Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.
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The Sweetness: What Was I Thinking
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Gordo sat cross-legged on his bed, staring at his hands. It would figure. Anytime he came close to saying anything to Lizzie, something would interrupt him. Of course, the bell at lunch today was one of the few times it had been an outside force. The rest of the time it was just his own cowardice.
It wasn't like he didn't have a million good reasons for never saying that one thing he so desperately needed to say. For one thing, the most important thing, was his fear of rejection. Normally he didn't care what others thought about him. The only people he ever really listened to were Miranda and Lizzie. Which was why her thoughts of him were so important. If she rejected him, one of the few people whose opinion he actually cared about, he didn't know what he'd do.
On the other hand, there was the tiny factor that maybe her feelings weren't as elusive as he'd thought. Hadn't she kissed him on picture day? On the cheek, yeah, but it was completely random and therefore had to mean something. Lizzie wasn't the sort of person who did things for no good reason.
He leaned backwards and collapsed on his pillow. He'd been sitting here for hours now, and he'd promised to call Lizzie. He reached for the phone and dialed the number without opening his eyes. Lizzie answered on the first ring. Gordo would've liked to think that she was waiting by the phone for his call, but more than likely she'd just gotten off with Miranda.
"Hey." The three of them never had to announce themselves, even to each other's parents.
"Hey."
"How was Claywork 101?"
"Not bad. We didn't talk much, but when we did, Mom totally got on my case."
"Oh yeah? What about?"
Lizzie didn't say anything for a second, then jumped in quickly with, "Oh! Nothing. Mom stuff. You know?"
"Yeah," Gordo agreed, wondering where Lizzie's mind was, since it obviously wasn't on the conversation at hand.
"Gordo? Are your mom and dad close? Like, are they friends with each other?"
Where was this coming from? "Yeah, I guess so...I mean, I've never really thought about it, but yeah, I guess they're friends in addition to being husband and wife. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I was talking to my mom and she said that Dad is her best friend."
Suddenly Gordo had an epiphany. "Lizzie, what's this about?" he asked. Maybe he wouldn't have to take the stupid plunge and say anything. Maybe she'd say everything.
"I dunno, I was just thinking..."
"Lizzie, what happened on picture day?" he blurted. Okay, yeah, didn't see that one coming, and it was *his* brain.
"I..."
"You know what?" Gordo said, and he couldn't believe he was even talking about this. "We can't talk about this. At least, not on the phone. D'ya think your parents would let you meet me somewhere?"
He expected her to protest, to say that it wasn't important, they didn't need to talk about it, he was being silly, hey, had he spoken to Miranda lately?
"Yeah, I think they will. As long as it's not too far."
"How about the park?"
A pause. "Yeah, okay."
"Ten minutes," Gordo said, stunned by his own audacity. He was actually taking control of the situation, for better or for worse.
"Okay. I'll see you there."
"See you."
Gordo hung up, and sat up. Had he really just done that? Furthermore, could he keep up the blind confidence long enough to say what he needed to say?
~~~~~
Lizzie wandered downstairs, and located her parents, watching TV in the living room.
"Hey, sweetie," Jo said. "Feeling better?"
Lizzie nodded. "I guess. I don't know. Mom, can I meet Gordo in the park? We won't be long."
"Are you kidding?" Sam said, finally looking up from the TV. "It's almost dinner time. You can't go out."
"Which park, the one on Wilkins Street?" Jo said.
"Yeah," Lizzie said.
"Okay, have fun."
"What?" Sam asked, as Lizzie said, "Thanks," and headed for the door.
"Oh, and Lizzie?" Jo said. "If things go well, Gordo's welcome to join us for dinner."
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
The Sweetness: What Was I Thinking
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Gordo sat cross-legged on his bed, staring at his hands. It would figure. Anytime he came close to saying anything to Lizzie, something would interrupt him. Of course, the bell at lunch today was one of the few times it had been an outside force. The rest of the time it was just his own cowardice.
It wasn't like he didn't have a million good reasons for never saying that one thing he so desperately needed to say. For one thing, the most important thing, was his fear of rejection. Normally he didn't care what others thought about him. The only people he ever really listened to were Miranda and Lizzie. Which was why her thoughts of him were so important. If she rejected him, one of the few people whose opinion he actually cared about, he didn't know what he'd do.
On the other hand, there was the tiny factor that maybe her feelings weren't as elusive as he'd thought. Hadn't she kissed him on picture day? On the cheek, yeah, but it was completely random and therefore had to mean something. Lizzie wasn't the sort of person who did things for no good reason.
He leaned backwards and collapsed on his pillow. He'd been sitting here for hours now, and he'd promised to call Lizzie. He reached for the phone and dialed the number without opening his eyes. Lizzie answered on the first ring. Gordo would've liked to think that she was waiting by the phone for his call, but more than likely she'd just gotten off with Miranda.
"Hey." The three of them never had to announce themselves, even to each other's parents.
"Hey."
"How was Claywork 101?"
"Not bad. We didn't talk much, but when we did, Mom totally got on my case."
"Oh yeah? What about?"
Lizzie didn't say anything for a second, then jumped in quickly with, "Oh! Nothing. Mom stuff. You know?"
"Yeah," Gordo agreed, wondering where Lizzie's mind was, since it obviously wasn't on the conversation at hand.
"Gordo? Are your mom and dad close? Like, are they friends with each other?"
Where was this coming from? "Yeah, I guess so...I mean, I've never really thought about it, but yeah, I guess they're friends in addition to being husband and wife. Why do you ask?"
"Well, I was talking to my mom and she said that Dad is her best friend."
Suddenly Gordo had an epiphany. "Lizzie, what's this about?" he asked. Maybe he wouldn't have to take the stupid plunge and say anything. Maybe she'd say everything.
"I dunno, I was just thinking..."
"Lizzie, what happened on picture day?" he blurted. Okay, yeah, didn't see that one coming, and it was *his* brain.
"I..."
"You know what?" Gordo said, and he couldn't believe he was even talking about this. "We can't talk about this. At least, not on the phone. D'ya think your parents would let you meet me somewhere?"
He expected her to protest, to say that it wasn't important, they didn't need to talk about it, he was being silly, hey, had he spoken to Miranda lately?
"Yeah, I think they will. As long as it's not too far."
"How about the park?"
A pause. "Yeah, okay."
"Ten minutes," Gordo said, stunned by his own audacity. He was actually taking control of the situation, for better or for worse.
"Okay. I'll see you there."
"See you."
Gordo hung up, and sat up. Had he really just done that? Furthermore, could he keep up the blind confidence long enough to say what he needed to say?
~~~~~
Lizzie wandered downstairs, and located her parents, watching TV in the living room.
"Hey, sweetie," Jo said. "Feeling better?"
Lizzie nodded. "I guess. I don't know. Mom, can I meet Gordo in the park? We won't be long."
"Are you kidding?" Sam said, finally looking up from the TV. "It's almost dinner time. You can't go out."
"Which park, the one on Wilkins Street?" Jo said.
"Yeah," Lizzie said.
"Okay, have fun."
"What?" Sam asked, as Lizzie said, "Thanks," and headed for the door.
"Oh, and Lizzie?" Jo said. "If things go well, Gordo's welcome to join us for dinner."