Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.
Still Unexpected
Chapter Seven: Uncertain Futures
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
It was late afternoon, and Lizzie was at cheerleading practice. She'd spent the entire weekend vegged out in front of ESPN, watching cheerleading competitions, and was now convinced that her squad had the skills to make it to at least regionals, if not state. So she had proposed her idea to Coach Wakefield, who had loved it, and was now making the squad work long, grueling hours. And while Gordo supported most of Lizzie's decisions, and felt it was good that she had something to strive for, it left him with empty afternoons.
So he'd opted instead to go to the library, to find something new to pique his interest. He thought he'd try nonfiction. He was always up for learning something new, and the nonfiction section was located in the basement of the library, dark and quiet and relaxing.
Gordo disappeared into an aisle, scanning the rows of books for anything worth reading. "Does gardening make you hot?" a sultry voice whispered in his ear.
Gordo jumped, and whirled around, heart racing. It was Andie.
"Jeez, Andie, could you not do that?"
"What, mock your taste in literature?" she said, gesturing vaguely at the stacks. "Not that you can call it literature."
"No, sneaking up on me. What are you doing here?"
"I know you don't think much of me, Gordo, but insinuating that I'm illiterate is insulting, to say the least."
"I never said that."
"You implied it."
"I didn't mean what are you doing in a library -- or maybe I did, I don't know," he frowned. He shook his head, trying to clear his muddled brain. "I mean, what are you doing in the gardening section? You said yourself it's not that fascinating."
"You got me there." She flashed him a grin. "I work here."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. Is it that much of a surprise?"
"Kinda, yeah. I've been coming here since...well, since I was old enough to read, and I've never seen you in the library before today."
"Well, they only hired me a month ago, and until today, I've just been working the children's room. Which I imagine you don't go in much."
Gordo had to smile at that. "True."
"Soooo," she drawled, rocking on her heels. "What *are* you here for? I know where everything is, if you need any help. Kama sutra, perhaps?" she said, raising one eyebrow and smiling suggestively.
Gordo choked. Andie watched with obvious amusement as he coughed and got his bearings straight. "Say what?"
She laughed. "Perhaps not."
"I have a girlfriend, Andie," he said.
"Well isn't that lovely for you. Why are you telling me this?"
"Because you're clearly hitting on me."
Why did she act as though she found everything funny? "Am I? We certainly are full of ourselves, aren't we, Gordo," she said, leaning in so that the breath from her last words tickled his ears.
Gordo reeled backwards. "Girlfriend," he repeated stoutly.
She rolled her eyes. "McGuire, right?"
"Yeah, Lizzie. *Your* former idol," he added pointedly.
"Well then." Finally, Andie had been struck dumb. Gordo took this opportunity to slip into the next aisle.
She met him at the front of it. "Trying to get rid of me, Gordo?"
"Yes," he said bluntly.
Andie didn't look the slightest bit disturbed by this. "So I'm making you uncomfortable."
"You're stalking me in the practically abandoned library basement. It's like a cheesy movie."
"Well, you always said I was unoriginal. Although, funny, at the time, you didn't seem to mind." She leaned in again, and Gordo found himself pressed back against the shelf.
"Yeah, well, things change. And you should know that you were never the one I wanted."
"I'm wounded, Gordo."
"I think it's safe to say that the mood of the afternoon has officially been killed," Gordo announced, pushing away from the books. "See ya."
As he moved past her, Andie put her hand on his shoulder. Not in an intense or forceful way, though, and he looked back at her. "Aw, c'mon. Stay just a little bit. Please? No one ever comes down here much, and there's not much to do after I've shelved things, so I get bored. You're not gonna leave poor little old me here, bored and alone with no one to talk to, are you?"
"It's work; it's not supposed to be fun," Gordo pointed out.
Andie dropped the pout. "Okay, fine. But it's not like you have anything better to do while Lizzie's at practice, do you?"
Gordo sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, as much as he didn't really want to be there, the girl had a point. "Okay, fine. I'll stay."
~~~~~
As a collection of tired, sweaty, and breathless cheerleaders poured into the locker room, Kate let out a groan. "I can't handle this."
"It's been one practice, Kate," Lizzie said, reaching into her locker for her jeans. She figured it would be easier -- and a lot more sanitary to just go home and shower, then change into fresh clothes she hadn't been wearing all day. "You've been doing this for years now, and you can't hack it?"
"FYI, McGuire, for those long years, I wasn't doing it competitively. I was doing it for popularity purposes, and then I was doing it because I didn't know what else to do." She sighed, and sank on the bench next to her best friend. "I still don't know what to do," she admitted. "It sucks not knowing what your future holds, you know? Like, Gordo's the director, and Larry's the scientist/math/techno-geek, and Parker wants to be a social worker."
"You make it sound like everyone has this master plan," Lizzie said, standing up so she could change her shirt. After Kate's bisexuality statement, Lizzie had been a little uncomfortable changing around her, but Kate always had the good grace to look away. "I mean, honestly, do you think *I* have a plan?" Lizzie continued. "Hell no. And I'm in a relationship with a guy that knows everything about himself. It's hard."
With a sigh, she did the last button on her shirt and returned to her position next to Kate. "It's...it's really hard," she admitted softly. "I'm terrified about the end of the year. Gordo sent in an early application to NYU's film program, and you and I both know he's gonna get in. And me...I have no idea what I want. Well, I mean, I do, sorta...the only thing I want right now is Gordo, and I'm gonna lose him, Kate. He's going to go to New York and I'm going to be stuck. What the hell do I do?"
Kate shrugged. "Talk to him. I know that the very thought freaks you out, but this is Gordo and he'll listen and understand."
"You're right."
"Of course I'm right."
"As for the future...don't worry about the future. Some people go into college having no idea what they want to do with their lives. Don't put yourself into a panic just yet. If you're thirty and still clueless, give me a call."
"You're smarter than anyone gives you credit for, McGuire."
"Gracias."
Still Unexpected
Chapter Seven: Uncertain Futures
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
It was late afternoon, and Lizzie was at cheerleading practice. She'd spent the entire weekend vegged out in front of ESPN, watching cheerleading competitions, and was now convinced that her squad had the skills to make it to at least regionals, if not state. So she had proposed her idea to Coach Wakefield, who had loved it, and was now making the squad work long, grueling hours. And while Gordo supported most of Lizzie's decisions, and felt it was good that she had something to strive for, it left him with empty afternoons.
So he'd opted instead to go to the library, to find something new to pique his interest. He thought he'd try nonfiction. He was always up for learning something new, and the nonfiction section was located in the basement of the library, dark and quiet and relaxing.
Gordo disappeared into an aisle, scanning the rows of books for anything worth reading. "Does gardening make you hot?" a sultry voice whispered in his ear.
Gordo jumped, and whirled around, heart racing. It was Andie.
"Jeez, Andie, could you not do that?"
"What, mock your taste in literature?" she said, gesturing vaguely at the stacks. "Not that you can call it literature."
"No, sneaking up on me. What are you doing here?"
"I know you don't think much of me, Gordo, but insinuating that I'm illiterate is insulting, to say the least."
"I never said that."
"You implied it."
"I didn't mean what are you doing in a library -- or maybe I did, I don't know," he frowned. He shook his head, trying to clear his muddled brain. "I mean, what are you doing in the gardening section? You said yourself it's not that fascinating."
"You got me there." She flashed him a grin. "I work here."
"Oh, really?"
"Yeah. Is it that much of a surprise?"
"Kinda, yeah. I've been coming here since...well, since I was old enough to read, and I've never seen you in the library before today."
"Well, they only hired me a month ago, and until today, I've just been working the children's room. Which I imagine you don't go in much."
Gordo had to smile at that. "True."
"Soooo," she drawled, rocking on her heels. "What *are* you here for? I know where everything is, if you need any help. Kama sutra, perhaps?" she said, raising one eyebrow and smiling suggestively.
Gordo choked. Andie watched with obvious amusement as he coughed and got his bearings straight. "Say what?"
She laughed. "Perhaps not."
"I have a girlfriend, Andie," he said.
"Well isn't that lovely for you. Why are you telling me this?"
"Because you're clearly hitting on me."
Why did she act as though she found everything funny? "Am I? We certainly are full of ourselves, aren't we, Gordo," she said, leaning in so that the breath from her last words tickled his ears.
Gordo reeled backwards. "Girlfriend," he repeated stoutly.
She rolled her eyes. "McGuire, right?"
"Yeah, Lizzie. *Your* former idol," he added pointedly.
"Well then." Finally, Andie had been struck dumb. Gordo took this opportunity to slip into the next aisle.
She met him at the front of it. "Trying to get rid of me, Gordo?"
"Yes," he said bluntly.
Andie didn't look the slightest bit disturbed by this. "So I'm making you uncomfortable."
"You're stalking me in the practically abandoned library basement. It's like a cheesy movie."
"Well, you always said I was unoriginal. Although, funny, at the time, you didn't seem to mind." She leaned in again, and Gordo found himself pressed back against the shelf.
"Yeah, well, things change. And you should know that you were never the one I wanted."
"I'm wounded, Gordo."
"I think it's safe to say that the mood of the afternoon has officially been killed," Gordo announced, pushing away from the books. "See ya."
As he moved past her, Andie put her hand on his shoulder. Not in an intense or forceful way, though, and he looked back at her. "Aw, c'mon. Stay just a little bit. Please? No one ever comes down here much, and there's not much to do after I've shelved things, so I get bored. You're not gonna leave poor little old me here, bored and alone with no one to talk to, are you?"
"It's work; it's not supposed to be fun," Gordo pointed out.
Andie dropped the pout. "Okay, fine. But it's not like you have anything better to do while Lizzie's at practice, do you?"
Gordo sighed. As much as he hated to admit it, as much as he didn't really want to be there, the girl had a point. "Okay, fine. I'll stay."
~~~~~
As a collection of tired, sweaty, and breathless cheerleaders poured into the locker room, Kate let out a groan. "I can't handle this."
"It's been one practice, Kate," Lizzie said, reaching into her locker for her jeans. She figured it would be easier -- and a lot more sanitary to just go home and shower, then change into fresh clothes she hadn't been wearing all day. "You've been doing this for years now, and you can't hack it?"
"FYI, McGuire, for those long years, I wasn't doing it competitively. I was doing it for popularity purposes, and then I was doing it because I didn't know what else to do." She sighed, and sank on the bench next to her best friend. "I still don't know what to do," she admitted. "It sucks not knowing what your future holds, you know? Like, Gordo's the director, and Larry's the scientist/math/techno-geek, and Parker wants to be a social worker."
"You make it sound like everyone has this master plan," Lizzie said, standing up so she could change her shirt. After Kate's bisexuality statement, Lizzie had been a little uncomfortable changing around her, but Kate always had the good grace to look away. "I mean, honestly, do you think *I* have a plan?" Lizzie continued. "Hell no. And I'm in a relationship with a guy that knows everything about himself. It's hard."
With a sigh, she did the last button on her shirt and returned to her position next to Kate. "It's...it's really hard," she admitted softly. "I'm terrified about the end of the year. Gordo sent in an early application to NYU's film program, and you and I both know he's gonna get in. And me...I have no idea what I want. Well, I mean, I do, sorta...the only thing I want right now is Gordo, and I'm gonna lose him, Kate. He's going to go to New York and I'm going to be stuck. What the hell do I do?"
Kate shrugged. "Talk to him. I know that the very thought freaks you out, but this is Gordo and he'll listen and understand."
"You're right."
"Of course I'm right."
"As for the future...don't worry about the future. Some people go into college having no idea what they want to do with their lives. Don't put yourself into a panic just yet. If you're thirty and still clueless, give me a call."
"You're smarter than anyone gives you credit for, McGuire."
"Gracias."