Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.
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The Sweetness: Leaving Babylon
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One week before school started was when Miranda finally returned from Mexico. She had lied about the date, saying she was coming three days later, so Gordo and Lizzie were sufficiently surprised when Miranda walked into Lizzie's backyard one afternoon.
They'd been sprawled out under a tree by the back fence, talking about what they thought high school would be like. "You forget, I've already been," Gordo said for the millionth time. "It's not that bad, Lizzie, you're just freaking out with no good reason."
"I have every good reason! Like Kate and Claire aren't bad enough, I'm going to have fully adult Kates and Claires to make my life miserable."
"You're overreacting," Gordo said flippantly. "Besides, how bad could it be, when you have me?" They shared a special smile, a private smile, and were about to kiss, when a familiar voice interrupted, "And me."
Gordo and Lizzie jolted comically, and Miranda burst into laughter.
"You witch!" Lizzie shrieked, half indignant, half overjoyed. She jumped to her feet and flung her arms around her best friend. "You're not supposed to be here until Friday!"
"Yeah, well, I lied," Miranda said with a wicked grin, reciprocating Lizzie's hug and then gracing Gordo with one. "So, I take it I'm interrupting what was about to become a major make-out session."
Gordo and Lizzie blushed hotly and looked at the ground. Miranda giggled again. "Oh, you're embarrassed. How cute."
Gordo rolled his eyes. "I liked it better when you weren't here," he complained.
"I'll bet you did. You had Lizzie all to yourself, and now you have to share her with me."
"Something like that," he admitted. Lizzie smiled at him and touched his hand. He clutched it in response.
"You guys are so sweet I need to see a dentist," Miranda said.
Lizzie bit her lip. "So. You're...okay with this?"
"With what? That?" Miranda said, indicating their joined hands. "It's a little weird, I guess, but I'm not gonna run screaming in the other direction, if that's what you're asking."
They were both visibly relieved, and she almost laughed. "Besides, with you otherwise occupied, that means I'll have Ethan all to myself."
This time they all laughed.
~~~~~
By the time lunch of the first day rolled around, Lizzie was exhausted. For starters, high school was way harder than she'd been expecting. And if that wasn't enough, she had to deal with *everyone* asking if she and Gordo were a couple.
She wasn't sure what to say anymore. People sometimes gave their congratulations, other times, pitying looks. She wasn't sure what to make of the latter.
At lunch, she and Gordo were chatting over sandwiches while Miranda was in the line. And to top off what was turning out to be a long day, Claire Miller waltzed over, malice in her eyes. "Aw, so you two really *are* together," she said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "How cute."
"Don't you have small animals to kill?" Gordo said, and Lizzie bit back a smile.
Claire dropped the little miss innocent act like a bad habit. But instead of Gordo, who could take it, she turned her viciousness on Lizzie. "What's the matter, McGuire? Gordork was the best you could do?"
Lizzie wasn't sure what to say. She wanted to fight back, but she'd never really fought back as far as Claire Miller was concerned. The retort on her tongue was that no, she *couldn't* do better than Gordo, but while she meant that in a positive way, Claire would put the worst possible spin on it. It was in her nature.
So instead, Lizzie said nothing. Gordo's face clouded over, misreading her hesitation as shame, while Claire took the bait gleefully. "Isn't it sad, that the most you'll ever amount to in life is being David Gordon's girlfriend," she sneered. "I mean, the only thing he's got going for him is that he's smart...pity you can't match up to that, even. Oh well. Ciao!" she said with a fake apologetic smile, then pranced off.
"She's such a witch," Lizzie muttered, popping the tab on her soda, uncertain as to whether the angry hiss! was coming from the can or from her. She glanced to Gordo for sympathy, but he was glowering at her.
"What?" Lizzie said.
"You couldn't even stand up for me," he said quietly.
"What?" Lizzie repeated. "Gordo! You don't care what she thinks."
"No, I don't. But that's not the point. The point is that you're ashamed to be with me. You flirt with Ethan Craft in front of me--"
"That was months ago," she defended herself.
"--and you didn't even *try* to defend me to Claire."
"Gordo, I'm sorry, I--" she started, but he stood up.
"Save it. I'm not in the mood right now."
As Gordo stalked away, Miranda sat down, oblivious to the showdown she'd missed. "What's up?" she said cheerfully, stabbing at a piece of lettuce.
Lizzie watched her boyfriend go, not knowing whether she should follow him or give him space. "Everything's pretty much down now," she said sadly.
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
The Sweetness: Leaving Babylon
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
One week before school started was when Miranda finally returned from Mexico. She had lied about the date, saying she was coming three days later, so Gordo and Lizzie were sufficiently surprised when Miranda walked into Lizzie's backyard one afternoon.
They'd been sprawled out under a tree by the back fence, talking about what they thought high school would be like. "You forget, I've already been," Gordo said for the millionth time. "It's not that bad, Lizzie, you're just freaking out with no good reason."
"I have every good reason! Like Kate and Claire aren't bad enough, I'm going to have fully adult Kates and Claires to make my life miserable."
"You're overreacting," Gordo said flippantly. "Besides, how bad could it be, when you have me?" They shared a special smile, a private smile, and were about to kiss, when a familiar voice interrupted, "And me."
Gordo and Lizzie jolted comically, and Miranda burst into laughter.
"You witch!" Lizzie shrieked, half indignant, half overjoyed. She jumped to her feet and flung her arms around her best friend. "You're not supposed to be here until Friday!"
"Yeah, well, I lied," Miranda said with a wicked grin, reciprocating Lizzie's hug and then gracing Gordo with one. "So, I take it I'm interrupting what was about to become a major make-out session."
Gordo and Lizzie blushed hotly and looked at the ground. Miranda giggled again. "Oh, you're embarrassed. How cute."
Gordo rolled his eyes. "I liked it better when you weren't here," he complained.
"I'll bet you did. You had Lizzie all to yourself, and now you have to share her with me."
"Something like that," he admitted. Lizzie smiled at him and touched his hand. He clutched it in response.
"You guys are so sweet I need to see a dentist," Miranda said.
Lizzie bit her lip. "So. You're...okay with this?"
"With what? That?" Miranda said, indicating their joined hands. "It's a little weird, I guess, but I'm not gonna run screaming in the other direction, if that's what you're asking."
They were both visibly relieved, and she almost laughed. "Besides, with you otherwise occupied, that means I'll have Ethan all to myself."
This time they all laughed.
~~~~~
By the time lunch of the first day rolled around, Lizzie was exhausted. For starters, high school was way harder than she'd been expecting. And if that wasn't enough, she had to deal with *everyone* asking if she and Gordo were a couple.
She wasn't sure what to say anymore. People sometimes gave their congratulations, other times, pitying looks. She wasn't sure what to make of the latter.
At lunch, she and Gordo were chatting over sandwiches while Miranda was in the line. And to top off what was turning out to be a long day, Claire Miller waltzed over, malice in her eyes. "Aw, so you two really *are* together," she said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "How cute."
"Don't you have small animals to kill?" Gordo said, and Lizzie bit back a smile.
Claire dropped the little miss innocent act like a bad habit. But instead of Gordo, who could take it, she turned her viciousness on Lizzie. "What's the matter, McGuire? Gordork was the best you could do?"
Lizzie wasn't sure what to say. She wanted to fight back, but she'd never really fought back as far as Claire Miller was concerned. The retort on her tongue was that no, she *couldn't* do better than Gordo, but while she meant that in a positive way, Claire would put the worst possible spin on it. It was in her nature.
So instead, Lizzie said nothing. Gordo's face clouded over, misreading her hesitation as shame, while Claire took the bait gleefully. "Isn't it sad, that the most you'll ever amount to in life is being David Gordon's girlfriend," she sneered. "I mean, the only thing he's got going for him is that he's smart...pity you can't match up to that, even. Oh well. Ciao!" she said with a fake apologetic smile, then pranced off.
"She's such a witch," Lizzie muttered, popping the tab on her soda, uncertain as to whether the angry hiss! was coming from the can or from her. She glanced to Gordo for sympathy, but he was glowering at her.
"What?" Lizzie said.
"You couldn't even stand up for me," he said quietly.
"What?" Lizzie repeated. "Gordo! You don't care what she thinks."
"No, I don't. But that's not the point. The point is that you're ashamed to be with me. You flirt with Ethan Craft in front of me--"
"That was months ago," she defended herself.
"--and you didn't even *try* to defend me to Claire."
"Gordo, I'm sorry, I--" she started, but he stood up.
"Save it. I'm not in the mood right now."
As Gordo stalked away, Miranda sat down, oblivious to the showdown she'd missed. "What's up?" she said cheerfully, stabbing at a piece of lettuce.
Lizzie watched her boyfriend go, not knowing whether she should follow him or give him space. "Everything's pretty much down now," she said sadly.