Miranda's Journal [Lizzie McGuire] ✔️

Chapter Six

Gordo brought his guilt sickness to his job the next day and it impaired his work ethic. He burnt the first batch of popcorn, flooded the counter with soda, spilled a pile of straws on the floor and dropped six boxes of M&M's. Thankfully, nobody saw his mistakes and he fixed them before anymore could. Re-popping popcorn and picking what spilled onto the floor took longer than expected and by the time he got to wiping the counter, the movie theater opened. Gordo mumbled nonsense words of frustration as he soaked up the soda, while a crowd bombarded the lobby.

"I'd ask for soda, but I think the counter drank it all up," a voice joked.

Gordo stopped wiping to see the face that matched the voice. His frustration disappeared in a second when he discovered the person behind the joke.

"Miranda," Gordo said, smiling. "How did you find me?"

She put her hands on her hips. "Gordo, I've been to this theater thousands of times and I know this is one of your favorite places." Miranda tried keeping a serious face, but a smile broke through. "Plus, I saw you here the other day."

Gordo gasped. "I knew it. I knew I saw someone familiar."

"I can't believe you didn't realize it was me," Miranda said, a little disappointment in her voice.

"Well, it just, with your new hairstyle it's hard to recognize you. I'm sorry."

"No, no I totally get it." Miranda showed him a reassuring smile.

He smiled back. "So you came here to see a movie?" he asked, continuing to wipe the counter.

"No, I came to talk to you again," Miranda said.

Gordo paused, holding the towel in place on the counter. "Really?"

"I've got more to say."

"And I've got more to listen." Gordo tossed the towel down and walked around the counter so he could be closer to Miranda.

"But you've got work," Miranda said.

"I know." Gordo turned around and put his hand up. "Hey Dustin, cover for me?" he asked the guy behind the counter who had just walked in. Dustin have Gordo a thumbs up.

"So what? You're not going to do your job?" Miranda asked.

"I have something more important to do." Gordo stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked past Miranda.

"Oh so you don't want to talk to me anymore?"

Gordo paused and turned around. He flashed a wide grin.

"That's the 'more important' thing I have to do."

Miranda's soft, disappointed face slowly turned into a smile.

"Come on," Gordo said, waving his arms and walking towards the doors.

"Where are we going?" Miranda asked, catching up to him.

"To the park." Gordo pushed the door opened. "Where you can't tell me all about your crush on me in the eighth grade."

"Hey!" Miranda whacked the back of his head, but Gordo knew she was joking; like old times when Miranda used to push and punch him or whack him on the head playfully. Now that she had done it again, it really felt like she'd never left. Maybe everything happened so Gordo could make up for pushing Miranda away in eighth grade; the universe gave him a second chance and Gordo wanted to take it so the trio could rebuild their friendship.

In the car, on their way to Hillridge park, Gordo glanced at Miranda a few times to catch her gazing out the window with a familiar smile he recognized. It was the smile she used when they were hanging together like they did a lot in seventh grade. Thinking about missing that smile for four years made Gordo sigh and not being able to tell Lizzie about Miranda's return got him so frustrated, he slapped the steering wheel. Miranda jumped in the passenger's seat.