Chapter 32 – Lizzie, Miranda and the closet (I am sorry for the last chapter being so short. I simply could not think of anything to put with that. This chapter is quite a bit longer so hopefully this will make up for it. I have to thank my friend Grace for coming up with this idea. I am going to start on a new story. However, it will be an original not a fanfic. I want you guys to all read and give me feedback so I would like suggestions on how to accomplish this. You can email me or IM me with your ideas. Back to the story. Love always, James)
"Kate, where are you taking me?" Lizzie asked her friend as the girls walked down the school hallway. It was lunchtime and on this nice sunny day the building was all but empty.
"I already told you Lizzie, it's a surprise," Kate assured the teen with a twinkle in her eye that she did not catch.
"I don't like surprises," Lizzie reminded Kate.
"Don't worry you will like this one, I promise," Kate stated innocently.
"Ok, if you say so," she agreed as she looked at her friend cautiously.
"Trust me," Kate informed her with a smile.
"Kate why are we standing in front of a closet?" Lizzie wondered as they came to a stop in front of a book closet.
"This is your surprise!" She clued in her confused friend.
Lizzie just looked at her with a look that said: you're kidding right?
"Lizzie it's in there. You just have to look for it. Go on have a look," Kate urged.
"Ok," Lizzie responded as she eased her way passed the open door. After looking around and finding nothing, Lizzie turned to ask Kate where her surprise was but was met by the shutting the closet door and the sound of it locking.
"Kate! What in the hell is this? Kate!?" Lizzie screamed at her friend on the other side of the door.
"Ethan I don't think I like this," Miranda voiced as the boy dragged her down the hall.
"Oh come on Miranda, don't you trust me?" he questioned the Latina.
"No," Miranda snapped back.
"You will like this. I promise," he reassured his concerned friend.
"If you say so...what's she doing here?" she asked as they stopped in front of closet with Kate standing in front of it.
"Oh, this was her idea," he answered.
"What is that voice I hear?" Miranda wondered as she heard Lizzie's voice calling faintly.
"Oh that's part of your surprise," Kate answered for Ethan. Miranda just gave her a suspecting look. Kate motioned for her to come to the door. As she neared the door, Ethan opened the door Kate shoved Miranda into the closet and Ethan quickly slammed the door shut.
"What are you doing in here?" Lizzie snapped at Miranda.
"I should ask you the same thing," Miranda responded.
"Kate told me she had a surprise for me and next thing I know I'm in this closet." Lizzie answered honestly.
"Ethan told me the same thing the I saw Kate..." Miranda started but trailed off when she put two and two together. She looked at Lizzie and saw that she had gotten it also.
"Kate! Let us out of here!" They both yelled as they banged on the door.
"Not until you kiss and make up!!" Kate informed both of them from the other side of the door.
"This is for your own good," Ethan added.
"This is all your fault," Lizzie told Miranda as she moved away from the door.
"My fault? How is this my fault?" Miranda inquired sharply.
"If you hadn't stole Gordo from me we wouldn't be locked in this stupid closet," she informed the Miranda.
"Stole? Lizzie, in case you don't know I'm not with David so it's a little bit of a stretch for you to accuse me of stealing him!" Miranda fired back logically.
"You know what I'm trying to say," Lizzie voiced.
"No actually I don't. What are you getting at Lizzie?" she asked Lizzie.
"Miranda...All I know is that everything was going great. We were all enjoying being in high school. Gordo and me had each other...then you had to go and mess everything up by telling Gordo that you love him. Why couldn't you just let us be happy?" Lizzie wondered.
"I tried Lizzie ok...I kept these feelings that I had building up inside of me to myself as long as I could. I never planned or wanted for it to happen like this...Lizzie I just can't stop feeling the way I do. I tried...I tried everything I could think of but...I just can't get over the fact that I love him. I love him Lizzie. And I'm sorry if that messes up your perfect little plan for you and David," she admitted as her emotions began to rise to the surface.
"My perfect little plan? You make it sound like I planned being with Gordo for years," Lizzie fired back her own emotions welling up.
"Didn't you? Lizzie...everybody has known for years that you and David like each other. Especially me. I knew it in fourth grade...and I know you never got over it. And David...David liked you the moment he saw you. Lizzie...the reason I never tried for David all these years is because I knew that he wanted you and you wanted him," Miranda started then stopped obviously dealing with the emotions that she was feeling in her heart and soul.
She collected herself, and continued to explain herself to her best friend. "I was fine with how everything was. You and David were going to end up together...everybody knew it and I was ok with that. Then I went on vacation and I missed both of you so much...when I showed up in Rome and saw both of you again I was so happy but then when I was alone I started to feel something different for David. I was sitting there talking to David and all he could think about was you...it made me angry for some reason I didn't really know why I just knew I didn't like you being the only thing on his mind. I didn't get a chance to deal with what I was feeling because..." Miranda paused as she remembered vividly the chaos of the day.
"Because my mom came and told him about his parents," Lizzie finished for her putting the pieces of the puzzle together herself.
"Yeah, and after that I was just focused on being there for him cause he was just so messed up and depressed. I prayed for him every night. I was so happy he came around. I was so scared that he would never be the same again...when you guys told me that you were together...I was happy for you. I really was. I remember thinking that it was about time but I also realized that those feelings that I felt back in Rome hadn't gone away. I had just suppressed them. And when I looked at him I could tell that somewhere he was starting to feel something for me too. I think that both of us knew that our feelings were real..." she was cut off by Lizzie answering, "That day at his parents grave."
Lizzie looked at her friend of many years. She was full of emotions and it showed. She took notice of the physical toll this ordeal had taken on Miranda. She stood before her now an emotional wreck, a shell of the free spirit she had known most of her life. She wanted to be angry with her but she just couldn't.
Miranda stared back at Lizzie. She could tell that the anger that had been directed at her was fueled by very real pain. This had not been easy on her either. Miranda knew that they could not keep up what they were doing to each other. She could tell that the girl looking back at her felt the same way. As her head began to clear Lizzie began to formulate an idea.
"Miranda...I have an idea," she proposed.
"I'm listening," Miranda responded.
"We should go to Gordo together and tell him that he needs to make a choice," Lizzie started.
"He can have one of us," Miranda continued.
"Or neither of us, but he definitely can't have both of us," Lizzie finished.
"We will force him to make a choice and whatever choice he makes..." Miranda stated seeing what Lizzie was getting at.
"We will agree to be cool with it. No matter who he chooses," Lizzie filled in the blank.
"Agreed," Miranda approved.
"Agreed," Lizzie finalized the plan.
The girls looked at each other and sighed as they both realized they had a long road of healing in front of them. The bell rang signifying the end of lunch and the girls heard the door open behind them. They walked out and were met by Ethan and Kate with crossed arms and twitching feet.
"Well?" Kate inquired of both of them.
"Thank you," Lizzie responded to Kate and Ethan.
"Yeah, thank you guys a bunch," Miranda chimed in. Ethan and Kate nodded in approval as the quartet made their way to their lockers to get ready for their next class.
"Kate, where are you taking me?" Lizzie asked her friend as the girls walked down the school hallway. It was lunchtime and on this nice sunny day the building was all but empty.
"I already told you Lizzie, it's a surprise," Kate assured the teen with a twinkle in her eye that she did not catch.
"I don't like surprises," Lizzie reminded Kate.
"Don't worry you will like this one, I promise," Kate stated innocently.
"Ok, if you say so," she agreed as she looked at her friend cautiously.
"Trust me," Kate informed her with a smile.
"Kate why are we standing in front of a closet?" Lizzie wondered as they came to a stop in front of a book closet.
"This is your surprise!" She clued in her confused friend.
Lizzie just looked at her with a look that said: you're kidding right?
"Lizzie it's in there. You just have to look for it. Go on have a look," Kate urged.
"Ok," Lizzie responded as she eased her way passed the open door. After looking around and finding nothing, Lizzie turned to ask Kate where her surprise was but was met by the shutting the closet door and the sound of it locking.
"Kate! What in the hell is this? Kate!?" Lizzie screamed at her friend on the other side of the door.
"Ethan I don't think I like this," Miranda voiced as the boy dragged her down the hall.
"Oh come on Miranda, don't you trust me?" he questioned the Latina.
"No," Miranda snapped back.
"You will like this. I promise," he reassured his concerned friend.
"If you say so...what's she doing here?" she asked as they stopped in front of closet with Kate standing in front of it.
"Oh, this was her idea," he answered.
"What is that voice I hear?" Miranda wondered as she heard Lizzie's voice calling faintly.
"Oh that's part of your surprise," Kate answered for Ethan. Miranda just gave her a suspecting look. Kate motioned for her to come to the door. As she neared the door, Ethan opened the door Kate shoved Miranda into the closet and Ethan quickly slammed the door shut.
"What are you doing in here?" Lizzie snapped at Miranda.
"I should ask you the same thing," Miranda responded.
"Kate told me she had a surprise for me and next thing I know I'm in this closet." Lizzie answered honestly.
"Ethan told me the same thing the I saw Kate..." Miranda started but trailed off when she put two and two together. She looked at Lizzie and saw that she had gotten it also.
"Kate! Let us out of here!" They both yelled as they banged on the door.
"Not until you kiss and make up!!" Kate informed both of them from the other side of the door.
"This is for your own good," Ethan added.
"This is all your fault," Lizzie told Miranda as she moved away from the door.
"My fault? How is this my fault?" Miranda inquired sharply.
"If you hadn't stole Gordo from me we wouldn't be locked in this stupid closet," she informed the Miranda.
"Stole? Lizzie, in case you don't know I'm not with David so it's a little bit of a stretch for you to accuse me of stealing him!" Miranda fired back logically.
"You know what I'm trying to say," Lizzie voiced.
"No actually I don't. What are you getting at Lizzie?" she asked Lizzie.
"Miranda...All I know is that everything was going great. We were all enjoying being in high school. Gordo and me had each other...then you had to go and mess everything up by telling Gordo that you love him. Why couldn't you just let us be happy?" Lizzie wondered.
"I tried Lizzie ok...I kept these feelings that I had building up inside of me to myself as long as I could. I never planned or wanted for it to happen like this...Lizzie I just can't stop feeling the way I do. I tried...I tried everything I could think of but...I just can't get over the fact that I love him. I love him Lizzie. And I'm sorry if that messes up your perfect little plan for you and David," she admitted as her emotions began to rise to the surface.
"My perfect little plan? You make it sound like I planned being with Gordo for years," Lizzie fired back her own emotions welling up.
"Didn't you? Lizzie...everybody has known for years that you and David like each other. Especially me. I knew it in fourth grade...and I know you never got over it. And David...David liked you the moment he saw you. Lizzie...the reason I never tried for David all these years is because I knew that he wanted you and you wanted him," Miranda started then stopped obviously dealing with the emotions that she was feeling in her heart and soul.
She collected herself, and continued to explain herself to her best friend. "I was fine with how everything was. You and David were going to end up together...everybody knew it and I was ok with that. Then I went on vacation and I missed both of you so much...when I showed up in Rome and saw both of you again I was so happy but then when I was alone I started to feel something different for David. I was sitting there talking to David and all he could think about was you...it made me angry for some reason I didn't really know why I just knew I didn't like you being the only thing on his mind. I didn't get a chance to deal with what I was feeling because..." Miranda paused as she remembered vividly the chaos of the day.
"Because my mom came and told him about his parents," Lizzie finished for her putting the pieces of the puzzle together herself.
"Yeah, and after that I was just focused on being there for him cause he was just so messed up and depressed. I prayed for him every night. I was so happy he came around. I was so scared that he would never be the same again...when you guys told me that you were together...I was happy for you. I really was. I remember thinking that it was about time but I also realized that those feelings that I felt back in Rome hadn't gone away. I had just suppressed them. And when I looked at him I could tell that somewhere he was starting to feel something for me too. I think that both of us knew that our feelings were real..." she was cut off by Lizzie answering, "That day at his parents grave."
Lizzie looked at her friend of many years. She was full of emotions and it showed. She took notice of the physical toll this ordeal had taken on Miranda. She stood before her now an emotional wreck, a shell of the free spirit she had known most of her life. She wanted to be angry with her but she just couldn't.
Miranda stared back at Lizzie. She could tell that the anger that had been directed at her was fueled by very real pain. This had not been easy on her either. Miranda knew that they could not keep up what they were doing to each other. She could tell that the girl looking back at her felt the same way. As her head began to clear Lizzie began to formulate an idea.
"Miranda...I have an idea," she proposed.
"I'm listening," Miranda responded.
"We should go to Gordo together and tell him that he needs to make a choice," Lizzie started.
"He can have one of us," Miranda continued.
"Or neither of us, but he definitely can't have both of us," Lizzie finished.
"We will force him to make a choice and whatever choice he makes..." Miranda stated seeing what Lizzie was getting at.
"We will agree to be cool with it. No matter who he chooses," Lizzie filled in the blank.
"Agreed," Miranda approved.
"Agreed," Lizzie finalized the plan.
The girls looked at each other and sighed as they both realized they had a long road of healing in front of them. The bell rang signifying the end of lunch and the girls heard the door open behind them. They walked out and were met by Ethan and Kate with crossed arms and twitching feet.
"Well?" Kate inquired of both of them.
"Thank you," Lizzie responded to Kate and Ethan.
"Yeah, thank you guys a bunch," Miranda chimed in. Ethan and Kate nodded in approval as the quartet made their way to their lockers to get ready for their next class.