CHAPTER FIFTY FOUR
Lizzie was glad to go back to school the following Monday. She loved her Mommy and Daddy very much, and her Aunt and Uncle too, but being cooped up in a house with them all for four days was just too much togetherness.
"Welcome back." Justin was the first to greet her on the bus. "How's your Mom?"
"She's good." Lizzie was happy to see Justin again. She had missed him more than she thought. They'd IMed each other every day, but it wasn't the same as seeing him. He smiled and gave her a hug, which was definitely better than the one he'd been IMing her constantly.
"Glad."
"Hey, welcome back Curly Top." Erik had taken to calling her obnoxious nicknames.
"Hey yourself, Twiggy." Erik was a tall, slender boy. The name fit him perfectly.
"I can't tell you how much we missed you." Persia rolled her eyes. "It's no fun when the boys outnumber us.
"You can say that again." Micah pushed her way into the seat next to Lizzie. "So, dja miss us?"
"Immensely." Lizzie gave her friend a big hug. She liked hugging. Definitely not something she go from her father.
"We missed you too Lizzie." Ben felt he should chime in too, since everyone else had. "And glad your Mom's okay."
"Thanks." Lizzie knew that was hard for Ben, who had lost his own Mom to cancer last year according to Micah.
"I don't think Dubby is going to be giving you any trouble today. He's been asking about you every day."
"Really?" Lizzie wrinkled her nose.
"Yeah, he's been very worried." Persia shrugged. "Grownups are weird."
They all laughed.
Each of her friends stumbled over each other trying to fill her in on the two days she'd missed. Most of it was old news, relayed to her over IM, but she was so happy to be back with her friends that she didn't mind the repetition.
Keeley glared over at the noisy group, then flipped her hair and turned to her friends. "If she thinks we're all going to feel sorry for her, she'd better think again."
"She probably thinks she'll be Mr. Dubin's favorite now." Paige added.
Jordiss looked over at Lizzie for a moment. Then she whispered to her friends. "Leave her alone, her Mom was sick. How would you feel if your mom was sick?"
"Oh, please, she probably made the whole thing up." Keeley didn't want to let it go. She'd finally gotten some good ammo to use against Lizzie and she was going to use it.
Jordiss sat back in her seat and looked down at her hands while Keeley and Paige continued talking about how Lizzie's mother was probably just sick of looking at her ugly face all day and how Lizzie's dad probably drugged her so he wouldn't have to have another brat like Lizzie running around.
Lizzie's fists clenched into tight balls. Her face turned beat red.
Micah held Lizzie's arm. "Don't do it. It's what she wants."
"I'm surprised they didn't tell the doctor to take her back when she was born."
Lizzie felt her head about to burst. Just one hit. That would be enough. Keeley was a girly girl. She would cry like a little baby.
"Micah's right Liz. Don't give her the satisfaction.
"Hey Frizzie Lizzie, your parents messed up so bad on you that God won't let them do it again."
Jeremy stood up in a rage. He rushed over to his sister and punched her hard in the nose. Lizzie watched enviously.
"I'm gonna tell dad," Keeley cried, her hand on her nose.
"Go right ahead, and I'll tell him everything you said."
"He won't believe you." Keeley snotted.
Suddenly the bus was filled with Keeley's voice, repeating everything she'd just said. Everyone turned to look at Erik who had snuck into the seat in front of the Cerberus and recorded every word they said on a small tape recorder. He grinned proudly.
Keeley cried the rest of the way to school while Paige and Jordiss tried to comfort her. Erik and Jeremy returned to their friends triumphantly.
"You shouldn't have done that Jeremy." Lizzie was still angry, and was jealous that Jeremy was the one who got to vent that anger.
"Dad's not going to kick me out of school, but he might have had to kick you out if you hit his daughter. I'm pretty sure Mom would make sure of that."
"Thanks, but it still would have been worth it." Lizzie was still mad. Nothing he said was going to change that.
"Yeah, well, thanks to Erik here, no one is going to get kicked out." Persia gushed.
Erik just shrugged it off. "I've been wanting to try out my new spy recorder anyway."
"Thank you." Lizzie leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. No one was more surprised than she was, and the deep pink hue of her face was a dead giveaway of that. Jeremy was in a bad mood the rest of the day.
