Chapter Five: The Search for Thunder begins

A week and a half later...

"Now Lanny," Young Matt McGuire, his eyes sparkling that same mischief that he held not too long ago, grinned at his best friend excitedly. "All we have to do is find an ape and pick up David's video equipment and we'll be all set to film our first..." Both Matt and Lanny struck a pose, "Matt and Quiet Lanny movie!"

It was a beautiful Sunday morning and for once Matt was up before nine o'clock! Maybe it had to do with the brunch meeting he was holding for Lanny, Malina, who was his other best friend that surprisingly enough was a girl, and himself.

Matt wanted to have nothing in common with his sister. Unfortunately he did follow in on trait: being very best friends with someone of the opposite sex. Not that he didn't have friends that were girls, no he grew up from those days of thinking females as disgusting whiny things. However, Malina was different. And some days, as he would watch her from the corner of his eye, a queasy feeling told him that they themselves would be like Lizzie and David one day.

Often or not he would shudder at that thought.

Malina shook her head, "Great.... I'm just gonna love your little Jay and Silent Bob movie rip-off!"

Lanny struck her a look, while Matt glared at her. "See if we cast you in our blockbuster movie!"

Smirking, "If the block is as big as those building blocks... I'm sure I'll survive the heartache."

"Hey Matt," Jo McGuire stepped outside, Miranda and Larry following her. "Honey, have you seen Lizzie? Miranda and Larry are here to see her."

Matt chugged down his orange juice, wiped his mouth, then raised his glass to the window of Lizzie's room. "You check up there? That is her room, y'know. She practically locked herself up there all weekend!" Matt paused, then "Has she been grounded and I wasn't told about it?"

"Well, I tried calling her but there was no answer." Jo replied, giving her son a look for that smart-alec response.

"That's because she has her earphones on, Mrs. McGuire." Malina said. "She has them on because Matt keeps on bothering her by throwing grapes at her window."

"Matt!"

Matt winced, then cast a glare at Malina before smiling innocently at his mother. "I wasn't throwing grapes at her window! Honest!"

However, Jo didn't believe that angel act for one second. Crossing her arms, "Was it cherry pits?"

Sheepishly, Matt hung his head, "Yeah..."

"Mrs. McGuire," Miranda spoke up, "Larry and I are just gonna go up now to see Lizzie."

Larry spied the food placed outside. He reached for a pastry, but was intercepted by Miranda. "C'mon, Larry! Talk to Lizzie now, eat later."

Reluctantly, he placed the pastry down. As he slowly followed Miranda, he turned around to give one lasting look at the delicate treats, saw Lanny toss him something in a napkin, giving him a wink.

Larry glanced in the napkin, smiled at the cream puff inside, and returned Lanny's wink.

@ ~ ~ ~ @ ~ ~ ~ @

"Lizzie?" Miranda knocked on Lizzie's door, "Liz? It's me, Miranda."

"Door's open!" Her cheerful voice beckoned, surprising both Miranda and Larry. Since when on a weekend has Lizzie been that cheerful?

As they entered the room, Lizzie greeted them in such an exciting manner that they had to wonder, what was up with her?

Lizzie spun around, smiling widely at them. "I just had a major breakthrough!" She was wearing a pink v-neck tank and a white skirt, her outfit as sweet and innocent as her overall personality.

Half joking with her, Miranda laughed, "Lizzie, you wearing pink is really not that big of a breakthrough."

"Miranda," Lizzie picked up The Godfather book, holding it up. "It took me nearly two weeks to finish, granted I had to lock myself in for this weekend, but I finally finished it and..." She sighed in content, "This book has opened my eyes! I now realize who I'm meant to be with!"

Miranda and Larry gave Lizzie this look, "Uh, Liz," Miranda spoke, "Thought you knew that David was the one for you?"

She bit her lower lip, "Uh... sorta..."

Miranda glanced at Larry, then gave him a small smile. "Uh, Larry? Do you mind going downstairs while I talk to Lizzie?"

He thought about it, though he didn't have to give much thought to it. With a sly grin, "May I join Matt for brunch?"

She sighed and rolled her eyes, though still smiling, "Of course..."

To Lizzie, "Continue with your girl-talk!" To Miranda he gave her a kiss on the cheek, then descended down and out.

As soon as he stepped out the door, Lizzie began explaining to them about what had happened between her and Ethan. She was not only excited about it, but somewhat nervous.

When she was done, Miranda had to sit down. "Okay, wait... first you had a crush on David, then mostly on Ethan, with exception of Aaron Carter, Frankie Muniz, and that Ronny guy..."

Lizzie threw a helpless smile at her friend.

"Then back to Ethan and for a brief time on David... now it's back to Ethan?"

Again she gave Miranda a helpless smile. "I want to feel it."

"Feel what?"

Lizzie began pacing, "It! The thunderbolt!" She picked up the book again, "Michael Corleone fell in love with this woman, Apollonia. When he first saw her, it was more than attraction at first sight... it was desire, want, need, and the beginning of love!"

"And what does this have to do with you and Ethan..." Softly she added, "And David."

"I want to feel that thunderbolt! The desire, the want, the need for this one person!"

She picked up a picture frame. It was a group picture of her, David, Miranda, Larry, Ethan, and Kate taken during their first day of high school. Lizzie's mom wanted to capture this proud moment for her daughter, so when she dropped her, Miranda, and David off at school, she had taken the picture on the school's front steps. Larry, Ethan, and Kate just happened to be there, and Mrs. McGuire thought it was perfect timing.

Studying the picture now, especially the faces of Ethan and her Gordo, Lizzie beamed a content smile. "Miranda, I know now who I belong with..."

"And the guy is..."

Her eyes glazed over in this determined far away look. "The one that I'll feel the thunderbolt with!"

Miranda bit her lip to keep from laughing at her friend's far out theory. Instead, she shook her head and sighed. "Lizzie... that really doesn't help eliminate your options!"

"It's simple, Rand! From either Gordo or Ethan, the first one that stirs up a glimpse of desire, of want, of need... he's the one!"

"Uh huh..." Miranda nodded, a bit amused yet scared for her friend's logic. "Lizzie, have you read the whole book?"

Sighing, "Yeah... no wonder Gordo loves this story so much!"

"So you do know what happens to Apollonia?"

Lizzie's face fell, "Yeah..."

"Yeah, what a great couple to base your theory on, Liz. For goodness sake's! Michael ends up with Kay!"

Shaking off that little glitch in her theory, "Look, that's besides the point, Miranda! We're not living in old fashion Sicily, nor are we involved in the Mafia! The point here is that the thunderbolt is the only way for me to decide between Ethan and Gordo!"

Miranda crossed her arms, leaning back on the bed. "That's just great, Liz. I'm sure David will be happy to hear you basing your love for him on some fictional romance!"

Lizzie bit her lip, darting her eyes as she softly replied, "What if it isn't Gordo?"

"Well," She walked over to her friend, draping an arm over her shoulder. "At least Ethan would consider it cool that you're comparing him to Michael Corleone!"

Lizzie laughed, paused to think about it, then slyly said, "I think Gordo looks cuter in a fedora than Ethan would."

"That's because unless it was a safety helmet, we have never seen anything on that well-kept head of his!" Miranda quipped, both girls giggling at Ethan's handsome expense.

@ ~ ~ ~ @ ~ ~ ~ @

"Hey Ethan!"

Ethan Craft glanced up from his golf magazine, a grin forming on his lips at the sight of his favorite McGuire. "Lizzie!"

"Can I join you?" She asked, holding her shake somewhat nervously.

He regarded her, then pulled out a chair next to him. "It would be my pleasure."

After Lizzie hung out at the mall with Miranda and Larry that Sunday morning, she decided to stop at the Digital Bean for a quick milk shake. The Digital Bean still served as a cool hang-out for Lizzie and her friends. To Lizzie, it was the equivalent as any afterschool eatery that is potrayed in those teen shows.

She was hoping to somehow run into either her Gordo or Ethan today without making it seem like she was looking for them. Her chances of seeing her Gordo were slim when Miranda told her that he was off running errands for his father.

However, her chances of seeing Ethan heightened the moment she saw him at the Digital Bean, sitting at a table alone.

Taking the offered seat, she smiled shyly at him. "Thanks."

"So," He tuck his magazine back into his backpack, "What do I owe the pleasure of such company?"

Lizzie giggled, "Uh, well... I saw you sitting by yourself and thought 'Wow, I wonder if Ethan Craft would mind if I joined him?'"

"Well," Playing along with Lizzie, "I think Ethan Craft wouldn't mind at all! Ethan Craft doesn't mind the company of a pretty lady."

She felt herself blush and a small chill of pleasure sweep through her body. Upon such chill, Lizzie felt her pulse race at attention. Was this her sign? Her thunderbolt?

"Especially a pretty lady with a sweet personality and just happens to be a very good friend of his."

The mere mention of the word "friend" caused Lizzie's pleasure to drop to dismay. Not wanting to seem put off by his words, Lizzie played a smile on her lips. "You think of me as a good friend?"

He took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Of course, Lizzie! The best!" Ethan grew quiet, then began to speak again, as if telling her something that he's been meaning to speak about. "In fact if it weren't for certain things like the fact that I respect David... and then there's Kate... well," Giving her a shy smile, "Maybe I might consider you as something more..."

Lizzie couldn't help but let her jaw slack open. This was news to her! It was as if she were finally hearing the words her eight grade self has been wanting to hear! Maybe not just her old self anymore... maybe the Lizzie of this moment. The Lizzie that wants to fall for someone that would give as much love as she would give.

Ethan retracted his hand, for a moment scared at his words and his actions. "Oh man! I'm so sorry, Liz! I didn't mean it... I mean, I do mean it, but..." He flustered, then, "I'm not looking to break up you and David! You guys are my friends!"

For a moment, Lizzie was stunned. Then as the words began to sink in, she began to laugh. She took his hand, noting his confused expression. "Ethan! Gordo and I are not dating! We're very close, yes, but we're not a couple."

"You guys aren't a couple?"

Lizzie looked down, something inside of her saying that it was a lie... not the title of being a couple, but the denying of the love between them. Whether or not Lizzie and David were dating, the fact that there was something strong between them and denying it seemed like a sin in itself.

She looked back up, into Ethan's eyes, "We're just best friends. Very best friends. He's practically my rock! I honestly don't know what I would do without Gordo in my life."

Ethan nodded in understanding. "Why do you still call him Gordo when everyone else, including himself, calls him David?"

As simple and natural as an answer can be, "Because to everyone else he'll always be David... to me, he's something much more. Anyone can be David... he's more than that to me. He's Gordo and I refuse to see him as anything less than that. Just like one day, I'll probably ask you all to call me by my birth name, Elizabeth. But if I know Gordo as much as I know him, he'll always call me Lizzie and refuse to call me Elizabeth."

"You see something in him that no one else can see... and vice-versa, right?"

Smiling softly, "Yeah..."

Ethan nodded too, and then replied with something in his voice that Lizzie couldn't put her finger on. "Yeah... I know about that."

"You do?"

He gave her a mysterious smile, "Yeah..."

A comfortable pause fell on their table, each reflecting on what the other said. It was Ethan who spoke up with, "Lizzie? Remember when you asked me to let you know why I put up with Kate some times?"

Lizzie nodded, though inwardly wincing at the mention of her nemises.

"Well..." Ethan began, but was interrupted by the one and only--

"Ethan? There you are..."

Both Ethan and Lizzie stood and looked up at the face of one Kate Sanders. However, something struck Lizzie at the funny expression on Kate's face. She seemed to regard them as if she stumbled onto them committing a crime. Her eyes fell onto Lizzie and Ethan's hands that just happened to be intertwined.

Self conciously, Lizzie was the one that dropped her hand from Ethan's grasp. Meekly, "Hey, Kate."

Kate stunned Lizzie by returning the meek smile and without malice in her voice, replied, "Hey, Lizzie." Her eyes turned towards Ethan, as if searching into him.

Lizzie watched their interaction with quiet interest. She sensed something was going on between them, but couldn't put her finger on it. She knew that through the years there was something going on and off between Kate and Ethan. Lizzie just didn't know how serious their relationship was.

She watched Kate's eyes search Ethan's, then glance mildly at Lizzie. There actually was no hate in her eyes, just... sadness? Her gaze didn't last long on Lizzie's, for suddenly it was on something behind them... or someone.

Lizzie turned around and silently gasped. "Gordo?"

David was sitting quite calmly at a small table right behind them. He nodded at them in acknowledgment. Lizzie's heart fell as she saw that her Gordo mirrored the same expression on his face as Kate.

"How long were you standing there?"

David shrugged, "Not long..." He turned to take a sip from his drink, mumbling into it, "Just long enough."

Lizzie looked helplessly up at Ethan. Ethan himself was looking helplessly at Kate.

The four of them fell into an uncomfortable silence, when it was Kate who broke it. "Ethan, call me, okay? I just remembered that I had to run an errand for my mom." She nodded at David, "Bye David," To Lizzie, still without an ounce of mean in her voice, "Bye Lizzie."

Ethan stepped forward, as if to stop her from leaving, but knew it was pointless. He sighed, then turned to Lizzie. "Listen, Liz, can I call you up some time? I'd like to talk to you about something, if that's okay with you."

Despite the awkward, even partly guitly, situation, Lizzie smiled. "Sure. Anytime, Ethan."

He picked up his bag, and before he or Lizzie fully realized what he was doing, Ethan hugged Lizzie and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Lizzie." He whispered, then turned to leave.

As she watched him leave, she felt a soft grasp on her shoulder. Lizzie turned to her Gordo, hoping her face wasn't turning red with embarressment... or guilt.

"You and Ethan..." He started, refusing to look up and into her eyes.

"Gordo..."

He took one last gulp of his beverage, took a breath, then looked Lizzie straight in the eyes. What Lizzie saw finally sealed the guilt trip, "You guys make a cute couple. And it's a good thing that he's a nice guy because I honestly don't think I can take him on."

David turned to leave, but Lizzie caught his hand in hers.

Practically pleading with him not to turn away from her, "Gordo, you're my best friend! You mean so much to me! You're my rock, you're my shoulder to cry on, you're... you're practically everything to me!"

With a small, yet pensive, smile, "I know that, Lizzie." Giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, "I know."

With that, he dropped her hand and left.