Author's Note: Two chapters, go me! I thought I was on a roll with that last chapter? Guess I was wrong... *now* I'm on a roll!
BabyJ5: Nonono... I'm *not* quitting this story. It won't be done for a very long time, so have no worries! :) I'm a sucker for happy endings. You can *always* count on a happy ending from me. There may be angst and turmoil along the way, but I promise everything will work out for these guys in the end. You'll see. ;)
hyuinn: Awww... l'il sis... I just love it when you encourage me... :) Miranda will always be there to help her friends... no matter what! :)
For your reading pleasure, Chapter 19 is now *up*!!!
~*~*~*~
"...And then I just... left," Gordo finished telling Miranda about that evening's events.
"Let me get this straight," Miranda asked slowly. "You told Lizzie all of *that*, and she *still* got mad at you?"
"She wasn't really mad, Miranda," Gordo said with a half-smile. "She was afraid. And being angry is alot easier than being afraid, you know," he finished softly, staring into the dregs of his coffee cup, swirling the remaining liquid as if an answer would surface from it like a Magic 8 ball.
Miranda chewed on this for awhile. "So you think that she just doesn't know what she wants?" Miranda asked.
"No," Gordo contradicted, still not looking up from his coffee cup. "She knows exactly what she wants." He looked up suddenly at Miranda for a moment before saying, "She wants things to stay the way they are right now."
"The three amigos forever, huh?" Miranda said with her own half-smile.
"Exactly." The two sat for a few more minutes, each staring into their coffee cups and thinking their own thoughts.
"Well," Miranda said with a sigh, "we've been here for over two hours and it's getting late; I guess I should drop you off at your dorm," she suggested.
"Yeah," Gordo said slowly. "That sounds good. I should get a good night's sleep, anyway. That swim meet is the day after tomorrow." Gordo paused for a second, as if trying to decide how to say what he wanted to say next. "You know I wanted you to come too, right?" he asked.
"Of course," Miranda answered with a smile. "I was planning on going anyway."
"Good." Gordo paused again. "Because you're my friend, too, Miranda. And you know, I love you just as much as I love Lizzie. It's just different," he tried to explain, awkwardly.
"Hey," Miranda said softly. "I know. And you know I love you too," she finished with a smile. "Now let's get you back to your dorm," she said, standing up from the table.
~*~
It was about 11:00 when Miranda softly entered the apartment she shared with Lizzie. She noticed all the lights were off. Funny, I thought I saw Lizzie's car out in the parking lot, she thought as she flipped on the light and started walking down the hall towards her bedroom. She paused in front of Lizzie's door and opened it a bit, looking inside. The soft light from the light illuminated her sleeping friend, and the dried tear tracks running down her face. Lizzie, Miranda thought, when are you going to get your head screwed on straight? She shook her head and closed the door, stepping into her own room. Miranda had some work cut out for her this night, that was for sure....
~*~
Lizzie awoke to the morning sunshine with a pounding headache and the rustling sound of heavy paper... and a heavy weight at the end of her bed. Something dropped on her forehead, then slid to the side and into her hair. Lizzie cracked open an eye and glared a Miranda, whose arm was hovering over her face, fingers still open as if letting something go. Lizzie sighed and shifted her arm from underneath her comforter to reach for what had fallen in her hair, but when she moved her arm she noticed all the squares of paper lying on top of her bed. What the hell was Miranda up to? she thought. It was Friday morning. *Way* too early on Friday morning for these kinds of hijinx. Lizzie fished the item out of her hair and took a good look at it. A little girl with blonde hair and a little boy with dark curly hair. The little girl was clutching the little boy's hand, her eyes squeezed shut while the little boy had a huge grin on his face.
*click!*
It was her and Gordo. Ten years old and on the ferris wheel at the county fair. She hadn't wanted to go on the ride. It was so tall, and what if she fell? Couldn't she stay on the ground? 'Please' Gordo had begged. 'Please won't you ride it with me?' He'd looked at her, eyes shining with hope, and she'd just had to say yes. Yes, of course she would ride the ferris wheel. For Gordo.
Lizzie just stared at the picture in her hands, not at all surprised when a second one dropped into her lap. She took a good look at this one. A girl with blonde hair and a boy with dark curly hair. They were standing side-by-side on the steps in front of a house with big, nervous smiles on their faces.
*click!*
It was her and Gordo. Eleven years old and just about to leave for their first day of school. She hadn't wanted to start middle school. The school was so big and she had so many different classes, and what if she failed? Couldn't she stay in elementary school, where it was easy and she knew all of her teachers and she didn't have to worry about scary eighth graders? 'Please' she had begged Gordo. 'Please can't we go together?' She'd looked at him, eyes shining with hope, and he'd just had to say yes. Yes, of course he would go with her on the first day. For Lizzie.
Lizzie carefully set this picture on top of the first one. She looked up at Miranda still sitting at the end of her bed, and on the expanse of bed between them dozens of glossy, colorful pictures with flashes of blonde hair and dark curly hair littered the surface. All of them had her and Gordo. Helping each other, being with each other, playing together. Always, always together. Miranda held the final one in her hands as she stared solemnly at Lizzie, then slowly offered it to her. It trembled gently as Lizzie watched, inching towards her in exquisite slow motion. Finally it was just in front of her, within easy reaching distance. Lizzie carefully took the picture from Miranda's outstretched hand and held it gently. She took a good look at this, this black and white picture, a setting of peace and serenity and complete acceptance and comfort. A girl with hair she knew was blonde, and a boy with dark curly hair. Asleep on a large couch, wrapped up in a blanket. Together. Slight smiles on their faces. One could almost feel the love radiating from this picture.
"Make your decision, Lizzie," Miranda whispered, the first time she'd spoken so far. Lizzie looked up, startled, as tears started to pool in her hazel eyes.
"What?" she whispered tremulously, the tears falling rapidly.
"Make sure you do what's right," Miranda continued. "For you." And with that, Miranda stood up and walked out the door, leaving Lizzie in her room with her pictures and her thoughts. And maybe even her memories.
~*~*~*~
Author's Note: I don't have much to say, except please keep reviewing! (lookylookylooky! Two chapters in one night!) Okay, so those are the only two things I have to say.... ;)
BabyJ5: Nonono... I'm *not* quitting this story. It won't be done for a very long time, so have no worries! :) I'm a sucker for happy endings. You can *always* count on a happy ending from me. There may be angst and turmoil along the way, but I promise everything will work out for these guys in the end. You'll see. ;)
hyuinn: Awww... l'il sis... I just love it when you encourage me... :) Miranda will always be there to help her friends... no matter what! :)
For your reading pleasure, Chapter 19 is now *up*!!!
~*~*~*~
"...And then I just... left," Gordo finished telling Miranda about that evening's events.
"Let me get this straight," Miranda asked slowly. "You told Lizzie all of *that*, and she *still* got mad at you?"
"She wasn't really mad, Miranda," Gordo said with a half-smile. "She was afraid. And being angry is alot easier than being afraid, you know," he finished softly, staring into the dregs of his coffee cup, swirling the remaining liquid as if an answer would surface from it like a Magic 8 ball.
Miranda chewed on this for awhile. "So you think that she just doesn't know what she wants?" Miranda asked.
"No," Gordo contradicted, still not looking up from his coffee cup. "She knows exactly what she wants." He looked up suddenly at Miranda for a moment before saying, "She wants things to stay the way they are right now."
"The three amigos forever, huh?" Miranda said with her own half-smile.
"Exactly." The two sat for a few more minutes, each staring into their coffee cups and thinking their own thoughts.
"Well," Miranda said with a sigh, "we've been here for over two hours and it's getting late; I guess I should drop you off at your dorm," she suggested.
"Yeah," Gordo said slowly. "That sounds good. I should get a good night's sleep, anyway. That swim meet is the day after tomorrow." Gordo paused for a second, as if trying to decide how to say what he wanted to say next. "You know I wanted you to come too, right?" he asked.
"Of course," Miranda answered with a smile. "I was planning on going anyway."
"Good." Gordo paused again. "Because you're my friend, too, Miranda. And you know, I love you just as much as I love Lizzie. It's just different," he tried to explain, awkwardly.
"Hey," Miranda said softly. "I know. And you know I love you too," she finished with a smile. "Now let's get you back to your dorm," she said, standing up from the table.
~*~
It was about 11:00 when Miranda softly entered the apartment she shared with Lizzie. She noticed all the lights were off. Funny, I thought I saw Lizzie's car out in the parking lot, she thought as she flipped on the light and started walking down the hall towards her bedroom. She paused in front of Lizzie's door and opened it a bit, looking inside. The soft light from the light illuminated her sleeping friend, and the dried tear tracks running down her face. Lizzie, Miranda thought, when are you going to get your head screwed on straight? She shook her head and closed the door, stepping into her own room. Miranda had some work cut out for her this night, that was for sure....
~*~
Lizzie awoke to the morning sunshine with a pounding headache and the rustling sound of heavy paper... and a heavy weight at the end of her bed. Something dropped on her forehead, then slid to the side and into her hair. Lizzie cracked open an eye and glared a Miranda, whose arm was hovering over her face, fingers still open as if letting something go. Lizzie sighed and shifted her arm from underneath her comforter to reach for what had fallen in her hair, but when she moved her arm she noticed all the squares of paper lying on top of her bed. What the hell was Miranda up to? she thought. It was Friday morning. *Way* too early on Friday morning for these kinds of hijinx. Lizzie fished the item out of her hair and took a good look at it. A little girl with blonde hair and a little boy with dark curly hair. The little girl was clutching the little boy's hand, her eyes squeezed shut while the little boy had a huge grin on his face.
*click!*
It was her and Gordo. Ten years old and on the ferris wheel at the county fair. She hadn't wanted to go on the ride. It was so tall, and what if she fell? Couldn't she stay on the ground? 'Please' Gordo had begged. 'Please won't you ride it with me?' He'd looked at her, eyes shining with hope, and she'd just had to say yes. Yes, of course she would ride the ferris wheel. For Gordo.
Lizzie just stared at the picture in her hands, not at all surprised when a second one dropped into her lap. She took a good look at this one. A girl with blonde hair and a boy with dark curly hair. They were standing side-by-side on the steps in front of a house with big, nervous smiles on their faces.
*click!*
It was her and Gordo. Eleven years old and just about to leave for their first day of school. She hadn't wanted to start middle school. The school was so big and she had so many different classes, and what if she failed? Couldn't she stay in elementary school, where it was easy and she knew all of her teachers and she didn't have to worry about scary eighth graders? 'Please' she had begged Gordo. 'Please can't we go together?' She'd looked at him, eyes shining with hope, and he'd just had to say yes. Yes, of course he would go with her on the first day. For Lizzie.
Lizzie carefully set this picture on top of the first one. She looked up at Miranda still sitting at the end of her bed, and on the expanse of bed between them dozens of glossy, colorful pictures with flashes of blonde hair and dark curly hair littered the surface. All of them had her and Gordo. Helping each other, being with each other, playing together. Always, always together. Miranda held the final one in her hands as she stared solemnly at Lizzie, then slowly offered it to her. It trembled gently as Lizzie watched, inching towards her in exquisite slow motion. Finally it was just in front of her, within easy reaching distance. Lizzie carefully took the picture from Miranda's outstretched hand and held it gently. She took a good look at this, this black and white picture, a setting of peace and serenity and complete acceptance and comfort. A girl with hair she knew was blonde, and a boy with dark curly hair. Asleep on a large couch, wrapped up in a blanket. Together. Slight smiles on their faces. One could almost feel the love radiating from this picture.
"Make your decision, Lizzie," Miranda whispered, the first time she'd spoken so far. Lizzie looked up, startled, as tears started to pool in her hazel eyes.
"What?" she whispered tremulously, the tears falling rapidly.
"Make sure you do what's right," Miranda continued. "For you." And with that, Miranda stood up and walked out the door, leaving Lizzie in her room with her pictures and her thoughts. And maybe even her memories.
~*~*~*~
Author's Note: I don't have much to say, except please keep reviewing! (lookylookylooky! Two chapters in one night!) Okay, so those are the only two things I have to say.... ;)