Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.
Author's note: I think this might actually be it for The Sweetness. It's not that I'm not enjoying the story, but I just feel like this is a good stopping place. Maybe I'll start it up again at some point, or do a sequel...who knows? All in all, I'd say that this was pretty successful for my first Lizzie fanfiction, and thanks to you guys for your love and support. It seems like all of my best sagas (best IMO, this, The Worst That Could Happen) are coming to an end, but it'll give me more time to work on new things. ::entices you with new things...ooh, shiny...::
Author's note dos: I never mentioned this before, but the title has no special significance, I just happened to be listening to "The Sweetness" by Jimmy Eat World when I was naming it...
Also, the chapter titles are all names of songs by 311.
*Karasuma*Firestorm*
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
The Sweetness: I'll Be Here Awhile
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Lizzie tapped her pencil eraser against her notebook cover. She should've been paying attention to the teacher, but it wasn't like he was saying anything important anyway, and besides, she had more pressing things to think about.
Like Gordo.
What exactly had she done to make Gordo so mad?
More like, what she *hadn't* done. It would be so much easier if she could just start middle school from square one. Not letting Kate and Claire get to her, not ever fall for Ethan, realize just how important Gordo was to her, and then they could have been together ages ago, and not have to deal with all of this drama.
Or maybe this was a sign that they weren't supposed to be together.
Lizzie wasn't sure that she believed in fate, that was more Miranda's thing, but it definitely seemed like someone above was conspiring to drive a wedge between her and Gordo.
They'd made all sorts of promises, but if they failed as a couple, could they ever *really* get back to being best friends again? It would just never be the same. Lizzie didn't regret taking that next step, not in a million years. She loved Gordo, she really did, as a best friend, as a person, and she was just beginning to think that maybe she was falling in love with him. She didn't want to screw this up.
Too late for that.
Three strikes and she was out, right?
Well, she had one more to go, she figured, and knowing her tendency to mess things up, intentionally or not, it wouldn't be long before she got that third strike.
There was a knock at the door, and every head swiveled to look at it. "Come in," the teacher said, and a scrawny little freshman kid poked his head and arm through, brandishing a piece of paper. "I'm s'posed to deliver this," he said, sounding much younger than fourteen, or maybe that was just a side effect of having the entire room staring at him.
The teacher accepted the note, and the kid ducked out. She glanced at the note, and then at the roster, and then at Lizzie. Instantly, Lizzie felt her face flushing. Please don't be me, she thought, please not me, please, please, please...
"Lizzie McGuire?" she asked questioningly, and Lizzie sunk in her seat slightly as the eyes now turned to her. "You're wanted at the newspaper office."
Lizzie frowned. The newspaper office? That was...weird. Well, it was better than the principal's office, at least. "Um, I...I don't know where that is," she said.
"First floor, room 100A. Next to the staircase."
"Mhmm, thanks," Lizzie said, fighting to control her reddening cheeks and failing. She shoved her possessions in her backpack, threw it over one shoulder, snatched the note from the teacher's hand, and went into the hallway.
"One-hundred A, one-hundred A..." Lizzie muttered, glancing at the note to confirm the number. She walked down the staircase, looked to her left, and saw the room. "Well, that was lucky." Swallowing hard, she turned the knob and stepped tentatively in. "Hi, I got a note to come here..?" she asked, but the room was empty.
"Oh, so I did get the right room." Or not. There was a row of computers by the back wall, and Gordo's familiar curly head popped up from behind one. "Hey," he said, smiling at her.
"Gordo!" Lizzie smiled despite her surprise and confusion. "What're..? I got a note..."
"Yeah, I sent that. I wanted to talk to you."
"So you hijacked the newspaper office and forged a note?"
"Yup." He smiled at her proudly.
"The things you'll do for a girl..." Lizzie marveled, shaking her head. Then she remembered that Gordo was mad at her. "Listen, Gordo, about what happened at lunch..." She bit her lip, unsure of how to explain herself.
He waved at her. "Don't worry about it. I was thinking, and it's just not important. I *know* you care about me, Lizzie, you don't have to attack Claire Miller to prove it."
"But I should've, Gordo. Because I am proud to be your girlfriend. I don't care what Claire thinks, I don't care what anyone thinks. She's wrong, you know, because you're such a cool guy, and..." Lizzie sighed. "I dunno. I just...I'm sorry, Gordo. I know I'm a horrible girlfriend, but you have to believe me when I say that I'm really happy we're together. Honestly. Because..." She looked down, embarrassed. *Why* she was embarrassed, she didn't quite know. Maybe because they were so young, but all the same, she knew what she felt. "Because I love you."
"Lizzie..."
"No, let me finish. I know you think I'm just this ditzy girl and I'll fall for anybody that holds still long enough, but those were just crushes, and this is the really thing. I know it is. I can feel it. I love you, Gordo."
Gordo got up, walked over, and hugged her. "Lizzie, I don't think you're ditzy. Okay? You can be shallow sometimes, and you have your blond moments, true, but you're really smart and you think with your heart and I know you mean well."
Lizzie couldn't help it, a few tears escaped down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Gordo."
"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault. I shouldn't have gotten mad. I'm sorry. You're my best friend, and your my girlfriend, and I'm so happy to just have you in my life. I love you, too."
Lizzie, still crying, smiled through her tears and kissed him. Everything was going to work out okay, after all. "So I love you and you love me," she said. "What now?"
He shrugged. "I dunno. Get married?"
They both laughed and Lizzie hit his shoulder. "It's only the first day of high school, Gordo, I think that can wait."
"Oh. Well. Get back to class, then?"
"Do we have to?" Lizzie pouted, kissing him softly.
Gordo tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I *do* have you for the rest of the period..."
Lizzie grinned and kissed him again. Something told her that they were stronger now, better than they'd ever been. She had high hopes, and she almost wished that Claire Miller would walk in the room at that moment, just so Lizzie could ream her out. Gordo loved her, he really loved her, and he was giving her a second chance. He cared and he trusted her and things were just perfect.
Author's note: I think this might actually be it for The Sweetness. It's not that I'm not enjoying the story, but I just feel like this is a good stopping place. Maybe I'll start it up again at some point, or do a sequel...who knows? All in all, I'd say that this was pretty successful for my first Lizzie fanfiction, and thanks to you guys for your love and support. It seems like all of my best sagas (best IMO, this, The Worst That Could Happen) are coming to an end, but it'll give me more time to work on new things. ::entices you with new things...ooh, shiny...::
Author's note dos: I never mentioned this before, but the title has no special significance, I just happened to be listening to "The Sweetness" by Jimmy Eat World when I was naming it...
Also, the chapter titles are all names of songs by 311.
*Karasuma*Firestorm*
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
The Sweetness: I'll Be Here Awhile
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
Lizzie tapped her pencil eraser against her notebook cover. She should've been paying attention to the teacher, but it wasn't like he was saying anything important anyway, and besides, she had more pressing things to think about.
Like Gordo.
What exactly had she done to make Gordo so mad?
More like, what she *hadn't* done. It would be so much easier if she could just start middle school from square one. Not letting Kate and Claire get to her, not ever fall for Ethan, realize just how important Gordo was to her, and then they could have been together ages ago, and not have to deal with all of this drama.
Or maybe this was a sign that they weren't supposed to be together.
Lizzie wasn't sure that she believed in fate, that was more Miranda's thing, but it definitely seemed like someone above was conspiring to drive a wedge between her and Gordo.
They'd made all sorts of promises, but if they failed as a couple, could they ever *really* get back to being best friends again? It would just never be the same. Lizzie didn't regret taking that next step, not in a million years. She loved Gordo, she really did, as a best friend, as a person, and she was just beginning to think that maybe she was falling in love with him. She didn't want to screw this up.
Too late for that.
Three strikes and she was out, right?
Well, she had one more to go, she figured, and knowing her tendency to mess things up, intentionally or not, it wouldn't be long before she got that third strike.
There was a knock at the door, and every head swiveled to look at it. "Come in," the teacher said, and a scrawny little freshman kid poked his head and arm through, brandishing a piece of paper. "I'm s'posed to deliver this," he said, sounding much younger than fourteen, or maybe that was just a side effect of having the entire room staring at him.
The teacher accepted the note, and the kid ducked out. She glanced at the note, and then at the roster, and then at Lizzie. Instantly, Lizzie felt her face flushing. Please don't be me, she thought, please not me, please, please, please...
"Lizzie McGuire?" she asked questioningly, and Lizzie sunk in her seat slightly as the eyes now turned to her. "You're wanted at the newspaper office."
Lizzie frowned. The newspaper office? That was...weird. Well, it was better than the principal's office, at least. "Um, I...I don't know where that is," she said.
"First floor, room 100A. Next to the staircase."
"Mhmm, thanks," Lizzie said, fighting to control her reddening cheeks and failing. She shoved her possessions in her backpack, threw it over one shoulder, snatched the note from the teacher's hand, and went into the hallway.
"One-hundred A, one-hundred A..." Lizzie muttered, glancing at the note to confirm the number. She walked down the staircase, looked to her left, and saw the room. "Well, that was lucky." Swallowing hard, she turned the knob and stepped tentatively in. "Hi, I got a note to come here..?" she asked, but the room was empty.
"Oh, so I did get the right room." Or not. There was a row of computers by the back wall, and Gordo's familiar curly head popped up from behind one. "Hey," he said, smiling at her.
"Gordo!" Lizzie smiled despite her surprise and confusion. "What're..? I got a note..."
"Yeah, I sent that. I wanted to talk to you."
"So you hijacked the newspaper office and forged a note?"
"Yup." He smiled at her proudly.
"The things you'll do for a girl..." Lizzie marveled, shaking her head. Then she remembered that Gordo was mad at her. "Listen, Gordo, about what happened at lunch..." She bit her lip, unsure of how to explain herself.
He waved at her. "Don't worry about it. I was thinking, and it's just not important. I *know* you care about me, Lizzie, you don't have to attack Claire Miller to prove it."
"But I should've, Gordo. Because I am proud to be your girlfriend. I don't care what Claire thinks, I don't care what anyone thinks. She's wrong, you know, because you're such a cool guy, and..." Lizzie sighed. "I dunno. I just...I'm sorry, Gordo. I know I'm a horrible girlfriend, but you have to believe me when I say that I'm really happy we're together. Honestly. Because..." She looked down, embarrassed. *Why* she was embarrassed, she didn't quite know. Maybe because they were so young, but all the same, she knew what she felt. "Because I love you."
"Lizzie..."
"No, let me finish. I know you think I'm just this ditzy girl and I'll fall for anybody that holds still long enough, but those were just crushes, and this is the really thing. I know it is. I can feel it. I love you, Gordo."
Gordo got up, walked over, and hugged her. "Lizzie, I don't think you're ditzy. Okay? You can be shallow sometimes, and you have your blond moments, true, but you're really smart and you think with your heart and I know you mean well."
Lizzie couldn't help it, a few tears escaped down her cheeks. "I'm sorry, Gordo."
"Don't be sorry. It's not your fault. I shouldn't have gotten mad. I'm sorry. You're my best friend, and your my girlfriend, and I'm so happy to just have you in my life. I love you, too."
Lizzie, still crying, smiled through her tears and kissed him. Everything was going to work out okay, after all. "So I love you and you love me," she said. "What now?"
He shrugged. "I dunno. Get married?"
They both laughed and Lizzie hit his shoulder. "It's only the first day of high school, Gordo, I think that can wait."
"Oh. Well. Get back to class, then?"
"Do we have to?" Lizzie pouted, kissing him softly.
Gordo tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I *do* have you for the rest of the period..."
Lizzie grinned and kissed him again. Something told her that they were stronger now, better than they'd ever been. She had high hopes, and she almost wished that Claire Miller would walk in the room at that moment, just so Lizzie could ream her out. Gordo loved her, he really loved her, and he was giving her a second chance. He cared and he trusted her and things were just perfect.