Suddenly Kate heard a sneeze. She turned her head, and eyed the fireplace suspiciously. She crept up to it. "Come on out. I know you're in there."

"Aah!" Matt yelled, scared and now filling with fear because someone had found him. "I beg of you for mercy!" He cried out, thinking it was Lizzie standing there.

"I don't know what you did to Lizzie, but she's really mad at you. You may as well come on out of there." Kate replied, with her arms crossed.

I don't know who it is, but they sound like they mean business. He thought to himself. Matt kicked the screen away from the fireplace, and tried to crawl out. His foot was caught on something that he couldn't see, because it was so dark in the fireplace. "I'm stuck!" He said.

"What?!"

"I'm stuck, I said! I can't get out!" Matt exclaimed, furiously trying to get out.

I so do not want to help Lizzie's brat brother. I'll go get her to get her brother out. Kate thought stubbornly to herself, and left the room to go get Lizzie.

"Hey! Where did you go.... whoever you were?!" Matt asked. Jo had left the living room before Kate had found Matt, so she had no idea that he was in the fireplace.

She'd been upstairs, getting the towel Lizzie had used to put in the laundry. Now she was back downstairs, and heard muffled screams from the living room. "What in the world?" She asked herself.

She walked into the living room, and listened for the noise again,

"Somebody help me, will you?" Matt screamed again. He tried to free his foot from whatever it was caught on, but it wouldn't budge.

"Matt are you in there?" Jo asked, trying to look in the fireplace. Just then Lizzie came storming back into the house, along with Kate, Miranda, and Gordo.

"Matt, we know where you are, and you can't escape this time!" Lizzie yelled. "Those jeans were expensive!"

Toon Lizzie: Come out with your hands up! You have the right to remain silent!

"Don't forget, I helped pay for those, too!" Miranda added.

Gordo was silent. He was still thinking about his problem. Should I tell Miranda how I feel about Lizzie? Can I trust her not to tell Lizzie? Or maybe I want Lizzie to know. This is all to confusing. Usually I can talk to my friends about my troubles, but now what can I do? He sat silently on the couch.

"Okay, okay already. Just get me out of here! I'm stuck!" Matt said. Jo bent over to try and pull him out, but then quickly stood up.

"Ohhh... I need to sit down." She said, holding onto her stomach. She plopped down next to Gordo. "Can someone else please pull Matt out?"

Just then, the construction crew walked into the room. "We'll be back soon. We need to go get some more supplies." They told Jo. Jo nodded.

"I'll get Matt out." Gordo volunteered. "Give me your hands, Matt. I'll try and pull you out." Matt did, but his foot remained stuck. "Try to take off your shoe." Gordo told him.

He tried, and finally did. Gordo helped him, and when he was out, he was covered in dark gray soot. "I'll go wash off." Matt said.

"You can try to run, but I'm going to catch you!" Lizzie yelled, running after him. Matt rushed upstairs, into the bathroom, slammed the door shut, and locked it. Breathing hard, he decided that taking a shower would be the best way to rinse off al the soot. He turned on the water faucet in the bathtub.

"We'll be waiting for you. There's no escape!" Miranda yelled into the bathroom, who had also followed Lizzie.

Gordo was walking up the stairs, rolling his eyes. How can girls get so upset over a pair of jeans? He thought.

Meanwhile, Jo was downstairs, listening to all the racket going on upstairs. Sam came home from work, and Jo pointed upstairs. "Please take care of whatever's going on up there." She told him with a tired sigh.

"Hi, I'm good, thanks." He muttered under his breath. He'd had a hard day at work, and the last thing he needed was a bunch of kids to yell at.

"I heard that." Jo mumbled.

Kate had now also joined the others upstairs, but all she did was stand there with her arms crossed. I thought coming to Lizzie's would be better than this. I thought we'd give each other makeovers or something, but Lizzie's too involved with her other friends and her brother. Maybe it was a bad idea to come over. Kate thought with a sigh.

Gordo was also in deep thought, still thinking what to do about his problem. He looked up at Kate. She's not really my friend... but then on the other hand she's someone I might could talk to. She doesn't seem all stuck- up now that's she's no longer popular. He took a deep breath. "Hey, Kate, could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Um, okay." Kate replied. "We'll be right back, you guys." She told the others, who barely even paid attention. While they walked downstairs, Sam was walking up them.

He reached the top, and looked at everyone who was screaming or shouting or pounding on the bathroom door. "I want everyone to be quiet, and then go home!" He yelled above the noise. Miranda, Lizzie, and Matt all stopped what they were doing. Rarely did Sam ever get this angry. "I don't want to hear a peep out of anyone!"

Miranda embarrassedly put her shoes on, and Lizzie walked her to the door. "I'll give you your share of the money for the jeans at school" She whispered. Miranda nodded, and left.

Now it was Lizzie's turn to be embarrassed. Never had her dad made her friends leave because they'd been too noisy. I was acting so immature! I'm in high school now. I've got to start acting like it! Lizzie thought to herself. She saw Gordo and Kate talking quietly in the kitchen. She walked over to them. "Hey guys my-"

Gordo whirled around. "How long have you been there?" He asked Lizzie, hoping she hadn't heard anything he'd said. Him and Kate had had their backs turned towards Lizzie, so they didn't know she'd been there.

"I just got here." She said, raising an eyebrow. "Um, my dad wants you guys to leave early. Sorry." Lizzie told them.

"Okay." Gordo replied. Now he could talk with Kate without being interrupted. She actually seems to trying to be nice to me. Maybe she can give me some advice. He thought, and waved good-bye to Lizzie.

"Thanks for having me over, Mrs. McGuire!" Kate said to Jo, and her and Gordo left.

"Any time!" Jo replied with a sigh, not really meaning that. How am I ever going to survive with twins? I can't even handle Lizzie's friends who are in 9th grade! She thought worriedly.