Deep Blue Something

Chapter Two: Advice from Veruca

Will someone please help me sort out my issues?! One minute I'm flirting with Gordo, the next I'm REJECTING him…It's so weird! I hate it! I hate it!

It all began after school during intramurals being offered by Coach Kelly after school. I signed up for tennis for some idiotic reason. Probably because Veruca badgered me into going and I just broke. Anyway, after Veruca kicked my butt in tennis, I went to see if there was anything interesting going on in the gym.

Sure enough, Lizzie McGuire, Miranda Sanchez, David "Gordo" Gordon, and Ethan Craft were playing a game of basketball and Gordo was really good at it! I knew he was smart, but athletic?! Then there was a BIG dramatic moment when he tried to score the winning basket, unfortunately because of Ethan's tall stature, Ethan blocked it. Ethan then left because his step mom and dad were waiting outside for him.

Lizzie, Gordo, and Miranda were then caught up in a conversation on the upcoming dance that Friday. Miranda was convinced that Ethan was going to ask Lizzie, why I don't know and Gordo blatantly stated that he didn't need a date for the dance.

Enter me.

Out of the blue I walk up to them to strike a conversation with them. I then compliment Gordo on his basketball skills, he started to be weird. Instead of being the Gordo that we all knew and love, he was "Mr. Suave". Guys like that irk me. They try to be all cool and all of that lovely crap. I then walked away and was on my way to the Digital Bean to do my homework.

While I'm at the Digital Bean, Gordo comes up to my table and starts to ask me about my math homework and tells me this hilarious joke about the King of Norway, and then asks me to the dance! Aw man! I entered ultimate panic mode! AAAAH! I ended up saying "Oh wow, sorry I can't." Why?! Why did I say that?! I then walked away to ask my friend Carly what to do.

I told Carly about the whole situation. That I was afraid that Gordo would turn into some pompous jerk. She told me to make up a different excuse, which is why I called him short!

He is NOT short. Mini me is short! My sister is short! Why did I even get myself into this mess? WHY?!!?!?!!?

So how do I get myself out of the whole I dug myself into? To solidify the lie I asked Ethan to the dance because he lacks the brain activity to be pompous. I must dig myself out of this mess, but how?

I threw my diary that I kept in the eight grade into the garbage. As much as I love to read it, it just shows me how much of a jerk I've been. Why? Why? There's one person who won't call me a jerk.

I went over to the phone to the phone and dialed Veruca's number.

"Hello," I heard a voice answer.

"Hey Veruca, can you come over? I need your help," I asked sweetly. Please don't have anything planned. Please don't have anything planned.

"Oh, sure," she chuckled. "I'll be right over. See you in about ten minutes, bye!"

"Thanks, bye," I hung up the phone.

I plopped myself on my beanbag and put my headphones on. The sounds of Van Halen boomed through my ears. I loved 80's rock; it was truly catchy and excellent.

I sang along, "Running with the devil, running with the de-

"You are so weird, why can't you be a normal person and listen to Britney Spears," Maddy asked snobbishly as she stood in my doorway. "Your weird friend is here. I thought you weren't supposed to have friends over when mom and dad aren't home."

"I thought I was supposed to be an only child, which I will be if you don't get out of my room in five seconds," I screamed at her as she ran towards her room. Veruca walked in my room after Maddy had ran into her room and locked the door.

"Hey, listening to Van Halen again," she asked as she walked towards my desk chair and sat in it.

"Yup," I replied as I took off my head phones.

"So, Gordo problems again," she asked as she spun around in my purple chair.

"Yup." 

"Can you say anything else besides 'yup'," she asked angrily.

"Yes I can, I'm just deep in thought again," I sighed.

"You're always deep in thought," she said as she began to spin in the chair faster and faster. I personally think that Veruca would have been a better advice columnist. Lizzie's advice to me was basically for me to deal with it and get an out of state college. Then there was confused guy, who everyone in the school knew was of course Gordo. Gordo likes Lizzie, Lizzie likes Gordo, Gordo and Lizzie live happily ever after in a castle by the sea! Damn, that's not the way life works, no one ever has a "fairy tale ending".

"So, what's it this time," Veruca asked with an aggravated sigh.

"I've been going through old diary entries, then I threw the diary out," I explained while Veruca was still spinning in the chair.

"Oh, listen you just have to move on. I mean, he obviously hasn't gotten over Lizzie and I don't think he ever will. When you're on your vacation, scope out guys, do something to get your mind off of him because this is getting kind of annoying, sorry," She yelled. That's what I liked about Veruca, she was blunt and right to the point. If someone was dying, she would tell them rather than sugar coat it.

"If it's getting annoying for you, think of how it is for me," I laughed sarcastically. "I wish Van Halen or any 80's rock band would come to Los Angeles, then it would actually be exciting in these here parts."

"Parker, we don't live in hick town," she corrected. "We live in California! Even though nothing happens here, still we're close to Hollywood! Who doesn't love Hollywood?"

"People who think acting is exploitation of people to be put in different situations for are entertainment and the people back in England during the Elizabethan period who thought acting wasn't pure," I laughed. Veruca just stared at me and shook her head, I chuckled slightly.

"If it weren't for acting, Larry wouldn't be who he is today. Lord of the Rings and Star Wars has shaped him to be the person he is today," Veruca said dramatically as she places her hand on her forehead for dramatic emphasis.

I remembered how Larry was in elementary school. He wasn't as weird as he is today. Yet again I did get in a fight with him about which was better, Star Wars or Titanic. We both had lunch boxes of the movies we liked, and Lizzie sat on my lunchbox and Miranda sat on Larry's so we'd both shut up and stop fighting.

Veruca had been kind of romantically involved with Larry per se, according to Veruca they did have their little hand holding moment during the murder mystery party which I wasn't invited to. The excuse for me not getting an invitation was that Ethan had found out about my wallpaper comment about him, the real reason from Veruca was that they wanted to have Lizzie and Gordo reveal their feelings for each other and all of that mushy bullshit and they thought that I would ruin it.

 I did have a history for ruining parties; I ruined Kate Sander's party in second grade by getting Danny Kessler to push my face into her gourmet chocolate cake. Kate has hated me every since, which is quite magnificent.

I don't think they meant ruin it like that. Kate had probably clued them in on my five minute glances at Gordo during Mr. Dig's History class. I guess Kate might have been still mad at me for the whole second grade ordeal, oh well, it was well worth it.

"So, Daytona Beach, huh," Veruca asked to break the silence.

"Yup," I sighed.

"I've only been to Naples, my uncle lives there," she sighed as she stopped spinning in the chair.

"Parker! Mom says you have to get Veruca out of here," Maddy yelled as she barged into my room.

"Well then, I guess I better be going. Remember what I said," she said as she walked towards the door.

"Bye," I waved.

Maddy was now sitting on my bed with what appeared to be my diary that I had thrown out in the garbage.

"What is that? Give me it and get out of my room," I demanded as I lunged towards her.

"June 11th 2003," she read in a dramatic voice. "We had our class picture taken today; I stood next to Veruca and Carly in the back row. In the second or third row, I saw Lizzie kiss Gordo on the cheek! I was furious! She kissed him on the cheek, yet again I can't blame her I would have done the same thing myself."

"Give me that you little twerp," I screamed.

"Haha can't catch me," she exclaimed as she jumped off my bed.

"Maddy! Give me my diary back," I screamed as I chased her into the kitchen.

"Parker Laurel McKenzie and Madeline Alicia McKenzie no running the house," my mom reminded us as she lifted grocery bags on to the counter. "You two are on thin ice already, especially you, Parker. If you don't do well on your finals or report card then no Daytona Beach."

Mom shoved vegetables and beverages into the refrigerator and her brown curly hair swayed as she did so.

"She likes some kid named 'Gordo'," Maddy squealed. "June 11th—

"What did I tell you about going through your sisters things," she asked as she pointed a finger at her.

"I forget," she shrugged as she reached for a Ben and Jerry's Popsicle.

"This is why you two have separate rooms, so Dad and I wouldn't have to go through this anymore," she sighed exasperatedly.

"Actually mom, I got my own room when Eden moved out when I was in seventh grade," I corrected her as I grabbed the Popsicle away from Maddy.

Eden is my twenty year old sister who is going to college in Florida, which is one of the reasons we're going to Daytona Beach. She goes Bethune-Cookman College in Daytona Beach. She was kind of the party girl in high school, yet I don't see how in the world she got into a private college like BC.

Yet again I don't understand a lot of things, including myself.

Maybe I'll have some type of soul searching type of thing on my vacation, if I go.

As always, I'll just have to wait and see.

[A/N: Wahoo! Please read and review as always, thank you.]