Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.
Author's note: Again, thanks for the reviews, it's greatly appreciated. Sorry this one's a little short, but it was the easiest way to break up the story.
*Karasuma*Firestorm*
Unexpected
Chapter Five: You Wouldn't Believe
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Tryout day came, and with it, a huge bout of nervousness. Lizzie barely touched her food at lunch, until Larry insisted that she have something. Miranda offered her yogurt, which Lizzie accepted, knowing that this was Miranda's way of saying she was sorry, and that she was supportive. "You guys are all going to be there, right?" Lizzie said, spooning yogurt into her mouth with zeal.
"Totally," Miranda said.
"Absolutely," Gordo agreed with a firm head nod.
"Wouldn't miss it," Tudgeman said.
Lizzie laughed. "A cheerleader with her own cheering squad."
"Hey..." Gordo said, smiling slightly. "You called yourself a cheerleader."
"Did I?"
"Getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren't we?" Miranda said.
"No, no," Larry said. "She's thinking positive. Lizzie McGuire, cheerleader."
"Absolutely," Lizzie said. "Three o'clock, the main gym."
"Lizzie, we'll be there," Miranda said. "Honest."
Lizzie nodded, and scraped the bottom of the cup.
"Hey, Lizzie."
Lizzie's entire table looked up. Kate Sanders was standing over them. "Hi, Kate," Lizzie said uncertainly. She'd been lucky enough to not share any classes with Katezilla, and therefore hadn't spoken to her at all. Which could have been a good thing or a bad thing. She was about to find out.
"So you're trying out for the squad today."
"Yup."
"Yeah, me too."
"Your name was first on the list," Lizzie said.
"Yeah. Well...good luck."
Hmm. So today she was Nice Kate. Maybe high school had humbled her some. Or maybe it was all part of a plot. Lizzie didn't know which to believe, so she decided to just nod and smile. "Thanks, you too."
Kate smiled back, and it was a distinctly nervous smile. "Worried?" Miranda said, disdain for Kate and pure smugness evident in her voice.
Lizzie shot her friend a 'shut up' glare. "Don't worry," she assured Kate, "you'll do fine."
"Thanks."
"See you this afternoon," Lizzie said brightly.
"You bet." As Kate walked away, Gordo said, "You're nice to everyone, aren't you, Lizzie."
**Yeah, unlike Miranda,** Lizzie thought darkly. **Could you have been any ruder?**
But she kept that to herself; she needed all the support she could get this afternoon. "Yeah, well, everybody deserves a second chance," she said decisively. "I mean, Kate and I were friends once...and now that we have something in common, maybe we can be friends again. She's a nice person, guys. She's just...really good at hiding it."
"You can say that again," Miranda and Larry chorused, then looked at each other and laughed.
Gordo, however, continued to stare at Lizzie, and his scrutiny made her feel warm all over. "That's pretty cool of you," he said.
"Well, I try." She hoped she was right. This year had barely started, and already so many things had changed. Maybe this old rivalry would change for the better.
Author's note: Again, thanks for the reviews, it's greatly appreciated. Sorry this one's a little short, but it was the easiest way to break up the story.
*Karasuma*Firestorm*
Unexpected
Chapter Five: You Wouldn't Believe
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Tryout day came, and with it, a huge bout of nervousness. Lizzie barely touched her food at lunch, until Larry insisted that she have something. Miranda offered her yogurt, which Lizzie accepted, knowing that this was Miranda's way of saying she was sorry, and that she was supportive. "You guys are all going to be there, right?" Lizzie said, spooning yogurt into her mouth with zeal.
"Totally," Miranda said.
"Absolutely," Gordo agreed with a firm head nod.
"Wouldn't miss it," Tudgeman said.
Lizzie laughed. "A cheerleader with her own cheering squad."
"Hey..." Gordo said, smiling slightly. "You called yourself a cheerleader."
"Did I?"
"Getting a little ahead of ourselves, aren't we?" Miranda said.
"No, no," Larry said. "She's thinking positive. Lizzie McGuire, cheerleader."
"Absolutely," Lizzie said. "Three o'clock, the main gym."
"Lizzie, we'll be there," Miranda said. "Honest."
Lizzie nodded, and scraped the bottom of the cup.
"Hey, Lizzie."
Lizzie's entire table looked up. Kate Sanders was standing over them. "Hi, Kate," Lizzie said uncertainly. She'd been lucky enough to not share any classes with Katezilla, and therefore hadn't spoken to her at all. Which could have been a good thing or a bad thing. She was about to find out.
"So you're trying out for the squad today."
"Yup."
"Yeah, me too."
"Your name was first on the list," Lizzie said.
"Yeah. Well...good luck."
Hmm. So today she was Nice Kate. Maybe high school had humbled her some. Or maybe it was all part of a plot. Lizzie didn't know which to believe, so she decided to just nod and smile. "Thanks, you too."
Kate smiled back, and it was a distinctly nervous smile. "Worried?" Miranda said, disdain for Kate and pure smugness evident in her voice.
Lizzie shot her friend a 'shut up' glare. "Don't worry," she assured Kate, "you'll do fine."
"Thanks."
"See you this afternoon," Lizzie said brightly.
"You bet." As Kate walked away, Gordo said, "You're nice to everyone, aren't you, Lizzie."
**Yeah, unlike Miranda,** Lizzie thought darkly. **Could you have been any ruder?**
But she kept that to herself; she needed all the support she could get this afternoon. "Yeah, well, everybody deserves a second chance," she said decisively. "I mean, Kate and I were friends once...and now that we have something in common, maybe we can be friends again. She's a nice person, guys. She's just...really good at hiding it."
"You can say that again," Miranda and Larry chorused, then looked at each other and laughed.
Gordo, however, continued to stare at Lizzie, and his scrutiny made her feel warm all over. "That's pretty cool of you," he said.
"Well, I try." She hoped she was right. This year had barely started, and already so many things had changed. Maybe this old rivalry would change for the better.