Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.
Still Unexpected
Chapter Two: You're A Senior Now
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Lizzie shared two morning classes with Kate, two with Larry Tudgeman, and one with Gordo. By the time lunch rolled around, Lizzie was tired of all of the first day speeches, the you're-a-senior-now speeches, the filling out of obnoxious little index cards with her name, address, phone number, etc.
"Did you guys hear about the party this weekend?" Kate asked as she joined Larry, Gordo, and Lizzie at the same corner table they'd sat at since freshman year.
"Isn't it being held by Kimberly-Rose Kutcher?" Lizzie asked.
"I don't like that girl," Gordo said. "She tries too hard."
"Yeah, well, a party is a party," Kate said. "And really now, guys, we are not party folk. When did that happen? High school is passing us by."
It was true. Even with two cheerleaders in their small group, they didn't party much. When they went out, it was always the four of them, going to a movie or minigolf or bowling or something ridiculous but fun. Lizzie loved her outings with her friends more than she loved boring parties where everyone was in an alcohol-induced daze. Was she still as boring and goody-two-shoes as she had been in middle school? Probably. But none of that really mattered to her. She had good friends, and that was what counted.
"High school is not passing us by, we're just on a different highway than everyone else," Gordo said.
"Kimberly-Rose is on the squad with us," Kate pointed out. "It would be very un-sisterly to not go."
"First of all, we're not 'sisters,'" Lizzie said. "It's a squad, not a sorority. And we don't hang out with any of the other girls on the squad outside of practice and games anyway."
"Maybe we should start," Kate said, bitingly.
Lizzie physically drew back. Kate was definitely showing some of her old Katezilla personality, even after three years as a sweet girl. "Um, I guess," she said. "If you want..." Lizzie cast a worried look at Gordo and Larry.
Kate caught it, and was immediately contrite. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be mean. I just have a lot on my mind, is all."
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Lizzie, Larry, and Gordo chorused, and then stunned, looked at one another.
Kate giggled. "We're starting to get way too touchy-feely," she observed. The others laughed. "No, I'm fine, but thanks."
They didn't mention the party for the rest of lunch, but afterwards, Lizzie cornered Gordo and Larry. "I think we should go. Kate's right, I'm the captain now, I sort of have to make an appearance."
"The social obligations," Larry nodded.
"And if I go, that means you have to go, Gordo."
Gordo's eyes widened. "What? Why me?"
Larry rolled his eyes. "You're the boyfriend, dink."
"Why does that mean I have to go to this stupid party?"
"Would you prefer that she get inebriated and run off with some jock while you're sitting at home, watching Spongebob Squarepants?"
"She's not the type, Tudgeman."
"I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with you, Gordo, it's just that a girl like Lizzie, guys will be all over her if she shows up anywhere alone."
"Um, guys?" Lizzie waved, and they looked over. "I'm standing right here."
"Okay, okay, fine, I'll go to this one party," Gordo said with a sigh.
Lizzie slung an arm around his shoulders and grinned at him. "Just think of it as making the most of our time together."
"Don't we make the most of our time together already?" Gordo pointed out.
"You know what I mean."
"And what do I get out of this?"
"My undying gratitude?"
Gordo raised one eyebrow. "That's not gonna cut it."
"Tudgeman's and my undying gratitude?" Lizzie said, biting her lip cutely in the ways she knew he loved.
Gordo laughed. "I already said I'd go, Liz. No need to pull the puppy-dog pout on me. Although it's adorable," he amended.
"Awww, Gord-y!" Lizzie squealed in her best little girl voice, flinging her arms about his neck. "You're so good to me."
"Hey, where's my sugar?" Larry said, looking on. "I talked him into it."
"Gordy and Tudgy, my two bestest best friends," Lizzie cooed, putting arms around the both of them. "I don't know how I'd've made it this far without you."
Still Unexpected
Chapter Two: You're A Senior Now
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Lizzie shared two morning classes with Kate, two with Larry Tudgeman, and one with Gordo. By the time lunch rolled around, Lizzie was tired of all of the first day speeches, the you're-a-senior-now speeches, the filling out of obnoxious little index cards with her name, address, phone number, etc.
"Did you guys hear about the party this weekend?" Kate asked as she joined Larry, Gordo, and Lizzie at the same corner table they'd sat at since freshman year.
"Isn't it being held by Kimberly-Rose Kutcher?" Lizzie asked.
"I don't like that girl," Gordo said. "She tries too hard."
"Yeah, well, a party is a party," Kate said. "And really now, guys, we are not party folk. When did that happen? High school is passing us by."
It was true. Even with two cheerleaders in their small group, they didn't party much. When they went out, it was always the four of them, going to a movie or minigolf or bowling or something ridiculous but fun. Lizzie loved her outings with her friends more than she loved boring parties where everyone was in an alcohol-induced daze. Was she still as boring and goody-two-shoes as she had been in middle school? Probably. But none of that really mattered to her. She had good friends, and that was what counted.
"High school is not passing us by, we're just on a different highway than everyone else," Gordo said.
"Kimberly-Rose is on the squad with us," Kate pointed out. "It would be very un-sisterly to not go."
"First of all, we're not 'sisters,'" Lizzie said. "It's a squad, not a sorority. And we don't hang out with any of the other girls on the squad outside of practice and games anyway."
"Maybe we should start," Kate said, bitingly.
Lizzie physically drew back. Kate was definitely showing some of her old Katezilla personality, even after three years as a sweet girl. "Um, I guess," she said. "If you want..." Lizzie cast a worried look at Gordo and Larry.
Kate caught it, and was immediately contrite. "Sorry, I didn't mean to be mean. I just have a lot on my mind, is all."
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Lizzie, Larry, and Gordo chorused, and then stunned, looked at one another.
Kate giggled. "We're starting to get way too touchy-feely," she observed. The others laughed. "No, I'm fine, but thanks."
They didn't mention the party for the rest of lunch, but afterwards, Lizzie cornered Gordo and Larry. "I think we should go. Kate's right, I'm the captain now, I sort of have to make an appearance."
"The social obligations," Larry nodded.
"And if I go, that means you have to go, Gordo."
Gordo's eyes widened. "What? Why me?"
Larry rolled his eyes. "You're the boyfriend, dink."
"Why does that mean I have to go to this stupid party?"
"Would you prefer that she get inebriated and run off with some jock while you're sitting at home, watching Spongebob Squarepants?"
"She's not the type, Tudgeman."
"I'm not saying that there's anything wrong with you, Gordo, it's just that a girl like Lizzie, guys will be all over her if she shows up anywhere alone."
"Um, guys?" Lizzie waved, and they looked over. "I'm standing right here."
"Okay, okay, fine, I'll go to this one party," Gordo said with a sigh.
Lizzie slung an arm around his shoulders and grinned at him. "Just think of it as making the most of our time together."
"Don't we make the most of our time together already?" Gordo pointed out.
"You know what I mean."
"And what do I get out of this?"
"My undying gratitude?"
Gordo raised one eyebrow. "That's not gonna cut it."
"Tudgeman's and my undying gratitude?" Lizzie said, biting her lip cutely in the ways she knew he loved.
Gordo laughed. "I already said I'd go, Liz. No need to pull the puppy-dog pout on me. Although it's adorable," he amended.
"Awww, Gord-y!" Lizzie squealed in her best little girl voice, flinging her arms about his neck. "You're so good to me."
"Hey, where's my sugar?" Larry said, looking on. "I talked him into it."
"Gordy and Tudgy, my two bestest best friends," Lizzie cooed, putting arms around the both of them. "I don't know how I'd've made it this far without you."