If anyone is interested, and understands the stupid thing, hockeylover as created a C2 group for M/G stories. I'm still hunting down M/G stories, especially the older ones. If anyone remembers any that I haven't found, send me an email. If interested, go to hockeylover's or my profile, or it's the only group listed on the main page of the LM section (upper right hand corner).

A/N – "Thoughts"

Chapter 5 – Harvard Bound

It had been about two months since the UCLA incident and Miranda and Gordo had survived with their relationship not just intact but stronger. It was kinda of a turning point for them, moving out of the hot and heavy part of their relationship and now actually having a serious relationship.

Currently, it was Kate's birthday and she was having a party at her house. Mostly everyone was upstairs; Kate was networking the so-called popular crowd. It was like there was now two Kate's. The popular one who put on an act, worried about how she looked, and what people thought of her. Then there was the normal one, the girl who had been their friend when they were younger. The normal one would hangout in sweats with her friends and pig out on junk food.

Downstairs, the Sanders had a pool table in their basement. Miranda sat on a stool and watched Gordo and Nick, Veruca's boyfriend, play. Slowly looking around the room, she watched some of her friends. To her, it was funny how they went from a tight knit group of three, to a much larger group.

It had started in Rome. Lizzie and Kate started to hang out more and Ethan and Gordo seemed to better understand each other. So when she came back from Mexico and them from Rome, the five of them usually hung out together, though it was awkward between her and Kate. But slowly both Gordo and her saw the changes in Kate, they still didn't fully trust her but they could at least get along.

Entering High School, Larry became friends with Gordo and Ethan. Then when Miranda and him dated sophomore year, he was added to their group.

Then rounding out the group was Veruca. Late in 8thgrade, Veruca and Lizzie started to hang out a little. Then their freshman year, Veruca and Miranda had some of the same classes and they started to hangout, they also bonded over the fact they were Larry's exes. Veruca and Larry had dated the summer between junior high and high school and during freshman year. During last summer, she started to hang out more with their group and she was brought in too.

They each had their own separate friends too but these were the ones who joined their close group.

As Miranda looked around, she saw Larry talking with Veruca across the room. Turning her attention back to the table, she knew Lizzie, Kate, and Ethan were upstairs somewhere.

After Rome, Lizzie's popularity had soared and hanging out with Kate didn't hurt either. But she really didn't change much and every time she went out with Kate, she made sure Miranda was invited as well. Lizzie had once told her, "As close as me and Kate get, you'll always be my sister."

She didn't realize it but as she remembered that, a small grin appeared on her face and looking at the table, she caught Gordo's eye. He was looking at her with an amused smile. Miranda rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him.

When they finished their game, Nick walked over to Veruca and Larry and Miranda got up and walked over to Gordo. Gordo smiled as she picked up a cue. "You know how to play?"

"Kinda. I've watched you guys enough," Miranda told him. As she held the cue backwards, Gordo laughed and took it out of her hands and turned it around before handing it back to her.

As Miranda went to take a shot, she completely missed the cue ball, "Damn."

Gordo pressed up against her and put his hands over her's. "Like this," he said softly as he guided her hands. They hit the cue ball, which hit the three ball and sunk it.

Miranda let a happy squeal as it sank. "Let me try it alone." Gordo nodded and set up an easy shot for her. When she made it again, she had a huge smile. "How about we bet something."

Gordo smirked, feeling a little too confident, "Like what?"

"How about if I don't sink anything, I make you dinner wearing anything you want, within reason. But for every ball I sink, I pick that many movies we're gonna watch."

Gordo's smirk grew into a wide smile as he surveyed the table. The rest of the balls were gathered in a large bunch at the other end of the table. "Sure," he said feeling this was in the bag.

Miranda lined up the cue ball and suddenly Gordo watched Miranda's face change to deep concentration. He started getting a sinking feeling in his stomach. When Miranda hit the cue ball, it shot across the table and the balls scattered. Gordo watched in a mix of awe, confusion, and stupidity, as three balls dropped.

Turning to face him, she had a triumphant smirk on her face. Gordo looked at her for a moment and then slowly put the cue down on the table. Miranda started to slowly back away from him, a little unsure of what he was doing. Rounding the corner she handed the cue to Larry. "Gordo?"

"You hustled me," he said with no emotion as he slowly started to follow her around the table.

"Gordo," she said again trying not to laugh.

"You little minx, you set me up," He quickly rounded the corner and before Miranda could react, grabbed her and started tickling her. Falling onto the floor, Gordo had her pinned as he continued tickling her. The only thing Miranda could do was rive in hysterics as she laughed. "You set up your own boyfriend."

"Ok ok," Miranda said through gasps for breath. Grabbing his wrists, she pulled his hands off her ribs. "If I still get to pick the movies, I'll make you dinner." Looking up at him, she couldn't help but laugh at his wolfish grin. She loved bringing out this more playful side of him. "Remember I said within reason."

"Can't you two keep your hands off of each other?" Lizzie joked as she walked down the stairs, followed by Ethan, Kate, and Claire.

Gordo picked his head up and looked over at her with a grin. "I don't remember hearing you ever complain about it," he joked.

As the group laughed, Lizzie covered her face with her hand as she shook her head but she couldn't hide her smile.

As Gordo got up and then helped Miranda up, Claire slowly walked over to Larry.

"He…Hey Larry," Claire stuttered.

Larry tried to keep the smirk of his face, "Hey Claire."

"Umm…I just wanted to apologize for treating you like a jerk," she said softly as she looked down at the ground and started to roll one of the balls around on the pool table.

Larry wasn't really sure what to say but before he could, Kate interrupted. "Oh for the love of! Will you just ask him out already?"

As the room laughed softly, Claire's head snapped up and looked over at Kate with an almost mortified expression. Kate just smirked, "We know you like him. So just ask him out already. Who cares if he's a dork, no offense Larry. I mean join Lizzie and Miranda in the date a dork club," Kate joked.

"Hey," Larry and Gordo said in unison.

"Or Larry can join Ethan in the date a bitch club. No offense Claire," Miranda shot back.

Turning back to Larry, "I was wondering if you wanted to go to the movies tomorrow?" Claire blurted out fast.

"Sure."

Claire looked at him with sort of a confused and surprised expression on her face. "You would?" she asked in disbelief.

Larry smirked, "Yea I would."

For the rest of party the group, minus Ethan and Kate who had to go back upstairs cause it was her party and Larry and Claire who sat off to the side talking, hung out in the basement. They just fooled around, making fun of each other, playing pool, or just talking.

It was about eight o'clock by the time Miranda and Gordo walked into the Gordon's house. As they were sitting in the kitchen talking and picking on some grapes, Miranda grinned at him. "So you pick my outfit yet?"

Gordo grinned back, "Too many options. I'll narrow it down, trust me."

Miranda bounced a grape off of Gordo's face and they both started laughing. A few moments later Mr. and Mrs. Gordon walked into the kitchen with an envelope.

"David, this came for you," Mrs. Gordon said handing him the envelope.

Miranda stood up and walked up behind him to look over his shoulder. Gordo looked at the envelope, "Its from Harvard."

Tearing it open; as he read the letter, a smile appeared on his face and slowly widened. "I got in." Jumping up, he tossed the letter onto the table, "I got in!"

Turning around, he picked Miranda up and spun her around the kitchen. Putting her back down, he kept his arms tightly around her and gave her a fierce and fiery kiss.

That night, after Miranda got home from celebrating Gordo getting into Harvard, she sat at her desk looking at the college applications she had. Some were almost finished and others weren't even started. The first few were from USC, Berkley, Stanford, and UCLA. Thinking about UCLA, Miranda's face scrunched up in disgust.

Putting them down, Miranda opened a drawer and pulled out another bunch of applications. Looking at them, she sighed softly as she knew she had a decision to make and needed to make it soon. "Boston College. Columbia. NYU. Brown. Harvard."

Putting the applicants back away, "If I went east, would I be just following him there? Or do I really want to go?"