Disclaimer: Yep. Since my last story, I have bought Lizzie McGuire and now own all the characters. Oh. Just kidding.
A/N: I have been working with this idea for the last couple of days, and I'm not really sure. I doubt it's going to be very good or popular, but I need to get it out of my system. Please review and let me know what you think. And if the reviews aren't good, I may just bag it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Friends
Get scattered by the wind
Tossed upon the waves
Lost for years on end.
Friends
Slowly drift apart,
They give away their hearts
Maybe call you now and then
But you wanna be
Just friends."
-John Michael Montgomery, Friends
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Zelda*
I whorled around the field, holding my sword firmly in my hand. I went to slice my opponent in the chest but he blocked it effortlessly. Impatiently, I blew a lock of hair out of my eyes and went to get him in the neck. Once more, blocked. Frustrated, I glared and sheathed my weapon. My best friend grinned at me and did so to his own.
"You're getting better," he complimented as I reached for my bottled water.
"Yeah," I muttered.
"Really. I mean, to beat the unbeatable Larry Tudgeman is hard work for anyone."
The guy had no problems with false modesty, anyway.
I rolled my eyes. "Remind me what it is I like about you?"
"My debonair charm along with my stunning Cary Grant like looks," he answered instantly.
See?
Grinning, I took a swallow of water. "So, Larry, what can I do for you?" It had been a long time since he'd come by my house, as my recent transformation to private school had caused my homework load to boarder on illegal. The only time I'd spoken to him of late had been over the phone and a meeting once or twice at the Digital Bean. Though summer had started for the both of our prospective schools, I had expected that it would take more time for him to visit.
Though, Larry had never been known for his patience.
"I need a favor," he began, following me inside and into my dad's study. I took his sword and hung them back up where they belonged, on the wall. My dad didn't mind when we used his weapons to fence (for whatever reason, he trusted my best friend, and knew that, though I was not quite up to the skill Larry had, I could hold my own in our mock battles) but he would get angry if they were not returned.
"Okay." As simple as that.
"Well, you might not want to say that just yet."
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "What is it?"
"How'd you like to make $100?" He was hedging the question, and Larry Tudgeman NEVER hedged.
"What is it, Larry?"
"You could buy those new speakers you wanted for your computer."
"What IS it, Larry?"
He grinned mischievously and I felt my insides shift uneasily. "I need you to help me win a bet."
I cocked an eyebrow. "A bet?"
"Yes, my dear."
"With who?"
His smile spread. "Kate Saunders."
I was 2 years older than him and knew very few of the people at his school. But this name triggered something in my mind. "Isn't she the one that signed your yearbook something like, 'Harry, get a new shirt'?
"That would be her. Charming female, really."
I hate my sense of loyalty. "What's the bet?"
He slapped me on the back and I winced. "I knew I could count on you."
"Yeah well."
He began his explanation. "It happened in Rome. Do you remember me mentioning Lizzie McGuire?"
I shook my head.
"She's the one I went out with that once."
Ahh yes. The memory was suddenly very vivid.
"Right. Yes, I remember."
"Well, on the class trip to Rome, a bunch of stuff happened, she became a star, yadda yadda yadda, but I happened to notice something. After all, I am a master of the human mind."
(I mentally rolled my eyes, but said nothing.)
"It was on the way to board the returning flight. Lizzie had decided that she didn't really want to remain in Rome, when I asked her why not, she said, 'There are things that are keeping me in Hillridge.' Then she sort of, you know, glanced over at her friend Gordo. The look that Princess Leia gave Han Solo on the Millennium Falcon right before their almost kiss. You know, the sort of, 'Oh, whatever would I do without you look.' Anyway, she sauntered away and Kate came up, and started talking.
"'You know,' she said, with that really irritating voice, 'there is no way those two are ever going to get together.'
"To which I replied, 'I'd lay my bets in another direction.'
"'How much?' she asked."
"And how much did you end up betting," I asked, interrupting his story.
"200."
"DOLLARS?!"
He sort of shrugged. "But I'm RIGHT."
I leapt to my feet. "Do you even HAVE $200?"
He smiled in, I'm sure, what he hoped was a charming way. "That's why I need your help."
"What am I supposed to do?" I wanted to know. Sounded to me like this was more than a little out of my hands.
"Date him."
I balked. "Please tell me you're kidding."
"Just listen. I've seen her with a guy and he did nothing. Gordo is not a man inclined for action. But when HE started dating someone, she went more than a little crazy. All you need to do is take him out a few different places and she'll get jealous enough to admit her feelings and I'll win the money."
"Look, Larry, don't get me wrong. I love you a lot. You're my best friend. But there is no way I'm doing this. It's just plain mean."
"Come on, Zelda. It'll be fun. Besides, you're working for a noble cause."
"You having money is not noble, Larry."
"But true love is."
I've seen the Princess Bride. According to that movie, there IS no nobler cause.
"I hate you," I found myself muttering.
He smiled condescendingly. "You're making the right decision."
Somehow I doubted it.
A/N: I have been working with this idea for the last couple of days, and I'm not really sure. I doubt it's going to be very good or popular, but I need to get it out of my system. Please review and let me know what you think. And if the reviews aren't good, I may just bag it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Friends
Get scattered by the wind
Tossed upon the waves
Lost for years on end.
Friends
Slowly drift apart,
They give away their hearts
Maybe call you now and then
But you wanna be
Just friends."
-John Michael Montgomery, Friends
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*Zelda*
I whorled around the field, holding my sword firmly in my hand. I went to slice my opponent in the chest but he blocked it effortlessly. Impatiently, I blew a lock of hair out of my eyes and went to get him in the neck. Once more, blocked. Frustrated, I glared and sheathed my weapon. My best friend grinned at me and did so to his own.
"You're getting better," he complimented as I reached for my bottled water.
"Yeah," I muttered.
"Really. I mean, to beat the unbeatable Larry Tudgeman is hard work for anyone."
The guy had no problems with false modesty, anyway.
I rolled my eyes. "Remind me what it is I like about you?"
"My debonair charm along with my stunning Cary Grant like looks," he answered instantly.
See?
Grinning, I took a swallow of water. "So, Larry, what can I do for you?" It had been a long time since he'd come by my house, as my recent transformation to private school had caused my homework load to boarder on illegal. The only time I'd spoken to him of late had been over the phone and a meeting once or twice at the Digital Bean. Though summer had started for the both of our prospective schools, I had expected that it would take more time for him to visit.
Though, Larry had never been known for his patience.
"I need a favor," he began, following me inside and into my dad's study. I took his sword and hung them back up where they belonged, on the wall. My dad didn't mind when we used his weapons to fence (for whatever reason, he trusted my best friend, and knew that, though I was not quite up to the skill Larry had, I could hold my own in our mock battles) but he would get angry if they were not returned.
"Okay." As simple as that.
"Well, you might not want to say that just yet."
I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. "What is it?"
"How'd you like to make $100?" He was hedging the question, and Larry Tudgeman NEVER hedged.
"What is it, Larry?"
"You could buy those new speakers you wanted for your computer."
"What IS it, Larry?"
He grinned mischievously and I felt my insides shift uneasily. "I need you to help me win a bet."
I cocked an eyebrow. "A bet?"
"Yes, my dear."
"With who?"
His smile spread. "Kate Saunders."
I was 2 years older than him and knew very few of the people at his school. But this name triggered something in my mind. "Isn't she the one that signed your yearbook something like, 'Harry, get a new shirt'?
"That would be her. Charming female, really."
I hate my sense of loyalty. "What's the bet?"
He slapped me on the back and I winced. "I knew I could count on you."
"Yeah well."
He began his explanation. "It happened in Rome. Do you remember me mentioning Lizzie McGuire?"
I shook my head.
"She's the one I went out with that once."
Ahh yes. The memory was suddenly very vivid.
"Right. Yes, I remember."
"Well, on the class trip to Rome, a bunch of stuff happened, she became a star, yadda yadda yadda, but I happened to notice something. After all, I am a master of the human mind."
(I mentally rolled my eyes, but said nothing.)
"It was on the way to board the returning flight. Lizzie had decided that she didn't really want to remain in Rome, when I asked her why not, she said, 'There are things that are keeping me in Hillridge.' Then she sort of, you know, glanced over at her friend Gordo. The look that Princess Leia gave Han Solo on the Millennium Falcon right before their almost kiss. You know, the sort of, 'Oh, whatever would I do without you look.' Anyway, she sauntered away and Kate came up, and started talking.
"'You know,' she said, with that really irritating voice, 'there is no way those two are ever going to get together.'
"To which I replied, 'I'd lay my bets in another direction.'
"'How much?' she asked."
"And how much did you end up betting," I asked, interrupting his story.
"200."
"DOLLARS?!"
He sort of shrugged. "But I'm RIGHT."
I leapt to my feet. "Do you even HAVE $200?"
He smiled in, I'm sure, what he hoped was a charming way. "That's why I need your help."
"What am I supposed to do?" I wanted to know. Sounded to me like this was more than a little out of my hands.
"Date him."
I balked. "Please tell me you're kidding."
"Just listen. I've seen her with a guy and he did nothing. Gordo is not a man inclined for action. But when HE started dating someone, she went more than a little crazy. All you need to do is take him out a few different places and she'll get jealous enough to admit her feelings and I'll win the money."
"Look, Larry, don't get me wrong. I love you a lot. You're my best friend. But there is no way I'm doing this. It's just plain mean."
"Come on, Zelda. It'll be fun. Besides, you're working for a noble cause."
"You having money is not noble, Larry."
"But true love is."
I've seen the Princess Bride. According to that movie, there IS no nobler cause.
"I hate you," I found myself muttering.
He smiled condescendingly. "You're making the right decision."
Somehow I doubted it.