* = Toon Lizzie

Chapter 4

"Mom, I'm back!" Lizzie slammed the door and flew halfway up the stairs before her mom stopped her.

"Honey, wait. What's the hurry? Aren't you going to tell me what happened?" Mrs. McGuire was standing at the bottom of the stairs wearing her cleaning clothes.

"Mom! that's my personal business!" Lizzie whined then continued her way up the stairs.

Not even a minute passed before Lizzie was picking up the phone and dialing Miranda's number. "Oh my gosh Miranda, you would never guess what happened."

"Your-your parents got abducted by aliens so now you and Matt are getting adopted and have to move in with a really weird foster family that has a daughter that could be Kate's twin and a brother who smell like a garbage can?"

* (blink, blink) Best friends are always there for you; they try to help with your problems, they even help seek revenge on your annoying little brother, but sometimes, they can be so impractical.*

"Hey, it could happen."

"Anyways, remember my ex-boyfriend?"

"Which one? Larry?"

"Eww, eww, eww! Miranda, he was not my boyfriend! Why did you even have to remind me? I just got the dreadful thought of Larry and I out of my mind not that long ago!" Lizzie shook her head at the thought of she and Larry on another date.

"Sorry, actually, he's not a bad guy. Wait! What am I saying eww!…Well, did you mean Frankie?"

"No, not him either. Okay, I'll just tell you. Ronny, came to my house today."

"Ra-ra-Ronny? The guy that-"

"YES! That's the guy."

*Everyone forgets my birthday year after year, but doesn't forget that I got dumped?*

"What happened?"

"Well, we started walking and talking and one thing led to another and- Miranda, I asked him out."

"You did what?"

"Well actually…he-asked-me-first-then-I-told-him-we-could-start-over-and-and…"

"Lizzie, Lizzie! Slow down, I didn't hear a word you said. Take a deep breath and start over."

"Okay, Ronny and I are going to the prom this Friday…together."

"Lizzie, but he was a total jerk! He dumped you for another girl. You deserve so much better…and, what about Gordo?"

"What about Gordo? I already told you Miranda, Gordo is my best friend; I can't go out with him... and that will never change. I'm sure he'll get a date." There was a silence then there was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" Mrs. McGuire walked in.

"Lizzie, come here I want to show you something." Mrs. McGuire seemed really excited; too excited where Lizzie started to question if this something was good or bad.

"Miranda, I have to go. Just promise me you wont tell Gordo?"

"I guess, I promise."

Lizzie got off of her bed and walked over to the door where her mom was standing. "What is it?"

"Follow me." She grabbed Lizzie by the arm and pulled her into the attic.

"What is that smell?" Lizzie started waving her hand in the air to blow the stench away.

"I've been up here all day cleaning and I haven't quite fingered that out yet. Just breathe through your mouth, it'll go away. Okay, close your eyes."

"For what?"

"Just close them." Lizzie closed her eyes and Mrs. McGuire reached behind her without looking and grabbed a hanger. "Okay, open."

"Umm, Mom, why are you showing me a bunch of rags? What is that?"

"It's a dress."

"Its is?" Mrs. McGuire looked down.

"Oops, sorry; I must have grabbed the wrong hanger- Hey! Wait, that bunch of rags is my wedding dress."

*She calls that a dress? I hope she doesn't expect me to wear that on my wedding day.*

"Oh." Mrs. McGuire reached back behind her once more and picked up another hanger, yet this time it was the right one.

"Oh…my…god!" Lizzie stared at what was hanging on the hanger in awe.

*(Toon Lizzie stares, jaw down, and blinking slowly)*

"Does that mean you like it?"

"Yes! Mom, where did you get it?" Lizzie started jumping up and down in excitement. She then walked over to her mom who was holding up a black, spaghetti-strapped, dress that had two layers; the top layer being a see-through black lace with small sparkles on it and took it from her.

"Well, believe it or not, this was the dress that I wore to my senior prom."

"They had proms way back in the 60's?"

"Uh. The 60's? Try 70's… late 70's. I had forgot about it until I was cleaning the attic out today. I was thinking maybe you would want to wear it to your prom. It looks like it would fit you. Try it on." Lizzie ran out of the attic and came back a few seconds later with the dress on. "Oh, honey that looks beautiful on you."

"I still don't believe they made dresses like this way back in your day."

"Thanks a lot for making me feel ancient. I'm not that old Lizzie." Mrs. McGuire started to mumble to herself. "Now our neighbor Mrs. Swinger.. that's old… she was alive way before they invented the Star Spangled Banner- " Lizzie wasn't even paying attention to her mom because she was so focused on the dress.

"Thanks mom. I love it." Lizzie ran over to her mom and hugged her.

"You're welcome. Now all you need is shoes, some accessories, and a date and you'll be ready to go."

"I already have a date." Lizzie blurted out.

"You do? Who- Oh, let me guess , the guy that-?" Lizzie looked surprised.

"Uh! Yes Mom! The guy that dumped me for another girl." Lizzie rolled her eyes.

"Oh, I never was going to say that. All I was going to say was the guy that you went out with a month ago."

"Oh, sorry. Wait, how did you know? Were you following us from tree to tree listening to our conversation?"

"No, I'm a cool Mom, I know these things."

*Translation: She didn't let us get out of her sight.*

"What's with all the loud screams- What's that smell?" Mr. McGuire walked up in the attic and started waving his hand in the air to blow the stench away.

"Breathe through your mouth, it'll go away." Mrs. McGuire and Lizzie said in unison.

"Look Dad." Lizzie spun around for her father to see the dress fully."

"That dress looks familiar." Mr. McGuire was pointing at it and looking clueless.

"Well duh Sam, I wore that dress to our senior prom. Lizzie, make sure to remind me to take the dress to the cleaners. There's a small stain at the bottom of it where you father tripped over the guitar player and his nachos fell all over me."

"Nachos? Way to go Dad."

"Those were some good nachos."

After Lizzie left from the attic, Mrs. McGuire looked over to her husband.

"I'm glad she likes it."

"I'm just glad I don't have to come out of my pocket to buy her a new dress." Mr. McGuire said while holding his nose.

………………………………....

[A/N]:I know that in this chapter there was a lot of dialogue and not a lot of description, but I was working on a web-site while I was doing this… and just a tip, working with HTML and trying to write a story is very difficult. Please review. Also, thanks for all the support everyone has given me… its much appreciated.