Hey! Before I go any further, I'd like to say thank you to Black Knight 03 for reviewing every single chapter I've posted, and answering all of my questions. Other thanks to I3ittersweet, Lilangel413, and loupylou, who have reviewed many times. Thanks so much!!!
Disclaimer: I've been forgetting these, haven't I? I don't own Lizzie McGuire, or any of its characters. This goes for the whole story including future chapters.
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Chapter 7: Revelations and Realizations
It was the 4th of July, and the Gordons were over at the McGuire's house for a barbecue. It was a perfect summer day. It was beautiful; the sun was beaming down on the McGuire's stunning backyard on the beach. There was a light, refreshing breeze that would blow every so often, making ripples radiate across the evergreen grass.
Sam McGuire was the chef of the day, complete with many and various utensils, and topped with a green 'everybody loves the chef' apron. The hot dogs and hamburgers sizzled on the grill when they were turned over, and the smell wafted though the backyard, beckoning its occupants like a cartoon.
The Sanchez's arrived and the day couldn't have been more perfect. The three toddlers were playing happily in the grass, and Jo's newborn boy was peacefully asleep in a playpen under the protective shade of a tree.
When it got dark, the families grabbed the children, shed their shoes, and ran down to the beach to await the fireworks. The three children stood in a huddle, and the McGuires, Gordons, and Sanchez's stood in couples.
An explosion sounded from up above, and the show began. Miranda heard the noise and began to wail. Her mother ran over to her and carried her over to her husband.
Lizzie and Gordo looked at each other, then up at the sky. It was bursting with color. Beautiful displays of reds, yellows, blues, greens, every color imaginable speckled and splattered across the sky.
Lizzie tapped Gordo and pointed to her parents, who had just shared a small kiss, and were now looking back up at the sky. Gordo looked at his own parents, who did the same, and now had their arms around each other, heads turned towards the heavens.
Lizzie turned to Gordo who was looking at her. Gordo leaned in and gave her a small and quick kiss, then looked at her and laughed. Lizzie laughed too, and the children upturned their heads and watched in utter amazement at the fireworks show above them.
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Lizzie opened her eyes and rolled over.
"Good morning, sunshine," Miranda greeted her.
Lizzie mumbled a muffled, inaudible reply, and closed her eyes again.
"No, no, no, wake up, wake up!" Miranda shook her friend until she was fully awake.
"Ehh," Lizzie stretched and stood up, "'morning Miranda."
"Hey, chica, are you feeling better today?"
"Yeah, I had a dream about him last night, or maybe it was a flashback, I'm not sure."
Lizzie explained every detail of the 'flashback-dream' to Miranda, who smiled and nodded, listening carefully.
"You think about him a lot, don't you?" Miranda asked her friend.
"I do. I always wonder about it. I mean, would we still be friends if they hadn't moved? Would we be the 'three best friends, together forever?'" Lizzie said, and showed Miranda the photo album she had found just nights before.
"I don't know, Liz, I've got an idea, but I'll tell you after breakfast, c'mon."
The girls went downstairs and joined Jo in the kitchen for breakfast.
"Hey mom, did we ever have a barbecue on the 4th of July with the Sanchez's and the Gordons?"
Jo thought about it briefly, then replied, "Yes, your father cooked everything, he was wearing that apron, we still have it," she reached into a drawer and pulled out the hideous apron from Lizzie's dream.
"And when the fireworks started, did Miranda cry?" she threw Miranda a sympathetic look, then turned to her mother to see if her dream was indeed real.
"Yes, I remember now. Miranda, you didn't like the fireworks at all," Jo confirmed.
The girls looked at each other, amazed. They finished their breakfast and rushed upstairs.
"I think you liked him," Miranda said.
Lizzie rolled her eyes.
"Is it even possible to like someone like that when you're that young?"
"Of course, it doesn't matter how old you are," Miranda replied, jumping up and down on Lizzie's bed while Lizzie sat in her bean bag chair.
"But if it was so long ago, why am I still thinking about it now?" Lizzie asked, "I can't still like him!"
"Maybe you can, do you have a boyfriend?" Miranda asked, still jumping on the bed. Ah, the interrogation had begun.
"No," Lizzie retorted.
"Do you have a crush on anyone other than Gordo?"
"I don't have a crush on Gordo."
"Answer the question."
"No, I don't."
"Do your friends have boyfriends?" Miranda stopped jumping to concentrate on her analysis of her friend's love life.
"Yeah, most of them do," Lizzie told her.
"Are you lonely?"
Lizzie looked at her friend, slightly confused. "Am I lonely? No," she answered slowly.
"When was your last boyfriend?"
Lizzie looked down at the ground and shuffled her feet nervously, she looked at Miranda.
"Never. I mean, I've been on a date or two, but it didn't turn into anything. I didn't even kiss them, just a movie, that sort of thing." Lizzie took a breath and looked at her friend.
"So the last guy you kissed was Gordo?"
"Kind of."
"You still like him," Miranda said defiantly, and resumed jumping up and down on Lizzie's bed.
"What?! After over 10 years? That's so not true! It's impossible, and sort of disgusting now that I think about it-"
"Lizzie!" Miranda cut her off, "he's the only guy you've ever kissed, had feelings for, and felt special around. You think about him constantly, and you dream about kissing him. You still like him, and it's not gross at all." Miranda smiled at her friend and searched her face for any sign of agreement or recognition. She found it.
"Wow. I never thought of it like that, I guess you're right," Lizzie chuckled to herself. "So what's your big plan?"
Miranda walked over to the computer and turned it on. She clicked into the internet and typed in a website.
"Here it is. What was his father's name? Howard?"
"Yeah."
Miranda finished typing and hit 'enter.'
Lizzie was looking through her bookshelf when Miranda called her over to the computer.
"Here he is, I found them," the dark-haired girl said.
"What?" Lizzie whispered softly.
"They're right here," Miranda stated calmly, "Howard Gordon. 245 Lakeside Drive, Chicago, Illinois, 60641. 1-951-273-4470. Online phonebook, cool, huh?"
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The next chapter will be up shortly. Please review and tell me what you think. Suggestions are also always appreciated! Thanks ttys!
p.s. I don't own the address or phone number either. hehe.