True to his word to Lizzie, Gordo called Miranda later that evening. Even though she had visiting family in Mexico for the summer, both Gordo and Lizzie had kept in touch with her while she was gone. When Gordo gave Miranda Lizzie's message , she was shocked. "Wow, that's terrible," she said with a bit of disbelief.
"Yeah." Gordo agreed .
"You were really hoping things would change this summer, weren't you?"
Gordo began to wonder if everyone knew how much he liked Lizzie. "I guess." The answer was yes, but he didn't want to tell Miranda that. "Anyway, with the two best friends gone, what am I suppose to do?"
"Why don't you hang out with someone else?"
"Who? Everyone's gone or on vacation. Lizzie and Matt are both at their grandmother's, Tudgeman is vacationing with his family in Florida. I even got desperate and asked Kate and she'll be at cheerleading camp all summer."
"Oooo... that's pretty bad."
"Yeah." Gordo's phone began to beep. "Wait a sec, I think I have someone on the other line."
"OK, but don't take too long. This is long distance, remember?"
Gordo switched to the other line and heard a familiar voice on the phone. "Hey Gordon! It's Ethan. What's up, dude?"
It was Ethan Craft, Lizzie's long-time crush. Gordo was kind of stunned. Ethan had never called him before and, to be honest, it was kind of weird. Why would Ethan call him? "Oh, hi, uhh.. Ethan. Could you hold on for a sec? I've got Miranda on the other line long distance."
"Ok."
"Great, thanks." Gordo switched it back to Miranda.
"Who was it?" Miranda asked.
"Just Ethan."
"JUST Ethan? Ethan CRAFT?!? Oh my gosh!! Is he still on the line?"
"Uhhh.. yeah."
"Oh my gosh! Me and Ethan Craft are on different lines on the same phone- at the same time! This is so cool!"
"Whoa, whoa. What's he big deal?" Gordo felt like Miranda was over reacting too much.
"What's the big deal? Ethan Craft is, like, the most popular guy in school. The most popular guy in school is calling YOU! Oh, my gosh, what if he's calling to ask you to hang out?" Miranda gasped. "That would be soooo cool! That must be it. You said no one else in town was there."
"Miranda, I don't care how popular he is, Ethan Craft is about the biggest doufus I know. Why would I want to hang out with him?"
"Gordo, don't be so mature. Just tell him that you'll hang out with him."
"He never asked. You're just jumping to conclusions."
"Well, whatever he asks, just answer yes! Oh my gosh! What if he's asking you about me! Maybe he has a crush on me! That would be soo cool. Just think- Mrs. Miranda Craft!"
"OK, Mrs. Craft," Gordo said in his usual sarcastic fashion, "I'll find out what he wants. I'll talk to you later." Gordo groaned and said "Girls." the way teenage boys always do when they can't figure girls out.
Gordo switched the phone back to Ethan. "Hi, Ethan, are you still there?"
"Yeah, Gordon, what's up?"
"Uhh.. not much. What's up with you?"
"Ahh.. not a thing dude." Gordo thought Ethan would say more, but not a word came out of the phone. Gordo was confused.
"So, uhh... why did you call?"
"Oh, yeah. You know how like everyone's gone for the summer, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I found out that you were still here, and I thought maybe we could hang out or something."
Gordo couldn't believe it. Miranda was right; Ethan did want to hang out with him. It didn't seem to make sense, but Gordo didn't want to be impolite. "Uhh... sure."
"Cool. I'll meet you at the Digital Bean tomorrow at 2, 'K?"
"Sure, OK. Tomorrow at 2"
"Cool," Ethan replied. "See ya then."
"Yeah. Later." Gordo hung up the phone.
"Yeah." Gordo agreed .
"You were really hoping things would change this summer, weren't you?"
Gordo began to wonder if everyone knew how much he liked Lizzie. "I guess." The answer was yes, but he didn't want to tell Miranda that. "Anyway, with the two best friends gone, what am I suppose to do?"
"Why don't you hang out with someone else?"
"Who? Everyone's gone or on vacation. Lizzie and Matt are both at their grandmother's, Tudgeman is vacationing with his family in Florida. I even got desperate and asked Kate and she'll be at cheerleading camp all summer."
"Oooo... that's pretty bad."
"Yeah." Gordo's phone began to beep. "Wait a sec, I think I have someone on the other line."
"OK, but don't take too long. This is long distance, remember?"
Gordo switched to the other line and heard a familiar voice on the phone. "Hey Gordon! It's Ethan. What's up, dude?"
It was Ethan Craft, Lizzie's long-time crush. Gordo was kind of stunned. Ethan had never called him before and, to be honest, it was kind of weird. Why would Ethan call him? "Oh, hi, uhh.. Ethan. Could you hold on for a sec? I've got Miranda on the other line long distance."
"Ok."
"Great, thanks." Gordo switched it back to Miranda.
"Who was it?" Miranda asked.
"Just Ethan."
"JUST Ethan? Ethan CRAFT?!? Oh my gosh!! Is he still on the line?"
"Uhhh.. yeah."
"Oh my gosh! Me and Ethan Craft are on different lines on the same phone- at the same time! This is so cool!"
"Whoa, whoa. What's he big deal?" Gordo felt like Miranda was over reacting too much.
"What's the big deal? Ethan Craft is, like, the most popular guy in school. The most popular guy in school is calling YOU! Oh, my gosh, what if he's calling to ask you to hang out?" Miranda gasped. "That would be soooo cool! That must be it. You said no one else in town was there."
"Miranda, I don't care how popular he is, Ethan Craft is about the biggest doufus I know. Why would I want to hang out with him?"
"Gordo, don't be so mature. Just tell him that you'll hang out with him."
"He never asked. You're just jumping to conclusions."
"Well, whatever he asks, just answer yes! Oh my gosh! What if he's asking you about me! Maybe he has a crush on me! That would be soo cool. Just think- Mrs. Miranda Craft!"
"OK, Mrs. Craft," Gordo said in his usual sarcastic fashion, "I'll find out what he wants. I'll talk to you later." Gordo groaned and said "Girls." the way teenage boys always do when they can't figure girls out.
Gordo switched the phone back to Ethan. "Hi, Ethan, are you still there?"
"Yeah, Gordon, what's up?"
"Uhh.. not much. What's up with you?"
"Ahh.. not a thing dude." Gordo thought Ethan would say more, but not a word came out of the phone. Gordo was confused.
"So, uhh... why did you call?"
"Oh, yeah. You know how like everyone's gone for the summer, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I found out that you were still here, and I thought maybe we could hang out or something."
Gordo couldn't believe it. Miranda was right; Ethan did want to hang out with him. It didn't seem to make sense, but Gordo didn't want to be impolite. "Uhh... sure."
"Cool. I'll meet you at the Digital Bean tomorrow at 2, 'K?"
"Sure, OK. Tomorrow at 2"
"Cool," Ethan replied. "See ya then."
"Yeah. Later." Gordo hung up the phone.