They didn't talk to me the next day. They wouldn't even look at me, but
wouldn't leave each other's sides. I think I had always known it would
come to this, but I never honestly expected it to happen, not so soon.
After school, I saw them talking to Kate and Co. And, as much as I hated
to admit it, that hurt. I wanted to talk to them, tell them to please
forgive me. I was almost willing to beg them to help me try to make things
normal again. But I couldn't. It was useless, besides, I still had *some*
pride left, didn't I? They went with Kate's group to the Digital Bean. I
followed, though I doubt they noticed. Once I got close enough, I heard
them talking.
" So if he was so embarrassing, why DID you go out with him?" Kate was asking. Ouch. Jeez. Lizzie shook her head.
" I don't know. It was like.I felt sorry for him," she said. Claire leaned forward, interested.
" Is that why you were friends with him, too?" Lizzie shook her head.
" Nah. He was actually cool for most of our lives. I dunno what went wrong." She glanced at Miranda, who remained silent, and looked over at where I was sitting. I buried myself in my book, not daring to look up until I heard them change the subject. Then I quickly got up and stalked out of the Bean with my head high, marching right past their table. How immature.but they looked. I felt their eyes on me all the way until I was out of the café. Once outside, I realized that I had been holding my breath since I had stood up. I let it out with a whoosh. My face stung. I could have sworn someone had slapped me. I slumped onto a bench just outside the door, taking deep breaths. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone sit next to me, put a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and found Miranda smiling at me.
" Hey. You okay?" I nodded, forcing a smile and sitting up straighter.
" I-I thought you hated me." She sighed, and the smile faded.
" I'm so sorry, Gordo. I was-I don't know, confused, I guess. And worried about you. I wasn't sure if you meant what you said to me." I stopped smiling too, and stared at my feet.
" I did." It was the first time since I could remember that I had said anything without stuttering. She slipped her hand into mine, and I knew she returned the feeling. She didn't have to bother with words. She pulled me up, and led me by the hand to my house. She kissed me on the cheek and left. I stood on my porch staring after her even when she had turned the corner. I didn't go in until I realized my face and hands were completely numb, and that it had begun to snow.
The next morning I woke up on the couch to the doorbell ringing. I stumbled to the door and pulled it open, still half asleep. Lizzie stood there, looking impatient and cold. I just raised an eyebrow at her, because her expression was unreadable besides the constant impatience.
" Are you going to let me in or what?" she finally said, exasperated. I shrugged and pulled the door open further. She walked past me, taking off her coat as I shut the door. We stared at each other a moment. " What? Why aren't you saying anything?" I shrugged again.
" I f-figured you'd rather do without my stutter, s-seeing as you hate it so much."I tried to keep my expression as blank as hers. She glared.
" Look, I came here to apologize. I'm sorry for what I said, I didn't mean it, and.well, I was wondering if you'd consider taking me back."
" So if he was so embarrassing, why DID you go out with him?" Kate was asking. Ouch. Jeez. Lizzie shook her head.
" I don't know. It was like.I felt sorry for him," she said. Claire leaned forward, interested.
" Is that why you were friends with him, too?" Lizzie shook her head.
" Nah. He was actually cool for most of our lives. I dunno what went wrong." She glanced at Miranda, who remained silent, and looked over at where I was sitting. I buried myself in my book, not daring to look up until I heard them change the subject. Then I quickly got up and stalked out of the Bean with my head high, marching right past their table. How immature.but they looked. I felt their eyes on me all the way until I was out of the café. Once outside, I realized that I had been holding my breath since I had stood up. I let it out with a whoosh. My face stung. I could have sworn someone had slapped me. I slumped onto a bench just outside the door, taking deep breaths. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone sit next to me, put a hand on my shoulder. I looked up and found Miranda smiling at me.
" Hey. You okay?" I nodded, forcing a smile and sitting up straighter.
" I-I thought you hated me." She sighed, and the smile faded.
" I'm so sorry, Gordo. I was-I don't know, confused, I guess. And worried about you. I wasn't sure if you meant what you said to me." I stopped smiling too, and stared at my feet.
" I did." It was the first time since I could remember that I had said anything without stuttering. She slipped her hand into mine, and I knew she returned the feeling. She didn't have to bother with words. She pulled me up, and led me by the hand to my house. She kissed me on the cheek and left. I stood on my porch staring after her even when she had turned the corner. I didn't go in until I realized my face and hands were completely numb, and that it had begun to snow.
The next morning I woke up on the couch to the doorbell ringing. I stumbled to the door and pulled it open, still half asleep. Lizzie stood there, looking impatient and cold. I just raised an eyebrow at her, because her expression was unreadable besides the constant impatience.
" Are you going to let me in or what?" she finally said, exasperated. I shrugged and pulled the door open further. She walked past me, taking off her coat as I shut the door. We stared at each other a moment. " What? Why aren't you saying anything?" I shrugged again.
" I f-figured you'd rather do without my stutter, s-seeing as you hate it so much."I tried to keep my expression as blank as hers. She glared.
" Look, I came here to apologize. I'm sorry for what I said, I didn't mean it, and.well, I was wondering if you'd consider taking me back."
