Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.
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While You Were Out
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Miranda got off plane and felt like kissing the dirty airport floor. She *hated* flying and was so glad to be off that giant silver bird. Silver bird -- more like silver death trap. She glanced around the airport, but she knew she wasn't going to see Lizzie, Gordo, or any of the Hillridge kids. Their flight had taken off two hours ago.
Once they'd gotten settled at the house again, Miranda had been so bored she'd unpacked everything. And then she was still bored. Without her two best friends here, Hillridge suddenly didn't seem as appealing as it had when she'd been stuck in Mexico.
"Mom, Dad, I'm going to the DB," she called over her shoulder, heading out the front door. It wouldn't be the same, clearly, but a smoothie would certainly perk her up. She hummed to herself walking down the street, and was thrilled to see that there wasn't much of a line. Apparently most of the Digital Bean's population was on a plane to Italy, or a bus to Waterslide Wonderland. "Large strawberry banana smoothie, please," she said, smiling at the bored-looking woman behind the counter.
"Miranda, that you?"
Confused, Miranda turned around and saw Tudgeman and Veruca at a table. "I didn't know you were back," Tudgeman continued.
"I just got back this afternoon." She paid for her smoothie, and glanced towards the two of them, then at the door. Well...there were worse things then hanging out with Larry Tudgeman, and spending the afternoon alone nursing a smoothie seemed like one of them. "Mind if I join you?"
They smiled at her. "Go right ahead," Tudgeman said grandly, sweeping his hand at the tabletop.
Miranda grabbed an empty seat from the next table over, and Veruca scooted her chair to one side so they all had even counter space. "So you guys aren't going on either trip?" Miranda asked, taking a sip of smoothie. Mmm, thick and delicious. There hadn't been a Digital Bean in Mexico, that was for sure.
"Go to Waterslide Wonderland?" Tudgeman said, raising his eyebrows. "Don't you remember the class trip to Coaster Kingdom last year?"
"You spent the entire day puking into a trashcan," Miranda recalled.
"I don't want to recreate that experience," he said.
"Besides, does a thirty-six hour bus ride really sound that appealing to you?" Veruca added.
Miranda made a face. "God, no." She smirked, and shook her head, still thinking about last year's class trip. "You Hillridge men just can't handle Coaster Kingdom," she said.
"Gordo puking on Sophie Oberman's hair?" Veruca guessed.
"Decidedly more memorable than Larry's garbage can fiasco, I'd say," Miranda answered, grinning.
"Especially since Sophie moved, like, a week after that."
Miranda laughed and clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh my God!" she squealed. "Totally. Gordo was absolutely freaking out, he thought that it was the whole barfing incident."
Tudgeman squinted. "Wasn't Mr. Oberman with the military?"
"Yeah, but Gordo didn't know that," Miranda said.
The three of them laughed, and Miranda was surprised that she was actually having a good time with Veruca and Tudgeman. "Hey, we were thinking of going to the park after this," Veruca said. "Wanna come with?"
Miranda smiled. "Sure, sounds fun." And it did sound kind of fun. Maybe this wouldn't be the worst two weeks in history, after all.
~~~~~
Miranda was spread out on the grass, chatting with Veruca and Larry like they were old friends, and having a great time. That is, they *were* having a good time until a shadow fell over Miranda. The three squinted up into the sunlight, and saw Claire Miller peering down at them.
"Claire," Miranda said flatly. She didn't bother faking niceness. Claire never did.
"Sanchez. Tudgeman. ...Veruca," Claire said, losing her composure for only a few seconds as she tried --and failed-- to remember Veruca's last name.
Miranda tried to swallow her disgust. She'd heard from Veruca and Larry that Kate had at the last second realized her heinous mistake in going to Waterslide Wonderland with the rest of the mouth-breathers of Hillridge Junior High's graduating eighth grade class, and opted for the fabulous European vacation instead. But according to their story, Claire had gone to Waterslide Wonderland in her stead.
So why was she here now?
Veruca had a lot more confidence than either Larry or Miranda, clearly, since while they were only thinking it, she said it. "Why are you here, Claire?"
"Is that some sort of metaphysical question?" Claire retorted, and Miranda blinked. Claire didn't seem like the type to know the word 'metaphysical'. Miranda herself wasn't even entirely sure what it meant.
"Well, it's a two-parter, I suppose. Why aren't you at Waterslide Wonderland, and more importantly, why are you wasting your time with us peons?"
Miranda and Larry hid smirks at that.
"*Why* would I want to waste my time at an *amusement* park? How pedestrian. More up *your* alley," she added with a superior sneer.
"So why aren't you jet-setting in Rome with everyone else?" Larry said.
Claire faltered, then shook her head as if the question wasn't that important. "I have my reasons."
"Okay, then part two," Veruca said. "Why are you *here*."
The cheerleader huffed, glancing at the swings and the park benches and the slides as if she wanted to see if anyone was around to listen in -- or if she was buying her time to find a good response. Finally, she sighed, and somehow, although her posture or facial expression hadn't really changed, Claire was suddenly different. Almost...normal. "Well, fine. If you *must* know, I was a little bored. My best friend's in Europe and whatever. So I went for a walk. And I came upon you three."
"Well, you're still here, so clearly something's wrong," Miranda said.
"Look, can I just hang out with you guys for an hour or so?" Claire said, and Miranda realized why she was suddenly so different. She wasn't Claire Miller, Cheerleader Bitch Queen. She was...just a girl named Claire. "Please?" she added after an uncomfortably silent pause. "I swear I'll turn off the ice queen routine."
"You know what, fine," Larry said finally. "But don't think we're letting you sit with us because we're secretly on a quest for popularity or something. We could care less. We're letting you because you asked so nicely."
Claire flashed a look at them that was sincerely grateful, and she sat down, tucking her feet under her. Miranda looked around at the motley crew assembled. Tudgeman, Veruca, Claire, Miranda. If someone had asked her, she would've said it was like a weird dream, the kind you had when you had too much pepperoni pizza before bed.
Of course, she'd been having fun with Larry and Veruca all afternoon, so maybe she might have fun with Claire, too. Who knew?
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
While You Were Out
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Miranda got off plane and felt like kissing the dirty airport floor. She *hated* flying and was so glad to be off that giant silver bird. Silver bird -- more like silver death trap. She glanced around the airport, but she knew she wasn't going to see Lizzie, Gordo, or any of the Hillridge kids. Their flight had taken off two hours ago.
Once they'd gotten settled at the house again, Miranda had been so bored she'd unpacked everything. And then she was still bored. Without her two best friends here, Hillridge suddenly didn't seem as appealing as it had when she'd been stuck in Mexico.
"Mom, Dad, I'm going to the DB," she called over her shoulder, heading out the front door. It wouldn't be the same, clearly, but a smoothie would certainly perk her up. She hummed to herself walking down the street, and was thrilled to see that there wasn't much of a line. Apparently most of the Digital Bean's population was on a plane to Italy, or a bus to Waterslide Wonderland. "Large strawberry banana smoothie, please," she said, smiling at the bored-looking woman behind the counter.
"Miranda, that you?"
Confused, Miranda turned around and saw Tudgeman and Veruca at a table. "I didn't know you were back," Tudgeman continued.
"I just got back this afternoon." She paid for her smoothie, and glanced towards the two of them, then at the door. Well...there were worse things then hanging out with Larry Tudgeman, and spending the afternoon alone nursing a smoothie seemed like one of them. "Mind if I join you?"
They smiled at her. "Go right ahead," Tudgeman said grandly, sweeping his hand at the tabletop.
Miranda grabbed an empty seat from the next table over, and Veruca scooted her chair to one side so they all had even counter space. "So you guys aren't going on either trip?" Miranda asked, taking a sip of smoothie. Mmm, thick and delicious. There hadn't been a Digital Bean in Mexico, that was for sure.
"Go to Waterslide Wonderland?" Tudgeman said, raising his eyebrows. "Don't you remember the class trip to Coaster Kingdom last year?"
"You spent the entire day puking into a trashcan," Miranda recalled.
"I don't want to recreate that experience," he said.
"Besides, does a thirty-six hour bus ride really sound that appealing to you?" Veruca added.
Miranda made a face. "God, no." She smirked, and shook her head, still thinking about last year's class trip. "You Hillridge men just can't handle Coaster Kingdom," she said.
"Gordo puking on Sophie Oberman's hair?" Veruca guessed.
"Decidedly more memorable than Larry's garbage can fiasco, I'd say," Miranda answered, grinning.
"Especially since Sophie moved, like, a week after that."
Miranda laughed and clapped a hand over her mouth. "Oh my God!" she squealed. "Totally. Gordo was absolutely freaking out, he thought that it was the whole barfing incident."
Tudgeman squinted. "Wasn't Mr. Oberman with the military?"
"Yeah, but Gordo didn't know that," Miranda said.
The three of them laughed, and Miranda was surprised that she was actually having a good time with Veruca and Tudgeman. "Hey, we were thinking of going to the park after this," Veruca said. "Wanna come with?"
Miranda smiled. "Sure, sounds fun." And it did sound kind of fun. Maybe this wouldn't be the worst two weeks in history, after all.
~~~~~
Miranda was spread out on the grass, chatting with Veruca and Larry like they were old friends, and having a great time. That is, they *were* having a good time until a shadow fell over Miranda. The three squinted up into the sunlight, and saw Claire Miller peering down at them.
"Claire," Miranda said flatly. She didn't bother faking niceness. Claire never did.
"Sanchez. Tudgeman. ...Veruca," Claire said, losing her composure for only a few seconds as she tried --and failed-- to remember Veruca's last name.
Miranda tried to swallow her disgust. She'd heard from Veruca and Larry that Kate had at the last second realized her heinous mistake in going to Waterslide Wonderland with the rest of the mouth-breathers of Hillridge Junior High's graduating eighth grade class, and opted for the fabulous European vacation instead. But according to their story, Claire had gone to Waterslide Wonderland in her stead.
So why was she here now?
Veruca had a lot more confidence than either Larry or Miranda, clearly, since while they were only thinking it, she said it. "Why are you here, Claire?"
"Is that some sort of metaphysical question?" Claire retorted, and Miranda blinked. Claire didn't seem like the type to know the word 'metaphysical'. Miranda herself wasn't even entirely sure what it meant.
"Well, it's a two-parter, I suppose. Why aren't you at Waterslide Wonderland, and more importantly, why are you wasting your time with us peons?"
Miranda and Larry hid smirks at that.
"*Why* would I want to waste my time at an *amusement* park? How pedestrian. More up *your* alley," she added with a superior sneer.
"So why aren't you jet-setting in Rome with everyone else?" Larry said.
Claire faltered, then shook her head as if the question wasn't that important. "I have my reasons."
"Okay, then part two," Veruca said. "Why are you *here*."
The cheerleader huffed, glancing at the swings and the park benches and the slides as if she wanted to see if anyone was around to listen in -- or if she was buying her time to find a good response. Finally, she sighed, and somehow, although her posture or facial expression hadn't really changed, Claire was suddenly different. Almost...normal. "Well, fine. If you *must* know, I was a little bored. My best friend's in Europe and whatever. So I went for a walk. And I came upon you three."
"Well, you're still here, so clearly something's wrong," Miranda said.
"Look, can I just hang out with you guys for an hour or so?" Claire said, and Miranda realized why she was suddenly so different. She wasn't Claire Miller, Cheerleader Bitch Queen. She was...just a girl named Claire. "Please?" she added after an uncomfortably silent pause. "I swear I'll turn off the ice queen routine."
"You know what, fine," Larry said finally. "But don't think we're letting you sit with us because we're secretly on a quest for popularity or something. We could care less. We're letting you because you asked so nicely."
Claire flashed a look at them that was sincerely grateful, and she sat down, tucking her feet under her. Miranda looked around at the motley crew assembled. Tudgeman, Veruca, Claire, Miranda. If someone had asked her, she would've said it was like a weird dream, the kind you had when you had too much pepperoni pizza before bed.
Of course, she'd been having fun with Larry and Veruca all afternoon, so maybe she might have fun with Claire, too. Who knew?