Title: Driven Insane
Author: Dreamer In Disguise
Disclaimer: Yadda-yadda...
Author's Note: Chapter Four...the good stuff is on the way.
Chapter Rating: PG-13...for possible language *I'm not sure...*.
~~
Chapter Four: Infatuation
Lizzie knocked on Marah's bedroom door. "Marah? Are you in there?"
"Come on in, Lizzie..." Marah stated, cleaning up all the files she had spread upon her bed.
"What're you doing?" Lizzie asked, walking up to Marah, and sitting on her bed.
"Looking over a case for work..." Marah explained, putting the files in her evidence bag.
"Can I ask a question?" Lizzie begged, looking a little confused.
"Go ahead..." Marah replied. She was Lizzie's advice guru.
"Ok, um..." Lizzie thought of the best way to say it. "Ethan Kraft is finally taking an interest in me..." she explained. "But, I think what I have with Gordo is far better..."
"And, what does Ethan offer that Gordo doesn't?" Marah asked, knowing the whole deal already.
"Popularity..." Lizzie shallowly explained.
"Do you think it's a good idea to dump Gordo for Ethan?" Marah, out of habit, cracked her knuckles.
"No...but I've wanted to be popular for so long..." Lizzie sighed.
"You'll have to ditch Miranda, too..." Marah explained.
Lizzie shook her head. "I don't wanna do that...so, I should stick with Gordo?"
"Yeah, definitely..." Marah envisioned Gordo in about twelve years, and he looked a lot like Greg. She smiled. 'Us McGuire girls..." she laughed a little.
"What's so funny?" Lizzie asked.
"Oh, I'm just imagining Gordo in ten or twelve years...and he looks a lot like a guy I know from work, named Greg..." Marah smiled broadly when she said the name 'Greg.'
"Ooh! Greg? Explain!" Lizzie and Marah were basically the gossip sisters. Basically, they were opposite of the stereotypical twenty-one/fourteen- year-old sister relationship.
"Just a friend...a really...sweet, smart...funny, hot...friend..." Marah grinned as she described Greg to Lizzie. "He invited you, Matt and I to go play Laser-Tag with him on Saturday..."
"Laser-Tag? Can I bring Gordo?" Lizzie asked.
"It was nice enough of him to invite you and Matt!" Marah put her foot down. "Don't get greedy..."
"Fine!" Lizzie pouted. "I'll ask him whenever you bring him to meet mom and dad..."
"I just barely met him, Lizzie..." Marah shook her head. "It's gonna be awhile before he meets mom and dad...I have to call Des, though...so, I'll come get you when I get off the phone..."
"Ok..." Lizzie left the room, and went into her room.
"Wait until I tell her!" Marah picked up the phone and dialed Destiny's number.
"Hello?" Destiny answered, knowing it was Marah already.
"Hey, Des!" Marah beamed.
Destiny could tell something had gone right. "What's up, Marah?"
"Oh, nothing..." she lied.
"Good day?" Destiny asked.
"Yep!" Marah nodded.
"No case?"
"I had a case..."
"Good boss?"
"He's...interesting..."
"A guy?"
"Maybe!" Marah held the 'a' in maybe for about two seconds.
"A GUY?" Destiny shrieked. "Who? What's his name?"
"Greg...he's coming to the park with me tomorrow..." Marah grinned.
"What's his position?" Destiny asked. "Boss? Another investigator?"
"He's the research tech..." Marah's eyes closed, and imagined Greg smiling at her.
"A lab geek?" Destiny asked.
"NO! He's not a lab-geek! He's so sweet! And funny! My gosh, Des...when you meet him tomorrow..." Marah melted.
~~
Channon and Destiny were sitting in the park, waiting for everyone to get there. "So, she's already met someone?" Channon asked Destiny.
"Yeah," Destiny nodded. "She sounded so happy, so he must be something special..."
Galaxy and Topanga joined Destiny and Channon, followed by Cory, Eric, Jack and Shawn. "So, one day there, and she's already knocking 'em down with her smile?" Shawn asked, in his normal Shawn manner. "That's my girl!"
Jack sighed. "Did she say it was love at first sight?"
"No..." Destiny shook her head. "She likes him, though..."
"Why, Jack..." Channon asked. "Is love at first sight bad?"
"No!" Jack shook his head quickly. "No way!"
~~
Marah got out of the Chevy Tahoe, straightened her skirt, and walked over to her group of friends. "Is Greg here yet?" she asked.
"No, not yet..." Destiny rolled her eyes. "Hi to you too, by the way..."
About two seconds after Destiny had said that, an identical Chevy Tahoe pulled into the parking lot. Out stepped Greg, trying to tie his tie. 'I hate these things...if it were a bowtie, it'd be different...' he sighed.
Marah laughed, and beckoned Greg to her. "Let me help you with that..." she shook her head. "Greg, these are my friends, going from left to right, Destiny Maguire, Channon Maguire, Galaxy Lawrence, Topanga Lawrence, Jack Hunter, Shawn Hunter, Cory Matthews and Eric Matthews. Everyone, this is my friend from work, Greg Sanders."
"Hey everyone, whose names it'll take me half my life to get right!" Greg grinned.
There was an echo of 'Hey, Greg,' and 'What's up?' throughout the group.
Marah tied Greg's tie in about ten seconds. "What's with the tie, anyway?"
Greg shrugged. "Makes me feel professional..."
"If you're professional, what am I?" Marah winked.
~~
Shawn tapped Greg on the shoulder. "So, Marah seems to really like you..."
"You think so?" Greg asked, sincerely.
"Well, she called us all here, and that takes someone special..." Eric explained. "It's something really big when she gets us al together..."
"You should feel privileged..." Cory nodded. "You're becoming one of us! And, as Shawn and Eric have so clearly pointed out, Marah seems to like you, a lot..."
"Thanks..." Greg smiled.
~~
"So, tell us..." Channon asked. "What do you think is so great about him?"
"What IS great about him? More like what's NOT!" Marah tilted her head back with pure joy. "He's sweet, unbelievably smart, NORMAL, funny, and he's SO gorgeous!"
"Not gorgeous," Topanga shook her head. "Cute, yes, but not gorgeous!"
"Are you JOKING?" Marah screeched. "He puts SHAWN to shame!"
"No way! I DEFINITELY wouldn't say that..." Galaxy shook her head.
"I would!" Marah beamed.
"What's he like?" Destiny asked. "Calm? Funny? Sweet? WHAT?"
"Oh my gosh...he's so sweet! And he's smart, and FUNNY, and he likes loud music like me, and he's SO much fun to be around!"
Greg looked around. Noticing that no one was talking to him, he sighed. 'This reminds me of high-school...' he thought. "Hey," he called to anyone listening. "I'm gonna go see Marah..." but seeing that had heard him say anything, he shook his head. 'Oh yeah...definitely a horrifying reminder of high-school...' he walked over to Marah, and tapped her shoulder. "I think I'm gonna go..." he told her, when she turned around.
She sensed that something was wrong, and turned around. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing..." he lied.
"Work on your lying..." Marah sat on the bench, and tapped the seat beside her. "Guys, can you leave Greg and I alone for a sec?" she asked.
Destiny nodded. "Come on, guys..."
Once she and Greg were alone, and the only accompanying noise was the trickle of the fountain, Marah looked compassionately at him. "You can tell me, I promise..."
"You'll laugh at me..." Greg swallowed back the lump in his throat.
"No!" Marah shook her head furiously. "I'd never do that!"
He sighed, but seeing that she meant it, he told her. "The guys were ignoring me, and it reminded me of high school..."
"How?" Marah asked, interested.
"Let's put it this way..." Greg sensed her interest, and smiled a little. "Well," his serious look returned. "I used to be, to everyone who knew I existed, that is, I was the stereotypical lab geek...I was the one that got nasty stuff put in my locker, and 'kick me' signs on my back. I may have been class valordictorian, but I think I was probably the only one to have never had a girlfriend," he choked back tears. "When I started in the lab, was the first time I really had friends. But, still, the first girl I was interested in, Sara, wanted Grissom. It was like high-school all over again..."
Marah was speechless. She just wrapped her arms around him, in a friendly hug. "You didn't deserve that. You're an amazing person..."
"See, I heard that a lot...every time I asked someone out," he shook his head. "I really hate that phrase..."
"Well, you're all around amazing, then..." Marah sincerely said.
"I have a question, then..." Greg cleared his throat.
"Anything..." Marah nodded.
"Are you interested in me?" he nervously tapped his foot on the ground.
She nodded. "Yeah," she said, and then thought quickly. "Can I say one thing?" she asked..
"Yeah?" Greg grinned, not expecting her to say yes.
"Come closer...it's kinda a secret..." she gestured for him to come closer.
Greg curiously obeyed.
"Closer..." Marah moved a little closer to him.
Greg again obeyed, hesitantly.
Marah smiled, then kissed him. She wanted to think, but his mind was basically lime jello.
Greg's mind was jello, too. He went along with the kiss, and when it ended, he smiled broadly, and said, "Whoa..."
Marah's brain finally regained substance, and she looked at Greg to see the expression on his face. He looked genuinely happy. So, she decided to grin provocatively at him, and walk to her car. "I'll see you guys later..." she smiled, seeing that everyone was staring at her. "See you at work, Greg..."
Author: Dreamer In Disguise
Disclaimer: Yadda-yadda...
Author's Note: Chapter Four...the good stuff is on the way.
Chapter Rating: PG-13...for possible language *I'm not sure...*.
~~
Chapter Four: Infatuation
Lizzie knocked on Marah's bedroom door. "Marah? Are you in there?"
"Come on in, Lizzie..." Marah stated, cleaning up all the files she had spread upon her bed.
"What're you doing?" Lizzie asked, walking up to Marah, and sitting on her bed.
"Looking over a case for work..." Marah explained, putting the files in her evidence bag.
"Can I ask a question?" Lizzie begged, looking a little confused.
"Go ahead..." Marah replied. She was Lizzie's advice guru.
"Ok, um..." Lizzie thought of the best way to say it. "Ethan Kraft is finally taking an interest in me..." she explained. "But, I think what I have with Gordo is far better..."
"And, what does Ethan offer that Gordo doesn't?" Marah asked, knowing the whole deal already.
"Popularity..." Lizzie shallowly explained.
"Do you think it's a good idea to dump Gordo for Ethan?" Marah, out of habit, cracked her knuckles.
"No...but I've wanted to be popular for so long..." Lizzie sighed.
"You'll have to ditch Miranda, too..." Marah explained.
Lizzie shook her head. "I don't wanna do that...so, I should stick with Gordo?"
"Yeah, definitely..." Marah envisioned Gordo in about twelve years, and he looked a lot like Greg. She smiled. 'Us McGuire girls..." she laughed a little.
"What's so funny?" Lizzie asked.
"Oh, I'm just imagining Gordo in ten or twelve years...and he looks a lot like a guy I know from work, named Greg..." Marah smiled broadly when she said the name 'Greg.'
"Ooh! Greg? Explain!" Lizzie and Marah were basically the gossip sisters. Basically, they were opposite of the stereotypical twenty-one/fourteen- year-old sister relationship.
"Just a friend...a really...sweet, smart...funny, hot...friend..." Marah grinned as she described Greg to Lizzie. "He invited you, Matt and I to go play Laser-Tag with him on Saturday..."
"Laser-Tag? Can I bring Gordo?" Lizzie asked.
"It was nice enough of him to invite you and Matt!" Marah put her foot down. "Don't get greedy..."
"Fine!" Lizzie pouted. "I'll ask him whenever you bring him to meet mom and dad..."
"I just barely met him, Lizzie..." Marah shook her head. "It's gonna be awhile before he meets mom and dad...I have to call Des, though...so, I'll come get you when I get off the phone..."
"Ok..." Lizzie left the room, and went into her room.
"Wait until I tell her!" Marah picked up the phone and dialed Destiny's number.
"Hello?" Destiny answered, knowing it was Marah already.
"Hey, Des!" Marah beamed.
Destiny could tell something had gone right. "What's up, Marah?"
"Oh, nothing..." she lied.
"Good day?" Destiny asked.
"Yep!" Marah nodded.
"No case?"
"I had a case..."
"Good boss?"
"He's...interesting..."
"A guy?"
"Maybe!" Marah held the 'a' in maybe for about two seconds.
"A GUY?" Destiny shrieked. "Who? What's his name?"
"Greg...he's coming to the park with me tomorrow..." Marah grinned.
"What's his position?" Destiny asked. "Boss? Another investigator?"
"He's the research tech..." Marah's eyes closed, and imagined Greg smiling at her.
"A lab geek?" Destiny asked.
"NO! He's not a lab-geek! He's so sweet! And funny! My gosh, Des...when you meet him tomorrow..." Marah melted.
~~
Channon and Destiny were sitting in the park, waiting for everyone to get there. "So, she's already met someone?" Channon asked Destiny.
"Yeah," Destiny nodded. "She sounded so happy, so he must be something special..."
Galaxy and Topanga joined Destiny and Channon, followed by Cory, Eric, Jack and Shawn. "So, one day there, and she's already knocking 'em down with her smile?" Shawn asked, in his normal Shawn manner. "That's my girl!"
Jack sighed. "Did she say it was love at first sight?"
"No..." Destiny shook her head. "She likes him, though..."
"Why, Jack..." Channon asked. "Is love at first sight bad?"
"No!" Jack shook his head quickly. "No way!"
~~
Marah got out of the Chevy Tahoe, straightened her skirt, and walked over to her group of friends. "Is Greg here yet?" she asked.
"No, not yet..." Destiny rolled her eyes. "Hi to you too, by the way..."
About two seconds after Destiny had said that, an identical Chevy Tahoe pulled into the parking lot. Out stepped Greg, trying to tie his tie. 'I hate these things...if it were a bowtie, it'd be different...' he sighed.
Marah laughed, and beckoned Greg to her. "Let me help you with that..." she shook her head. "Greg, these are my friends, going from left to right, Destiny Maguire, Channon Maguire, Galaxy Lawrence, Topanga Lawrence, Jack Hunter, Shawn Hunter, Cory Matthews and Eric Matthews. Everyone, this is my friend from work, Greg Sanders."
"Hey everyone, whose names it'll take me half my life to get right!" Greg grinned.
There was an echo of 'Hey, Greg,' and 'What's up?' throughout the group.
Marah tied Greg's tie in about ten seconds. "What's with the tie, anyway?"
Greg shrugged. "Makes me feel professional..."
"If you're professional, what am I?" Marah winked.
~~
Shawn tapped Greg on the shoulder. "So, Marah seems to really like you..."
"You think so?" Greg asked, sincerely.
"Well, she called us all here, and that takes someone special..." Eric explained. "It's something really big when she gets us al together..."
"You should feel privileged..." Cory nodded. "You're becoming one of us! And, as Shawn and Eric have so clearly pointed out, Marah seems to like you, a lot..."
"Thanks..." Greg smiled.
~~
"So, tell us..." Channon asked. "What do you think is so great about him?"
"What IS great about him? More like what's NOT!" Marah tilted her head back with pure joy. "He's sweet, unbelievably smart, NORMAL, funny, and he's SO gorgeous!"
"Not gorgeous," Topanga shook her head. "Cute, yes, but not gorgeous!"
"Are you JOKING?" Marah screeched. "He puts SHAWN to shame!"
"No way! I DEFINITELY wouldn't say that..." Galaxy shook her head.
"I would!" Marah beamed.
"What's he like?" Destiny asked. "Calm? Funny? Sweet? WHAT?"
"Oh my gosh...he's so sweet! And he's smart, and FUNNY, and he likes loud music like me, and he's SO much fun to be around!"
Greg looked around. Noticing that no one was talking to him, he sighed. 'This reminds me of high-school...' he thought. "Hey," he called to anyone listening. "I'm gonna go see Marah..." but seeing that had heard him say anything, he shook his head. 'Oh yeah...definitely a horrifying reminder of high-school...' he walked over to Marah, and tapped her shoulder. "I think I'm gonna go..." he told her, when she turned around.
She sensed that something was wrong, and turned around. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"Nothing..." he lied.
"Work on your lying..." Marah sat on the bench, and tapped the seat beside her. "Guys, can you leave Greg and I alone for a sec?" she asked.
Destiny nodded. "Come on, guys..."
Once she and Greg were alone, and the only accompanying noise was the trickle of the fountain, Marah looked compassionately at him. "You can tell me, I promise..."
"You'll laugh at me..." Greg swallowed back the lump in his throat.
"No!" Marah shook her head furiously. "I'd never do that!"
He sighed, but seeing that she meant it, he told her. "The guys were ignoring me, and it reminded me of high school..."
"How?" Marah asked, interested.
"Let's put it this way..." Greg sensed her interest, and smiled a little. "Well," his serious look returned. "I used to be, to everyone who knew I existed, that is, I was the stereotypical lab geek...I was the one that got nasty stuff put in my locker, and 'kick me' signs on my back. I may have been class valordictorian, but I think I was probably the only one to have never had a girlfriend," he choked back tears. "When I started in the lab, was the first time I really had friends. But, still, the first girl I was interested in, Sara, wanted Grissom. It was like high-school all over again..."
Marah was speechless. She just wrapped her arms around him, in a friendly hug. "You didn't deserve that. You're an amazing person..."
"See, I heard that a lot...every time I asked someone out," he shook his head. "I really hate that phrase..."
"Well, you're all around amazing, then..." Marah sincerely said.
"I have a question, then..." Greg cleared his throat.
"Anything..." Marah nodded.
"Are you interested in me?" he nervously tapped his foot on the ground.
She nodded. "Yeah," she said, and then thought quickly. "Can I say one thing?" she asked..
"Yeah?" Greg grinned, not expecting her to say yes.
"Come closer...it's kinda a secret..." she gestured for him to come closer.
Greg curiously obeyed.
"Closer..." Marah moved a little closer to him.
Greg again obeyed, hesitantly.
Marah smiled, then kissed him. She wanted to think, but his mind was basically lime jello.
Greg's mind was jello, too. He went along with the kiss, and when it ended, he smiled broadly, and said, "Whoa..."
Marah's brain finally regained substance, and she looked at Greg to see the expression on his face. He looked genuinely happy. So, she decided to grin provocatively at him, and walk to her car. "I'll see you guys later..." she smiled, seeing that everyone was staring at her. "See you at work, Greg..."