Yesterday was a good day for Gordo. Not only had he ridden the
"digital confession," but he had gotten the chance to
spend the afternoon alone with Lizzie.
Miranda had unexpected doctor's appointment. Seems that her
doctor had an opening, pushed up his four o'clock to
three-fifteen, and since Miranda's mom had scheduled her
appointment for the next day's four o'clock, since that
was the only time she could take Miranda in, that day's four
was open.
It was complicated for Lizzie and Gordo to understand from
Miranda's mouth but it eventually settled into their
thinking system.
So Lizzie and Gordo got the chance to hang out together at the
Digital Bean. Unbeknownst to young McGuire, Gordo was secretly
thrilled to hear her babble on about the latest gossip spreading
through school. Though he could go without the top sordid affairs
of the week, as long as it was being spoken by Lizzie, she could
have been speaking Latin and he would still listen attentively!
It was now, in Gordo's complete blissful opinion, a
beautiful Tuesday! The sun was smiling and streaking into the
school. The hall way was filled with the optimistic chatter of
her fellow classmates, and Lizzie was standing right in front of
her locker in all her angelic beauty! He just stood there at the
end of the hall, just watching her. Watching her smile, her laugh
in amusement over one of Miranda's many anecdotes. Things
couldn't get any better
"Hello, Romeo."
Then again
Gordo turned around, meeting face to face with a sneering Kate
Sanders. His smile faltered, causing a sigh to escape. He forced
himself to at least give her a small smile, after all, they used
to be good friends. "Hey, Kate."
She looked at him, that smirk still on her young face. Gordo
noticed that Claire wasn't by Kate's immediate side. He
regarded Sanders carefully, wondering why she was looking at him
that way.
"What?"
Kate looked at him, then her eyes strayed onto McGuire. With the
smirk still on her face, "You're in love with her,
aren't you?"
Gordo felt his pulse clamp up cold. She can't know! She
couldn't know! Kate no way can she know! She
doesn't know what's she's talking about does
she?! Forcing the lump down, and feigning to act cool and
nonchalant, "Excuse me?" He searched her eyes, wanting
to find comfort in knowing that she was joking. Even attempted to
search for the old Kate he used to care about only to find
something more—disturbing.
Inside her eyes flashed emotions of anger, jealousy,
disdain sadness? Regret? Gordo blinked, confused by the
last two emotions he witnessed.
Not saying another word, letting her action speak louder than her
words, Kate shot out the tape. She held it within her talons,
refusing to let go. Sneering, "Quite an interesting movie I
saw last night, y'know." Waving the video in front of
Gordo's now stunned eyes, "See, it's about this
pathetic boy who tried to be courageous and admit to the girl of
his dreams that he was in love with her unfortunately, in
the end he became a coward and totally chickened out."
Gordo reacted by attempting to snatch the tape from Kate. Kate,
however, was too fast. She pulled back, quickly placing the tape
firmly within her hand bag. She waggled her finger, as if
scolding poor Gordo. "Uh-uh-uh. I haven't rewound the
movie yet. Guess I'll just have to rent it for another
night"
"Where'd you get that tape?" Gordo snapped, not
caring who stops to stare at his outburst towards Miss Popular
Kate Sanders.
"Doesn't matter now, does it, David?"
"It's Gordo to you, Kate." He growled, feeling the
undeniable urge to soon lash out at her.
"No I don't think so, David." She
challengingly met his gaze, refusing to back down. Deep inside of
her, Kate felt guilt growing over how she was treating Gordo.
However, her hurt was more powerful and in control of all her
words and actions now.
Her once kind and sweet smile now twisted. It was still
beautiful, but more like the Morning Star beautiful than angelic
and pure. "I wonder if Lizzie would want to rent this film
as well? Especially if she knew of the plot line involved?"
Gordo could feel the fear mix in with his rage over his
situation. He continued his stare on Kate, trying to read her
exact thoughts like he used to. Unfortunately, her mixed emotions
blocked her inner soul. Practically gritting his teeth,
"What do you want with me, Kate? Why are you doing this to
me?"
"I actually like the first question better than the second.
So I'll just answer that one, okay?"
"You're going to blackmail me, aren't you?"
Pretending to be wounded by his words, "Oh, David. Blackmail
is such a an ugly word. I like to think that I'm
getting something in exchange for my silence of your dirty little
secret."
Gordo fell silent, considering his tactics on how to escape
Kate's impending clutches. A thought came to him as he dared
her, "You're bluffing. You wouldn't really show
Lizzie that tape."
The smile that formed on Kate's face caused Gordo's
offense to deteriorate. She knew that he was going to challenge
her threat. With no hesitation, Kate began to stride her way down
the hall, towards Lizzie and Miranda.
"Oh, Lizzie! Have I got a movie for you to see!" She
didn't get as far as three feet before Gordo grabbed
Kate's arm and forcefully pulled her to the side.
His anger and paranoia caused his physical strength to gain
power. He grasped into her flesh, practically shoving her into
the nearest empty classroom. Gordo nearly threw her to the floor,
but Kate was as quick and agile as a feline.
Gordo's blue eyes flashed dangerously at Kate. "What
are you trying to do to me, Kate?! Ruin my life?!"
Still holding that proud smile of hers, "Not yet
anyway I just want to have some fun first."
Lizzie had been watching the far away exchange between Kate and
Gordo. She was certainly confused over it, as was Miranda.
"What's going on over there, Miranda?" Lizzie
didn't like the look on Kate's high and mighty face.
Her eyes were stuck on Gordo, almost as if they were laughing and
mocking him. Knowing that, Lizzie felt anger boil within her.
"I don't know," Miranda also regarded Kate and
Gordo. "But whatever it is, looks like it's pretty
serious."
Suddenly, they watched as Kate called out to her. "Hey,
Lizzie! Have I got a movie for you to see!"
What stunned her even more was Gordo's reaction to
Kate's outburst. Lizzie watched in total bafflement as Gordo
violently grabbed Kate's arm and practically shove her into
the classroom. Shutting the door behind them.
"Oh my God, did you see that?" Miranda exclaimed, her
jaw dropped in complete amazement.
"Something's not right, Miranda. I have a very bad
feeling about this." Lizzie spoke, feeling this
unexplainable knot form inside her.
"Wait a minute! Wait a damn minute! You want me to
what?!" Gordo cried, totally shock beyond comprehension. The
words were hitting him, but the meaning wasn't really in
sync with the words themselves.
Kate sat herself down seductively on the teacher's desk,
filing her finger nails as she smirked, "You heard me,
David. I want you to be my slave for the rest of the school
year."
"For three months?!"
"Aw, Davey you make it sound as if it's a life
sentence." She cooed.
Snapping back, "I would think so! Considering that
you're going to enforce slavery back into the system!"
"It's just three months, David!"
"As your slave!"
"Well, there is a way out of this,
y'know." Kate slyly said, still filing her nails.
"Oh no, no, no, no, no." Gordo shook his head as he
began to pace. "I have seen way too many films like
this before to recognize the plot line. The only way out of this
agreement is if I admit to Lizzie how I feel, am I right?"
"Exactly."
"But you thought of that, didn't you, Sanders? You knew
that I would be too much of a coward to admit to her my feelings.
Especially because of the probable results."
"Let's see and that would be," Kate began to
count off with her perfectly manicured fingers, "Possible
humiliation, heartbreak, loss of thirteen years of
friendship"
"I get the picture, Kate."
Looking at him intently, her voice much more soft, with less of
its edge than before, "Look, David. It's just three
months maybe even less if I'm in a good mood. All you
have to do is carry my books for me, accompany Claire and I to
the mall to carry out bags, get our lunches for us,
y'know the standard slave duties. And you know what?
Since we used to be friends, I won't let you pay for
anything! You just have to do the manual labor!" Her voice
had lightened up with the last two statements.
However, Gordo rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, "Yeah,
like that makes the offer seem much more
appealing."
Retorting, "Just like the offer to lend Lizzie this,"
Pulling out the video tape, "Interesting little love
story."
Gordo just stood there, disbelieving his situation. This just can't
be happening to him! Yet there he stood, watching Kate dangle his
whole future within the palm of her hand. How this once sweet
girl got to be so cruel, Gordo will never fully understand
but he won't let her beat him. He's has to find a way
out of this mess but how?
"If you think that you can con your way out of this, David,
you better think twice about tricking me. It is not
going to happen." She warned him, her grasp on the tape
hardening. "See, I am not afraid to show this to Lizzie.
Why? Because I have nothing to lose—well, maybe having to
see you do my every bidding for three months—but you know
what I mean."
"And I have everything to lose, right, Kate?"
"You are a genius, David." She smiled sweetly
at him, though Gordo became sick at the sight of it.
Gordo sat himself down, letting his head rest on the desk top.
Images flashed before him. Pictures of Lizzie talking to him,
kidding around with him, laughing with him. Her smiling face
remained constant despite other images of having to be there when
his Lizzie was at her lowest. Images of being by her side,
comforting her, assuring her when she had thought she had lost
Miranda to another ex-friend. Even a memory when Lizzie was
distraught over having lost Kate's friendship. He did
have everything to lose once Lizzie saw that tape. Though a part
of his heart asked what about the alternative, that Lizzie might
feel the same way about him, what if she didn't? Gordo
couldn't take that chance of possible heartbreak. He had
to do this. He had no other choice.
"It's only for three months, David. That's it. And
I promise to give this back to you and keep quiet about
your little confession."
His eyes met hers, wanting to find the truth in those words.
"You promise?"
Much to his surprise, the truth in her promise glimmered in her
eyes. Kate actually looked sincere maybe the old Kate was
still burning a small flame inside.
"I promise." She uttered softly, more sincere than it
has ever been in a long time. No edge, no contempt, nothing but
quiet sincerity. In that brief moment, Gordo actually saw a
glimmer of his old friend.
It was that sight that made Gordo reluctantly seal his fate.
Sighing, "Okay. Three months as your slave. And when all my
duties are fulfilled, you agree to your side of the deal. Got
it?"
"I swear. Cross my heart and hope to die"
"Stick a needle in my eye." Both Kate and Gordo said in
sync, just like old times. When they realized what had happened,
Kate fell into stunned silence, as did Gordo. It had been a long
time since they had said that. Gordo wouldn't have said it
at all if Kate hadn't sound so purely happy and cheerful
like she used to. Kate's spiteful instinct told her to just
snide it off, but the old Kate's spirit began to burn
brightly again, overpowering her new self.
Gordo was afraid that she'd come back with some rude,
snobbish comment. However, to his amazement, Kate smiled and
began to laugh. Much more to his own shock, he found himself
laughing with her.
Maybe, just maybe, this won't be as cruel a sentence as he
imagined.
When the laughter slowly faded, Kate and Gordo met eyes.
Suddenly, something struck Kate so hard that she had to
immediately downcast her gaze. Gordo noticed her movement,
becoming instinctively concerned.
"Kate? You okay?"
Waving him away, "Uh yeah! I'm fine, David!"
Looking up and forcing a tough facade, "Look, I just need to
think about something, okay? You can go now." What was
supposed to sound as a request, came out more like an order.
Gordo stiffened up at the sound of the edge of her order. Then
again, really how much fun could one have being Kate's
servant? He nodded, mumbling an "Okay," and then softly
exiting.
Kate watched him leave, dismayed by his sullen sight. She shook
her head, still reeling over her sudden lightening bolt
realization. The awful truth sank into her soul, refusing to
release her. So this was why she felt this way. Why the old Kate
managed to resurface. Why she couldn't stop thinking about
her old best friend "I'm falling in love with
Gordo." Kate uttered, much to her disbelief and quiet joy.
"I'm falling for Gordo"
