He was going into month three of his slave service to Kate. What
could have been an awesome Saturday night going to the movies
with Lizzie and Miranda, turned into a Saturday evening having to
fold Kate's laundry.
Though Kate had done the original washing and machine-drying
process, at the thought of her favorite servant boy
"You do realize that this is pure cruel punishment,
Sanders." Gordo pointed out as he folded her black khakis
and place it into her drawer.
Kate sat back on her bed, painting her nails. She looked up,
snickering at him, "Well, if you hadn't decided to play
digital confession, you wouldn't be in this mess, would
you?"
Gordo nodded, then turned back to his task at hand. Things
remained relatively quiet between the two, with the exception of
Kate's CD player playing Aaron Carter's latest song.
She hummed to the beat of the song, while concentrating on her
nails. Gordo's ears perked up to her humming, and he turned
to glance at her. He watched her with quiet amusement.
Kate glanced up, then began to blush as she noticed Gordo's
eyes on her. "What?" She asked softly, a bit
embarrassed.
"Nothing," He said, softly chuckling. Gordo smiled at
her, then indicated to the CD player, "You like Aaron
Carter?"
Still blushing a bit, "Yeah. He's cute"
"Yeah, so I've heard." Gordo sighed, remembering
the Aaron Carter incident. With a bit envy in his voice,
"Lizzie likes him a lot."
"Really?" Kate arched her eyebrow. Sensing an
opportunity, "Well, Aaron's okay but not really
my type."
Gordo continued his folding duties, yet still in the
conversation, "Not your type? I thought someone like you
would go for someone as popular, talented, and famous as
Aaron."
Kate sincerely shook her head, "No." Looking up at him
with intent eyes, "I'm more into the adorable, sweet,
fun dark hair, blue eyes type. You know what I mean?"
She added with much seduction.
Gordo was left confused by her words, until he met eyes with her.
He stepped back, startled by how she was looking at him.
Gulping, "Dark hair blue eyes?"
She inched her way towards him, giving him a tempting smile.
"I don't have a date for the school's End Of the
Year Dance do you?"
Giving her a nervous chuckle, "Uh no. Why? Do you, uh,
want me to press your dress for you that night?"
"Actually I want you to be my date for the
dance."
Gordo felt as if someone had splashed him with extremely cold
water. He stuttered, unable to comprehend what he had just heard.
"Y-y-you wa-wa-want to what?!"
"C'mon, Gordo." She finally used his little
nickname. "Isn't it pretty obvious that I like you a
lot?" She batted her eye lashes, trying to appeal to him.
"No!" He cried, totally stunned and confused by her
admittance. "How? Why? Are you insane?!"
"If you're asking if I'm crazy—it's only
because I'm crazy about you."
Before Gordo could react, Kate decided to do what she has wanted
to do since she first realized how she felt. Kate leaned over,
and kissed him gently on the lips.
Gordo felt emotions wash over him as he felt her lips on his. One
of them was confusion another was shock and another
was that it felt real nice. He closed his eyes, placed
one hand to caress her cheek and another on her waist, and began
to return her kisses. Kate, much to her joyous bliss, placed her
hands encircling Gordo's neck.
What was more like seconds, seemed like minutes as Kate and Gordo
began to kiss deeper and deeper.
"Kate's friendship meant a lot to me, Gordo
but if I had lost yours I would be so lost without
you."
Gordo's body tensed up as he heard her voice in his head.
Her sweet, innocent voice calling out to him. An image of
Lizzie's tearstained face formed in his head. The memory of
when Kate decided to ditch the three friends, leaving Lizzie in
total dismay. The memory of Gordo reassuring Lizzie that things
will be okay, and Lizzie admitting to him that she needed his
friendship more than anyone else's, including
Miranda's.
Guilt overwhelmed him as he realized what he was doing with Kate.
Immediately, he pulled back, practically shoving Kate away.
"I-I can't, Kate! I am so sorry but I can't
do this do you or to Lizzie."
Kate's face fell as she noticed his eyes. He doesn't
love her like the way that he loves Lizzie, like the way that she
loves him. Kate didn't know whether to feel hurt,
humiliated, angry, or jealous. She turned her gaze away from his,
knowing that if she looked into his beautiful eyes again, she
would cry right there and then.
"Look, Kate. I'm flattered that you like me a lot, I
really am but it's Lizzie that I want."
"Then go to her!" Kate snapped, still unable to look at
him. Anger fueled within her, though she was heartbroken to hear
him say that. "If you want her so much, why are you still my
slave? Tell her the truth, and the deal's over, right?"
Gordo sat next to her, wanting to take her hand. Kate pulled
back, however, when he attempted contact. He sighed, "Kate,
I guess I just liked spending time with you. Like the old days,
remember?"
"What does Lizzie have that I don't, Gordo? Why her and
not me? Is it some sort of Dawson and Joey thing?"
He chuckled despite himself. Shaking his head, looking at her
with sincere eyes, "No, it's not some sort
Dawson's Creek thing. I'm actually rooting for that
Pacey fellow no honestly, Kate, it has nothing to do with
the fact that I've known her longer." Gordo sighed,
then gave a small smile.
"It's just that Lizzie needs me more than you do,
Kate. Now don't let this go to your head, but you're
too high maintenance for me. I'm not saying that
Lizzie's low maintenance but I can't give you the
type of love that you honestly deserve. As much as a cliché as
it sounds, how I see it is that I was born to only love her. I
can love her like no other guy could ever. And I can't love
any other person as much as I love her." Gordo took
Kate's hand, in which she allowed for him to take.
He gently turned her head to let her look at him in the eyes.
Smiling, "You need someone that was born to love you the way
you were meant to be loved. I can't ever live up to that
task, no matter how much I try."
Kate slowly slipped herself out of Gordo's grasp, her heart
aching just by his touch. She hated this feeling. Knowing that
just one single person can make her feel so weak and helpless. If
he tells her to jump through flames, she would do it.
"Kate?"
She turned her head away from his gaze, feeling the tears slowly
form. Summoning up all that was left of her courage,
"Leave."
"What?"
Her breaking heart only added fuel to her jealousy towards
Lizzie, and the edge to her pain. She snapped her head back
towards him, her eyes blazing and brimming with tears,
"Leave! I want you out of here, Gordo! Now!"
"Kate—I—" He began, attempting to comfort
her only to be pushed away.
She leapt to her feet, indicating towards the door. "Leave NOW!"
Her voice dropped to a threat, "Or else I'll call up
your little girlfriend and tell her about the tape."
Gordo stood up, looking at her with tired eyes. He grabbed his
jacket, walked to the door silently, placed his hand on the knob
with his back facing her, and then turned around to face Kate.
Sadly, "A part of me wished I could love you the way you
want me to, Kate and I'm sorry for hurting you."
With that, he exited her room and her hopes. When the door
closed, Kate finally released her tears, throwing herself on her
bed sheets, and sobbing her heart out. No all high and mighty
Kate Sanders present, no Miss Super Popular Cheerleader Kate
Sanders present just the Kate Sanders who had finally found
her one weakness in life. And she had to watch it slip away into
the awaiting arms of another.
Unbeknownst to Kate, Gordo was standing just outside her door,
his palm pressed against it with weary regret. He really did wish
he could return Kate's feelings for him to at least
stop her heart's pain but he couldn't.
"I'm sorry, Kate." He whispered, then lowered his
gaze with sadness. "I'm sorry, Lizzie."
Lizzie couldn't sleep. The young woman began to toss and
turn in her bed, dreaming of images she wished were false, but
are as real as she was. Images of her Gordo and Kate.
Seeing those two together. Laughing together. Smiling together.
Suddenly, a new image flashed before her. One that she has never
seen before until now. Gordo and Kate kissing?!?
"No" She moaned in her sleep, violently tossing
in her bed. "No, Gordo don't
please"
TAP.
They continued to kiss, causing Lizzie to protest even louder.
"No, no, no! Gordo not Kate not
her!"
TAP. TAP.
"Gordo I I"
TAP. TAP. TAP.
"I love you"
"Lizzie!" Matt appeared in her dreams, calling out her
name. "Lizzie!"
"Matt?" Her eyes were still closed, a bit thrown off by
his appearance.
"Wake up! Gordo's throwing pebbles at your
window."
TAP. TAP.
Lizzie immediately shot up, her eyes blinking furiously.
"Wha-wha-what?!"
A pajama clad young Matt McGuire placed his hands on his hips,
regarding his sister's dazed exterior. He sighed in
frustration, throwing his hands up in disbelief. Shaking his
head, mumbling some unpleasant words about her, then walked over
to Lizzie's window. Opening them, he stuck his head out, and
maintained an evenly quiet calling, "Hey Gordo. She's
awake now. I'll send her down right now."
Matt shut Lizzie's window, then gave his sister this "I
told you so" look.
Lizzie rubbed her tired eyes, not fully comprehending what had
just happened. "What? Gordo's here?"
Matt walked up to his sister, placed his two hands on her
shoulders, and began to shake her. "Hello! Wake up,
McGuire!"
She smacked her brother's annoying hands aside. Staring
evilly at him, "I'm awake, you rugrat!" She
glanced at her alarm, "God, what time is it?"
"It's twelve-thirty in the morning. Now are you going
to talk to Gordo, or not?"
"Gordo's here?!" She exclaimed, now fully awake.
Her younger brother shook his head, then placed it wearily in his
hands. Groaning in frustration, "Sisters! See the guy of
their dreams in their dreams and they believe that
they're there. See the guy of their dreams right in front
of them and they go insane!" Matt walked towards the
door with intentions to leave, but not before saying, "You
better put on a jacket before going outside to talk to your boyfriend."
Lizzie gawked at her brother in furious amazement. Grabbing her
pillow, she tossed it at him just as he closed the door on her.
Gordo placed his hands within his jacket's front pockets. He
knew that he should be home right now, safe and warm in his own
bed but he just had to see her.
"Gordo?"
Her voice was sweet music to his ears as he turned towards her.
Lizzie emerged outside, hugging her jacket close to her. Confused
and a bit cranky, "Are you insane? What are you doing here?
Especially at twelve in the morning?!"
"Actually, it's twelve thirty-one in the morning."
He replied, checking his watch. He had a playful smile on his
face, though his eyes completely revealed his weary soul.
"You know what I mean, David Gordon." Lizzie sighed,
hugging her jacket tighter.
Noticing her movements, "You know, we could talk inside
where it's a lot more warmer—"
"No!" Lizzie snapped, still in pain over his broken
promise and his two month avoidance. Stubborn as heck,
"I'm fine just talking right out here." Despite
her adamancy of staying outside, she still found herself
shivering from the cool night air.
Gordo let slip a small smile, recognizing Lizzie's
stubbornness all too well. He sighed himself, then began to
remove his own jacket. "Well, I just don't want to see
you freeze to death, is all McGuire." Placing his jacket
over her shoulders, wrapping it around her small body.
Lizzie watched his every careful movement. When he made contact
with her, Lizzie felt a small chill of delight travel through
her. Gordo, however, mistook her for still being cold.
"Sit down, Liz." He sat her on her backyard stoop.
Gordo sat next to her, and placed his hands on her forearms, and
began rubbing them in order to generate more heat. He was not
fully aware of how close their faces were from each other, until
he looked right into Lizzie's eyes.
Lizzie, however, was completely aware of his closeness. She could
almost feel his heart beating and his breath catch as he looked
at her. Lizzie smiled shyly at him, loving every single moment in
his arms.
Suddenly, her nightmare began to haunt her again. That awful
image of Kate and Gordo kissing tore at her heart. She blinked
her eyes, tensed up, and turned away from him.
Gordo noticed her uncomfortable manner, and quickly removed his
hold on her. He mumbled an apology, not wanting to cause an even
bigger rift between them.
"Why are you here, Gordo?" Lizzie meekly asked.
"The truth?"
"Nothing less,"
He sighed, then replied, "I came to see you. To let you know
that I'm sorry for having ignored you for the past two
months and to let you know that I care a lot about you,
Lizzie. More than you could fully know."
Hope danced brightly in her eyes as she turned to face him again.
"You mean that?"
"Absolutely." He answered, beaming at her.
"What about Kate?" She asked, her insecurities and
curiosity getting the better of her. "Why were you spending
so much time with her?"
"Honest?"
"Nothing less,"
"She blackmailed me into being her slave for the rest of the
school year. She had discovered something about me that I
didn't want anyone to know about."
Lizzie's jaw dropped. Quiet triumph surging through her.
"I can't believe that she'd do something like that
to you! That-that-that witch!"
Much to Lizzie's shock, Gordo quickly jumped to Kate's
defense. "C'mon, Lizzie. Kate's not that bad. If
you get to know her better inside, she's still the
same Kate we used to be best friends with."
"Y'know, I had a feeling that out of the three of us,
she liked you little bit more."
"More than you could ever believe." Gordo muttered.
Another question burned within her as brightly as the image
flashing in her mind. "Have you two did you
two"
"Did we what?"
"Kiss?" She blurted out as meekly as possible. Lizzie
needed to know. She just had to confirm whether or not she was
losing her best friend, and love, to her worst nightmare.
Gordo opened his mouth then closed them to rethink his
answer. How could he let her know without hurting her even more
than he already has?
"Honest?"
"Nothing less," She replied.
He hung his head low, mumbled the answer, then sighed as he
looked up to tell her what she had dreaded on hearing.
"Yes." He then began to pour out excuses to her.
"But it didn't mean a thing, Lizzie! You have to
believe me! Kate kissed me and I know that it takes two to
tango and I did kiss her back, but I stopped because I knew
it was wrong! And and because of you."
Lizzie was too numb to even have heard that last statement. The
only thing echoing in her mind was that single word; yes. Yes, he
had shared a kiss with Kate. Yes, her best friend had kissed her
ex-best friend, present enemy. Yes, the one guy she could ever
love is starting to fall for the most wicked woman on the face of
this earth.
"Lizzie" He needed for her to know the truth.
"It didn't mean a single thing. I promise you."
"You promise me?!" She cried out, snapping from her
stunned trance. Lizzie was furious. How could he say such a thing
after his confession to kissing Kate? After he had already broken
his promise to her, as well as her heart and faith in him.
Lizzie quickly removed his jacket from her touch, throwing it
violently at him. Her eyes flashed of anger and pain, "Get
out of here, Gordo! I hate you!"
"Lizzie" He pleaded with her, saddened that she
was so angry and hurt because of him.
"I want you to leave right now, Gordo! And I never want to
speak to you ever again! Our friendship is over!"
Gordo reeled back, feeling the harshness in her voice. No, she
didn't mean that. She doesn't mean that!
"Lizzie please, I know you're angry at
me—"
"Angry?! More like furiously pissed off! Get out, Gordo,
before I scream bloody murder!" She threatened, her eyes
still livid.
Feeling as if he has nothing left to lose he cried out to
her, "Lizzie, I love you! Okay?! That's why I had to
spend time with Kate! And that's why her kiss meant nothing
to me! All because I'm in love with you!"
Lizzie stepped back, stunned by his outburst. She shook her head,
disbelieving what he was telling her. "Shut-up,
Gordo" She whispered, close to a near beg. She
didn't want to hear it. To hear any of it right now.
Only he continued, wanting the truth to finally come out. "I
made this video confession about how much I loved you. I left it
in my camera and forgot to take it out before I brought my camera
to school. When I realized that I had grabbed the wrong tape, I
had to destroy it immediately because I couldn't risk you
finding out about my feelings. I was afraid, Lizzie. Afraid that
not only would you not return my feelings, but that I
might lose the best thing in the world to me; our friendship. But
I ran into Kate and Claire, who also had a similar looking black
video tape. We dropped our things, and got our tapes mixed up!
Kate saw my confession and blackmailed me into being her slave in
exchange for her silence about the tape. It would have worked out
if Kate hadn't developed feelings for me. Lizzie, Kate
kissed me first. She told me that she had feelings for me, and
she kissed me first. Now I know that doesn't fully excuse
me, because I did return her kiss but I thought of you and
I immediately stopped it. I couldn't live with the immense
guilt anymore. Not to mention that I only loved Kate as a friend
and nothing more! There was only one person in this entire
universe who I could truly love and that person is YOU,
Lizzie McGuire. You. Just you."
Gordo finally stopped. He began to breathe heavily, having
unloaded a truck load of hidden emotion. Now Lizzie had
to understand and not be as angry at him as she was before she
knew the entire truth.
Lizzie was completely dazed. How was she supposed to let all that
sink in? Why should she even believe any of it? It was all too
much for her to bare right now.
She shook her head, wanting to just cry. Calling out whatever
strength she had left, "Please leave, Gordo. Please
go." She begged, refusing to met eyes.
"Lizzie—"
"NOW!" She cried out, pain evident in
her voice. The tears broke through the dam, letting loose her
sobs of confusion and heartache.
Gordo felt his whole body go numb, separate itself from his mind.
He knew that he was walking away from her, but he didn't
want to.
Lizzie watched him depart, disappearing into the shadows. She
felt so cold, and it wasn't due to the night air. Once
alone, the young woman fell apart. She fell to her knees, sobbing
her heart out.
She felt two kind, protective arms surround her, taking her
crying body into his grasp. Matt McGuire held his big sister
tight, cradling her, whispering to her that everything was going
to be okay. He held her, comforted her, until she fell asleep
weeping in his arms.
Despite all their fights, all their disagreements and tireless
trouble towards each other looking upon the two right at
this moment, one protecting the other in loving arms, you
couldn't say that Lizzie and Matt McGuire didn't love
each other.
