"So what's your story, McGuire?" asked a very curious and exasperated Jill
the following day. She eyed the blonde creature suspiciously.
Lizzie, who had come to sit with Jill yet again, sat a little confused. "Um... excuse me?"
"Let's not make this any more painful than it is, blondie. People like you don't just suddenly decide to migrate over to the loner's table. Is there a shortage of seats at the beautiful people's table or something?"
Lizzie looked down at her lunch. *Actually, yeah,* she thought sadly to herself. "I may as well be a loner myself," she mumbled.
"Well, that'll be a bit difficult. You see, loner's have this whole thing about being ALONE, and you're here with me. So spill."
Lizzie shrugged. She spoke in a small, barely audible voice. "I'm just not one of the 'beautiful people' anymore."
Jill nodded. "Well, you have really let yourself go, McGuire." Lizzie dropped her jaw in shock at her lunch companion's briskness. Jill gave her a warning glance. "Hey, now, don't get offended. You're on my territory so you'll have to get used to the way we run this particular lunch table. As I was saying, you've totally lost your pizazz. I haven't seen you wear frilly, midriff-revealing shirts or shiny pink hair ribbons in quite awhile. I'm very curious... what's the scoop here?"
Lizzie wasn't quite sure how to respond to any of that; she hadn't spent much time around anyone quite as blunt as Jill. It was a little annoying, but at the same she found small comfort in the fact that someone was talking straight with her. "I'm a freak. I'm a fat, ugly freak. Everyone's always staring at me. I just can't compete with them anymore!"
Jill laughed. "So, let me get this straight. You put on a few pounds this summer, and suddenly feel like you're not good enough to hang out with the in crowd. And so to avoid being stared at, you come and sit with ME? That's some piss-poor logic, McGuire."
For a fleeting moment, Lizzie considered saying something to defend herself. Instead she simply sighed and shook her head. "It's not about avoiding people anymore. No matter what I do, people are going to stare and make fun of me. I may as well admit my freakhood and come sit with you."
"Gee, McGuire, that's a sweet sentiment. I'm moved, I really am. Get up."
Lizzie stared back at her, confused.
"You're not fat, and you're certainly far from freakhood. You're making the rest of us loners look bad. Get lost."
"Are you... are you serious?"
"Of course I am. I can't have you cramping my style; go back to the beautiful people."
Lizzie picked up her tray, a little baffled, and slowly walked away. The bell rang, sparing her the trouble and humiliation of trying to find another available seat. *That's just great* she thought bitterly to herself. *Now I can't even sit at the freak table*
* * * *
"Lizzie, are you okay?" asked Miranda on the bus. "How come you haven't been hanging out with us?"
Lizzie shifted uncomfortably. "I've just been busy," she said. "High school's a bit more hectic than I expected."
"Sure you don't mean homework?" said Gordo. "Because I've never known Lizzie Mcguire to blow off her friends just because of homework. That excuse won't work."
His manner was jovial and playful; Lizzie laughed uncomfortable but couldn't find any words.
"Come to the Digital Bean with us," Miranda offered.
Lizzie shook her head no. Miranda and Gordo looked at each other.
"What's the matter, Lizzie?"
Lizzie was unsure of what to say. She looked back and forth between her two friends. Why was she so intent on avoiding them? They cared about her, she knew that was true. But going out in public with them was asking too much. She wanted to have fun again, but the thought of facing all those people made her panicky. She just wasn't the same old Lizzie. She didn't know how to explain this to her friends, as they stared at her expectantly.
Thankfully, the bus pulled onto her street. "I have to go," she said. She grabbed her bookbag and hastily exit the bus.
Lizzie, who had come to sit with Jill yet again, sat a little confused. "Um... excuse me?"
"Let's not make this any more painful than it is, blondie. People like you don't just suddenly decide to migrate over to the loner's table. Is there a shortage of seats at the beautiful people's table or something?"
Lizzie looked down at her lunch. *Actually, yeah,* she thought sadly to herself. "I may as well be a loner myself," she mumbled.
"Well, that'll be a bit difficult. You see, loner's have this whole thing about being ALONE, and you're here with me. So spill."
Lizzie shrugged. She spoke in a small, barely audible voice. "I'm just not one of the 'beautiful people' anymore."
Jill nodded. "Well, you have really let yourself go, McGuire." Lizzie dropped her jaw in shock at her lunch companion's briskness. Jill gave her a warning glance. "Hey, now, don't get offended. You're on my territory so you'll have to get used to the way we run this particular lunch table. As I was saying, you've totally lost your pizazz. I haven't seen you wear frilly, midriff-revealing shirts or shiny pink hair ribbons in quite awhile. I'm very curious... what's the scoop here?"
Lizzie wasn't quite sure how to respond to any of that; she hadn't spent much time around anyone quite as blunt as Jill. It was a little annoying, but at the same she found small comfort in the fact that someone was talking straight with her. "I'm a freak. I'm a fat, ugly freak. Everyone's always staring at me. I just can't compete with them anymore!"
Jill laughed. "So, let me get this straight. You put on a few pounds this summer, and suddenly feel like you're not good enough to hang out with the in crowd. And so to avoid being stared at, you come and sit with ME? That's some piss-poor logic, McGuire."
For a fleeting moment, Lizzie considered saying something to defend herself. Instead she simply sighed and shook her head. "It's not about avoiding people anymore. No matter what I do, people are going to stare and make fun of me. I may as well admit my freakhood and come sit with you."
"Gee, McGuire, that's a sweet sentiment. I'm moved, I really am. Get up."
Lizzie stared back at her, confused.
"You're not fat, and you're certainly far from freakhood. You're making the rest of us loners look bad. Get lost."
"Are you... are you serious?"
"Of course I am. I can't have you cramping my style; go back to the beautiful people."
Lizzie picked up her tray, a little baffled, and slowly walked away. The bell rang, sparing her the trouble and humiliation of trying to find another available seat. *That's just great* she thought bitterly to herself. *Now I can't even sit at the freak table*
* * * *
"Lizzie, are you okay?" asked Miranda on the bus. "How come you haven't been hanging out with us?"
Lizzie shifted uncomfortably. "I've just been busy," she said. "High school's a bit more hectic than I expected."
"Sure you don't mean homework?" said Gordo. "Because I've never known Lizzie Mcguire to blow off her friends just because of homework. That excuse won't work."
His manner was jovial and playful; Lizzie laughed uncomfortable but couldn't find any words.
"Come to the Digital Bean with us," Miranda offered.
Lizzie shook her head no. Miranda and Gordo looked at each other.
"What's the matter, Lizzie?"
Lizzie was unsure of what to say. She looked back and forth between her two friends. Why was she so intent on avoiding them? They cared about her, she knew that was true. But going out in public with them was asking too much. She wanted to have fun again, but the thought of facing all those people made her panicky. She just wasn't the same old Lizzie. She didn't know how to explain this to her friends, as they stared at her expectantly.
Thankfully, the bus pulled onto her street. "I have to go," she said. She grabbed her bookbag and hastily exit the bus.