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.
A/N: Personal Notes:
Phoenix28: This is your first M/M, eh? I'll admit, I read several different Miranda pairings, but Matt worked best with what I originally wanted to do, which was a character examination on how crisis can change people, and how they adjust. Of course, the story has morphed several times since then, but that pairing has worked for all of it. Additionally, that pairing helped the other pairings fall into place. As for your questions about Lizzie and Gordo:
1: Their one month anniversary is coming up, and that would be a perfect time for Lizzie to give Gordo what she got at the jewelry store. Curious?
2: Remember that, in chapter 18, Dr. Benoit said that they may have to wait until Gordo can take a stress test before they have a definite answer. While Dr. Benoit might discover something earlier, if he can't, then it's not going to be until Gordo can run a treadmill.
3: After Gordo's remarks about calling her Elizabeth (chapter 26), I think it safe to assume that she's going to save David for special occasions, too.
`
Chapter 50
Fireworks
`
When they got to the Sanchez home, Daniella carried her still sleeping youngest to her room, while the others gathered in the living room. They hadn't said much in the van for fear of waking Lily. But now, with her being tucked in, Gordo and Reggie began to tell Miranda and Lizzie about the incident with the girls near the arcade. Matt turned red while Reggie recited, complete with falsetto, how the one girl described Matt. Lizzie was almost as embarrassed as her brother, but Miranda was in hysterics, and the boys had to stop the story. When she calmed down, she turned to Lizzie. "Do you remember what Shelly said?"
Lizzie's eyes widened. "You can't tell him about that?!?" she hissed.
"Oh yes I can." She turned to Matt. "Do you remember the last time, before the crash, you were in the mall?"
"Yeah. About two weeks before, Lanny, Melina, and I went, just to hang out."
"And you met a few more friends there, right?"
"Yeah. Wait, how do you know that?"
"You know those benches in the middle of the east wing of the mall, near the arcade?"
Yeah, but . . ."
"Lizzie and I, along with some other girls from school, were sitting there people watching, when a group of boys and girls came out of the arcade. One of the other girls with us, a junior, pointed out one of the boys, and commented on the, and I quote, 'super-fine ass', he had. I was looking at . . . someone else, and before I could see anything, Lizzie freaked. I forget her exact words, but she made it clear she didn't want anyone talking about her little brother like that."
Lizzie was beside herself. "I did not freak! And even if I did, it was Matt, and she's seventeen!" Miranda gave her a look. "I didn't mean it like that! I mean, it's just, I mean, arrrrgh!" She flopped back, giving up that line of argument.
Gordo and Reggie were snickering, but Matt couldn't believe it. "Are you serious?!? A high-school girl said that about me?!?"
"Yes. Back when it happened, you were still just Lizzie's little brother to me. When I realized it was you she was looking at like that, I couldn't believe it, and I laughed about it with the rest of them. But now, I can look at you unashamed, and it's true."
Gordo and Reggie were snickering. "And I though only guys talked like that." Reggie chimed in.
"Guess again. The only difference is girls try to be more subtle about it. If you could hear what gets said when a group of girls get together to talk about boys . . ."
"If it's anything like what guys are like talking about girls, I think I'll pass."
"When your two best friends are girls, you don't always get the chance to pass." Gordo observed. "And trust me, they can get worse than boys."
"HEY!" The girls protested.
Lizzie turned to her brother. "Since it's story time, it's only fair for you to know how boys reacted to Miranda's outfit."
"What?!? Lizzie, no, please." But Miranda's begging didn't work, and soon, the story of the first boy in the clothing store was told. She may not have seen it all, but she heard it. When the story was over, it was Miranda who was blushing.
Matt, however, looked pleased with himself. "I've told you how beautiful you are. Today's more proof that I'm not the only one who sees it. You shouldn't doubt yourself so much."
"If it weren't for Matt, I'd be tempted to ask you out." Reggie admitted.
"You've dated girls my age?"
"No, but I've asked."
"Are we going to have to have a talk?" Gordo asked jokingly.
"I don't try for another guy's girl. The drama ain't worth it." A smile crept upon Reggie's face. "Anyway, she already turned me down once." Gordo arched his eyebrows. "When I was nine."
That got snickers from everyone but Lizzie. "You promised not to talk about that!!" Lizzie's protest only succeeded in turning the snickers into laughter.
~~~~~~~~
That evening, the phones of Hillridge were flying off their hooks as the Junior High and High School students who were at the mall told their friends who weren't their versions of what they saw. In the course of these calls, some troublemakers started coming up with ideas for showing this 'Junior High punk' their disapproval about his dating a High School girl.
These plans, however, were brought to a screeching halt by warnings from a group whose opposition was as surprising as it was vehement: Harm him at your peril. Few were brave enough to defy ONE of these people, much less several of them.
~~~~~~~~
That night, the dreams for both were as vivid as their nightmares can get. They didn't share dreams, but the themes were the same. In each, they had problems. But in each, they overcame them, and stayed together. Each dream ended with the birth of their first child, quickly being replaced by another dream. The thing that stood out for each of them was the wedding. Every time, there was something about it that, until a couple of weeks ago, they wouldn't have believed possible.
~~~~~~~~
When they awoke, they were the first in the house to do so. Going quietly into the living room, they discussed their dreams. When they realized the common point about their visions of their wedding, they were amazed. "It's still so hard to believe that it could happen like that."
"If I hadn't been there, I wouldn't believe it." Matt admitted. "You know, part of me is willing to forget that deal, and make love with you as soon as we have the time and place."
"So do I. But you know what we'd be losing if we do."
"I know."
~~~~~~~~
For it's Fourth of July festivities, Hillridge pooled its resources with two other nearby towns to put on a fireworks show much larger than any of them could do otherwise. The show itself was launched from an old, abandoned drive-in movie place whose screen had fallen over years ago. Of course, this meant that you had to get there early if you wanted a space in the drive-in itself. Fortunately, the rolling terrain of the area, along with the fact that the drive-in was on the crown of a medium-sized hill, meant there were several spots on the area were small groups of people could gather and watch with an almost unobstructed view.
It was at one of this spots, the parking lot of a state recreation area near Hillridge, that the three families gathered. They arrived with two hours to spare, and still were among the last half-dozen cars allowed in. With all the time they had to wait, somebody had to keep Lily occupied. Miranda and Matt were assigned this task, so the sisters could spend time together. The castle playscape there was a fairly large area, and with all the other children there, they had to separate to try to keep a close eye on her. Therefore, Matt, alone and concentrating, didn't notice the people coming toward him until he heard his classmate. "Reggie said you'd be here."
Matt knew the voice of Paul Schrader, having played pick-up football with him often enough. He spoke without losing sight of Lily. "Why were you looking for me?" He suspected that Paul needed an extra body for another football game.
The next voice he heard was one he didn't know, but it clearly belonged to an adult. "I'd like to have a word with you, Mr. McGuire."
Matt turned to see who the new speaker was, and was surprised at who was there. Paul's older brother Mark was there. Mark was on the JV football team at the high school. In fact, he was the one that had remarked on Matt's punting a couple of weeks ago (A/N: End of Chapter 39). But it was Mark who had Matt's attention, but the man with the brothers. He'd seen the man before, when he had gone to watch a football game at the high school. Coach Jeffery Park was the second year football coach for Hillridge High. As easily as confidence came to Matt where Miranda was concerned, this was a completely uncertain situation for him. Normally, school officials only spoke to him when he'd been caught at something. So when he spoke, he sounded like somebody trying desperately to hide how scared he was. Which is exactly what he was. "What's going on, sir?"
Paul and Mark were trying hard not to laugh at Matt's reaction, but not succeeding very well. Coach Park chose to ignore them. He'd give Mark extra laps later. "Relax, Mr. McGuire. I just wanted to ask you something."
`
Miranda had been watching Lily, so she didn't see them come up behind Matt. The first she saw them was when Lily was occupied with the chimes, and she chanced a glance toward Matt. As soon as it registered with her who was with him, she became nervous. Why would the high school football coach be talking to him? Matt's body language also worried her, as it was clear to her that he was nervous, uptight, unsure of the situation. And while he was getting better, that combination, in him, was something she wanted to avoid if at all possible. Yet, as much as she wanted, no, needed to be with him, she was also responsible for Lily. And if this did blow up, she knew Lily shouldn't be anywhere near it.
She made her decision, and strode to Lily. Ignoring the complaints, she carried Lily back to their parents. They met the three mothers first, talking with a couple of other ladies. Miranda was in no mood for niceties. She handed the still protesting Lily to their mother, then turned to Jo. "Something's wrong. I don't know what, but something's wrong. Get Sam and come to the playscape." With that, Miranda took off before any of the women could ask a question.
All three were bright enough to take her words, add her body language, and figure out that something was wrong with Matt, and she was VERY scared. They all headed for where the men would be.
`
When Miranda had the playscape in sight again, the fact that none of the kids or parents were acting strangely suggested that nothing had happened . . . yet. Finally, she saw him. Coach Park was gone, but the boys were still there. As soon as she was close enough to be heard, she called out. "Matt, you okay?" No response. She got to him and looked at his face. The only word she could think of to describe it was thunderstruck. "Matt?"
He finally looked up. Not at her, but at the Schrader brothers. "Did he say what I think he said?"
Paul answered. "Ain't it cool? Of course, you'll need to work out before tryouts, but compared to what we have, you're in, man."
"In what? Matt, what's going on?"
He finally turned to her, his face shifting slightly. A slight smile started to creep up on his features. "He wants me to try out for the team."
"What? Matt, your still in junior high."
"He wants me to try out for the junior high team, to get ready for the high school team."
Miranda was still confused, so the three boys explained the conversation she'd missed, while at the same time the brothers tried to make it make sense. It seems that word of Matt's punting ability reached Coach Park. Since coming to Hillridge a couple of years ago, he'd been trying to install a system that focused on solid defense, ball-control offense, and controlling field position. While boring to watch, it was the same kind of system that has won Super Bowls for Baltimore, Tampa Bay, and countless other teams.
The problem with executing the field position part of that plan in high school is that the most important position for it is punter, and it's almost unheard of for high school kids to try out for punter, so you're usually stuck giving the job to the third string (or lower) guy who's least embarrassing. If Matt proves to be as good at it as he appeared to be at the park that day, then Coach Park figures he'll easily get the job on the J.H.S. team, get some real game experience, and be ready to try out for the High School team his freshman year.
Not long after the explanation began, Jo and all three fathers came up to them. The women took no chances where manpower was concerned. Realizing there was no danger, they stayed quiet and listened. Now, however, Jo spoke. "Wait. You're saying that Matt might be playing football?" She looked around at everyone. "Am I the only one not happy about this?"
"Actually, it might be a bad idea if he didn't." Paul said. That gained him everyone's attention. "You see, after that little display yesterday, just about everyone was on the phone talking about it."
Mark took the story from there. "At one point, there was a plan going around from some of the high school guy to punish you for daring to date a high school girl." That received the predictable response. "Now, a lot of the guys had heard about you, and had just learned that Coach Park wanted to talk to you, and why. We might not be the smartest bunch, with books, but we understand football, and we know the value of a good punter to this system. So, when we heard about this plan against you, we made it clear that you were going to be on the team, and to try anything on you would bring the wrath of the team on their heads." He seemed to enjoy saying that last part.
The parents were NOT thrilled by this. Matt was trying to get his head around all this. "You guys stuck your necks out like that for ME?"
"We take care of our own. But we need two things from you. First, watch your back, there could be some people our message won't influence. Second, show up for try outs. Agreed?"
"Uh, sure."
"Great." He checked his watched. "We should be going. Have a good fourth, Matt, everyone." They turned and walked away, leaving a still confused group behind them.
~~~~~~~~
While all this was happening, Lizzie and Gordo were sitting together in the back seat of the McGuire family car. They had been chatting amiably, just enjoying each others company, when Gordo remarked "you were right, Lizzie."
That came out of the blue, and startled her. "About what?"
"About how long we've been a couple. Look at us, Lizzie. How many couples our age could sit here together like this, not make a move to make out, and be content? Not many. And yet, here we are, happy to let that wait until we have some privacy. Instead, we can be happy just being in each other's company."
"It is nice, isn't it?"
"And I think it's because we've known each other for so long."
"But we still have our fun, don't we?" There was an unmistakable suggestiveness in her voice and eyes.
It sent a tingle up and down his body when she did that. "Yes, we do."
They leaned in for a kiss. Separating minutes later, Lizzie remarked. "Those are my kind of fireworks."
"Just imagine what it will be like with the other fireworks." Gordo smiled in a way that she knew meant he'd thought of something. "I remember another kiss under fireworks. In Rome."
Lizzie's eyes widened in memory. "Oh, wow. I haven't thought about that since this all started." Her face changes to one of curiosity. "Why didn't anything happen after that?"
Gordo's face changes too, but his to one of deep thought. "I've wondered about that since that kiss."
That made Lizzie feel guilty. "I'm sorry I was so . . ."
He cut her off. "We both hid from our feelings, Lizzie. Please stop apologizing for something we both did."
She concedes the point. "You're right." She returns to the original question. "But why did we do nothing after that."
"Best guess?" She nodded. "Honestly, I think that if we hadn't both been grounded for so long when we got home, we may have tried to start something then. But we were, and it gave us the chance to chicken out, something we were both good at when it came to us being more than friends."
"So, it's our parents' fault." Her smile told him she was joking.
He joined the joke. "Of course it was." They both laughed at that.
~~~~~~~~
The firework show was as spectacular as ever, although both couples missed most of it, being otherwise occupied.
~
The fourth was a Monday, which means change of venue for Matt and Miranda. As late as it was when they arrived at the McGuire home, they agreed to wait until morning to discuss the idea of Matt joining the football team.
~
The night of dreams for Matt and Miranda would never be confused for peaceful. The warning about the plans against Matt sparked the unpleasant return of their nightmares. By one o'clock, they were sleeping in each others arms.
~~~~
Elsewhere, two teenage girls were having their own restless night. Each would be giving blood for a test tomorrow, and learning the next day if they were pregnant.
~~~~~~~~
A/N: The results should be in the next chapter.
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.
A/N: Personal Notes:
Phoenix28: This is your first M/M, eh? I'll admit, I read several different Miranda pairings, but Matt worked best with what I originally wanted to do, which was a character examination on how crisis can change people, and how they adjust. Of course, the story has morphed several times since then, but that pairing has worked for all of it. Additionally, that pairing helped the other pairings fall into place. As for your questions about Lizzie and Gordo:
1: Their one month anniversary is coming up, and that would be a perfect time for Lizzie to give Gordo what she got at the jewelry store. Curious?
2: Remember that, in chapter 18, Dr. Benoit said that they may have to wait until Gordo can take a stress test before they have a definite answer. While Dr. Benoit might discover something earlier, if he can't, then it's not going to be until Gordo can run a treadmill.
3: After Gordo's remarks about calling her Elizabeth (chapter 26), I think it safe to assume that she's going to save David for special occasions, too.
`
Chapter 50
Fireworks
`
When they got to the Sanchez home, Daniella carried her still sleeping youngest to her room, while the others gathered in the living room. They hadn't said much in the van for fear of waking Lily. But now, with her being tucked in, Gordo and Reggie began to tell Miranda and Lizzie about the incident with the girls near the arcade. Matt turned red while Reggie recited, complete with falsetto, how the one girl described Matt. Lizzie was almost as embarrassed as her brother, but Miranda was in hysterics, and the boys had to stop the story. When she calmed down, she turned to Lizzie. "Do you remember what Shelly said?"
Lizzie's eyes widened. "You can't tell him about that?!?" she hissed.
"Oh yes I can." She turned to Matt. "Do you remember the last time, before the crash, you were in the mall?"
"Yeah. About two weeks before, Lanny, Melina, and I went, just to hang out."
"And you met a few more friends there, right?"
"Yeah. Wait, how do you know that?"
"You know those benches in the middle of the east wing of the mall, near the arcade?"
Yeah, but . . ."
"Lizzie and I, along with some other girls from school, were sitting there people watching, when a group of boys and girls came out of the arcade. One of the other girls with us, a junior, pointed out one of the boys, and commented on the, and I quote, 'super-fine ass', he had. I was looking at . . . someone else, and before I could see anything, Lizzie freaked. I forget her exact words, but she made it clear she didn't want anyone talking about her little brother like that."
Lizzie was beside herself. "I did not freak! And even if I did, it was Matt, and she's seventeen!" Miranda gave her a look. "I didn't mean it like that! I mean, it's just, I mean, arrrrgh!" She flopped back, giving up that line of argument.
Gordo and Reggie were snickering, but Matt couldn't believe it. "Are you serious?!? A high-school girl said that about me?!?"
"Yes. Back when it happened, you were still just Lizzie's little brother to me. When I realized it was you she was looking at like that, I couldn't believe it, and I laughed about it with the rest of them. But now, I can look at you unashamed, and it's true."
Gordo and Reggie were snickering. "And I though only guys talked like that." Reggie chimed in.
"Guess again. The only difference is girls try to be more subtle about it. If you could hear what gets said when a group of girls get together to talk about boys . . ."
"If it's anything like what guys are like talking about girls, I think I'll pass."
"When your two best friends are girls, you don't always get the chance to pass." Gordo observed. "And trust me, they can get worse than boys."
"HEY!" The girls protested.
Lizzie turned to her brother. "Since it's story time, it's only fair for you to know how boys reacted to Miranda's outfit."
"What?!? Lizzie, no, please." But Miranda's begging didn't work, and soon, the story of the first boy in the clothing store was told. She may not have seen it all, but she heard it. When the story was over, it was Miranda who was blushing.
Matt, however, looked pleased with himself. "I've told you how beautiful you are. Today's more proof that I'm not the only one who sees it. You shouldn't doubt yourself so much."
"If it weren't for Matt, I'd be tempted to ask you out." Reggie admitted.
"You've dated girls my age?"
"No, but I've asked."
"Are we going to have to have a talk?" Gordo asked jokingly.
"I don't try for another guy's girl. The drama ain't worth it." A smile crept upon Reggie's face. "Anyway, she already turned me down once." Gordo arched his eyebrows. "When I was nine."
That got snickers from everyone but Lizzie. "You promised not to talk about that!!" Lizzie's protest only succeeded in turning the snickers into laughter.
~~~~~~~~
That evening, the phones of Hillridge were flying off their hooks as the Junior High and High School students who were at the mall told their friends who weren't their versions of what they saw. In the course of these calls, some troublemakers started coming up with ideas for showing this 'Junior High punk' their disapproval about his dating a High School girl.
These plans, however, were brought to a screeching halt by warnings from a group whose opposition was as surprising as it was vehement: Harm him at your peril. Few were brave enough to defy ONE of these people, much less several of them.
~~~~~~~~
That night, the dreams for both were as vivid as their nightmares can get. They didn't share dreams, but the themes were the same. In each, they had problems. But in each, they overcame them, and stayed together. Each dream ended with the birth of their first child, quickly being replaced by another dream. The thing that stood out for each of them was the wedding. Every time, there was something about it that, until a couple of weeks ago, they wouldn't have believed possible.
~~~~~~~~
When they awoke, they were the first in the house to do so. Going quietly into the living room, they discussed their dreams. When they realized the common point about their visions of their wedding, they were amazed. "It's still so hard to believe that it could happen like that."
"If I hadn't been there, I wouldn't believe it." Matt admitted. "You know, part of me is willing to forget that deal, and make love with you as soon as we have the time and place."
"So do I. But you know what we'd be losing if we do."
"I know."
~~~~~~~~
For it's Fourth of July festivities, Hillridge pooled its resources with two other nearby towns to put on a fireworks show much larger than any of them could do otherwise. The show itself was launched from an old, abandoned drive-in movie place whose screen had fallen over years ago. Of course, this meant that you had to get there early if you wanted a space in the drive-in itself. Fortunately, the rolling terrain of the area, along with the fact that the drive-in was on the crown of a medium-sized hill, meant there were several spots on the area were small groups of people could gather and watch with an almost unobstructed view.
It was at one of this spots, the parking lot of a state recreation area near Hillridge, that the three families gathered. They arrived with two hours to spare, and still were among the last half-dozen cars allowed in. With all the time they had to wait, somebody had to keep Lily occupied. Miranda and Matt were assigned this task, so the sisters could spend time together. The castle playscape there was a fairly large area, and with all the other children there, they had to separate to try to keep a close eye on her. Therefore, Matt, alone and concentrating, didn't notice the people coming toward him until he heard his classmate. "Reggie said you'd be here."
Matt knew the voice of Paul Schrader, having played pick-up football with him often enough. He spoke without losing sight of Lily. "Why were you looking for me?" He suspected that Paul needed an extra body for another football game.
The next voice he heard was one he didn't know, but it clearly belonged to an adult. "I'd like to have a word with you, Mr. McGuire."
Matt turned to see who the new speaker was, and was surprised at who was there. Paul's older brother Mark was there. Mark was on the JV football team at the high school. In fact, he was the one that had remarked on Matt's punting a couple of weeks ago (A/N: End of Chapter 39). But it was Mark who had Matt's attention, but the man with the brothers. He'd seen the man before, when he had gone to watch a football game at the high school. Coach Jeffery Park was the second year football coach for Hillridge High. As easily as confidence came to Matt where Miranda was concerned, this was a completely uncertain situation for him. Normally, school officials only spoke to him when he'd been caught at something. So when he spoke, he sounded like somebody trying desperately to hide how scared he was. Which is exactly what he was. "What's going on, sir?"
Paul and Mark were trying hard not to laugh at Matt's reaction, but not succeeding very well. Coach Park chose to ignore them. He'd give Mark extra laps later. "Relax, Mr. McGuire. I just wanted to ask you something."
`
Miranda had been watching Lily, so she didn't see them come up behind Matt. The first she saw them was when Lily was occupied with the chimes, and she chanced a glance toward Matt. As soon as it registered with her who was with him, she became nervous. Why would the high school football coach be talking to him? Matt's body language also worried her, as it was clear to her that he was nervous, uptight, unsure of the situation. And while he was getting better, that combination, in him, was something she wanted to avoid if at all possible. Yet, as much as she wanted, no, needed to be with him, she was also responsible for Lily. And if this did blow up, she knew Lily shouldn't be anywhere near it.
She made her decision, and strode to Lily. Ignoring the complaints, she carried Lily back to their parents. They met the three mothers first, talking with a couple of other ladies. Miranda was in no mood for niceties. She handed the still protesting Lily to their mother, then turned to Jo. "Something's wrong. I don't know what, but something's wrong. Get Sam and come to the playscape." With that, Miranda took off before any of the women could ask a question.
All three were bright enough to take her words, add her body language, and figure out that something was wrong with Matt, and she was VERY scared. They all headed for where the men would be.
`
When Miranda had the playscape in sight again, the fact that none of the kids or parents were acting strangely suggested that nothing had happened . . . yet. Finally, she saw him. Coach Park was gone, but the boys were still there. As soon as she was close enough to be heard, she called out. "Matt, you okay?" No response. She got to him and looked at his face. The only word she could think of to describe it was thunderstruck. "Matt?"
He finally looked up. Not at her, but at the Schrader brothers. "Did he say what I think he said?"
Paul answered. "Ain't it cool? Of course, you'll need to work out before tryouts, but compared to what we have, you're in, man."
"In what? Matt, what's going on?"
He finally turned to her, his face shifting slightly. A slight smile started to creep up on his features. "He wants me to try out for the team."
"What? Matt, your still in junior high."
"He wants me to try out for the junior high team, to get ready for the high school team."
Miranda was still confused, so the three boys explained the conversation she'd missed, while at the same time the brothers tried to make it make sense. It seems that word of Matt's punting ability reached Coach Park. Since coming to Hillridge a couple of years ago, he'd been trying to install a system that focused on solid defense, ball-control offense, and controlling field position. While boring to watch, it was the same kind of system that has won Super Bowls for Baltimore, Tampa Bay, and countless other teams.
The problem with executing the field position part of that plan in high school is that the most important position for it is punter, and it's almost unheard of for high school kids to try out for punter, so you're usually stuck giving the job to the third string (or lower) guy who's least embarrassing. If Matt proves to be as good at it as he appeared to be at the park that day, then Coach Park figures he'll easily get the job on the J.H.S. team, get some real game experience, and be ready to try out for the High School team his freshman year.
Not long after the explanation began, Jo and all three fathers came up to them. The women took no chances where manpower was concerned. Realizing there was no danger, they stayed quiet and listened. Now, however, Jo spoke. "Wait. You're saying that Matt might be playing football?" She looked around at everyone. "Am I the only one not happy about this?"
"Actually, it might be a bad idea if he didn't." Paul said. That gained him everyone's attention. "You see, after that little display yesterday, just about everyone was on the phone talking about it."
Mark took the story from there. "At one point, there was a plan going around from some of the high school guy to punish you for daring to date a high school girl." That received the predictable response. "Now, a lot of the guys had heard about you, and had just learned that Coach Park wanted to talk to you, and why. We might not be the smartest bunch, with books, but we understand football, and we know the value of a good punter to this system. So, when we heard about this plan against you, we made it clear that you were going to be on the team, and to try anything on you would bring the wrath of the team on their heads." He seemed to enjoy saying that last part.
The parents were NOT thrilled by this. Matt was trying to get his head around all this. "You guys stuck your necks out like that for ME?"
"We take care of our own. But we need two things from you. First, watch your back, there could be some people our message won't influence. Second, show up for try outs. Agreed?"
"Uh, sure."
"Great." He checked his watched. "We should be going. Have a good fourth, Matt, everyone." They turned and walked away, leaving a still confused group behind them.
~~~~~~~~
While all this was happening, Lizzie and Gordo were sitting together in the back seat of the McGuire family car. They had been chatting amiably, just enjoying each others company, when Gordo remarked "you were right, Lizzie."
That came out of the blue, and startled her. "About what?"
"About how long we've been a couple. Look at us, Lizzie. How many couples our age could sit here together like this, not make a move to make out, and be content? Not many. And yet, here we are, happy to let that wait until we have some privacy. Instead, we can be happy just being in each other's company."
"It is nice, isn't it?"
"And I think it's because we've known each other for so long."
"But we still have our fun, don't we?" There was an unmistakable suggestiveness in her voice and eyes.
It sent a tingle up and down his body when she did that. "Yes, we do."
They leaned in for a kiss. Separating minutes later, Lizzie remarked. "Those are my kind of fireworks."
"Just imagine what it will be like with the other fireworks." Gordo smiled in a way that she knew meant he'd thought of something. "I remember another kiss under fireworks. In Rome."
Lizzie's eyes widened in memory. "Oh, wow. I haven't thought about that since this all started." Her face changes to one of curiosity. "Why didn't anything happen after that?"
Gordo's face changes too, but his to one of deep thought. "I've wondered about that since that kiss."
That made Lizzie feel guilty. "I'm sorry I was so . . ."
He cut her off. "We both hid from our feelings, Lizzie. Please stop apologizing for something we both did."
She concedes the point. "You're right." She returns to the original question. "But why did we do nothing after that."
"Best guess?" She nodded. "Honestly, I think that if we hadn't both been grounded for so long when we got home, we may have tried to start something then. But we were, and it gave us the chance to chicken out, something we were both good at when it came to us being more than friends."
"So, it's our parents' fault." Her smile told him she was joking.
He joined the joke. "Of course it was." They both laughed at that.
~~~~~~~~
The firework show was as spectacular as ever, although both couples missed most of it, being otherwise occupied.
~
The fourth was a Monday, which means change of venue for Matt and Miranda. As late as it was when they arrived at the McGuire home, they agreed to wait until morning to discuss the idea of Matt joining the football team.
~
The night of dreams for Matt and Miranda would never be confused for peaceful. The warning about the plans against Matt sparked the unpleasant return of their nightmares. By one o'clock, they were sleeping in each others arms.
~~~~
Elsewhere, two teenage girls were having their own restless night. Each would be giving blood for a test tomorrow, and learning the next day if they were pregnant.
~~~~~~~~
A/N: The results should be in the next chapter.