[Author's Note: The following chapter contains sexual situations, although they aren't described that vividly. If you have issues with sex, then don't read the chapter! This chapter was in part inspired by "After Tonight" by Mariah Carey...if you don't know what I mean, listen to the song! That is all.]
Chapter 8: After Tonight
Miranda walked into the house, expecting to be alone. Her mother had left Sunday with Miranda's baby sister, no doubt going to Miranda's grandmother's house.
She had spent the afternoon at Gordo's of course, turning themselves into zombies by watching television. It was seven o'clock by the time Miranda had left his house, and had gotten inside her own house just as it started to rain. In fact, it had started to pour.
"Querido is that you?"
"Dad, what are you doing home?" Miranda asked as she walked into the living room.
"Mi jita, I have some great news!" Edward said.
"What's that?" Miranda asked.
"I got a job offer!" Edward said. "Bigger, and better, with more money!"
"Dad, that's great."
"Querido, sit down. There's something else I have to tell you."
"Okay..." Miranda looked at her father strangely, but sat down on the couch just the same.
"We'd have to move."
"Across town? But Dad, I have to go to school with my friends! I can't just..."
"Mi jita, it's not in town."
"It's not?" Miranda asked, her heart fearing the worst. "Then where...Daddy. No. Please."
"It's in Mexico City." Edward finished, preparing for the explosion.
"No! I'm not going! No! I can't leave my friends! I can't leave California! I barely even speak Spanish!"
"Querido, you'll get used to it, and..."
"Get used to it? I don't want to get used to it! I wanna stay here!" Miranda yelled.
"Well you're not going to, Miranda! This is as much about me as it is you!"
"I'm not going!" Miranda screamed.
"You don't have a choice in the manner!" Edward said.
"I hate you!" Miranda screamed. She turned and ran up the steps and into her room, slamming the door shut. She slid down the length of the door, sobbing.
She couldn't leave California. She couldn't leave Hillridge. Her friends! Lizzie! Gordo!
"Gordo..." she whispered sadly.
She started crying all over again. Standing up, she went into her bathroom and grabbed her razor. One swipe. Two. Three. She winced as the blade severed her skin, blood trickling in a thin line down her arm.
She cried it frustration and threw the razor against the mirror. It wasn't helping. The physical pain wasn't taking over the emotional pain. Not enough.
She walked over to her window, opened it, and climbed out.
Gordo jumped in surprise when he heard the tap at his window. He looked over and rolled his eyes. Making his way across the room, he opened the window.
"Have you lost your mind? It's storming out! You could catch pnuemonia! You could get struck by lightning!" he scolded the soaked Miranda. "You could have fallen off the lattice and broken your neck!"
"Gordo..." she sobbed.
Gordo's temperment changed pretty quickly when he saw how she was crying. Miranda had NEVER cried like this before. The desperation, the pain, her heart shattering, all was evident in her eyes. Gordo grabbed her forearms and helped pull her into his bedroom.
"Jesus Christ, Miranda! What did you do?" Gordo asked, turning her wrist over to examine the torn and cut skin.
"It didn't work...I...I tried...it didn't...I couldn't stop..." Miranda said, her crying and breathing coming in short gasps.
"Shhh....Miranda...shhh." Gordo pulled her against him in an effort to calm her down. She was thoroughly soaked to the bone and shivering, her teeth chattering.
"Come on. I need to bandage this up." Gordo said.
Fifteen minutes later, Miranda was sitting on Gordo's bathroom counter in one of his sweatshirts and a pair of his sweatpants with her sopping wet hair pulled back with a rubber band.
"Ow...that stings." Miranda complained as Gordo put ointment on her wrist.
"Well, you shouldn't have gone all Ginsu chef on your arm then, right?" Gordo replied. He bandaged the wound up tightly. "Okay, all done."
"Thanks." Miranda said, getting off the counter. She walked back into Gordo's room and turned on the stereo. "After Tonight" by Mariah Carey was on.
"Now, you ready to tell me what's up?"
Miranda sighed, her eyes threatening to spill over. "My dad's moving to Mexico City."
"Miranda, that's not the end of the world, you'll still see him on holidays and..."
"He's making me go with him, Gordo!" Miranda yelled, bursting into tears again.
"What? No!" Gordo said. "Hell no! You can't just leave like that!"
"I don't have a choice, Gordo!" Miranda said. She sighed. "We've finally found it."
"Found what?" Gordo asked.
"The one thing we couldn't con our way out of." Miranda replied.
Gordo sighed and pulled her to him. They hugged each other tightly, desperate to feel closer to one another.
"Miranda, you can't leave." Gordo said into her neck. "I love you." the last part came out in a choked sob.
"I love you, Gordo." Miranda said. "So so much." Without a moment's hesitation, she kissed the skin of his neck softly.
Gordo pulled away and stared at her, their eyes locked. He ran his hand down the side of her face, through her hair. Then, finally, mustering up the courage, he moved forward and kissed her.
This wasn't how their first kiss was supposed to be, Miranda thought. She wasn't supposed to be crying, and neither was Gordo. It was supposed to be like a fairytale! But the important thing was they were there together.
Neither one of them were thinking, just acting. Acting on the pain they were both feeling, and out of frustration. Frustration from pining over each other for so long, and only now being able to take the plunge.
Gordo had one hand at the back of her head, tangled in her long black hair, to hold her head for his hungry onslaught. Miranda's hands cupped his face, flowing down the sensitive skin at the back of his neck, and finally gripping his shoulders. Finally, she let go of him and pulled away.
"Wha..." Gordo started as she went to the door. He watched as she locked his bedroom door, then came back to him. She kissed him, and grabbed his shirt at the hem and lifted it up and over his head.
Gordo shook his head in an attempt to clear it. He needed to remind Miranda of repurcussions and what would happen tomorrow if this progressed any further.
"Miranda...do you know what we're getting into?" Gordo asked.
Miranda nodded. "I do."
"You're sure? Because you know, once we do this, there's no turning back. And once I get started, I'm not going to want to stop." Gordo said.
"I don't want you stop." Miranda said. "Gordo, you've been my best friend since kindergarten. I want more. I NEED more." she paused, and kissed him. "I need you. I love you."
Gordo said nothing, just took her by her hand and walked her over to his bed. A bed he had spent so many nights alone in, and now things would be totally different.
"Gordo?" Miranda said.
"Yeah?" Gordo asked as he dimmed his bedside lamp.
"You're not sleeping on the floor tonight." Miranda said before pulling him to her.
***
Gordo slowly awoke and became aware of his surroundings. He had been roused from his sleep by the fluttery sensations on his neck. He smiled, remembering the previous night's events. Miranda slept soundly in his arms, her head tucked under his chin and her nose pressed agasint his neck, her warm breath tickling his flesh.
He frowned suddenly. He'd finally gotten to be with Miranda, and now she was moving away. Away from him. It wasn't fair. Sighing, he looked at the clock on his nightstand. 8:30 AM. He was surprised his parents hadn't already woken him up. He looked down at his bedmate. He'd better wake her up.
"Miranda." Gordo whispered. He kissed her shoulder gently. "Wake up."
"Don't wanna." she mumbled against his neck. "Wanna stay with you."
Gordo smiled. "I want you to stay with me too."
Miranda cuddled against him further. "I'm cold."
Gordo chuckled and stroked her bare back, his fingers playing with her hair. "Well maybe if you weren't naked you wouldn't be cold, huh?"
"I don't wanna get up."
Gordo stretched lazily. "We have to, you don't want my parents bustin' us, do you?"
Miranda sighed. "No."
Gordo sat up. "Where'd my clothes go?"
Miranda sat up too, covering herself with the sheet. "I think your boxers landed over there somewhere." she said.
Gordo sighed and laid back down. "Dammit. I'm not getting up then."
"Can you at least hand me my bra?" Miranda asked.
"Where'd it go?"
"Lampshade." Miranda replied. Gordo handed it to her, and she retrieved her underwear. Slipping them on, she got out of bed and walked across the room, tossing Gordo his boxers. She grabbed her other clothes and pulled them on.
"Come here." Gordo said, patting the bed next to him. Miranda laid down next to him and he wrapped his arm around her. "You okay with what happened?"
"Yea." Miranda said. "How about you?"
Gordo kissed her temple softly. "I'm better than okay."
"Yeah?" Miranda asked.
"Definitely." Gordo replied.
"David! Are you up yet?" Gordo's mom's voice sounded through the door. It was followed by a knock. Gordo and Miranda looked at each other in panic.
"Shit!" Gordo said. "Uh...yeah, mom, getting dressed!"
Miranda hopped up and pulled on her sneakers and hurried over to the window. Gordo got up and followed her. Miranda opened the window and had one leg out when Gordo grabbed her shoulder.
"Hey." he said.
"What?" Miranda asked.
Gordo leaned forward and kissed her softly. "Digital Bean later? Around three or so?"
"Okay."
"We should probably ask Lizzie to go too, we've kinda been neglecting her lately."
"I'll call her. I'll see you later, Gordo." Miranda said.
"Bye." Gordo replied. Miranda flashed him another dazzling smile, and without another moment's hesitation climbed down the lattice and took off down the street.
Chapter 8: After Tonight
Miranda walked into the house, expecting to be alone. Her mother had left Sunday with Miranda's baby sister, no doubt going to Miranda's grandmother's house.
She had spent the afternoon at Gordo's of course, turning themselves into zombies by watching television. It was seven o'clock by the time Miranda had left his house, and had gotten inside her own house just as it started to rain. In fact, it had started to pour.
"Querido is that you?"
"Dad, what are you doing home?" Miranda asked as she walked into the living room.
"Mi jita, I have some great news!" Edward said.
"What's that?" Miranda asked.
"I got a job offer!" Edward said. "Bigger, and better, with more money!"
"Dad, that's great."
"Querido, sit down. There's something else I have to tell you."
"Okay..." Miranda looked at her father strangely, but sat down on the couch just the same.
"We'd have to move."
"Across town? But Dad, I have to go to school with my friends! I can't just..."
"Mi jita, it's not in town."
"It's not?" Miranda asked, her heart fearing the worst. "Then where...Daddy. No. Please."
"It's in Mexico City." Edward finished, preparing for the explosion.
"No! I'm not going! No! I can't leave my friends! I can't leave California! I barely even speak Spanish!"
"Querido, you'll get used to it, and..."
"Get used to it? I don't want to get used to it! I wanna stay here!" Miranda yelled.
"Well you're not going to, Miranda! This is as much about me as it is you!"
"I'm not going!" Miranda screamed.
"You don't have a choice in the manner!" Edward said.
"I hate you!" Miranda screamed. She turned and ran up the steps and into her room, slamming the door shut. She slid down the length of the door, sobbing.
She couldn't leave California. She couldn't leave Hillridge. Her friends! Lizzie! Gordo!
"Gordo..." she whispered sadly.
She started crying all over again. Standing up, she went into her bathroom and grabbed her razor. One swipe. Two. Three. She winced as the blade severed her skin, blood trickling in a thin line down her arm.
She cried it frustration and threw the razor against the mirror. It wasn't helping. The physical pain wasn't taking over the emotional pain. Not enough.
She walked over to her window, opened it, and climbed out.
Gordo jumped in surprise when he heard the tap at his window. He looked over and rolled his eyes. Making his way across the room, he opened the window.
"Have you lost your mind? It's storming out! You could catch pnuemonia! You could get struck by lightning!" he scolded the soaked Miranda. "You could have fallen off the lattice and broken your neck!"
"Gordo..." she sobbed.
Gordo's temperment changed pretty quickly when he saw how she was crying. Miranda had NEVER cried like this before. The desperation, the pain, her heart shattering, all was evident in her eyes. Gordo grabbed her forearms and helped pull her into his bedroom.
"Jesus Christ, Miranda! What did you do?" Gordo asked, turning her wrist over to examine the torn and cut skin.
"It didn't work...I...I tried...it didn't...I couldn't stop..." Miranda said, her crying and breathing coming in short gasps.
"Shhh....Miranda...shhh." Gordo pulled her against him in an effort to calm her down. She was thoroughly soaked to the bone and shivering, her teeth chattering.
"Come on. I need to bandage this up." Gordo said.
Fifteen minutes later, Miranda was sitting on Gordo's bathroom counter in one of his sweatshirts and a pair of his sweatpants with her sopping wet hair pulled back with a rubber band.
"Ow...that stings." Miranda complained as Gordo put ointment on her wrist.
"Well, you shouldn't have gone all Ginsu chef on your arm then, right?" Gordo replied. He bandaged the wound up tightly. "Okay, all done."
"Thanks." Miranda said, getting off the counter. She walked back into Gordo's room and turned on the stereo. "After Tonight" by Mariah Carey was on.
"Now, you ready to tell me what's up?"
Miranda sighed, her eyes threatening to spill over. "My dad's moving to Mexico City."
"Miranda, that's not the end of the world, you'll still see him on holidays and..."
"He's making me go with him, Gordo!" Miranda yelled, bursting into tears again.
"What? No!" Gordo said. "Hell no! You can't just leave like that!"
"I don't have a choice, Gordo!" Miranda said. She sighed. "We've finally found it."
"Found what?" Gordo asked.
"The one thing we couldn't con our way out of." Miranda replied.
Gordo sighed and pulled her to him. They hugged each other tightly, desperate to feel closer to one another.
"Miranda, you can't leave." Gordo said into her neck. "I love you." the last part came out in a choked sob.
"I love you, Gordo." Miranda said. "So so much." Without a moment's hesitation, she kissed the skin of his neck softly.
Gordo pulled away and stared at her, their eyes locked. He ran his hand down the side of her face, through her hair. Then, finally, mustering up the courage, he moved forward and kissed her.
This wasn't how their first kiss was supposed to be, Miranda thought. She wasn't supposed to be crying, and neither was Gordo. It was supposed to be like a fairytale! But the important thing was they were there together.
Neither one of them were thinking, just acting. Acting on the pain they were both feeling, and out of frustration. Frustration from pining over each other for so long, and only now being able to take the plunge.
Gordo had one hand at the back of her head, tangled in her long black hair, to hold her head for his hungry onslaught. Miranda's hands cupped his face, flowing down the sensitive skin at the back of his neck, and finally gripping his shoulders. Finally, she let go of him and pulled away.
"Wha..." Gordo started as she went to the door. He watched as she locked his bedroom door, then came back to him. She kissed him, and grabbed his shirt at the hem and lifted it up and over his head.
Gordo shook his head in an attempt to clear it. He needed to remind Miranda of repurcussions and what would happen tomorrow if this progressed any further.
"Miranda...do you know what we're getting into?" Gordo asked.
Miranda nodded. "I do."
"You're sure? Because you know, once we do this, there's no turning back. And once I get started, I'm not going to want to stop." Gordo said.
"I don't want you stop." Miranda said. "Gordo, you've been my best friend since kindergarten. I want more. I NEED more." she paused, and kissed him. "I need you. I love you."
Gordo said nothing, just took her by her hand and walked her over to his bed. A bed he had spent so many nights alone in, and now things would be totally different.
"Gordo?" Miranda said.
"Yeah?" Gordo asked as he dimmed his bedside lamp.
"You're not sleeping on the floor tonight." Miranda said before pulling him to her.
***
Gordo slowly awoke and became aware of his surroundings. He had been roused from his sleep by the fluttery sensations on his neck. He smiled, remembering the previous night's events. Miranda slept soundly in his arms, her head tucked under his chin and her nose pressed agasint his neck, her warm breath tickling his flesh.
He frowned suddenly. He'd finally gotten to be with Miranda, and now she was moving away. Away from him. It wasn't fair. Sighing, he looked at the clock on his nightstand. 8:30 AM. He was surprised his parents hadn't already woken him up. He looked down at his bedmate. He'd better wake her up.
"Miranda." Gordo whispered. He kissed her shoulder gently. "Wake up."
"Don't wanna." she mumbled against his neck. "Wanna stay with you."
Gordo smiled. "I want you to stay with me too."
Miranda cuddled against him further. "I'm cold."
Gordo chuckled and stroked her bare back, his fingers playing with her hair. "Well maybe if you weren't naked you wouldn't be cold, huh?"
"I don't wanna get up."
Gordo stretched lazily. "We have to, you don't want my parents bustin' us, do you?"
Miranda sighed. "No."
Gordo sat up. "Where'd my clothes go?"
Miranda sat up too, covering herself with the sheet. "I think your boxers landed over there somewhere." she said.
Gordo sighed and laid back down. "Dammit. I'm not getting up then."
"Can you at least hand me my bra?" Miranda asked.
"Where'd it go?"
"Lampshade." Miranda replied. Gordo handed it to her, and she retrieved her underwear. Slipping them on, she got out of bed and walked across the room, tossing Gordo his boxers. She grabbed her other clothes and pulled them on.
"Come here." Gordo said, patting the bed next to him. Miranda laid down next to him and he wrapped his arm around her. "You okay with what happened?"
"Yea." Miranda said. "How about you?"
Gordo kissed her temple softly. "I'm better than okay."
"Yeah?" Miranda asked.
"Definitely." Gordo replied.
"David! Are you up yet?" Gordo's mom's voice sounded through the door. It was followed by a knock. Gordo and Miranda looked at each other in panic.
"Shit!" Gordo said. "Uh...yeah, mom, getting dressed!"
Miranda hopped up and pulled on her sneakers and hurried over to the window. Gordo got up and followed her. Miranda opened the window and had one leg out when Gordo grabbed her shoulder.
"Hey." he said.
"What?" Miranda asked.
Gordo leaned forward and kissed her softly. "Digital Bean later? Around three or so?"
"Okay."
"We should probably ask Lizzie to go too, we've kinda been neglecting her lately."
"I'll call her. I'll see you later, Gordo." Miranda said.
"Bye." Gordo replied. Miranda flashed him another dazzling smile, and without another moment's hesitation climbed down the lattice and took off down the street.