Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.
Unexpected
Chapter Ten: The Biggest Idiot in California
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Lizzie was nervous for only the millionth time that day. It was bad enough that it was her first day of cheerleading practice, and considering Georgette Skyler's drill sergeant rep, she wasn't looking forward to it. But to make things worse, Gordo was coming to watch her. So she not only had to be good for Georgette, she had to be extra good for Gordo. Which meant she would have to continue to be extra good at *every* practice for Georgette.
ARG. High school was *way* too complicated.
In the locker room, it took all she had to not freak out and hide in a bathroom stall for the next hour or so.
"Lizzie, c'mon. If we're late...well, I don't know what'll happen, but I bet it's not good," Kate said.
"I can't go out there."
"Who're you afraid of? Georgette? Gordo?"
"Try C, all of the above."
"Well, it's your first day, so Georgette won't absolutely kill you if you screw up in front of everyone. And Gordo loves you, so he won't make fun of you."
"Gordo doesn't love me," Lizzie said quickly, and found herself being ushered out of the locker room by Kate.
"Well, if you don't want to think he loves you in 'that way,' at least you know that he loves you as a friend. And has he ever made fun of you for being the klutz that you are?"
Lizzie sighed. "No."
"Then it's all good. Just go out there, and you and I will knock them dead."
"Swear?" Lizzie asked. She was already feeling better.
"Swear."
~~~~~
It had been the longest hour and a half of Lizzie's life. First Georgette had them sit in neat little rows, while she paced in front of them, lecturing on the importance of unity and sisterhood. Then she'd taught them a basic cheer, and made them partner up for a trust falling exercise. "Trust is important on a squad," Georgette had declared, pounding her fist emphatically into her palm. "When you're up there doing stunts, you need to be completely relaxed. And you cannot completely relax unless you trust implicitly your cheerleading sisters."
Lizzie, after having participated in the exercise, was surprised to discover that she *did* trust Kate. After everything they'd been through together, Lizzie would've thought that Kate was the last person she wanted catching her. But she wasn't afraid. Maybe it was all of the helpful Gordo advice.
In any case, Lizzie was nonetheless exhausted when she left the locker room. Gordo was waiting patiently next to the door for her.
Lizzie laughed. "You must've scared quite a few cheerleaders waiting there," she said. She'd been one of the last ones out.
He shook his head, smiling. "The thousands of doors I've waited by for you."
"I'm sorry I kept you waiting," she said softly, and couldn't help thinking about how this situation mirrored Gordo waiting so long for Lizzie to come to her senses about him. At least this time she wasn't too late.
"Not a problem," he said. "Shall we?"
"Mm. Yeah." They started out of the school, and chatted easily about nonessential stuff the entire way home. The unimportant stuff was safe ground, Lizzie thought, school and food and movies. Things like that. Even so, even when the stuff was so basic, she loved talking with Gordo. He was insightful, and always listened to everything she said. Sometimes when she was talking with other people --Miranda, namely-- it felt like they turned everything she said into a story about themselves. But not Gordo. He was genuinely interested in what she had to say, no matter what the topic.
"Big shocker, my parents aren't home," Gordo said, letting them in the front door. They went into the kitchen and Lizzie settled herself at the counter while Gordo rummaged in the fridge.
"So, what'd you think about practice?" Lizzie asked.
"I was fairly unimpressed," Gordo admitted, "but it was unlikely that there would be a whole lot of crazy gymnastic stuff the first day. I noticed you seemed pretty comfortable with Kate, though."
"Yeah, talk about weird." Lizzie frowned, staring off into the distance. "But, you know, things change. Even Kate. At first I was all worried that she'd become Evil Kate again, but she's...I dunno, she's different. Things change," she repeated, then found herself saying, "like you and Miranda."
"Yeah," Gordo snorted, emerging from the fridge with a carton of milk, which he all but slammed on the counter. "Miranda."
"Gordo, don't even try to tell me now that things are all okey-dokey between you and Miranda," Lizzie said. "You don't have Kate and Larry here now. It's just me." You can tell me anything, she willed him silently. It was their mantra as friends, and she didn't want him to just up and forget it.
Gordo found some glasses, and sat down across from Lizzie, pouring the milk. "I don't know why I ever went out with Miranda," he admitted.
Lizzie wanted to agree with him, but knew that was only the worst possible plan ever. Instead, she just let him talk.
"I mean, there was this...um, there was this girl," Gordo said, looking away quickly when he saw Lizzie staring at him. "And I really liked her, but she never noticed me. And then...things just happened between Miranda and me. She asked me out, and I was really upset about...the other girl...and so I said yes."
"Gordo..." Lizzie started, wanting to ask if the 'other girl' was her. Just casually bring it up. But she couldn't. She just couldn't. She coughed. "So, are you and Miranda still going out?"
He shook his head. "We broke up this afternoon. You saw the sort of person she'd become. Angry at everyone, and possessive of me. She was only *so* jealous of you."
"Why would she be jealous of me?" Lizzie inquired innocently, knowing she was giving Gordo the perfect opening to admit that he *had* liked her last year.
"I don't know," Gordo said. "But I couldn't take it. She wasn't the same person I used to be friends with. You know?"
Lizzie nodded. "I know. Believe me, I know. Miranda's become someone else lately."
"I had to do it," Gordo said, staring at the table, more to himself than to her. "I couldn't keep going on like that."
He looked so...sad. Lizzie couldn't pinpoint exactly why he was sad, and she wasn't sure she could help alleviate the pain.
"Gordo, remember when I said I used to like you?"
**Oh my God. Oh my GOD! Shut up, McGuire! Just shut up now!**
Gordo stared at her.
"Well, you never said anything about it. And...I'm worried."
**You are the biggest idiot in California.**
"Worried?" Gordo echoed.
"I mean, maybe it's because of that, that you and Miranda..."
"What?" Gordo said. "No! I mean, no. It's not because of you. I mean--"
"Gordo, I still like you."
**You are the biggest idiot in the ENTIRE UNIVERSE.**
Unexpected
Chapter Ten: The Biggest Idiot in California
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Lizzie was nervous for only the millionth time that day. It was bad enough that it was her first day of cheerleading practice, and considering Georgette Skyler's drill sergeant rep, she wasn't looking forward to it. But to make things worse, Gordo was coming to watch her. So she not only had to be good for Georgette, she had to be extra good for Gordo. Which meant she would have to continue to be extra good at *every* practice for Georgette.
ARG. High school was *way* too complicated.
In the locker room, it took all she had to not freak out and hide in a bathroom stall for the next hour or so.
"Lizzie, c'mon. If we're late...well, I don't know what'll happen, but I bet it's not good," Kate said.
"I can't go out there."
"Who're you afraid of? Georgette? Gordo?"
"Try C, all of the above."
"Well, it's your first day, so Georgette won't absolutely kill you if you screw up in front of everyone. And Gordo loves you, so he won't make fun of you."
"Gordo doesn't love me," Lizzie said quickly, and found herself being ushered out of the locker room by Kate.
"Well, if you don't want to think he loves you in 'that way,' at least you know that he loves you as a friend. And has he ever made fun of you for being the klutz that you are?"
Lizzie sighed. "No."
"Then it's all good. Just go out there, and you and I will knock them dead."
"Swear?" Lizzie asked. She was already feeling better.
"Swear."
~~~~~
It had been the longest hour and a half of Lizzie's life. First Georgette had them sit in neat little rows, while she paced in front of them, lecturing on the importance of unity and sisterhood. Then she'd taught them a basic cheer, and made them partner up for a trust falling exercise. "Trust is important on a squad," Georgette had declared, pounding her fist emphatically into her palm. "When you're up there doing stunts, you need to be completely relaxed. And you cannot completely relax unless you trust implicitly your cheerleading sisters."
Lizzie, after having participated in the exercise, was surprised to discover that she *did* trust Kate. After everything they'd been through together, Lizzie would've thought that Kate was the last person she wanted catching her. But she wasn't afraid. Maybe it was all of the helpful Gordo advice.
In any case, Lizzie was nonetheless exhausted when she left the locker room. Gordo was waiting patiently next to the door for her.
Lizzie laughed. "You must've scared quite a few cheerleaders waiting there," she said. She'd been one of the last ones out.
He shook his head, smiling. "The thousands of doors I've waited by for you."
"I'm sorry I kept you waiting," she said softly, and couldn't help thinking about how this situation mirrored Gordo waiting so long for Lizzie to come to her senses about him. At least this time she wasn't too late.
"Not a problem," he said. "Shall we?"
"Mm. Yeah." They started out of the school, and chatted easily about nonessential stuff the entire way home. The unimportant stuff was safe ground, Lizzie thought, school and food and movies. Things like that. Even so, even when the stuff was so basic, she loved talking with Gordo. He was insightful, and always listened to everything she said. Sometimes when she was talking with other people --Miranda, namely-- it felt like they turned everything she said into a story about themselves. But not Gordo. He was genuinely interested in what she had to say, no matter what the topic.
"Big shocker, my parents aren't home," Gordo said, letting them in the front door. They went into the kitchen and Lizzie settled herself at the counter while Gordo rummaged in the fridge.
"So, what'd you think about practice?" Lizzie asked.
"I was fairly unimpressed," Gordo admitted, "but it was unlikely that there would be a whole lot of crazy gymnastic stuff the first day. I noticed you seemed pretty comfortable with Kate, though."
"Yeah, talk about weird." Lizzie frowned, staring off into the distance. "But, you know, things change. Even Kate. At first I was all worried that she'd become Evil Kate again, but she's...I dunno, she's different. Things change," she repeated, then found herself saying, "like you and Miranda."
"Yeah," Gordo snorted, emerging from the fridge with a carton of milk, which he all but slammed on the counter. "Miranda."
"Gordo, don't even try to tell me now that things are all okey-dokey between you and Miranda," Lizzie said. "You don't have Kate and Larry here now. It's just me." You can tell me anything, she willed him silently. It was their mantra as friends, and she didn't want him to just up and forget it.
Gordo found some glasses, and sat down across from Lizzie, pouring the milk. "I don't know why I ever went out with Miranda," he admitted.
Lizzie wanted to agree with him, but knew that was only the worst possible plan ever. Instead, she just let him talk.
"I mean, there was this...um, there was this girl," Gordo said, looking away quickly when he saw Lizzie staring at him. "And I really liked her, but she never noticed me. And then...things just happened between Miranda and me. She asked me out, and I was really upset about...the other girl...and so I said yes."
"Gordo..." Lizzie started, wanting to ask if the 'other girl' was her. Just casually bring it up. But she couldn't. She just couldn't. She coughed. "So, are you and Miranda still going out?"
He shook his head. "We broke up this afternoon. You saw the sort of person she'd become. Angry at everyone, and possessive of me. She was only *so* jealous of you."
"Why would she be jealous of me?" Lizzie inquired innocently, knowing she was giving Gordo the perfect opening to admit that he *had* liked her last year.
"I don't know," Gordo said. "But I couldn't take it. She wasn't the same person I used to be friends with. You know?"
Lizzie nodded. "I know. Believe me, I know. Miranda's become someone else lately."
"I had to do it," Gordo said, staring at the table, more to himself than to her. "I couldn't keep going on like that."
He looked so...sad. Lizzie couldn't pinpoint exactly why he was sad, and she wasn't sure she could help alleviate the pain.
"Gordo, remember when I said I used to like you?"
**Oh my God. Oh my GOD! Shut up, McGuire! Just shut up now!**
Gordo stared at her.
"Well, you never said anything about it. And...I'm worried."
**You are the biggest idiot in California.**
"Worried?" Gordo echoed.
"I mean, maybe it's because of that, that you and Miranda..."
"What?" Gordo said. "No! I mean, no. It's not because of you. I mean--"
"Gordo, I still like you."
**You are the biggest idiot in the ENTIRE UNIVERSE.**