Chapter 7: In Which There Is An Unexpected Plot Twist

Finally. The day has come. What day, you ask? Well, today's the day that Gordo and I present our science project: The Heart: Nature's Finest Machine. It's true! I didn't know anything about the heart, but now I could tell you a LOT. Like that the heart has four chambers and the aorta is the main vein in it. Or is the aorta an artery? Whatever. Like I said, it's OUR project, which basically means Gordo will do all the talking and I'll stand there like Vanna White pointing to things and looking pretty. It shouldn't be too hard.

"Miranda!"

"Coming, Mom!"

I ran down the stairs at breakneck speed to see Lizzie standing there, suitcase in hand and sleeping bag under her arm. Her parents were there too, along with her little brother.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Sweetheart," began Mom, "Lizzie will be staying here for the week while her parents and Matt go on this Boy Scout parent-child bonding...thing."

"I didn't know you were a Boy Scout," I said, turning to Matt.

"He wasn't," interjected Mrs. McGuire, "until last night. Then his scout leader said we had to go on this trip."

"I know I'm excited," said Mr. McGuire with a pained look on his face.

"It's going to be AWESOME," declared Matt, "Just wait until you see a real live snake out in the wilderness, Mom."

"Snakes?" said Mrs. McGuire, "Matt, are you sure you want to-"

But before she could finish, her, Mr. McGuire, and Matt were out the door, Lizzie waving goodbye with a satisfied smirk on her face.

Mom turned.

"Miranda, why don't you go into the basement and get the blow-up mattress? Lizzie can stay in your room."

"Cool, roommates," Lizzie said, "Should I bring my stuff up?"

"Sure, Lizzie," said Mom.

I walked down the stairs to the basement feeling a curl of excitement well up inside of me. Lizzie was going to stay here for a whole week! I've never had a roommate before. This is going to be so cool.
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Here it was. 6th period. Time for... the presentation. Gordo and I met up by his locker and got our heart model. As we made our way to Science class, I told Gordo how Lizzie was going to be staying with me for the week.

"Wow, sounds...girly," he said, a look of disgust on his face.

"Please, it's exciting!" I said, "We're going to be roommates!"

"That's not exciting," said Gordo, "now, if you and I were roommates, that'd be exciting."

I had just finished smacking his arm when we heard Lizzie's voice from around the corner.

"Just because you had a cheerleading conference doesn't mean that you can just not do the project! You were supposed to talk about the heart in mythology, what are we going to do now?"

"Oh no," I hissed to Gordo, "you've got to stop them before they explode!"

"Me!!? Why me!!?" cried Gordo, "Why not you!!?"

"Because if I get within two feet of Kate Saunders, I'll rip her face off, you know that."

"Right, right, off I go..." said Gordo.
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"Gordo, that was brilliant!" declared Lizzie, sliding into her usual seat at our table at lunch.

"I know," I said, "having Kate discuss how the heart has changed from a muscle in the body to a cutesy Valentine's Day symbol was a stroke of genius!"

Gordo looked down at his fries, blushing slightly, "It really wasn't a big deal."

Lizzie let out a snort of laughter, "Gordo, you saved our project, how can I thank you?"

"Tell me what Miranda says about me while you're staying over at her house this week," Gordo said, taking a sip of his juice.

"She will not!" I declared, giving Gordo my patented Death Stare.

Lizzie burst out laughing; "You two are too much. You're like a sitcom!"

"Uh...thanks?" said Gordo weakly.

"And who ever said I would waste my time talking about you?" I asked, giving Lizzie a wink.
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That evening after dinner Lizzie and I sat in my room painting our toenails and discussing our favorite topic- boys.

"Well," said Lizzie, "Ethan came up to me after Science and told me that my report was off the hook and I was actually able to talk to him for a few minutes without stumbling all over myself!"

"That's so awesome!" I said, "he so likes you, I can tell, I'm brilliant like that."

"Brilliant like when you said that the marker was non toxic and we both wound up in the hospital?"

"I was eight," I sighed, "I've become more brilliant since then!"

"Let's hope so," said Lizzie. She stuck her toes out and wiggled them; "Does this color look okay?"

"It's great." I said.

This is going great. I love having a roomie. What could go wrong?