Miranda licked her lips and willed her legs to start walking again. 'Be calm Miranda. Its just Tudgeman. Oh but what a fine looking Tudgeman he was all of a sudden. But It wasnt as if I havent seen him look this good before. He was HOT! at my party.'But not this hot. Larry had gotten a tan. Larry had started to get the beginnings of some very manly facial hair. Larry wasn't wearing that awful polo shirt. Larry.... wait a minute since when did she start calling him Larry? Tudgeman was more like it. In more ways than one. Ok stop the dreamy musings! He's coming over.

"Larry, is that you?"

"Miranda you do look stunning. This summer holiday has turned you into Venus! Not that you weren't a goddess before but now!You're Venus."

"Oh so one summer in Italy and you turn into an expert on Roman Goddesses?" She asked coyly. Was she actually flirting with Larry Tudgeman?

"Nope that can't be it because I didnt go to Italy. Venus's Greek name is Aphrodite, and THAT I learnt from my summer vacation."

"Huh? You didnt go to Italy?"

"No, I went to Greece instead for my cousin's wedding."

"I didn't know you were Greek."

"There's a lot you don't know about me Miranda..... But yes My grandfather on my Mom's side is from Greece and my Aunt still lives there. Her daughter got married in July so we all had to go to the wedding and miss the Italian trip of a lifetime. Kinda like you... Amazing how we have so much in common, isnt it?" Miranda rolled her eyes.

"We don't have anything in common Tudgeman, missing that trip was just a coincidence.Anyway, I have to get to Lizzie's place now."

"She isnt there. She went to Disneyland with her family two days ago and Gordo went with them."

"How am I going to find out what happened in Italy now?"

"Well I've been home almost a week now I know what happened there but you'll have to go with me to the Digital Bean to find out."With that he smiled at her. How come she didnt notice that his smile was so spectacular before? Maybe going with him to the Digital Bean wasnt such a bad idea but all of sudden she didnt want to hear about Italy. She want to hear about whatever, or whoever was responsible for his transformation and who taght him to smile like that so that her heart started to beat at the speed of a drumline!

She agreed and they proceeded to the hottest hangout in town since like ever. She had been there millions of times before but never with Tudgeman. Time to figure exactly what happened to him this summer.

"So Larry, what did you do in Greece? Other than go to the wedding that is. You look different and you must have gone to the beach because you have a marvelous tan."She cast a secret glance sideways to see how he would react to her compliment.

"Do you like the difference Miranda?"Well Larry was never a shy person. He was always full of self confidence and he had regaled his virtues to anyone who would listen in the past. The only difference was that now she was willing to listen but was she willing to tell him that?

"Yeah, I think I do. You look great Tudgeman. Honestly.But you didn't answer MY question."

"Well I did go to the beach often, my aunt owns a beachfront resort. I also started got into wrestling and soccer, my cousins Nikolai and Andreas got me into those, especially the wrestling. They toughened me up real quick. Maybe sometime I can show you some of the moves I learnt."

"I'd like that" No she wouldn't but he was a hottie now she'd say she liked it if he dipped anchovies in vanilla frosting.

"I want to try out for the the team in high school so I'm in heavy training mode now. I jog five miles every morning now plus I lift weights. I need to bulk up. Oh I'm sorry I'm talking your head off arent I and you wanted to hear about Italy not Greece "

"Actually I don't mind I like hearing about what you did. You've changed a LOT but even though change is good I hope you didn't re-invent yourself just for high school you were cool before too."Why was she sounding like Gordo. Speaking of Gordo how did he get to Go to Disneyland with Lizzie? "But about Italy, what do you know happened there? Did anyone 'hook up'?"

"As a matter of fact, rumor has it that Lizzie and Gordo did. But that's not the most sensational news."She eyes him curiously. She wasn't surprised to hear about Lizzie and Gordo. It was a long time coming. But what could be more interesting than that??? "It seems that our fair Ms. McGuire quite a striking resemblance to an Italian pop singer named Isabella, which coincidentally is the Italian for Elizabeth.The details of what exactly happened are sketchy but it seems that Lizzie ended up imitating and then singing with her in a major concert. In the middle of all this. or maybe it was at the end she kissed Gordo."

"She did what!? She kissed him? Wait hold up, Lizzie's a pop star TOO!!!!? And I thought she would be jealous. So she returned to California right. She didn't stay tover there for the lure of the bright lights and you're not telling me did she?" Miranda was talking way too fast but she had to rehash the facts. Her head was spinning.

"What do you mean too..Why would Lizzie be jealous? Are you going to tell me that you became a singing sensation over this summer too?"

"Well that's what the Mexican magazines say." She was blushing. Miranda Sanchez was blushing. Because of something Larry Tudgeman had said. Something is weird here.

They were now at the entrance of the Digital Bean. When they walked in she noiced that something was different immediately. Since when did the Digital Bean have stairs? "Hey Larry, what's up there?" "You really didn't hear anything about what was happening here did you. The Digital Bean added a dancing area upstairs. They're now officially the first internet café/coffee house/ teen club in Hillridge. Wanna come back and check it out tommorrow with me?"

Larry just asked her out on a date. A real date. This wasn't Cody Pierson asking her to a dance. This was a really hot guy wanting to take her to a club, a teen club. This really hot guy was still Larry Tudgeman though. What if he was still the king of weird? What if she said yes and he ended up eating worms or something? What if he really is as cool as he appears. If she turn him down she might never have this chance again. What was she to do? Better yet what was she to say?