Everyone who reviewed, THANK YOU!
To everyone new, please read and review! Reviewers are great!
***
Lizzie threw the small ball at the wall. This was insane, she'd paid her sentence, she'd spent three days at home, locked up, listening to Jo tell her every time she passed that it was her own fault for fighting. Now it was a Friday night, and she was under 'house arrest.' She glanced at the clock beside her, just after ten. Standing up, she threw some pillows onto the bed, then covered them up. She walked out of her room and down the stairs.
Jo was leaning against Sam on the couch, Sam's eyes closed, Jo's looked about to do the same.
"Mom?" Lizzie asked softly.
Jo's head popped up. "Yeah, honey?" she asked groggily.
"I'm going to bed. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."
"It's okay," she yawned. "Goodnight."
Lizzie went softly back up the stairs, and shut her door softly behind her. She flung open her closet, and selected a pair of fringed blue jeans, then a long sleeved shirt, with a wide V-neck. She changed her clothes quickly, checked the pillows, then turned off the light. She picked up her shoes, then slid her window open, and tossed the shoes out. She glanced around the room one more time. Everything should be clear.
Matt, the Worm, was staying at his friend Lanny's that night, so he couldn't rat her out.
She reached out grabbed the branch then maneuvered her slender body out the window. She assured herself that she wasn't going to fall, and slid across the broad branch. She finally made it to a low enough branch that she could easily drop down, then darted across the lawn.
She repeated the street name Miranda had told her, trying to recall the house number, but she was starting to think it was useless, then she saw Gordo. A smile came across her face as she quickly approached.
He was leaned back against the trunk of the blue Dodge Avenger. He was wearing light colored pants and a button up blue shirt over a t-shirt, simple style, but he still looked really, really good.
"Hi," she smiled, walking up to him, her hands thrust into her pockets.
"Hey," he smiled, glancing her over.
Was he checking her out? Lizzie pushed the thought out of her mind. "Am I late?"
"For what?" he asked.
Great, another Ethan. "The movie."
"No, we were just about to leave," he stated.
"Hey!" Miranda called, running down the steps. "I thought you were grounded."
"I am," Lizzie shrugged.
"So you snuck out?" Miranda asked.
Lizzie nodded. "Yeah."
"Cool," Gordo stated.
Lizzie almost laughed at the look Miranda shot him. Apparently, Gordo was acting different than usual. He shrugged and opened the car door then climbed inside.
The drive to the theatre was filled with Miranda singing along with the radio, Lizzie kept sneaking glances at Gordo in the rearview mirror, she had a perfect view of his face from her seat in the back.
They paid for their tickets then advanced to the concession stand.
"Hungry?" Gordo asked.
"I want some popcorn," Lizzie smiled as they got into line. The theatre was crowded and the lines moved slowly. Gordo and Miranda talked animatedly, and Lizzie smiled. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad. Miranda was great and easy to talk to, and then Gordo, well, he was in a class all of his own.
"I didn't know they let trash into the movies," a snotty voice snapped.
Oh, yeah, Kate too, wonderful.
Lizzie turned her head towards the source of the voice in front of them. "You know what Kate, just shut up, and turn around, before I give you another black eye that you try to cover up, so your make-up looks even."
Kate's still slightly bruised face flashed a shade of red as she put her hands onto her hips and stared defiantly at the other girl. "You don't scare me, McGuire."
Lizzie started to answer, but felt Miranda suddenly pulling her away from Kate and towards the theatre. Lizzie didn't protest, a fight here would mean police, and that would not be good. "Has she always been that annoying?" she asked.
"Yes," Miranda nodded. "Always. And you can't beat her, Lizzie. She's the most popular girl in school."
"I don't want to beat her. I already know I can do that. I just want her off my back."
Miranda shook her head. "That's not going to happen. Kate is going to have her followers after for the rest of the year. You just have to ignore it."
"If she wants to fight."
"Don't let her get to you like that. She's going to keep at it, until she gets her way and you're expelled," Miranda explained, selecting a seat in the middle section of the theatre.
Lizzie sat down beside her and sighed. "Thanks," she stated.
"For what?"
"For being my friend," she answered.
Miranda smiled. "No problem, amiga."
Gordo came up the stairs balancing three large drinks and two large popcorns. "Popcorn ladies?" he smiled.
"I forgot to give you money!" Lizzie exclaimed. "I was going to pay for it, but Kate."
"No problem," he smiled, sitting down beside her. "You can pay next time. But for now, you'll have to alternate between mine and Miranda's popcorn."
Lizzie smiled as the movie started. As the movie was nearing the climax, she felt something hit her neck. Lizzie put her hand back there, then felt something hit her fingers. She ran her hand along the seat, and her fingers grabbed the piece of popcorn. She heard snickering behind her and whirled around. Figures, there was Kate, trying not the laugh as she stared ahead at the movie screen.
Lizzie whipped around in her seat and crossed her arms. She tried to ignore the next several pieces pelting her head.
Gordo leaned over, his arm brushing hers. "You okay?" he asked softly.
Something cold and wet hit the back of her neck and Lizzie bolted up from her seat and stormed down the stairs and out of the theatre.
She shook out he back of her shirt letting the popcorn fall to the floor, she caught the ice cube and flung it angrily at the door as it opened and Gordo stepped out. "Easy," he smiled.
Lizzie paced in the hallway. "I'm going to hit her, and I'm going to make sure it really hurts."
***
Lizzie threw the small ball at the wall. This was insane, she'd paid her sentence, she'd spent three days at home, locked up, listening to Jo tell her every time she passed that it was her own fault for fighting. Now it was a Friday night, and she was under 'house arrest.' She glanced at the clock beside her, just after ten. Standing up, she threw some pillows onto the bed, then covered them up. She walked out of her room and down the stairs.
Jo was leaning against Sam on the couch, Sam's eyes closed, Jo's looked about to do the same.
"Mom?" Lizzie asked softly.
Jo's head popped up. "Yeah, honey?" she asked groggily.
"I'm going to bed. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."
"It's okay," she yawned. "Goodnight."
Lizzie went softly back up the stairs, and shut her door softly behind her. She flung open her closet, and selected a pair of fringed blue jeans, then a long sleeved shirt, with a wide V-neck. She changed her clothes quickly, checked the pillows, then turned off the light. She picked up her shoes, then slid her window open, and tossed the shoes out. She glanced around the room one more time. Everything should be clear.
Matt, the Worm, was staying at his friend Lanny's that night, so he couldn't rat her out.
She reached out grabbed the branch then maneuvered her slender body out the window. She assured herself that she wasn't going to fall, and slid across the broad branch. She finally made it to a low enough branch that she could easily drop down, then darted across the lawn.
She repeated the street name Miranda had told her, trying to recall the house number, but she was starting to think it was useless, then she saw Gordo. A smile came across her face as she quickly approached.
He was leaned back against the trunk of the blue Dodge Avenger. He was wearing light colored pants and a button up blue shirt over a t-shirt, simple style, but he still looked really, really good.
"Hi," she smiled, walking up to him, her hands thrust into her pockets.
"Hey," he smiled, glancing her over.
Was he checking her out? Lizzie pushed the thought out of her mind. "Am I late?"
"For what?" he asked.
Great, another Ethan. "The movie."
"No, we were just about to leave," he stated.
"Hey!" Miranda called, running down the steps. "I thought you were grounded."
"I am," Lizzie shrugged.
"So you snuck out?" Miranda asked.
Lizzie nodded. "Yeah."
"Cool," Gordo stated.
Lizzie almost laughed at the look Miranda shot him. Apparently, Gordo was acting different than usual. He shrugged and opened the car door then climbed inside.
The drive to the theatre was filled with Miranda singing along with the radio, Lizzie kept sneaking glances at Gordo in the rearview mirror, she had a perfect view of his face from her seat in the back.
They paid for their tickets then advanced to the concession stand.
"Hungry?" Gordo asked.
"I want some popcorn," Lizzie smiled as they got into line. The theatre was crowded and the lines moved slowly. Gordo and Miranda talked animatedly, and Lizzie smiled. Maybe this year wouldn't be so bad. Miranda was great and easy to talk to, and then Gordo, well, he was in a class all of his own.
"I didn't know they let trash into the movies," a snotty voice snapped.
Oh, yeah, Kate too, wonderful.
Lizzie turned her head towards the source of the voice in front of them. "You know what Kate, just shut up, and turn around, before I give you another black eye that you try to cover up, so your make-up looks even."
Kate's still slightly bruised face flashed a shade of red as she put her hands onto her hips and stared defiantly at the other girl. "You don't scare me, McGuire."
Lizzie started to answer, but felt Miranda suddenly pulling her away from Kate and towards the theatre. Lizzie didn't protest, a fight here would mean police, and that would not be good. "Has she always been that annoying?" she asked.
"Yes," Miranda nodded. "Always. And you can't beat her, Lizzie. She's the most popular girl in school."
"I don't want to beat her. I already know I can do that. I just want her off my back."
Miranda shook her head. "That's not going to happen. Kate is going to have her followers after for the rest of the year. You just have to ignore it."
"If she wants to fight."
"Don't let her get to you like that. She's going to keep at it, until she gets her way and you're expelled," Miranda explained, selecting a seat in the middle section of the theatre.
Lizzie sat down beside her and sighed. "Thanks," she stated.
"For what?"
"For being my friend," she answered.
Miranda smiled. "No problem, amiga."
Gordo came up the stairs balancing three large drinks and two large popcorns. "Popcorn ladies?" he smiled.
"I forgot to give you money!" Lizzie exclaimed. "I was going to pay for it, but Kate."
"No problem," he smiled, sitting down beside her. "You can pay next time. But for now, you'll have to alternate between mine and Miranda's popcorn."
Lizzie smiled as the movie started. As the movie was nearing the climax, she felt something hit her neck. Lizzie put her hand back there, then felt something hit her fingers. She ran her hand along the seat, and her fingers grabbed the piece of popcorn. She heard snickering behind her and whirled around. Figures, there was Kate, trying not the laugh as she stared ahead at the movie screen.
Lizzie whipped around in her seat and crossed her arms. She tried to ignore the next several pieces pelting her head.
Gordo leaned over, his arm brushing hers. "You okay?" he asked softly.
Something cold and wet hit the back of her neck and Lizzie bolted up from her seat and stormed down the stairs and out of the theatre.
She shook out he back of her shirt letting the popcorn fall to the floor, she caught the ice cube and flung it angrily at the door as it opened and Gordo stepped out. "Easy," he smiled.
Lizzie paced in the hallway. "I'm going to hit her, and I'm going to make sure it really hurts."