Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.
Author's note:
Alastar - yeah, he does seem awfully insecure, doesn't he? Poor Gordo. I had a whole answer written for you here, but I ended up turning it into a chapter... ^_^;;
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The Sweetness: Running
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Gordo shuffled into his science class and sat in the back. When he'd first gotten his schedule and had seen all of the 'smart' classes he was in, he was worried that he wouldn't get to see Lizzie as much as he had in middle school, when they had every class together. Of course, now it was looking like a bit of a godsend, considering he was so angry he could barely see straight.
He didn't know who he was madder at. Claire, for being her usual dirky self, Lizzie, for not sticking up for him, or himself, for even caring.
What he'd told her was true, he couldn't care less what Claire Miller thought of him. He found her vapid, obnoxious, mean, and a variety of other unpleasant adjectives. As far as he was concerned, Claire thinking he was scum was a point in his favor.
But the fact of the matter remained that Lizzie had just sat there and accepted Claire's taunts. No "Lay off Gordo, he's a sweet guy." Of course, she probably wouldn't have said those things when they were just best friends, but it seemed more important now that she was his girlfriend. She was supposed to be...supportive. Loving. Proud.
Gordo wanted to shout to the world that he had finally asked her out, that Lizzie had actually said yes, that they were together, a couple, a thing, an item. He held her hand as much as he could, he kissed her as often as he dared. He was just *so freaking proud*.
It obviously wasn't the same for Lizzie. For Gordo, this had been a huge deal. He'd had a crush on Lizzie for a year consciously, maybe even longer. Going out with Lizzie had seemed like the impossible dream, that a girl as wonderful and beautiful and essentially perfect as Lizzie McGuire would actually agree to go out with David Gordon, her dorky best friend. So her saying yes, saying that she liked him too, that was a huge deal. Huge.
So why did it seem like Lizzie wasn't that enthused to be dating him? Flirting with Ethan, bringing up her past relationships, taking Claire's crap, it was almost like she was *trying* to sabotage their relationship.
Or maybe he was.
Gordo was awfully quick to jump on Lizzie for all of this, when it was really just Lizzie being Lizzie. She spoke without thinking, she almost never stood up to Claire, and she flirted with Ethan because she'd been doing it for two years and it was hard to get out of her system. He knew this. He knew this, and yet he still thought she was out to get him.
So what was his problem?
At the front of the room, the teacher launched into his welcome to chemistry, you freshman scum speech. But Gordo wasn't listening, he was staring absently at a blank page in his notebook, mulling over his relationship drama.
His parents were psychologists, so he had the preliminary (although completely undesired) training to figure this one out.
He loved Lizzie. *Loved* her, although the depth of his feelings was something he'd only just admitted to himself and sure as hell wasn't going to tell her anytime soon. They were in high school, they weren't supposed to be in love.
But he was.
Okay, so he loved her, and didn't want to lose her. And there was the deep fear that he was going to lose her as a best friend if they went too far with this boyfriend-girlfriend stuff. Not that he didn't want to be her boyfriend -- he just still wanted to be her best friend. And he was worried that they'd lose sight of what they were if they got in too deeply.
Gordo frowned at the tiny parallel blue lines. He wasn't making sense anymore. He was getting mad at Lizzie because he was subconsciously hoping to break up with her in order to preserve their upstanding friendship. That was the basic gist of it, right?
But he didn't *want* to break up with her. Especially over stupid crap like Claire Miller.
"David Gordon? David Gordon?"
Gordo blinked, and drew his eyes up to the front of the room. "Uh, yeah?" he coughed, caught off guard.
"I take it you're here," the teacher said with a look that was both condescending and amused.
"Yeah, definitely here," Gordo said, ignoring the titter going around the room and bowing his head over his notebook once more. He had to apologize to Lizzie. She didn't deserve him flying off the handle at her every five minutes.
He wondered what to say to her. Sometimes talking with Lizzie was the easiest thing in the universe, like he was talking to himself, and sometimes it was like he was saying his first words, uncertain about the language and himself. It had been like that ever since he'd first realized he had a crush on her. Like saying something, no matter how innocent, would unintentionally reveal his true feelings for her. He was still afraid of Freudian slips, even now that they were together.
Together. It was such a great word, now that it applied to him and Lizzie. Involuntarily, a grin crossed his face, and he ended up smiling goofily at the lined pages of his notebook for the rest of the period, never looking up, never taking a word the teacher said in. He didn't even know the teacher's *name*.
When the bell rang, he gathered up his things with everyone else, and was just climbing out of his seat when someone tapped his shoulder.
Gordo turned, and found himself facing Tudgeman.
"Hey, Gordo."
"Oh. Um, hey, Tudgeman. I didn't know you were in this class."
Tudgeman stared at him, nonplussed. "I was sitting two seats in front of you."
Gordo blinked at him. Tudgeman shook his head. "Well, big surprise there, no one notices Larry."
Hmm. Sounded familiar. "Naw, c'mon, Larry. You're...well, you're *Tudgeman*. Everyone notices you." Whether they want to or not, he added mentally. "I was just...distracted, is all. Speaking of which, did I miss anything major?"
"Only the entire periodic table, which we're going to have a test on tomorrow," Tudgeman said.
Gordo's jaw dropped. "Uh oh."
Larry laughed gleefully. "Nah, just messing with you. We didn't really do anything. Mr. Erikson--" So that was his name! "--just passed out rubrics and talked about the grading system and stuff. Oh, and said we had to pick lab partners by next class. So, um," Larry coughed, looking nervous and very non-Tudgeman, "wanna be my partner?"
"Yeah, sure, why not," Gordo said, grateful that it was with someone he knew rather than...anyone else. Larry Tudgeman wasn't his first choice for a lab partner, but that was only because he'd been partnering with Lizzie all through middle school, and the president of the Star Wars fan club just couldn't compare to your beautiful girlfriend, no matter what.
"So, I heard that you and Lizzie are a thing," Larry said as they walked out of class.
"Where'd you hear that from?"
"From Lizzie," he answered simply. Gordo stopped dead and stared at his lab partner. "Yeah, we're in first period together, and we got to talking, and she told me that you two hooked up over the summer. I've never seen Lizzie look so happy. You're a lucky man, my compadre. You've succeeded where others have failed. Namely, me."
So Lizzie *was* happy to be with him. She was proud to be with him. She was telling people. Gordo grinned. "Listen, Tudgeman, I hate to cut this short, but I've gotta go do something really quick. See you in class tomorrow. And thanks!" he yelled over his shoulder, running down the hallway.
Author's note:
Alastar - yeah, he does seem awfully insecure, doesn't he? Poor Gordo. I had a whole answer written for you here, but I ended up turning it into a chapter... ^_^;;
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
The Sweetness: Running
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Gordo shuffled into his science class and sat in the back. When he'd first gotten his schedule and had seen all of the 'smart' classes he was in, he was worried that he wouldn't get to see Lizzie as much as he had in middle school, when they had every class together. Of course, now it was looking like a bit of a godsend, considering he was so angry he could barely see straight.
He didn't know who he was madder at. Claire, for being her usual dirky self, Lizzie, for not sticking up for him, or himself, for even caring.
What he'd told her was true, he couldn't care less what Claire Miller thought of him. He found her vapid, obnoxious, mean, and a variety of other unpleasant adjectives. As far as he was concerned, Claire thinking he was scum was a point in his favor.
But the fact of the matter remained that Lizzie had just sat there and accepted Claire's taunts. No "Lay off Gordo, he's a sweet guy." Of course, she probably wouldn't have said those things when they were just best friends, but it seemed more important now that she was his girlfriend. She was supposed to be...supportive. Loving. Proud.
Gordo wanted to shout to the world that he had finally asked her out, that Lizzie had actually said yes, that they were together, a couple, a thing, an item. He held her hand as much as he could, he kissed her as often as he dared. He was just *so freaking proud*.
It obviously wasn't the same for Lizzie. For Gordo, this had been a huge deal. He'd had a crush on Lizzie for a year consciously, maybe even longer. Going out with Lizzie had seemed like the impossible dream, that a girl as wonderful and beautiful and essentially perfect as Lizzie McGuire would actually agree to go out with David Gordon, her dorky best friend. So her saying yes, saying that she liked him too, that was a huge deal. Huge.
So why did it seem like Lizzie wasn't that enthused to be dating him? Flirting with Ethan, bringing up her past relationships, taking Claire's crap, it was almost like she was *trying* to sabotage their relationship.
Or maybe he was.
Gordo was awfully quick to jump on Lizzie for all of this, when it was really just Lizzie being Lizzie. She spoke without thinking, she almost never stood up to Claire, and she flirted with Ethan because she'd been doing it for two years and it was hard to get out of her system. He knew this. He knew this, and yet he still thought she was out to get him.
So what was his problem?
At the front of the room, the teacher launched into his welcome to chemistry, you freshman scum speech. But Gordo wasn't listening, he was staring absently at a blank page in his notebook, mulling over his relationship drama.
His parents were psychologists, so he had the preliminary (although completely undesired) training to figure this one out.
He loved Lizzie. *Loved* her, although the depth of his feelings was something he'd only just admitted to himself and sure as hell wasn't going to tell her anytime soon. They were in high school, they weren't supposed to be in love.
But he was.
Okay, so he loved her, and didn't want to lose her. And there was the deep fear that he was going to lose her as a best friend if they went too far with this boyfriend-girlfriend stuff. Not that he didn't want to be her boyfriend -- he just still wanted to be her best friend. And he was worried that they'd lose sight of what they were if they got in too deeply.
Gordo frowned at the tiny parallel blue lines. He wasn't making sense anymore. He was getting mad at Lizzie because he was subconsciously hoping to break up with her in order to preserve their upstanding friendship. That was the basic gist of it, right?
But he didn't *want* to break up with her. Especially over stupid crap like Claire Miller.
"David Gordon? David Gordon?"
Gordo blinked, and drew his eyes up to the front of the room. "Uh, yeah?" he coughed, caught off guard.
"I take it you're here," the teacher said with a look that was both condescending and amused.
"Yeah, definitely here," Gordo said, ignoring the titter going around the room and bowing his head over his notebook once more. He had to apologize to Lizzie. She didn't deserve him flying off the handle at her every five minutes.
He wondered what to say to her. Sometimes talking with Lizzie was the easiest thing in the universe, like he was talking to himself, and sometimes it was like he was saying his first words, uncertain about the language and himself. It had been like that ever since he'd first realized he had a crush on her. Like saying something, no matter how innocent, would unintentionally reveal his true feelings for her. He was still afraid of Freudian slips, even now that they were together.
Together. It was such a great word, now that it applied to him and Lizzie. Involuntarily, a grin crossed his face, and he ended up smiling goofily at the lined pages of his notebook for the rest of the period, never looking up, never taking a word the teacher said in. He didn't even know the teacher's *name*.
When the bell rang, he gathered up his things with everyone else, and was just climbing out of his seat when someone tapped his shoulder.
Gordo turned, and found himself facing Tudgeman.
"Hey, Gordo."
"Oh. Um, hey, Tudgeman. I didn't know you were in this class."
Tudgeman stared at him, nonplussed. "I was sitting two seats in front of you."
Gordo blinked at him. Tudgeman shook his head. "Well, big surprise there, no one notices Larry."
Hmm. Sounded familiar. "Naw, c'mon, Larry. You're...well, you're *Tudgeman*. Everyone notices you." Whether they want to or not, he added mentally. "I was just...distracted, is all. Speaking of which, did I miss anything major?"
"Only the entire periodic table, which we're going to have a test on tomorrow," Tudgeman said.
Gordo's jaw dropped. "Uh oh."
Larry laughed gleefully. "Nah, just messing with you. We didn't really do anything. Mr. Erikson--" So that was his name! "--just passed out rubrics and talked about the grading system and stuff. Oh, and said we had to pick lab partners by next class. So, um," Larry coughed, looking nervous and very non-Tudgeman, "wanna be my partner?"
"Yeah, sure, why not," Gordo said, grateful that it was with someone he knew rather than...anyone else. Larry Tudgeman wasn't his first choice for a lab partner, but that was only because he'd been partnering with Lizzie all through middle school, and the president of the Star Wars fan club just couldn't compare to your beautiful girlfriend, no matter what.
"So, I heard that you and Lizzie are a thing," Larry said as they walked out of class.
"Where'd you hear that from?"
"From Lizzie," he answered simply. Gordo stopped dead and stared at his lab partner. "Yeah, we're in first period together, and we got to talking, and she told me that you two hooked up over the summer. I've never seen Lizzie look so happy. You're a lucky man, my compadre. You've succeeded where others have failed. Namely, me."
So Lizzie *was* happy to be with him. She was proud to be with him. She was telling people. Gordo grinned. "Listen, Tudgeman, I hate to cut this short, but I've gotta go do something really quick. See you in class tomorrow. And thanks!" he yelled over his shoulder, running down the hallway.