two teenagers. They were silent for a moment and heard yelling.

The two got up and went over to the bedroom door.

Lizzie sighed, "It's probably just Matt getting into trouble as usual."

"Yeah, but we should go see if everything is alright." Gordo suggested and Lizzie agreed.

They went to the top of the stairs were stopped by Jo.

"That brother of yours is in so much trouble!"

"What did he do this time?" Lizzie asked.

"He and his friends decided to have a party downstairs." Jo explained more and Lizzie just nodded. The three walked downstairs. Jo went into the living room, leaving the two alone by the front door.

"Well, Lizzie, I better get home. It's almost eleven thirty." Gordo gave Lizzie a hug, whispering, "Tomorrow, date?" He stepped back and faced her.

Lizzie blushed and shook her head yes. They kept their eyes glued onto each other until the door closed. She slowly walked back up stairs with a smile on her face.