Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.
Author's note: This is it! The final chapter. It's been a rush, you guys, and I can't say it enough: thanks for reading. And thanks for the great reviews, they mean a lot to me. There's a possibility of this little fic having a sequel, if I get around to it...what do you say?
Love love!
*Karasuma*Firestorm*
Unexpected
Chapter Fifteen: Give the Lady A Prize
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Lizzie attacked Larry in study hall, telling him about the kiss, her disappearing act the next day, her call with Miranda, her call with Gordo, and the sudden reappearance of Ronny Jacobs that morning.
"So...you and Gordo both admitted your love for each other...you kissed...and you're *not* together?" Larry asked, puzzled.
"That's the long and short of it, yeah," Lizzie said. "What do I do?"
"Well, duh, Liz. You go out with Gordo."
"I can't do that!"
"And why can't you? Because of Miranda? As I recall, she never really liked Gordo in the first place. And Gordo has no outstanding feelings towards her; he just wanted to make you jealous and it worked. And she's completely alienating you for no good reason, so you owe nothing to her."
"She's alienating me because I like Gordo and I ruined their relationship."
"No, Miranda ruined the relationship herself by being totally schizo. In any case, you and Gordo liked each other long before she decided to butt in, and she knew it. Lizzie, you and Gordo belong together, and nothing is standing in your way but your own reluctance. Wasn't that what ruined your chances last time?"
Larry had a point. "But what about Ronny?"
"What *about* Ronny? Who broke your heart, and who picked up the pieces?"
"Ronny broke it, and Gordo fixed it," Lizzie admitted.
"This is a no-brainer, McGuire, and I know you're not that dumb. What you should be doing isn't talking to me. You should be talking to Gordo. You're avoiding him. Any more of this, and he's going to think you're rejecting him. You've gotta fix things before you lose him again."
"You're right, Tudgeman. You're absolutely right."
**Never thought I'd be saying that.**
"Give the lady a prize."
Lizzie got out of her seat, and started to walk to the front desk. "Where're you going?" Larry asked.
Lizzie smiled at him, but it was a nervous smile. She felt like someone had put a thousand cocoons in her stomach while she'd been asleep, and now they were all undergoing metamorphosis. Butterflies, moths, maybe even a hummingbird or two, all erupting in her gut and making her want to puke. "I'm going to go find Gordo, and I'm going to tell him the truth."
~~~~~
Lizzie stopped a few feet short of Gordo's classroom, and took a few deep breaths. She thought she might die of stress. Leaning against a row of lockers, she willed herself to calm down. It was just Gordo; she didn't have to be afraid of facing Gordo, ever. Hadn't she come to him to beg for help in math? That was far more humiliating than this. Besides, she already knew how he felt about her, so this should be easy.
So why was she so nervous?
Well, there was the Miranda factor. Although Lizzie didn't know why she was so reluctant to incur the Sanchez wrath, seeing as how she'd experienced it many times in the past. Besides, this wasn't the same Miranda she'd gone to middle school with. This was an entirely different Miranda, one that Lizzie didn't particularly care to know. So she shouldn't care what she thought. Miranda had never really liked Gordo like that, so she wouldn't be that upset. And if she was, so what? She had no real basis to be.
Lizzie argued with herself for a full minute before she remembered what she'd come here to do. She took one last deep breath, and walked over to the door. The teacher, a tall, balding black man that Lizzie didn't recognize, although she was sure Gordo had mentioned him before, was writing on the board, his back to the room and to the door. Lizzie waved frantically, trying to attract Gordo's attention, but he was copying down the notes.
A kid in the first row saw her, and waved back uncertainly, clearly wondering who this weird chick was that was waving at him. "Get Gordo," Lizzie mouthed. "Gordo." She pointed.
The kid's eyes widened as he interpreted her message, and nodded.
**Someone's a brainchild. Took you long enough!**
He turned to look at the person sitting behind him, and pointed at Gordo. The second kid threw a pencil, which bounced off of Gordo's head. Lizzie put her hand over her mouth, trying to hide her laughter. Gordo looked up, annoyed, and the pencil-throwing kid pointed at the door. Lizzie waved at him, a hopeful expression on his face.
Gordo looked confused for a second, then grinned at her. Just that goofy grin made Lizzie melt inside. He raised his hand, and Lizzie ducked out of sight when the teacher turned around. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Gordo joined her in the hallway.
"What's up?" he asked.
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm scared. I was scared of my feelings because you're my best friend and I didn't expect to ever feel this way about you. So I ran. And then when you kissed me, I ran again, and when you said...when you said you loved me," it was so weird to say that, "I ran again. And you probably thought...you probably thought that I was rejecting you, but I'm not, I was just confused and I was afraid of ruining things, and I was scared of what Miranda would think, but it's not like she's even Miranda anymore, and I'm sorry Gordo, I'm sorry and I love you." She flashed him a tentative smile.
The next thing she knew, Gordo's arms were clinched around her waist, and she'd wrapped his curls around her fingers, and they were kissing with all the pent-up frustration they'd been feeling since the beginning of last year. Lizzie smiled against his lips.
**Awwwww! It's like a movie of the week!**
The bell for lunch rang then, and the hallways exploded with hungry student life. People whistled and laughed when they saw the embrace, and Lizzie and Gordo stepped back from each other, embarrassed. "Um, we should go to lunch," Gordo said, ducking his head.
"Yeah," Lizzie said, running a hand through her hair and laughing nervously. "Lunch." She smiled at Gordo, and as they started down the hallway, Gordo took her hand.
That was how they approached the lunch table, holding hands. Tudgeman was telling a story, gesturing elaborately, more than likely regaling Kate with how he came to Lizzie's rescue last period and she'd never returned. Kate pointed over Tudgeman's shoulder, and he turned to look. Kate and Larry burst into spontaneous applause as the couple--
**We're a couple! EEE!**
--approached, and Lizzie and Gordo sat down quickly, ducking their heads. "Could you please not make a scene?" Lizzie said, embarrassed.
Gordo laughed and poked Lizzie in the side. "Like you didn't make a scene in the hallway five minutes ago."
Lizzie looked indignant, but it was obvious she was trying hard not to giggle. "Moi? You kissed me first!"
"I don't think so," Gordo said, shaking his head and laughing. "*You* kissed *me* first."
Kate squeaked and grabbed Larry's arm. "They kissed!"
"They better have," Larry said with conviction.
Gordo and Lizzie laughed, and Lizzie squeezed Gordo's hand. He squeezed back instantaneously, and Lizzie smiled. He'd always been there for her, and he always was going to be there for her.
Sitting there, with a new circle of friends and a new boyfriend, for the first time all year, Lizzie felt perfectly happy.
Author's note: This is it! The final chapter. It's been a rush, you guys, and I can't say it enough: thanks for reading. And thanks for the great reviews, they mean a lot to me. There's a possibility of this little fic having a sequel, if I get around to it...what do you say?
Love love!
*Karasuma*Firestorm*
Unexpected
Chapter Fifteen: Give the Lady A Prize
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Lizzie attacked Larry in study hall, telling him about the kiss, her disappearing act the next day, her call with Miranda, her call with Gordo, and the sudden reappearance of Ronny Jacobs that morning.
"So...you and Gordo both admitted your love for each other...you kissed...and you're *not* together?" Larry asked, puzzled.
"That's the long and short of it, yeah," Lizzie said. "What do I do?"
"Well, duh, Liz. You go out with Gordo."
"I can't do that!"
"And why can't you? Because of Miranda? As I recall, she never really liked Gordo in the first place. And Gordo has no outstanding feelings towards her; he just wanted to make you jealous and it worked. And she's completely alienating you for no good reason, so you owe nothing to her."
"She's alienating me because I like Gordo and I ruined their relationship."
"No, Miranda ruined the relationship herself by being totally schizo. In any case, you and Gordo liked each other long before she decided to butt in, and she knew it. Lizzie, you and Gordo belong together, and nothing is standing in your way but your own reluctance. Wasn't that what ruined your chances last time?"
Larry had a point. "But what about Ronny?"
"What *about* Ronny? Who broke your heart, and who picked up the pieces?"
"Ronny broke it, and Gordo fixed it," Lizzie admitted.
"This is a no-brainer, McGuire, and I know you're not that dumb. What you should be doing isn't talking to me. You should be talking to Gordo. You're avoiding him. Any more of this, and he's going to think you're rejecting him. You've gotta fix things before you lose him again."
"You're right, Tudgeman. You're absolutely right."
**Never thought I'd be saying that.**
"Give the lady a prize."
Lizzie got out of her seat, and started to walk to the front desk. "Where're you going?" Larry asked.
Lizzie smiled at him, but it was a nervous smile. She felt like someone had put a thousand cocoons in her stomach while she'd been asleep, and now they were all undergoing metamorphosis. Butterflies, moths, maybe even a hummingbird or two, all erupting in her gut and making her want to puke. "I'm going to go find Gordo, and I'm going to tell him the truth."
~~~~~
Lizzie stopped a few feet short of Gordo's classroom, and took a few deep breaths. She thought she might die of stress. Leaning against a row of lockers, she willed herself to calm down. It was just Gordo; she didn't have to be afraid of facing Gordo, ever. Hadn't she come to him to beg for help in math? That was far more humiliating than this. Besides, she already knew how he felt about her, so this should be easy.
So why was she so nervous?
Well, there was the Miranda factor. Although Lizzie didn't know why she was so reluctant to incur the Sanchez wrath, seeing as how she'd experienced it many times in the past. Besides, this wasn't the same Miranda she'd gone to middle school with. This was an entirely different Miranda, one that Lizzie didn't particularly care to know. So she shouldn't care what she thought. Miranda had never really liked Gordo like that, so she wouldn't be that upset. And if she was, so what? She had no real basis to be.
Lizzie argued with herself for a full minute before she remembered what she'd come here to do. She took one last deep breath, and walked over to the door. The teacher, a tall, balding black man that Lizzie didn't recognize, although she was sure Gordo had mentioned him before, was writing on the board, his back to the room and to the door. Lizzie waved frantically, trying to attract Gordo's attention, but he was copying down the notes.
A kid in the first row saw her, and waved back uncertainly, clearly wondering who this weird chick was that was waving at him. "Get Gordo," Lizzie mouthed. "Gordo." She pointed.
The kid's eyes widened as he interpreted her message, and nodded.
**Someone's a brainchild. Took you long enough!**
He turned to look at the person sitting behind him, and pointed at Gordo. The second kid threw a pencil, which bounced off of Gordo's head. Lizzie put her hand over her mouth, trying to hide her laughter. Gordo looked up, annoyed, and the pencil-throwing kid pointed at the door. Lizzie waved at him, a hopeful expression on his face.
Gordo looked confused for a second, then grinned at her. Just that goofy grin made Lizzie melt inside. He raised his hand, and Lizzie ducked out of sight when the teacher turned around. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Gordo joined her in the hallway.
"What's up?" he asked.
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I'm scared. I was scared of my feelings because you're my best friend and I didn't expect to ever feel this way about you. So I ran. And then when you kissed me, I ran again, and when you said...when you said you loved me," it was so weird to say that, "I ran again. And you probably thought...you probably thought that I was rejecting you, but I'm not, I was just confused and I was afraid of ruining things, and I was scared of what Miranda would think, but it's not like she's even Miranda anymore, and I'm sorry Gordo, I'm sorry and I love you." She flashed him a tentative smile.
The next thing she knew, Gordo's arms were clinched around her waist, and she'd wrapped his curls around her fingers, and they were kissing with all the pent-up frustration they'd been feeling since the beginning of last year. Lizzie smiled against his lips.
**Awwwww! It's like a movie of the week!**
The bell for lunch rang then, and the hallways exploded with hungry student life. People whistled and laughed when they saw the embrace, and Lizzie and Gordo stepped back from each other, embarrassed. "Um, we should go to lunch," Gordo said, ducking his head.
"Yeah," Lizzie said, running a hand through her hair and laughing nervously. "Lunch." She smiled at Gordo, and as they started down the hallway, Gordo took her hand.
That was how they approached the lunch table, holding hands. Tudgeman was telling a story, gesturing elaborately, more than likely regaling Kate with how he came to Lizzie's rescue last period and she'd never returned. Kate pointed over Tudgeman's shoulder, and he turned to look. Kate and Larry burst into spontaneous applause as the couple--
**We're a couple! EEE!**
--approached, and Lizzie and Gordo sat down quickly, ducking their heads. "Could you please not make a scene?" Lizzie said, embarrassed.
Gordo laughed and poked Lizzie in the side. "Like you didn't make a scene in the hallway five minutes ago."
Lizzie looked indignant, but it was obvious she was trying hard not to giggle. "Moi? You kissed me first!"
"I don't think so," Gordo said, shaking his head and laughing. "*You* kissed *me* first."
Kate squeaked and grabbed Larry's arm. "They kissed!"
"They better have," Larry said with conviction.
Gordo and Lizzie laughed, and Lizzie squeezed Gordo's hand. He squeezed back instantaneously, and Lizzie smiled. He'd always been there for her, and he always was going to be there for her.
Sitting there, with a new circle of friends and a new boyfriend, for the first time all year, Lizzie felt perfectly happy.