Lizzie sat on the couch waiting for Gordo to pick her up. She was wearing a baby blue halter and black hip huggers. The baby blue tennis shoes she was wearing wear new. She had curled her hair and the blonde curls flowed over her shoulders.
The doorbell rang and Lizzie ran to open the door checking her make up briefly in the mirror. She flung open the door to find Gordo, as expected, standing there. He smiled at her. "HI" he said almost shyly.
"Hi" Lizzie said back. She looked him up and down. Blue jeans toped with a green polo shirt. His hair was curly and all over the place. Lizzie tried hard not to laugh. Same old Gordo. "Mom I'm going out!" Lizzie shouted and walked out of the door shutting it behind her.
"Come on" Gordo said "We don't want to miss the buss."
Lizzie nodded.
About two hours later they were back at Lizzie's house. Gordo had been a little quiet. Lizzie chattered on about the movie and school. But Gordo sensed that she was keeping up small talk so that they wouldn't touch on what had happened in the past couple of weeks or so. Or maybe on what happening this very night. Sure they had gone to the movies before but with Miranda or some one else there. Tonight it was different. Gordo wondered if Lizzie knew. Oh of course she new but how much of it. Or maybe she was too preoccupied with her own thoughts about other things to be worried about something so trivial as his feelings. The sat down on the bench on Lizzie's porch and fell quiet.
"Is it a full moon?" Lizzie asked finally.
"I think so" Gordo said looking at the large yellow circle in the sky.
Lizzie nodded. She looked up at the moon dreamily.
"What are you thinking about?" Gordo asked.
Lizzie smiled lightly. "Just everything. I'm so confused. All my feeling are all messed up you know."
Gordo looked at her for a minute fighting with himself. 'Are you thinking about…him?"
"You mean Paolo?"
Gordo nodded.
"I guess…"
Gordo sighed but Lizzie didn't seem to notice.
"I mean he's a big reason for why I am so messed up."
"Lizzie I need to tell you something" Gordo looking at her a little desperately.
"What is it?" Lizzie asked taking her eyes off of the star speckled sky and bringing her eyes down to look at Gordo.
"You…Lizzie you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen!"
"Gordo…" Lizzie started.
"Lizzie I love you" Gordo gushed and then leaned in and kissed her. For a split second Lizzie started to kiss back but then her body tensed and she pulled away.
"Gordo no I can't" she started frantically getting up.
"Lizzie…" Gordo started desperately even though he wasn't even sure what he was going to say.
"I...I...I'll see you later" Lizzie stammered and ran into the house. Gordo sat there confused, embarrassed, and upset.
Lizzie slammed the door behind her. Her head was spinning. She was about to run upstairs when she noticed her parents standing there, watching her.
"Mom? Dad? Is something wrong?" Lizzie asked coming off of the last step but still keeping her had on the rail.
"Lizzie we need to talk to you" her dad said.
"Oh" Lizzie said feeling butterflies in her stomach as she approached her parents.
"Lizzie where is Miranda" Jo, her mother, asked.
"Huh?"
"Lizzie Miranda's mother just called. She said Miranda left for her cousins house the other night but when she called Miranda's aunt said that Miranda never came or was suppose to come. Do you know where she wet? She took some of her things."
Lizzie didn't know what to do. At last she fell on the couch crying. "It's ok Lizzie" Jo told her" But you have to tell us."
"Miranda asked me not to tell" Lizzie sobbed.
"Lizzie" Sam explained" This is serious.
"I know" Lizzie said "I don't know exactly where she went all I know is that she went to Rome."
" Texas?" Sam asked dumbly.
"No dad! Rome, Italy!"
"Lizzie do you know why she went there?"
Lizzie couldn't bring herself to say more. She just shook her head silently.
"Ok Lizzie if she cals you try to find out exactly where she is."
"Ok mom ok!" Lizzie cried. She jumped off the couch and ran o her room.
Lizzie plopped down on her bead. She picked up the phone and dialed Miranda's cell phone number. "We are sorry this number is disconnected or out of service…" The robot voice spoke steadily from the receiver. "Damn" Lizzie muttered slamming down the phone. She stared blankly at the opposite wall carelessly wiping tears that fell down her cheeks with the back of her hand.