A/N: Heyhey!! All you guys know what happens in this point of the story, since it's when the show takes place, so I'm not going to spend too many chapters writing about it.

Dedicated to Trillian, for no particular reason in relation to the story. It's just because she's a really great friend. JJ

Chapter Four: One Summer Can Change Everything Part 2

The Next Day-----------------------------------------------------------------

Lizzie woke up with the rays of sunshine that hit her face and her sun and moon bed-spread. She smiled as she saw the small rainbow made by the sun hitting the ball-shaped crystal hanging from her window. She remembered how much she had loved it when Kate had given it to her for her birthday. Lizzie looked down beside her bed and saw a sleeping Miranda. Careful not to wake her best friend up, Lizzie made her way downstairs to the kitchen.

"Good morning, Mom" she said.

"Morning, honey," Mrs. McGuire yelled over her shoulder and kept on watching 'Live with Regis and Kelly'. (A/N: I know it's dorky, but I like the show!) "Do you want anything for breakfast? There's some pancake batter in the fridge."

"Sounds great. Thanks."

 Lizzie started making herself some pancakes, and some extra ones too for Miranda. While she was cooking, she remembered Kate had gotten home yesterday and she forgot to call. * Stupid me!  I'll call her as soon as I finish breakfast*

"Smells good around here, whatcha cooking?" said Miranda as she stretched her arms above her head.

Lizzie chuckled. "Just making some chow."

"Smells delicious." Miranda said as she sat down at the table.

"You know what we forgot to do yesterday?" asked Lizzie. "We forgot to call Kate!"

"You're right! God, we're stupid!"

 "Let's call right now and ask if she wants to come over or something."

Lizzie sprinted towards the phone and dialled the familiar 7-digit phone number. She waited as the phone rang 2 times before someone answered.

 "Hello?" said a snobbish voice coming from the phone.

"Um, hi. Is Kate there? It's Lizzie, a friend of hers."

"Oh, like, hi. It's me."

"Hi! How was camp? I'm sure you had a great time. You have got to tell me everything!"

"Me too!" said Miranda who had picked up another phone and was listening to the conversation.

"So," said Lizzie, "Do you wanna come over and talk and hang out and stuff?"

"Um, like, I don't think so. I have much more important things to do. Like hanging out with popular people and go shopping." Kate hung up.

Lizzie was shocked. What had changed? Why was Kate acting like this?

Miranda walked toward Lizzie. "That was totally bizarre and unexpected!"

"I wonder why she's doing this. We're her best friends! Why is she rejecting us?"

The answer came a few days later when school started. Kate was no longer the perky little girl with glasses who used to wear jeans and a messed up ponytail to school. She was now a tall, "curvy" girl who was more worried about lipstick, nail polish, and boys than about her friends.

Lizzie and Miranda were walking together towards home room when came the first of the ever-lasting rude comments from Kate and her little clones.

"Um, hi Kate," said Lizzie and she grinned a little.

"Loser!" said Kate holding up her finger and her thumb I the shape of an 'L'. Her little clones followed her.

Lizzie and Miranda just walked away, hurt by the fact that they had lost a best friend. They sat next to each other in every class they had together. They had a total of 4 classes together, and Lizzie had the other 3 classes with Gordo.

All through the first 3 periods Lizzie wondered about Kate and then she wondered about the dark-skinned girl that was in her posse. She looked extremely familiar, but Lizzie couldn't exactly place her.

Lunch came around and Lizzie looked for her friends. She found them sitting at a round red table with a few chairs scattered around it.

"Hey guys. How are you liking 7th grade?" the blonde asked.

"Pretty good. How about you, chica?"

"I'm doing good too. Nothing really interesting going on except for the fact that there's this new girl that is hanging around with Kate and she looks familiar, but I can't place her."

"Oh! The tan one? I've had the same problem!"

"No need to ask Gordo how he's doing, because of course he's not important and can easily be ignored. It doesn't even matter that he knows exactly who the girl is." Said Gordo sarcastically.

"Gordo, of course we care. We're just pretty rushed. So, how are you?" asked Lizzie.

"I'm actually doing pretty we-"

"Cut the crap, who's the girl?" said Miranda cutting Gordo off.

"It's Claire Miller. (A/N: I'm not sure if that's her last name)"

"Who?" said the girls unanimously.

"Remember back when we were in kindergarten?"

"Yeah, what does that have to do with it?" inquired Lizzie.

"Hello? The girl who stole your crayon *looks at Lizzie * and you * looks at Miranda * threw paint on. I can't believe you guys don't remember her!"

Gordo was right. Claire Miller, the girl they hadn't seen in about 7 years, was back.

"Oh my God!" exclaimed Lizzie. "She's back."

"Unfortunately, yes. And she's still as spoiled as ever." Pointed out Gordo.

Miranda had been pretty quiet, but she spoke up." That's why Kate is so snobby! She must have met Claire somehow and Claire's snobbiness stuck on to Kate!"

"Well, whatever happened top Kate, I hope it doesn't last too long." Said Lizzie with a sigh.

 A/N: End of chapter four. Next chapter as soon as I can, but the more reviews, the quicker I update. Bye!!!!!