A/N: It may be a while before I post a "Harry Potter" story, but I decided to work on this story in my spare time this year. So updates might be slow, but I'll do my best.
Summer Sorrow"Gordo!" Lizzie whispered loudly. "Stop, that tickles!"
"I'm sorry, what?" Gordo asked indifferently. "I'm trying to watch the movie."
Lizzie looked around uncertainly at the other people in the dark movie theatre, then turned to her boyfriend. "Every time you lean toward me your hair tickles my cheek."
Gordo smiled at her, causing chills to run up Lizzie's spine. "Sorry. Here, want some popcorn?"
Lizzie returned the smile and stuck her hand into Gordo's container of popcorn. "Sure."
After a few minutes of shifting their positions in their seats, Lizzie and Gordo finally settled on a way for them to lean on each other without Gordo's curly hair tickling Lizzie. But it was hard for her to concentrate on the movie, knowing that high school was starting up tomorrow and Miranda would be back from Mexico City. Lizzie had called her early in the summer and told her about her trip to Rome and the wonderful things that had happened there, but now it seemed unreal.
She felt Gordo tighten his grip on her hand, and she thought back to all the things that she could have done with him after Rome, if she hadn't been grounded because of the events of their trip there. Her parents had thankfully lifted the grounding today because it was freshmen orientation at the high school and it was the last real day of summer Lizzie could enjoy.
Lizzie found herself lost in thought as she stared blankly at the movie screen. Before she knew it, the ending credits music was playing and the lights went up.
"Ready to go?" Gordo yawned slightly and helped Lizzie out of her chair.
"I guess so," Lizzie replied, grabbing her cup of soda and walking with him out of the theatre.
They stopped at a trashcan to throw away their trash before walking out into the hot summer sun to wait for Lizzie's mom to pick them up.
"I can't wait until I can drive and I have my own car," Lizzie said. "Then we can go places on our own."
"You behind the wheel of a car?" Gordo said. "I don't think so. I'll drive us."
"Hey!" Lizzie playfully gave Gordo a shove in the shoulder.
"Look who's here," Gordo said suddenly, motioning behind her.
Lizzie turned around quickly, only to see Kate Saunders walking out of the movie theatre. "Great, I wonder what's she's going to do now that we're back home?"
"I've seen her around this summer, but she didn't really acknowledge me," Gordo said. "She might—"
"Well, well, well, look who's here," Kate said sweetly, having just noticed them.
"Hey, Gordon! Lizzie!" Ethan Craft came up behind her, giving Gordo a slap on the back.
This time, Gordo massaged the spot where he was hit.
"I see you're finally out of your grounding," Kate said, eyeing Lizzie up and down.
"Yeah, just in time for school to start," Lizzie said uncertainly.
"Well…I guess I'll see you there," Kate said.
"Um, sure," Lizzie smiled.
Kate gave her a small smile, grabbed Ethan by the arm, and dragged him across the parking lot, where Lizzie could see Kate's mom waiting in her car.
"Well, that was, um…" Lizzie trailed off.
"Weird?" Gordo asked. "Yeah, even after the whole Rome epidemic. But I'd like to see what she's like in school when she's with Claire and her posse."
"Yeah, we shouldn't expect too much."
They waited in silence for a moment, until Mrs. McGuire pulled up in her car.
"Hey, guys! How was the movie?" she asked them as they climbed into the backseat.
"Pretty good," Lizzie said, although she had barely paid attention to the movie. "How was that barbeque?"
"Oh, it started okay, but then your father decided to tell his hick farmer joke. Turns out his boss is from Mississippi. Lost his accent, apparently."
"Ooh," Lizzie said. "He's not in any trouble, is he?"
"No, luckily he made a good save, for once," Mrs. McGuire smiled as she drove out of the parking lot and onto the road. "So, Gordo, you staying for dinner?"
"I guess," Gordo said. "Lizzie, you said that Miranda was coming home tonight, right?"
"Yeah," Lizzie replied. "Do you think she could make it for at least dessert, Mom?"
"Oh, I think she'll be pretty tired when she gets home," Mrs. McGuire said. "You'll see her plenty at school tomorrow."
"Okay," Lizzie sighed. "It's just that I haven't seen her at all this summer. She's been in Mexico this whole time."
"I know you missed her, Sweetheart, but you'll see her tomorrow."
"Yeah, and hopefully we'll have a lot of classes together," Lizzie said. "Gordo and I only have three."
"Well, it's high school," Mrs. McGuire said. "There are so many choices, and Gordo's doing a lot of advanced classes, isn't he?"
"Yep," Gordo said cheerfully. "Chemistry, history, English literature, geometry—"
"Okay, we get it," Lizzie cut him off.
"Sorry," Gordo said, smiling. "But you and Miranda will probably have drama together, right? Ever since Frankie Muniz showed up in that class, she's been dying to do it in hopes that Brad Pitt will suddenly walk through the door."
Lizzie laughed. "Yeah, we've sure had some interesting times in middle school."
Gordo grinned. "And now we get a whole new adventure in high school."
"Wow," Lizzie said under her breath.
They rode in silence for the next ten minutes until Mrs. McGuire pulled into their driveway. "Now you might want to be careful when you walk inside. Matt has Melina and Lanny over. They were at the pool earlier, and apparently had enough money with them to buy four Popsicles at the snack bar for each of them."
"Oh, trust me," Lizzie said to Gordo. "You do not want to be near them after even two Popsicles."
"Don't worry, I've been near them like thatbefore," Gordo said, opening the car door and stepping onto the driveway. "I can handle it."
"Whatever you say Gordo," Lizzie said, slamming her car door closed.
They walked together through the front door, only to find complete silence. Mr. McGuire tiptoed over to them from the kitchen.
"Whatever you do, don't make any sudden noises," he whispered to his wife. "I don't know what happened, but they were bouncing off the walls one minute, and completely zonked out the next."
"Well, let's keep it that way," Lizzie said in a normal voice. "If I know Matt, he won't wake up for anything, just like at Grubby Gulch."
"You know, she's probably right, Sam," Mrs. McGuire said to her husband, eyeing her son collapsed on the couch.
"So you're saying I've been tiptoeing around for nothing?"
"Probably," Lizzie replied as she stifled a giggle. "Come on, Gordo."
She grabbed his hand and they hurried up the steps into her room. Lizzie immediately grabbed her phone. "I'm gonna see if Miranda's left yet."
She hurriedly dialed Miranda's cell phone number, and listened intently. After a moment, she sighed and pushed the off button of her phone. "No answer."
"Lizzie, you'll see her tomorrow," Gordo said reassuringly. "We'll see everyone tomorrow."
"I'm just so nervous!" Lizzie said suddenly. "I want to start high school with both of you, my best friend and my boyfriend."
"And you will!" Gordo said, squeezing her hand. "You just won't see her until tomorrow, that's all."
"Okay," Lizzie smiled, leaning in and kissing Gordo's cheek. "I should just sit back and relax until tomorrow."
"That's right," Gordo said, sitting down on her bed.
"Ah!" they heard Matt scream from downstairs.
"Uh oh, guess we were wrong about Matt not waking up," Lizzie said, staring out her door.
They heard feet pounding up the steps until Matt appeared at the top with Melina and Lanny.
"Don't you ever let us fall asleep like that again!" Melina was scolding Matt. "We have a lot of work to do, and we just lost an hour of our last day!"
"Don't worry, we'll think of something," Matt said, opening the door to his bedroom.
Suddenly, Lanny's eyes opened wide and he smiled broadly.
"You're right, Lanny!" Matt said, his face brightening as well. "We go down to the computer store and find the software that'll take care of it for us!"
"What is it, exactly?" Lizzie called from her room.
"None of your business," Matt said, quickly ushering his friends into his room. "You'll just have to wait and see—or, just wait and leave us alone!"
Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Like I'd actually be truly interested in what they're doing."
"Got that right," Gordo said. "Glad to see the sugar's worn off, though."
"You're telling me," Lizzie said, sitting beside him.
She leaned back on her bed and stared up at the ceiling, resting her head on her hands. "Gordo?"
"Yeah?" Gordo asked, looking down at her.
"I need to ask you something, you know, about high school."
"Sure, anything."
"Do we really need an elevator pass?"
A/N: Well, that's it for now. I hope I can update this real soon, and hopefully you liked this first chapter. Tell me what you think!