"Miranda," Lizzie said, staring at the sidewalk leading to the
library, "look. There goes Gordo. I thought he was coming to school late.
Has he been going to the library every day?"
Miranda casually glanced up from the teen magazine she was thumbing through. "Oh, yeah, I guess. He's probably just studying or something, you know Gordo."
"Yeah, but I get the feeling he's avoiding me. I mean, I never see him or talk to him anymore."
"Yeah, me neither, but, you know, we've all been busy. I mean, I don't exactly have a social life with all the extra curricular activities I have," Miranda said, her eyes darting back down to a picture of Ben Affleck.
"I'm gonna go talk to him," Lizzie said definitely, jumping off the cement lunch table she'd been sitting on. "Wait here, I'll be right back." Miranda nodded, barely paying attention. Lizzie sprinted to the library entrance. Once inside, she scanned the room for his mop of curly black hair. Spotting him, stuck up in a corner reading, she darted over to him, stopping directly in front of his bent knees. "Hey Gordo," she said, as cheerily as she could.
Caught off guard, he replied, "Oh, hey."
"So, whatcha readin'?"
"Um, a book. For school."
"Gordo, have you been avoiding me? Because it really feels like everytime I try to-"
"No, of course I haven't been avoiding you," he said, looking to the ground. "No way."
"Gordo, are you okay, because you've seemed really, uh, preoccupied lately. Kind of sad too. What's wrong? You can tell-"
"Nothing. Nothing."
"Yes, there is. I can tell by your nothing. You said it too fast and the way your voice-"
How did she know him so well? Gordo attempted to use the acting skills that he unfortunately lacked. Changing his tone he said, "Really, it's nothing. You'll think I'm silly."
"No I won't. Go on."
"It's just, well, mid terms."
"Mid terms. That's it? Really?"
"Yeah. That's it. I mean, I've just been so stressed out lately with my advanced classes that I've been a little grumpy, you know, all this studying."
"Right, right," Lizzie said quietly, looking away. "Well, I guess I'll go now. Bye."
"Nice seeing you."
Lizzie walked very slowly back to Miranda. She reached her right as the bell rang. "Miranda, I think there's something wrong with Gordo."
"You're just figuring that out?"
"This is serious. I mean, he claims he's just freaking out over his mid terms but-"
"Lizzie, if this were any other person, I might be worried. But seriously, it's Gordo. He probably actually is just upset about mid terms. I'm sure everything's fine."
Lizzie looked down. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Of course I'm right. Stop worrying so much. Listen, I gotta go to my locker. See you in fifth?"
"Yeah, okay," Lizzie said, pushing a strip of blonde hair behind her ear. Pushing her way through the hallway, she made it to her locker, grabbing her chemistry book and then rushing to class just in time. All the way, trying to push all her thoughts about Gordo out of her mind.
By the time P.E. class rolled around, Gordo was too tense to think. He needed to get away. To do something. To cut. Putting a sweaty hand up to his forehead to keep the world from spinning, he started running towards the bathrooms. However, half way there he was interrupted by a, "Hey Gordo!" It was Lizzie. She wafted towards him, sparkling under shining heat like a fine gem.
"Hey," Gordo said quickly, turning towards her.
"Look, I know you're busy, but how about you and me and Miranda getting together this weekend for a movie night, like old times. We'll watch whatever you want and we can just relax, you know, take a break from school. You can't keep avoiding me forever."
She said the magic words. "No, no, I'm not avoiding you, it's just - Okay, I'll come."
"Great," she exclaimed with a smile, "It's a date. See ya."
Feeling a rush of elation rush to his heart, Gordo ran back to the P.E. field, feeling reborn.
Miranda casually glanced up from the teen magazine she was thumbing through. "Oh, yeah, I guess. He's probably just studying or something, you know Gordo."
"Yeah, but I get the feeling he's avoiding me. I mean, I never see him or talk to him anymore."
"Yeah, me neither, but, you know, we've all been busy. I mean, I don't exactly have a social life with all the extra curricular activities I have," Miranda said, her eyes darting back down to a picture of Ben Affleck.
"I'm gonna go talk to him," Lizzie said definitely, jumping off the cement lunch table she'd been sitting on. "Wait here, I'll be right back." Miranda nodded, barely paying attention. Lizzie sprinted to the library entrance. Once inside, she scanned the room for his mop of curly black hair. Spotting him, stuck up in a corner reading, she darted over to him, stopping directly in front of his bent knees. "Hey Gordo," she said, as cheerily as she could.
Caught off guard, he replied, "Oh, hey."
"So, whatcha readin'?"
"Um, a book. For school."
"Gordo, have you been avoiding me? Because it really feels like everytime I try to-"
"No, of course I haven't been avoiding you," he said, looking to the ground. "No way."
"Gordo, are you okay, because you've seemed really, uh, preoccupied lately. Kind of sad too. What's wrong? You can tell-"
"Nothing. Nothing."
"Yes, there is. I can tell by your nothing. You said it too fast and the way your voice-"
How did she know him so well? Gordo attempted to use the acting skills that he unfortunately lacked. Changing his tone he said, "Really, it's nothing. You'll think I'm silly."
"No I won't. Go on."
"It's just, well, mid terms."
"Mid terms. That's it? Really?"
"Yeah. That's it. I mean, I've just been so stressed out lately with my advanced classes that I've been a little grumpy, you know, all this studying."
"Right, right," Lizzie said quietly, looking away. "Well, I guess I'll go now. Bye."
"Nice seeing you."
Lizzie walked very slowly back to Miranda. She reached her right as the bell rang. "Miranda, I think there's something wrong with Gordo."
"You're just figuring that out?"
"This is serious. I mean, he claims he's just freaking out over his mid terms but-"
"Lizzie, if this were any other person, I might be worried. But seriously, it's Gordo. He probably actually is just upset about mid terms. I'm sure everything's fine."
Lizzie looked down. "Yeah, I guess you're right."
"Of course I'm right. Stop worrying so much. Listen, I gotta go to my locker. See you in fifth?"
"Yeah, okay," Lizzie said, pushing a strip of blonde hair behind her ear. Pushing her way through the hallway, she made it to her locker, grabbing her chemistry book and then rushing to class just in time. All the way, trying to push all her thoughts about Gordo out of her mind.
By the time P.E. class rolled around, Gordo was too tense to think. He needed to get away. To do something. To cut. Putting a sweaty hand up to his forehead to keep the world from spinning, he started running towards the bathrooms. However, half way there he was interrupted by a, "Hey Gordo!" It was Lizzie. She wafted towards him, sparkling under shining heat like a fine gem.
"Hey," Gordo said quickly, turning towards her.
"Look, I know you're busy, but how about you and me and Miranda getting together this weekend for a movie night, like old times. We'll watch whatever you want and we can just relax, you know, take a break from school. You can't keep avoiding me forever."
She said the magic words. "No, no, I'm not avoiding you, it's just - Okay, I'll come."
"Great," she exclaimed with a smile, "It's a date. See ya."
Feeling a rush of elation rush to his heart, Gordo ran back to the P.E. field, feeling reborn.
