No Time to Waste
by TheRealXenocide
`
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, or anything else you recognize from the show Lizzie McGuire. The plot, at it's base, has been around since Homer, and this variant since Henry Ford. However, this is the first I've seen it applied to Lizzie.
`
Chapter 40
Slow Hand
`
With her three and four o'clock appointments both canceling early, Dr. Roberta Gordon was driving home wondering what kind of chaos she would be greeted by. While her son and Lizzie had gotten things picked up before she got home yesterday, the amount of used note paper in the recycling suggested that they had been working at planning this weekends party almost nonstop. That fact brought her to another concern she had for them. As a mother, she agreed with her son that they should wait before having sex. As a psychiatrist, she worried that even with their admission of their feeling for each other, they may be falling back into their old habit of self denial in regards to any physical intimacy. This worried her for two reasons that seemed to contradict each other, but while they couldn't happen at the same time, they were both possible.
First, if they can't break that habit now, with everything out in the open, would they ever be able to break it? She'd seen too many relationships fail because of a lack of passion, and she didn't want that for her son.
Secondly, if they continue to refuse themselves everything, what will happen when all those years of self denial finally, and inevitably, are defeated? Will they be able to stop themselves from having sex the first time they allow themselves anything intimate?
It was with these concerns that she arrived home. Not wanting to chance interrupting a phone call, she walked in without calling out them. So, when she walked into the living room, the couple on the couch were blissfully unaware she was there. She quickly turned her back to them, and thought, 'well, at least we know they're getting intimate'. While maintaining her therapist's soothing tone, she rose her voice enough to be sure she broke through their preoccupation. "David, Lizzie, I'm home."
For a moment, the room fell silent, then her son finally spoke. "Sorry, mom."
"If you would help Lizzie get her shirt back on, we should talk."
~~~~~~~~
As the trio of Matt, Miranda, and Lily left the park, Matt was feeling better than he would have thought possible after last night. Yet, after the talk this morning, he was sure that that part of his life was going to be better. And then the game. Not only did he enjoy the chance to just be rowdy with friends, but they discovered he was a decent punter. If he worked on it between now and entering high school, who knows?
They had decided to go to Matt's first, then ask his mom to drive the girls home while Matt showered. However, when they arrived, they saw an extra car parked outside. While the two older kids were in a surprised silence, Lily asked one of the questions they were thinking. "Why are mommy and daddy here?"
~~~~~~~~
It took a few minutes for Mrs. Gordon to convince the couple that she wasn't upset about that level of activity. However, she gave her son an earful about doing that somewhere as open as the living room. When that was done, she changed subjects. "How are the plans for the party going?"
"Well," Gordo began, thankful for the change, "we have prices for the decorations from three different stores, we know were to get the food, we know where to rent any games we want."
"Speaking of that," Lizzie added, "we need to get together to decide what we want for food and fun, and who can provide what themselves."
"Did you manage to get hold of Ethan today?" He hadn't answered the phone yesterday, and they had tried several times.
"Yes," Gordo answered, "though I think I woke him. He called back a little later, and said that he and Kate would be there, along with his step-mom." He smiled as he said that. When his mom gave him an 'explain' glare, he did. "I was just thinking how different this woman is compared to his last step-mom, Tawny."
That caused Lizzie to giggle. "Do you remember how clueless she was at the murder mystery party? It's hard to believe that she could manage to run away with all that money, and the neighbor's 18-year-old son."
"Oh, I believe it. Remember, they were caught because they checked into a motel under her real name."
~~~~~~~~
When the three kids got to the McGuire living room, Lily ran to her mother. The other two just stood there, not sure what to expect. While Sam was still at work, Jo was sitting there with Miranda's parents. Matt saw the way she fidgeted with the coffee cup in her hands, and knew that was seldom a good sign. With everything that had happened this morning, it would be all for naught if either of his parents couldn't agree with what the four of them had agreed to. And, as much as he loved her, he knew his mother would be the biggest obstacle. "Matt, why didn't you tell me about last night?"
He didn't hear anger in her voice. He could find words for what he heard in it. "I'm sorry, mom. I wasn't trying to hide it from you. I just wanted to get my mind off of it for a while. I was going to tell you when I got back." That was the truth, except that he was actually going to wait until she got back from taking the girls home.
"I guess I can understand that." She paused, her fingers still flexing on her cup. "They told me about your discussion this morning. When they told me what you had agreed to, I was surprised." Another pause. "When your father and Lizzie get home, we're going to have an early dinner. Then we're all going to Miranda's. Lizzie can watch Lily while the six of us talk about this." She hadn't looked at her son this whole time. She finally did, and saw his concern. "You're still my baby, and you always will be. But I also remember this past week with you two here. I can't promise I'll agree with you about all this, but I will try to keep an open mind."
While he wasn't sure how successful she'd be, he knew that, if she said she'd try, she'd try. That was all he could really ask of her. "Thanks, mom."
~~~~~~~~
After work, Sam went to pick up Lizzie. When they got home and where told about the evening's plans, they were surprised. After hearing a brief description of what happened last night, however, they quickly agreed.
~~~~~~~~
When the McGuire's arrived at the Sanchez home, Lily nearly dragged Lizzie up to her room, having been told that SHE was to keep Lizzie out of trouble while the rest of them talked. When they were gone, the remaining six sat down in the Sanchez living room. This meeting lasted two hours, as compared to the four hours of the morning's meeting. Sam and Jo had reservations about what had been worked out that morning, and some changes were made. However, they saw the reasoning involve, and in the end, they had a better understanding of the situation. And a plan was in place for Matt and Miranda.
~~
Meanwhile, Lily and Lizzie were play games in Lily's room. Lizzie kept glancing at the clock on the dresser, much to Lily's annoyance. As they finished a game of "Chutes and Ladders", she again checked the clock. 'Two hours. I hope everything's gonna be alright.' When she turned back, she found Lily looking at her.
"How you know when you're in love?"
Lizzie wasn't expecting that question, especially from this questioner. "Uh, well, gees, I don't know how to answer that." Lily crossed her arms and scowled, obviously NOT liking that answer. "Lily, please understand. I've loved Gordo longer than you've been alive, but I didn't know it until about a week ago." She stopped herself there, realizing that that wasn't entirely true. "I mean, I thought at it a couple of times, but I was afraid of hurting our friendship, so I made myself not think about him like that." Now Lily looked throughly confused. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm not a good person to ask a question like that. At least not yet."
That answer put Lily very close to pout mode. "Then who do I ask?"
"Ask what?" Her mother walked into the room, followed by Miranda.
"How you know when you're in love."
"Oh, so you're on that subject again." She knelt down by Lily. "I thought I told you to ask me those question."
"But you've busy all day, and I wanted to know."
"Well, she's all your's now." Miranda told her.
"Is everything okay?" Lizzie asked her friend.
"I can't tell you everything, but yes, I think everything's fine." She gave a move of her head toward the door. "Matt's asking dad something about that surprise of his, so we've got some time. How about we go to my room for a little girl talk?"
"Sure. There's something I wanted to tell you about, anyway."
~~
When they were in Miranda's room and she closed the door, she turned to Lizzie, who was already sitting on the bed. "Okay, spill. The way you said that, this has to be about Gordo." She sat next to Lizzie.
Lizzie felt a surge of bashfulness, but fought through it. Miranda was her best friend, and she wanted to tell her. "Well, you know how we've been planning for the party, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, we had just finished doing everything we could without getting the folks to tell us what they wanted, so we took a lunch break. Gordo, of course, had some of those microwave curly fries he loves. Anyway, when he finished, I noticed some ketchup on the corner of his mouth. I was going to wipe it off with my finger, when I got . . . another idea."
Miranda looked puzzled for a moment. "What do you mean . . ." Then she got it. "Oh my god!" she squealed. "You didn't?" Lizzie's blush said it all. "You did! Oh my god! Lizzie McGuire, you licked it off of him!"
Lizzie got even redder. "No! I kissed it off."
"Same thing! Don't just sit there blushing, what did he do?"
"At first, he looked surprised. I don't remember who leaned in first, but a minute later, we were kissing. And I don't mean the kids stuff we've held ourselves to, either. I mean, wow, we kissed like you and Matt kiss." It wasn't until later she realized she hadn't shuttered, of anything, when she said that.
"Oh, I'm SOOOO happy for you." Then something occurred to her. "How did to you get around the casts?"
For reasons unknown to Miranda yet, this made Lizzie squirm slightly. "Well, when we were only kissing, they weren't a big problem . . ."
Miranda's eyes got wider. "What does that mean?"
"Weeell, we were on the couch, and he was on my right." The right side is the side both Lizzie and Gordo had casts on. "When we went to hold each other while we kissed, my casts got in the way like that, so we . . . shifted." One look at Miranda told her she wasn't going to get away with leaving it there. "We ended up with me facing him, our legs alternating, with the casts on outsides . . ."
"OH MY GOD!" Miranda interrupted, louder than she liked. Lowering her voice, she continued. "Lizzie, you were straddling him!" Miranda's grin made it clear that she liked this news.
"I know that! But I didn't care about that. It let us get even deeper into the kiss. God, Miranda, I didn't know I could really feel like that just from kissing!"
"I think it takes being with the right person. You know I french kissed with a couple of guys before Matt, but it never felt as good as it does with him."
"It was so amazing! And just when I thought I couldn't feel any better, he put his hand on my chest, and I nearly lost it!" She had been in a bit of a revelry, and did realize what she was confessing until she heard herself say it, followed quickly by Miranda's squeal in reaction. "Please, Miranda! Your mom will hear you!"
"Sorry, but, gees, he felt you! I didn't think Gordo would move that fast! You HAVE to tell me, did his hand stay outside your shirt, or did he go inside?"
Lizzie was clearly uncomfortable, but remembering how she had similarly grilled Miranda after some of her dates, including her last date with Brett, she explained what happened. "At first, outside." She saw Miranda's eyes light up with the realization of what the words 'at first' meant. "We ended up with his shirt open, and my shirt off." Miranda squealed. "And that's how his mom found us."
Miranda's squeal of delight stopped abruptly. "What!?! Oh my god, Lizzie, she caught you. And Gordo. Like that!?!"
"Yes. I've never been so embarrassed."
"I can just imagine. How did she react? How mad was she?"
"That's the weird part. She didn't seem mad that we were doing that, but about WHERE we were doing it. She told Gordo, among other things, that he should have more respect for me than to expose me somewhere as open as a living room." Miranda looked surprised. "We hadn't stopped to check, and the window shade was open."
"Oh, no! Lizzie, you don't think somebody could have seen you, do you?"
"I don't know. I don't think so, his house is so far back from the street, and there are all those trees, but I guess it could have happened. Gordo felt so bad about it."
"I guess it's too much to expect even him to think straight all the time. But at least now you two will remember for next time."
"If there is a next time."
That alarmed Miranda. "What do you mean? She didn't forbid you two from seeing each other, did she?"
"No, she didn't. I mean, after that, Gordo wouldn't even come within arms reach of me."
"Was his mom with you guys the whole time?"
"Well, she was in and out of the room, but pretty much, yeah."
"That's probably it then. He just didn't want another lecture."
"I guess so. I just hope I didn't scare him away."
'Trust Lizzie to think like that.' "No, Lizzie. That's not possible. At least, not completely. He loves you, never doubt that. Did you talk to him about it?"
"Well, no, not yet."
"Do it. Either when you get home, or first thing in the morning, call him and talk about it. Don't think the worst." She decided to try to lighten Lizzie's mood. "Besides, if he tries to break up over this, he'll have me, Matt, and your parents to answer to."
Lizzie cracked a smile, more in appreciation of her friend's efforts than because she though the remark was funny. "Thanks, Miranda."
~~~~~~~~
After Jo, Sam, and Lizzie left for the night and Lily was sound asleep, the four remaining people in the Sanchez home took time to unwind from the events of the last 24 hours. Edward and Daniella were in the living room watching TV. Matt and Miranda had changed into their night clothes, and were now in the game room listening to the radio, simply enjoying each other's company. They were half-sitting/half-laying on the oversized couch, each with an arm around the other. Miranda's shirt had crept up slightly, and Matt's hand was resting on her bare stomach. Liking the touch, she didn't say anything until it started to drift upward. Looking at his face, it was clear that his mind was elsewhere. "What's on your mind?"
The sound of her voice got his attention, but only partially. "Huh? I'm sorry, what was that?"
"I asked what's on your mind."
"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about this strange day." He finally realized where his hand was, as it reached the underside of her breast. "Oh, sorry."
He started to retreat his hand, but she stopped him. "I don't mind if you do that when we're alone, but we need to be careful about where we do this. I don't think we want someone to walk in on us, and I don't think any of our parents would like it, either."
"Which reminds me, I never did thank you for turning me down when I wanted to do that in my living room yesterday morning. You were right, it was too open, as Lizzie's arrival proved." He had moved his hand back to her stomach.
"I just don't want what happened to Lizzie and Gordo to happen to us." She realized what she'd done as soon as she said it. "I shouldn't have said that."
"Well you did. What happened to them that have to do with this?"
"Lizzie told me as a friend. I really shouldn't tell you about it."
"Come on. Please?" He said this in his best sweet little kid voice, but his eyes were making a lover's promises.
"Would you like me to try that on you when I ask about that surprise gift of your's?"
He relented his gaze, but tried another tactic. "Alright, but that means I'll have to bother Gordo about it until he cracks."
Remembering how worried Lizzie had been when they spoke, and remembering how relentless Matt could be when it came to finding out something, she tried a compromise. "I can't tell you the details, but if I tell you some of it, will you leave Gordo and Lizzie alone, at least for a while?"
"I guess I can do that. What happened?"
"His mom caught them making out in his living room." His eyes danced in a way she knew could be trouble for Lizzie and Gordo. "You promised to leave them alone, Matt."
"But I'm her little brother, I'm supposed to use information like this to my advantage, especially to harass her. What fun is it to have this and not use it?"
"Simple." She leaned in and whispered in his ear.
He's eyes bulged at what she said. "You . . . you wouldn't do that, enjoyed it as much as I did!"
"Are you really willing to find out?"
Words his father had said days before rang in his head. 'A fate not wished on any man.' "No, I don't think I'm willing to test you about that." He took a breath. "Okay, I'll leave them alone for a while. It's gonna be tough, though. I haven't had this much to pick on her with for a long time."
"It won't be forever. I have a good reason to want you to leave them alone. When I know it's okay, we can BOTH have fun with them about it." She got up and walked over to the stereo system.
"I guess I can live with that. You and me teaming up on them sounds like fun." She was bending over, messing with something on the digital display. Not that he minded the view, but he was curious. "What are doing with that?"
"When dad said it took five years to get the pieces for this set-up, he wasn't exaggerating. Sometimes, he took parts that had features he didn't need or want, just to get the features he DID want. This display is one of those things with extra features. One of the things on it is an alarm with a VERY loud buzzer that works even then something else is playing, in case you fell asleep before you could turn it off." As she turned back to him, she had a gleam he loved to see in her eyes. "Now, we have at least a half hour before mom's show is over, and I just set the alarm for 25 minutes from now." She rejoined him on the couch. "That should give us plenty of time to find ways to get relaxed enough for sleep."
"I like the way you think."
~~~~~~~~
A/N: What's the plan Matt and Miranda worked out with their parents? How will Lizzie's talk with Gordo go? What's going to happen at the party? That, and so much more, still to come.
by TheRealXenocide
`
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, settings, or anything else you recognize from the show Lizzie McGuire. The plot, at it's base, has been around since Homer, and this variant since Henry Ford. However, this is the first I've seen it applied to Lizzie.
`
Chapter 40
Slow Hand
`
With her three and four o'clock appointments both canceling early, Dr. Roberta Gordon was driving home wondering what kind of chaos she would be greeted by. While her son and Lizzie had gotten things picked up before she got home yesterday, the amount of used note paper in the recycling suggested that they had been working at planning this weekends party almost nonstop. That fact brought her to another concern she had for them. As a mother, she agreed with her son that they should wait before having sex. As a psychiatrist, she worried that even with their admission of their feeling for each other, they may be falling back into their old habit of self denial in regards to any physical intimacy. This worried her for two reasons that seemed to contradict each other, but while they couldn't happen at the same time, they were both possible.
First, if they can't break that habit now, with everything out in the open, would they ever be able to break it? She'd seen too many relationships fail because of a lack of passion, and she didn't want that for her son.
Secondly, if they continue to refuse themselves everything, what will happen when all those years of self denial finally, and inevitably, are defeated? Will they be able to stop themselves from having sex the first time they allow themselves anything intimate?
It was with these concerns that she arrived home. Not wanting to chance interrupting a phone call, she walked in without calling out them. So, when she walked into the living room, the couple on the couch were blissfully unaware she was there. She quickly turned her back to them, and thought, 'well, at least we know they're getting intimate'. While maintaining her therapist's soothing tone, she rose her voice enough to be sure she broke through their preoccupation. "David, Lizzie, I'm home."
For a moment, the room fell silent, then her son finally spoke. "Sorry, mom."
"If you would help Lizzie get her shirt back on, we should talk."
~~~~~~~~
As the trio of Matt, Miranda, and Lily left the park, Matt was feeling better than he would have thought possible after last night. Yet, after the talk this morning, he was sure that that part of his life was going to be better. And then the game. Not only did he enjoy the chance to just be rowdy with friends, but they discovered he was a decent punter. If he worked on it between now and entering high school, who knows?
They had decided to go to Matt's first, then ask his mom to drive the girls home while Matt showered. However, when they arrived, they saw an extra car parked outside. While the two older kids were in a surprised silence, Lily asked one of the questions they were thinking. "Why are mommy and daddy here?"
~~~~~~~~
It took a few minutes for Mrs. Gordon to convince the couple that she wasn't upset about that level of activity. However, she gave her son an earful about doing that somewhere as open as the living room. When that was done, she changed subjects. "How are the plans for the party going?"
"Well," Gordo began, thankful for the change, "we have prices for the decorations from three different stores, we know were to get the food, we know where to rent any games we want."
"Speaking of that," Lizzie added, "we need to get together to decide what we want for food and fun, and who can provide what themselves."
"Did you manage to get hold of Ethan today?" He hadn't answered the phone yesterday, and they had tried several times.
"Yes," Gordo answered, "though I think I woke him. He called back a little later, and said that he and Kate would be there, along with his step-mom." He smiled as he said that. When his mom gave him an 'explain' glare, he did. "I was just thinking how different this woman is compared to his last step-mom, Tawny."
That caused Lizzie to giggle. "Do you remember how clueless she was at the murder mystery party? It's hard to believe that she could manage to run away with all that money, and the neighbor's 18-year-old son."
"Oh, I believe it. Remember, they were caught because they checked into a motel under her real name."
~~~~~~~~
When the three kids got to the McGuire living room, Lily ran to her mother. The other two just stood there, not sure what to expect. While Sam was still at work, Jo was sitting there with Miranda's parents. Matt saw the way she fidgeted with the coffee cup in her hands, and knew that was seldom a good sign. With everything that had happened this morning, it would be all for naught if either of his parents couldn't agree with what the four of them had agreed to. And, as much as he loved her, he knew his mother would be the biggest obstacle. "Matt, why didn't you tell me about last night?"
He didn't hear anger in her voice. He could find words for what he heard in it. "I'm sorry, mom. I wasn't trying to hide it from you. I just wanted to get my mind off of it for a while. I was going to tell you when I got back." That was the truth, except that he was actually going to wait until she got back from taking the girls home.
"I guess I can understand that." She paused, her fingers still flexing on her cup. "They told me about your discussion this morning. When they told me what you had agreed to, I was surprised." Another pause. "When your father and Lizzie get home, we're going to have an early dinner. Then we're all going to Miranda's. Lizzie can watch Lily while the six of us talk about this." She hadn't looked at her son this whole time. She finally did, and saw his concern. "You're still my baby, and you always will be. But I also remember this past week with you two here. I can't promise I'll agree with you about all this, but I will try to keep an open mind."
While he wasn't sure how successful she'd be, he knew that, if she said she'd try, she'd try. That was all he could really ask of her. "Thanks, mom."
~~~~~~~~
After work, Sam went to pick up Lizzie. When they got home and where told about the evening's plans, they were surprised. After hearing a brief description of what happened last night, however, they quickly agreed.
~~~~~~~~
When the McGuire's arrived at the Sanchez home, Lily nearly dragged Lizzie up to her room, having been told that SHE was to keep Lizzie out of trouble while the rest of them talked. When they were gone, the remaining six sat down in the Sanchez living room. This meeting lasted two hours, as compared to the four hours of the morning's meeting. Sam and Jo had reservations about what had been worked out that morning, and some changes were made. However, they saw the reasoning involve, and in the end, they had a better understanding of the situation. And a plan was in place for Matt and Miranda.
~~
Meanwhile, Lily and Lizzie were play games in Lily's room. Lizzie kept glancing at the clock on the dresser, much to Lily's annoyance. As they finished a game of "Chutes and Ladders", she again checked the clock. 'Two hours. I hope everything's gonna be alright.' When she turned back, she found Lily looking at her.
"How you know when you're in love?"
Lizzie wasn't expecting that question, especially from this questioner. "Uh, well, gees, I don't know how to answer that." Lily crossed her arms and scowled, obviously NOT liking that answer. "Lily, please understand. I've loved Gordo longer than you've been alive, but I didn't know it until about a week ago." She stopped herself there, realizing that that wasn't entirely true. "I mean, I thought at it a couple of times, but I was afraid of hurting our friendship, so I made myself not think about him like that." Now Lily looked throughly confused. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm not a good person to ask a question like that. At least not yet."
That answer put Lily very close to pout mode. "Then who do I ask?"
"Ask what?" Her mother walked into the room, followed by Miranda.
"How you know when you're in love."
"Oh, so you're on that subject again." She knelt down by Lily. "I thought I told you to ask me those question."
"But you've busy all day, and I wanted to know."
"Well, she's all your's now." Miranda told her.
"Is everything okay?" Lizzie asked her friend.
"I can't tell you everything, but yes, I think everything's fine." She gave a move of her head toward the door. "Matt's asking dad something about that surprise of his, so we've got some time. How about we go to my room for a little girl talk?"
"Sure. There's something I wanted to tell you about, anyway."
~~
When they were in Miranda's room and she closed the door, she turned to Lizzie, who was already sitting on the bed. "Okay, spill. The way you said that, this has to be about Gordo." She sat next to Lizzie.
Lizzie felt a surge of bashfulness, but fought through it. Miranda was her best friend, and she wanted to tell her. "Well, you know how we've been planning for the party, right?"
"Yeah."
"Well, we had just finished doing everything we could without getting the folks to tell us what they wanted, so we took a lunch break. Gordo, of course, had some of those microwave curly fries he loves. Anyway, when he finished, I noticed some ketchup on the corner of his mouth. I was going to wipe it off with my finger, when I got . . . another idea."
Miranda looked puzzled for a moment. "What do you mean . . ." Then she got it. "Oh my god!" she squealed. "You didn't?" Lizzie's blush said it all. "You did! Oh my god! Lizzie McGuire, you licked it off of him!"
Lizzie got even redder. "No! I kissed it off."
"Same thing! Don't just sit there blushing, what did he do?"
"At first, he looked surprised. I don't remember who leaned in first, but a minute later, we were kissing. And I don't mean the kids stuff we've held ourselves to, either. I mean, wow, we kissed like you and Matt kiss." It wasn't until later she realized she hadn't shuttered, of anything, when she said that.
"Oh, I'm SOOOO happy for you." Then something occurred to her. "How did to you get around the casts?"
For reasons unknown to Miranda yet, this made Lizzie squirm slightly. "Well, when we were only kissing, they weren't a big problem . . ."
Miranda's eyes got wider. "What does that mean?"
"Weeell, we were on the couch, and he was on my right." The right side is the side both Lizzie and Gordo had casts on. "When we went to hold each other while we kissed, my casts got in the way like that, so we . . . shifted." One look at Miranda told her she wasn't going to get away with leaving it there. "We ended up with me facing him, our legs alternating, with the casts on outsides . . ."
"OH MY GOD!" Miranda interrupted, louder than she liked. Lowering her voice, she continued. "Lizzie, you were straddling him!" Miranda's grin made it clear that she liked this news.
"I know that! But I didn't care about that. It let us get even deeper into the kiss. God, Miranda, I didn't know I could really feel like that just from kissing!"
"I think it takes being with the right person. You know I french kissed with a couple of guys before Matt, but it never felt as good as it does with him."
"It was so amazing! And just when I thought I couldn't feel any better, he put his hand on my chest, and I nearly lost it!" She had been in a bit of a revelry, and did realize what she was confessing until she heard herself say it, followed quickly by Miranda's squeal in reaction. "Please, Miranda! Your mom will hear you!"
"Sorry, but, gees, he felt you! I didn't think Gordo would move that fast! You HAVE to tell me, did his hand stay outside your shirt, or did he go inside?"
Lizzie was clearly uncomfortable, but remembering how she had similarly grilled Miranda after some of her dates, including her last date with Brett, she explained what happened. "At first, outside." She saw Miranda's eyes light up with the realization of what the words 'at first' meant. "We ended up with his shirt open, and my shirt off." Miranda squealed. "And that's how his mom found us."
Miranda's squeal of delight stopped abruptly. "What!?! Oh my god, Lizzie, she caught you. And Gordo. Like that!?!"
"Yes. I've never been so embarrassed."
"I can just imagine. How did she react? How mad was she?"
"That's the weird part. She didn't seem mad that we were doing that, but about WHERE we were doing it. She told Gordo, among other things, that he should have more respect for me than to expose me somewhere as open as a living room." Miranda looked surprised. "We hadn't stopped to check, and the window shade was open."
"Oh, no! Lizzie, you don't think somebody could have seen you, do you?"
"I don't know. I don't think so, his house is so far back from the street, and there are all those trees, but I guess it could have happened. Gordo felt so bad about it."
"I guess it's too much to expect even him to think straight all the time. But at least now you two will remember for next time."
"If there is a next time."
That alarmed Miranda. "What do you mean? She didn't forbid you two from seeing each other, did she?"
"No, she didn't. I mean, after that, Gordo wouldn't even come within arms reach of me."
"Was his mom with you guys the whole time?"
"Well, she was in and out of the room, but pretty much, yeah."
"That's probably it then. He just didn't want another lecture."
"I guess so. I just hope I didn't scare him away."
'Trust Lizzie to think like that.' "No, Lizzie. That's not possible. At least, not completely. He loves you, never doubt that. Did you talk to him about it?"
"Well, no, not yet."
"Do it. Either when you get home, or first thing in the morning, call him and talk about it. Don't think the worst." She decided to try to lighten Lizzie's mood. "Besides, if he tries to break up over this, he'll have me, Matt, and your parents to answer to."
Lizzie cracked a smile, more in appreciation of her friend's efforts than because she though the remark was funny. "Thanks, Miranda."
~~~~~~~~
After Jo, Sam, and Lizzie left for the night and Lily was sound asleep, the four remaining people in the Sanchez home took time to unwind from the events of the last 24 hours. Edward and Daniella were in the living room watching TV. Matt and Miranda had changed into their night clothes, and were now in the game room listening to the radio, simply enjoying each other's company. They were half-sitting/half-laying on the oversized couch, each with an arm around the other. Miranda's shirt had crept up slightly, and Matt's hand was resting on her bare stomach. Liking the touch, she didn't say anything until it started to drift upward. Looking at his face, it was clear that his mind was elsewhere. "What's on your mind?"
The sound of her voice got his attention, but only partially. "Huh? I'm sorry, what was that?"
"I asked what's on your mind."
"Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about this strange day." He finally realized where his hand was, as it reached the underside of her breast. "Oh, sorry."
He started to retreat his hand, but she stopped him. "I don't mind if you do that when we're alone, but we need to be careful about where we do this. I don't think we want someone to walk in on us, and I don't think any of our parents would like it, either."
"Which reminds me, I never did thank you for turning me down when I wanted to do that in my living room yesterday morning. You were right, it was too open, as Lizzie's arrival proved." He had moved his hand back to her stomach.
"I just don't want what happened to Lizzie and Gordo to happen to us." She realized what she'd done as soon as she said it. "I shouldn't have said that."
"Well you did. What happened to them that have to do with this?"
"Lizzie told me as a friend. I really shouldn't tell you about it."
"Come on. Please?" He said this in his best sweet little kid voice, but his eyes were making a lover's promises.
"Would you like me to try that on you when I ask about that surprise gift of your's?"
He relented his gaze, but tried another tactic. "Alright, but that means I'll have to bother Gordo about it until he cracks."
Remembering how worried Lizzie had been when they spoke, and remembering how relentless Matt could be when it came to finding out something, she tried a compromise. "I can't tell you the details, but if I tell you some of it, will you leave Gordo and Lizzie alone, at least for a while?"
"I guess I can do that. What happened?"
"His mom caught them making out in his living room." His eyes danced in a way she knew could be trouble for Lizzie and Gordo. "You promised to leave them alone, Matt."
"But I'm her little brother, I'm supposed to use information like this to my advantage, especially to harass her. What fun is it to have this and not use it?"
"Simple." She leaned in and whispered in his ear.
He's eyes bulged at what she said. "You . . . you wouldn't do that, enjoyed it as much as I did!"
"Are you really willing to find out?"
Words his father had said days before rang in his head. 'A fate not wished on any man.' "No, I don't think I'm willing to test you about that." He took a breath. "Okay, I'll leave them alone for a while. It's gonna be tough, though. I haven't had this much to pick on her with for a long time."
"It won't be forever. I have a good reason to want you to leave them alone. When I know it's okay, we can BOTH have fun with them about it." She got up and walked over to the stereo system.
"I guess I can live with that. You and me teaming up on them sounds like fun." She was bending over, messing with something on the digital display. Not that he minded the view, but he was curious. "What are doing with that?"
"When dad said it took five years to get the pieces for this set-up, he wasn't exaggerating. Sometimes, he took parts that had features he didn't need or want, just to get the features he DID want. This display is one of those things with extra features. One of the things on it is an alarm with a VERY loud buzzer that works even then something else is playing, in case you fell asleep before you could turn it off." As she turned back to him, she had a gleam he loved to see in her eyes. "Now, we have at least a half hour before mom's show is over, and I just set the alarm for 25 minutes from now." She rejoined him on the couch. "That should give us plenty of time to find ways to get relaxed enough for sleep."
"I like the way you think."
~~~~~~~~
A/N: What's the plan Matt and Miranda worked out with their parents? How will Lizzie's talk with Gordo go? What's going to happen at the party? That, and so much more, still to come.