Chapter 27 – Miranda and Ethan (I have working so much that this is the
first time I have not been too tired to sit down and write. This working
so much has taken a toll on me physically and mentally. I swear I'm trying
to keep writing as often as I can. My aunt is doing a lot better and may
get moved out of ICU soon. Yall just keep praying for her and for me.)
Miranda sat at their usual table during lunch, if for no other reason then habit. They however did not join her on this date. She had seen Lizzie and Kate sitting with a group of cheerleaders as she walked in but she didn't speak to them. After sitting down, her eyes found Gordo and Larry sitting in front of her with a group of people she recognized but did not know. She had not spoken to either since the giant blow up a few days earlier. The only communication with Lizzie or Gordo she had had was the few haunting looks she had shared with Gordo.
She was lost in a haze of her swirling thoughts when she saw a familiar face sitting in front of her.
"Hey," she greeted him, half-heartedly.
"Hey," Ethan smiled at her from the other side of the table as he sat down.
"Why aren't you sitting with Gordon and Lizzie? He wondered, noticing that they were the only two people occupying the table.
"I wanted to sit by myself, why do you care anyway?" she quickly snapped back.
"Nice try Miranda, you're not going to scare me off. Come on, tell me what's going on." Ethan sternly suggested.
"Don't you know already?" She asked, her voice filled with pain.
"All I know is that you guys got into some kind of argument and now your not speaking to each other. Which is really weird cause you guys are like family. So I know something is up. I want to help but I can't until I know what's going on." He responded with a great deal of empathy.
"Why do you want to help? Its not like you're involved." Miranda inquired still not letting her guard down.
Ethan sighed, looked her right in her tortured eyes and answered with, "Because you, Lizzie and Gordon are my friends and I know how special you guys are to each other. Miranda, stop being defensive, let your guard down and let me help please."
Miranda just stared back at Ethan for a minute. She had never seen him serious like this. The happy go lucky boy she knew had been replaced by a young man on a mission staring back at her. It was his different demeanor that finally crumbled her wall. Her face softened and she let her guard down.
She told Ethan in detail about how she and Gordo had admitted their feelings for each other that night at the McGuire house. She informed him about them almost kissing and Gordo loosing it and running out of the house. Miranda recounted how Lizzie came home and demanded to know why he had ran out of the house. Then she relived telling Lizzie what had happened and the argument that followed and ended with Lizzie telling her to leave.
"And you haven't spoken to either one since?" Ethan asked.
"No, not a word." She answered simply.
"Lizzie and Gordon aren't speaking either. Why haven't you talked to them?" He questioned, digging deeper.
"Well I don't know what to say. I know Lizzie is super pissed at me and I don't want to get into it with her again. I never meant to hurt her Ethan." She replied.
"You told her you're in love with her boyfriend. You had to know that that would hurt." Ethan assumed.
"I just wish she wouldn't have snapped and we could talked about it without fighting." Miranda admitted.
"Miranda, if it had been the other way around and Lizzie had told you that she was in love with your boyfriend, would you have been calm about it?" He proposed to her.
"No. I see your point. I just don't know if she can ever forgive me." She wondered out loud.
"She will in time." He reassured her.
"Why do you say that?" she asked not buying it.
Ethan smiled and informed her that, "Lizzie will forgive you because you haven't actually done anything with him so its not like you did anything behind her back, and because she loves you."
"I guess your right," Miranda stated with a half smile.
"Look, just give her a few days to cool off. I'm sure Kate or me will talk to her about it too. You guys are too close to not survive this." He smiled at her.
Miranda just nodded and let all the information soak in, when Ethan saw she didn't have anything else to say he continued.
"So what about Gordon?" He inquired changing the subject.
"Like I said I haven't talked to him, but I do know that he is afraid of doing something that will screw everything up more then it already is." She informed Ethan.
"How do you know that?" He questioned confused.
She looked at Ethan and debated on what to tell him in response. She decided to just say what she had felt. She took a deep breath and bared what she was feeling in her heart and soul.
"When we see each other in passing and our eyes meet its like ...I look into his eyes and I swear I see his soul. Our eyes meet and I can tell what he is feeling, what his fears are, how much he is hurting and his confusion. When I look into his eyes and he looks into mine, I can read everything in his heart and soul and I know he can read everything in mine. It's like when it happens it completely freaks me out but I just can't make myself not look into his eyes." Miranda explained her eyes now in a place far far away.
Ethan said nothing for a few seconds. After fully processing what she had told him he smiled and prepared a strategy.
"As strange as that is, I get it. It's very deep but its sweet. Its all gonna be ok I promise. Its complicated so its not a easy simple fix but just give it some time and I have a feeling you guys are gonna be ok." Ethan told her.
"Thanks," she answered gratefully.
Ethan started to say something but Gordo looked in his direction so he waved to acknowledge his friend. When Miranda saw this she turned to see whom Ethan was greeting. She turned and was met by Gordo's eyes. She exchanged a long haunting spiritual look with him before turning around to say something else to Ethan.
Miranda sat at their usual table during lunch, if for no other reason then habit. They however did not join her on this date. She had seen Lizzie and Kate sitting with a group of cheerleaders as she walked in but she didn't speak to them. After sitting down, her eyes found Gordo and Larry sitting in front of her with a group of people she recognized but did not know. She had not spoken to either since the giant blow up a few days earlier. The only communication with Lizzie or Gordo she had had was the few haunting looks she had shared with Gordo.
She was lost in a haze of her swirling thoughts when she saw a familiar face sitting in front of her.
"Hey," she greeted him, half-heartedly.
"Hey," Ethan smiled at her from the other side of the table as he sat down.
"Why aren't you sitting with Gordon and Lizzie? He wondered, noticing that they were the only two people occupying the table.
"I wanted to sit by myself, why do you care anyway?" she quickly snapped back.
"Nice try Miranda, you're not going to scare me off. Come on, tell me what's going on." Ethan sternly suggested.
"Don't you know already?" She asked, her voice filled with pain.
"All I know is that you guys got into some kind of argument and now your not speaking to each other. Which is really weird cause you guys are like family. So I know something is up. I want to help but I can't until I know what's going on." He responded with a great deal of empathy.
"Why do you want to help? Its not like you're involved." Miranda inquired still not letting her guard down.
Ethan sighed, looked her right in her tortured eyes and answered with, "Because you, Lizzie and Gordon are my friends and I know how special you guys are to each other. Miranda, stop being defensive, let your guard down and let me help please."
Miranda just stared back at Ethan for a minute. She had never seen him serious like this. The happy go lucky boy she knew had been replaced by a young man on a mission staring back at her. It was his different demeanor that finally crumbled her wall. Her face softened and she let her guard down.
She told Ethan in detail about how she and Gordo had admitted their feelings for each other that night at the McGuire house. She informed him about them almost kissing and Gordo loosing it and running out of the house. Miranda recounted how Lizzie came home and demanded to know why he had ran out of the house. Then she relived telling Lizzie what had happened and the argument that followed and ended with Lizzie telling her to leave.
"And you haven't spoken to either one since?" Ethan asked.
"No, not a word." She answered simply.
"Lizzie and Gordon aren't speaking either. Why haven't you talked to them?" He questioned, digging deeper.
"Well I don't know what to say. I know Lizzie is super pissed at me and I don't want to get into it with her again. I never meant to hurt her Ethan." She replied.
"You told her you're in love with her boyfriend. You had to know that that would hurt." Ethan assumed.
"I just wish she wouldn't have snapped and we could talked about it without fighting." Miranda admitted.
"Miranda, if it had been the other way around and Lizzie had told you that she was in love with your boyfriend, would you have been calm about it?" He proposed to her.
"No. I see your point. I just don't know if she can ever forgive me." She wondered out loud.
"She will in time." He reassured her.
"Why do you say that?" she asked not buying it.
Ethan smiled and informed her that, "Lizzie will forgive you because you haven't actually done anything with him so its not like you did anything behind her back, and because she loves you."
"I guess your right," Miranda stated with a half smile.
"Look, just give her a few days to cool off. I'm sure Kate or me will talk to her about it too. You guys are too close to not survive this." He smiled at her.
Miranda just nodded and let all the information soak in, when Ethan saw she didn't have anything else to say he continued.
"So what about Gordon?" He inquired changing the subject.
"Like I said I haven't talked to him, but I do know that he is afraid of doing something that will screw everything up more then it already is." She informed Ethan.
"How do you know that?" He questioned confused.
She looked at Ethan and debated on what to tell him in response. She decided to just say what she had felt. She took a deep breath and bared what she was feeling in her heart and soul.
"When we see each other in passing and our eyes meet its like ...I look into his eyes and I swear I see his soul. Our eyes meet and I can tell what he is feeling, what his fears are, how much he is hurting and his confusion. When I look into his eyes and he looks into mine, I can read everything in his heart and soul and I know he can read everything in mine. It's like when it happens it completely freaks me out but I just can't make myself not look into his eyes." Miranda explained her eyes now in a place far far away.
Ethan said nothing for a few seconds. After fully processing what she had told him he smiled and prepared a strategy.
"As strange as that is, I get it. It's very deep but its sweet. Its all gonna be ok I promise. Its complicated so its not a easy simple fix but just give it some time and I have a feeling you guys are gonna be ok." Ethan told her.
"Thanks," she answered gratefully.
Ethan started to say something but Gordo looked in his direction so he waved to acknowledge his friend. When Miranda saw this she turned to see whom Ethan was greeting. She turned and was met by Gordo's eyes. She exchanged a long haunting spiritual look with him before turning around to say something else to Ethan.