Changes-For Better or Worse?
A/N- Thanks so much for your great reviews. To someone who mentioned they would have liked to see the Lizzie/Miranda conversation, I totally agree but unfortunately I never wrote one. Maybe I'll add it later. And there is definitely an important Miranda/Gordo conversation that comes towards the end.
Oh and this chapter shifts perspective to Lizzie for a little bit, but it is for plot purposes and we will revisit Miranda and Ethan soon.
Chapter 6- An Unsettling Phonecall
Lizzie lay on her bed, engrossed in a daydream. She was supposed to be doing her homework, but instead she was thinking about Gordo. Weird huh, just a few short months ago Lizzie herself would have laughed at that idea. Gordo as more than a friend? But since she realized what she felt, and Gordo admitted his feelings for her it had gotten easier. Gordo was cute, funny, sweet, smart and to top it all of a pretty good kisser.
The only downside was what had happened with Miranda, but even that was getting a bit better and she was totally glad. They were learning how to adapt to their changed friendship and the fact that they were in totally different classes at school. Lizzie chose to think of their friendship as a work in progress. She had never really thought juggling her boyfriend and best friend would be so hard. Especially since her boyfriend and best friend were also best friends with each other.
"Lizzie! Phone!" Matt, Lizzie's runt of a little brother, screamed up the stairs.
Lizzie sat up from her daydream and grabbed the purple metallic phone next to her bed. The same phone where she'd sat for hours on three way calls with Miranda and Gordo, and now usually just with Gordo.
"Hello." Lizzie hoped it was Miranda.
"Lizzie", a familiar voice said hesitantly.
"Yes?" Who was this? She was having trouble placing the voice.
"Umm, Lizzie. It's Kate."
Now she recognized the voice. Lizzie rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"
Kate paused. She was going to have to really sell this acting job, but it would be good practice for when she replaced Katie Couric on the Today show. "Umm, maybe I shouldn't have called. Sorry. I'll go." Kate hesitated and made it sound like she was about to hang up the phone.
Lizzie was untrusting but interested. "No Kate, tell me---what's going on?"
"It's about Miranda"
Now Lizzie was listening. Confused but listening. "What about her? Is she okay? Did something happen?"
Kate grinned wickedly into the phone and started just as she had practiced. "She is but, I just umm---I started thinking back to how we all used to be friends and now I'm afraid, well I just don't want to see poor Miranda get hurt."
Lizzie rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time. "Hurt? Why would you care? Hurt how?"
She had Lizzie right where she wanted her. "Well, Miranda and I have been getting closer lately. We're in all the same classes and stuff and now her and Ethan"
Closer? Miranda and Kate? But really what did Lizzie know. It was possible since she hadn't seen either one too much lately. She knew the Kate being in her classes part was true at least. Miranda had mentioned something about making some new friends, but no way right? "You and Miranda-friends? Sorry Kate, don't see that happening. Maybe if you were the last person on earth."
"It's true Lizzie. I mean how much time have you really spent with her lately? We're pretty close. Her, me, Ethan. We hang all the time", Kate lied. "And as Miranda's friend I owe it to her to tell her the truth about Ethan. He's completely using her."
Lizzie didn't know what to believe. Kate was partially right. The time Lizzie had spent with Miranda was mostly used to repair their friendship; they hadn't really talked about Miranda's new life and friends. She knew the Ethan part was true and well Ethan and Kate were friends, so it was possible. But she knew Miranda and Miranda wouldn't sink to being friends with Kate, unless Kate had changed. Ahhh, all this was giving Lizzie a major migraine!
She sighed. "Okay, spill Kate. What's going on with Ethan?"
Kate smiled. Lizzie was so gullible sometimes. It was too bad they didn't have any classes together anymore. She was always such an easy target. "Ethan is great and all", she started. "Such a sweet guy the way he's helping Miranda get over her hard times, you know after you and Gordo started dating. Or at least that's how he wants it to seem, but he's totally using her. He needed help in science and his parents were threatening to send him to boarding school so he got Miranda to be his lab partner, to keep from failing. That is her best subject. And so they've been spending all this time together, and Miranda has totally fallen for him and he's been playing into it and using it to his advantage."
"To his advantage?"
"You know, he flirts with her so she'll help him and do his homework for him and take his tests for him. Then as soon as she's gone he hits on every cheerleader in the school, myself included. And it's working---I'm just afraid for Miranda", Kate finished triumphantly.
"And you're so sure Miranda is in love with him?" Lizzie questioned.
"If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself but it's not her fault. She's not used to getting attention from cute guys and he's totally leading her on."
"But wait a minute", Lizzie said. "If Ethan's such a great friend, why are you ratting him out?"
Kate thought fast. She needed a reason. "Look Lizzie, I'm a changed person and you me and Miranda go way back. Girls need to stick together in matters of the heart and I'm just looking out for her best interests."
Now Lizzie was really worried. Though she wasn't convinced by Kate, she knew it could be true. "And you're sure Ethan has no feelings for her?"
Kate's job was done. "Well maybe the way you feel sorry for a stray puppy, but that's it. I just thought since you're Miranda's best friend maybe you can talk to her. I tried to reason with her, but you're much better at those things."
Lizzie dropped the phone from her ear and hung up on Kate in mid sentence. She didn't want to hear anymore. This had to happen just when things were going well. Lizzie had to get to the bottom of this and protect Miranda, no matter what it took. It wouldn't be the first time Ethan had betrayed Miranda, but if it was true it would be the last.
Lizzie picked up the phone again and dialed a familiar number. "Gordo, I need your help."
Gordo sighed. "What now?" With Lizzie he never really knew.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- (A/N- Sorry, just wanted to add something to end. It might seem a bit naïve of Lizzie to possibly believe Kate after all Kate has done to them, but I think it is in Lizzie's character. Lizzie is usually quick to believe and want to see the best in people, even if they have wronged her before. What do you guys think?)
A/N- Thanks so much for your great reviews. To someone who mentioned they would have liked to see the Lizzie/Miranda conversation, I totally agree but unfortunately I never wrote one. Maybe I'll add it later. And there is definitely an important Miranda/Gordo conversation that comes towards the end.
Oh and this chapter shifts perspective to Lizzie for a little bit, but it is for plot purposes and we will revisit Miranda and Ethan soon.
Chapter 6- An Unsettling Phonecall
Lizzie lay on her bed, engrossed in a daydream. She was supposed to be doing her homework, but instead she was thinking about Gordo. Weird huh, just a few short months ago Lizzie herself would have laughed at that idea. Gordo as more than a friend? But since she realized what she felt, and Gordo admitted his feelings for her it had gotten easier. Gordo was cute, funny, sweet, smart and to top it all of a pretty good kisser.
The only downside was what had happened with Miranda, but even that was getting a bit better and she was totally glad. They were learning how to adapt to their changed friendship and the fact that they were in totally different classes at school. Lizzie chose to think of their friendship as a work in progress. She had never really thought juggling her boyfriend and best friend would be so hard. Especially since her boyfriend and best friend were also best friends with each other.
"Lizzie! Phone!" Matt, Lizzie's runt of a little brother, screamed up the stairs.
Lizzie sat up from her daydream and grabbed the purple metallic phone next to her bed. The same phone where she'd sat for hours on three way calls with Miranda and Gordo, and now usually just with Gordo.
"Hello." Lizzie hoped it was Miranda.
"Lizzie", a familiar voice said hesitantly.
"Yes?" Who was this? She was having trouble placing the voice.
"Umm, Lizzie. It's Kate."
Now she recognized the voice. Lizzie rolled her eyes. "What do you want?"
Kate paused. She was going to have to really sell this acting job, but it would be good practice for when she replaced Katie Couric on the Today show. "Umm, maybe I shouldn't have called. Sorry. I'll go." Kate hesitated and made it sound like she was about to hang up the phone.
Lizzie was untrusting but interested. "No Kate, tell me---what's going on?"
"It's about Miranda"
Now Lizzie was listening. Confused but listening. "What about her? Is she okay? Did something happen?"
Kate grinned wickedly into the phone and started just as she had practiced. "She is but, I just umm---I started thinking back to how we all used to be friends and now I'm afraid, well I just don't want to see poor Miranda get hurt."
Lizzie rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time. "Hurt? Why would you care? Hurt how?"
She had Lizzie right where she wanted her. "Well, Miranda and I have been getting closer lately. We're in all the same classes and stuff and now her and Ethan"
Closer? Miranda and Kate? But really what did Lizzie know. It was possible since she hadn't seen either one too much lately. She knew the Kate being in her classes part was true at least. Miranda had mentioned something about making some new friends, but no way right? "You and Miranda-friends? Sorry Kate, don't see that happening. Maybe if you were the last person on earth."
"It's true Lizzie. I mean how much time have you really spent with her lately? We're pretty close. Her, me, Ethan. We hang all the time", Kate lied. "And as Miranda's friend I owe it to her to tell her the truth about Ethan. He's completely using her."
Lizzie didn't know what to believe. Kate was partially right. The time Lizzie had spent with Miranda was mostly used to repair their friendship; they hadn't really talked about Miranda's new life and friends. She knew the Ethan part was true and well Ethan and Kate were friends, so it was possible. But she knew Miranda and Miranda wouldn't sink to being friends with Kate, unless Kate had changed. Ahhh, all this was giving Lizzie a major migraine!
She sighed. "Okay, spill Kate. What's going on with Ethan?"
Kate smiled. Lizzie was so gullible sometimes. It was too bad they didn't have any classes together anymore. She was always such an easy target. "Ethan is great and all", she started. "Such a sweet guy the way he's helping Miranda get over her hard times, you know after you and Gordo started dating. Or at least that's how he wants it to seem, but he's totally using her. He needed help in science and his parents were threatening to send him to boarding school so he got Miranda to be his lab partner, to keep from failing. That is her best subject. And so they've been spending all this time together, and Miranda has totally fallen for him and he's been playing into it and using it to his advantage."
"To his advantage?"
"You know, he flirts with her so she'll help him and do his homework for him and take his tests for him. Then as soon as she's gone he hits on every cheerleader in the school, myself included. And it's working---I'm just afraid for Miranda", Kate finished triumphantly.
"And you're so sure Miranda is in love with him?" Lizzie questioned.
"If you don't believe me, check it out for yourself but it's not her fault. She's not used to getting attention from cute guys and he's totally leading her on."
"But wait a minute", Lizzie said. "If Ethan's such a great friend, why are you ratting him out?"
Kate thought fast. She needed a reason. "Look Lizzie, I'm a changed person and you me and Miranda go way back. Girls need to stick together in matters of the heart and I'm just looking out for her best interests."
Now Lizzie was really worried. Though she wasn't convinced by Kate, she knew it could be true. "And you're sure Ethan has no feelings for her?"
Kate's job was done. "Well maybe the way you feel sorry for a stray puppy, but that's it. I just thought since you're Miranda's best friend maybe you can talk to her. I tried to reason with her, but you're much better at those things."
Lizzie dropped the phone from her ear and hung up on Kate in mid sentence. She didn't want to hear anymore. This had to happen just when things were going well. Lizzie had to get to the bottom of this and protect Miranda, no matter what it took. It wouldn't be the first time Ethan had betrayed Miranda, but if it was true it would be the last.
Lizzie picked up the phone again and dialed a familiar number. "Gordo, I need your help."
Gordo sighed. "What now?" With Lizzie he never really knew.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- (A/N- Sorry, just wanted to add something to end. It might seem a bit naïve of Lizzie to possibly believe Kate after all Kate has done to them, but I think it is in Lizzie's character. Lizzie is usually quick to believe and want to see the best in people, even if they have wronged her before. What do you guys think?)