Well...just doing some more edits...
THANKS FOR REVIEWS!!!
Chapter 2: I wish I had better hair.
The door of her room was open, and he saw her standing, a troubled look on her face, her blonde hair crimped from fifteen long hours in braids.
"Lizzie!" he hissed.
She looked over, startled to see him, but excited too.
"Lizzie come on!" she walked out into the hallway, as he grabbed her arm and pulled her into a small green lit enclosure, the door that he'd opened shutting quietly behind them.
"Gordo...wh-?"
She couldn't finish the word, because he put his finger to his lips and said, "Shhh, come on, it's okay, I have something to show you."
There they were, crushed in that little landing, and he would have given anything to reach over, and kiss her. But he didn't, because he was just as Ungermeyer said, he lacked a spine.
He clutched her hand, helping her up the stairs, and out onto the balcony, twinkling lights before them, a dreamy panoramic view of Rome at sunrise.
"Oh my God..." she murmured, leaning against the rocky balcony ledge. "It's beautiful." Something was stuck in the back of her throat, this was so...there were no words, it was like being in a painting, the cool morning wind, the soft sounds of music floating up, and the colorful dark portrait before her. It was all so perfect.
Gordo smiled, wanting to put an arm around her thin shoulders, but he didn't...because he was spineless.
"Gordo..." She looked over at him. "Promise me something."
His heart leapt, he would have done anything for her, "Anything."
"Promise me, that while we're here, we'll find..." she paused, searching for the right word, "Promise me we'll find adventure."
He was looking into her brown eyes, and suddenly he was thinking just how he wanted to kiss her again, but he didn't want to even trust those feelings, what if she didn't feel the same way?
"Adventure...sounds good." He answered as they hit the bottom of each others fist against one another.
--
He looked over at Lizzie, her head still resting on his shoulder. They had about four more hours till they got home, and he was taking time to think over every moment on the trip that had pointed him towards his feelings.
He smiled, she was always pretty even when sound asleep.
"Make a wish..." he saw Lizzie's face smiling at him, a golden Euro coin in her outstretched palm.
He smiled, that time he done something right...
"I'm in Rome with my BEST friend, I'm good. You make one."
And then she'd turned away, smiling so happy, and tossing the coin over her shoulder, after thinking for a second.
I wonder what she wished for, he'd mused, as he looked at her face glowing in the Italian sunshine.
Gordo shook his head, then Paulo had showed up, and ruined the whole trip. He was so charismatic, taller, and older. With perfect hair and a perfect smile, it was obvious that Lizzie had fallen head over heals for him.
"You know..." he saw her enter the courtyard, he was sitting at a metal table, a book of Rome open in front of him, a glass of soda next to it. "This Paulo/Isabella CD isn't that bad. If you're into the whole 'Alanis Morrisettey - black-grunge- my life is a giant-black hole, never-get-out- into-the-sunshine' you'd think they stink. But for riding in a convertible with the top down-while applying your lip-gloss, lovin-life kind of thing' you're set!"
She carefully turned one ear piece out and he leaned in, to listen,
~*~This is what Dreams are made of...~*~
He should have been listening to the soft, popish, music coming out of the speakers...but he couldn't, all he could do was smell that scent of vanilla and cinnamon...
"You use scented soap don't you?" he said without thinking.
Lizzie pulled away with a laugh, "What?"
"Nothing...nothing." he pulled away from her, insides churning in disgust with himself.
She dropped the silly smile and said very seriously, "Paulo wants to meet me by the Trevvi fountain tomorrow."
"So...go." Gordo urged her.
"But that would mean I'd have to sneak away from the group."
"So...?"
"Yeah, but Gordo, that will never work since I'm completely incapable of sneaking." Her face getting that nervous eye-twitchy thing, which it always got when she was afraid of something.
"I'll cover for you." He responded instantly, turning into his normal best- friend mode.
"Yeah, but Gordo, we promised we'd find adventure." Lizzie answered exasperatedly.
"And we will." He answered.
"Yeah Gordo, WE. WE'LL find adventure"
"So...there will still be plenty of adventure after this, you just get dibs on the first one." He could feel his stomach wriggling at this suggestion, if he convinced her, then she'd spend the whole day with an internationally famous pop-star...
"Well...okay as long as there is nothing to get us shipped on a plane back home."
A thought popped into his head, "Lizzie, are you feeling okay?" he asked, and reached over to feel her head.
He'd helped her sneak out those days, watched in horror as she'd ridden through the streets of Rome, sitting behind Paulo on that little red Vespa. It made him want to die every time he watched them, they looked like they were having the time of their lives.
That first day, after she'd nearly been seen by Ungermeyer, after he had to completely cover for her when the Vespa was caught behind the wagon load in a skinny back-alley, making HIM look like a total idiot...
He'd been sitting in his room, wondering how her day had gone, if she'd returned to the hotel safely or not, when he heard the soft knock at the door, and a hiss,
"Gordo!" another knock, "GORDO!"
He jumped from his seat on the bed and pulled open the door, only to be thrust back in the room again by Lizzie.
It had shocked the heck out of him, but he moved quickly out of her way, and sat down on the edge of Ethan's bed, and she plopped down on the edge of his.
After listening to Lizzie's explanation of the afternoon's events, he opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again...what do you say to this? He thought, I mean this is not something you're expected to reply to everyday...
"You, YOU-Lizzie McGuire are going to present an award at the IMVAs?"
"No, me-Isabella."
Gordo looked confused.
"Well, I want to help out Paulo, and really Gordo he's such a nice guy."
He looked at her, feeling sort of unsure what to say next...this whole thing and left him so confused.
"I mean he's so good, and so kind. For someone who has gotten everything his whole life, he's really very sweet."
His stomach dropped, "For real?" he asked, "That's a lot for someone you've only known a day."
"Yeah, Gordo I know, but he seems to really like me, and he promised he would teach me everything I need to know..." she got up from the bed, "Oh, I had the most wonderful day, and I could have never done it without you." She leaned over and pulled his face towards hers, her hands intertwined in his mop of brown curls, she kissed him gently on the forehead, "You're such a good friend!" she hurried out the door and into the hallway, closing it soundly behind her.
"That good, huh?" he muttered, insides wriggling at his own spineless, and pathetic efforts at telling her how he felt.
"The sting." came a smooth voice from behind him.
Gordo turned around to see Ethan, arms crossed, leaning against the bathroom door-frame.
"What?" asked Gordo. He hated conversations with Ethan...he was just so...duuuuuhhhh.
"That's what you're vibeing here from Lizzie." Ethan explained.
Gordo raised an eye-brow, "See, this is why we aren't friends, I don't know what you're talking about.
"You see Gordon, there are two ways of getting to a lady, there's the sting, and the approach. That Paulo dude? Major approach." Ethan said knowledgably as he sat down on the edge of his bed.
Gordo had turned away, and was packing a few things in his bag for tomorrow. "I don't believe this..." he cried, shaking his head disgustedly, "I can actually feel my brain turning to goo."
"But the sting, that's what most guys get, and that's what you're getting from Lizzie."
"No, no. See that's where you're wrong." Gordo backed away from Ethan, waving his hands, "See that would mean that I liked Lizzie...as more than a friend."
Ethan gave a knowing nod, and said, "Word." Gordo snickered.
"You're wrong man..." and he shut himself in the bathroom.
But he stopped for a second, and looked into the mirror. Saw his dark hair, his blue eyes, long thin nose, and pale skin.
If only he looked more like Paulo.
--
Gordo looked over at the sleeping head on his shoulder...and wondered, did he still have that magazine with her on the front cover, her sweet semi- smile, as Paulo leaned over and kissed her white hand?
--
Ungermeyer flashed him another look as she set off in the direction of an espresso stand, and Gordo had turned away, leafing through his book on Rome, when suddenly something caught his eye, it was a magazine, held by two Italian girls, chatting away, a picture of someone very familiar on it.
"Oh nice spot bro!" Ethan beamed, "Okay now, 'slow curve'..." he turned towards the table with souvenirs and clutching his skate-board turned around real carefully, "works every time."
"I've gotta go talk to them." He'd answered closing his book and putting it under his arm, dashing over.
"No dude! They come to us!" He heard Ethan shout, but he ignored him.
"Er...ciao?" He asked meekly, as the two girls gave him the once over, and said very disdainfully,
"Ciao."
"Do...do you speak English?" he asked tentatively, they obviously didn't care for him.
"Yes," answered the blonder of the two, "But it is your friend we like."
He glanced back, "Word."
"Word?" the brunette asked, "Is that his name?"
"Yeah, sure." Gordo answered distractedly. "Look, do you know who that is?" He pointed towards Lizzie and Paulo.
"Paulo and Isabella!" they answered in unison, and then said something else in Italian which Gordo guessed was, 'They're so cool'
"Do you think you guys could translate that for me?"
"Only if you introduce us to...Word."
That evening he'd bolted up the stair-way and down the hall to Lizzie's room, the magazine still clutched in his hand. He'd folded it over so no one could see who was on the cover, and knocked on the hard mahogany.
A second later the door flew opened to show a usual brusque looking Kate, "Get lost, we're closed." She said beginning to shut him out.
"I was hoping to talk to Lizzie." He answered standing on tip-toe to peer over her high shoulders into the room.
"So talk." Kate replied.
"I was thinking...outside...in...the courtyard?" He asked, hoping she'd cotton on.
"If this is about the whole weird-alternate universe, Lizzie a major pop idol thing, then I already know." Kate answered testily.
Gordo looked at Lizzie quizzically.
"She figured it out!" Lizzie lied.
"Evil AND smart." He said, raising his eye-brows and nodding at Kate as if to say, 'Brava'.
"Embrace it, fear it." She answered simply as he entered the room.
Gordo opened the magazine to show to Lizzie.
There was a sudden screech of giggles as Kate and Lizzie both snatched for it.
"I'm on the front cover of a tabloid!" she shrieked.
"Do you know what that says?" But Lizzie obviously wasn't paying any attention; she was leafing through in sheer joy. "It says that Paulo and Isabella are going to SING at the IMVAs."
"So?" Lizzie asked.
"So?" asked Gordo, "Did he say anything about this?"
"No it probably just came up." She answered, still fully occupied by the many color photos and unknown words.
"But...don't they plan this stuff, like...months in advance?" He asked.
"Since when did you become such an expert on Italian award show thingies?" Lizzie asked exasperatedly.
"It's called common sense Lizzie!" he snapped, "Which I happen to have a lot of...to make up for my lack of...'slow curve'." He muttered darkly.
"What?" asked Kate, giving him a 'you're such a dork' look.
"Nothing..." He sighed, "Look if you want to believe some guy that you've only known one day, just because he's an internationally famous pop-star and has good hair, go right ahead. But there's just something not right about him." Gordo turned and left in disgust.
Why was she being so stubborn? He mused as he went into his room...heart sinking so low he could never reach it.
Ten minutes later he heard the sound of familiar voices outside, and there she was, talking with that harmonizing-pretty boy, and then she crawled into his fancy European car and drove away.
He didn't know what to think say or do. As he lay on his bed that evening, he just kept thinking about her. Her dark eyes, her blonde hair that shined even in the dimmest light, that smell she had, her laugh, her voice...it was like nothing in the world.
Ethan had been reclining on his bed, reading comics, but had now commenced to gliding back and fourth, and back and fourth across the room on his skate-board.
Tired of the endless sound of rolling wheels, Gordo left his room and headed up to the roof. Looking out over the evening-view of Rome, he saw fireworks exploding in the midnight sky.
Damn-it!, he though...I should be sharing this with her.
If she'd pulled out his heart, and thrown it to the lions at the coliseum it would have felt better. He loved her, with ever last inch of his soul. Why couldn't she see that?
Another burst of shimmering lights...as his heart broke into a million pieces.
--
Okay well yeah we all know where this is going, they're on the plane he's reminiscing, but I had just HAD to re-cap the story, from sort of his POV...so anyway.
I hope you liked it.
BTW if you get an e-mail from someone named "J Fo" that's me, and if you sign anonymously please leave you're e-mail, I like to reply to all my reviewers!!!!
? Jenny ?
THANKS FOR REVIEWS!!!
Chapter 2: I wish I had better hair.
The door of her room was open, and he saw her standing, a troubled look on her face, her blonde hair crimped from fifteen long hours in braids.
"Lizzie!" he hissed.
She looked over, startled to see him, but excited too.
"Lizzie come on!" she walked out into the hallway, as he grabbed her arm and pulled her into a small green lit enclosure, the door that he'd opened shutting quietly behind them.
"Gordo...wh-?"
She couldn't finish the word, because he put his finger to his lips and said, "Shhh, come on, it's okay, I have something to show you."
There they were, crushed in that little landing, and he would have given anything to reach over, and kiss her. But he didn't, because he was just as Ungermeyer said, he lacked a spine.
He clutched her hand, helping her up the stairs, and out onto the balcony, twinkling lights before them, a dreamy panoramic view of Rome at sunrise.
"Oh my God..." she murmured, leaning against the rocky balcony ledge. "It's beautiful." Something was stuck in the back of her throat, this was so...there were no words, it was like being in a painting, the cool morning wind, the soft sounds of music floating up, and the colorful dark portrait before her. It was all so perfect.
Gordo smiled, wanting to put an arm around her thin shoulders, but he didn't...because he was spineless.
"Gordo..." She looked over at him. "Promise me something."
His heart leapt, he would have done anything for her, "Anything."
"Promise me, that while we're here, we'll find..." she paused, searching for the right word, "Promise me we'll find adventure."
He was looking into her brown eyes, and suddenly he was thinking just how he wanted to kiss her again, but he didn't want to even trust those feelings, what if she didn't feel the same way?
"Adventure...sounds good." He answered as they hit the bottom of each others fist against one another.
--
He looked over at Lizzie, her head still resting on his shoulder. They had about four more hours till they got home, and he was taking time to think over every moment on the trip that had pointed him towards his feelings.
He smiled, she was always pretty even when sound asleep.
"Make a wish..." he saw Lizzie's face smiling at him, a golden Euro coin in her outstretched palm.
He smiled, that time he done something right...
"I'm in Rome with my BEST friend, I'm good. You make one."
And then she'd turned away, smiling so happy, and tossing the coin over her shoulder, after thinking for a second.
I wonder what she wished for, he'd mused, as he looked at her face glowing in the Italian sunshine.
Gordo shook his head, then Paulo had showed up, and ruined the whole trip. He was so charismatic, taller, and older. With perfect hair and a perfect smile, it was obvious that Lizzie had fallen head over heals for him.
"You know..." he saw her enter the courtyard, he was sitting at a metal table, a book of Rome open in front of him, a glass of soda next to it. "This Paulo/Isabella CD isn't that bad. If you're into the whole 'Alanis Morrisettey - black-grunge- my life is a giant-black hole, never-get-out- into-the-sunshine' you'd think they stink. But for riding in a convertible with the top down-while applying your lip-gloss, lovin-life kind of thing' you're set!"
She carefully turned one ear piece out and he leaned in, to listen,
~*~This is what Dreams are made of...~*~
He should have been listening to the soft, popish, music coming out of the speakers...but he couldn't, all he could do was smell that scent of vanilla and cinnamon...
"You use scented soap don't you?" he said without thinking.
Lizzie pulled away with a laugh, "What?"
"Nothing...nothing." he pulled away from her, insides churning in disgust with himself.
She dropped the silly smile and said very seriously, "Paulo wants to meet me by the Trevvi fountain tomorrow."
"So...go." Gordo urged her.
"But that would mean I'd have to sneak away from the group."
"So...?"
"Yeah, but Gordo, that will never work since I'm completely incapable of sneaking." Her face getting that nervous eye-twitchy thing, which it always got when she was afraid of something.
"I'll cover for you." He responded instantly, turning into his normal best- friend mode.
"Yeah, but Gordo, we promised we'd find adventure." Lizzie answered exasperatedly.
"And we will." He answered.
"Yeah Gordo, WE. WE'LL find adventure"
"So...there will still be plenty of adventure after this, you just get dibs on the first one." He could feel his stomach wriggling at this suggestion, if he convinced her, then she'd spend the whole day with an internationally famous pop-star...
"Well...okay as long as there is nothing to get us shipped on a plane back home."
A thought popped into his head, "Lizzie, are you feeling okay?" he asked, and reached over to feel her head.
He'd helped her sneak out those days, watched in horror as she'd ridden through the streets of Rome, sitting behind Paulo on that little red Vespa. It made him want to die every time he watched them, they looked like they were having the time of their lives.
That first day, after she'd nearly been seen by Ungermeyer, after he had to completely cover for her when the Vespa was caught behind the wagon load in a skinny back-alley, making HIM look like a total idiot...
He'd been sitting in his room, wondering how her day had gone, if she'd returned to the hotel safely or not, when he heard the soft knock at the door, and a hiss,
"Gordo!" another knock, "GORDO!"
He jumped from his seat on the bed and pulled open the door, only to be thrust back in the room again by Lizzie.
It had shocked the heck out of him, but he moved quickly out of her way, and sat down on the edge of Ethan's bed, and she plopped down on the edge of his.
After listening to Lizzie's explanation of the afternoon's events, he opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again...what do you say to this? He thought, I mean this is not something you're expected to reply to everyday...
"You, YOU-Lizzie McGuire are going to present an award at the IMVAs?"
"No, me-Isabella."
Gordo looked confused.
"Well, I want to help out Paulo, and really Gordo he's such a nice guy."
He looked at her, feeling sort of unsure what to say next...this whole thing and left him so confused.
"I mean he's so good, and so kind. For someone who has gotten everything his whole life, he's really very sweet."
His stomach dropped, "For real?" he asked, "That's a lot for someone you've only known a day."
"Yeah, Gordo I know, but he seems to really like me, and he promised he would teach me everything I need to know..." she got up from the bed, "Oh, I had the most wonderful day, and I could have never done it without you." She leaned over and pulled his face towards hers, her hands intertwined in his mop of brown curls, she kissed him gently on the forehead, "You're such a good friend!" she hurried out the door and into the hallway, closing it soundly behind her.
"That good, huh?" he muttered, insides wriggling at his own spineless, and pathetic efforts at telling her how he felt.
"The sting." came a smooth voice from behind him.
Gordo turned around to see Ethan, arms crossed, leaning against the bathroom door-frame.
"What?" asked Gordo. He hated conversations with Ethan...he was just so...duuuuuhhhh.
"That's what you're vibeing here from Lizzie." Ethan explained.
Gordo raised an eye-brow, "See, this is why we aren't friends, I don't know what you're talking about.
"You see Gordon, there are two ways of getting to a lady, there's the sting, and the approach. That Paulo dude? Major approach." Ethan said knowledgably as he sat down on the edge of his bed.
Gordo had turned away, and was packing a few things in his bag for tomorrow. "I don't believe this..." he cried, shaking his head disgustedly, "I can actually feel my brain turning to goo."
"But the sting, that's what most guys get, and that's what you're getting from Lizzie."
"No, no. See that's where you're wrong." Gordo backed away from Ethan, waving his hands, "See that would mean that I liked Lizzie...as more than a friend."
Ethan gave a knowing nod, and said, "Word." Gordo snickered.
"You're wrong man..." and he shut himself in the bathroom.
But he stopped for a second, and looked into the mirror. Saw his dark hair, his blue eyes, long thin nose, and pale skin.
If only he looked more like Paulo.
--
Gordo looked over at the sleeping head on his shoulder...and wondered, did he still have that magazine with her on the front cover, her sweet semi- smile, as Paulo leaned over and kissed her white hand?
--
Ungermeyer flashed him another look as she set off in the direction of an espresso stand, and Gordo had turned away, leafing through his book on Rome, when suddenly something caught his eye, it was a magazine, held by two Italian girls, chatting away, a picture of someone very familiar on it.
"Oh nice spot bro!" Ethan beamed, "Okay now, 'slow curve'..." he turned towards the table with souvenirs and clutching his skate-board turned around real carefully, "works every time."
"I've gotta go talk to them." He'd answered closing his book and putting it under his arm, dashing over.
"No dude! They come to us!" He heard Ethan shout, but he ignored him.
"Er...ciao?" He asked meekly, as the two girls gave him the once over, and said very disdainfully,
"Ciao."
"Do...do you speak English?" he asked tentatively, they obviously didn't care for him.
"Yes," answered the blonder of the two, "But it is your friend we like."
He glanced back, "Word."
"Word?" the brunette asked, "Is that his name?"
"Yeah, sure." Gordo answered distractedly. "Look, do you know who that is?" He pointed towards Lizzie and Paulo.
"Paulo and Isabella!" they answered in unison, and then said something else in Italian which Gordo guessed was, 'They're so cool'
"Do you think you guys could translate that for me?"
"Only if you introduce us to...Word."
That evening he'd bolted up the stair-way and down the hall to Lizzie's room, the magazine still clutched in his hand. He'd folded it over so no one could see who was on the cover, and knocked on the hard mahogany.
A second later the door flew opened to show a usual brusque looking Kate, "Get lost, we're closed." She said beginning to shut him out.
"I was hoping to talk to Lizzie." He answered standing on tip-toe to peer over her high shoulders into the room.
"So talk." Kate replied.
"I was thinking...outside...in...the courtyard?" He asked, hoping she'd cotton on.
"If this is about the whole weird-alternate universe, Lizzie a major pop idol thing, then I already know." Kate answered testily.
Gordo looked at Lizzie quizzically.
"She figured it out!" Lizzie lied.
"Evil AND smart." He said, raising his eye-brows and nodding at Kate as if to say, 'Brava'.
"Embrace it, fear it." She answered simply as he entered the room.
Gordo opened the magazine to show to Lizzie.
There was a sudden screech of giggles as Kate and Lizzie both snatched for it.
"I'm on the front cover of a tabloid!" she shrieked.
"Do you know what that says?" But Lizzie obviously wasn't paying any attention; she was leafing through in sheer joy. "It says that Paulo and Isabella are going to SING at the IMVAs."
"So?" Lizzie asked.
"So?" asked Gordo, "Did he say anything about this?"
"No it probably just came up." She answered, still fully occupied by the many color photos and unknown words.
"But...don't they plan this stuff, like...months in advance?" He asked.
"Since when did you become such an expert on Italian award show thingies?" Lizzie asked exasperatedly.
"It's called common sense Lizzie!" he snapped, "Which I happen to have a lot of...to make up for my lack of...'slow curve'." He muttered darkly.
"What?" asked Kate, giving him a 'you're such a dork' look.
"Nothing..." He sighed, "Look if you want to believe some guy that you've only known one day, just because he's an internationally famous pop-star and has good hair, go right ahead. But there's just something not right about him." Gordo turned and left in disgust.
Why was she being so stubborn? He mused as he went into his room...heart sinking so low he could never reach it.
Ten minutes later he heard the sound of familiar voices outside, and there she was, talking with that harmonizing-pretty boy, and then she crawled into his fancy European car and drove away.
He didn't know what to think say or do. As he lay on his bed that evening, he just kept thinking about her. Her dark eyes, her blonde hair that shined even in the dimmest light, that smell she had, her laugh, her voice...it was like nothing in the world.
Ethan had been reclining on his bed, reading comics, but had now commenced to gliding back and fourth, and back and fourth across the room on his skate-board.
Tired of the endless sound of rolling wheels, Gordo left his room and headed up to the roof. Looking out over the evening-view of Rome, he saw fireworks exploding in the midnight sky.
Damn-it!, he though...I should be sharing this with her.
If she'd pulled out his heart, and thrown it to the lions at the coliseum it would have felt better. He loved her, with ever last inch of his soul. Why couldn't she see that?
Another burst of shimmering lights...as his heart broke into a million pieces.
--
Okay well yeah we all know where this is going, they're on the plane he's reminiscing, but I had just HAD to re-cap the story, from sort of his POV...so anyway.
I hope you liked it.
BTW if you get an e-mail from someone named "J Fo" that's me, and if you sign anonymously please leave you're e-mail, I like to reply to all my reviewers!!!!
? Jenny ?