author's note: thanks to you guys for the reviews, keep them coming! hope you like this next chapter, it doesn't have much action in it, but a lot of reflection and thoughts, i guess. the next few should be a little more exciting. i have my last exam on tuesday and so then after that school's over and i'm out for the summer and i'll have some time to write. i've been working on a few other fics as well as this one, just haven't gotten around to posting anything, i guess. i'll be updating this one more regularly over the summer, i think. sorry this chapter took so long! i swear, i've been working on it for the past four days...
Gordo's words echoed through Lizzie's mind. "I think I fell in love with this amazing, wonderful, beautiful, sweet girl. She's perfect in every way." Lizzie sighed, blinking back tears as she'd listened to Gordo speak those words, as she watched the expression on Gordo's face. She'd never seen him look that way, she'd never seen his eyes shine that bright, she'd never seen him truly in love, but she knew he was.
And it wasn't with her. More than anything, Lizzie wanted her best friend to be in love with her. Because she was in love with him, her best friend. Lizzie had never loved anyone more.
Lizzie's mind flashed back to that morning, right after Gordo had told her.
Gordo had also been at home, thinking about the day after it had happened.
Lizzie stared at Gordo, blankly, wishing that words, any words, would come out of her mouth. She was speechless. Her best friend, in love with someone? Lizzie's thoughts didn't even dart to the people that it could be, she only knew that it wasn't her. Gordo wouldn't have told her about the girl if it was Lizzie. It had to be some other girl. Lizzie wished it wasn't that way.
Gordo searched Lizzie's face, waiting for a response from her. He wondered why she looked so upset. Anger, sadness, the realization of betrayal, flashed across her beautiful features. Was it something he'd said? Gordo wanted to tell Lizzie everything, wanted to tell Lizzie that he was in love, that he'd been in love for years. Gordo wanted Lizzie to know it all. She was his best friend, after all. She had been for almost his whole entire life. Gordo wanted Lizzie to know that it was her. Gordo wanted Lizzie to know that he was in love with her.
He thought that when he told her, by some freak of nature, Lizzie would just know that he was in love with her. Who else could it have been, anyways? He thought back to yesterday, when he'd held her hand. Maybe Lizzie had forgotten that little detail, that Gordo had actually held her hand. Didn't she ever see the glances Gordo would take at her when he thought she wasn't looking? He wondered how she couldn't see the love in his eyes that he held for her and no one else.
Yet Lizzie's face was downcast, and tears glistened in her pretty brown eyes. She quickly stood up, silently, and walked away from Gordo slowly. She hadn't said anything at all.
Lizzie's mind was racing. "Perfect in every way," he'd said. It wasn't her, it wasn't her. Who was she kidding? Gordo didn't think she was perfect. She was only his best friend, cute but clumsy and silly Lizzie McGuire, friends since before they could even talk. She knew her best friend wouldn't think of her as amazing, wonderful, beautiful, and sweet. It wasn't her.
She should have known that sooner or later, some girl would discover how wonderful and amazing her Gordo was, and fall in love with him as well, taking her Gordo away from her forever. She thought about the girl Gordo had been talking about, and wondered if the girl knew how great Gordo was, if the girl was in love with Gordo like he loved her.
A tear fell from Lizzie's eyes, and she ran towards the entrance of the park, leaving Gordo standing alone, a puzzled and heartbroken look on his face. Gordo didn't run after her, knowing that Lizzie didn't need him to or want him to at all. Lizzie, never having turned around, didn't see the confused, heartbroken, sad expression that had crossed Gordo's face.
Alone at the park, he'd been walking around for hours. He fed the ducks by himself, chucking the chunks of stale bread at the birds, hoping that somehow that would take away the intense pain he felt in his heart. The longing he held for his best friend to see him as more than just her best friend.
He remembered the look in her eyes when he'd told her he was in love with a girl. Hurt. Anger. Sadness. Jealousy? She didn't realize that it was her Gordo was talking about. Or maybe she did, and she just didn't want to admit it. And Gordo was too scared to tell her, too scared of what expression her face might take if she knew her best friend had fallen in love with her. He could only imagine her reaction. She'd be scared, confused, wouldn't know what to do or say. Everything would be awkward between them. He'd have to live with her avoiding him, with her worrying about what to say around him. He never wanted her to feel weird about being aorund him.
While Gordo was walking around in the park alone, which he had been hoping he'd do with Lizzie, Lizzie was standing at the entrance to the park, and sitting on the pavement, waiting for her mother to come and pick her up. Jo had come and driven Lizzie home, and when Gordo reached the parking lot several hours later, there was no sign of almost anyone there.
He'd driven home, speeding, but he didn't care. All that mattered in his life, all that had mattered for the past few years, was Lizzie. And now that he'd had that kind of reaction from her, he wasn't sure what he wanted out of this. He knew she didn't feel the same, somehow, he just knew.
Flashing back to the present time, Gordo stared at the phone beside him in his dark bedroom. He was sprawled on the bed and had been thinking for a few hours and it was now night time. He contemplated phoning Lizzie, but decided that he couldn't.
He picked up the phone and listened to the blank dial tone, wishing there was someone he could call. Suddenly, he saw a picture of him and his two best friends. His eyes flashed over to Lizzie and he sighed in pain at the smile on her face. She was so beautiful when she smiled.
Then, his eyes caught the other girl in the picture. Miranda Sanchez, the other best friend. Gordo had the idea to call Miranda. Maybe somehow, she'd know what to tell him. She'd know what he had to do. Gordo picked up the piece of paper on his desk that had Miranda's phone number in Mexico written on it.
The line was busy. Gordo sighed, and hung up. This really wasn't his day.
Miranda's line was busy because Miranda was already on the phone with Lizzie, consoling her. "Lizzie, maybe this means you and Gordo are really only meant to be friends. Maybe you two wouldn't work out anyways. You should be thankful that you're not losing a best friend here."
"But Miranda, I am. He's in love with another girl, which means I won't matter to him as much as I used to. What ever happened to him liking me, like you said he did?" Lizzie said, pausing briefly every few seconds to sniffle.
Miranda smiled knowingly. "Are you so convinced that he wasn't talking about you, Lizzie? Maybe Gordo thinks you're everything that he said this girl is. You should have gone further, asked him to tell you about the girl. Maybe he would have revealed that he was talking about you."
"Miranda, you're just getting my hopes up. I could see the look in his eyes, he doesn't look at me like that. He's never looked at me like that, we're only friends and why did I ever think we could be anything more?"
The smile didn't leave Miranda Sanchez's pretty face.
She'd seen Gordo looking at Lizzie the way Lizzie wanted to be looked at by Gordo, when Gordo didn't think Lizzie or Miranda was watching. She'd seen how much Gordo loved Lizzie. Gordo would do anything to be with Lizzie. Gordo would do anything for Lizzie. And Miranda knew it.
Miranda bit her tongue, trying to keep herself from telling Lizzie Gordo's true feelings. After all, Miranda wasn't supposed to know that Gordo loved Lizzie. It would be better if Gordo told her he loved her himself. Which was what he'd been trying to do earlier today, Miranda figured. Lizzie had just gotten the wrong idea.
"Listen, Lizzie, I'm sorry I can't talk longer but I have to go. I have a missed call." Miranda said a quick farewell to her best friend and hung up, checking her phone to see who'd called while she was on the phone with Lizzie.
With an excited smile, Miranda called the number that had called while she was talking to Lizzie.
"Hello?" A familiar male voice answered the phone. Miranda smiled. She hadn't talked to him since she left for Mexico, and she hadn't realized how much she missed him.
"Hey, Gordo!" Miranda exclaimed. "I noticed that you called me. I was on the phone with someone else, sorry."
Gordo sighed. "It's alright, Miranda."
"I talked to Lizzie, Gordo."
Gordo blinked slowly, silent.
"Gordo, I don't know what to tell you. There is one thing I could tell you, but I'm not sure that you'd follow my advice. There's one thing you can do, one thing you have to do."
He sighed. "And what might that be?"
"Gordo, you have to tell Lizzie you love her."
Gordo's words echoed through Lizzie's mind. "I think I fell in love with this amazing, wonderful, beautiful, sweet girl. She's perfect in every way." Lizzie sighed, blinking back tears as she'd listened to Gordo speak those words, as she watched the expression on Gordo's face. She'd never seen him look that way, she'd never seen his eyes shine that bright, she'd never seen him truly in love, but she knew he was.
And it wasn't with her. More than anything, Lizzie wanted her best friend to be in love with her. Because she was in love with him, her best friend. Lizzie had never loved anyone more.
Lizzie's mind flashed back to that morning, right after Gordo had told her.
Gordo had also been at home, thinking about the day after it had happened.
Lizzie stared at Gordo, blankly, wishing that words, any words, would come out of her mouth. She was speechless. Her best friend, in love with someone? Lizzie's thoughts didn't even dart to the people that it could be, she only knew that it wasn't her. Gordo wouldn't have told her about the girl if it was Lizzie. It had to be some other girl. Lizzie wished it wasn't that way.
Gordo searched Lizzie's face, waiting for a response from her. He wondered why she looked so upset. Anger, sadness, the realization of betrayal, flashed across her beautiful features. Was it something he'd said? Gordo wanted to tell Lizzie everything, wanted to tell Lizzie that he was in love, that he'd been in love for years. Gordo wanted Lizzie to know it all. She was his best friend, after all. She had been for almost his whole entire life. Gordo wanted Lizzie to know that it was her. Gordo wanted Lizzie to know that he was in love with her.
He thought that when he told her, by some freak of nature, Lizzie would just know that he was in love with her. Who else could it have been, anyways? He thought back to yesterday, when he'd held her hand. Maybe Lizzie had forgotten that little detail, that Gordo had actually held her hand. Didn't she ever see the glances Gordo would take at her when he thought she wasn't looking? He wondered how she couldn't see the love in his eyes that he held for her and no one else.
Yet Lizzie's face was downcast, and tears glistened in her pretty brown eyes. She quickly stood up, silently, and walked away from Gordo slowly. She hadn't said anything at all.
Lizzie's mind was racing. "Perfect in every way," he'd said. It wasn't her, it wasn't her. Who was she kidding? Gordo didn't think she was perfect. She was only his best friend, cute but clumsy and silly Lizzie McGuire, friends since before they could even talk. She knew her best friend wouldn't think of her as amazing, wonderful, beautiful, and sweet. It wasn't her.
She should have known that sooner or later, some girl would discover how wonderful and amazing her Gordo was, and fall in love with him as well, taking her Gordo away from her forever. She thought about the girl Gordo had been talking about, and wondered if the girl knew how great Gordo was, if the girl was in love with Gordo like he loved her.
A tear fell from Lizzie's eyes, and she ran towards the entrance of the park, leaving Gordo standing alone, a puzzled and heartbroken look on his face. Gordo didn't run after her, knowing that Lizzie didn't need him to or want him to at all. Lizzie, never having turned around, didn't see the confused, heartbroken, sad expression that had crossed Gordo's face.
Alone at the park, he'd been walking around for hours. He fed the ducks by himself, chucking the chunks of stale bread at the birds, hoping that somehow that would take away the intense pain he felt in his heart. The longing he held for his best friend to see him as more than just her best friend.
He remembered the look in her eyes when he'd told her he was in love with a girl. Hurt. Anger. Sadness. Jealousy? She didn't realize that it was her Gordo was talking about. Or maybe she did, and she just didn't want to admit it. And Gordo was too scared to tell her, too scared of what expression her face might take if she knew her best friend had fallen in love with her. He could only imagine her reaction. She'd be scared, confused, wouldn't know what to do or say. Everything would be awkward between them. He'd have to live with her avoiding him, with her worrying about what to say around him. He never wanted her to feel weird about being aorund him.
While Gordo was walking around in the park alone, which he had been hoping he'd do with Lizzie, Lizzie was standing at the entrance to the park, and sitting on the pavement, waiting for her mother to come and pick her up. Jo had come and driven Lizzie home, and when Gordo reached the parking lot several hours later, there was no sign of almost anyone there.
He'd driven home, speeding, but he didn't care. All that mattered in his life, all that had mattered for the past few years, was Lizzie. And now that he'd had that kind of reaction from her, he wasn't sure what he wanted out of this. He knew she didn't feel the same, somehow, he just knew.
Flashing back to the present time, Gordo stared at the phone beside him in his dark bedroom. He was sprawled on the bed and had been thinking for a few hours and it was now night time. He contemplated phoning Lizzie, but decided that he couldn't.
He picked up the phone and listened to the blank dial tone, wishing there was someone he could call. Suddenly, he saw a picture of him and his two best friends. His eyes flashed over to Lizzie and he sighed in pain at the smile on her face. She was so beautiful when she smiled.
Then, his eyes caught the other girl in the picture. Miranda Sanchez, the other best friend. Gordo had the idea to call Miranda. Maybe somehow, she'd know what to tell him. She'd know what he had to do. Gordo picked up the piece of paper on his desk that had Miranda's phone number in Mexico written on it.
The line was busy. Gordo sighed, and hung up. This really wasn't his day.
Miranda's line was busy because Miranda was already on the phone with Lizzie, consoling her. "Lizzie, maybe this means you and Gordo are really only meant to be friends. Maybe you two wouldn't work out anyways. You should be thankful that you're not losing a best friend here."
"But Miranda, I am. He's in love with another girl, which means I won't matter to him as much as I used to. What ever happened to him liking me, like you said he did?" Lizzie said, pausing briefly every few seconds to sniffle.
Miranda smiled knowingly. "Are you so convinced that he wasn't talking about you, Lizzie? Maybe Gordo thinks you're everything that he said this girl is. You should have gone further, asked him to tell you about the girl. Maybe he would have revealed that he was talking about you."
"Miranda, you're just getting my hopes up. I could see the look in his eyes, he doesn't look at me like that. He's never looked at me like that, we're only friends and why did I ever think we could be anything more?"
The smile didn't leave Miranda Sanchez's pretty face.
She'd seen Gordo looking at Lizzie the way Lizzie wanted to be looked at by Gordo, when Gordo didn't think Lizzie or Miranda was watching. She'd seen how much Gordo loved Lizzie. Gordo would do anything to be with Lizzie. Gordo would do anything for Lizzie. And Miranda knew it.
Miranda bit her tongue, trying to keep herself from telling Lizzie Gordo's true feelings. After all, Miranda wasn't supposed to know that Gordo loved Lizzie. It would be better if Gordo told her he loved her himself. Which was what he'd been trying to do earlier today, Miranda figured. Lizzie had just gotten the wrong idea.
"Listen, Lizzie, I'm sorry I can't talk longer but I have to go. I have a missed call." Miranda said a quick farewell to her best friend and hung up, checking her phone to see who'd called while she was on the phone with Lizzie.
With an excited smile, Miranda called the number that had called while she was talking to Lizzie.
"Hello?" A familiar male voice answered the phone. Miranda smiled. She hadn't talked to him since she left for Mexico, and she hadn't realized how much she missed him.
"Hey, Gordo!" Miranda exclaimed. "I noticed that you called me. I was on the phone with someone else, sorry."
Gordo sighed. "It's alright, Miranda."
"I talked to Lizzie, Gordo."
Gordo blinked slowly, silent.
"Gordo, I don't know what to tell you. There is one thing I could tell you, but I'm not sure that you'd follow my advice. There's one thing you can do, one thing you have to do."
He sighed. "And what might that be?"
"Gordo, you have to tell Lizzie you love her."