I don't own it.
===Voices Carry===
Miranda did end up joining them at lunch. She sat down with her tray as if this was any normal lunch, as if she hadn't pulled a major disappearing act all morning. Lizzie wasn't sure what to do. Should she confront Miranda and hope that it wouldn't blow up in her face, or should she pretend like nothing was wrong and wait for it to blow over?
She needed guidance. She glanced at Gordo.
Gordo, unaware of Lizzie's penetrating look, grimaced at his sandwich. "I hate bologna."
Okay, so they were doing the avoidance route. Lizzie nodded in commiseration. "Me, too. You'd think that your mom would finally catch on to the fact that you have never liked bologna."
"It's been fourteen long years," Gordo agreed.
An uncomfortable silence followed, and Lizzie coughed once before saying, "Did you see Ethan today? He looks really good in black."
Gordo rolled his eyes, typical Gordo. Miranda offered a weak smile to her limp salad.
Lizzie pounded her fist against the table, causing both of her best friends to jump. "I can't take this anymore. What's wrong, Miranda? And don't you dare say 'nothing' because it is very obviously not 'nothing' and you've got me and Gordo tearing our hair out here."
"Listen, Lizzie, I appreciate the concern and all that, but really, don't waste your time worrying about me. It's hardly worth it." With that, Miranda gathered her things and walked away.
This time, however, Lizzie wasn't content with letting her escape. Leaving her things where they were, she chased after her best friend. "Miranda, please, talk to me. You know you can tell me anything."
The brunette shook her head fiercely. "No, Lizzie, I can't. There are some things you just can't tell people. I'm sorry." She started to walk away again, but Lizzie reached out and grabbed her arm.
"Please!" she said. "Is there something wrong? Maybe you should talk to your mom or something..."
Miranda jerked her gaze up at Lizzie, eyes widened. "No!" she burst, then calmed herself. "Not my mom," she said, more quietly. "Please. It's nothing. Don't get anyone involved in this."
"How do I know it's nothing when I don't know what it is?"
"It's *not important*, Lizzie," Miranda insisted. "Please, just let me go now."
There was nothing else she could do. Lizzie sighed and released Miranda, watching as she continued down the hallway with a determined stalk, although it lacked Miranda's usual flare.
"So what'd she say?" Gordo asked, appearing at Lizzie's elbow and holding out her backpack, which Lizzie accepted and shrugged into.
"She didn't say anything."
Gordo's brow knitted. "You don't think this is another food thing, is it? I mean, should we be worried?"
"I don't know," Lizzie admitted.
"Maybe...maybe whatever it is is too big for us. Maybe we should get an adult."
Lizzie shook her head. "I don't think so. She pretty much freaked out when I suggested that she talk to her mom."
"I don't know what to do, Liz," Gordo said.
"She'll tell us when she's ready," Lizzie said decisively.
"Are you so sure about that?"
Neither of them could erase the nagging doubt in their minds.
===Voices Carry===
Miranda did end up joining them at lunch. She sat down with her tray as if this was any normal lunch, as if she hadn't pulled a major disappearing act all morning. Lizzie wasn't sure what to do. Should she confront Miranda and hope that it wouldn't blow up in her face, or should she pretend like nothing was wrong and wait for it to blow over?
She needed guidance. She glanced at Gordo.
Gordo, unaware of Lizzie's penetrating look, grimaced at his sandwich. "I hate bologna."
Okay, so they were doing the avoidance route. Lizzie nodded in commiseration. "Me, too. You'd think that your mom would finally catch on to the fact that you have never liked bologna."
"It's been fourteen long years," Gordo agreed.
An uncomfortable silence followed, and Lizzie coughed once before saying, "Did you see Ethan today? He looks really good in black."
Gordo rolled his eyes, typical Gordo. Miranda offered a weak smile to her limp salad.
Lizzie pounded her fist against the table, causing both of her best friends to jump. "I can't take this anymore. What's wrong, Miranda? And don't you dare say 'nothing' because it is very obviously not 'nothing' and you've got me and Gordo tearing our hair out here."
"Listen, Lizzie, I appreciate the concern and all that, but really, don't waste your time worrying about me. It's hardly worth it." With that, Miranda gathered her things and walked away.
This time, however, Lizzie wasn't content with letting her escape. Leaving her things where they were, she chased after her best friend. "Miranda, please, talk to me. You know you can tell me anything."
The brunette shook her head fiercely. "No, Lizzie, I can't. There are some things you just can't tell people. I'm sorry." She started to walk away again, but Lizzie reached out and grabbed her arm.
"Please!" she said. "Is there something wrong? Maybe you should talk to your mom or something..."
Miranda jerked her gaze up at Lizzie, eyes widened. "No!" she burst, then calmed herself. "Not my mom," she said, more quietly. "Please. It's nothing. Don't get anyone involved in this."
"How do I know it's nothing when I don't know what it is?"
"It's *not important*, Lizzie," Miranda insisted. "Please, just let me go now."
There was nothing else she could do. Lizzie sighed and released Miranda, watching as she continued down the hallway with a determined stalk, although it lacked Miranda's usual flare.
"So what'd she say?" Gordo asked, appearing at Lizzie's elbow and holding out her backpack, which Lizzie accepted and shrugged into.
"She didn't say anything."
Gordo's brow knitted. "You don't think this is another food thing, is it? I mean, should we be worried?"
"I don't know," Lizzie admitted.
"Maybe...maybe whatever it is is too big for us. Maybe we should get an adult."
Lizzie shook her head. "I don't think so. She pretty much freaked out when I suggested that she talk to her mom."
"I don't know what to do, Liz," Gordo said.
"She'll tell us when she's ready," Lizzie said decisively.
"Are you so sure about that?"
Neither of them could erase the nagging doubt in their minds.
