Disclaimer: I do not own Lizzie McGuire or anything pertaining to Lizzie McGuire except my own writing.
"I hope they show the one where the zombies wake up, take over the radio station, and play bad disco music," Lizzie was telling Miranda, a hand moving to her hip as the girls grabbed their drinks from the bar.
"Or the one where those newlyweds realize that their honeymoon is actually a horrormoon," Miranda added.
Lizzie grinned. "This Scary Movie Marathon rocks."
"Gordo doesn't know what he's missing," Miranda agreed with a nod. "He must like his dad a lot cuz he didn't seem too bummed to have to spend some time bonding with him."
"Last time me and my dad 'bonded,' I got stung by a bee. Twice!"
"Oh, yeah? The last time my dad and I bonded, I almost broke my toe," Miranda said. "Yep. I totally think it's safer getting scared out of our brains than staying home."
Just as they were about to turn and head back to their table, Miranda stopped dead in her tracks, her mouth opening wide. Lizzie didn't see what Miranda was ogling until the latter managed to say, eyes wide, "Um, correct me if I'm wrong, but are Gordo's dad and Brooke Baker the same person?"
Lizzie, sipping her drink, pulled the straw from her mouth to frown, her head tilted in confusion. "Huh?"
Miranda took Lizzie by the shoulders and turned her to face what Miranda was staring toward. Seeing only deepened her confusion. Because there, at a small table, was Gordo with Brooke Baker. Just like Miranda had said.
"He and his dad must've rescheduled," Lizzie assured Miranda. "He obviously came here looking for us." This was mostly in an attempt to convince herself.
"He doesn't look like he's looking for us," Miranda said bluntly. "He looks like he's on a—" She shuddered. "I can't even say it."
"Say what?' Lizzie said, sharper than she meant to.
"Look at them! Private table, away from the crowd, sitting close. Gordo even looks like he brushed his hair."
"So?" Lizzie retorted.
"So?" Miranda echoed disbelievingly.
"Oh, please!" Lizzie forced herself to laugh. "You don't think they're on a date or something, do you?" Miranda, already quite certain that that was exactly the situation, did not say a word. "No way! It's Gordo remember? We're his best friends; he would've mentioned it. Come on. Let's go get him." Miranda sipped her smoothie and began to head over to the table after Lizzie, but just as she did, the girls saw something even worse than Gordo on a date—
Gordo kissing Brooke Baker on the lips.
Miranda spat out her mango smoothie; Lizzie blanched. Gordo and Brooke were so caught up in each other's faces that they didn't even notice the spit take.
"Or—maybe we should go," Lizzie amended, her nose scrunched in disgust and nerves.
"Gordo just kissed someone," Miranda said, shocked. "I'm not sure, but I think I just lost my appetite."
The girls scurried from the Digital Bean, both feeling sick to their stomachs, Miranda from disgust and shock, and Lizzie… well, from something she couldn't quite identify. But it didn't feel any good.
Before school on Monday, Lizzie sat at the table in her kitchen and frowned down at her oatmeal. She slopped it around dejectedly more than actually eating it. He can't have a girlfriend. Brooke Baker? This had to be a joke.
"Here's your lunch, sweetie," Jo said, setting Lizzie's lunch in front of her with a smile. Lizzie lifted her cheek slightly from her fist and muttered, trying to sound bright, "Thanks, Mom." Needless to say, her attempt at sounding bright fell through.
"I cut off the crusts," Jo added, sensing there was something off with her daughter. "The way you like."
Lizzie nodded, trying to smile. "Great." Another dud.
"And I put an extra snack in their too," Jo persisted.
"Great," Lizzie repeated, her tone forced. She wasn't in the mood. Jo dropped her façade and asked, "Okay. What happened?"
Well. Gordo lied, went on a date, then kissed a girl without mentioning any of it to me! But Lizzie did not say any of this. She stared at the hot cereal on her spoon and then glanced at her mom. "Nothing. Really."
Nothing?" Mrs. McGuire echoed unsurely.
"Mm," Lizzie barely managed, not at all convincing, and dropped her eyes back to her cereal.
"Everything's okay at school? With your friends?" Lizzie wanted to just spill everything about Gordo and Brooke and the stupid kiss and how she felt—or rather, that she had no idea what she felt—but did nothing of the sort. Instead, she again told her mother that everything was perfectly fine. Lizzie smiled brightly at Jo, but the fake smile disappeared as soon as she passed her by. She stuffed her lunch into her school bag and headed out, not able to stay any longer without spilling her nauseous guts.
It was a lab day for Lizzie's science class, and they would be dissecting an octopus. Usually, doing something like this wouldn't be a problem because Gordo, her partner, would be there to make it interesting…ish. But not today.
Gordo carried over the octopus, dangling it over a tray. "So how was the Scary Movie Marathon?" he asked her.
As he set it down she replied without much creativity, thinking of the previous night's events, "Scary." She and Miranda had skipped it, having felt sick enough. She opened her mouth to admit what they'd actually seen, but stopped. Now definitely wasn't the time.
"Hm. My dad and I got home too late to watch it," Gordo said, beginning the experiment.
She looked at him. "Really," she said, removing her safety glasses and setting them on the table. "What'd you end up doing instead?"
"Uh, we went to a book signing," he said, glancing at her with a nod. "The guy who wrote it spent six months walking across the Himalayas. He started out with nothing but a pair of shoes and a candy bar."
How could he lie to her face so easily? And the worst part was, if she hadn't known better… she would have believed him. Had he lied before? How many times had he lied before now?
"Sounds interesting," Lizzie said, her eyes focused dully on the octopus. A girl in their class, Julie, dropped a note in front of Gordo, and when he unfolded it, he glanced back at the table at which Brooke was seated with her friends, one of whom was Kate's Claire. When Lizzie followed Gordo's gaze she wanted to scream. She managed to ask, "Who's it from?" though she already knew.
"Uh, Lizzie, you seem to have everything under control," Gordo ignored her, already on his feet. "I'll be right back."
He went to move past her and she grabbed his arm. "Gordo! You cannot just leave me with this… dead octopus!"
He picked it up, causing Lizzie to cringe away from him, and said, "Look, all you've gotta do is keep slicing. Don't worry if you make a mistake—there's seven more legs." He set it in her rubber-gloved hand and headed over to Brooke, much to Lizzie's dismay. "Gordo! Gordo, you're my lab partner; you cannot just leave me here!" She had to look away from the slimy sea creature, gagging. Maybe her being sickened wasn't completely due to the octopus.
Lizzie described to Miranda what had happened on the walk to lunch. "He walked away from a science project?" Miranda clarified, dismayed.
"After he got a note," Lizzie added.
"Gordo got a note?"
Lizzie frowned. "And he still hasn't mentioned his date from the other night." Miranda shook her head and pressed her lips together. Upon entering the lunchroom Lizzie wrapped her arms around her middle. "I'm not hungry," she said, working to keep her voice light. "Octopus and all that. I'll just get our table."
Miranda eyed her curiously. "I'll get you some fries, anyway."
Lizzie nodded her thanks and headed outside, wishing her insides would rearrange back to normal. All weekend they'd been screwed up and this morning's class had not helped in the least.
Gordo fell into step beside her and greeted her with a "Hey," as though nothing could be wrong.
"Hey," she muttered.
"Uh, okay." He gave her an inquiring look. "Is Miranda around?"
Of course, he couldn't just want my company right? "Yeah. She's getting her lunch."
"You aren't eating?" Gordo asked, pulling out the chair across from her.
"No. Not feeling it today."
Gordo shrugged just as Miranda came over. She dropped her tray onto the table and stared at him. "Hey. I just wanted to tell you guys something, if that's okay."
"We actually already know," Miranda informed him.
"Know…?" Gordo trailed off.
"About you. Having a girlfriend." He lifted his eyebrows. "Lizzie and I kinda saw you guys together at the Digital Bean the other day. And also, everyone's been talking about you two. You're like, an official item."
"Oh. Well… cool then. And I can't eat lunch with you guys today," Gordo said, standing up. "I told Brooke I'd help her with her homework." Lizzie scowled at her clenched fist resting on the table, unable to force words out of her mouth. Luckily, Miranda had not lost that ability.
"Why? Can't she do it herself?" Gordo looked at Miranda like she'd grown two more heads. "I'm just saying; I mean it seems kinda weird you know that she's suddenly so into you, you helping her with science and 'tutoring'—"
Gordo shook his head in offense. "Is it so hard to believe that a girl like Brooke could actually like me?" Lizzie wanted to scream again.
"Of course not, Gordo, that isn't what I meant…"
Gordo again shook his head. "I have to go. See you guys later." He looked at Lizzie for a moment, searching, but she refused to look up and meet his gaze. Only once he had gone did Lizzie lift her head.
"Thanks for the backup, Lizzie!" Miranda whisper-yelled.
"Sorry I don't like fighting with my best friend," Lizzie snapped back. Miranda rolled her eyes. Could this day get any worse?
"Has he called yet?" Lizzie asked Miranda, lying flat on her bed. She'd gotten home, waited an hour, then called Miranda for an update.
"Nope," Miranda told her dejectedly. "You?"
Lizzie shook her head, then, remembering Miranda couldn't see her, voiced, "No. He must be upset with us."
"Great. Well, what're we supposed to do?"
Lizzie let out a breath. "I don't know. This is the longest I've gone without talking to him." She turned onto her side as Miranda inquired, "How long did it last the last time?"
"Well, it was third grade, when he squashed my brownie." She turned red. "So until the bus ride home," she concluded lamely.
"Ugh. This is awful. He hates us and won't even call to tell us!"
"Well, you did accuse his… Brooke of using him for his brain," Lizzie reminded her. Sure, she had thought the same thing, but come on.
"As if I could forget. I was just trying to look out for him! Maybe you could try calling him?"
Lizzie sat up. "Why me?"
"I hate to say this, but you've been friends with him longer than me. Maybe he'll listen to you?"
"And what am I supposed to say? 'Miranda didn't mean it'?"
"Of course not. That would be a lie. Just… I don't know, Lizzie, just try and talk to him. Call me back, okay?" Miranda hung up and Lizzie was left frozen, holding the phone in her hand. She stared at it with annoyance and threw it down onto her bed as she stood to make for the stairs. "Mom!"
"Yes?" Jo replied from the kitchen.
Lizzie walked in to see her mother stirring a pot of soup. "Mom, I'm gonna go to Gordo's, okay? I need to talk to him."
Jo looked at her. "Does it have somethin' to do with your behavior this morning?"
"Something like that. I'll be back soon though."
Lizzie knocked on the door to the Gordon household, feeling oddly anxious. Mrs. Gordon answered the door and smiled at Lizzie in welcome. "Hello, Lizzie. What brings you here today? Where's Miranda?"
Lizzie tried to smile. "Oh… She couldn't come. I just… wanted to say hey to Gordo."
"Of course, come on in, sweetie." She moved aside to allow Lizzie to enter. Lizzie moved slowly up the staircase to the second floor, her insides twisting with each step up. She knocked on Gordo's door softly, then more firmly.
"Yeah, come in."
When Lizzie opened his door and Gordo saw her for the first time, he clearly wasn't expecting it. "Hey," she said.
"Hey," he responded, seeming unsure.
"Um… How's it going?" she continued.
Gordo nodded, tapping his pencil against his homework. "It's alright…"
"Great. Um…" Gordo stood then, awkward; she had been feeling the same since her arrival. "How's Brooke?"
"Are you sure you guys care?" Gordo asked. Lizzie opened her mouth to protest, but Gordo shook his head. "Don't, Lizzie. Miranda obviously sent you to clear things up."
"Gordo, come on. She was just worried about you."
Gordo leaned against his desk. "Maybe. But she could've come herself."
"She didn't think you'd talk to her."
"As if." Gordo snorted.
Lizzie bit her lip, fiddling with her hands. "Are… are you mad at me?"
"No." He looked at her, surprised. "Why would I be? Sure, I was disappointed at lunch when you didn't say anything…" Lizzie flushed. "…but you seemed upset. I wanted to see what was wrong, but Brooke… That's when I realized… I realized I missed you guys. I was just too peeved at Miranda to call you guys or anything. I broke up with her. Brooke."
Lizzie's eyes moved up to his face. "E–excuse me?"
He nodded. "Yeah. I just… I guess… I didn't have much time for myself, and I know relationships are about compromise and all that, but she didn't give me much room you know?"
"Yeah… I don't do that, do I?"
Gordo laughed. "Definitely not. You're cool."
Red crept up Lizzie's cheeks and she looked down. "Good."
Gordo cleared his throat. "Did you… need anything else? Not that you have to leave—um…"
What to say? You having a girlfriend made me want to throw up? I was… jealous…? Jealous that it wasn't me? Her face must have dropped, because he stepped forward, his hand gentle against her arm. "Hey. What's up?"
"Nothing. I'm fine." She turned away, rubbing her arm where he'd touched. "I've gotta go. I told my mom I wouldn't be gone long."
"Sure. Um, Lizzie?" he spoke as she opened his door. She looked at him. "What was wrong earlier today, during lunch?"
She breathed out. "I was just… sort of upset because of science."
Gordo nodded in understanding. "Yeah, sorry I ditched you," he apologized sincerely.
Me too. "Yeah."
"That it?"
No! "Yeah. That's it. I'll see you, then?"
Gordo stuffed his hands into his pockets. "'Course. See you, Liz."
She nodded and reopened the door, then glanced back over her shoulder to see Gordo, who hadn't moved. He ran his hand through his hair, realizing then that she hadn't left. He looked at her curiously. Before she could change her mind, Lizzie hugged him close, something she hadn't done in a long time. He held her tightly, comforting as he always had been, and she let her head rest on his shoulder for a couple seconds before awareness that it must be awkward set in and she released him. His hands slipped down to her waist as she backed away.
"See you tomorrow?" she said. And she hurried out of his room and down the stairs.
"Yeah," he murmured to his empty room. "Tomorrow."