Thanks again for your comments. I wanted this to be a story that meant something, not just Gordo telling Lizzie how he felt, then she says, "I love you, too", and they all live happily ever after. Life's not that simple. And yes, I do believe Lizzie liked Gordo long before "Bye Bye Hillridge Junior High".
No one asked, but the title of the previous chapter refers to an episode of the Simpsons (New Kid On The Block), when Bart falls for an older girl who is part tomboy. She says she's going to give him a Hertz Donut, then punches him, and says, "Hurts, don't it?" Original title of last chapter was just "Love Hurts" but that's too plain.
The two reasons why I almost didn't do this story are: 1) if I write about stuff that did air, people will get mad if I don't write it exact. and 2) there are still unaired episodes that could factor into the storyline, but if I just make stuff up, then it could be totally different than what really happens. Of course, all this so far is made up...
You may not like this, but I'm going to fast forward the story a bit to the last couple months of school...
I hope what's coming isn't seen as completely out of character for anyone, but it will all be explained.
Disclaimer- I do not have any connections with Disney, Ren-Mar Studios, or any of the cast and crew of Lizzie McGuire. This is written solely for your (and my) enjoyment.
On to Chapter 7.
Gordo was able to put the house back together before his parents returned, but he still didn't know what quite to do about Lizzie. He also had recieved an email from Miranda on Christmas evening, but his was slightly different...
Gordo,
I got them to give me back my PC so I could send a couple of quick messages, and turn off some of my daily joke lists and stuff, or my email will be full in a week.
I just wanted to thank you for being there, you are a good friend. Someday I'll be able to tell Lizzie what's going on, but not now.
See you back in school in about a week.
--Miranda--
He talked to Lizzie on the phone, but made up excuses when she asked him to come over, or meet at the Digital Bean, etc. He just felt that he couldn't handle being with Lizzie without Miranda around.
Lizzie was disappointed that she heard very little from her friends the rest of vacation, but Gammy McGuire stayed until the day before she was to return to school, so she wasn't exactly bored.
When school resumed, they were again the Three Musketeers. Some days went slow, others sped by. Miranda did not tell Lizzie what had happened over Christmas, and did not try to play matchmaker, well, not much. She occasionally came up with excuses to leave the two of them alone for a few minutes, but either it wasn't long enough, or Gordo couldn't think of a way to express himself before she returned.
When Parker McKenzie started to get chummy with Gordo, he decided to ask her out to the dance. She turned him down, saying he was too short, and Lizzie and Miranda were surprised at how it affected him. In the end, Gordo, Miranda, and Lizzie attended the dance together, as friends, but still Parker and Gordo shared a dance.
Lizzie couldn't understand things she was feeling, thinking. She kept telling herself Gordo was just a friend, and she was after Ethan Craft. But Gordo kept creeping into her thoughts, and Ethan kept ignoring her...
At the second dance of the year, Lizzie took the blame for defacing the statue of a former principal, and was not allowed to attend the dance. Gordo did not attend either, and brought her some refreshments, so that they could have their own little party. In fact, close to the whole school showed up at Lizzie's, including Ethan. Unfortunately for Gordo, this meant he couldn't have any kind of "moment" with Lizzie, but hoped it showed her that she had more friends that she previously thought.
Soon after, there was a dance where the girls ask the guys, and Gordo encouraged Lizzie to ask Ethan. Of course, Miranda got upset at this, why would he give Lizzie away? Gordo knew the chances of Ethan accepting were slim, but if he turned her down, maybe that would stop her from pining after someone she couldn't get. Or, it would make things worse, but Gordo didn't have a 4.0 average for nothing... He saw how Ethan had attended the impromptu party at Lizzie's, as a friend, nothing more.
He even helped her change her image for Ethan, so that she'd be everything he wanted, down to having the same hobbies, and liking the same music and books. Ethan finally had his eyes opened a little, and told Lizzie that while he was flattered she'd go through so much trouble for him, he still saw her as a friend.
Lizzie didn't even try to ask anyone else, and no one asked Gordo. Miranda wouldn't say if she was successful in finding a date or not, but she didn't attend the dance either. All three of them ended up at Lizzie's and staged their own little dance. As Lizzie's continued efforts to attract Ethan failed, Gordo was there to console her, but inside he said to himself that every time he turned her down, there was a smidge more of a chance he had at winning her affections. So, of course, he was there to comfort her when she should have been at the dance.
They started dancing far apart, but Lizzie allowed Gordo to hold her a little closer, and while it felt strange to her in the beginning, in a way, it felt right. She caught him looking intently at her, not staring, but almost admiring. She looked back at him, and started to lose herself in his eyes. She couldn't decide if they were blue or gray, but it didn't matter. He had beautiful eyes. She couldn't do it any longer. He was her friend, and he was a boy, but that was all. She shook her head to rid her mind of such thoughts, and flipped her long blonde hair in the process.
To anyone else, it looked as if Lizzie was simply flipping her hair out of her eyes. But that move made Gordo melt inside. She was absolutely perfect, and he had told her so, but she didn't get how much he meant it. She let Kate's assessment of her take priority, and she was convinced Kate was a 10, and herself a 3.
Gordo wasn't blind. He knew that physically Kate was something, but her attitude and personality made her looks count for nil. Kate never picked on Gordo as much as she did Lizzie or Miranda, but her picking on any of them was enough to drop her rating in his eyes. While he didn't fully comprehend love until the last couple of years, he thought that he had loved Lizzie most of his life, if not all of his life. No matter what she looked like, or did, it didn't change his feelings for her. He knew she was very, very attractive, but he considered it a bonus. He knew the outside person didn't matter as much as who one was inside.
One day, a famous TV star visited Hillridge Junior High, the star of Malcolm in the Middle, Frankie Muniz. Frankie asked Lizzie out, and Gordo told her to turn him down, but to his surprise, Miranda encouraged Lizzie to accept.
Lizzie and Frankie went out a few times, but the pressures of dating a TV star soon got to Lizzie, and Gordo and Miranda didn't get to hang out with Lizzie any more. She realized that Frankie was just a normal guy, and she couldn't stand all the paparazzi attention, and she missed her friends. So, they decided it was best to keep in touch, but just as friends. Frankie even gave her a part in a TV movie he was in, and let Gordo and Miranda on the set. He told Gordo to take care of Lizzie, she was special, and gave him a wink, as if he knew there was something between the two of them.
Miranda kept getting pursued by Larry Tudgeman, and was told by Lizzie he wasn't so bad, so she gave him a chance, but ultimately decided he wasn't right for her, or vice versa.
Matt, Lanny and Melina again became friends, Melina said she was just "experimenting" and wasn't ready for anyone to be her boyfriend just yet. While Matt believed her, he knew he'd have to watch Lanny a little more carefully than he used to.
Lizzie grew to appreciate her mother's taste in clothing when a pair of bargain jeans almost helped her win the title of best dressed. She could never return her Christmas presents, so now she started to wear them, even out of the house.
Gordo continued to talk to Miranda about her problems, but it was growing harder to keep from Lizzie. They tried to chat and instant message each other, but once Lizzie found them online, and joined in the chat, and Gordo almost sent Lizzie a message meant for Miranda.
Miranda begged Gordo to create a private chat, so that they could continue to talk without Lizzie finding out. He was reluctant to do so, but created a private area. The two of them even created alternate handles, so that they could talk without Lizzie being able to find them. He hoped Lizzie would understand when she found out that all he was doing was talking with Miranda, it wasn't like it was a secret romance or anything. Still, Gordo decided it best to get proof, so he started to save emails, and print them, and the chats, just in case Lizzie ever asked.
One day, Miranda said she was going to "visit a sick aunt". At least, that's what she was going to tell everyone else, and Gordo was to back up her story. With all that was happening, more than ever he begged Miranda to tell Lizzie what was going on, or to give him permission to reveal her secrets. She told him that it was too late now, that things would have to drastically improve before she'd tell Lizzie, after she got past her problems. Gordo told her that didn't make sense, that bringing Lizzie into her confidence would help her overcome her troubles much quicker, and what would Lizzie think when she found out Miranda and Gordo had been keeping so much from her?
But Gordo was careful not to push too much, because he didn't want to leave Miranda friendless, at a time when she needed a good friend. He also knew that with Miranda gone for awhile, it was again his best chance to tell Lizzie how he felt. If only he could stop chickening out...
A/N Yawn. Was that ok? I hate having to rehash stuff everybody knows, but gotta move this story along... I hope you'll bear with me until I get to the meaty part of this story, but I'm afraid it may be too unrealistic for some.
Anyways, review if you like, or email JP5683 @ webtv.net or @msn.com with thoughts/comments.
Depending on how my new computer behaves, I might have to next part up by Tuesday, but probably not until Wednesday night/Thursday morning.
Thanks,
JP
March 11, 2003