Changes, Changes, Changes: Chapter One
Chapter Rating: PG (for mild cursing)
"Some things never change," Gordo said happily through a mouthful of curly fries. His expression was one of deep contentment, and it wasn't hard for Lizzie and Miranda to imagine why -- if there was an award for the biggest curly fries fan on the planet, Lizzie thought, the prize would have to go to Gordo. If he could have his way, he would live on nothing but curly fries and be perfectly content for the rest of his life. But the other two were constantly reminding him that if his diet consisted of curly fries only, he would become "fat," as Miranda so eloquently put it, and none of the ladies would like him. Little did both of them know what lady Gordo really wanted. "Gordo, you idiot, you're only happy 'cause you're eating curly fries," Miranda pointed out, but not unkindly. She would have continued her lecture if she weren't preoccupied with returning the kick that Lizzie had given her. "Ouch! Oh, c'mon, Miranda, give Gordo a break. He's a big curly fries fan, there's nothing wrong with that, is there?" Lizzie said, sticking up for Gordo just like she always did. Gordo smiled at her and offered her a curly fry, but she grinned and added, "But that doesn't mean I like them." Miranda pretended to look injured. "Lizzie, why don't you ever stick up for me in this type of thing?" she whined, brushing a strand of her black hair out of her face. "Back when we were in junior high, you always stood up for him, and you're still gonna do that now that we're in tenth grade?" Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Oh, c'mon, Miranda, you could win the Oscars for that acting. You know that we're all best friends, and that's never gonna change." Miranda shrugged, returning to her cheeseburger. "I guess you're right."
"She is right," Gordo chimed in. They both stared at him. "I mean, sure, the curly fries are great and all--" He paused a minute to stare lovingly at his beloved extra-large container. "--but the best part is having friends like you guys. We stuck together through the past school years, and we're gonna keep on doing that throughout high school." Extremely flattered, Lizzie placed her hand on the table and said, "Friends forever!" Gordo and Miranda did the same, and they all pronounced in unison, "Friends forever!" She continued, "You guys promise me one thing, though, okay?" Gordo nodded, and Miranda told her, "Sure, anything." "Well, promise me that no matter what happens, we'll stay best friends. I mean, we're in tenth grade, and soon we'll be graduating from high school and going to different colleges, and we won't be able to hang out at the Digital Bean like we're doing now or see each other as often. I don't even think we'll see each other at all once we're in college. And then we go out and get jobs...there are a lot of ways we could get separated, and I want to make sure that never happens." There was a silence as all three of them took in the meaning and truth of her words. Then Gordo broke the silence by saying, "Don't worry, Lizzie. We've stuck together through thick and thin, like I said before, and we'll continue to do so throughout high school, college, and the rest of our lives. In fact, we might even be able to go to the same college if we wanted to."
Lizzie looked excited, but Miranda snorted derisively. "Right, Gordo. You're, like, a top-of-the-class, straight-A student, and we still get B+'s and B's just like we did in junior high. We'll never be able to go to the same college. Lizzie's right -- we're gonna get separated after high school." Lizzie looked crestfallen. Then she offered hopefully, "Uh...maybe we could pick up our grades before high school's over?"
Miranda shook her head. "Not gonna happen, Lizzie. That's almost impossible -- that's as possible as Ethan Craft ever liking us." Gordo stared at her incredulously. "You mean you still like that brain-dead idiot? Miranda, what did I tell you last year? This is high school -- there are tons of new people here, and I plan to use that privilege to its full potential, not wasting my time with people like Ethan Craft! Not...that I would like Ethan Craft, of course, being a...guy..." He broke off awkwardly, not liking where his lecture was going. As Miranda blushed, Lizzie grinned. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, Gordo, I don't like Ethan Craft anymore." Gordo straightened up with lightning speed, his face happier than it had been as he was eating his curly fries, which he had abandoned in the excitement of the moment. "What? You don't? Hallelujah! Who do you like now?" His voice was strained with desperation. It was Lizzie's turn to blush, but she was saved when a loud crash resounded through the Digital Bean as the door was thrust wide open, and a large crowd appeared at the door, screaming Lizzie's name and waving their arms in the air with excitement. "What the hell...?" Gordo muttered under his breath, utterly confused. Miranda was even more puzzled than Gordo was, and Lizzie was shocked but flattered at the same time. That large crowd of people was negotiating with the manager of the Digital Bean because they wanted to see her so badly. What had she done that made so many people like her all of a sudden? Then it all came flooding back to her at the same time that realization hit Gordo and Miranda, as Gordo had told her about what had happened. "D'you think it's the people from Rome?" Lizzie asked hoarsely, attempting to hide her face and make herself as inconspicuous as possible. It worked -- the crowd had managed to enter the building, but now they had to find her. "How could it be?" Miranda said faintly, disbelieving. "I mean, they couldn't have come all the way from Rome and found us here at the Digital Bean, could they? No, of course not! How could they know, and why would they waste their time trying to find Lizzie? Sorry," she apologized swiftly, realizing that Lizzie had been offended. She received a curt nod of forgiveness. "It's amazing what the lengths are that people will go to in order to meet a celebrity who they admire," Gordo reminded them, looking around for a place to hide, as the crowd would definitely find them soon and recognize Lizzie at once. Unfortunately, he didn't act quickly enough -- the crowd had found them and were trying to talk to Lizzie, who had been engulfed by the loud mass of sweaty, noisy people. They were screaming, taking pictures, calling out Lizzie's name, struggling to make their way to the front. Gordo and Miranda tried to save her but were surrounded by a respectable group that had decided they were worth the effort as well. Soon they were all trapped inside the huge mob, and there was no way out. "Guys!" Lizzie shrieked, wincing in pain as someone stepped on her finger, and crying out as another person pulled at her hair. "You be looking! I am having a hair of the head of Lizzie McGuire!" the culprit cried out, holding up a single golden strand of hair that had formerly belonged to Lizzie. The volume doubled until Lizzie was nearly deaf as she rubbed her head in pain. Then she realized something -- the person had spoken in a heavy Italian accent. Every single one of her fans from Italy had made their way to the U.S.A. in order to meet her! But why? Wasn't there another reason that they had gone through so much trouble? Her question was soon answered as somebody grabbed her arm and pulled her until her head broke the surface of the crowd. Naturally, everyone screamed louder than ever, but the person ignored the pandemonium and spoke quietly in her ear, "Lizzie? It is Isabella!" Lizzie gasped, her face a picture of disbelief. "Isabella?" she stammered. "What -- what are you doing here?" Isabella showed her trademark smile. "Why else, Lizzie? We have come to take you home to Italy with us!"
Chapter Rating: PG (for mild cursing)
"Some things never change," Gordo said happily through a mouthful of curly fries. His expression was one of deep contentment, and it wasn't hard for Lizzie and Miranda to imagine why -- if there was an award for the biggest curly fries fan on the planet, Lizzie thought, the prize would have to go to Gordo. If he could have his way, he would live on nothing but curly fries and be perfectly content for the rest of his life. But the other two were constantly reminding him that if his diet consisted of curly fries only, he would become "fat," as Miranda so eloquently put it, and none of the ladies would like him. Little did both of them know what lady Gordo really wanted. "Gordo, you idiot, you're only happy 'cause you're eating curly fries," Miranda pointed out, but not unkindly. She would have continued her lecture if she weren't preoccupied with returning the kick that Lizzie had given her. "Ouch! Oh, c'mon, Miranda, give Gordo a break. He's a big curly fries fan, there's nothing wrong with that, is there?" Lizzie said, sticking up for Gordo just like she always did. Gordo smiled at her and offered her a curly fry, but she grinned and added, "But that doesn't mean I like them." Miranda pretended to look injured. "Lizzie, why don't you ever stick up for me in this type of thing?" she whined, brushing a strand of her black hair out of her face. "Back when we were in junior high, you always stood up for him, and you're still gonna do that now that we're in tenth grade?" Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Oh, c'mon, Miranda, you could win the Oscars for that acting. You know that we're all best friends, and that's never gonna change." Miranda shrugged, returning to her cheeseburger. "I guess you're right."
"She is right," Gordo chimed in. They both stared at him. "I mean, sure, the curly fries are great and all--" He paused a minute to stare lovingly at his beloved extra-large container. "--but the best part is having friends like you guys. We stuck together through the past school years, and we're gonna keep on doing that throughout high school." Extremely flattered, Lizzie placed her hand on the table and said, "Friends forever!" Gordo and Miranda did the same, and they all pronounced in unison, "Friends forever!" She continued, "You guys promise me one thing, though, okay?" Gordo nodded, and Miranda told her, "Sure, anything." "Well, promise me that no matter what happens, we'll stay best friends. I mean, we're in tenth grade, and soon we'll be graduating from high school and going to different colleges, and we won't be able to hang out at the Digital Bean like we're doing now or see each other as often. I don't even think we'll see each other at all once we're in college. And then we go out and get jobs...there are a lot of ways we could get separated, and I want to make sure that never happens." There was a silence as all three of them took in the meaning and truth of her words. Then Gordo broke the silence by saying, "Don't worry, Lizzie. We've stuck together through thick and thin, like I said before, and we'll continue to do so throughout high school, college, and the rest of our lives. In fact, we might even be able to go to the same college if we wanted to."
Lizzie looked excited, but Miranda snorted derisively. "Right, Gordo. You're, like, a top-of-the-class, straight-A student, and we still get B+'s and B's just like we did in junior high. We'll never be able to go to the same college. Lizzie's right -- we're gonna get separated after high school." Lizzie looked crestfallen. Then she offered hopefully, "Uh...maybe we could pick up our grades before high school's over?"
Miranda shook her head. "Not gonna happen, Lizzie. That's almost impossible -- that's as possible as Ethan Craft ever liking us." Gordo stared at her incredulously. "You mean you still like that brain-dead idiot? Miranda, what did I tell you last year? This is high school -- there are tons of new people here, and I plan to use that privilege to its full potential, not wasting my time with people like Ethan Craft! Not...that I would like Ethan Craft, of course, being a...guy..." He broke off awkwardly, not liking where his lecture was going. As Miranda blushed, Lizzie grinned. "Well, if it makes you feel any better, Gordo, I don't like Ethan Craft anymore." Gordo straightened up with lightning speed, his face happier than it had been as he was eating his curly fries, which he had abandoned in the excitement of the moment. "What? You don't? Hallelujah! Who do you like now?" His voice was strained with desperation. It was Lizzie's turn to blush, but she was saved when a loud crash resounded through the Digital Bean as the door was thrust wide open, and a large crowd appeared at the door, screaming Lizzie's name and waving their arms in the air with excitement. "What the hell...?" Gordo muttered under his breath, utterly confused. Miranda was even more puzzled than Gordo was, and Lizzie was shocked but flattered at the same time. That large crowd of people was negotiating with the manager of the Digital Bean because they wanted to see her so badly. What had she done that made so many people like her all of a sudden? Then it all came flooding back to her at the same time that realization hit Gordo and Miranda, as Gordo had told her about what had happened. "D'you think it's the people from Rome?" Lizzie asked hoarsely, attempting to hide her face and make herself as inconspicuous as possible. It worked -- the crowd had managed to enter the building, but now they had to find her. "How could it be?" Miranda said faintly, disbelieving. "I mean, they couldn't have come all the way from Rome and found us here at the Digital Bean, could they? No, of course not! How could they know, and why would they waste their time trying to find Lizzie? Sorry," she apologized swiftly, realizing that Lizzie had been offended. She received a curt nod of forgiveness. "It's amazing what the lengths are that people will go to in order to meet a celebrity who they admire," Gordo reminded them, looking around for a place to hide, as the crowd would definitely find them soon and recognize Lizzie at once. Unfortunately, he didn't act quickly enough -- the crowd had found them and were trying to talk to Lizzie, who had been engulfed by the loud mass of sweaty, noisy people. They were screaming, taking pictures, calling out Lizzie's name, struggling to make their way to the front. Gordo and Miranda tried to save her but were surrounded by a respectable group that had decided they were worth the effort as well. Soon they were all trapped inside the huge mob, and there was no way out. "Guys!" Lizzie shrieked, wincing in pain as someone stepped on her finger, and crying out as another person pulled at her hair. "You be looking! I am having a hair of the head of Lizzie McGuire!" the culprit cried out, holding up a single golden strand of hair that had formerly belonged to Lizzie. The volume doubled until Lizzie was nearly deaf as she rubbed her head in pain. Then she realized something -- the person had spoken in a heavy Italian accent. Every single one of her fans from Italy had made their way to the U.S.A. in order to meet her! But why? Wasn't there another reason that they had gone through so much trouble? Her question was soon answered as somebody grabbed her arm and pulled her until her head broke the surface of the crowd. Naturally, everyone screamed louder than ever, but the person ignored the pandemonium and spoke quietly in her ear, "Lizzie? It is Isabella!" Lizzie gasped, her face a picture of disbelief. "Isabella?" she stammered. "What -- what are you doing here?" Isabella showed her trademark smile. "Why else, Lizzie? We have come to take you home to Italy with us!"