"How cool is this! Our first high school party!" Lizzie squealed, smiling brightly.
"Lizzie, you're only making it more obvious that we're freshmen by acting like this. Just chill," said Miranda coolly, running her fingers through her freshly-dyed red hair.
"Trust me Miranda, none of the guys care that we're freshmen. I heard some junior boys talking in the hall, and they said they'd totally date freshmen girls."
"Oh, well goody for me," interjected Gordo sullenly.
"Don't worry, Gordo," Lizzie said earnestly, patting him on the back. "There'll be a nice girl for you at the party." But the tought unsettled her slightly, and she resolved to keep a close eye on who Gordo talked to.
Gordo sighed. "Yeah, you're right," he said. More right than you know, he added mentally.
The three friends were walking to the party, which was only a few blocks from Gordo's house. Paul, a junior Gordo had been tutoring in algebra, had a party every year on Labor Day weekend. Paul really hadn't considered inviting Gordo at all - who invites a freshman? - until he met Gordo's best friends one day at lunch. After lunch, he told Gordo he could come to the party - as long as Miranda came with him.
"Gordo, are you sure you know where we're going?" asked Miranda. "We've been walking for hours."
"I tutor Paul three times a week, Miranda, I know where his house is. And besides, we've only been walking for five minutes." Gordo pointed at his watch.
"Don't be too hard on her, Gordo," Lizzie chimed in mischeviously. "She's just afraid of breaking a sweat and ruining her make-up before Paul sees her."
Miranda blushed and smiled. "Shut up, Lizzie," she said sheepishly.
"Well, here we are," Gordo announced. The three stood in front of a very large two-story home. Cars were parked all along the street around the house - something the three weren't really used to seeing at the parties they'd been too. From inside they could hear music blaring and people shouting.
"Um, guys, am I the only one here who's a little nervous?" asked Lizzie.
"Why should you be nervous?" asked Miranda. "You've been to a high school party before, remember?"
Lizzie laughed. "Shut up, you know that doesn't count."
Gordo started walking resolutely towards the door. "C'mon you guys. We're in high school now, a new chapter in our lives. We need to make the most of it." He stopped and turned around to face the girls, and simply could not help looking squarely at Lizzie as he finished. "We have a whole new world of second chances."
Lizzie blushed and looked away; she knew what Gordo was talking about. The kiss they'd shared in Rome - clumsy, fleeting, and perfect - had been the only manifestation of their feelings for each other. Neither of them had any idea how to handle the relationship from there, so despite that evening's events, they carried on as friends and acted as though nothing had happened. They were both terrified to bring it up, both afraid that the other thought the kiss was a mistake. So rather than risk everything - the friendship they had and the love that might still be - they went back to normal, back to being friends.
It was very hard for both of them.
A whole new world of second chances. The words echoed in Lizzie's head. She looked at Gordo and smiled. "Sounds good," she said almost bashfully.
Miranda looked back and forth between the two amusedly. "If you two are done doing your whole weird Joey-and-Dawson thing, then I recommend we go inside. I just saw Tudgeman heading for the punch-bowl, and that boy drinks like a camel."
