A/N- She is back from outer space! The play is over, and now I have more
time, and avoid doing a science project. Anyway, I know this is really
strange, but read my bio, and participate in the contest for Jeremy's
Secrets. The contest is not closed until May 15th, or until enough people
have entered, therefore, the story won't be updated until then. Anyway,
thank you so much for the reviews and please continue to review.
Okay, now for my next note, I just want to point out and apologize for the amount of time this story has taken me. I started this story before I even knew there was going to be a Lizzie McGuire Movie, and before it was filmed, and now, two weeks from release, I know I won't finish it until after the theatrical release, it is when it gets out for home viewing, that I will start to complain. When I started this story, there were less than 400 Lizzie McGuire fics were out there, and now there are over 1100. Thank you so much for your patience.
Disclaimer: I do not own Lizzie McGuire.
Chapter 31
Come Fly With Me
22 June 2002
Climbing Mount Vesuvius was so amazing. We were surrounded by scenery that was all mountains. We drove there on the bus and started to climb the mountain, and we were supposed to meet the bus in an hour. I climbed the way, and we passed a bench not even a half up the volcano, and a girl about our age was sitting there all by herself. I continued up the trail to the volcano, walking alongside Gordo, but we barely talked, saving our breaths for the walking.
Once we reached the top, it was amazing with all the mountains around it. It felt really peaceful up there, and I just took in a deep breath. I have never seen a volcano before this one, let alone climb one. I looked around me, thinking how lucky I am and what a good time this trip has been. Two hours from this moment, I will be at an airport, but I am not living two hours from now, I am living in the here and now. This was perfect; the weather was perfect, and everything else. People were all around me, but I didn't care as I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. My eyes remained closed as I felt someone's arms wrap around my waist. This startled me somewhat, and I opened my eyes, and smiled. It was Gordo, and he smiled back.
"Is this not incredible?" He asked. I turned around to face him.
"Gordo, this is not only incredible, this is perfect. I want to stay up here forever. I just wish I had that long."
Gordo grinned. "I know. Would you mind it if I joined you?" he asked.
"Not at all. We could just never go home. Tell our parents to visit us on holidays."
"Yeah, if only it were true. Boy this place really opens up your mind. This would be a good place to come to think."
"I agree. It seems so harmonious and peaceful up here," I said and I looked at the ground below us. So this is what a volcano looks like? Wow, that rock is made from the lava of a volcano that erupted 2000 years ago.
"Lizzie what are you thinking about so hard?" Gordo interrupted my thoughts.
"What, oh, just where we are and how perfect it is."
"Tell me about it," Gordo said as he looked around as well.
Suddenly, Gordo moved in closer to me, and I looked at him, and he looked at me. I moved in closer, and before I knew it, we were kissing right on top of Mount Vesuvius. And yes, in case you are wondering, the kiss was perfect, and yes, there was a little tongue involved if you must know. After a moment or two, we stopped kissing, and Gordo looked at me, waiting for me to say something. I didn't know what to say to him, because that kiss was so amazing, but finally I was able to let out a smile, which caused Gordo to smile.
After a few more minutes at the top, we walked back down, hand in hand. Again, we didn't say much, but occasionally we would look at each other and smile. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the bench I mentioned earlier, and the girl was still there, looking even lonelier and sadder. I was so busy looking at her, that before I knew it, I tripped and fell right on my knee. Gordo was unable to catch me. I wasn't hurt bad, I only have a scratch on my right knee, but I decided maybe I should sit down to rest because I might of only had a scratch, but I was also tired.
I sat down on the bench, next to the girl. I told Gordo to go ahead and I will be down there in a minute, and reluctantly he moved ahead. I watched him walk a little, looking a little disappointed, but I knew he wouldn't be for very long.
I then looked at my knee and looked at the scratch. The blood was now clotting. The girl occasionally looked over at me, but we didn't say a word to each other. Suddenly, the silence was killing me, so I decided to try and talk to her.
"Uh, buongiorno!" I said, sounding cheerful.
The girl looked at me as if I was crazy. "Uh, buongiorno," she answered.
"Come sta?"
The girl looked like she was trying to decide what to say. "I am sorry, but I do not speak Italian," she said with an American accent really slowly.
I was relieved. "Thank goodness. Neither do I. So, where are you from?"
She looked surprised that I seemed American. "Florida. What about you?"
"I am from California. So how long have you been here?"
"I have been in Rome for about two weeks. We are leaving in a few days, though."
"Cool, so are you with family?"
"No, I am with a group. I am Ashley, by the way," she said in a monotone voice. She still looked sad.
"Cool. I am Lizzie. So, where is your group?"
Ashley pointed with her eyes to up to the top of Vesuvius. "They are up there. I know what you are thinking. Why am I not up there, right?"
"Well-," I started, but she interrupted.
"Well, the thing is, I can't tell you why. I guess you could say I am just really homesick right now. I came here for my dad, who said my mom always loved Italy, and now I am here; I would rather be at home with my dad and younger sister. My mom is dead, by the way. She died two years ago today," she said. She looked at me. I didn't say anything. "I am sorry. I am not good at first impressions. I didn't mean to scare you."
"No, you didn't scare me. In fact, it helps to talk to people sometimes. I am sorry to hear about your mother, but why is that stopping you from climbing?"
"I don't know. I guess I don't feel like I have a reason to go up there."
"Well, I went up there, and once I was up there, I felt like a whole new person, and it is a great place to gather your thoughts," I said as I stood up, realizing the time. "I have to go now, but if I were you, I would go up there, or you are going to regret not going up there forever. It was nice meeting you, and have fun! Arrivederci!" I said as I started to continue to walk down.
By the time I got down there, I saw Gordo looking at a shop and whistling. He looked happy. When he saw me, he smiled and waited for me to come to him, and he put his arm around my shoulder and we started walking to the bus, for we had about two minutes till we were going to leave.
Once on the bus, the teachers did a headcount, and realized we had everyone, and then we headed to the airport. I ended up falling asleep on the bus, and Gordo shook me awake when we got to the airport.
It was here when we had to say goodbye to Lucy, our fabulous tour guide, which left the chaperones in charge.
An hour later, we had our boarding passes and were hanging around in the Rome Airport. We ate our last foreign meal at the airport, and I grabbed some snacks for the airplane ride, because I hate airplane food, and before I knew it, we all boarded the plane. After a few seat switched, I was able to sit next to Gordo and coax him into letting me have the window seat. After we settled in and started talking about going home, the flight attendants started speaking to us, telling us to fasten our seatbelts and everything else, and we watched the airplane safety video, the pilot told us we wee about to lift, and we did. I watched as the airport and all of Rome started to look smaller and smaller and suddenly, I could only see clouds. I sat up and looked straight ahead of me and mumbled to myself out loud, "good bye, Rome, Goodbye, Europe."
Gordo, who was reading the in-flight magazine, looked at me. "What were you saying, Lizzie?"
I looked at him and shook my head. "Nothing, Gordo," and I took a magazine myself and started reading it. I wonder what in-flight movies are being offered this time . . .
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A/N: You like? Review, per favore. Don't forget the contest for Jeremy's Secrets! Thanks!
Okay, now for my next note, I just want to point out and apologize for the amount of time this story has taken me. I started this story before I even knew there was going to be a Lizzie McGuire Movie, and before it was filmed, and now, two weeks from release, I know I won't finish it until after the theatrical release, it is when it gets out for home viewing, that I will start to complain. When I started this story, there were less than 400 Lizzie McGuire fics were out there, and now there are over 1100. Thank you so much for your patience.
Disclaimer: I do not own Lizzie McGuire.
Chapter 31
Come Fly With Me
22 June 2002
Climbing Mount Vesuvius was so amazing. We were surrounded by scenery that was all mountains. We drove there on the bus and started to climb the mountain, and we were supposed to meet the bus in an hour. I climbed the way, and we passed a bench not even a half up the volcano, and a girl about our age was sitting there all by herself. I continued up the trail to the volcano, walking alongside Gordo, but we barely talked, saving our breaths for the walking.
Once we reached the top, it was amazing with all the mountains around it. It felt really peaceful up there, and I just took in a deep breath. I have never seen a volcano before this one, let alone climb one. I looked around me, thinking how lucky I am and what a good time this trip has been. Two hours from this moment, I will be at an airport, but I am not living two hours from now, I am living in the here and now. This was perfect; the weather was perfect, and everything else. People were all around me, but I didn't care as I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath. My eyes remained closed as I felt someone's arms wrap around my waist. This startled me somewhat, and I opened my eyes, and smiled. It was Gordo, and he smiled back.
"Is this not incredible?" He asked. I turned around to face him.
"Gordo, this is not only incredible, this is perfect. I want to stay up here forever. I just wish I had that long."
Gordo grinned. "I know. Would you mind it if I joined you?" he asked.
"Not at all. We could just never go home. Tell our parents to visit us on holidays."
"Yeah, if only it were true. Boy this place really opens up your mind. This would be a good place to come to think."
"I agree. It seems so harmonious and peaceful up here," I said and I looked at the ground below us. So this is what a volcano looks like? Wow, that rock is made from the lava of a volcano that erupted 2000 years ago.
"Lizzie what are you thinking about so hard?" Gordo interrupted my thoughts.
"What, oh, just where we are and how perfect it is."
"Tell me about it," Gordo said as he looked around as well.
Suddenly, Gordo moved in closer to me, and I looked at him, and he looked at me. I moved in closer, and before I knew it, we were kissing right on top of Mount Vesuvius. And yes, in case you are wondering, the kiss was perfect, and yes, there was a little tongue involved if you must know. After a moment or two, we stopped kissing, and Gordo looked at me, waiting for me to say something. I didn't know what to say to him, because that kiss was so amazing, but finally I was able to let out a smile, which caused Gordo to smile.
After a few more minutes at the top, we walked back down, hand in hand. Again, we didn't say much, but occasionally we would look at each other and smile. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the bench I mentioned earlier, and the girl was still there, looking even lonelier and sadder. I was so busy looking at her, that before I knew it, I tripped and fell right on my knee. Gordo was unable to catch me. I wasn't hurt bad, I only have a scratch on my right knee, but I decided maybe I should sit down to rest because I might of only had a scratch, but I was also tired.
I sat down on the bench, next to the girl. I told Gordo to go ahead and I will be down there in a minute, and reluctantly he moved ahead. I watched him walk a little, looking a little disappointed, but I knew he wouldn't be for very long.
I then looked at my knee and looked at the scratch. The blood was now clotting. The girl occasionally looked over at me, but we didn't say a word to each other. Suddenly, the silence was killing me, so I decided to try and talk to her.
"Uh, buongiorno!" I said, sounding cheerful.
The girl looked at me as if I was crazy. "Uh, buongiorno," she answered.
"Come sta?"
The girl looked like she was trying to decide what to say. "I am sorry, but I do not speak Italian," she said with an American accent really slowly.
I was relieved. "Thank goodness. Neither do I. So, where are you from?"
She looked surprised that I seemed American. "Florida. What about you?"
"I am from California. So how long have you been here?"
"I have been in Rome for about two weeks. We are leaving in a few days, though."
"Cool, so are you with family?"
"No, I am with a group. I am Ashley, by the way," she said in a monotone voice. She still looked sad.
"Cool. I am Lizzie. So, where is your group?"
Ashley pointed with her eyes to up to the top of Vesuvius. "They are up there. I know what you are thinking. Why am I not up there, right?"
"Well-," I started, but she interrupted.
"Well, the thing is, I can't tell you why. I guess you could say I am just really homesick right now. I came here for my dad, who said my mom always loved Italy, and now I am here; I would rather be at home with my dad and younger sister. My mom is dead, by the way. She died two years ago today," she said. She looked at me. I didn't say anything. "I am sorry. I am not good at first impressions. I didn't mean to scare you."
"No, you didn't scare me. In fact, it helps to talk to people sometimes. I am sorry to hear about your mother, but why is that stopping you from climbing?"
"I don't know. I guess I don't feel like I have a reason to go up there."
"Well, I went up there, and once I was up there, I felt like a whole new person, and it is a great place to gather your thoughts," I said as I stood up, realizing the time. "I have to go now, but if I were you, I would go up there, or you are going to regret not going up there forever. It was nice meeting you, and have fun! Arrivederci!" I said as I started to continue to walk down.
By the time I got down there, I saw Gordo looking at a shop and whistling. He looked happy. When he saw me, he smiled and waited for me to come to him, and he put his arm around my shoulder and we started walking to the bus, for we had about two minutes till we were going to leave.
Once on the bus, the teachers did a headcount, and realized we had everyone, and then we headed to the airport. I ended up falling asleep on the bus, and Gordo shook me awake when we got to the airport.
It was here when we had to say goodbye to Lucy, our fabulous tour guide, which left the chaperones in charge.
An hour later, we had our boarding passes and were hanging around in the Rome Airport. We ate our last foreign meal at the airport, and I grabbed some snacks for the airplane ride, because I hate airplane food, and before I knew it, we all boarded the plane. After a few seat switched, I was able to sit next to Gordo and coax him into letting me have the window seat. After we settled in and started talking about going home, the flight attendants started speaking to us, telling us to fasten our seatbelts and everything else, and we watched the airplane safety video, the pilot told us we wee about to lift, and we did. I watched as the airport and all of Rome started to look smaller and smaller and suddenly, I could only see clouds. I sat up and looked straight ahead of me and mumbled to myself out loud, "good bye, Rome, Goodbye, Europe."
Gordo, who was reading the in-flight magazine, looked at me. "What were you saying, Lizzie?"
I looked at him and shook my head. "Nothing, Gordo," and I took a magazine myself and started reading it. I wonder what in-flight movies are being offered this time . . .
*(*(*(*(*(*(*(*
A/N: You like? Review, per favore. Don't forget the contest for Jeremy's Secrets! Thanks!