Disclaimer: I don't own it!
Summary: it's the gang's sophomore year of high school, but when Lizzie finds out what Gordo did, she completely changes.
***Reap What You Sow***
Within a week, *everyone* knew who I was. I was the girl who'd gotten a tryout in the middle of the season, made the squad, and would be captain if not for the fact that there was already a captain, and they believed in seniority. I was that good.
I was perky, I was early for all practices, I was commanding, I was a leader. I was respected and feared, and don't think I didn't notice those sad little looks Gordo would shoot me during classes. Miranda just wandered the halls like a ghost, and I knew that I was responsible for both reactions. I felt proud, mighty.
They weren't the only ones affected by the new Lizzie. Parker, though we were never close friends, stopped speaking to me altogether. Not that I minded. I'd never liked her, never trusted her, especially after Gordo had asked her to that dance. Even after she'd turned him down, I'd never trusted her. I never would've suspected that it was my own best friend I couldn't trust.
Tudgeman started treating me the same way he always used to treat Kate. Keeping his distance, making snide comments at her and my expense (not that anyone listened to him except his own little geek cronies), but watched her (and now me) in class when he thought no one was looking. I knew why he was staring. It wasn't just because we were gorgeous, not just because we were gods among men. It was because he knew us both when we were sweet girls, and suspected that underneath the angry exterior, we were still the people he once knew.
Maybe Kate was. I wasn't.
I now had the benefits of hordes of admirers, which included Ethan Craft.
I'd given up on Ethan Craft after the eighth grade. He was pretty, he was popular, he was a nice guy, but he was as dumb as a brick wall and considerably less useful. But now, he was the ultimate accessory to compliment my perfect new image. We were already sort-of friends. All I had to do was ensure that he took that next step.
"Ethan," I said, coming up to his locker between classes. "I have something to talk to you about."
"Yeah?" he said with a genial smile.
"I think you and I should go together to the dance next weekend."
Ethan blinked at me. "Uh, Lizzie, that's nice and all, but I, uh...remember last year, when we said that we were gonna be just friends? That we had no, uh...what was...what was that word, again? With the potions, and stuff?"
"Chemistry?" I supplied dryly. We'd been through this before.
"Yeah, that!" he said. "Chemistry. We just don't have any of that, you know?"
"That was then, this is now," I said. "Don't you think we're much better friends than before?"
He nodded.
"So why not? I mean, who are you waiting around for, Kate?"
Ethan's brow knitted, and looked like he was on the verge of constipation, the way he always looked when he was thinking really hard. "Me and Kate--" he started.
"I hate to break it to you, Ethan, but Kate pretty much said that you were the world's stupidest human being and the only reason she ever gave you the time of day was because you were popular." Which, in essence, was true, although Kate had never phrased it exactly that way. Of course, she could have said outright that she loved Ethan Craft desperately, he was her soul mate, they were going to get married someday, and I would've done it all anyway. I didn't care anymore. Not about her feelings, not about Ethan's feelings, not about anyone's feelings. When was the last time anyone gave regard to *my* feelings? Was Gordo really thinking 'this is going to make Lizzie feel like the most worthless human being alive' when he was sucking face with Miranda? Of course not.
Besides, that whole 'soul mates' bit was a crock.
Ethan looked like someone had run over his dog, and for a split second, I almost felt guilty about manipulating his feelings this way. Almost.
I put on my most sincere, apologetic face and put my hand on his shoulder in a supportive gesture. "I'm sorry you have to hear about this, Ethan, I'm sorry you have to hear it from me, really I am, but I thought it would be better that you find out the truth now, before Kate breaks your heart." I looked up at him sadly, and added, "You're my *friend*, Ethan."
"Yeah," he mumbled.
"Listen, you can't let this get you down. You and I will go to the dance together--a just friends thing," I amended quickly. "You'll have a great time, and you'll show Kate Sanders that you're better off without her."
"Yeah, okay."
I smiled at him, and he tentatively smiled back, and I gave him a hug. This was just the sort of thing the old Lizzie would have done, helped out a friend. The new Lizzie was just a little more conniving about it. And for once in my life, I was actually going to benefit.
Summary: it's the gang's sophomore year of high school, but when Lizzie finds out what Gordo did, she completely changes.
***Reap What You Sow***
Within a week, *everyone* knew who I was. I was the girl who'd gotten a tryout in the middle of the season, made the squad, and would be captain if not for the fact that there was already a captain, and they believed in seniority. I was that good.
I was perky, I was early for all practices, I was commanding, I was a leader. I was respected and feared, and don't think I didn't notice those sad little looks Gordo would shoot me during classes. Miranda just wandered the halls like a ghost, and I knew that I was responsible for both reactions. I felt proud, mighty.
They weren't the only ones affected by the new Lizzie. Parker, though we were never close friends, stopped speaking to me altogether. Not that I minded. I'd never liked her, never trusted her, especially after Gordo had asked her to that dance. Even after she'd turned him down, I'd never trusted her. I never would've suspected that it was my own best friend I couldn't trust.
Tudgeman started treating me the same way he always used to treat Kate. Keeping his distance, making snide comments at her and my expense (not that anyone listened to him except his own little geek cronies), but watched her (and now me) in class when he thought no one was looking. I knew why he was staring. It wasn't just because we were gorgeous, not just because we were gods among men. It was because he knew us both when we were sweet girls, and suspected that underneath the angry exterior, we were still the people he once knew.
Maybe Kate was. I wasn't.
I now had the benefits of hordes of admirers, which included Ethan Craft.
I'd given up on Ethan Craft after the eighth grade. He was pretty, he was popular, he was a nice guy, but he was as dumb as a brick wall and considerably less useful. But now, he was the ultimate accessory to compliment my perfect new image. We were already sort-of friends. All I had to do was ensure that he took that next step.
"Ethan," I said, coming up to his locker between classes. "I have something to talk to you about."
"Yeah?" he said with a genial smile.
"I think you and I should go together to the dance next weekend."
Ethan blinked at me. "Uh, Lizzie, that's nice and all, but I, uh...remember last year, when we said that we were gonna be just friends? That we had no, uh...what was...what was that word, again? With the potions, and stuff?"
"Chemistry?" I supplied dryly. We'd been through this before.
"Yeah, that!" he said. "Chemistry. We just don't have any of that, you know?"
"That was then, this is now," I said. "Don't you think we're much better friends than before?"
He nodded.
"So why not? I mean, who are you waiting around for, Kate?"
Ethan's brow knitted, and looked like he was on the verge of constipation, the way he always looked when he was thinking really hard. "Me and Kate--" he started.
"I hate to break it to you, Ethan, but Kate pretty much said that you were the world's stupidest human being and the only reason she ever gave you the time of day was because you were popular." Which, in essence, was true, although Kate had never phrased it exactly that way. Of course, she could have said outright that she loved Ethan Craft desperately, he was her soul mate, they were going to get married someday, and I would've done it all anyway. I didn't care anymore. Not about her feelings, not about Ethan's feelings, not about anyone's feelings. When was the last time anyone gave regard to *my* feelings? Was Gordo really thinking 'this is going to make Lizzie feel like the most worthless human being alive' when he was sucking face with Miranda? Of course not.
Besides, that whole 'soul mates' bit was a crock.
Ethan looked like someone had run over his dog, and for a split second, I almost felt guilty about manipulating his feelings this way. Almost.
I put on my most sincere, apologetic face and put my hand on his shoulder in a supportive gesture. "I'm sorry you have to hear about this, Ethan, I'm sorry you have to hear it from me, really I am, but I thought it would be better that you find out the truth now, before Kate breaks your heart." I looked up at him sadly, and added, "You're my *friend*, Ethan."
"Yeah," he mumbled.
"Listen, you can't let this get you down. You and I will go to the dance together--a just friends thing," I amended quickly. "You'll have a great time, and you'll show Kate Sanders that you're better off without her."
"Yeah, okay."
I smiled at him, and he tentatively smiled back, and I gave him a hug. This was just the sort of thing the old Lizzie would have done, helped out a friend. The new Lizzie was just a little more conniving about it. And for once in my life, I was actually going to benefit.
