Part Two: Just Trying to Get By

ONE MONTH LATER

~Miranda~ "Have you started on your family project yet?" Calli asked me. Lizzie was refusing to talk to her for some odd reason. "Yeah. It's going to be really easy because my mom and dad keeps lots of photo albums and old diaries in the attic." I responded. "What about you Lizzie?" "No problem." "Have you even started yet?" I joked as he gave me an evil glare. "Oh, you haven't." "Our project is due on Friday." Calli added.

"I know, and it's Monday." She rudely replied. "I'll catch you later Miranda." Lizzie continued as she walked off towards Gordo's locker. "Why does she hate me?" Calli wondered as we stopped at her locker. "Duh. She's only had a crush on your boyfriend for five years." I told her as Ethan walked up to us. "Hey." Calli smiled, revealing two round dimples in her cheeks, and perfect pearly teeth. "I'll leave you two alone," I said, hating to be around them. They were just so lovey-dovey that it made you sick.

~Lizzie~ "Gordo." I called out, heading towards his locker, where about five other people were standing. I take it that these were his new skater friends. "Lizzie. It's been a while." He answered, giving me a huge smile. His friends stopped and looked at me as if I wasn't wanted. "So, what are you up to?" I wondered, trying to ignore their glares. "Nothing . we're going skating later. Would you like to come?" I nodded. "Why not?" "Have you ever skated before?" One of his friends with curly blonde hair asked.

"No, but how hard can it be." He snickered. "Don't listen to Jason. Skating is a breeze." An extremely short brunette assured me. "Well, I'll see you guys after school then." I stated as they all nodded. Jason continued to smile and glance at me from time to time. All of them walked off except Jason. "The back of the school, don't be late." He demanded as I nodded and he followed Gordo and the rest of them down the hallway.

~Calli~ "You look sad." Ethan noticed as I looked away. "I'm fine." I lied as he wrapped his arm around my waist and walked me to our next class. "I know something is wrong with you and I'm going to find out what it is." He promised as I watched Lizzie walk away from Naia, Rainy, and their "Skater Boys." "I think you worry too much." I told him, rising on my tippy toes to give him a kiss. And how sweet that kiss tasted. "I'll see you after school." Ethan whispered regretfully. Even though we were both taking Honors classes, he had all his classes opposite mine, which made things hard, but we were surviving.

"Lizzie!" I yelled out, catching up with her after fourth period. "What do you want?" She asked, fully giving off Kate's attitude to me. "I saw you with the Skater Boys." I commented. "And?"

"And. I want to make sure that you know that they're trouble. They're not good for your reputation." I explained as she started to grow impatient. "What would you know about my rep?" She sighed. "If Gordo's apart of them then they must be okay so back off. I don't need your interference." Lizzie answered as I started to feel bad. I guess she could tell. "I- I'm sorry Calli. That was really mean . I'll make sure that everything is fine." She recovered giving me a polite smile, which was a first.

~Jason~ "So McGuire does have guts after all." I commented as Lizzie walked through the back door. "Yeah. I do." Lizzie responded as I gave her a quick smile and we all walked to our secret skating spot. Since she didn't have any skates, Rainy let her borrow hers, while Naia and I showed her some tricks. She didn't even know the basics, which was kind of funny. "Lizzie. Lizzie. Why don't you try standing up straight, like this?" Rainy suggested as me and the other guys busted out in a fit of giggles. She tired to stand up and had fallen flat on her face.

"Guys. This is NOT funny!" She screamed which made us laugh harder. "Come on." I extended my hand out to her, which she rejected. Rainy helped her to her feet. "Skating isn't for everyone Lizzie." Gordo told her as her eyes narrowed at him, "So, I'm having a bad day. Big deal. Don't try to tell me that you guys don't fall once in a while." "Yeah, once in a while." Leslie explained. "Not all the time." Justin started to laugh again, which set everyone off, even the girls.

"Okay. Guys. This is sooo not cool." Lizzie mumbled, taking off the skates and sighing. "It's okay Lizzie. You can try again tomorrow." I suggested. "No thanks. I have somewhere to be." Lizzie told us as Gordo said goodbye and followed her home.

~Lizzie~ "Gordo. I can't believe you." I whined as he looked down at his skates. "What? You have to admit, it was funny." "Not if it was happening to you!" I yelled as he stopped smiling. " I didn't know you'd take it so personally." He began. "I didn't know that you'd sell me and Miranda out for skating. SKATING. What happened to the Gordo that use to make short films all the time? He was a true friend" I commented, angrily.

"He flew out the door along with the Gordo that picked his nose . and the one that considered you his best friend!" Gordo yelled back. "So that's it? We become juniors in high school and you suddenly think you're too good to hang out with us?" "You're the one who acts that way." He mumbled. "No. Gordo, I tried to be nice and be friends with your friends, but all the do is make fun of me, and you laugh with them." I narrowed my eyes. "This is my stop." I walked off. "Wait Lizzie." "Didn't we decide that this friendship was terminated? You've left me and Miranda behind."

" No. I haven't . Miranda and I are ." His voiced trailed off. "Let me guess. Hmm . GOING OUT?" He nodded. "Well, then I guess that's two best friends that I've just lost then." "Why? She has nothing to do with this argument." "She's been lying to me all this time . so have you. Real friends don't do that." I started. "I al ways knew that we would change, but I'd thought we'd be best friends for life . I never thought you'd be the one to ruin it all." I ran the rest of the way to my house and slammed the door behind me.

"Lizzie. Honey. What's wrong?" My mother asked as I ran up the stairs. Immediately I ran back down the stairs. "I have a project to do on my family." I told her. "Do we have an attic or something where you keep all that stuff?" I asked as she nodded. "Everything you need should be on the right side." Mom told me as I nodded and ran back up the stairs.

"Not another photo album!" I screamed to myself as mom walked in with cookies and milk. I had seen about a million family pictures of people that sure didn't look like they had any relation to me. "You've been in here all day. Don't you think that you should call it quits? You haven't seen any of your friends today, have you?" She walked over to me as I sighed and looked away. "I don't have friends anymore mom." "Don't tell me that the three of you have had another fight." I nodded. "But, this time it's over for real. High school really does tear apart best friends." Mom pulled me in for a hug and I cried on her shoulder for a little while.

After she left, I almost considered giving up and accepting the fact that my family project was going to be a bust. I dipped a Chocolate Chip Cookie in the milk, took a bite, and started to search through some papers on the left side of the attic. There was nothing on the right side, like mom said and the rest of this stuff was probably junk anyway. I finished off the cookies and searched through every trunk in sight. I yawned and looked at my watch. It was almost 12 in the morning. I yawned again and started to pack up the things I found, until my eyes rested on a bright red trunk. How could I have missed that?

I put all my other things together, sat over by the trunk, and started to pull out a bunch of papers, all which had stuff on it about me. "I thought mom said the right side." I whispered to myself as I heard a scurrying and slammed the trunk. "Honey. You're still up here?" Dad asked as I nodded. "I'm just getting so wrapped up in this project." I told him as he smiled. "Tell you what, I'll give you fifteen more minutes, then you have to promise me you'll go to bed." "Scouts honor." I heard up two fingers like I had seen him do so many times before.

As soon as he left I rushed to the bright red trunk and started to toss out everything in sight. I stopped when I came to a white piece of paper with my name on it, but it wasn't my name exactly.

Name: Elizabeth Ann Fogworth Age: 12 months Born: April 26, 1986 Place of Birth: Donetsk, Ukraine Parents to Be: Marilyn and Thomas McGuire

I continued to read the papers and my jaw dropped. According to these papers, I was adopted.

(A/N: How was that? Did you like it? Did you hate it? Let me know. I should have the next chapter up between the 28th and the 9th, depending on how many reviews I get. Thanks a lot!!)