Best Friends Forever
Author: Anisky
It was the 8th grade formal. Finally, the dance that everyone had been waiting for the entire year, maybe even longer, had finally arrived. Streamers hung from the ceilings, strobe lights flashed through the auditorium, and Lizzie McGuire and her best friend Miranda Sanchez got to wear the fancy, expensive dresses that their parents had been denying them all year.
"You look really great, Lizzie," said Miranda. "The new hair goes perfectly with your gown."
Lizzie fingered a lock of her freshly cut hair, now reddish-blonde and chin-length. "Thanks," she said. "You look amazing too." She paused. "Do you know when Gordo will be here?"
Miranda shook her head. "It should be soon. Hey, since we didn't bring dates, want to get our picture together?"
"Sure!" Lizzie grinned. "C'mon, let's go to the back where they're taking the Formal pictures."
The slipped out of the noisy gymnasium-turned-dance floor and walked down the hall. They were silent for a moment until Lizzie spoke up. "Miranda, why didn't you bring a date? I mean, guys like you, I know you had offers."
Miranda shrugged and adjusted a piece of her hair back into the French twist. "I don't know," she said. "Just all of the guys who asked seemed, I don't know… I just wasn't interested somehow."
"Why not?" asked Lizzie, stopping in the hallway to turn to her best friend.
Miranda shifted and deflected the question. "Well, why didn't you? I'm sure you got offers"
"Same reason, I guess. None of them were the person who I wanted to go out with." Lizzie turned and resumed walking down the hallway, not as eager to discuss now that it was her love life brought into the limelight.
"Gordo, huh?" Miranda said as they walked into the Photo room.
Lizzie turned to her, looking stricken. "I… I didn't say that," she told her quickly, as they took their place in line behind an 8th grade couple.
"But you meant it… didn't you," persisted Miranda. "C'mon, I'm your best friend."
"I'm not saying it is and I'm not saying it isn't," she said stubbornly. "Oh, look it's our turn."
The theme this year of the Formal was "A Night in Paris." Lizzie and Miranda stood together in front of the Eiffel Tower, hugging each other and grinning at the camera.
"Names?" the photographer asked.
"Lizzie McGuire and Miranda Sanchez," said Miranda.
"What do you want written on the photo?" was the next question as the photographed wrote something down on a piece of paper.
"How about…" Lizzie thought for a moment, grinning at Miranda, "Best Friends Forever?"
Miranda nodded, but her smile seemed kind of forced. "Yeah. It's… perfect."
When the pictures were done, they made their way back to the gymnasium. "Hey, Gordo!" Lizzie called as she saw her other best friend coming in the door in his tux. "There you are! We've been waiting for you. We just got our pictures taken. C'mon, let's go into the dance now!"
Gordo smiled and rolled his eyes a little at Lizzie's enthusiasm. "Sure, Lizzie. Hey, Miranda."
"Hey," returned Miranda.
"You know, they didn't do a bad job decorating," commented Gordo, looking around. "The strobe light has a cool effect on everything. Sort of like those sequences in a movie where someone's drunk or high or…" he trailed off, clearing his throat. "Um, yeah. Anyway. I'm not to thrilled with the music, though." He paused, standing there awkwardly, shifting.
"Gordo," Miranda wasn't his friend for years for nothing, "Whatever you want to say, spit it out."
"It's to Lizzie, actually," he said.
Miranda rolled her eyes. "Duh," she said, too quietly to be heard.
"Lizzie, do you want to dance?" He looked at the floor. "If you don't want to I understand, but—"
"Sure," she said, "If it's OK with Miranda. Is it OK if we leave you alone for a moment?" asked Lizzie, turning to her best friend.
"Yeah, of course," said Miranda in the patented way she had of saying the exact opposite of what she meant.
It was too loud in the dance for Lizzie to notice. "Alright, then, see you in a sec!" She yelled, moving slightly away with Gordo and dancing in the corner. Miranda walked over to one of the folding chairs and sat there, watching her two best friends dance and crossing her arms. They were getting awfully close, Miranda noticed, and frowned more, tears coming to her eyes as Gordo wrapped his arms around Lizzie.
It wasn't fair! She knew that her best friend would always win over her, and it wasn't fair. She was in love with her best friend—who unfortunately was in love with her other best friend!
Lizzie said something, and Gordo laughed, stroking her hair. He slid his arms down from her shoulders to around her waist, pulling her closer as a slow song started. The two of them pulled close, dancing cheek to cheek.
Miranda couldn't take it anymore. She stood up and stormed out of the gymnasium, going outside to where all of the cafeteria benches were. She sat down on one, tears running down her face, hugging herself. It was rather chilly for a night in early May, and Miranda shivered, and was so wrapped up in self-pity that she didn't hear her name being called at first.
"Miranda? I know you're out here." It was Lizzie. "Please…"
"I'm over here," said Miranda numbly, watching as her best girl-friend walked over and sat next to her on the bench.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong. Go back inside." Miranda turned away from Lizzie.
"Obviously something's wrong, otherwise you wouldn't be outside crying. What is it?"
"Go back inside to Gordo, you and he were getting awfully comfy together anyway, I'm sure you'd rather be in there." Miranda's voice was bitter, and even chillier than the surprisingly cold night.
"Oh… so that's it." Lizzie put her arms around Miranda. "I don't like Gordo in that way, Miranda."
Miranda pulled away from the embrace. "Get off of me."
Lizzie looked hurt, but she moved towards her friend again. "Do you like him? Is that it? Because I don't like him, you can get with him if you want."
"No," said Miranda.
"Did you just feel left out then? I'm sorry…" Lizzie trailed off, unsure of what to say.
"Just leave me alone. You wouldn't understand." Miranda stood up and turned to walk away.
Lizzie jumped up and grabbed her friend's shoulder. "Miranda, what are you talking about? Of course I'd understand. I'm your best friend!"
Miranda twirled to face Lizzie. "Exactly." She said in a whisper, another tear streaming down her cheek. "You're my best friend."
Lizzie's eyes got wide, with surprise and… something else. "You mean…"
"I don't mean anything," Miranda said, her voice cold again as she turned away. "Nothing."
Lizzie wouldn't let her friend get away that easy, she ran ahead of Miranda and stopped in front of her. "Oh really?"
"Yeah!" said Miranda angrily.
"Well then," said Lizzie, reaching up a hand and wiping away Miranda's tears, "you'll hate me for this," and with that she leaned in and kissed Miranda on the lips. After a moment she pulled away, holding her breath and waiting for the reaction on Miranda's face. Unfortunately, it was one of stun, which didn't necessarily mean she was one way or the other. "Well?" Lizzie asked hopefully.
Miranda smiled, leaning in to kiss Lizzie, wrapping her arms around her friend and sliding her tongue along her lips. She pulled back, shivering in the cold night. "Well, now you know why I didn't take any guys to the dance."
Lizzie smiled. "Now you know why I didn't."
They just stood there for a moment, staring at each other. Then Lizzie smiled. "Well… now that we're with the people we wanted to come here with… would you like to go back inside and dance?"
Miranda, wiping away the last of her tears, nodded. "I'd love to."
They turned to walk back into the school. As she opened the doors, Lizzie cleared her throat. "There is one problem, though, with this relationship," she said, then as Miranda started to look worried, she grinned at her new girlfriend cheekily. "We have the wrong label on our Formal picture!"