Chapter Twenty Six

A/N: Hey, thanks for the reviews! This chapter might be bad too, lol.

Sorry if I sound mean in this, but it's something that's gotta be said:

Aoife: You reviewed Chapter 13, and you made that comment about Charlie Baker. I did not take that from Cheaper by the Dozen, I HATE that movie, in my opinion it sucks ass. So please don't go and make accusations before you even know the real deal. Maybe I like the name, so what? I didn't use Tom Welling's character. I barely even like Hilary Duff anymore...

And what about Lindsay Malcolm? If you don't know who she is...I made up that character. So...yeah.

Everybody! Please stop asking if Lizzie's dead! Please Please please! Not to be rude...lol.

It even says that she's not dead! Read the summary! And in this chapter! So enjoy!

Chapter Twenty Six

Back in Hillridge...

Miranda was sitting in the middle of the food court at the mall. She looked at her watch and sighed. She was supposed to be here ten minutes ago, she said to herself.

She stretched her neck and scanned the area. Suddenly she saw a head of blond curls make her way towards her.

"Finally! What took you so long?" Miranda asked when her friend approached.

"I had to babysit Carly for Matt," Lizzie McGuire said as she sat down across from her.

"Did she bite you?"

"Yes. Third time this week."

Miranda laughed and said, "Let's go get something to eat."

Lizzie nodded, then stood up and looked for a good place to eat.

It had been seven years since Lizzie McGuire had woken up from her coma. Her parents told her that Gordo had Natalie, and when she asked what their phone number was, Mrs. McGuire hesitated, then told Lizzie that she didn't know it. So they called Miranda, but she didn't have it, nor did her parents. So they just let it go. But Lizzie still wondered about Natalie. She pictured what she would probably look like every single day.

She's probably around seventeen, Lizzie thought as she waited for her order, Her hair is probably straighter. Her eyes...still blue, and she's tall and pretty skinny. She's probably athletic, like she was when she was seven. And she...

"Uh, ma'am?" the young teenager who had taken her order, "Here's your food."

"Oh! Uh...thanks, I already paid you, right?" Lizzie asked.

"Uh huh," the teenager said. He wiped his hands on his apron, then told Lizzie to get out of the way so the next person in line could take their order.

Lizzie grabbed her tray of food, then went back to her seat, where Miranda was sitting, chewing on a burger. Lizzie sat down across from her, and began eating her lunch.

"I haw woo," Miranda mumbled, her mouth full of food.

"You did?" Lizzie asked.

Miranda nodded, her cheeks bulging with burger. "Oo err finkig abow err," she accused, meaning, "You were thinking about her."

"I was not!" Lizzie protested.

Miranda swallowed, then grabbed her pop and took a long sip. Then she bit into her burger again. "Err doo. Ont enny it," she murmured, meaning, "Don't deny it."

"Miranda, could you please stop being a slob and talk with no food in your mouth?" Lizzie asked.

Miranda continued chewing, then swallowed. "It's just that I haven't had a good burger in like, three years..."

"Why not?"

"Ever since Kira was born, I decided to lose weight, and I vowed never to eat greasy fats like burgers and fries," Miranda told her friend.

"Okaaay then," Lizzie replied.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" Miranda asked.

"No," Lizzie sighed. "I'm not hungry anymore."

"Then..." Miranda said as she popped the last bite of her hamburger into her mouth, "Ood I av yower oode?"

Lizzie pushed her tray across the small table, but kept her bottled water with her. She watched as Miranda gobbled down her meal. "Seriously, Miranda," she laughed, "You can't go a day without eating."