Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.
Author's note: another short chapter, my apologies. Again, it's all based on how you want to break it up, and this is how I broke it up.
And not only is it short, but it's LATE, too. I'm really sorry. I got caught up in working on the latest chapter of "Sweetness", and working on some new stuff, and I forgot to update...again, sorry.
T-Aye-Ki: ::large hopeful eyes:: AWWW! Thank you! I love you! ::hugness::
/gush
*Karasuma*Firestorm*
Unexpected
Chapter Eight: Economics
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Lizzie dashed into the room just as the bell was ringing. "Nice of you to join us, McGuire," Mr. Mack said. Lizzie glanced at him, embarrassed. He smiled at her, and relieved, she took her seat next to Gordo.
"Okay, class, here's the deal. Today we start work on our first economics project," Mr. Mack said. "You're going to partner up. I suggest you pick someone you don't hate and you know you can work with. You are going to write a company, and ask them for stock information, and you're going to follow the stock for several weeks Everything is outlined in this syllabus."
As Mr. Mack passed out thick packets of guidelines, the class erupted in sound as people looked for partners. Lizzie stared at her hands, folded on her desk. Gordo wasn't saying anything. Didn't he want to be her partner?
Suddenly, Jenny Woods was at her side. "Lizzie, need a partner?"
"Um, uh..." Lizzie stuttered. Jenny was okay and all, but Lizzie didn't really know her that well. What if she left Lizzie doing all the work?
"Sorry, Jen, she's already working with me," Gordo said politely.
Jenny smiled and shrugged. "Duh. Gordo and Lizzie. I should've known. Sorry!"
"No, it's okay!" Lizzie said, her voice finally returning to her as Jenny walked away. "Thanks for asking!" She smiled weakly at Jenny's back, then turned to Gordo. "Gordo!"
"What?"
"You could've said something!"
Gordo looked perplexed. "About..?"
"About us working together!" Lizzie huffed. "You could've told me!"
Ever since the beginning of the school year, Lizzie and Gordo had spent no time alone together outside of Econ class. Miranda was always...hovering. So when class came around, Lizzie found herself suddenly nervous at being 'alone' with him. Especially after her little dashboard confessional at her locker.
"Lizzie, we always work together," Gordo explained patiently, as if she were a small child. A small, stupid child. Of course they did. It was implied, as Jenny had indicated. Yup, Lizzie was a moron.
"Oh," she said, giggling nervously. "Yeah. Right. I...I, uh, forgot."
He had a point. Which was half of the reason they worked together as often as they did: Gordo was smart. Really smart.
**He's also cute, and funny, and thoughtful...**
"Right, right," she said. "That makes sense."
"This project actually looks like a lot of fun," Gordo said, flipping through the pages quickly. "You know who Mr. Mack reminds me of?"
"Mr. Dig," they chorused, and smiled at each other. It was a Lizzie-Gordo moment in the truest sense of the word, and Lizzie found herself blurting, "I miss you, Gordo."
Gordo stared, knowing that she wanted to say more.
"I mean, we never hang out anymore. Just you and me," she amended. "You're always with...her."
He gaped. "'Her?' You mean, Miranda, your best friend?"
She'd said too much. "Listen, um, I..." *Brrring!*
Saved by the bell! "I'll see you at lunch," she said, and ran off, just barely balancing her books. Why had she said that? First she'd told Gordo how she really felt, and although she'd tried to make it flippant and like she was totally over him, he still avoided her. He must have hated her, or thought she was crazy, or who knew what. And now, she'd definitely made a reference to resenting Miranda --hew own best friend-- and now if Gordo didn't hate her before, he would now.
Lizzie debated skipping lunch, but the thought of leaving Miranda and Kate at the same table without a referee was wholly unappealing. It was weird, at the moment the only ones she was willing to face were Larry Tudgeman and Kate Sanders, of all people. One hand on the cafeteria door, she forced herself to relax, and put on the smile of someone who'd just made the cheerleading squad and wasn't completely in love with her best friend.
Author's note: another short chapter, my apologies. Again, it's all based on how you want to break it up, and this is how I broke it up.
And not only is it short, but it's LATE, too. I'm really sorry. I got caught up in working on the latest chapter of "Sweetness", and working on some new stuff, and I forgot to update...again, sorry.
T-Aye-Ki: ::large hopeful eyes:: AWWW! Thank you! I love you! ::hugness::
/gush
*Karasuma*Firestorm*
Unexpected
Chapter Eight: Economics
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Lizzie dashed into the room just as the bell was ringing. "Nice of you to join us, McGuire," Mr. Mack said. Lizzie glanced at him, embarrassed. He smiled at her, and relieved, she took her seat next to Gordo.
"Okay, class, here's the deal. Today we start work on our first economics project," Mr. Mack said. "You're going to partner up. I suggest you pick someone you don't hate and you know you can work with. You are going to write a company, and ask them for stock information, and you're going to follow the stock for several weeks Everything is outlined in this syllabus."
As Mr. Mack passed out thick packets of guidelines, the class erupted in sound as people looked for partners. Lizzie stared at her hands, folded on her desk. Gordo wasn't saying anything. Didn't he want to be her partner?
Suddenly, Jenny Woods was at her side. "Lizzie, need a partner?"
"Um, uh..." Lizzie stuttered. Jenny was okay and all, but Lizzie didn't really know her that well. What if she left Lizzie doing all the work?
"Sorry, Jen, she's already working with me," Gordo said politely.
Jenny smiled and shrugged. "Duh. Gordo and Lizzie. I should've known. Sorry!"
"No, it's okay!" Lizzie said, her voice finally returning to her as Jenny walked away. "Thanks for asking!" She smiled weakly at Jenny's back, then turned to Gordo. "Gordo!"
"What?"
"You could've said something!"
Gordo looked perplexed. "About..?"
"About us working together!" Lizzie huffed. "You could've told me!"
Ever since the beginning of the school year, Lizzie and Gordo had spent no time alone together outside of Econ class. Miranda was always...hovering. So when class came around, Lizzie found herself suddenly nervous at being 'alone' with him. Especially after her little dashboard confessional at her locker.
"Lizzie, we always work together," Gordo explained patiently, as if she were a small child. A small, stupid child. Of course they did. It was implied, as Jenny had indicated. Yup, Lizzie was a moron.
"Oh," she said, giggling nervously. "Yeah. Right. I...I, uh, forgot."
He had a point. Which was half of the reason they worked together as often as they did: Gordo was smart. Really smart.
**He's also cute, and funny, and thoughtful...**
"Right, right," she said. "That makes sense."
"This project actually looks like a lot of fun," Gordo said, flipping through the pages quickly. "You know who Mr. Mack reminds me of?"
"Mr. Dig," they chorused, and smiled at each other. It was a Lizzie-Gordo moment in the truest sense of the word, and Lizzie found herself blurting, "I miss you, Gordo."
Gordo stared, knowing that she wanted to say more.
"I mean, we never hang out anymore. Just you and me," she amended. "You're always with...her."
He gaped. "'Her?' You mean, Miranda, your best friend?"
She'd said too much. "Listen, um, I..." *Brrring!*
Saved by the bell! "I'll see you at lunch," she said, and ran off, just barely balancing her books. Why had she said that? First she'd told Gordo how she really felt, and although she'd tried to make it flippant and like she was totally over him, he still avoided her. He must have hated her, or thought she was crazy, or who knew what. And now, she'd definitely made a reference to resenting Miranda --hew own best friend-- and now if Gordo didn't hate her before, he would now.
Lizzie debated skipping lunch, but the thought of leaving Miranda and Kate at the same table without a referee was wholly unappealing. It was weird, at the moment the only ones she was willing to face were Larry Tudgeman and Kate Sanders, of all people. One hand on the cafeteria door, she forced herself to relax, and put on the smile of someone who'd just made the cheerleading squad and wasn't completely in love with her best friend.