Chapter Two
Sailing Away
"We're here!" Lizzie announced after they took a taxi from the airport to the dock. (they had to fly to Florida) She breathed in some fresh air, "Isn't this exciting?"
Gordo hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek, "Of course it is, Lizzie. That's what we're here for, right?"
Lizzie and Gordo walked to get aboard the ship, leaving Miranda and Matt behind. "May I take your suitcase?" Matt offered.
Miranda looked over at Matt and forced a smile. She had to admit he was nice, "Sure, if you don't mind."
Matt took her suitcase as well as his to the boat as Miranda took her other bag. Some of the bags had already been sent ahead to the ship.
"Wow," Matt said, looking ahead just as he was about to aboard, "Isn't this beautiful?"
Miranda looked and saw the blue and white painted ship with the word, "Americana" written on it in large, red lettering. This was the biggest boat she had ever seen.
"Yeah," Miranda said, "I wonder where our rooms are located."
Matt shrugged, "Yeah. I wish Lizzie and Gordo hadn't run off like that."
Matt and Miranda continued climbing the ship and looking around, "This will be so much fun!" Miranda said and then they walked past the dining room and Miranda sighed, "and so romantic."
Matt forced a smile, although he was dying inside. He loved Miranda and this was a big thing for him, "I'll eat there with you tonight if you want," Matt offered, hoping she would agree. He was determined in his heart for her to share the same feelings he had for her but knew it wasn't likely. He could only pray for a miracle at this point.
"I think tonight all four of us are eating together," Miranda said, "But thanks." He was such a sweet kid, she thought, if only he wasn't Lizzie's brother, she might have been eager to take him up on that offer, but he was and she didn't think about it much at the end of the day.
"Maybe some other time, then," Matt said, feeling a little dejected.
"Where have you two been?" Lizzie asked, walking toward them, "We thought you were still on the dock and we were getting worried."
"Did you find our rooms?" Miranda asked.
"Yes," Lizzie said, "They are perfect! You and I are sharing one compartment and Gordo and Matt are sharing the other. They are right next to each other, too."
"Cool," Miranda said, "I want to see them."
Lizzie and Gordo led the way to the compartments that would be their home for the next ten days. Matt put Miranda's suitcase on the girls' room's floor and then went into his compartment to put his own down, "Poor Matt," Lizzie remarked, "I mean, he'll be so lonely in the next few days. I hope he finds a friend or something."
"Yeah, me too," Gordo said, "Hey, Lizzie, you want to go for a walk?"
"Sure," Lizzie said, and then she looked at Miranda, "You want to come, too?"
"No, that's okay," Miranda said, recognizing that the couple probably needed to be alone.
"All right, see you later then," Lizzie said.
"Later," Miranda said, and she plopped herself on her bed. She heard a bell that indicated that the cruise was about to leave the port and felt the ship shift slightly, indicating that the ship had just left port. Miranda stayed on the bed, trying to think of something to do. A few minutes later, she heard a knock on the door. She got up to answer it, and saw that it was Matt.
"Hey," he said, holding an empty ice bucket, "Do you want to come and get some ice with me?"
Miranda shrugged, "Sure. Why not?" She put her shoes on and together, she and Matt ventured into the hallway to get some ice.
"Hey, after we got the ice," Matt said, "Want to go for a walk or something? Watch the ocean together or something?"
Miranda shrugged. It wasn't like she had anything better to do, "Okay. Maybe there will be some people near the pool."
"Maybe," Matt said and didn't say anything as they got the ice and went back into the room.
"So, you still up for that walk?" Miranda asked, getting impatient.
Matt smiled, happy that Miranda liked his company, "Sure."
~
In the meantime, Lizzie and Gordo were out taking their walk, "So what are we going to do about Miranda and Matt?" Lizzie asked.
"I don't know," Gordo said, "Is that all you are going to talk about? I thought this vacation was supposed to be fun."
"I know," Lizzie said, taking hold of Gordo's hand, "But just think, if they each met someone, we could spend more time to ourselves," and she smiled and kissed Gordo's cheek.
"You have a point," Gordo said, putting his arms around Lizzie's hips and kissing her on the lips, "Maybe we should have them meet people."
"Yeah," Lizzie said, "But who?"
"I don't know. Maybe they can each just keep each other company," Gordo suggested.
"Eww! Miranda and Matt? That's just too weird!" Lizzie said.
Gordo shrugged, "It was just a suggestion."
"Yeah, a really bad one."
"Okay, let's talk about something else."
"Okay," Lizzie said, "Like what?"
"Like," Gordo said, pulling her close to him, "I was thinking we could meet up after midnight and go for a walk or something."
"Like a secret rendezvous or something?" Lizzie asked.
"Yeah," Gordo said, "That way we can have all the privacy we want and not feel guilty about leaving Miranda and Matt all my themselves."
"Good idea," Lizzie said, "I like it." She kissed Gordo on the cheek, "We better head back."
"Okay," Gordo said.
~
"I bet you anything that Lizzie and Gordo are plotting out ways to be alone," Miranda said, as they started their walk.
"Yeah, probably," Matt agreed.
Matt and Miranda walked toward the pool, mostly for Miranda's sake, to see if their was anybody worth pursuing.
Miranda looked around and almost immediately, someone caught her eye. He was tall, blonde, and wearing a red bathing suit. She pointed him out to Matt. All Matt could do was find things wrong with the guy, but he kept them to himself, "Maybe you should go introduce yourself."
Miranda looked at Matt nervously, "You think I should?"
Sailing Away
"We're here!" Lizzie announced after they took a taxi from the airport to the dock. (they had to fly to Florida) She breathed in some fresh air, "Isn't this exciting?"
Gordo hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek, "Of course it is, Lizzie. That's what we're here for, right?"
Lizzie and Gordo walked to get aboard the ship, leaving Miranda and Matt behind. "May I take your suitcase?" Matt offered.
Miranda looked over at Matt and forced a smile. She had to admit he was nice, "Sure, if you don't mind."
Matt took her suitcase as well as his to the boat as Miranda took her other bag. Some of the bags had already been sent ahead to the ship.
"Wow," Matt said, looking ahead just as he was about to aboard, "Isn't this beautiful?"
Miranda looked and saw the blue and white painted ship with the word, "Americana" written on it in large, red lettering. This was the biggest boat she had ever seen.
"Yeah," Miranda said, "I wonder where our rooms are located."
Matt shrugged, "Yeah. I wish Lizzie and Gordo hadn't run off like that."
Matt and Miranda continued climbing the ship and looking around, "This will be so much fun!" Miranda said and then they walked past the dining room and Miranda sighed, "and so romantic."
Matt forced a smile, although he was dying inside. He loved Miranda and this was a big thing for him, "I'll eat there with you tonight if you want," Matt offered, hoping she would agree. He was determined in his heart for her to share the same feelings he had for her but knew it wasn't likely. He could only pray for a miracle at this point.
"I think tonight all four of us are eating together," Miranda said, "But thanks." He was such a sweet kid, she thought, if only he wasn't Lizzie's brother, she might have been eager to take him up on that offer, but he was and she didn't think about it much at the end of the day.
"Maybe some other time, then," Matt said, feeling a little dejected.
"Where have you two been?" Lizzie asked, walking toward them, "We thought you were still on the dock and we were getting worried."
"Did you find our rooms?" Miranda asked.
"Yes," Lizzie said, "They are perfect! You and I are sharing one compartment and Gordo and Matt are sharing the other. They are right next to each other, too."
"Cool," Miranda said, "I want to see them."
Lizzie and Gordo led the way to the compartments that would be their home for the next ten days. Matt put Miranda's suitcase on the girls' room's floor and then went into his compartment to put his own down, "Poor Matt," Lizzie remarked, "I mean, he'll be so lonely in the next few days. I hope he finds a friend or something."
"Yeah, me too," Gordo said, "Hey, Lizzie, you want to go for a walk?"
"Sure," Lizzie said, and then she looked at Miranda, "You want to come, too?"
"No, that's okay," Miranda said, recognizing that the couple probably needed to be alone.
"All right, see you later then," Lizzie said.
"Later," Miranda said, and she plopped herself on her bed. She heard a bell that indicated that the cruise was about to leave the port and felt the ship shift slightly, indicating that the ship had just left port. Miranda stayed on the bed, trying to think of something to do. A few minutes later, she heard a knock on the door. She got up to answer it, and saw that it was Matt.
"Hey," he said, holding an empty ice bucket, "Do you want to come and get some ice with me?"
Miranda shrugged, "Sure. Why not?" She put her shoes on and together, she and Matt ventured into the hallway to get some ice.
"Hey, after we got the ice," Matt said, "Want to go for a walk or something? Watch the ocean together or something?"
Miranda shrugged. It wasn't like she had anything better to do, "Okay. Maybe there will be some people near the pool."
"Maybe," Matt said and didn't say anything as they got the ice and went back into the room.
"So, you still up for that walk?" Miranda asked, getting impatient.
Matt smiled, happy that Miranda liked his company, "Sure."
~
In the meantime, Lizzie and Gordo were out taking their walk, "So what are we going to do about Miranda and Matt?" Lizzie asked.
"I don't know," Gordo said, "Is that all you are going to talk about? I thought this vacation was supposed to be fun."
"I know," Lizzie said, taking hold of Gordo's hand, "But just think, if they each met someone, we could spend more time to ourselves," and she smiled and kissed Gordo's cheek.
"You have a point," Gordo said, putting his arms around Lizzie's hips and kissing her on the lips, "Maybe we should have them meet people."
"Yeah," Lizzie said, "But who?"
"I don't know. Maybe they can each just keep each other company," Gordo suggested.
"Eww! Miranda and Matt? That's just too weird!" Lizzie said.
Gordo shrugged, "It was just a suggestion."
"Yeah, a really bad one."
"Okay, let's talk about something else."
"Okay," Lizzie said, "Like what?"
"Like," Gordo said, pulling her close to him, "I was thinking we could meet up after midnight and go for a walk or something."
"Like a secret rendezvous or something?" Lizzie asked.
"Yeah," Gordo said, "That way we can have all the privacy we want and not feel guilty about leaving Miranda and Matt all my themselves."
"Good idea," Lizzie said, "I like it." She kissed Gordo on the cheek, "We better head back."
"Okay," Gordo said.
~
"I bet you anything that Lizzie and Gordo are plotting out ways to be alone," Miranda said, as they started their walk.
"Yeah, probably," Matt agreed.
Matt and Miranda walked toward the pool, mostly for Miranda's sake, to see if their was anybody worth pursuing.
Miranda looked around and almost immediately, someone caught her eye. He was tall, blonde, and wearing a red bathing suit. She pointed him out to Matt. All Matt could do was find things wrong with the guy, but he kept them to himself, "Maybe you should go introduce yourself."
Miranda looked at Matt nervously, "You think I should?"