Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.
Unexpected
Chapter Twelve: Change of Character
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Lizzie missed school the next day. She told her parents that she was sick, but she just didn't want to face Gordo that day. Make that, she didn't want to face Gordo *ever*.
Unfortunately, she had to pull off a miracle recovery by that afternoon so she wouldn't miss practice. Georgette would never forgive a freshman that. Which, naturally, meant that she would be in school the next day. She prayed that she would develop a sudden heart condition that left her unable to do anything but cheer, because she didn't want to face the wrath of Georgette Skyler.
Kate pressed her for details about last night's escapades with Gordo, but Lizzie remained silent on the subject.
"Miranda didn't show up at the lunch table today," Kate said, and Lizzie took a small amount of comfort in the fact that Kate had said 'the lunch table,' and not 'your table,' like she had until today. "So it was just me, Gordo, and Tudgeman. And Gordo totally didn't talk at all."
Lizzie froze. That wasn't good. Gordo probably thought she was avoiding him...well, she *was* avoiding him. But she didn't want him to think that! She...okay, she didn't know *what* she wanted him to think. She didn't know what she wanted to do. She didn't know what she should do. She didn't know if the three of them were still best friends, or if Gordo and Miranda would still be friends, or if Lizzie and Miranda would still be friends, or even if Lizzie and Gordo would still be friends. Lizzie had talked more with Kate in the past hour than she'd talked with Miranda in the past week.
"I'm going to call Miranda tonight," Lizzie said.
"What?" Kate said at the locker next to her.
Lizzie hadn't realized she'd spoken out loud. "Um, nothing. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"So you're going to be back in school?"
"Yeah. It was just a...it was just a twenty-four hour thing," Lizzie stammered, grabbing her duffle bag and all but running out of the locker room.
At home, Lizzie paced in her room for an hour before finally working up the courage to dial Miranda's number.
"Hola! Sanchez residence."
"Um, hi, Mrs. Sanchez?"
"Lizzie! Haven't heard from you in so long, I was beginning to get worried. Is everything okay?"
**Is everything okay? You're kidding me, right?**
"Everything's great, Mrs. S. Is Miranda in?"
"Sure, hold on." There was a clicking sound, which must've been her putting the phone on the table, then some scuffling, and some distance away, the shout of "MIRANDA! PHONE!" Which led to Miranda getting on the line. "Talk to me."
"Hey. It's Lizzie."
"Oh. Hey, Lizzie. How was...how's cheerleading?"
Why was their conversation so forced-sounding?
"Oh, it's going good. Hard work, but I knew that going in," Lizzie prattled on nervously. "Listen, um, Miranda...we haven't talked in awhile. I just wanted to know what was up with you."
"You mean what's up with me and Gordo," Miranda said immediately, in a weird, toneless voice.
"I..."
"C'mon, Lizzie, wasn't that the real reason you called?"
**Who is this person and where's the real Miranda?**
"Well, you know, I heard you guys broke up..."
"Yeah, he's yours now," Miranda said shortly.
"Excuse me?"
"Listen, it's painfully obvious that you two are all in love and stuff. And I have a feeling that that's what was going on while I was in Mexico, and neither of you had the balls to just tell me."
This wasn't happening. It wasn't supposed to be like this!
"So, listen, if you still want him, I guess you can have him. He obviously doesn't want me, and never did."
Lizzie hadn't even had a clue that Miranda had ever wanted Gordo.
She hated herself. She had screwed everything up. She didn't know what to do or say around Gordo and Miranda, and now Miranda was avoiding her and she was avoiding Gordo, and she had been such an awful friend that she hadn't even known that Miranda liked Gordo...
"Miranda, why did you ever go out with Gordo, anyway?" Lizzie demanded, sounding far more emotional than she'd ever intended to.
"Why should I tell you?" Miranda said. Lizzie had the feeling that she'd meant to sound that angry.
"I'm your best friend, isn't that reason enough?"
"Because Gordo was easy. I wanted a boyfriend, and I knew I could get Gordo without any hassle," Miranda spat. "There. You happy?"
Lizzie was stunned into silence. What was she supposed to say to that? All she could manage to do was splutter incoherently.
"Anyway, it was pretty obvious from the beginning that he was only doing it to make you jealous. So you know what, go crazy, go off and be with Gordo and have your cheerleading, okay? Adios."
The line clicked sharply, and never before had Miranda's parting call of 'adios' sound so final. Lizzie didn't know what to do. Miranda hated her, she was friends with Kate and Tudgeman, of all people, she hadn't thought about Ethan Craft in months, and instead, she'd been thinking constantly of Gordo. Was high school this complicated for everyone, or just her?
The phone rang, jangling to life while it was still in her hand, and Lizzie jumped. She hit the 'talk' button. "Hello?"
Unexpected
Chapter Twelve: Change of Character
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Lizzie missed school the next day. She told her parents that she was sick, but she just didn't want to face Gordo that day. Make that, she didn't want to face Gordo *ever*.
Unfortunately, she had to pull off a miracle recovery by that afternoon so she wouldn't miss practice. Georgette would never forgive a freshman that. Which, naturally, meant that she would be in school the next day. She prayed that she would develop a sudden heart condition that left her unable to do anything but cheer, because she didn't want to face the wrath of Georgette Skyler.
Kate pressed her for details about last night's escapades with Gordo, but Lizzie remained silent on the subject.
"Miranda didn't show up at the lunch table today," Kate said, and Lizzie took a small amount of comfort in the fact that Kate had said 'the lunch table,' and not 'your table,' like she had until today. "So it was just me, Gordo, and Tudgeman. And Gordo totally didn't talk at all."
Lizzie froze. That wasn't good. Gordo probably thought she was avoiding him...well, she *was* avoiding him. But she didn't want him to think that! She...okay, she didn't know *what* she wanted him to think. She didn't know what she wanted to do. She didn't know what she should do. She didn't know if the three of them were still best friends, or if Gordo and Miranda would still be friends, or if Lizzie and Miranda would still be friends, or even if Lizzie and Gordo would still be friends. Lizzie had talked more with Kate in the past hour than she'd talked with Miranda in the past week.
"I'm going to call Miranda tonight," Lizzie said.
"What?" Kate said at the locker next to her.
Lizzie hadn't realized she'd spoken out loud. "Um, nothing. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
"So you're going to be back in school?"
"Yeah. It was just a...it was just a twenty-four hour thing," Lizzie stammered, grabbing her duffle bag and all but running out of the locker room.
At home, Lizzie paced in her room for an hour before finally working up the courage to dial Miranda's number.
"Hola! Sanchez residence."
"Um, hi, Mrs. Sanchez?"
"Lizzie! Haven't heard from you in so long, I was beginning to get worried. Is everything okay?"
**Is everything okay? You're kidding me, right?**
"Everything's great, Mrs. S. Is Miranda in?"
"Sure, hold on." There was a clicking sound, which must've been her putting the phone on the table, then some scuffling, and some distance away, the shout of "MIRANDA! PHONE!" Which led to Miranda getting on the line. "Talk to me."
"Hey. It's Lizzie."
"Oh. Hey, Lizzie. How was...how's cheerleading?"
Why was their conversation so forced-sounding?
"Oh, it's going good. Hard work, but I knew that going in," Lizzie prattled on nervously. "Listen, um, Miranda...we haven't talked in awhile. I just wanted to know what was up with you."
"You mean what's up with me and Gordo," Miranda said immediately, in a weird, toneless voice.
"I..."
"C'mon, Lizzie, wasn't that the real reason you called?"
**Who is this person and where's the real Miranda?**
"Well, you know, I heard you guys broke up..."
"Yeah, he's yours now," Miranda said shortly.
"Excuse me?"
"Listen, it's painfully obvious that you two are all in love and stuff. And I have a feeling that that's what was going on while I was in Mexico, and neither of you had the balls to just tell me."
This wasn't happening. It wasn't supposed to be like this!
"So, listen, if you still want him, I guess you can have him. He obviously doesn't want me, and never did."
Lizzie hadn't even had a clue that Miranda had ever wanted Gordo.
She hated herself. She had screwed everything up. She didn't know what to do or say around Gordo and Miranda, and now Miranda was avoiding her and she was avoiding Gordo, and she had been such an awful friend that she hadn't even known that Miranda liked Gordo...
"Miranda, why did you ever go out with Gordo, anyway?" Lizzie demanded, sounding far more emotional than she'd ever intended to.
"Why should I tell you?" Miranda said. Lizzie had the feeling that she'd meant to sound that angry.
"I'm your best friend, isn't that reason enough?"
"Because Gordo was easy. I wanted a boyfriend, and I knew I could get Gordo without any hassle," Miranda spat. "There. You happy?"
Lizzie was stunned into silence. What was she supposed to say to that? All she could manage to do was splutter incoherently.
"Anyway, it was pretty obvious from the beginning that he was only doing it to make you jealous. So you know what, go crazy, go off and be with Gordo and have your cheerleading, okay? Adios."
The line clicked sharply, and never before had Miranda's parting call of 'adios' sound so final. Lizzie didn't know what to do. Miranda hated her, she was friends with Kate and Tudgeman, of all people, she hadn't thought about Ethan Craft in months, and instead, she'd been thinking constantly of Gordo. Was high school this complicated for everyone, or just her?
The phone rang, jangling to life while it was still in her hand, and Lizzie jumped. She hit the 'talk' button. "Hello?"