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Holding On, and Holding Out Chapter 1: Fateful Night

Thoughts raced through her mind as 23-year-old Lizzie McGuire slammed the door to her apartment and collapsed onto the floor. She was so exhausted she couldn't move but at least now she could breath. She waited a few minutes to regain her strength and reached for her phone. Thinking about what had just happened she didn't even know she was calling Miranda until she picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Can you come over? Now?" Lizzie asked franticly.

"Lizzie? What's going on? You sound awful." Lizzie was crying at this point but she didn't care, all she wanted was to talk to someone that she could trust.

"Please, please." Lizzie begged. "And knock twice, ring three times." She hung up before Miranda could reply, but she knew she'd come.

'If only Gordo were back' Lizzie thought 'then this never would have happened.' Gordo went on a trip trying to get a directing job and was being interviewed by a major movie company. He had been gone for two weeks now and Lizzie was really starting to miss him, now more than ever. He had promised to call that night so Lizzie took a shortcut home, then it happened. Sadly she had missed his call, although all he had said was that he missed her and couldn't wait to come home. She had been hoping to hear when he would be returning or if he got the job.
Lizzie and Gordo had moved in together about a year before despite their parents' wishes. But their cohabitation had worked out very well, especially under the watchful eye of Lizzie's father.
As she was wishing Gordo were back she heard 2 knock and three rings at the door. She scrambled to answer it and quickly ushered Miranda into her apartment.

"Okay now are you going to tell me what's going on?"

"Alright, sit down and I'll explain"

Miranda sat down, competly confused and wondering what had happened to Lizzie. She had never seen her friend so upset. Lizzie spoke quickly, not wanting the conversation to be a long one because she knew that would be painful.

"I took a shortcut home because I didn't want to miss Gordo's call, someone raped me and I have no idea who it was."

Miranda was sat in shocked silence after hearing Lizzie speak. Rape, incest, drugs, HIV, AIDS- they were all things she knew existed, but were distant, like something out of a story. She never actually thought they would affect her. Finally accepting what had happened she spoke.

"What are you going to do?" Miranda asked worriedly. Now that the realization of what had happened had set in, and she was worried for her friend.

"I don't know talk to my parents I guess" Lizzie managed to say. She got up and walked towards her door, but her hand froze on the handle. She turned to Miranda sheepishly.

"Will you come with me?" she asked. Still shaken from the recent incident she didn't want to be out on the streets alone.
Miranda got up and drove Lizzie to her parents' house. As she dropped Lizzie off she thought she ought to be a little more careful herself. She checked every corner carefully.