Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.
Unexpected
Chapter Six: The Rhythm Divine
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Lizzie tugged at the hem of her sleeveless shirt for the billionth time. "Relax," Gordo said from the row behind her, leaning over so he wouldn't bother the other hopefuls. His breath was warm on her bare shoulder, and it nearly made her shudder. Now was not the time to be having these kinds of thoughts about Gordo. Although really, she shouldn't have been having these thoughts about Gordo at all these past few weeks, because he was with Miranda. Yeah, they toned it down, mostly for Lizzie's benefit, but she saw them kissing in the hallway, and knew they did it more than the few times she'd caught them and pretended not to notice, although she couldn't quell the jealousy that bubbled in her stomach. They held hands a lot, but Lizzie could ignore that fairly easily.
She shouldn't still like Gordo. It wasn't fair to Gordo, and it wasn't fair to Miranda, and it certainly wasn't fair to her. But the heart wanted what it wanted.
"Next up..." Georgette Skyler, the captain, was saying, and Lizzie looked up. "Lizzie McGuire."
Gordo rubbed her shoulder encouragingly, leaving Lizzie tingly. Behind her, her friends voiced their encouragement: "Go, Lizzie!" from Miranda; "Good luck," from Larry; and "Just *relax*, you'll do great," from Gordo.
Lizzie closed her eyes, shook her head to clear her mind, and stood up. She walked over to the head table, where six cheerleaders, including the blond, brassy, commanding presence that was Georgette, were assembled, waiting all too eagerly to pass judgment on the fifteen or so girls that wanted on the squad.
"Did you bring a tape?" Georgette asked, all business, but not unkindly.
Lizzie nodded, and handed it over. She'd worked hard, making an short, upbeat mix and a matching routine that showcased her gymnastic skills. Georgette put the tape in the deck, and Lizzie quickly backed onto the middle of the mat, taking her place. She rolled her shoulders a few times, and shook out her limbs, loosening up.
**If there is a God, don't let me fall over.**
The bass started, and then the medley blasted from the tape deck. Sinking into another realm, Lizzie became another person, a fanatical gymnast, energetic, positive, bursting with energy. She launched into her routine with zeal: flipping, spinning, dancing. She had choreographed this thinking about Gordo, and it showed in her routine, the frenetic energy that he inspired in her.
Lizzie sank into a split, the finale of her brief performance. The song ended, and Georgette clicked off the tape, smiling. Gordo, Miranda, and Tudgeman applauded enthusiastically, with whistles, as did a few of the other candidates, including Kate. Some of the board actually looked impressed. "Nice work, McGuire," Georgette said, handing over Lizzie's tape.
"Thanks," Lizzie said breathlessly, and returned to her seat.
"You were fabulous!" Miranda squealed, the first genuine enthusiasm she'd displayed all afternoon. Really, the first enthusiasm she'd expressed about Lizzie's decision at all.
"Seriously, Liz, you rocked," Larry agreed.
Gordo smiled at her fondly. "You glowed."
**I glowed? What the heck does THAT mean?**
Still, a compliment was a compliment...even if it was weird. Lizzie beamed at him.
Kate wandered over, and sat down next to them. She hadn't come to tryouts with an entourage. Now that Lizzie thought about it, the few times she'd seen Kate, the girl had been alone. It was almost sad. "You were great, Lizzie," Kate said sincerely.
Lizzie smiled. "So were you," she answered. "It must've been hard to go first, but you really pulled it off."
"I wasn't half as awesome as you," Kate insisted, and the girls smiled at each other.
There was one girl after Lizzie, and when her routine was over, a fairly unspectacular routine in which she'd stumbled quite frequently, Georgette Skyler commanded attention once again. "Thanks all of you for coming," she announced. "You were all excellent, and we'd like to take you all, but we can only take four of you. We have to confer, and the results will be posted outside of the girls locker room Monday morning."
The other wannabes and their respective groups got up to leave, as did Lizzie and her friends. "What say we go somewhere and celebrate?" Lizzie suggested, taking her hair down and then sweeping it into a ponytail again.
"Like the Digital Bean?" Miranda said.
"No, we always go there. Let's go to like, a restaurant," Gordo said, smiling slightly at Lizzie. Lizzie beamed; Gordo was taking her seriously and taking her interests seriously, which was more than she could say for Miranda currently.
"Hooters!" Tudgeman shouted enthusiastically, and they all cast him withering glares. "What?"
Lizzie shook her head. "I dunno, we could go anywhere. I just want to hang out with you guys."
"So, fine, let's go to the Digital Bean," Miranda said. The best friends stood up and started towards the end of the gym, before Lizzie stopped and realized there were only three members of the posse. She turned to look at Kate and Larry. "You guys are coming, right?"
They paused for a second, confused. Larry had never hung out with the trio outside of school, and Kate hadn't hung out with them since elementary school. Lizzie knew that Gordo and Miranda were probably giving her a weird look, too, but she'd stopped caring. She could make friends with whomever she wanted.
Larry and Kate nodded, and got up.
Unexpected
Chapter Six: The Rhythm Divine
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Lizzie tugged at the hem of her sleeveless shirt for the billionth time. "Relax," Gordo said from the row behind her, leaning over so he wouldn't bother the other hopefuls. His breath was warm on her bare shoulder, and it nearly made her shudder. Now was not the time to be having these kinds of thoughts about Gordo. Although really, she shouldn't have been having these thoughts about Gordo at all these past few weeks, because he was with Miranda. Yeah, they toned it down, mostly for Lizzie's benefit, but she saw them kissing in the hallway, and knew they did it more than the few times she'd caught them and pretended not to notice, although she couldn't quell the jealousy that bubbled in her stomach. They held hands a lot, but Lizzie could ignore that fairly easily.
She shouldn't still like Gordo. It wasn't fair to Gordo, and it wasn't fair to Miranda, and it certainly wasn't fair to her. But the heart wanted what it wanted.
"Next up..." Georgette Skyler, the captain, was saying, and Lizzie looked up. "Lizzie McGuire."
Gordo rubbed her shoulder encouragingly, leaving Lizzie tingly. Behind her, her friends voiced their encouragement: "Go, Lizzie!" from Miranda; "Good luck," from Larry; and "Just *relax*, you'll do great," from Gordo.
Lizzie closed her eyes, shook her head to clear her mind, and stood up. She walked over to the head table, where six cheerleaders, including the blond, brassy, commanding presence that was Georgette, were assembled, waiting all too eagerly to pass judgment on the fifteen or so girls that wanted on the squad.
"Did you bring a tape?" Georgette asked, all business, but not unkindly.
Lizzie nodded, and handed it over. She'd worked hard, making an short, upbeat mix and a matching routine that showcased her gymnastic skills. Georgette put the tape in the deck, and Lizzie quickly backed onto the middle of the mat, taking her place. She rolled her shoulders a few times, and shook out her limbs, loosening up.
**If there is a God, don't let me fall over.**
The bass started, and then the medley blasted from the tape deck. Sinking into another realm, Lizzie became another person, a fanatical gymnast, energetic, positive, bursting with energy. She launched into her routine with zeal: flipping, spinning, dancing. She had choreographed this thinking about Gordo, and it showed in her routine, the frenetic energy that he inspired in her.
Lizzie sank into a split, the finale of her brief performance. The song ended, and Georgette clicked off the tape, smiling. Gordo, Miranda, and Tudgeman applauded enthusiastically, with whistles, as did a few of the other candidates, including Kate. Some of the board actually looked impressed. "Nice work, McGuire," Georgette said, handing over Lizzie's tape.
"Thanks," Lizzie said breathlessly, and returned to her seat.
"You were fabulous!" Miranda squealed, the first genuine enthusiasm she'd displayed all afternoon. Really, the first enthusiasm she'd expressed about Lizzie's decision at all.
"Seriously, Liz, you rocked," Larry agreed.
Gordo smiled at her fondly. "You glowed."
**I glowed? What the heck does THAT mean?**
Still, a compliment was a compliment...even if it was weird. Lizzie beamed at him.
Kate wandered over, and sat down next to them. She hadn't come to tryouts with an entourage. Now that Lizzie thought about it, the few times she'd seen Kate, the girl had been alone. It was almost sad. "You were great, Lizzie," Kate said sincerely.
Lizzie smiled. "So were you," she answered. "It must've been hard to go first, but you really pulled it off."
"I wasn't half as awesome as you," Kate insisted, and the girls smiled at each other.
There was one girl after Lizzie, and when her routine was over, a fairly unspectacular routine in which she'd stumbled quite frequently, Georgette Skyler commanded attention once again. "Thanks all of you for coming," she announced. "You were all excellent, and we'd like to take you all, but we can only take four of you. We have to confer, and the results will be posted outside of the girls locker room Monday morning."
The other wannabes and their respective groups got up to leave, as did Lizzie and her friends. "What say we go somewhere and celebrate?" Lizzie suggested, taking her hair down and then sweeping it into a ponytail again.
"Like the Digital Bean?" Miranda said.
"No, we always go there. Let's go to like, a restaurant," Gordo said, smiling slightly at Lizzie. Lizzie beamed; Gordo was taking her seriously and taking her interests seriously, which was more than she could say for Miranda currently.
"Hooters!" Tudgeman shouted enthusiastically, and they all cast him withering glares. "What?"
Lizzie shook her head. "I dunno, we could go anywhere. I just want to hang out with you guys."
"So, fine, let's go to the Digital Bean," Miranda said. The best friends stood up and started towards the end of the gym, before Lizzie stopped and realized there were only three members of the posse. She turned to look at Kate and Larry. "You guys are coming, right?"
They paused for a second, confused. Larry had never hung out with the trio outside of school, and Kate hadn't hung out with them since elementary school. Lizzie knew that Gordo and Miranda were probably giving her a weird look, too, but she'd stopped caring. She could make friends with whomever she wanted.
Larry and Kate nodded, and got up.