{At the hospital, Lizzie is sitting in the waiting area, with her school books, talking to Audrey}

Lizzie:  "Well, who cares about the Louisiana Purchase anyway. Thomas Jefferson should have whipped out his plastic and charged the whole darn thing."

Audrey:  "I must say, Elizabeth, you throw the most entertaining tantrums of any teenager I've ever known, what's the cause of this one?"

Lizzie:  "What else, homework."

Audrey:  "Well, a lot of things made me moody when I was your age but not the Louisiana Purchase. {She sits down beside her} Come one, tell me what's really bothering you."

Lizzie:  "Okay, you know what's coming up this weekend?"

Audrey:  "Valentine's Day."

Lizzie:  "Well, for most people, but for me it's going to be February the 14th."

Audrey:  "Ah, this wouldn't have anything to do with your date for the school dance?"

Lizzie:  "What date? The dance is tomorrow night and so far I'm going with the invisible man."

Audrey:  "Well, what about Lucky?"

Lizzie:  "What about him?"

Audrey:  "Well, the two of you are friends, you enjoy each other's company, I thought that he might--"

Lizzie:  {Laughing} "He might ask me to the dance?  Lucky loves Sarah, everybody loves Sarah. {Rolling her eyes} God, even I'm starting to like her a little." {She gets up and puts her books in her backpack}

Audrey:  "Hmm, it's been known to happen between sisters."

Lizzie:  "Yeah, well, who wouldn't like her? I mean, she's perfect, she's pretty. It's like living with the Statue of Liberty."

Audrey:  "She has a lot of fine qualities but so do you. "

Lizzie:  "Okay, name one."

Audrey:  "You have a very wonderful creative sense of humor, but I think you know that."

Lizzie: {Coming back and sitting down} "It gets me through the day."

Audrey:  "Mm-hmm.  That’s what you use if for now, but later you will appreciate it for its own sake."

Lizzie:  "What else?"

Audrey:  "You have very little patience for things that don't matter to you.  But when something does matter, your determination is amazing. Do you know I remember the exact day you announced at breakfast that you were going to quit smoking.  I remember because there hasn't been a cigarette butt anywhere near the house since."
.
Lizzie:  "Great, so I'm funny and my sweaters don't smell like a cheap cigar.  But that's nowhere near being perfect like Sarah or you."

Audrey:   "Me, oh please, hardly."

Lizzie:  "Oh, sure you are.  I mean you always know what to say, you always know what to do. Nothing makes you freak, and believe me, I've tried."

Audrey: {Laughing} "Oh, that just comes from experience, and not all of it very pleasant.  Actually, when I was young I was really more like you than Sarah."

Lizzie:  "No way."

Audrey:  "Oh, yes, yes, yes.  I wanted everything so badly, I felt everything so strongly I made myself so miserable. Sometimes I'd like to go back to that earlier Audrey and tell her what I've learned now.  That the world then was good and I wasn't so awful myself.  But I really didn't understand that until I met the best friend of my life.  He stood by me until I saw in myself what he saw the very first time we met."

Lizzie:  "Gramps."

Audrey:  "That's right."

Lizzie:  "Well, I hope I meet someone like that someday."

Audrey:  "Oh I hope you do, too. But that only happens once in a lifetime.  Oh, I hope it doesn't take that long for you to find the goodness in you.  Now, a date, on the other hand, will be much easier to pull off.  Now tell me, has Lucky asked Sarah to the dance?"

Lizzie:   "Oh, no.  Please, everybody in school knows that Sarah is going steady with Nikolas. But secretly, I mean."

Audrey:  "Mm-hmm.  Well maybe now is the time for that determination of yours.  Why don't you suggest to Lucky that the two of you go together?"

Lizzie:  "Excuse me, Gram but the last time I checked, I was the girl and he was the guy."

Audrey:  "Well that's one bit of nonsense from my youth that your generation has wisely disposed of."

Lizzie:  "Yeah, well, so I hear."

Audrey:  "Come on.  You don't have to get down on one knee, just be casual. But not coy. Know what you want and then say it.  It's much better that way."

Lizzie:  "Yeah, I guess I can do that, I mean I guess this is one of those things that really matters to me."

Audrey:  "Good." {Audrey hugs a determined Lizzie}
 
 
 
 

{At Kelly's, Lucky is standing behind the counter filling containers when he looks up and sees Lizzie}

Lucky:  "You been watching me this whole time?"

Lizzie: {Walking over} "Yeah. I'm waiting for the part where you pour the ketchup from the almost empty bottles into the less empty bottles."

Lucky:  "Anything for a thrill, huh?"

Lizzie: {Sitting down at the counter} "Hey, it's the highlight of my day."

Lucky:  "You know, I'm starting to get the idea that Port Charles has been a little,  what's the word, dull? "

Lizzie:  "Dull would have been an improvement. How was your trip?"

Lucky:  "Duller."

Lizzie:  "Well then, welcome back."

Lucky:  {Laughing} "Thanks." {He goes over to a table and starts clearing it}

Lizzie:  {Watching him, she gets up to face him} "So, are you going to go to that dance tomorrow night?"

Lucky:  "You know, I just got in this morning. I forgot about it. Are you going?"

Lizzie:  "Oh. I don't know. I was thinking about it. You know, just for laughs."

Lucky:  "Yeah."

Lizzie:  "But I don't want to get hit on by the pity patrol, you know? I mean, if I wanted to dance with those dorks, I would have asked them out myself, right?"

Lucky:  "I know what you mean. Well, I might go."

Lizzie:  "Oh?"

Lucky:  "Well, what else is there to do on a Friday night around here, you know?" {He walks around her to the counter}

Lizzie:  "Nothing much. {Turning around and trying to be casual}  Hey! Well, you know, why don't you and I meet each other there? I mean, we don't have to do anything, we can just hang out for the night. Besides, then people will see us together and they'd leave us alone, right?"

Lucky:  "That sounds cool."

Lizzie:  "Yeah?"

Lucky:  "Mm hmm."

Lizzie:  "Oh. Ok cool. Well then I guess I'll see you tomorrow night."

Lucky:  "Sure."

Lizzie:  "Great. Look for me, I'll be the one in the dress." {He laughs and she gets up and leaves, turning back at the door and smiling before continuing out}

 


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