Hello!!!

Thank you for all of the reviews, they are much appreciated, but I have bad news, this is the last chapter!! I know it's sad but I figured, I'd leave it for a possible sequel and I have many other ffs I want to carry on with and I thought if I didn't end this one now it would drag on and on and on!!!

So I hope you like the finale to Life: By Matt McGuire and keep reviewing this and my other stories!

Enjoy!!

Within weeks Miranda and Gordo had both been given the all clear, Miranda left on crutches and Gordo, who baffled all the doctors with his speedy recovery, was free to go with only small cuts and bruises to show.

They didn't want a big fuss made on their returning home, so we agreed to meet up in the Digital Bean, just the four of us, Melina was invited but felt she wouldn't be comfortable.

Me and Lizzie met at the Digital Bean early and ordered Miranda and Gordo's favourite drinks. We sat in silence, nervous and awkward, unsure on what everyone's reactions would be since my declaration and the break up.

Gordo was first to arrive, he trundled over where he shook my hand, not looking directly at me, then turned and smiled anxiously at Lizzie. They both looked on the edge of sharing a romantic greeting, but something held them back, and she was standing right next to them.

"Miranda!" Lizzie squealed, pulling her into a tight hug, careful not to hurt her leg. Miranda grinned at Liz but her eyebrows rose as she spotted me and Gordo sat down at the same table.

"Oh hi Gordo!" she said, her eyes sparkling with tears and her smile turning somewhat forced. He looked the same back. A terrible tension filled the group and Gordo stood up.

"Maybe I should go, without me here maybe some of us will have some fun." And he turned quickly and walked over to the exit. Lizzie mumbled something about following him and chased after him. It was just me and Miranda.

"So been up to much? The weather's great! Oh yum I love this smoothie, what's your favourite flavour?" Miranda spoke very fast, obviously trying to pretend nothing had ever happened between us. But as I looked at her, she gazed back and it wasn't awkward, it felt comfortable, maybe it wasn't me, maybe she was hiding something else.

"Randa? Are you okay?" I asked gently. She blinked repeatedly and looked up to the ceiling.

"I...I..." her eyes fell back down on my face; she looked on the verge of telling me something, but appeared too scared to say it.

"Let's go outside," I read the signals right and she let me take her hand, and slipping past Lizzie and Gordo we headed outside. I took her to mine and Melina's old hiding spot, there was a tree behind the Digital Bean which had a branch not far off the ground that was big enough for at least three people. Slightly puzzled Miranda frowned as I lifted her onto it. I clambered up after her and balanced over the edge, my legs dangling above the ground. Miranda had turned with her back against the trunk, her plastered leg across the branch and her healthy one swinging below her, occasionally kicking mine. The tree sheltered us and kept us away from everyone, no one could see in and the light from above shone through the tree giving us both a slightly green tint.

"This place is amazing," Miranda breathed, "You two used to come here a lot?"

"Yeah pretty much everyday, it's just great to get away from everything; we'd sit up here for hours and rant about our lives, getting anything off our chests." Miranda's gaze fell to her lap and she fidgeted with the sleeves of her blouse. "You can tell me what's wrong Randa, I know its awkward cuz of what I said at the hospital, but I want to be here for you like you were for me when Lizzie and Melina left. No one's ever listened to me as much as you have, and I want to do the same for you."

"I... I.. it's just..." before she could say anymore, tears began to slide down her cheeks, "I'm finding it so hard to cope with everything....."

She continued to talk about her and Gordo splitting up, how she'd known that he had liked Lizzie all along and was using her to try and get over Liz, but ditching her as soon as he could. The accident had trouble Miranda more than I thought was possible, she went on to tell me how every night she woke with the same nightmare and fears, what if they'd died? It could have been so easily avoided. What would she have done if Gordo hadn't made it through? Then there was me. I had said all of these wonderful things to her and she didn't know how to react, yes she loved me as a friend, but as soon as I said those things she couldn't tell if she was beginning to look at me differently or whether it was the painkillers!

By the end I nearly found myself in tears as well, not wanting to fall I leapt out of the tree and pulled Miranda carefully down after me. Helping her round the corner to another place of mine and Melinda's I sat her down on a small worn sofa that had been thrown out of the café and embraced her in a comforting and intimate hug and she sobbed into my shoulder.

"You're going to be okay Miranda," I assured her, "The accident is all in the past and everyone is okay, surely isn't that's what's important? Look you know I'm always going to be here for you and don't go thinking that you weren't good enough for Gordo because he didn't deserve you, you're such an amazing person." I stroked her hair and her sobs began to soften and eventually stopped. She pulled out of my grasp,

"Thank you Matt. Thank you so much, I just really needed to get it off my chest, you know?" she flashed me a weak smile, and my stomach jolted, "Lizzie's so lucky to have such a great brother." She placed her arm around my waist and rested her head on my shoulder. We sat in each other's arms, both not wanting to move when Miranda spoke again, "you know, I know I'm still a bit upset and vulnerable but at least now I've got things sorted in my head, and I know what I'm doing is the right thing." She lifted her head away and faced me.

"What do you mean?" I asked, a confused but genuine smile on my face. But Miranda wasn't smiling and she didn't reply, well not with words. Before I had chance to realise what was happening she had kissed me, gentle and friendly at first but as I began to kiss her back it became much more passionate and intense.

As we broke away I looked up at the road behind the trees that hid us from sight, the people going past in their cars had no idea, they didn't have chance to see what was going on, they didn't know that behind those trees were two people destined for each other, two people with different backgrounds getting ready for a new start on life together. And it really was a new start for my life, my Life: By Matt McGuire.

The End