Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee you.
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The Sweetness: Misdirected Hostility
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"Mom? I'm home!" Lizzie called, coming into the foyer, Gordo close behind.
"In the kitchen, Lizzie."
The two teenagers went into the kitchen, which was a virtual disaster area. There was clay all over the place, and Jo McGuire was looking a bit like a swamp creature. "Hey, sweetie. Hey, Gordo."
"Hey, Mrs. McGuire. You look like you've already started."
"Well, the clay was calling to me," Jo admitted.
"Looks like it was calling to the floor and the walls, too," Sam McGuire observed, coming into the room. "You're cleaning this all up on your own, you know. Hey, Lizzie, hey, Gordo."
"Hey, Dad."
"Hey, Mr. McGuire."
"You know, you're welcome to stay and throw some pots if you want, Gordo," Jo offered.
Gordo shook his head. "No thanks. I should probably get home."
"Your loss."
Lizzie turned to Gordo. "Sure you don't wanna stay?"
"Clay's not really my thing."
"Right. I'm sorry about this afternoon."
"It's not a problem, really."
"Hey, I'm all yours tomorrow, okay? We can even go to the mall," Lizzie joked.
Gordo grinned slightly and shook his head. "Yeah, whatever. I'll call you tonight."
"Of course."
They smiled at each other, and Gordo let himself out. Lizzie stared at the front door for a few minutes, before chirping to her parents, "I'm just going to go change, then I'll be down in a minute, okay, Mom?"
"Take your time, honey," Jo said, preoccupied with slapping a lump of clay on the counter.
"'Kay," Lizzie said, then barreled upstairs.
Jo immediately dropped the clay. "Oh, my God."
Sam straightened up, hitting his head on the fridge door, as he was immersed in it looking for sandwich fixings. He emerged. "What?"
"Gordo. And Lizzie."
Sam frowned. "I'm confused."
"Did you see the way they were looking at each other? Something's shifted in their relationship."
"I'm still confused."
"They like each other, Sam."
"Of course, they--"
Jo sighed at her husband's obtuseness. "No, Sam, they like each other."
"Wow. That's new. When did this happen?"
"Only recently, is my guess."
Jo would've liked to talk about it more, but Lizzie came downstairs.
"I'm going to let you guys do your pot thing," Sam said quickly, grabbing a can of soda from the fridge and conveniently disappearance.
Lizzie and Jo worked in silence for about half an hour, until Jo finally said, "So how was the last day of school?"
"You know, the usual. Turn in the books, clean out the lockers, stuff like that."
"You and Gordo must get pretty bored without Miranda."
"Yeah, sometimes."
"So what's up with you two?"
Lizzie stopped molding her clay. "What do you mean?"
"I'm just asking."
"We might go to the mall tomorrow," Lizzie said.
"Oh, that sounds fun."
"Mhmm."
"Lizzie...do you...like Gordo?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Lizzie said. "What?"
"Well, you know--"
"Mom! That is totally and completely unfair!"
"Honey, I'm a mother. Mothers have to ask these sort of things of their children. It's okay if you do, you know," she added softly, trying to draw Lizzie out.
"No, Mom, it's not okay! Because it's Gordo, and it would mess everything up."
"How would it mess things up?"
"'Cause he's my best friend," Lizzie muttered into her clay.
"Your father is my best friend," Jo said lightly, but she knew this conversation was over. Lizzie had a lot to think about now.
"I'm going...I'm going to go to my room for awhile," Lizzie stammered, stumbling as she pushed herself away from the counter. She kept her head down as she headed for the stairs.
At that moment, the front door burst open, and Matt and Lanny sauntered in. "Lizzie looks upset," Matt observed. "We should go make things worse."
"MATT!" Jo shouted, and Matt and Lanny stopped in their tracks. "Your sister has some things to think about, and if you even make a move towards that staircase for the rest of the afternoon, you're grounded."
Like Lizzie didn't have enough problems.
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
The Sweetness: Misdirected Hostility
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
"Mom? I'm home!" Lizzie called, coming into the foyer, Gordo close behind.
"In the kitchen, Lizzie."
The two teenagers went into the kitchen, which was a virtual disaster area. There was clay all over the place, and Jo McGuire was looking a bit like a swamp creature. "Hey, sweetie. Hey, Gordo."
"Hey, Mrs. McGuire. You look like you've already started."
"Well, the clay was calling to me," Jo admitted.
"Looks like it was calling to the floor and the walls, too," Sam McGuire observed, coming into the room. "You're cleaning this all up on your own, you know. Hey, Lizzie, hey, Gordo."
"Hey, Dad."
"Hey, Mr. McGuire."
"You know, you're welcome to stay and throw some pots if you want, Gordo," Jo offered.
Gordo shook his head. "No thanks. I should probably get home."
"Your loss."
Lizzie turned to Gordo. "Sure you don't wanna stay?"
"Clay's not really my thing."
"Right. I'm sorry about this afternoon."
"It's not a problem, really."
"Hey, I'm all yours tomorrow, okay? We can even go to the mall," Lizzie joked.
Gordo grinned slightly and shook his head. "Yeah, whatever. I'll call you tonight."
"Of course."
They smiled at each other, and Gordo let himself out. Lizzie stared at the front door for a few minutes, before chirping to her parents, "I'm just going to go change, then I'll be down in a minute, okay, Mom?"
"Take your time, honey," Jo said, preoccupied with slapping a lump of clay on the counter.
"'Kay," Lizzie said, then barreled upstairs.
Jo immediately dropped the clay. "Oh, my God."
Sam straightened up, hitting his head on the fridge door, as he was immersed in it looking for sandwich fixings. He emerged. "What?"
"Gordo. And Lizzie."
Sam frowned. "I'm confused."
"Did you see the way they were looking at each other? Something's shifted in their relationship."
"I'm still confused."
"They like each other, Sam."
"Of course, they--"
Jo sighed at her husband's obtuseness. "No, Sam, they like each other."
"Wow. That's new. When did this happen?"
"Only recently, is my guess."
Jo would've liked to talk about it more, but Lizzie came downstairs.
"I'm going to let you guys do your pot thing," Sam said quickly, grabbing a can of soda from the fridge and conveniently disappearance.
Lizzie and Jo worked in silence for about half an hour, until Jo finally said, "So how was the last day of school?"
"You know, the usual. Turn in the books, clean out the lockers, stuff like that."
"You and Gordo must get pretty bored without Miranda."
"Yeah, sometimes."
"So what's up with you two?"
Lizzie stopped molding her clay. "What do you mean?"
"I'm just asking."
"We might go to the mall tomorrow," Lizzie said.
"Oh, that sounds fun."
"Mhmm."
"Lizzie...do you...like Gordo?"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Lizzie said. "What?"
"Well, you know--"
"Mom! That is totally and completely unfair!"
"Honey, I'm a mother. Mothers have to ask these sort of things of their children. It's okay if you do, you know," she added softly, trying to draw Lizzie out.
"No, Mom, it's not okay! Because it's Gordo, and it would mess everything up."
"How would it mess things up?"
"'Cause he's my best friend," Lizzie muttered into her clay.
"Your father is my best friend," Jo said lightly, but she knew this conversation was over. Lizzie had a lot to think about now.
"I'm going...I'm going to go to my room for awhile," Lizzie stammered, stumbling as she pushed herself away from the counter. She kept her head down as she headed for the stairs.
At that moment, the front door burst open, and Matt and Lanny sauntered in. "Lizzie looks upset," Matt observed. "We should go make things worse."
"MATT!" Jo shouted, and Matt and Lanny stopped in their tracks. "Your sister has some things to think about, and if you even make a move towards that staircase for the rest of the afternoon, you're grounded."
Like Lizzie didn't have enough problems.