Disclaimer: I still don't own any of the characters. :)
He stared at his toes, not answering me. His gaze met mine after a few moments as
he searched my face. I couldn't tell what he was thinking; all I could do was look back at
him and drink in his features. He was handsome, even if he didn't have Ethan's hair. He
had warm, trusting brown eyes and a sweet smile. His lips. Did I really want to kiss
Larry Tudgeman? The guy I've not really hated, but hated to be around since 7th grade?
But yeah, I think I did. Larry looked like someone you could trust, someone you could
pour your heart out to. Someone you could fall in love with.
"How do I know you're not playing with my mind?" he asked me. "I've had so
many people pretend they were my friends, and then turn on me. It hurts Miranda.
Ultimately, everyone just overlooks me. Why spend time looking at The Tudge when
you can be looking at Ethan?" Ouch. As much as I hated to admit it, I was part of the
group that overlooked him for Ethan. If it wasn't Ethan, it was someone else
overshadowing Larry.
"I'm not playing with your mind. I can't tell you I won't hurt you, because it's
easy to hurt people. I wouldn't try to, but in a relationship, people get hurt. Are we in a
relationship, Larry?" He smiled at me. I noticed he had a great smile, although I don't
recall him ever having braces. But would I have remembered that about him? Probably
not. Ethan had braces, early in the fourth grade. He was one of the first in the grade.
"You know how long I've wished we were? Months. I'm not a religious person,
but I wished that Spock would grant me that wish. For other people, getting a girlfriend
isn't that big a deal, but I've only had one girlfriend, and she did it out of the goodness of
her heart. She felt sorry for me, and she felt guilty for letting me down. So she pretended
to be my girlfriend. One girl, Miranda. I'm almost fifteen. I'm pathetic."
"You're not pathetic," I told him. It was a natural response, like when somebody
asked you if they were fat. You're not fat, was your immediate response, even if they
were getting a bit chunky. But he wasn't. Maybe to others, but not to me.
"Yeah, you're just saying that." He blushed a bit. I think he was hoping what I
said was true. It was. I touched his arm and saw his cheeks redden a bit.
"I'm not just saying that. Don't I always say what I mean?" He smiled.
"Yeah, you do. You always have at least. You used to hate me, and always told
me that. Remember that scavenger hunt? You kept telling me to stay two feet away
from you at all times." I grinned, remembering that. I barely even remembered what
Lizzie, Gordo, and I were fighting about after this long. But I did remember Larry. He
kept telling me what great friends I had, wishing he had them too. Now, I barely even
thought about Lizzie and Gordo. My mind was on Larry.
"You're not two feet from me now." I told him, noticing how close we were.
Our faces were close. I could see myself reflected in his eyes.
"I know." His voice was quiet, low and nervous.
"Larry, I like you. Please believe me. I'm so sorry for not noticing it before. I'm
sorry you had to be someone else for me to really realize who you were. I'm sorry for a
lot of things. But I'm not sorry for being here right now, because, I like you. I like you a
lot. I don't know what might happen, but I want to try. Please, Larry, say you'll try."
Larry looked at me and beamed. He leaned in closer. I could see how soft his lips looked.
"I wish it hadn't taken this long," he said, a tinge of regret in his voice. "But I'm
glad it did. I like you a lot Miranda. There's nothing you should be sorry for.
He kissed me. I never believed in fireworks, or love at first sight. But I felt
everything. It hadn't been love at first sight, but maybe this was my first time really
seeing Larry. felt like I was meant to be with Larry. Maybe I was. Who knew what
would happen in the future. I didn't know, but I loved being with Larry. I loved Larry.
Now, it wasn't a question. It was a sure thing.
He stared at his toes, not answering me. His gaze met mine after a few moments as
he searched my face. I couldn't tell what he was thinking; all I could do was look back at
him and drink in his features. He was handsome, even if he didn't have Ethan's hair. He
had warm, trusting brown eyes and a sweet smile. His lips. Did I really want to kiss
Larry Tudgeman? The guy I've not really hated, but hated to be around since 7th grade?
But yeah, I think I did. Larry looked like someone you could trust, someone you could
pour your heart out to. Someone you could fall in love with.
"How do I know you're not playing with my mind?" he asked me. "I've had so
many people pretend they were my friends, and then turn on me. It hurts Miranda.
Ultimately, everyone just overlooks me. Why spend time looking at The Tudge when
you can be looking at Ethan?" Ouch. As much as I hated to admit it, I was part of the
group that overlooked him for Ethan. If it wasn't Ethan, it was someone else
overshadowing Larry.
"I'm not playing with your mind. I can't tell you I won't hurt you, because it's
easy to hurt people. I wouldn't try to, but in a relationship, people get hurt. Are we in a
relationship, Larry?" He smiled at me. I noticed he had a great smile, although I don't
recall him ever having braces. But would I have remembered that about him? Probably
not. Ethan had braces, early in the fourth grade. He was one of the first in the grade.
"You know how long I've wished we were? Months. I'm not a religious person,
but I wished that Spock would grant me that wish. For other people, getting a girlfriend
isn't that big a deal, but I've only had one girlfriend, and she did it out of the goodness of
her heart. She felt sorry for me, and she felt guilty for letting me down. So she pretended
to be my girlfriend. One girl, Miranda. I'm almost fifteen. I'm pathetic."
"You're not pathetic," I told him. It was a natural response, like when somebody
asked you if they were fat. You're not fat, was your immediate response, even if they
were getting a bit chunky. But he wasn't. Maybe to others, but not to me.
"Yeah, you're just saying that." He blushed a bit. I think he was hoping what I
said was true. It was. I touched his arm and saw his cheeks redden a bit.
"I'm not just saying that. Don't I always say what I mean?" He smiled.
"Yeah, you do. You always have at least. You used to hate me, and always told
me that. Remember that scavenger hunt? You kept telling me to stay two feet away
from you at all times." I grinned, remembering that. I barely even remembered what
Lizzie, Gordo, and I were fighting about after this long. But I did remember Larry. He
kept telling me what great friends I had, wishing he had them too. Now, I barely even
thought about Lizzie and Gordo. My mind was on Larry.
"You're not two feet from me now." I told him, noticing how close we were.
Our faces were close. I could see myself reflected in his eyes.
"I know." His voice was quiet, low and nervous.
"Larry, I like you. Please believe me. I'm so sorry for not noticing it before. I'm
sorry you had to be someone else for me to really realize who you were. I'm sorry for a
lot of things. But I'm not sorry for being here right now, because, I like you. I like you a
lot. I don't know what might happen, but I want to try. Please, Larry, say you'll try."
Larry looked at me and beamed. He leaned in closer. I could see how soft his lips looked.
"I wish it hadn't taken this long," he said, a tinge of regret in his voice. "But I'm
glad it did. I like you a lot Miranda. There's nothing you should be sorry for.
He kissed me. I never believed in fireworks, or love at first sight. But I felt
everything. It hadn't been love at first sight, but maybe this was my first time really
seeing Larry. felt like I was meant to be with Larry. Maybe I was. Who knew what
would happen in the future. I didn't know, but I loved being with Larry. I loved Larry.
Now, it wasn't a question. It was a sure thing.
