Chapter three

"So." I said awkwardly, trying to start a conversation. Lizzie smiled and shook her head, allowing her blonde hair to spill down her shoulders.

"Yep." She answered, laughing. I managed a chuckle, finding myself staring into her deep eyes. I felt as if I was an outsider, watching a very weird show. A preview for a movie about a guy and a girl who have been best friends forever, and suddenly, the guy is lost, confused, as he realizes that his best friend is not only a beautiful girl, but a smart one at that…

I looked away, picking at the bus's blue seat covers. I felt Lizzie scoot closer to me. I blushed madly, staring at the ground to cover my flushed face. To my dismay, Lizzie put her hand on my chin and lifted my face up to look at her. Her hazel eyes seemed to penetrate my very soul, and I was dizzy with the sight of her. Concern flickering in her eyes, Lizzie placed a cool hand on my forehead.

"What's wrong, Gordo?" she asked, noticing my scarlet face, "You're burning up. Are you okay?"

"Fine… fine…" I managed to mutter, heart pounding rapidly.

"Are you sure?" Lizzie questioned again, being the helpful best friend that she is. Her hand was removed from my head.

"I just need to roll down the window, that's all." I said, wiping my sweating forehead with the sleeve of my shirt, "it's, uh… very hot."

"Yeah, okay…" Lizzie said, looking like she doubted it very much. I wasn't surprised. I couldn't exactly win an award with my acting, let alone convince my best friend that I was 'all right'. Shaking with the incredible feeling I got from being so close with Lizzie, I opened the window partially, and let the sunrays play across my red, damp face. The wind felt good against my skin.

Suddenly, I was lurched forward as the bus went into an emergency brake, tires squealing. All the 8th graders in the bus screamed as I caught a glimpse of a large cement truck coming towards us through the open window. Gasping in terror and alarm, I was slammed against the front seat cushion again. I heard Lizzie scream next to me as the bus went into a tilt as our driver tried to turn. The huge truck coming towards us couldn't stop.

With a tremendous crash, the two vehicles collided. Metal against concrete. The bus flipped onto its side, the windows shattering with a sound like an exploding gun. One of the pieces of the glass lodged itself in my arm, and gasping, I pulled it out, only to once again reel and tumble into the bus alley. I could practically feel and hear the bus moan as the weight of the truck smashed it into the road. The bus slammed down again, collapsing inwards towards us. Once again the bus groaned and strained. I held my arm, which was now bleeding profusely from the gash. Terrified, I heard the screech of metal as the bus began to move, rolling over on its side. Then it began crash down a hill, hitting trees on the way. I could barely breathe. I felt as if my lungs were short of air, and they were malformed. When we hit another tree, I threw up, blood gushing from my mouth into the bus alley. I saw Lizzie beside me, unmoving. Crying out in horror, I checked her pulse with a shaking, bloody hand. She was alive, but unconscious.

I did the best that I could. I covered her with myself, shielding her from any stray item that could cause her harm. I held onto her as the bus once again rolled, crashing into the trees. With a sound unlike any other I heard before, a branch split through the side of the bus. Breathing heavily, I wrapped my arms around my best friend and buried my face into her hair. There I cried.

With a terrific lurch, I was ripped from Lizzie's unconscious body and slammed against the side of the bus.

Then I knew no more.

- -  - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Oh-my-god." I heard a voice whisper.

My eyes fluttered open, but I was unable to move. My lips were caked with blood, and my stomach was on fire. I clutched my arm, groaning in pain and discomfort. I was sprawled across the rocky ground. Somehow I had fallen out of the bus as it stopped its travel downhill. I tried to pick myself up, but screamed as pain shot up my left leg. Suddenly, strong arms turned me over onto my back carefully. My eyes focused on a man and a woman, looking at me in shock and disbelief. I saw an ambulance parked near what looked like a mangled bus – which it was. My heart stopped as I remembered.

"Lizzie…" I croaked, swallowing something that tasted like blood and dirt, "where is she?"

"Son… you're delirious, we've got to get you into the ambulance. You need a hospital right away." I heard the man say in a concerned voice.

"Emma! Get a stretcher! We've got another student over here!" the man called loudly. A plump woman with a kind face appeared with a long, thin table. She looked down at me and gasped, holding her hand to her mouth. I opened my mouth piteously, spitting out a blood-spattered tooth.

"Lizzie, Miranda… can someone tell me? Where is she? Where are they?" I asked desperately, looking at the plump woman. She pulled out notepad and wrote something, handing it to the other woman next to the man. She immediately rushed off the ambulance car. Emma and the man prepared to lift me onto the stretcher.

"No!" I yelled hoarsely, "my best friends! I need to get to my best friends!"

The man looked at me over his spectacles, "what is important now, is you. You are badly injured. Please don't strain yourself!"

I glared at him, using the last of my diminished strength and will, "sir. I need to know they are safe," I coughed, choking, "please. It's very important to me."

"What is your name?" Emma asked finally. I looked at her and took a shivering breath.

"David… David Gordon, Ma'am." I said, voice barely above a whisper. Emma nodded her head, looking at my face.

"Your friends?" she asked.

"Elizabeth McGuire and Miranda Sanchez." I replied, drooping from the effort of talking. Emma noticed my pale, sweaty face and turned earnestly to the man beside her. He nodded his head.

"David, I found them earlier. They are injured, but not badly."

"Thanks," I managed to croak. He smiled and helped Emma lift me into the stretcher.

"You'll be fine," he said reassuringly, looking at Emma, "you can see your friends tomorrow."

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

A week later…

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

Yawning, I looked down at my social studies homework. It was incredibly boring. Sighing, I reached for a textbook, but another student grabbed it before me.

"Excuse me?" I said angrily, looking up at the person who took it from my grasp. My annoyance changed to happiness as I saw Lizzie with the book, looking at it closely. Her face was stony.

"Hey Liz!" I cried, looking at her joyfully, "how's your day? Happy to have me back? I can't believe I missed you and Miranda before school…"

Without even a glance my way, Lizzie sighed and walked off to her desk, completely ignoring me. I felt myself deflate. The first day I was back, and Lizzie was giving me the cold shoulder. I looked over at my best friend, and saw a tear drop down her cheek and onto her wooden desk. My heart dropped into my stomach. What did I do wrong?

After class, I grabbed my notebook and rushed over to Lizzie, who looked away from me and hurried out of class. She ran down the hall, sobbing, until she reached her locker. I came up next to her, panting.

"What's wrong? Please tell me, Lizzie…" I pleaded. She turned around and slammed her locker shut, taking out her books viciously.

"Stop it!" she yelled, spinning around. With a little whimper, she walked off toward her next class. The whole hallway was silent, ringing with her outburst. The students that were walking stopped and looked around. I blushed as their eyes swept over me. In embarrassment and sadness, I walked to my next class. I couldn't believe what was happening. My best friend, Lizzie McGuire, was angry with me, and I didn't even know what I did.

Throughout my next class, I sat down in the back of the classroom with my head in my hand. I felt so terrible – I had never wanted to hurt Lizzie in any way, and here I was, doing just that. A pit of worry in my stomach grew, until I almost rushed out of my class into Lizzie's own. It hurt me to see her hurt.

When the bell rang, I gathered up my books and rushed out into the hallway.

I needed to talk to Miranda and Lizzie at lunch.

Clffie! HA! *smiles* you'll get the next chapter soon enough – I like writing this story.

YAY! Please review!

I like reviews and all kind of communication with the human world. Mee-beep.

Tic-Tac  ^_~