Sorry for the wait. And even sorrier for this less than mediocre chapter i came up with in the long wait.
random Question: Who does Miranda make the best pairing with? A.) Larry, B.) Matt, C.) Ethan, D.) Gordo, E.) Other
Okay, so far, I don't really have a plot...yet. but I'm getting there.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~. Chapter 15 - A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma .~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
Ring ring
"Hola?" a female voice answered.
"Hello? Mrs. Sanchez? Is Miranda there?" Lizzie asked.
"Oh, yes Lizzie." Lizzie heard rustling of papers and a muffled 'Miranda!' being yelled in the background. Then loud footsteps could be heard banging in the background.
"Lizzie?"
"Hey Miranda."
"Hold on, Liz." Miranda covered the receiver with her palm and yelled to her mom to hang up the phone downstairs. "Okay, what's up?"
"Oh my goodness, Miranda, only everything in the world! You missed so much!"
"What?" Miranda said, confused and anxious to hear all about it.
Lizzie took a deep breath. "Okay, well it started last night. And you know how I went to Gordo's to apoligize? Well, I went and we decided to watch a movie. So, we went and after we ate, we went to the movies, and we saw Kate. And guess who was there?"
"Who!?"
"Jeremy."
"No!" she said, in disbelief.
"Yes! And he had his hands all over this girl," Lizzie said disgustedly. "So me and Gordo left. I don't think anyone saw us."
"So..."
"So, he drove me home."
"And..." Miranda said, with expectation in her tone.
"And nothing."
"That's it?"
"What do you mean 'that's it'? Anyways, it isn't."
"So today, me and Gordo ate lunch together... sorta. And I saw Kate."
"Uh huh..." Miranda said, itching to find out what happened.
"Well, I just totally flipped out on her. It's like all the stuff I wanted to say when she would talk to me in that annoying condescending voice of hers. All the stuff I would say after she turned her back."
"Sounds exciting. Oh, did you hit her?!"
"Miranda, even when I get mad, would I ever hit someone?"
Miranda sighed heavily. "I guess not."
"And the story isn't over."
"What? There's more?!"
"Yup. When I got out of the office,"
"You were called into the office? You weren't, like, suspended or anything, right?"
"No, if I was I would've told you. So anyways. When I went to my locker, I found this note." Lizzie opened her book bag and retrieved the letter. She then recited the contents.
"Awww! Wait, it's not from Jeremy, right?"
"I don't think so. Jeremy didn't know I liked magnolias."
"Well, it could be a coincidence that he chose magnolia, maybe he just picked a random flower."
"Still, reciting 'Romeo and Juliet' doesn't seem his style."
"So, who do you think it is?"
Lizzie hesitated a bit. "Who do you think I think it is?"
Miranda let out a small laugh. "Did you say anything to him?"
"No, I didn't want to put him on the spot or anything. He was supposed to drive me home today, but he was called in to tutor last minute so he couldn't. It's sorta a good thing. I don't know if I could stand a whole car ride with him."
"You still don't like him?"
"Uh... I dunno."
"So that's a maybe?"
"It's a 'I don't know'. That's what it is."
"Maybe?"
"Fine, it's a maybe," Lizzie sighed.
"What caused the change of heart?"
"Nothing! I didn't have a change of heart. I don't even know if I like him!"
"If you say so."
"I do say so."
"Aw, man. I really wish I was there, man. Mexico's so boring!"
"Well, at least you'll be coming home soon. Right?"
"Right. Hey Lizzie, don't you think it's weird that Jeremy didn't call you or try to talk to you yet?"
"Actually, I didn't give it much thought before. But hey, the farther that slime stays away from me the better."
"I totally agree."
"Sorry, but I have to go. I have to go to the library now. Bye!"
"Okay, bye."
* * * * *
"Arg, how stupid am I? I have this major paper due tomorrow and I save it at school," Lizzie muttered, stepping out of the car. Luckily, the car wasn't being used, so her mom let her take it to the school.
She entered and the light scent of musty books met her as she opened the door to the school library. She showed her school ID and the old librarian pointed her to her computer.
Two minutes later and Lizzie had her paper completely intact and in hand. Since she was here, she might has well pick out her book for another report due in a few weeks. She sighed heavily. It seemed like all the teachers were anticipating the break and were trying to cram all important projects and tests before the Thanksgiving break, despite the fact vacation was over a month and a half away.
She headed for the non-fiction section and skimmed the quick selection of fiction books her school library had. The rows of the library were not too much unlike her middle school's. Large book cases that extended just a couple feet to the ceiling formed numerous gray rows. Every few rows, there would be four tables where students and faculty alike would work, or grade papers.
She was in the "M" row, meaning all books authored by people with a last name starting with "M."
Millay... Miller... Milton... Mistral... Mitchell. Mitchell?
She picked up the rather bulky book.
"'Gone with the Wind', huh?" she read the title. She flipped to the inside cover to read, but was stopped short when she heard voices from the neighboring row.
She closed the book, with her finger placed between the front cover and the first page, and she listened just stood, leaning slightly towards the bookcase.
"Okay, now. If two times three is six, than what's two times four?"
"I don't know!" a small voice said exasperatedly.
"I remember my times tables," Lizzie reminisced to herself. She moved a few books silently, so she could see the third grader, impatiently holding up his head with his fists. "Hey, it's Gordo," she said again, seeing Gordo thinking to himself.
He tapped his pencil against his chin.
"Okay, Nate, let's start over. Do you know what the times tables are?"
"Hard," the boy muttered. Gordo chuckled.
"Do you remember when you learned to add?" Young Nathan shook his head, staring at the table and playing with his pencil. "Well, multiplying is, like, speed adding."
"Speed adding?" the student said dubiously.
"What's three plus three plus three plus three plus three?"
After a second of counting a few fingers, Nate gave up. "I dunno."
"Well, wouldn't it be shorter just to say three times five?"
"I guess," The two continued the lesson for a few more minutes.
"Gordo always was good with children." Lizzie snapped out of her semi-trance, put the book back on the rack, and quietly exited the library, trying her best not to be seen. She merely sat in her car, thinking with the radio quietly humming in the background.
A secret admirer. Gordo. Confusion galore.
* * * * *
Ding dong.
She waited impatiently at the door, tapping her left foot against the doormat. She heard footsteps.
"Kate?"
"Hey, long time, no see," she answered.
"Haha, yeah long time. Here come in."
* * * * *
Creek creek. Tap tap.
Gordo stepped out of his car with a McDonald's hand firmly held between his lips, a soda in his right hand, and his book bag slung over other shoulder. With one last sip, he dumped the slightly crushed paper bag and now empty cup into the dumpster, remembering to hold his breath so the stench of the garbage doesn't seep into his olfactories.
He had just returned from a visit with Danielle at the hospital after his session with little Nate. She was in stable condition and she announced she would be able to come home in three days. So needless to say, she was more than happy.
Creek creek. Tap tap.
Creek creek. Tap tap.
"Huh?" He headed towards the Lee's backyard, which was not surrounded by a fence like his own was.
Out of earshot, all he saw were expressive hand gestures and Lina pacing back and forth on her wooden patio. Her glare didn't leave the book she held above her shoulder and her voice was getting clearer as he kept moving.
"So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd, retain that dear perfection which he owes without that title." Dramatic beat passes. "Romeo, doff thy name, and for that name which is no part of thee take all myse-" She turned around to the sound of applause.
"Gordo! You scared the bejeezus out of me!"
He shrugged. "Practicing your oratory for class, fair Juliet?" Her momentary shock gave way to a hint of embarrassment.
"Why, good sir, I am," she said, curtseying.
It was almost dusk; the light was on and provided a fair amount of light on the back yard. The shadows covered the crevices of her face.
"And how are you doing with your own, Romeo?"
Gordo stuffed one of his hands in his pocket and the other ran through his dark curls. "Actually I got most of Benny's part in Scene II pretty much down."
"So, why are you here?" She took a step back onto the porch swing and set her book down next to her.
"I dunno. I heard something," he started, "and I was just curious I guess. But while I'm here. I want to tell you something."
"Is it about lunch? Because you know, it was no big deal. You know, all that fighting and all. Kind of, weird," Lina managed to say, with a pretty good bit of difficulty.
"Yeah, weird," he said quietly while he stepped toward the seat. He plopped down on the cushions. He let out a small chuckle.
"What's so funny?" He laughed harder.
He lifted his hand in a overly exaggerated thespian manner, closed his eyes, and spoke.
"Romeo! Doff thy na- oof." He was interrupted by a quick jab in the stomach.
"Shut up," she said jokingly. She waited a few moments. "Do you know Kate well?"
"Uh, I suppose you could said that. Kate used to be our friend, until she figured she was too good for us and traded us in for the now infamous makeup posse."
"How strange. Me too, well except for the part after the 'she was too good for us' thing. But I used to be friends with her too."
"Talk about a small world."
"Well, not that small. She used to live in my neighborhood and she was one of my few real friends," Lina explained. "Well, back then little kids were mean little things! They would absolutely scar me for life about my eyes or hair, until Kate came. Then she would belittle them and protect me. Maybe not so nice now that I look back on it, but back then it's as if she saved my life, which would be kinda true. Okay, rambling again. Sorry."
Gordo was listening, but waited a moment before he said anything.
"Well that's pretty cool. I should go. Practice or... some-" He stopped. "Did you hear something?"
"Uh, no... but I should go in too."
"I could've sworn I heard something crash."
"Well, I didn't hear anything. So I'll see you tomorrow," she said, while stepping backwards towards the screen door. She pulled the door behind her. And he swore he heard another crash as he was headed back toward his house.
The sun was a deep crimson and the moon was a faint figure in the blue sea opposite the dying sun. A few clouds were on the horizon, but one in particular, which nobody noticed, was an oddly-colored, murky, almost threatening, gray. It drifted along the horizon, and soon dissipated as if it decided not to stay together anymore.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
So ends "part one" of this story.
I was actually thinking of just completely skipping this chapter, but I obviously didn't.
Keep an eye out for chapter 16!