Disclaimer: I don't own Lizzie McGuire. If I did, this would be an episode already.

Chapter Two

Out of all my subjects, lunch was my no doubt my favorite of them all. In the morning, I very rarely ate breakfast, so by lunchtime, I was starving, and besides that, talking to Miranda and Gordo for thirty-five minutes was just awesome.

Everybody at our school knows that the food isn't exactly gourmet. So that's why I bring my lunch most of the time. But today I decided to buy, and I really wish I hadn't, because it would have spared me major embarrassment.

Anyway, I was standing on the hot lunch line, just as I'd normally do, when I felt somebody poke me in the back. I turned around and saw Kate standing there, in her teeny miniskirt and crop top and heels. "Nice outfit, McGuire. Are skateparks your new thing?" she said. Claire, who was standing behind her, burst into laughter.

Blushing, I gathered my lunch quickly. Why couldn't Kate just leave me alone? All because she was pretty and popular didn't mean she had to make me miserable.

As I was paying for my lunch, Kate whispered to me, "There's something on your pants, Lizzie."

Panicking, I turned around to look at my pants. I forgot that I had my tray of food in hand. The tray went flying, and the tray hit Brayden right in his face, spagetti sauce staining his hair.

My face turning dark red, I couldn't bear the sight of kids laughing at me and what Brayden would have to say to me. Kate was smirking at me, and when I saw that there was nothing on my pants, I ran.

"Lizzie, what's the matter?" Miranda asked me as I got to the table. Gordo was sitting there, adding something up on his calculator.

Tears in my eyes, I explained everything to her as I sat down. I didn't feel like eating anything, but she handed me a piece of her big cookie. I nibbled on it, even though it wasn't that good.

"Kate is such a witch", Miranda exclaimed. "I hope nobody asks her to the dance!"

"I'm sure Ethan will", I rolled my eyes.

"Don't you like Ethan?" Miranda asked, surprised.

"Um, yeah, I guess so", I lied. Now that I had met Brayden, I was completely over Ethan.

"Listen, Lizzie, I'm sure Brayden will be cool about the whole spagetti thing. He does seem like a cool guy", she smiled, dipping her fry in some ketchup. "I mean, it wasn't your fault that Kate pulled the whole there's-something-on-your-pants thing."

I sighed. So much for Brayden even thinking that I'm a decent person. I mean, seriously, if I'm not physically balanced, why would he want to take me to the Valentine's dance? No guy would want to take a girl who threw their lunch tray in his face, accident or not.

"The dance is getting big", Gordo stated. "Last period, everybody was talking about it. My calculations conclude that just about everybody who can recieve a date by the Valentine's dance will be going to the dance", he said, rubbing his chin. "Unless of course Kate declares the dance 'uncool' or something like that."

"The dance seems pretty cool, but the whole 'couples only' thing isn't. I mean, what if we can't find a date by the dance? Or worse, what if we can't find a date at all?" Miranda asked, paranoid.

"Miranda, we'll find dates", I said cooly, even though I wasn't so sure I was going to be able to find a date of my own.

"The dance isn't just about getting dates-" Gordo interrupted. Both me and Miranda ignored him, politely. Gordo simply didn't understand how important this was.

"Hey, Lizzie, are you up for a little challenge?" Miranda grinned.

"Sure", I said, my stomach twisting into knots. I knew this 'challenge' was going to involve the dance and dates.

"Whoever can find a date first before the dance gets that new miniskirt from Intuition 101", Miranda said finally.

I gulped. Miranda knew that she could easily score a date before me. She also knew that I had been wanting that skirt for weeks. "Um, sure, okay", I said uneasily.

"Great", she said. "I'm out for both Brayden and Ethan. What about you, Lizzie?"

I could feel my face getting pale. Was she nuts? She knew that I liked Brayden. It was against the bff rule of conduct to try to score a date with your bff's crush. It just wasn't right.

"I'm out for Brayden", I said suddenly. And I wish I hadn't.

"Brayden?" Gordo said, staring at me. "He isn't exactly an Ethan, Lizzie."

"So?" I asked Gordo. "He's really sweet. And hopefully he doesn't hate me now."

Gordo shook his head. "I heard him talking to Larry Tudgeman in studyhall. Yeah, Larry. Shocking. New kids usually have no brains on the first day. Anyway, I heard Larry ask him if he had anyone in mind for the dance. And Brayden said he had never been to a dance before, and girls made him nervous."

Miranda snickered. "So, what, is he gay?"

"Miranda!" I snapped. "You're so immature sometimes."

"Girls make him nervous? Okay. I'm sticking to Ethan", she said, fixing one of the barrettes in her hair.

"You'd be better off just sticking to that air-head", Gordo said, rolling his eyes. "Who knows what this Brayden guy has up his sleeve, Lizzie?"

I didn't look at Gordo. The truth was, I wasn't exactly sure what Gordo had up his sleeve, either.

It was the end of the day, and I was at my locker, as per usual. Miranda had forgotten her social studies homework, so she had to stay a few minutes after class to 'talk' with our teacher. Gordo was nowhere to be seen; he was probably just traveling the halls, or maybe he was stuck in his last period class, too.

I opened my locker, and to my surprise, there a piece of pink and red folded paper on top of one of my textbooks. How had that gotten in here? Picking it up, I unfolded it, and read it carefully. In beautiful script handwriting, it read:

Dear Lizzie,

From the moment I saw you, it was love at first site. Do you believe in love at first site, Lizzie? I really hope you do. I think you are the most beautiful girl here at Hillridge Junior high, and I'd want nothing more this Valentine's Day for you to be my date for the Valentine's Dance.

-Your Secret Valentine

I reread the pink and read heart just about fifteen times. I couldn't believe this. Somebody at Hillridge actually liked me? Somebody actually thought I was beautiful? Somebody actually wanted me to be their date for the dance! Hugging the heart close to my chest, I grabbed my backpack and slung it over my shoulder. I didn't even realize when Gordo tapped me on the shoulder.

"Uh, Lizzie, are you okay?" he asked me. "You look a little dazed."

I shot him a big grin. "Look at this", I told him, giving him the heart. He read it, and he gave it back to me. "I wonder who 'Your Secret Valentine' is", he said simply.

I shot him a look. "Gordo! This is big! I mean, somebody likes me! Somebody wants to take me to the dance! Somebody is like, in love with me!" I nearly shouted at him. "It could be Brayden."

Gordo rolled his eyes. "Lizzie, don't get your hopes up. Brayden's the new guy-I doubt he'd be writing love notes to a girl he doesn't even know", Gordo muttered, walking off.

"Gordo! Gordo, wait!" I cried. Standing there, shocked at Gordo's reaction to the whole situation, I stood there, watching him walk away, fading into the crowd.

Author's Note: I haven't gotten any reviews yet ): Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. Hmm, who could have written Lizzie the valentine? Was it Gordo? Brayden? Or maybe it was someone else. Anyway, keep reading, and PLEASE REVIEW!