Lizzie POV
"Oh, my gosh!" I exclaimed.
"What?" Gordo rushed over to my side.
"There." I pointed straight. "Paolo and Isabella."
Gordo's jaw dropped and his eyebrows shot up. "You know, everyone's right. You two are totally identical. I couldn't tell the difference."
"I can tell why Paolo likes her so much." I sighed. "She's so pretty." My shoulders slumped.
"I know you are."
My head snapped up.
Animated Lizzie: What did he just say!?
***
Gordo POV
I winced the moment I said it. It had just slipped out.
"I mean..." I searched my brain for all the excuses I could. "You two are identical. If Isabella's pretty, then so are you. So there. If Paolo likes Isabella more than you, it's not because she's prettier." I took a shaky breath, hoping she'd believed me.
She smiled. "I guess. You know, I feel like going for a walk. Wanna come?"
I nodded.
We started to walk downstairs, to the seventh floor. Then we took the elevator to the bottom floor. We walked outside.
"Rome's really wonderful, isn't it?" She asked.
"Yeah, it is." I said, noticing that there was some tension in between us.
I didn't feel free to say whatever I wanted, unlike when we having the pillow fight. Then I felt like I could tell Lizzie everything. Now, I felt as if everything I said was going to turn against me. Maybe it was because we were out in public. I didn't know.
"Isabella!" Someone yelled. A herd of people ran toward us.
"Run!" She whispered to me.
I closed one eye and started to run as hard as I could.
"Isabella, are you and Paolo back together?" A reporter asked, shoving a microphone in Lizzie's face.
She played it cool. "No comment." She said, and scurried away.
"Lizzie!" I shouted. I had lost her in the crowd. People were flashing cameras, writing stuff down.
"Is 'Lizzie' a nickname for Isabella?" Another reporter asked.
"Yes!" Lizzie said, sounding exasperated. "Gordo! Where are you?" She yelled.
I saw Lizzie's hand reaching out through the crowd. I grabbed it. She pulled me forward, and we ran as fast as our legs could carry us. We finally got to the hotel and slammed the door.
"Oh, my gosh." I said as I pressed against the door. "Now I knew how Matt felt after he was on that Uncle Wendell show."
"Oh, please don't remind me about that." Lizzie stared breathing deeply. "Whew! The crowd really loves Isabella, huh?"
"You can say that again."
"So, what should we do now?"
"Well, we definitely can rule out going outside."
She giggled. "I guess we can... uh-oh."
We heard banging from the other side of the doors. They were glass, so of course everyone saw through it. Lizzie opened a door.
"Hey. Look, I'm really busy right now. Maybe we'll meet again."
"Hopefully not." I whispered under my breath.
No one listened. They pulled Lizzie outside and shut the door. I watched from the other side, and then slipped out.
"Gordo! Help!" She said.
"Who's this Gordo? Paolo's friend? Someone in the business?"
"Do you think you'll get into the Grand Ilandra?"
I could hear yelling from all over.
She happily answered questions, but she seemed miserable. I once again grabbed her hand and pulled her into the hotel. We bounded up the stairs and into her room. When we were in, she locked the door in every way possible.
She sighed.
"What is *he* doing here?" Kate asked.
"Press. Cameras. Reporters." I managed to say, while I was catching my breath.
"Ooh." Kate said sarcastically. "I guess everything has a downside."
"Yeah. I guess it does." Lizzie collapsed onto her bed.
"Oh, my gosh!" I exclaimed.
"What?" Gordo rushed over to my side.
"There." I pointed straight. "Paolo and Isabella."
Gordo's jaw dropped and his eyebrows shot up. "You know, everyone's right. You two are totally identical. I couldn't tell the difference."
"I can tell why Paolo likes her so much." I sighed. "She's so pretty." My shoulders slumped.
"I know you are."
My head snapped up.
Animated Lizzie: What did he just say!?
***
Gordo POV
I winced the moment I said it. It had just slipped out.
"I mean..." I searched my brain for all the excuses I could. "You two are identical. If Isabella's pretty, then so are you. So there. If Paolo likes Isabella more than you, it's not because she's prettier." I took a shaky breath, hoping she'd believed me.
She smiled. "I guess. You know, I feel like going for a walk. Wanna come?"
I nodded.
We started to walk downstairs, to the seventh floor. Then we took the elevator to the bottom floor. We walked outside.
"Rome's really wonderful, isn't it?" She asked.
"Yeah, it is." I said, noticing that there was some tension in between us.
I didn't feel free to say whatever I wanted, unlike when we having the pillow fight. Then I felt like I could tell Lizzie everything. Now, I felt as if everything I said was going to turn against me. Maybe it was because we were out in public. I didn't know.
"Isabella!" Someone yelled. A herd of people ran toward us.
"Run!" She whispered to me.
I closed one eye and started to run as hard as I could.
"Isabella, are you and Paolo back together?" A reporter asked, shoving a microphone in Lizzie's face.
She played it cool. "No comment." She said, and scurried away.
"Lizzie!" I shouted. I had lost her in the crowd. People were flashing cameras, writing stuff down.
"Is 'Lizzie' a nickname for Isabella?" Another reporter asked.
"Yes!" Lizzie said, sounding exasperated. "Gordo! Where are you?" She yelled.
I saw Lizzie's hand reaching out through the crowd. I grabbed it. She pulled me forward, and we ran as fast as our legs could carry us. We finally got to the hotel and slammed the door.
"Oh, my gosh." I said as I pressed against the door. "Now I knew how Matt felt after he was on that Uncle Wendell show."
"Oh, please don't remind me about that." Lizzie stared breathing deeply. "Whew! The crowd really loves Isabella, huh?"
"You can say that again."
"So, what should we do now?"
"Well, we definitely can rule out going outside."
She giggled. "I guess we can... uh-oh."
We heard banging from the other side of the doors. They were glass, so of course everyone saw through it. Lizzie opened a door.
"Hey. Look, I'm really busy right now. Maybe we'll meet again."
"Hopefully not." I whispered under my breath.
No one listened. They pulled Lizzie outside and shut the door. I watched from the other side, and then slipped out.
"Gordo! Help!" She said.
"Who's this Gordo? Paolo's friend? Someone in the business?"
"Do you think you'll get into the Grand Ilandra?"
I could hear yelling from all over.
She happily answered questions, but she seemed miserable. I once again grabbed her hand and pulled her into the hotel. We bounded up the stairs and into her room. When we were in, she locked the door in every way possible.
She sighed.
"What is *he* doing here?" Kate asked.
"Press. Cameras. Reporters." I managed to say, while I was catching my breath.
"Ooh." Kate said sarcastically. "I guess everything has a downside."
"Yeah. I guess it does." Lizzie collapsed onto her bed.