Chapter 9 – So Much for One Big Happy Family (Ok people please bare with me through these trying times. I have a lot on my plate right now and I'm trying really hard to write as often as I can. I posted my original on but nobody has reviewed it yet. If you would like to read and review it just search for the pen name tormented heart. Or you can just email me or Messege me and i'll give you the link. My grandmother is doing better and she being taken care of now. Emily's grandfather is also improving and it looks like he is going to get to come home soon. Maybe I can finally not have so much drama in my life. My other fan fiction is almost done as I only have the last chapter and the after word to post. I still can't believe I have gotten 170 reviews for it. Ok about this story, fair warning this chapter is not happy so be prepared. I promise I have a method here and it will all make sense in the end. For now please read and review. Back to the story now.

Love and understanding will save us all,

James)

"I just need to understand!? I just need to understand what Mom? That you just to completely screw up our family just so you can indulge in your own selfish desires? I should just understand that my happiness and my life and making sure I'm raised the right way isn't as important as your fling with Gordo's father? I'm sorry but I can't just understand! How dare you! My life is totally messed up now and it's all your fault! Go to hell Mom!" Miranda screamed at her mother on the other end of the McGuire's phone she held next to her ear. Completely fed up, she pushed the end button on the receiver and threw the cordless phone across the room.

Gordo had gone to Matt's room when she had called looking for Miranda. He had gone to the banister when he heard the yelling in the living room. He was starting to walk down the stair when he saw the phone flying across the room.

"You might want to be careful there Miranda. Remember, you don't own anything here. This isn't your house," Gordo reminded her as he joined her in the living room.

"Oh shut up Gordon," she snapped, still fuming.

"Hey what did I do? I've been upstairs the whole time. I was just trying to make a joke. You know, make you laugh." He quickly answered trying not to argue with her.

"I don't wanna laugh right now," she fired back as her body shook with the anger that she was still filled with.

"Well just standing there pissed off isn't going to help anything Miranda. If you let her get to you then you are just letting her win. Why don't we sit down and talk about it?" he suggested desperately trying to get her to calm down.

"I don't wanna talk about it, especially not to you. I want to be angry and pissed off. I can't pretend to happy about this cause I'm not. Everything is not ok Gordo and I don't see how you can sit there and act like it is!" Miranda scorned.

"I'm not pretending that everything is ok Miranda! I know this is all really screwed up and I hate it. I hate the whom, I hate the what, and I hate the how. And I also hate imposing on Lizzie's family like this. It's so unfair for them to get put in the middle of all this crap. Miranda...I know this is hard. It's hard on everybody, but we aren't going to get anywhere if you don't try." He pleaded with her as he desperately tried to keep from losing his temper.

"Why do you always have to be so logical about everything? Why can't you just understand that I'm hurting and I'm bad and right now that's what I wanna be! I swear all you ever do is lecture me and tell me that I'm wrong. Did you ever think that maybe you are wrong and I'm right? Of course not cause you're God. Gordo I swear you think just cause you are smarter than me that makes you better. Even now, our lives are both in shambles and you want to stand there and tell me what I need to be doing. Its like you aren't human." She yelled. As soon as she was done she knew she was wrong. She would be sorry later but for now she was too infuriated to care. Gordo was immediately hurt by her comments and his body language showed it. The emotions that he had been trying to keep in check since she first snapped at him started taking over him. He wanted so badly to not be angry but he wasn't going to let her verbally abuse him.

"What is your problem? Its like I'm talking to a brick wall. I don't know what you think you are doing here but its nothing good is going to come of it. I come down here to try and help and all you want to do is yell and hurl insults at me. News flash Miranda, you're not a drill sergeant and this isn't a boot camp. It's bad enough without you going on a tirade," Gordo started but stopped his own anger rendered him unable to continue. He started pacing and grunting if for no other reason than to give his body something to do other than destroy furniture.

The McGuires had been in the back yard trying to give Miranda privacy while she spoke to her mother on the phone. They decided to come inside when they heard Gordo and Miranda arguing. They made it just in time to hear Gordo yelling about a drill sergeant and boot camp.

"What is going on in here?" Jo demanded.

"She's mad at her mother and now she is taking it out on me," Gordo snapped as he continued his pacing.

"I am not!" Miranda yelled back as she ignored any and all logic.

"Yes you are. I tried to talk to you and all have done is yell and insult me, and now you are lying about it," he responded.

Lizzie, when she heard the hoarseness in her friends' voices, went to the kitchen and made two glasses of water. She had handed one of the glasses to Gordo and was about to give Miranda the other when Jo spoke.

"Miranda you probably did take it out on Gordo sweetie. Why don't you apologize to him and we can talk about it," Jo suggested trying play peacemaker.

"God, everybody is against me. Just leave me alone! All of you!" Miranda screamed as she ran up the stairs and into Lizzie's room slamming the door shut. Gordo threw his now empty glass into the door shattering it.

"Damn it!" he let out as he stormed into the back yard slamming the door behind him.

"Shouldn't you go talk to her?" Sam asked after a few seconds.

"And say what Sam? I'm not her mother. What exactly do you want me to say to her?" she inquired. Sam simply shrugged and motioned for Matt to grab the dustpan as he grabbed the broom and they went to start clean up the broken glass. She then turned her attention to Lizzie. She had not moved since Gordo had destroyed the glass that she had handed him. She now glanced from her room to the back yard. Lizzie knew that both of her friends needed her but she couldn't decide whose side to run to first.

"Mom what do I do?" she questioned hoping her mom would know what to do.

"I don't know Lizzie, I don't know Lizzie," Jo admitted as she fought back a tear.