Disclaimer: Same as before!! :D
"Lizzie! To what do we owe this metamorphosis?" Mrs. McGuire exclaimed. "You actually came out of your room to eat dinner with us!" Lizzie rolled her eyes.
I have to admit, even I was surprised. I hadn't seen Lizzie show this much emotion since before I told Kate about Lizzie's little fling with Tudgeman.
"It's not that big of a deal, mom. Really."
"But, honey-"
"She's right, Jo. She is a teenager, you know."
"Sam! Not helping!"
"Well, fine," Lizzie said. "If you don't want me out here, I'll just go back into my room! I'm not hungry anyway," Lizzie said, rising from her chair.
"I don't think so. Sit yourself back down, Lizzie McGuire! Now." Lizzie rolled her eyes, but she didn't argue.
"Good. Now, eat." Mrs. McGuire had made her infamous beef stroganoff. I myself was barely choking it down, and when I glanced at Mr. McGuire, I could tell he was having an even worse time than I was. He kept jumping up to refill his water glass.
"Sam, watch it!" Mrs. McGuire cried. "At the rate you're going, we'll have to go to town for more supplies in two days! And it's quite a long drive; you know that!"
"Sorry, honey. It's just this stroganoff is...um," he gulped, "hot. Yeah, um...it's burning my tongue. I need water to cool it off. Yeah." Jo looked at him strangely, and then rolled her eyes. Then she looked at me.
"Are you having a good time so far, Gordo?"
"Um, yes," I answered. "A better time than I thought I was going to have," I said, glancing quickly at Lizzie. She gave me a small smile.
"Well, that's good, dear. Lizzie, you're having a good time too, I hope," Mrs. McGuire said.
"Sure, mom."
"So, what do you kids have planned for tomorrow? I was thinking a nature hike!" Sam exclaimed.
"Um, that's okay, Dad. We'll probably get eaten alive by bugs!" Lizzie declined. Jo glanced at her daughter and sighed.
"Well, I'll go with you, Sam," she said, kissing his cheek. "Hopefully you kids can find something constructive to do," she added. I nodded.
"Yeah...hey, Lizzie, do you want to go over to that island in the middle of the lake? There's probably some cool places to swim or whatever over there," I suggested. Lizzie looked over at me thoughtfully.
"Um, I guess so," she said.
"Good. It's all settled, then," Jo said, grinning. I grinned back at her. Tomorrow was going to be great!
***
"Lizzie. Lizzie, wake up." Lizzie rolled over to face the wall. She grunted.
"What time is it?" she asked groggily.
"About 9:30," I answered. She made an angry noise.
"Why are you waking me up, then? It's so early!" I had to laugh.
"9:30 is not early, Lizzie!"
"It is in my book, you know."
"Well, you're forming complete sentences. Therefore it is about time that you got up!" I said. I yanked the comforter off her.
"Gordo!" she cried. I squeaked, blushed, and closed my eyes, thrusting the comforter back into her hands.
"I'm just...I'm going to go out here while you get dressed," I said, turning on my heel and running out of her room. I sat down on the couch, my head in my hands. All she had had on were a pair of lacy pink panties and a little white tank top. I gulped, and envisioned her again...then I mentally slapped myself.
'Bad, bad Gordon!' I scolded myself. 'She's your best friend, and you're only just back on speaking terms with her. No!' I opened my eyes and leaned back onto the couch. Soon, Lizzie came out her room, ready for the day.
"You have your swimsuit on, right?" I asked. Lizzie rolled her eyes.
"Of course I do. Do you?" she asked, pouring herself a bowl of cereal.
"Well, I would," I started to reply, "but alas, I am not a girl. I wear swim trunks, not a swimsuit."
"Thank God for that," Lizzie muttered.
"What was that, McGuire?" I asked, ruffling her hair.
"Hey, don't! You know how long it takes me to do my hair!"
"Yeah, I do. But you do realize that once we swim, you're going to look like a drowned rat, right?" I asked playfully.
"Yeah, now shut up and eat your cereal, Gordon." I stuck my tongue out at her and began to eat.
***
"Ready to go?" I asked from the small motorboat. Lizzie was coming down the dock towards me.
"Yeah...hey, are you sure you know how to use that thing?" she asked.
"Yes, Lizzie. My uncle has one that I use all the time," I replied. I started the engine and we were off. The pristine lake was so huge, it took us almost twenty minutes to reach the island.
I docked the boat and jumped out. I gave Lizzie my hand and helped her out of the boat.
"Thanks," she said. "Wow," she breathed. "It's so beautiful here!"
'Not as beautiful as you,' I thought, and then shook my head. Where was this stuff coming from?
"Don't you just love it, Gordo?" she asked, dropping her beach bag onto the sand and twirling around.
"Yeah," I answered, grinning as she fell onto her back in the sand. I lay down beside her, and we gazed silently at the puffy clouds drifting by overhead.
"Gordo?" she said softly.
"Yeah?" I asked.
"I'm so glad we're friends again."
"Me too, McGuire. Me too."
"You have no idea how hard it was without you. I mean, without both you and Miranda," she added quickly.
"Yeah," I said. "Hey, what's Miranda's deal, anyway?" I asked.
"Well, she actually said she didn't care you know that Tudgeman and I kissed, but I just...I felt so betrayed, I shut everyone out. Eventually she just stopped trying. I don't blame her, but now I'm scared it's too late, Gordo."
"For friends, it's almost never too late," I said softly.
"If it were only that easy, Gordo," Lizzie said. "You know Miranda better than that. We both do."
"I guess you're right. But, it still never hurts to try, you know? I mean, I never thought that you'd forgive me so quickly. Especially after what you wrote in that note. But look at us now, right?"
"Hold on, now. I didn't say I've forgiven you yet. I'm still appalled that you told."
"Then...what are we doing?"
"I missed you too much, you goof. I was getting so lonely and depressed...I needed you. You know, it's not really the secret you told them that upset me, because I have no regrets about Larry. It was the fact that you betrayed me. I thought I could trust you."
"But you can, Lizzie. I promise you, you can."
"Well, why don't you tell me your biggest secret, then I'll have some ammo, just in case," she said, turning her head to look at me.
"I can't...I can't do that," I stuttered.
"Why not, Gordo?"
"I just...it's embarrassing!" Lizzie squealed.
"David Gordon! You like somebody! Don't you? Ooh, I bet it's Miranda!"
"Lizzie, I don't--"
"I already know, you don't have to deny it now!" Lizzie stood up and threw off her shorts and t-shirt. I stared after her as she ran into the water. What a situation I had gotten myself into.
My best friend, whom I just happen to have a massive crush on, believes that I like our other (former?) best friend, whom I actually do not have a crush on. GAH! Life. It really should come with a manual. Or at least a reset button.
"Lizzie! To what do we owe this metamorphosis?" Mrs. McGuire exclaimed. "You actually came out of your room to eat dinner with us!" Lizzie rolled her eyes.
I have to admit, even I was surprised. I hadn't seen Lizzie show this much emotion since before I told Kate about Lizzie's little fling with Tudgeman.
"It's not that big of a deal, mom. Really."
"But, honey-"
"She's right, Jo. She is a teenager, you know."
"Sam! Not helping!"
"Well, fine," Lizzie said. "If you don't want me out here, I'll just go back into my room! I'm not hungry anyway," Lizzie said, rising from her chair.
"I don't think so. Sit yourself back down, Lizzie McGuire! Now." Lizzie rolled her eyes, but she didn't argue.
"Good. Now, eat." Mrs. McGuire had made her infamous beef stroganoff. I myself was barely choking it down, and when I glanced at Mr. McGuire, I could tell he was having an even worse time than I was. He kept jumping up to refill his water glass.
"Sam, watch it!" Mrs. McGuire cried. "At the rate you're going, we'll have to go to town for more supplies in two days! And it's quite a long drive; you know that!"
"Sorry, honey. It's just this stroganoff is...um," he gulped, "hot. Yeah, um...it's burning my tongue. I need water to cool it off. Yeah." Jo looked at him strangely, and then rolled her eyes. Then she looked at me.
"Are you having a good time so far, Gordo?"
"Um, yes," I answered. "A better time than I thought I was going to have," I said, glancing quickly at Lizzie. She gave me a small smile.
"Well, that's good, dear. Lizzie, you're having a good time too, I hope," Mrs. McGuire said.
"Sure, mom."
"So, what do you kids have planned for tomorrow? I was thinking a nature hike!" Sam exclaimed.
"Um, that's okay, Dad. We'll probably get eaten alive by bugs!" Lizzie declined. Jo glanced at her daughter and sighed.
"Well, I'll go with you, Sam," she said, kissing his cheek. "Hopefully you kids can find something constructive to do," she added. I nodded.
"Yeah...hey, Lizzie, do you want to go over to that island in the middle of the lake? There's probably some cool places to swim or whatever over there," I suggested. Lizzie looked over at me thoughtfully.
"Um, I guess so," she said.
"Good. It's all settled, then," Jo said, grinning. I grinned back at her. Tomorrow was going to be great!
***
"Lizzie. Lizzie, wake up." Lizzie rolled over to face the wall. She grunted.
"What time is it?" she asked groggily.
"About 9:30," I answered. She made an angry noise.
"Why are you waking me up, then? It's so early!" I had to laugh.
"9:30 is not early, Lizzie!"
"It is in my book, you know."
"Well, you're forming complete sentences. Therefore it is about time that you got up!" I said. I yanked the comforter off her.
"Gordo!" she cried. I squeaked, blushed, and closed my eyes, thrusting the comforter back into her hands.
"I'm just...I'm going to go out here while you get dressed," I said, turning on my heel and running out of her room. I sat down on the couch, my head in my hands. All she had had on were a pair of lacy pink panties and a little white tank top. I gulped, and envisioned her again...then I mentally slapped myself.
'Bad, bad Gordon!' I scolded myself. 'She's your best friend, and you're only just back on speaking terms with her. No!' I opened my eyes and leaned back onto the couch. Soon, Lizzie came out her room, ready for the day.
"You have your swimsuit on, right?" I asked. Lizzie rolled her eyes.
"Of course I do. Do you?" she asked, pouring herself a bowl of cereal.
"Well, I would," I started to reply, "but alas, I am not a girl. I wear swim trunks, not a swimsuit."
"Thank God for that," Lizzie muttered.
"What was that, McGuire?" I asked, ruffling her hair.
"Hey, don't! You know how long it takes me to do my hair!"
"Yeah, I do. But you do realize that once we swim, you're going to look like a drowned rat, right?" I asked playfully.
"Yeah, now shut up and eat your cereal, Gordon." I stuck my tongue out at her and began to eat.
***
"Ready to go?" I asked from the small motorboat. Lizzie was coming down the dock towards me.
"Yeah...hey, are you sure you know how to use that thing?" she asked.
"Yes, Lizzie. My uncle has one that I use all the time," I replied. I started the engine and we were off. The pristine lake was so huge, it took us almost twenty minutes to reach the island.
I docked the boat and jumped out. I gave Lizzie my hand and helped her out of the boat.
"Thanks," she said. "Wow," she breathed. "It's so beautiful here!"
'Not as beautiful as you,' I thought, and then shook my head. Where was this stuff coming from?
"Don't you just love it, Gordo?" she asked, dropping her beach bag onto the sand and twirling around.
"Yeah," I answered, grinning as she fell onto her back in the sand. I lay down beside her, and we gazed silently at the puffy clouds drifting by overhead.
"Gordo?" she said softly.
"Yeah?" I asked.
"I'm so glad we're friends again."
"Me too, McGuire. Me too."
"You have no idea how hard it was without you. I mean, without both you and Miranda," she added quickly.
"Yeah," I said. "Hey, what's Miranda's deal, anyway?" I asked.
"Well, she actually said she didn't care you know that Tudgeman and I kissed, but I just...I felt so betrayed, I shut everyone out. Eventually she just stopped trying. I don't blame her, but now I'm scared it's too late, Gordo."
"For friends, it's almost never too late," I said softly.
"If it were only that easy, Gordo," Lizzie said. "You know Miranda better than that. We both do."
"I guess you're right. But, it still never hurts to try, you know? I mean, I never thought that you'd forgive me so quickly. Especially after what you wrote in that note. But look at us now, right?"
"Hold on, now. I didn't say I've forgiven you yet. I'm still appalled that you told."
"Then...what are we doing?"
"I missed you too much, you goof. I was getting so lonely and depressed...I needed you. You know, it's not really the secret you told them that upset me, because I have no regrets about Larry. It was the fact that you betrayed me. I thought I could trust you."
"But you can, Lizzie. I promise you, you can."
"Well, why don't you tell me your biggest secret, then I'll have some ammo, just in case," she said, turning her head to look at me.
"I can't...I can't do that," I stuttered.
"Why not, Gordo?"
"I just...it's embarrassing!" Lizzie squealed.
"David Gordon! You like somebody! Don't you? Ooh, I bet it's Miranda!"
"Lizzie, I don't--"
"I already know, you don't have to deny it now!" Lizzie stood up and threw off her shorts and t-shirt. I stared after her as she ran into the water. What a situation I had gotten myself into.
My best friend, whom I just happen to have a massive crush on, believes that I like our other (former?) best friend, whom I actually do not have a crush on. GAH! Life. It really should come with a manual. Or at least a reset button.