chapter 13: an evening in Paris
"Did you ask Zack yet?" Gordo asked Lizzie during lunch in the outside seating.
Lizzie stirred around her spaghetti with a plastic fork. She swallowed the noodles in her mouth and said, "I mean, I don't think it's necessary since were already a thing."
Gordo looked down at his slice of Hawaiian pizza, but his stomach lost appetite and he met Lizzie's eyes again. "Aren't you the one who romanticizes everything?"
Gordo picked at the crust, his eyebrows squished and his mouth a straight line.
"I know, but I like it when the guy makes the first gesture."
He arched a brow. "Isn't that a bit old fashion?"
Lizzie shrugged before taking a swig of soda.
"Or are you just too scared to ask a guy?" Gordo almost smirked, but he changed his mind last minute. Though the feeling of smirking at her was on his mind still.
"As if you're any less scared," Lizzie shot back.
Gordo's appetite rushed back and he started to devour the pizza. "No. There's just no one good to ask."
Okay, that was lie, sort of. Lizzie was the only person he ever considered asking to a dance but of obviously he lost his chance. And it's not like he could have asked if she wasn't with Zack because it was girls ask boys. Gordo had scarfed down the whole pizza and he moved on to his giant cookie.
Lizzie dabbed her lips with a napkin and then she crumpled it into a ball. "Did you consider what I said?" she asked. "At the Dgital Bean?"
Gordo shook his head as he bit a chunk of the of the cookie. "Nah."
"I think you should."
Gordo moved the cookie away from his face. "Why?"
Lizzie didn't say anything but she gestured behind Gordo and he twisted his neck to see. About a yard away, next to the statue of Hillridge's old Principal, Miranda was talking to Ethan. He noticed her eyes were flirty and tinkly and she was sharing the smile she gave Gordo the night before to Ethan.
"And your point is?" Gordo said when he faced Lizzie again.
"Miranda told me she might ask Ethan to the Spring Formal."
Gordo's stomach lost appetite again and it felt like someone ripped out his heart. He stared at Miranda and Ethan again, unable to remove his eyes off of them. She was giggling, extra loud but he couldn't tell what Ethan was saying that made her laugh so much. He actually looked like he wasn't saying anything. Miranda took a step forward, making the gap between them much smaller. She touched his arm gently and Gordo winced. If what Lizzie said was true and she really was asking Ethan, then what was last night all about? All that "everything you need was right here? She seemed adamant being his date so her changing her mind and asking Ethan felt like betrayal. Maybe all that she'd told him was just a ruse to make him feel better.
Gordo turned around, his face hard and stiff. "Whatever," he grumbled. "She can go with whoever she wants. I'm not going anyway."
He shoved the lunch tray aside, putting his arms on the table and then resting his chin on them.
Lizzie dropped her hands under the table. "Gordo, I know you're trying not to care, but it's not working."
"I don't care." His eyebrows squiggled down even more and he tilted his head, looking the opposite direction of Miranda and Ethan.
Lizzie pursed her lips. "Gordo, come on. I know you really wanted to take her."
His eyes fixed on another table where a group of three friends, one boy and two girls, much like Gordo, Lizzie and Miranda, were laughing hysterically about who knows what. Their happiness and joy made Gordo nauseated. Did he really sound like that with Lizzie and Miranda? He felt sorry for all his peers having to witness that.
He looked away from the group and replied, "Not anymore."
"I could not go with Zack and the three of us could go together like usual?" Lizzie offered. "I'm sure Zack would understand. He's nice like that."
"I don't want to go okay?" Gordo projected his voice across the table and it made Lizzie jolt. He scooped up his lunch tray and trash and hurried off inside, having to speed walk past Ethan and Miranda.
With fifteen minutes of lunch left, Gordo grabbed a book and took it the stairs by the water fountain. He sat on the third step, resting the book on his knees. He had read twenty pages when he heard sniffling coming from the left hallway. Gordo closed the book and moved towards the sound he knew was Miranda.
He found her with her head leaned against the railing. Her eyes were closed and visibly wet; her face strained with hurt.
"What happened Miranda?" Gordo asked. "Are you okay?"
He stepped close to the stairs, his shoes touching the bottom step.
Miranda quickly lifted her head and wiped her eyes with a whip of the hands. She sniffed before answering, "I'm fine Gordo."
"Oh?" Gordo slid next to her on the stairs, shoulders touching. "Cause it doesn't look like you're fine."
"I'm fine Gordo. Just leave me alone?" Miranda didn't meet his eyes, instead she faced the wall and Gordo knew she was masking her frown.
"Miranda? Remember what you told me yesterday?" Gordo said. "It goes both ways you know. Now tell me what happened?"
She just sighed. "Ethan rejected me."
Miranda's emotions transferred to Gordo as he felt his stomach and heart drop. She'd looked so happy and confident outside when he saw her with Ethan. "Wow um— Miranda I'm— Miranda, I'm so sorry."
"Just don't okay?" Miranda said. "It was stupid of me to try. Of course Kate got to him first. She always does."
Miranda stood and Gordo watched her disappear around the corner of the hallway.
Gordo didn't speak much to Miranda the rest of the school day. She was so distant and solemn throughout the classes they shared and he knew she was still hung up on Ethan and the rejection. He wanted so badly to take her pain away like she had done for him before.
On the bus ride home, Gordo recounted the conversation he had with Lizzie at the Digital Bean and the more he thought about it, the more he was persuaded to ask Miranda to the Spring Formal.
So after dinner, when his parents were off in their offices, Gordo rode his bike to Miranda's house wearing a white button up with a black tie. He rung the doorbell as he held a rose he'd plucked from his neighbor's garden. He stood awkwardly for a while, waiting for someone to answer, namely Miranda, but when it was her dad, he felt he wasn't prepared.
"David, what are you doing here dressed up like that?" Mr. Sanchez smiled warmly at him and Gordo could see Miranda's dad's eyes squinting through his glasses.
"Is Miranda around?"
"Yes she's upstairs, I'll go get her." Mr. Sanchez turned around.
"Mija! David's here!"
A few seconds later, Miranda appeared bouncing down the stairs wearing sweats and a tank top that hugged her figure. She had her head down the whole way, but when she looked up, her eyes grew.
"Hey." Gordo smiled.
Rightfully so, Miranda's dad left them alone, to which Gordo stepped fully into the house.
"What are you doing?" Miranda asked, hugging her chest with folded arms. She looked confused, but also a bit irritated like he'd interrupted something important.
"I came to ask you something," Gordo told her. The rose in his hand jittered as his hand uncontrollably shook.
"Please don't tell me you're asking me to the Spring Formal."
Gordo lowered the rose. "Oh. How did you know?"
Miranda gestured at his outfit and Gordo looked down.
"Yeah, I guess I gave it away easily. But if you don't want to go that's okay. I just figured I'd ask you since you seemed like you really wanted to go and I wanted to do something to show I care about you, because I really do and—"
"Gordo!" Miranda grinned as she interrupted him.
"What?"
Gordo popped his eyes and his heart thumped. He thought she was mad at him again.
Miranda stepped closer and took the rose out of his hand. She brought the flower to her nose and inhaled it. Opening her eyes, she grinned sweetly. "Gordo, I'd love to go with you."
His face brightened. "You would?"
She just nodded, her eyes sparkled and were a bit damp from what Gordo could tell. Suddenly, he was engulfed by Miranda with such force, he lost his balance for a moment. When he regained, Gordo covered her back with his arms and squeezed her so tight, he couldn't breath.
When Friday came, the night of the big dance, Gordo fussed around on what he should wear. He aggressively flipped through his clothes and all he saw were brown suit type jackets that were old and to be honest, ugly. The dance was supposed to be fancy and elegant. If he came with Miranda in a drab, faded jacket while she wore an extravagant dress, he'd get laughed right out of the gym. The thing was, all he had was that drab jacket.
The only option was to ask his dad if he could borrow something of his and that made Gordo's heart feel like it would burst. He hadn't talked much to either of his parents after the incident at breakfast. He'd been secluding himself as much as possible in his room and only went out for food. But he was desperate for something to wear for the dance and there was no time to shop given the dance started in one hour.
Gordo went to his parents room where they were surprisingly together, sitting on the bed both reading. His mom looked up first when he walked in.
"Hey sweetie." She smiled that smile that always made Gordo relieve his anxiety. "What do you need?"
Gordo scratched his neck. "I need something to wear for the dance."
"Dance?" His dad looked up, holding his spot in the book with a thumb. "What dance?"
Gordo looked at him like it should have been obvious, when in reality, he'd never mentioned a dance to them. "The Spring Formal."
"When's that?" asked his mom.
"Tonight."
"Tonight? How come you didn't tell me? We could have gone shopping together."
"I'm sorry."
Gordo shifted his eyes around the room and then continued, "Can I borrow one of your nice jackets dad?"
"Okay? But it'll be big on you." His dad stated.
"Whatever I don't care, I need something now."
Mrs. Gordo glanced at her husband for a moment. "Go ahead David."
His dad mumbled irritated words of nonsense before giving his attention back to the book. Then Gordo went to the closet to shift through his dad's clothes.
Gordo's mom happily agreed to take him to Miranda's house and to Gordo's dread, she brought her camera for "tons of photos." She waited in the car first, parked in front of the Sanchez's while Gordo stood on the steps with a white rose. It only took one set of knocks for someone to answer.
"David," greeted Mrs. Sanchez. "You look so handsome."
Gordo blushed. "Thanks Daniella. Is Miranda ready?"
"She'll be down in a minute, she's just touching up her makeup."
Gordo smiled, then he noticed a figure appearing behind Mrs. Sanchez, stepping down the stairs. Gordo tilted his body to peer around Mrs. Sanchez. Miranda showed up wearing the most stunning and elegant dress he'd ever seen on someone. It came about knee length, was light shade of blue and showed a bit of her shoulders.
The sight of her took his breath away and his words that he stood there in the doorway, dissociating and lost in his mind.
"Ready to go Gordo?" Miranda had said.
He blinked. "Huh? Go where?"
"Uh, the dance...?"
Gordo perked "Oh right! The dance. Yeah I'm ready."
What the hell is wrong with me?
Gordo grinned extra wide to hide the sudden case of nerves that had come upon him. He stuck his arm out, bent at the elbow for Miranda to link arms with. As they started towards the door, Mrs. Sanchez stopped them in their tracks.
"Wait you two, we need a photo first."
"Oh my gosh! How could we forget?" Mrs. Gordon squealed.
"Come on Gordo," Miranda said, dragging Gordo along towards the stairs.
Mrs. Sanchez and Mrs. Gordon whipped out their cameras and waved their hands to guide Gordo to squish in closer to Miranda at the front of the steps. He shuffled up to her. Not knowing where to put his arms, Gordo stuck them at his side. But then Miranda grabbed his arm that was next to her side and placed it around her waist. His fingers dug into her dress and he felt her skin through the fabric. His arm twitched as he looked at the camera and smiled.
"Aren't they absolutely adorable?" Gordo's mom gushed to Miranda's mom.
"I know right? What a cute looking pair."
Gordo rolled his eyes. "Mommm."
His mom turned her head. "What?"
Miranda smirked. "You're making him blush."
Gordo smacked her arm. "I'm not!"
Both mothers laughed together.
"Alright you two, we better get going," said Mrs. Sanchez.
The Hillridge gymnasium was decorated from floor to ceiling with elegant pink and white roses with tinkly lights and a giant backdrop of the Eiffel Tower. When Gordo and Miranda walked in, students already crowded the gym and music upbeat filled the room.
A slow, violin driven song came on and Zack pulled Lizzie away from the punch table and towards the middle of the floor. Gordo tapped his foot as he watched them snuggle up close, Lizzie's head almost buried in the crook of Zack's neck. Although he was speaking to Lizzie again, he still had a hard time seeing them all lovey-dovey.
"Come on," Gordo said, yanking Miranda towards the crowd of dancers. "Let's dance."
"Okay...?" Miranda grinned.
Gordo placed his hands on her waist like he'd learnt in gym glass and Miranda placed a hand on his shoulder. But the whole time they were dancing, Gordo stared at Zack and Lizzie.
"I hate to say this, but Kate did a good job with the decorations? Didn't she?" Miranda said.
Her words went past his head as he was staring at Lizzie and Zack. Their heads were gradually growing closer, until their lips touched.
"Gordo? Are you listening to me?" Miranda said.
He turned his head back at Miranda, deeply looking into her innocent eyes.
"Gordo?"
Gordo grabbed her face, pulling her in and smushed his lips against her. Miranda had her eyes open due to the shock, but soon closed them when she decided to kiss him back. Feeling suddenly embarrassed and regretful, Gordo pulled his head back and bit his lip.
"Wow um... wow," Miranda said breathlessly. "That was unexpected."
Gordo scratched his neck and in a low voice he said, "Sorry. It won't happen again."
Throughout the night, Gordo made excuses to spend as little as possible with Miranda. He needed to "use" the bathroom two times, fill up on punch three and talk to Larry four times. Thinking Miranda was off dancing with someone else, he took a seat on the bleachers on the top row, looking down upon all the twinkly lights and elegantly dressed students. He took a swig of punch that he'd brought with him, before leaning back against the wall and sighing. Lizzie's face glowed brighter than the lights in the gym; she looked truly happy with Zack. And he wasn't being fair to Lizzie; secretly still being jealous when he told her he was happy that she was happy.
There suddenly was a presence Gordo felt next to him like a ghost sneaking up on you. He knew who it had to be, but he didn't turn his head.
"Are you having a good time?" Gordo sipped the punch slowly.
"Considering my date ditched me?" Miranda looked down in her cup. "No."
Gordo dropped his hands, holding the cup between his legs. "If you want to leave, I understand." He first peered at her out of the corner of his eye, and then, as if it was safe, he fully turned his head and made full eye contact on her.
Miranda sighed. "Gordo, I don't want to leave. I came here to have fun." She faced him. "I came here to be with you."
"I'm sorry Miranda. I think I just need to be alone right now."
"Is this still about Lizzie and Zack?" Miranda shook her head.
"No. It not. I just need to be alone." Gordo huffed, stomping down the bleachers.
"Unbelievable," Miranda growled.
Gordo ran out of the gym, shoving the door hard against his chest. After catching his breath, he walked down the halls with no real destination. He had one thing on his mind.
He kissed his best friend Miranda Sanchez. It was spontaneous, awkward, and pure impulse do to jealous. Yet somehow, Gordo enjoyed it.