This chapter, along with the previous six, and any beyond, are what I MADE UP about what happens after Bye, Bye, Hillridge Junior High. Disregard the fact that you know the movie prevents ANY of this from happening!
I don't know why I thought you'd get really mad two chapters ago, and only somewhat mad after the last, but everyone that posted thought it was alright. I hope only a small number of the 'silent' readers thought otherwise.
Sesen, hope your head didn't explode. I just couldn't do this in three days. When I was posting in that manner, I didn't have much time for rewrites, or proofreading. Good things take time. Patience is a virtue. Etc, etc, blah blah blah. :-)
For everyone else, thanks for your patience as well. Tried to post this Friday evening, it's now Saturday morning, technically. I redid this chapter so many times I could recite it in my sleep.
Once again, regarding this entire story, and the last chapter especially, I have NOTHING against LaLaine or the character of Miranda.
Disclaimer - I do not work for Disney or Ren-Mar Studios, or whatever involved with Lizzie McGuire, so I don't own the characters, okay? All lyrics used are property of the respective artists, labels, writers, agents, etc, and ASCAP/BMI.
On to Chapter 19
Chapter 19
...burped. Loudly. He turned red, and tried to apologize, but his voice was absent. He felt like Lanny, he could make no sound. He was puzzled by Lizzie's reaction. First shock, then amusement, then concern. Here he was trying to be serious, and he failed.
He couldn't look at her. He turned, and again, started to walk away, head down. It took her longer than before, but like she just did a few moments ago, she stopped him. This time though, he wasn't upset. He didn't know what to feel. What could she possibly think of him now?
"Gordo. Look at me!" He was able to only for a second, then he quickly looked down at the ground again.... "Come on, let's sit down and we'll talk this out." She led him to one of the many benches in the park. They could have been sitting at a bench this whole time, but chose the swings because of their sentimental value...
They sat on opposite ends, not too close, but not too far apart. A very thin person could fit between the two, but these seats weren't meant for three. "Tell me! It's not like anything you are going to say is going to shock me any more than anything else that you've already said! We've lost too many moments where we couldn't talk about things, and I'm not going to give this one up that easily!"
Boy, she was really worked up now. He wished he could have better anticipated her reaction to everything that had happened. If he could go back and do it over, he would do things in a much different order, and not draw things out so much. He was sorry for the way he had behaved a few minutes ago. He should have known that she was going to interrupt him during his story, it was a little much to take in all at once. All she'd really asked for was some clarifications here and there. A couple of times she was just thinking aloud, he couldn't blame her for that. Did he actually think he could tell her all of these 'earth-shattering' tidbits of information, and she'd just sit back and listen? Of course not, if he was the one listening, he'd probably react in much the same manner. No, strike that, he'd be a wreck by now. She was taking this much better than he thought possible. But, what how would she feel about the rest of what he wanted to tell her? Only one way to find out. He took his ninety-seventh deep breath of the afternoon, give or take, opened his mouth, and this time, words actually came forth, a little hesitantly at first, but that was alright.
"L-Liz Liz" Whew. Breathe. In, out. In, out. What's so hard about that? "L-Lizzie, uh,"
Oh great. Now he was reduced to saying just her name. For a guy who had a 4.0 average, he was earning an 'F' here. Slowly, calmly, he tried again. "Elizabeth Brooke McGuire," Wow, what a beautiful name for such a beautiful girl. He couldn't ever remember saying it all before out loud. He didn't even know her middle name for a long time, it was like a little secret she had kept. Brooke, that was her second name. Brooke! He had dated a Brooke! Coincidence, or did it mean something deeper? He shook it off.
"Elizabeth Brooke McGuire, I have just two questions for you." Well, that much he could say, and that much was true, but could he actually ask them?
Lizzie sat there waiting. At first she was a little impatient, but she then realized that whatever he had to say must really be something big. Questions? What was so hard about asking a question? When he spoke her name, it sounded so elegant. She never liked her full name before, but it sounded different now. She'd read a list somewhere about the most pleasant and least pleasant sounding words in the English language. 'Jazz' was one of the worst sounding. 'Lizzie' had two z's, did that mean it sounded worse than 'Elizabeth' which had only one z? Why was she concerning herself with something so trivial? Was she afraid to answer a direct question?
"Okay, first question. Would you go with me to the Digital Bean after the graduation? I mean, it'll kind of be like a 'test' date, and we go there all the time anyways, so it wouldn't seem too strange. If anyone sees us, they wouldn't think anything of it. I'd like to be able to take you some place better, but with the class trip coming, I have to save my money. If I don't make a total goober out of myself tonight, and you'll let me, I'll take you wherever you want, as soon as I can. I've wanted to ask you out for a long time now, but I couldn't. I almost said something when you broke up with Ronny, but I thought maybe you'd think I was trying to get you 'on the rebound' or something. After the murder mystery party, I didn't know what to do. I thought if I asked you out, you'd say no, and if I tried to kiss you, I'd get slapped. I never wanted to push you to do something you didn't want to do." Oh! He felt sick. He felt light-headed. He was going to pass out. He tried to continue, but Lizzie reached out, and put her hand on his shoulder for just a second, then removed it, as if to silence him. He tried not to hyperventilate. Slowly he calmed down, and waited to see what she would do. Was she going to answer his question?
"Gordo, Gordo. Shhh! It's ok, really it is. I'll go with you to the Digital Bean later tonight. To be honest, I forgot about the trip, with everything else that's been going on. I understand you have to save your money, but wherever we go is okay with me. Don't think we have to go there because being somewhere else will make people talk. It's perfectly alright with me if we are seen together. As for going out again, let's just get through the first date and see how it goes."
Whew. She continued to talk, faster than he thought was humanly possible. "And I'm sorry I kept interrupting you, but you did just tell me a bunch of stuff that was pretty serious, and I wanted to make sure you weren't making it up, and were telling me everything. I said I couldn't say that I love you now, because that would have to come later. I'm still saying that, but 'later' just may be sooner than I thought. I never realized how much you've done. For me, for Miranda, for everyone! You said it to me, I'll say it to you. You're just great!" She stopped.
"You are very special to me, and I wouldn't be the person I am today without you and your friendship." Weird, she kept using what he said to her, to talk to him. "I think maybe things were meant to be the way they are, and we have no real control over them. Maybe our lives are pre-determined, and our choices aren't as random as they seem. If what you suspect is true, it's not your fault that Kate had a crush on you at the same time I did. It's also not your fault that she saw you kiss Miranda and came to the wrong conclusion. It's not your fault that I came to a similar conclusion. It's not your fault that Miranda had a few problems, but it is her fortune that you were there to help. It's not your fault that she wouldn't tell me what was going on. It's..."
He was listening, but couldn't stop thinking about one fact... She had agreed to a date with him! Even though she said it was alright if they went someplace other than their normal 'hangout', he'd probably take her there anyways. It was comfortable for both of them, and even though she said it wouldn't be awkward for her, who knew if that would be the case when they got wherever they were going? What if it wasn't awkward for her, but for him instead? Deep in thought, he'd missed the last few words she'd said. He tried to 'tune' back in.
"... not your fault how tall you are. It's not your fault that I couldn't see how you felt about me. It's not your fault that..." She stopped. Why wasn't he cutting her off? After all, she'd stopped him from rambling. She looked over at Gordo. He had a smile on his face, as he just sat and watched her go on and on. "Aren't you going to stop me from making a fool of myself?"
"Lizzie, from my viewpoint, nothing you do could make you look like a fool. I love you, now and forever. He softly sang a few words.
Whenever I'm weary from the battles that rage in my head
You make sense of madness when my sanity hangs by a thread
I lose my way but still you seem to understand
Now and forever I...
He didn't dare say the last four words of the verse, she might think he was being too forward. He altered them slightly.
...will do all I can
She smiled at him. She knew the real words, but understood the change. He continued to seranade her.
I don't remember what day it was
I didn't notice what time it was
All I know is that I fell in love with you
And if all my dreams come true
I'll be spending time with you
He skipped ahead to the chorus.
Oh, I love you more today than yesterday
But not as much as tomorrow
I love you more today than yesterday
But, darling, not as much as tomorrow
He was on a roll now. One more, that was it.
No matter what you are
I will always be with you
Doesn't matter what you do girl, oh girl with you
No matter what you do
I will always be around
Won't you tell me what you found girl, oh girl won't you
He had sung to her before, but now he seemed to have more confidence, and was enjoying himself. Still, something was missing. He stopped and just smiled at her.
"Uh, Gordo? The second question?"
Second question? What second question? Oh! THAT second question. Slowly, calmly, he asked what he'd wanted to ask for so long. "Lizzie McGuire, three times in my life you have kissed me. Can, no, MAY I kiss you?"
She was genuinely surprised. Not that he wanted to kiss her, but the fact that he'd asked for her permission. He had just admitted he almost kissed her after the party. No one had asked her before, they just did it. "Yes", she said softly, as she closed her eyes, and waited.
He smiled, and leaned toward her, to give her a peck on the cheek, like she'd given him. At the last possible second, she opened her eyes slightly, and realized what he was about to do. She turned her head just a bit, and they kissed on the lips. He didn't know quite how to react. At first he was stunned, then he kissed back, but only a few seconds later, the kiss was over. They parted and looked at each other.
Wow, he felt like he had just been pumped full of sodium pentothal. He was walking on air. Whoo hoo!
Lizzie once again felt many emotions all at once. Should she be happy? Shouldn't she feel disgusted kissing her best friend? She had kissed him before, but this time it was different. Not just a little peck. She adopted what Christina Ricci's character had done in 'Now and Then', she downplayed it as being 'no big deal', but deep inside she wanted to tell the whole world how wonderful she felt. But was it alright for her to feel this way?
He realized that Lizzie was keeping part of her feelings from him. Why? He had to tell her once more how much she truly meant to him. He cleared his throat and again, began to sing.
You're my peace of mind
In this crazy world
You're everything I've tried to find
Your love is a pearl
You're my Mona Lisa, you're my rainbow skies
And my only prayer is that you realize
You'll always be beautiful in my eyes
Well, so much for surpressing what she felt. She'd heard this song many times before, but never dreamed it would be sung to her. She locked eyes with Gordo as he continued.
The world will turn
And the seasons will change
And all the lessons we will learn
Will be beautiful and strange
We'll have our fill of tears, our share of sighs
My only prayer is that you realize
You'll always be beautiful in my eyes
You will always be - beautiful in my eyes
And the passing years will show
That you will always grow ever more beautiful in my eyes.
She couldn't help it. Tears were running down her face, but she didn't speak. This was the sad part coming up. She let him continue, no way could she, or would she, interrupt him now.
When there are lines upon my face
From a lifetime of smiles
When the time comes to embrace
For one long last while
We can laugh about, how time really flies
We won't say goodbye 'cause true love never dies
You'll always be beautiful in my eyes
She joined him on the chorus. Softly they sang the last five lines to each other.
You will always be - beautiful in my eyes
And the passing years will show
That you will always grow ever more beautiful in my eyes
The passing years will show
That you will always grow ever more beautiful in my eyes.
They were both silent for a short while, then Gordo started to lean into Lizzie, and without realizing it, she started to lean into him. They closed their eyes and kissed, a long, soft, glorious kiss, it was just perfect. They slowly pulled back from one another, and opened their eyes carefully to catch the other's reaction.
He thought of a scene near the end of one of his favorite films, 'the Princess Bride'.
Since the invention of the kiss, there have been five that were rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind.
He didn't tell Lizzie what he thought, but if he had, she might be inclined to agree. He couldn't speak. Once again, he leaned into Lizzie, and they kissed. They were about to kiss a fourth time, when they heard voices not far away. They both turned to look.
A small blond girl, no more than six years of age, came running by and squealing, as she was chased by a small dark-haired boy roughly the same age. The mothers of the children were not far behind. The young boy helped the girl onto the swing, gave her a push, and climbed on to the swing next to her. The parents settled themselves on a bench across from Lizzie and Gordo.
Gordo and Lizzie sat there, just watching, waiting. They saw two children who seemed very similar to who they themselves had once been. When they realized the mothers and their kids planned on staying for some time, they felt it was time for them to go. It was now just past 4:00, neither of them had eaten a bite since breakfast, and Lizzie had just an hour before she had to be home. They decided to go across to Gordo's house for a quick sandwich or something, then they'd just relax for awhile...
They got up, and started to walk away. They were halfway up the path, when they heard a scream, and a shriek. They quickly looked back and saw the boy had fallen off his swing. The boy's mother was racing towards him. Just before she reached him, the girl stopped her, and looked the boy over herself. Finding no blood, and loudly declaring that he had no broken bones, she waved his mother away. He dusted himself off, and she started to help him back onto his swing. At first he did not protest, but when he realized the two teenagers were watching him, he began to fidget. Lizzie and Gordo laughed, and again started to walk away.
They hadn't gone more than three steps, when Lizzie stopped and said basically what Gordo had thought but didn't dare say.
"Don't fight it kid. Enjoy life now while's it's easy. As you get older, things just get more difficult."
He smiled at her. "Lizzie, I love you just the way you are. But, I love you too much to let you stay that way."
That last comment earned him a poke in the ribs. He put his arm around her waist, and she leaned against him, as they crossed to his house.
Gordo's 'internal' radio started again, and the song he heard made him feel better than he had in a long time.
For once in my life I've got someone who needs me
Someone I've needed so long
For once unafraid I can go where life leads me
And somehow I know I'll be strong
For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
Long before I knew
Someone warm like you
Could make my dreams come true
For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me
Not like it's hurt me before
For once I've got someone I know won't desert me
And I'm not alone anymore
For once I can say: "This is mine you can't take it"
As long as I've got love I know I can make it
For once in my life I've got someone who needs me.
While they both honestly meant what they had said about always being there for each other, no matter what, neither knew whether this new 'partnership' would work, or if they could actually remain friends if it failed. They both knew that times change, people change, and there are always circumstances beyond your control that can alter everything in an instant. But they felt that together, they were strong enough to do the best they could to endure any hardships and trials that might try to tear them apart. They both wanted everything to be as perfect as could be, but they knew it was impossible to think everything in life would be smooth. Neither of them could predict what the future would hold. They did know that together, and with Miranda to help, they'd do their best to survive whatever life gave them.
How it happens? They don't care... They know today is taking them exactly where they're meant to be.
The End? Or simply a new beginning? Only time will tell...
A/N Awwww! Like you didn't see that coming!
But, you may not have seen THIS coming. When I wrote this, I intended it to be the finale, but I keep changing my mind.
I don't know, I'll have to ponder it for awhile. Let me know what you think. I may add to this, may start a new story, I may temporarily leave the universe. Who knows? Not even the Shadow knows.
Whatever I decide, thanks for your support with this story, for reading it, for reviewing it, for all the suggestions, even for the complaints..
Reviews much appreciated, never required. You may also email me at JP5683@msn.com or JP5683@webtv.net
All email will be replied to, all who include an email in a anonymous review, or have their email on their profile will be contacted, unless you instruct me not to.
Thanks,
JP
List of songs in this chapter:
Richard Marx - Now And Forever
Spiral Staircase - More Today Than Yesterday
Badfinger - No Matter What
Stevie Wonder - For Once In My Life
April 19, 2003