A/N: Ignore the fact that it's been over a year and enjoy the chapter! I wrote most of this 11 months ago, so if its awkward, I'm sorry.

Disclaimer: I do not own Lizzie McGuire

Now, we are going to have a little time shift and advance forward a month into January

Chapter Eleven

"I wish it would snow," Lizzie thought to herself out loud as she and Gordo studied for their exams in his room.

"Well, that'd be some sort of a miracle," he said, not looking up from his books, "It never snows here."

Lizzie sighed, "Gordo, you are ruining my hopes for a snow day on Monday, so the exams will be delayed."

"Lizzie, you know this stuff."

"That still doesn't mean I want to take the test."

"Yeah" Gordo said, rolling his eyes, "But sometimes you are just going to have to grin and bare it."

"Oh, shut up Mr. Harvard!" Lizzie said, playfully, throwing a pillow at him.

"Lizzie! Come on! It's not that hard. You have what? Two exams to take? You have it easy. At least you aren't like Matt who has five exams."

"Yeah, but all of us had to go through that."

"Yeah, but you've made it past that and you know how to study for these things."

Lizzie sighed, "You're weird. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, but you are future Mrs. Weird," Gordo said, throwing the pillow back at her.

"Ha!" Lizzie said, "That's what you think! Little do you know about my secret love affair with Hugh Jackman."

"Hugh Jackman? Isn't he forty or something?"

Lizzie rolled her eyes, "Well, I AM eighteen."

"Fine," Gordo said, going along with it, "keep this secret love affair, but just you wait and see how long it lasts after I bedazzle you with my charm tonight."

"What charm is that?"

"The charm," he said, pulling her to him so her back was leaning against his chest on the floor, "that makes me irresistible."

Lizzie smiled before leaning and sharing a kiss with her beloved Gordo, "You really are irresistible."

"I know. Now are you going to break up with Hugh Jackman or what?"

Lizzie smiled and playfully shoved his arm, "You should have graduated when you had the chance."

"Ouch, that hurt."

Lizzie grinned and sat back up and pulled her book closer to her, "Okay, calculus," she said.

"Gee, that's romantic," Gordo commented.

"Who said studying had to be romantic?"

Gordo shrugged and smiled at Lizzie, "I don't know. I guess I figured since my parents aren't home and all…"

"Gordo do yourself a favor and don't finish that sentence," Lizzie rolled her eyes.

"Okay, fine. All I was trying to say was that we've been going out for four months and I think maybe we should at least talk about the idea of taking our relationship a little further."

"Right now?" Lizzie said, raising her eyebrow and looking at Gordo.

Gordo looked around, "What? I thought we could use a break from studying."

Lizzie took a deep breath. She wanted this conversation, too, and she was glad that she wasn't the one that had to initiate it, "Okay, fine. Let's talk about sex, then."

Gordo was a little taken aback by her bluntness, but went along with it, "Okay, well, I like to think of what will happen with us is more like making love, but…"

Lizzie blushed, "Oh, okay. I didn't realize we were going to talk about it so explicitly towards us."

"How else would we talk about it?"

Lizzie shrugged, "I don't know. I've never had this conversation before."

"Neither have I!"

"Okay, okay, fine. Gordo, I'm going to have to be really honest with you on this one and say that I don't think I am quite ready to take that big of a step."

"That's good to know," Gordo said, "then you will probably be glad to hear that I'm not ready for sex either. As much as I love you, I don't want to rush into anything with you."

"Good," Lizzie said, glad to know that we are on the same page. She started turning back to her books because frankly, this felt a little awkward.

"However, since we've talked about getting married, and sex is something married people do, I think we should at least establish what we personally feel about it all. That way, when the time comes that I am ready, I will know if its okay with you."

Lizzie faced him again and tilted her head, "How…responsible of you, Gordo."

Gordo shrugged, "What can I say? If you hang around girls enough and think enough about it, you realize that you want it to be a good experience for both people."

Lizzie looked at Gordo confused, "You've thought about having sex with me?"

Gordo blushed and then Lizzie did, realizing what she was insinuating, "Um, well, yeah," Gordo said, nodding his head, "I think about it sometimes."

Still blushing, Lizzie laughed and looked down, "Actually, I think about the exact same thing…a lot."

"You do?" Gordo asked, grinning. Boy, this conversation was getting awkward.

"It's biological, though," Lizzie explained, "Thinking about sharing something that special with someone so special is natural."

"Yeah," Gordo said, gazing into Lizzie's eyes. He suddenly snapped out of the gaze, feeling uncomfortable, "So, anyway, now that it's settled, we can get back to work."

Lizzie laughed, "Now that what's settled?"

Yeah, Gordo thought, what exactly did they just settle? "That…we…have…boundaries."

Lizzie was confused, "What are those boundaries, exactly?"

Gordo shrugged, "What do you think they should be?"

"I don't know," Lizzie said, admittedly hating to have this conversation. She'd never imagined feeling so uncomfortable, especially with Gordo, "Maybe when things start to feel uncomfortable for one of us, we should develop some sort of word to let the other person know…like boat or something."

Gordo raised his eyebrow, "Boat? What's wrong with 'stop'?"

"I don't know," Lizzie said, "Stop just sounds so…cliché and so demanding. Another word just sounds nicer."

"Okay, You've either been reading too many magazines or you've been watching way too much Dr. Phil."

Lizzie shrugged, "Okay, fine. You're the one that brought it up."

Just then, Lizzie's cell phone rang and Lizzie jumped and then went to answer it.

"Lizzie?" Miranda said once Lizzie answered. The phone was static.

"Yeah?" Lizzie asked.

"Are you with Gordo?"

"He's right here, Miranda. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Listen, will you do me a favor?"

"Sure," Lizzie said, "what?"

"If my mom calls and asked where I am, can you cover for me?"

This was so unlike Miranda, "What?"

"Just do it. I'm not doing anything illegal, I just don't want her to panic. I'm in the city right now and we're snowed in."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll be back tomorrow. Please do this for me?"

Lizzie sighed, "Yeah, okay. I'll tell her you are with us."

"Thank you so much," Miranda said. The phone was getting too static, so they hung up before Lizzie could get any more details.

Lizzie hoped her friend was okay.

888

Miranda Sanchez knew she wasn't stupid to be falling for someone online. Sure, her friends were going to give her a hard time and her parents would kill her, but she knew before she met Josh Long that she would like him. She'd met through a friend online three months ago and had finally met him face to face that day.

Miranda had already decided she wasn't going to tell anyone about him. If they did end up developing a meaningful relationship, Miranda would eventually tell the truth. Not the complete truth, but one that would satisfy everyone else.