Its been a long time, but it is finally finished.
Miranda turned to look at Lizzie. Lizzie, herself, looked rather taken back. She chewed on her lip nervously, before taking a step off of her porch. The two friends now stood in front of each other.
Miranda twisted the bracelet on her wrist.
"Why didn't you just tell me?" Lizzie asked quietly.
Miranda looked down then up at Lizzie. "I don't know. I was scared, I guess. I was afraid to admit how I felt about him. I was afraid of how you would react. Then I found out about he felt and. . .I was afraid. I didn't want to hurt you, Liz."
"Well, you did. You let me make a fool of myself, Miranda."
"I am sorry, Lizzie. I am so sorry," Miranda pleaded.
Lizzie pushed her hair behind her ear with her free hand.
"I'm sorry too."
The girls stood together in silence.
"I am hurt and I am angry. We are supposed to be best friends. If you had just told me you liked Gordo, I would have been supportive. A little hurt yes, and possessive, of course, but all of this would of never had to happened. You and I would be giggling over hair styles instead of standing here right now," Lizzie explained.
"I am so sorry, Lizzie," Miranda apologized.
Lizzie looked down at the dress in her arms. "I know. I am sorry too. I was so mean to you. I said things. I did things. I let my emotions get the better of me. I really need to learn how to control that."
"Yeah," Miranda muttered.
"I just want him to be happy, Ran. I want all of us to be happy. If you two is what makes each other happy, then it is something I am going to have to accept. Gordo is a good guy. He deserves to be happy."
"I love him. He makes me happy. We make each other happy."
Lizzie nodded. "Then, I guess that is all that matters."
"So does this mean. . " Miranda began.
"I need time. I need time to think.. .to.. I need time. But like I said, the important thing is that you two are happy."
Miranda wrapped her arms around the girl in front of her. Lizzie pulled Miranda to her tightly. As the stepped away from the embrace, they shared a smile.
"I'll give you a call in a couple of days," Lizzie said, rustling the gown in her arms.
Miranda took this as her que. "Oh. Right. Give me a call sooner if there are any problems with the dress."
"I will," Lizzie replied. She smiled softly at her friend and climbed up the stairs.
Miranda waved and got into her car. Once in the privacy of her car, she let out the breathe she had been holding since the drama with Lizzie began. They were going to be okay.
xx
Lizzie closed the front door and leaned against it. She too, let out a long held breath. Gordo and Miranda were in love. The thought still left an ugly taste in her mouth, but it didn't bother her quite as much as it had done so. Lizzie mused over the couple as she set her dress out on the bare coffee table.
Miranda had put her heart and soul into the design for Lizzie's dress. Lizzie grinned at the intricate beading on the bodice. Lizzie had wanted to look like Cinderella. She should have known that Miranda would deliver a dress that would be exactly that.
She picked it up from the table and held it against her body. With a grin she twirled around. The gown flew in a rush around her. She laughed.
From the kitchen, Jo McGuire observed her daughter. A smile came to her lips, as she placed the phone to her ear. "Ladies, I think we have progress."
xx
Gordo was running on the track in hopes of running the embarrassment of his morning out of his system. He could not believe his dad. It was apparent that after years of being a shrink, his father had officially lost his mind. There was no other explanation. He turned the volume on his I-pod louder, as other thoughts invaded his mind. Nope, he would not go there, he decided. He closed his eyes and pushed himself to a quicker pace.
His running trance was brought to a short end, as his girlfriend appeared in his line of vision.
Miranda stood at the bottom of the bleachers, with her arms around her. She pulled her green sweater tighter. It was getting rather chilly.
Gordo stopped in front of Miranda, trying to catch his breath. She giggled at his disheveled state.
"Hi."
"Hi."
Miranda leaned over the railing to kiss him. Gordo welcomed the kiss.
"What are you doing here?" he asked as they parted.
"I talked to Lizzie."
"Oh." He wasn't expecting that. "And?"
"We're gonna be okay. She's hurt. And she's angry, but we're going to be okay."
Gordo nodded. "That's good. That is really good."
"Yeah."
Gordo grabbed on to the bar of the bleachers and hoisted himself up to join Miranda.
He pulled her into another kiss, only for it to be interrupted with her giggling.
"We're going to be okay, Dave."
"We're going to be more than okay, Ran," he replied. And with no real reason at all, the couple fell into a fit of laughter.
xx
"Okay! Okay! ONE MORE PICTURE!!" Jo McGuire shouted over the group of teenagers.
Lizzie rolled her eyes at her mom. "Moms!" She muttered to Miranda.
"Tell me about it," Miranda retorted. "Stop fussing, Gordo."
Gordo twisted with the button of his tux. "It's itchy," he complained. Miranda and Lizzie rolled their eyes.
"I am serious, you guys. I want one last picture," Jo demanded. All the other parents hustled their children into position. After a week of silence, Lizzie, Miranda, and Gordo had made peace. Prom plans had quickly resumed including the coordination of the prom gang. Now, in the middle of the Sander's beautiful backyard, the entire main cast and crew of Henrietta the 8th posed for their parents. In the middle of the group, stood Kate and Larry, Ethan and Lizzie, and of course, Miranda and Gordo. Later when the pictures would be develop, the one shot that would be treasured the most would be the final picture. In the last picture, Lizzie, Miranda and Gordo would standing by each other laughing at whatever ridiculous thing Ethan would say, all blissfully happy.