It's Only Me

Chapter 2: Stupid Hurtful Small Things

"Sorry you got hooked up with Kate," Lizzie replied sympathetically. Unlike Gordo, she and Miranda had somehow gotten decent partners.

"It's alright guys," Gordo shrugged, as they walked out of the classroom. Sometime during Pratt's droning lectures, he'd finally concluded, that in fact the world was out to get him. After all, it wasn't like this happened by coincidence or anything.

"Don't worry, though," Miranda patted him on the back, "You'll survive. I hope."

Mumbling incoherently, Gordo turned around to find Kate and her "posse" walking down the hallway. It disgusted him really. How superficial Middle School was and how popularity was purely based on what you wore and how you looked. Surely he could push aside his scruples for the sake of one measly report.

As Kate passed them by, he tapped her lightly on the shoulder, "Hey, Kate. When do you want to work on our project?"

She glared at him, flipping her long blonde hair.  He would here her friends twittering in the background.

"Uh, yeah. Whatever," Kate rolled her eyes.

And with that, she sharply turned and walked away; almost smacking him in the face with her hair. Wincing, he glanced back at Lizzie and Miranda.

"Did that make any sense?"

"Nope," Miranda quipped, "but then again nothing ever really does with her."

"I suppose you're right. But sooner or later, I will have to work with her. After all my history grade's at stake."

"Gordo, your grades are just fine. And I'm sure she'll eventually acknowledge your existence. But until then, lets drown our worries in caffeine and bask in the computer's radiation," Lizzie smiled, dragging her friends to the Digital Bean.

*~*~*

Gordo sat pathetically outside the gym. He'd failed miserably at contacting her in the last week or so. And as a last resort, he waited for her at cheerleading practice. For hours, he'd suffered through their mind numbing routines and high-pitched voices.

Leaning against a wall, Gordo began to toss around his hackie sack lost in his own little world.

"What are you doing here?" Her arms were crossed, with a slight frown adorning her face; obviously peeved at his presence. He was beginning to wonder if she did anything but roll her eyes at him.

Gordo stood up with a start. "Er…Kate…"

"If this is about that stupid report then just leave me alone. Report's aren't exactly my forte, ok."

"Well what do you expect me to do? Write it myself and slap both our name's on it?"

"Yeah. Exactly"

"Heck no, Kate. Why do you keep avoiding me anyway? I mean I'm no Ethan Craft. But I am your partner. And anyway you worked just fine with Lizzie last time. What makes me any different?"

Kate sighed. Truthfully, he was different from Lizzie. She and even sometimes Miranda gave her the benefit of a doubt. But Gordo seemed to think she didn't possess the slightest bit of goodness and was the weariest of her. Despite the fact, they were once the best of friends.

She couldn't blame him, anyway. After all she did treat him like dirt. And he was always one to hold grudges.

"Fine, alright. We'll work on that stupid report. But I don't want anyone to see us together."

"Believe me, the feeling's mutual."

"Yeah, whatever."

"Honestly, you'd think your vocabulary would've expanded by 4th grade."

"Just be at the library, ok?"

He watched her stalk off, a dark eyebrow faintly arched. Perhaps he had been too mean to her. But Kate deserved it. Or so he thought. Strangely, out of the three of them, he still hadn't come to terms with Kate's departure.

"And maybe you've still got that crush on her," Gordo quietly trailed off.

Picking up his books, Gordo quickly left the campus. In search of other distractions.

*~*~*

There will be actual romance soon I promise. Lol. Just wanted to establish the characters and all that first.

Thanks to sodasgurl, whaza, mistress of the universe and sparkling blade for their reviews. I appreciated them. And I'm glad I wasn't the only one waiting around for a K/G fic…