When Lizzie first announced herself to me, I never imagined that she would, in turn, introduce me to all of her friends. If you read her latest blog, she told you a little about them. You’ll get to know them better as their stories come out, but I’ve often thought about sharing some snippets about their younger selves.
I’ve decided to do that here from time to time, starting with my dear friend Lizzie. Enjoy!
“Can you four slow down?” Lizzie shouted at the four younger boys who had, as usual, run ahead of them as they walked to the creek. The sun was warm and bright, and though the water would be chilly for wading, they were all eager to dip their toes in after a particularly harsh winter. “Seriously,” she muttered.
“They’re fine, Lizzie,” her second cousin, Simon Prince, assured her.
“But we’re responsible for them,” she huffed. “And as much as I love Abby here, she’s heavy.”
Simon expelled a heavy sigh. “I’ll take her.” He scooped the two-year-old from Lizzie’s arms and flew her up to his shoulders. She chortled happily, and Lizzie scowled. “What’s wrong, Lizzie?”
“Wrong? Nothing. I’m perfectly fine, Simon and …” She paused when ten-year-old Tessa tugged on her sleeve. “Yes, Tess?”
“Can Kimmy and I go ahead with the boys?”
“Please?” Kim added for good measure.
Lizzie expelled a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes. “Fine. Just … be careful.”
“See what they started?” Lizzie griped.
“The boys are behaving exactly like they always do, Lizzie. And since you usually find their mischief and mayhem amusing as long as we can keep them out of real trouble …” He laid a hand on her arm. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”
Lizzie shrugged. “It’s nothing important.”
“You’re not yourself, Lizzie. So whether you think it’s important or not, maybe you need to talk to someone. And since I’m here …”
Lizzie took a long, deep breath and expelled it slowly. “Junior Prom is a month away and …”
“No date?” Simon asked gently.
“Worse. My date dumped me for someone … better. You know … cuter, skinnier, way more popular. I’m just … God, I hate feeling like such a loser and …”
“And,” Simon prompted.
“She’s one of Laurel’s friends so …”
“So that little witch is hitting you when you’re down. Charming. First of all, whatever this other girl is, there’s no way she’s better than my amazing cousin. You’re sweet, funny, smart …”
“But not pretty,” she croaked. “And it doesn’t count if you say it, ‘cause we’re related.”
“Fair enough. But if it makes you feel better, some of my friends think you’re hot. As for the rest, you’re not a loser, Lizzie, so don’t let a few obnoxious people make you feel like one. My guess is, one day you’ll be the one to be envied.”
“You think?”
“I know. The people who change the world rarely peak in high school.”
“You were popular,” she countered.
“I was … a novelty,” he sighed. “The new kid with the interesting accent got me invited to a few parties, but my real friends were the other kids on the school newspaper. You want my prediction?”
“Are you a psychic now? And here I thought you were going to be a hotshot reporter.”
“You never know what hidden abilities a person might have, Lizzie, or where life might take them. You’re the kind of person that always knows how to make people feel better. That might not feel like much at sixteen, and it may not get you a seat at the popular table but … it’s kind of incredible.”
“Something tells me it’s not going to get me a whole lot of dates,” she mumbled.
“One day you’ll find someone who loves you just as you are, Lizzie, and he won’t care if you’re not a size two or that you weren’t a cheerleader.”
“You think?” she sniffled. “Any chance you could conjure him up in time for prom?”
“Doubtful,” Simon sighed. “But if you need a date, my semester ends the week before so …”
Lizzie rolled her eyes but smiled at him. “You’re sweet to offer but … going to prom with my cousin …”
“Second cousin,” he interrupted.
“Doesn’t matter. Worse than sitting at home, which is what I’ll be doing.”
“Not a chance, cuz,” he grinned. “I see your point, though. So, if I’m not your best option, how would you feel about Jason?”
“Your roommate, Jason? The one that looks like a Greek god?”
Simon laughed. “I’ll keep that bit to myself, or he’ll get a bigger head than he already has! Yes, Jason. He’s going to work as a camp counselor around here for the summer, so he’s coming home with me for orientation. And …” he wiggled his eyes. “He thinks you’re adorable.”
“Fuzzy bunny adorable? Or, you know, hot adorable?”
“What do you think?” he smirked.
“I thought he had a girlfriend?”
“She dumped him over spring break. C’mon, Lizzie. Admit that you’d love walking into your prom on the arms of … what were the words you used … a Greek god. Your friend Laurel won’t know what to say …”
Lizzie grinned. A hot, college man and the thought of Laurel red-faced and at a loss for words was definitely tempting. “On one condition.”
“Name it.”
“We make it a double-date. My friend Heather doesn’t have a date either …”
I’ve decided to do that here from time to time, starting with my dear friend Lizzie. Enjoy!
“Can you four slow down?” Lizzie shouted at the four younger boys who had, as usual, run ahead of them as they walked to the creek. The sun was warm and bright, and though the water would be chilly for wading, they were all eager to dip their toes in after a particularly harsh winter. “Seriously,” she muttered.
“They’re fine, Lizzie,” her second cousin, Simon Prince, assured her.
“But we’re responsible for them,” she huffed. “And as much as I love Abby here, she’s heavy.”
Simon expelled a heavy sigh. “I’ll take her.” He scooped the two-year-old from Lizzie’s arms and flew her up to his shoulders. She chortled happily, and Lizzie scowled. “What’s wrong, Lizzie?”
“Wrong? Nothing. I’m perfectly fine, Simon and …” She paused when ten-year-old Tessa tugged on her sleeve. “Yes, Tess?”
“Can Kimmy and I go ahead with the boys?”
“Please?” Kim added for good measure.
Lizzie expelled a heavy sigh and rolled her eyes. “Fine. Just … be careful.”
“See what they started?” Lizzie griped.
“The boys are behaving exactly like they always do, Lizzie. And since you usually find their mischief and mayhem amusing as long as we can keep them out of real trouble …” He laid a hand on her arm. “You know you can tell me anything, right?”
Lizzie shrugged. “It’s nothing important.”
“You’re not yourself, Lizzie. So whether you think it’s important or not, maybe you need to talk to someone. And since I’m here …”
Lizzie took a long, deep breath and expelled it slowly. “Junior Prom is a month away and …”
“No date?” Simon asked gently.
“Worse. My date dumped me for someone … better. You know … cuter, skinnier, way more popular. I’m just … God, I hate feeling like such a loser and …”
“And,” Simon prompted.
“She’s one of Laurel’s friends so …”
“So that little witch is hitting you when you’re down. Charming. First of all, whatever this other girl is, there’s no way she’s better than my amazing cousin. You’re sweet, funny, smart …”
“But not pretty,” she croaked. “And it doesn’t count if you say it, ‘cause we’re related.”
“Fair enough. But if it makes you feel better, some of my friends think you’re hot. As for the rest, you’re not a loser, Lizzie, so don’t let a few obnoxious people make you feel like one. My guess is, one day you’ll be the one to be envied.”
“You think?”
“I know. The people who change the world rarely peak in high school.”
“You were popular,” she countered.
“I was … a novelty,” he sighed. “The new kid with the interesting accent got me invited to a few parties, but my real friends were the other kids on the school newspaper. You want my prediction?”
“Are you a psychic now? And here I thought you were going to be a hotshot reporter.”
“You never know what hidden abilities a person might have, Lizzie, or where life might take them. You’re the kind of person that always knows how to make people feel better. That might not feel like much at sixteen, and it may not get you a seat at the popular table but … it’s kind of incredible.”
“Something tells me it’s not going to get me a whole lot of dates,” she mumbled.
“One day you’ll find someone who loves you just as you are, Lizzie, and he won’t care if you’re not a size two or that you weren’t a cheerleader.”
“You think?” she sniffled. “Any chance you could conjure him up in time for prom?”
“Doubtful,” Simon sighed. “But if you need a date, my semester ends the week before so …”
Lizzie rolled her eyes but smiled at him. “You’re sweet to offer but … going to prom with my cousin …”
“Second cousin,” he interrupted.
“Doesn’t matter. Worse than sitting at home, which is what I’ll be doing.”
“Not a chance, cuz,” he grinned. “I see your point, though. So, if I’m not your best option, how would you feel about Jason?”
“Your roommate, Jason? The one that looks like a Greek god?”
Simon laughed. “I’ll keep that bit to myself, or he’ll get a bigger head than he already has! Yes, Jason. He’s going to work as a camp counselor around here for the summer, so he’s coming home with me for orientation. And …” he wiggled his eyes. “He thinks you’re adorable.”
“Fuzzy bunny adorable? Or, you know, hot adorable?”
“What do you think?” he smirked.
“I thought he had a girlfriend?”
“She dumped him over spring break. C’mon, Lizzie. Admit that you’d love walking into your prom on the arms of … what were the words you used … a Greek god. Your friend Laurel won’t know what to say …”
Lizzie grinned. A hot, college man and the thought of Laurel red-faced and at a loss for words was definitely tempting. “On one condition.”
“Name it.”
“We make it a double-date. My friend Heather doesn’t have a date either …”
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