Disclaimer: Don't own any of the characters from Lizzie McGuire… except Gordo. JUST KIDDING!
A/N: I know it's been a while, but not all chapters will be like this. I was having some huge problems with the end of this chapter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tale as old as time,
True as it can be,
Barely even friends,
Then somebody bends,
Unexpectedly.
Just a little change,
Small to say the least,
Both a little scared,
Neither one prepared,
Beauty and the beast."
-Mrs. Potts, Beauty and the Beast
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
His parents dropped Gordo out at Lizzie's without even the slightest argument, although the trip was delayed by a pit stop to his own house to change. "Because," he said, "as fun as it REALLY IS to hang out in wet clothes, I think I prefer dry."
She had kept her mouth shut.
By the time they arrived at Lizzie's, the rain had stopped, and the sun was peaking from behind the clouds.
"Did you have something in mind to do," he asked as his parents drove away.
"Not really," she replied. A note on the counter told them that Lizzie's parents had gone to Lowe's and that Matt was at Lanny's. "We could watch a movie."
"Like what?"
"Beauty and the Beast."
"I think I'll pass."
She grinned. "What, you don't like movies that have happy endings? Where everyone gets exactly what they want?"
"I don't like movies the encourage kids to believe that love solves everything."
Lizzie stared at him in disbelief. Never had she heard such outright bitterness from the lips of her best friend.
"Of course it does," she answered, grabbing a soda from the fridge and handing one to him. With a loud pop, they opened their drinks simultaneously.
Taking what could only be described as an angry swallow, he frowned at his friend. "Oh, come on. It's just the company's way of encouraging happily ever after."
"What's wrong with that?"
"There IS no happily ever after!"
"There is too!"
"No, there isn't. Lizzie, my parents are psychiatrists. Do you know what the odds are for love to work?"
Before she could halt the words, she found herself muttering, "Like you'd know anything about it, anyway."
He cocked an eyebrow. "What's THAT supposed to mean?"
*Okay, you weren't supposed to hear that.*
"Nothing."
"It didn't sound like nothing to me. Now spit it out, McGuire. What did you mean?"
She avoided his eyes, knowing that if she didn't tears might form in hers. "Like you've ever been in love," she snapped.
She chanced a glance up.
If she'd been hoping to make him mad, she had failed pathetically. Because the look on his face was not fury.
But absolute misery.
It was as if she had punched him in the stomach. His eyes were wide with surprise and pain, his cheeks pale.
She turned away.
"Oh, Lizzie, you're right. You know such much more about the subject than I!"
-FLASHBACK-
"So, what do you know the guy, anyway?"
"I know that he's a total hottie!"
"Well, there's a rock solid foundation."
-ENDFLASHBACK-
-FLASHBACK-
"Lizzie's in love with some guy named Ronnie."
"Ahh."
-ENDFLASHBACK-
She spun around, eyes flashing. "Those are only two instances and you know it. And anyway, just because I have acted like a dirk in the past doesn't mean that I've never been in love!"
*AH!! Rewind. When am I going to learn to think before I speak?*
His eyes flickered. "When were YOU in love?"
Lips pursed, she replied, "When were YOU?"
*(sarcastically) Wow, Lizzie, that doesn't sound like avoidance at all!*
Finally, dropping his empty soda can in the trash, Gordo started for the front hall. "I'm getting out of here. I'll talk to you later." With that, he slammed the door behind him.
*I am not going to cry, I am not going to cry, I am NOT going to cry.*
Swallowing hard, she began unloading the dishwasher.
What had gotten into her? When had she become a girl that went out of her way to push her best friend's buttons? After all, she knew that, at least at one point, he had loved her. So she had intentionally said something hateful. Was this the person that loving Gordo had created?
The shrill ring of the phone startled her from her thoughts and self pity.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Lizzie!"
She felt automatic comfort from the familiar sound of Miranda's voice.
"Miranda! How's Mexico?"
Her friend tossed that topic aside with an impatient sigh. "Boring! I can't believe I missed graduation and Rome for THIS!" Pause. "So how's Hillridge? You keeping Gordo in line?"
"Not exactly."
"What do ya mean?"
"Miranda…" She took a shaky breath. "Gordo has a crush me."
There was silence on the other side of the line. And then:
"Hi, Pope? It's Miranda. I'm just calling to let you know… You're Catholic!" With that, she burst out laughing.
"Miranda!" snapped Lizzie, "this ISN'T funny!"
A quiet chuckling met her ears. "Sure it is."
"Oh yeah? Well… Well, I think I like him too."
Miranda stopped laughing. Then said, "Hi, Mr. Rabbi? It's Miranda. I'm just calling to let you know-"
Lizzie cut her off. "Well, I'm glad you think this is funny, but I DON'T. I don't know what to do," she moaned.
"I'm sorry," Miranda apologized, her voice softening. "I say, just tell him."
"Easier said than done."
"Why?"
Quickly, Lizzie filled her friend in on the details of Rome and of the events of that day, including the argument.
When she was finished, Miranda finally exclaimed, "So get your butt over to his house and APOLOGIZE!"
"Miranda-"
"Go!"
"You don't under-"
"I'm hanging up now. JUST so that you can go make up with Gordo. So go."
Lizzie stood, holding the phone in her hand with the sound of the dial tone drowning on in her ear.
And then she rushed out the door.
A/N: I know it's been a while, but not all chapters will be like this. I was having some huge problems with the end of this chapter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tale as old as time,
True as it can be,
Barely even friends,
Then somebody bends,
Unexpectedly.
Just a little change,
Small to say the least,
Both a little scared,
Neither one prepared,
Beauty and the beast."
-Mrs. Potts, Beauty and the Beast
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
His parents dropped Gordo out at Lizzie's without even the slightest argument, although the trip was delayed by a pit stop to his own house to change. "Because," he said, "as fun as it REALLY IS to hang out in wet clothes, I think I prefer dry."
She had kept her mouth shut.
By the time they arrived at Lizzie's, the rain had stopped, and the sun was peaking from behind the clouds.
"Did you have something in mind to do," he asked as his parents drove away.
"Not really," she replied. A note on the counter told them that Lizzie's parents had gone to Lowe's and that Matt was at Lanny's. "We could watch a movie."
"Like what?"
"Beauty and the Beast."
"I think I'll pass."
She grinned. "What, you don't like movies that have happy endings? Where everyone gets exactly what they want?"
"I don't like movies the encourage kids to believe that love solves everything."
Lizzie stared at him in disbelief. Never had she heard such outright bitterness from the lips of her best friend.
"Of course it does," she answered, grabbing a soda from the fridge and handing one to him. With a loud pop, they opened their drinks simultaneously.
Taking what could only be described as an angry swallow, he frowned at his friend. "Oh, come on. It's just the company's way of encouraging happily ever after."
"What's wrong with that?"
"There IS no happily ever after!"
"There is too!"
"No, there isn't. Lizzie, my parents are psychiatrists. Do you know what the odds are for love to work?"
Before she could halt the words, she found herself muttering, "Like you'd know anything about it, anyway."
He cocked an eyebrow. "What's THAT supposed to mean?"
*Okay, you weren't supposed to hear that.*
"Nothing."
"It didn't sound like nothing to me. Now spit it out, McGuire. What did you mean?"
She avoided his eyes, knowing that if she didn't tears might form in hers. "Like you've ever been in love," she snapped.
She chanced a glance up.
If she'd been hoping to make him mad, she had failed pathetically. Because the look on his face was not fury.
But absolute misery.
It was as if she had punched him in the stomach. His eyes were wide with surprise and pain, his cheeks pale.
She turned away.
"Oh, Lizzie, you're right. You know such much more about the subject than I!"
-FLASHBACK-
"So, what do you know the guy, anyway?"
"I know that he's a total hottie!"
"Well, there's a rock solid foundation."
-ENDFLASHBACK-
-FLASHBACK-
"Lizzie's in love with some guy named Ronnie."
"Ahh."
-ENDFLASHBACK-
She spun around, eyes flashing. "Those are only two instances and you know it. And anyway, just because I have acted like a dirk in the past doesn't mean that I've never been in love!"
*AH!! Rewind. When am I going to learn to think before I speak?*
His eyes flickered. "When were YOU in love?"
Lips pursed, she replied, "When were YOU?"
*(sarcastically) Wow, Lizzie, that doesn't sound like avoidance at all!*
Finally, dropping his empty soda can in the trash, Gordo started for the front hall. "I'm getting out of here. I'll talk to you later." With that, he slammed the door behind him.
*I am not going to cry, I am not going to cry, I am NOT going to cry.*
Swallowing hard, she began unloading the dishwasher.
What had gotten into her? When had she become a girl that went out of her way to push her best friend's buttons? After all, she knew that, at least at one point, he had loved her. So she had intentionally said something hateful. Was this the person that loving Gordo had created?
The shrill ring of the phone startled her from her thoughts and self pity.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Lizzie!"
She felt automatic comfort from the familiar sound of Miranda's voice.
"Miranda! How's Mexico?"
Her friend tossed that topic aside with an impatient sigh. "Boring! I can't believe I missed graduation and Rome for THIS!" Pause. "So how's Hillridge? You keeping Gordo in line?"
"Not exactly."
"What do ya mean?"
"Miranda…" She took a shaky breath. "Gordo has a crush me."
There was silence on the other side of the line. And then:
"Hi, Pope? It's Miranda. I'm just calling to let you know… You're Catholic!" With that, she burst out laughing.
"Miranda!" snapped Lizzie, "this ISN'T funny!"
A quiet chuckling met her ears. "Sure it is."
"Oh yeah? Well… Well, I think I like him too."
Miranda stopped laughing. Then said, "Hi, Mr. Rabbi? It's Miranda. I'm just calling to let you know-"
Lizzie cut her off. "Well, I'm glad you think this is funny, but I DON'T. I don't know what to do," she moaned.
"I'm sorry," Miranda apologized, her voice softening. "I say, just tell him."
"Easier said than done."
"Why?"
Quickly, Lizzie filled her friend in on the details of Rome and of the events of that day, including the argument.
When she was finished, Miranda finally exclaimed, "So get your butt over to his house and APOLOGIZE!"
"Miranda-"
"Go!"
"You don't under-"
"I'm hanging up now. JUST so that you can go make up with Gordo. So go."
Lizzie stood, holding the phone in her hand with the sound of the dial tone drowning on in her ear.
And then she rushed out the door.
