*** I am not sure if anyone will even like this story, but please review and tell me if I should continue and where you want this story to go, please also read my other Fic " A New Year"… thanks!*** I WILL DEVELOP THE PLOT SOON SO DO NOT SAY IT IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE*** I don't own ANYTHING …don't sue.***
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Prairie Lakes, 1893
Elizabeth McGuire and Miranda Sanchez walked along the dirt path, kicking up a storm of dirt as they went. In about 10 minutes time they reached the outskirts of their town, Prairie Lakes. It was a small town, where everyone new each other, and that was what Lizzie liked about it. She knew where they were headed; neither of the friends had to speak a word. They walked up to the wooden door of the Gordon General Store, Miranda pushed open the door, and Lizzie followed her. She heard the familiar DING, of the bell, which told a member of the Gordon family someone had entered. Someone from behind the counter spoke up.
"Well, well, what an honor to get graced with the presence of Prairie Lake's most beautiful ladies. I have not seen ya'll since the end of the school year." David, or affectionately called Gordo, addressed them.
"Oh hush up." Miranda scolded him; they both knew he was just teasing them. "Stop lying to Lizzie, you know I'm the prettiest" She joked.
That caused Lizzie to shove Miranda and she fell into a stack of flour bags. Gordo came out from behind the counter, and approached them. They three had been best friends ever since their families had move to Prairie Lake. They had done everything together growing up. Lizzie noticed Gordo's familiar dark curly hair, was not brushed, he had probably overslept and his father had hurried him out of the house to tend to the store again.
"Over sleep again huh Gordo?" She asked him.
He ruffled his hair, "How'd ya know"
"When is your father coming in to take over the store?" Lizzie asked.
"Right about now," he motioned out side, to where his father was walking into the store.
"Morning Gordo, ladies..." Mr. Gordon addressed the three of them. "How was business this morning?"
"Pretty good, the Tudgemans needed a new axle for their wagon, Larry broke it doing some type of experiment or something, and Mr. McGuire bought some feed for Bear, and Lanny stopped in to buy a yo-yo with his birthday money, all in all it was a good few hours" Lizzie listened as Gordo filled his father in on all the details. His dark hair occasionally falling in his eyes, which he quickly brushed back wit ha sweep of his hand. She had felt something different for him, she didn't know, she had always loved him, the way a friend loves a friend, but lately just the littlest things, like the way his eyes lit up when he was them coming, or his hair, had made her realize she had started to grow fond of him. She knew it was ridiculous; he was Gordo, the little boy who pushed her in the mud the first day of school. But as ridiculous as it was, it was true. Mr. McGuire had taken the spot behind the counter, and was talking with Claire's parents who needed to buy some feed. Lizzie, Miranda, and Gordo walked out into the hot sunlight. They walked down Main Street for a little while. The headed into the little cider shop like place and took their usual seats at the wooden table in the back by the big bay window.
"Hi you guys, the usual?" Madison Baker, a green eyed, long golden red haired girl asked them, her mother owned Cider Barrel, the teenage hangout of Prairie Lake.
"Yea that sounds good" Gordo told her with a smile. She smiled flirtatiously back.
"Three ciders, with cream, coming right up" She smiled again and with a swish of golden hair was gone.
"I haven't seen Madison in a while; she must have been keeping herself pretty busy this summer huh?" Miranda asked.
"No, she went to stay with her Aunt Helen, and just got back last week" Lizzie informed them
Gordo scooted close to Miranda, according to Gordo, Miranda and he had kissed at the end of the year.
Miranda was making him sickly happy this made Lizzie want to smack Miranda, which was not a good thing, she wasn't violent, and they were best friends.
Just then Madison came back, set down their three ciders and wiped her hands on her apron.
"Gordo, I haven't seen you since we all hung out at Lizzie's home" Madison addressed him, pulling up a chair.
"Yea, How was your Aunt's" he asked her.
"Incredibly boring, the woman is practically deceased." Madison giggled.
"Sorry to interrupt, I will be back; I have to use the room." She pushed her chair back and walked out the back door to the bathroom.
She walked out the door and walked the 10 feet to the wooden rectangle bathroom. She stepped inside and shut the door. Breathe Elizabeth, breathe. Elizabeth felt her face grow warm. She had obviously realized too late that Gordo was the nicest, most handsome and smartest boy in Prairie Lake. Lizzie had noticed Miranda flashing Gordo her biggest brightest smile, she felt her heart sink like a pebble in one of the towns lakes. Forget about him, Elizabeth McGuire she told herself. Miranda is your best friend and she is funny fascinating, brave…….any boy would be crazy about her. Elizabeth left the bathroom and walked back into the Cider Barrel; Madison was talking and laughing with Gordo and Miranda. Gordo had moved even closer to Miranda. They all occasionally sipped their hot, spiced apple cider while they talked. Gordo had to go back to the store, he left and shortly after him Madison had to go back to work. Lizzie was left alone with Miranda. They got up and began walking the 10 minutes to Lizzie's and Miranda's house. When they got to their home, Lizzie felt the urge to ask her a question.
"Miranda can I ask you a question... is you and Gordo serious now?" She asked cautiously. "Since you stayed at you grandmothers this summer, I haven't gotten a chance to see you, I missed you a lot." She hugged her friend.
"Well we did kiss at your house, the last time we all hung out together... I think he is taking it I little more seriously then I am." Miranda told her. "I don't mean to be cruel... he is one of my best friends... but I don't care about him that way"
"So you aren't serious…" Lizzie asked just to make sure
She laughed a cruel laugh, "You think I'd like someone who's going to stick around this one-horse town and work the general store like his father? Someone who's going to have the same boring old life we have now? He is one of my best friends, so if that what he wants then so be it... but No thank you... it may be good for some girls.. But not me…. Maybe you?" She said in one breathe. Looking skeptically at Lizzie.
Everyone knew Miranda, was a wild child, she had always wanted to leave Prairie Lakes. She got close to anyone she could, if she thought they could get her out of Prairie Lakes. Lizzie began filling an empty pail from the well bucket, pausing to drink a cool dipperful of water.
"Well, gee that's pretty big of you..." Lizzie stated sarcastically. "If you must know... And promise not to tell, I actually am kind of fond of him." She told Miranda not looking up from the pail.
Miranda waved her hand "Oh Elizabeth, I didn't mean to make you feel bad" She said hastily.
"You just think I don't mind it here" Lizzie put the newly filled bucket aside.
"Well you don't mind it do you?" Miranda said, handing over another empty pail. Lizzie set to work on filling this one too. "You love Prairie Lakes." Miranda informed her.
"Lots of things here are fun…" She commented.
Lizzie finished filling the second pail, dropped the dipper into the well bucker, and lowered the bucket back into the depths of the well. She heard the bucket splash into the water way down in the ground.
"In Prairie Lakes we have nothing fun to do. But you know that in New York City and San Francisco they have horseless carriages and buildings that stretch way up into the sky, and there are always a million things to do…a million adventures, new people every day? Not to mention if I lived there I would have running water in my home. They're up to the moment on everything" Miranda told her. Damn, if she hated Prairie Lakes so much why she didn't just do what she was saying, and leave, Lizzie didn't want her friend to leave... but she wished she would stop complaining. Miranda and Lizzie were the best of friends as close as they came, they told each other everything... except Lizzie didn't tell Miranda the fear she had... the fear that one day she would wake up and her best friend would be gone.
"I wager it isn't half as beautiful in New York." Lizzie commented.
Lizzie's family's lake sparkled blue against the backdrop of lush green trees. Soon some of the trees would be a blaze of red and yellow and orange, their colors set off by the deep forest green of the pines, which would keep their coats against the heavy winter snows. Sometime Lizzie thought that Minnesota must be the most beautiful place in the world. She couldn't imagine a city such as New York, where instead of trees the landscape was made up of granite and brick. Lizzie picked up one of the buckets and Miranda picked up the other one. Miranda shrugged, causing some water to spill from her pail.
"And the circus is coming soon..." Lizzie informed her. "Everyone knows how much you love the circus."
It was the magic word. Miranda's face lit up like a crackling fire on a cold night.
"I know! The other day I spent nearly a half-hour just standing in front of the circus posters and staring at them. People in town must have thought it was awfully odd. But for me those posters are like doors opening onto exciting new adventures. I can't wait to go this year."
"Just make sure you just go and don't try to leave with them again" Lizzie joked. And Miranda smiled, and her eyes sparkled. Lizzie smiled. Her friend might have dreams of big-city life, but when the circus was in town, Lizzie knew there was nowhere else in the world Miranda would rather be.
"I wonder what new acts they are going to have this year." Miranda went on "Remember the Pirelli Brothers and their fabulous hand-to-hand balancing act? And that clown you thought was so mean when we were little!"
Lizzie giggled. "I loved it last year when he pretended to be an old man from the audience who wanted to try to ride bareback."
She listened to Miranda go over the previous year's show. From the first clown skit to the grand finale, Miranda knew the entire spectacle by heart. Lizzie smiled. It was good to see her best friend so genuinely enthusiastic. And if Miranda harbored any teeny tiny secret feelings for Gordo, Lizzie was certain they would vanish with the first blast of the circus train's whistle as the troupe rolled into town…..Lizzie was excited, the circus always brought even more fun to Prairie Lakes. If Miranda couldn't see it was a great place to live, Lizzie would just have to prove it to her.