Lizzie looked around her semi-dark room then at her alarm clock before she realized that she was sitting up in bed. She saw that it was 5:49 am and decided that it was too late to go back to sleep even if she could. It was to early to take a shower because it would at least wake her mom up and that was the last thing she wanted to do right now. So Lizzie got out of bed and pulled on her bathrobe as she went over to her computer. As she walked across the room she realized that this was the third time this week that she had had this nightmare.
As soon as the computer finished turning on she got online and checked her email out of habit. After checking her email Lizzie considered setting up an online journal for the hundredth time but she still had reservations about using one and still preferred using her old diary instead. Ever since she discovered that Matt had found it she quit using it for any real stuff about her life that Matt might use to blackmail, torment or embarrass her. She knew that if she couldn't write about these things soon she would loose it and do something that she'd regret later but if Matt ever found out it would be even worse. After giving a big sigh she pulled out her diary and started writing about her latest nightmare.
Once she had finished writing Lizzie reviewed her entries for the previous two weeks and what she saw alarmed her. She'd had seven nearly identical nightmares in that period. She knew from what she had learned watching TV and read about in magazines, that wasn't good at all and if she didn't talk to someone she'd eventually go nuts. Lizzie waited for what she had always thought of as her inner self to make an exaggerated comment on that but nothing happened. Then she realized that ever since the end of this past summer she hadn't heard anything from her inner self at all. This scared her even more. She had to talk to someone soon but who could she trust.
Normally she talked about most things with either Gordo, Miranda or both of them and for really serious things her parents. There was no way she could talk to her parents about this. Gordo was out as well because not only would he over analyze it, he was a guy and she definitely didn't want to talk to a guy about this. Now she could tell Miranda except for the fact that Miranda couldn't keep secrets. This only left Kate as a possible person to talk to and she knew that once Kate gave her word to keep a secret she kept it.
Lizzie remembered the time she was over at Kate's house and they had gone swimming in the Sanders new backyard swimming pool. She had to borrow one of Kate's bikinis because she hadn't brought hers. Kate's bikini was a little too big so after they had gotten wet they loosened up a little. Then when she dove off the diving board the bottom came off and she hadn't realized it until after she climbed out and saw the bottoms floating in the pool. Then she recalled the time when she had laughed so hard that she had an accident and peed her pants. Then there was the time in 4th grade when she had a crush on Gordo and she told Kate that she loved him. Each time Lizzie had asked Kate to promise not to tell anyone and Kate kept her promises, even when we weren't friends in Jr. high.
Lizzie was glad that she and Kate had rekindled their old friendship. It had been a long time coming but finally on their first day of high school that it happened. It had been due largely to the fact that both of them had missed Danny Kessler's end of summer party on the last day of summer vacation. The entire graduating class of Hillridge Jr. High had been invited. Every one who had attended had gotten very ill and had missed the first two weeks of school. During that time Lizzie and Kate had hung out with each other. At first it was merely for the comfort given of a familiar face when surrounded by a sea of new faces but soon they realized that without their other friends around they had no problems with each other. After discussing it they decided that it was silly for them to not be friends just because Miranda didn't like Kate and Claire didn't like Lizzie.
They had even talked about the fact that even when they were enemies in Jr. High they had never broken any of the promises they had made to each other. So Lizzie knew without a doubt that she could definitely trust Kate but it would be nice if she could trust Miranda with her secretl. At that thought Lizzie had an idea of a way to find out if Miranda had out grown her tendency to tell secrets to anyone and everyone over the summer.
The sound of her alarm clock going off brought her out of her reverie. She was a little surprised that it was 6:30 already. Lizzie logged off the Internet then shut off her computer before getting started on getting ready for school.
As Lizzie was putting the finishing touches on her hair the phone rang. She quickly picked it up and said "Hi Miranda" in a cheerful tone before the caller had a chance to say anything."Red jeans, white red cross tank top, light red fleece jacket and white Reeboks."
"How did you know it was me?" Miranda asked.
"Who else would be calling at this time?" Lizzie replied. "You've called me at 7 on almost every single morning before school to find out what I'm gonna wear. Besides I have caller ID."
"Oh right." Miranda paused a second than added "I forgot about that. Why all the red though?"
"I just felt like it. Also they're the only clean clothes I have because I forgot to do my laundry." Lizzie heard Miranda laugh at that and she also thought she heard another muffled snicker but wasn't sure about it.
"So your mom's still making you do your own laundry these days." Miranda said in a teasing tone. "I just hope my mom doesn't hear about that."
"It's not hard to do but I keep forgetting that I have to do my own laundry if I want clean clothes to wear."
"Where's Gordo?" Miranda asked, "He usually calls by now."
"Remember he told us last night that he had an 8:00 doctors appointment with some kind of specialist."
"So it's only 7:00 now." Miranda countered.
"It almost an 1 ½ hour drive there so they've already left and you know he doesn't have a cell phone."
"That's right I forgot that. So what's up for today?"
"Just the usual but do you think you meet me at the bus stop a little early or better yet could your mom drive us to school today?"
"I'll ask but I think she might. Why?" Miranda asked.
"I've got a worm problem so I can't talk right now." Lizzie said which was a signal that they had agreed on for her to let Miranda and Gordo know that Matt was probably listening in on the phone. As soon as she said that Lizzie definitely heard another muffled snicker on the phone and her suspicions were confirmed.
"Ok. Hold on while I go ask." After Miranda said that Lizzie moved the phone away from her ear. A second later she heard quite well Miranda yelling on the other end for her mom. "Mom."
A second later Lizzie hear her mom's voice saying "Matt McGuire how many times have I told you not to listen in on your sister's phone calls?" She also heard a thump like the the extension downstairs being dropped then a click as it was hastily hung up. Lizzie smiled when she heard that.
"My mom said she'd give us a ride" Miranda said about half a minute later. "We'll pick you up in 20 minutes."
"Ok see you then." Lizzie said then hung up the phone and went downstairs for breakfast.
