Thanks to everyone who reviewed! You've been so great!
Lola, Gordo is recuperating nicely, and he sends his thanks for the rose, it inspired him for Lizzie's corsage, which he is using the given change for to help buy the corsage.
Please, Read and Review! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Miranda smiled at Lizzie as she watched her best friend turn around and look into the surrounding mirrors.
"Does it look all right?" her weak voice asked.
Miranda raised her eyebrows questioningly. She'd never seen anything look more perfect, and considering this was the thirty-seventh dress Lizzie had put on today, she felt she was making a qualified decision. It almost an exact rendition of the dress she'd selected from the magazine, the slit was higher and the fabric flowed nicely around her legs while the top was fitted to hug every curve and her flat stomach. A simple line of diamonds adjourned the top. "It looks great, Lizzie."
She nodded. Her face didn't' show the glimmer that it normally would have on someone who'd just discovered the perfect dress. Instead her face was pale, hints of dark circles were beginning to show around her eyes. Her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, no make up. She said nothing but went into the dressing room, then reemerged with the red dress draped over one arm, her fingers clutching the hanger of the other four dresses she'd tried on in this store.
Miranda sighed as she pulled herself up off the chair then hoisted her purse onto her shoulder. It wasn't like Lizzie to be this down. Yeah, she'd been through a lot. But Miranda had also known her to go through a lot of things and bounce back. Reaching out gently as Lizzie hung up the dresses, Miranda turned her to face her. "I don't want the version you've fed Gordo, Larry, and your parents, I want the truth. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Miranda. I just feel like I have to watch my back closer. Like this whole thing has been an extremely scary experience, but now, I'm just sick of it. I've been thinking of pressing harassment charges against Ronnie. I don't want to do it, I just want to be left alone. If anyone has the right to press charges, it's Gordo. I mean, he beat him up!" Lizzie sighed and shook her head. "You just don't know about some people, they just snap."
Miranda nodded. She didn't know what to say. She'd heard all about what Ronnie had done yesterday. What had he hoped to accomplish by pounding on windows and screaming outside the house? Then again what had he hoped to accomplish by anything he'd done? Slashing Lizzie's tires certainly wasn't something to make her decide to date him again.
"I'm going to go pay for this," Lizzie stated, walking towards the register with the dress.
Miranda sighed. It didn't make sense, being so sneaky, the frog, the pictures, Gordo's attack, then going in broad daylight and screaming in the street. She looked towards the counter, caught Lizzie's attention and motioned towards the food court. "I'm going to get a drink," she called.
Lizzie nodded, and Miranda left. Maybe a milk shake would chase away troubling thoughts. ***
Lizzie smiled at the clerk as she was handed the dress, now covered in a sliver bag protecting it until she could get it home and into her closet. She walked out of the store and glanced towards the food court.
Buying the dress had lifted her spirits some what. Waiting until the absolute last minute to shop for it had caused stress added to everything else and she felt she could have been taking Advil like breath mints.
She made it onto the food court and glanced around, she didn't see Miranda. She sighed. She should have known to ask where they would meet. She started to approach the raised platform where they often like to sit. She paused at the base of the stairs, partially hidden behind a large decorative plant. She still couldn't see her dark headed friend. Sighing as she toyed with her hair, she stopped when she heard a familiar voice.
"Stop being a moron, she's never going to know." Kate Sanders. Lizzie rolled her eyes.
"I'm not doing it," a deeper voice insisted in a low murmur. Lizzie wrinkled her forehead, trying to place the voice. "You don't know that she won't find out. She's not stupid."
Lizzie felt a chill rack her body. Who were they talking about?
"Ethan, look, after tomorrow night, it will be over. I just want her out of the way."
There was a smack, as though he'd pressed down on the table. His voice dropped low and Lizzie had to strain to hear it. "You better be right, because if something goes wrong, you're going down with me."
Lola, Gordo is recuperating nicely, and he sends his thanks for the rose, it inspired him for Lizzie's corsage, which he is using the given change for to help buy the corsage.
Please, Read and Review! *~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Miranda smiled at Lizzie as she watched her best friend turn around and look into the surrounding mirrors.
"Does it look all right?" her weak voice asked.
Miranda raised her eyebrows questioningly. She'd never seen anything look more perfect, and considering this was the thirty-seventh dress Lizzie had put on today, she felt she was making a qualified decision. It almost an exact rendition of the dress she'd selected from the magazine, the slit was higher and the fabric flowed nicely around her legs while the top was fitted to hug every curve and her flat stomach. A simple line of diamonds adjourned the top. "It looks great, Lizzie."
She nodded. Her face didn't' show the glimmer that it normally would have on someone who'd just discovered the perfect dress. Instead her face was pale, hints of dark circles were beginning to show around her eyes. Her hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, no make up. She said nothing but went into the dressing room, then reemerged with the red dress draped over one arm, her fingers clutching the hanger of the other four dresses she'd tried on in this store.
Miranda sighed as she pulled herself up off the chair then hoisted her purse onto her shoulder. It wasn't like Lizzie to be this down. Yeah, she'd been through a lot. But Miranda had also known her to go through a lot of things and bounce back. Reaching out gently as Lizzie hung up the dresses, Miranda turned her to face her. "I don't want the version you've fed Gordo, Larry, and your parents, I want the truth. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Miranda. I just feel like I have to watch my back closer. Like this whole thing has been an extremely scary experience, but now, I'm just sick of it. I've been thinking of pressing harassment charges against Ronnie. I don't want to do it, I just want to be left alone. If anyone has the right to press charges, it's Gordo. I mean, he beat him up!" Lizzie sighed and shook her head. "You just don't know about some people, they just snap."
Miranda nodded. She didn't know what to say. She'd heard all about what Ronnie had done yesterday. What had he hoped to accomplish by pounding on windows and screaming outside the house? Then again what had he hoped to accomplish by anything he'd done? Slashing Lizzie's tires certainly wasn't something to make her decide to date him again.
"I'm going to go pay for this," Lizzie stated, walking towards the register with the dress.
Miranda sighed. It didn't make sense, being so sneaky, the frog, the pictures, Gordo's attack, then going in broad daylight and screaming in the street. She looked towards the counter, caught Lizzie's attention and motioned towards the food court. "I'm going to get a drink," she called.
Lizzie nodded, and Miranda left. Maybe a milk shake would chase away troubling thoughts. ***
Lizzie smiled at the clerk as she was handed the dress, now covered in a sliver bag protecting it until she could get it home and into her closet. She walked out of the store and glanced towards the food court.
Buying the dress had lifted her spirits some what. Waiting until the absolute last minute to shop for it had caused stress added to everything else and she felt she could have been taking Advil like breath mints.
She made it onto the food court and glanced around, she didn't see Miranda. She sighed. She should have known to ask where they would meet. She started to approach the raised platform where they often like to sit. She paused at the base of the stairs, partially hidden behind a large decorative plant. She still couldn't see her dark headed friend. Sighing as she toyed with her hair, she stopped when she heard a familiar voice.
"Stop being a moron, she's never going to know." Kate Sanders. Lizzie rolled her eyes.
"I'm not doing it," a deeper voice insisted in a low murmur. Lizzie wrinkled her forehead, trying to place the voice. "You don't know that she won't find out. She's not stupid."
Lizzie felt a chill rack her body. Who were they talking about?
"Ethan, look, after tomorrow night, it will be over. I just want her out of the way."
There was a smack, as though he'd pressed down on the table. His voice dropped low and Lizzie had to strain to hear it. "You better be right, because if something goes wrong, you're going down with me."
