*Chapter twenty-one – No POV*
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Well, what're we gonna tell your mama?
What're we gonna tell your pop?
What're we gonna tell all our friends
When they say, "Ooh-la-la."
-Excerpt from "Wake Up, Little Suzy", by the Everly Brothers.
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"I can't believe you!" Miranda shouted, taking Matt by the shoulders and shaking him angrily, "I trusted you! Trusted you would get the pictures to me safely! Trusted you wouldn't mess up…" Miranda trailed off, her eyes shifting in paranoia. All Matt could do was recoil from Miranda's dagger-like glare.
"I really thought I had the right ones…"
"I DON'T CARE! The point is, I could injure you now, but I'm going to leave that to Lizzie. And Gordo." She glared. "You could have ruined their whole friendship, not to mention mine! Did you even think about the 'what-ifs'? Did you once think, 'hey, what if I mess up?' DID YOU?!" Miranda ended in an infuriated inhale of air. Matt cringed in guilt and fear. He had heard of girls blowing up like this… he just never thought he would be the target. Nor did he think it would make him feel this… horrible.
"And, even if Lizzie doesn't get you, YOUR PARENTS WILL! Just imagine. Imagine that one, Mr. Screw-Up!" Miranda began yelling in Spanish, and Matt clapped his hands over his ears. Of course, after all of this time, the hullabaloo in the corner of the gymnasium had attracted much attention. Curious heads turned to look at the angered Hispanic, and ears were ####### in eavesdropping pleasure as they waited for an indication to what was happening between Miranda and the strangely short boy with the spiky hair. Soon, a group had formed around the couple, and Matt had flushed a dark shade of red, cringing as each outburst exploded from his dance partner. Shouts of encouragement and excitement rang from the rowdy junior high crowd.
Finally, Claire stepped out from the crowd. Miranda stopped in mid-sentence, and for the first time that night, realized that she was standing in the middle of a ring of chanting onlookers. She gulped and widened her eyes.
"As amusing and wonderful as your catfight is, Sanchez, most of us would like to go back to the dancing. Why don't you keep your wailing to the shower, where it belongs?" Miranda pursed her lips, but seemed to be out of breath. Hands on hips, Claire watched her with satisfaction.
"Frog in your throat? Cat got your tongue?" she chanted in a singsong voice. Her conceited smile just got wider. From the shadows, Matt stepped out and glared at Claire.
"Who do you think you are?" he asked belligerently, crossing his arms. "Why don't you go back to the beehive where you belong? You are obviously the queen there."
Claire rounded on him, her eyes blazing. "And who are you?" Matt could practically hear the sound of her teeth grinding together.
Matt faltered. "Uh… Richard."
Miranda stared at him.
"Yeah… Richard… I'm a cousin of -,"
Suddenly, a tall, blonde-haired figure staggered into view, and Matt stopped. Ethan tilted his head to the side as if he were thinking really hard. Finally, he grinned and snapped his fingers. Claire looked skeptical, but still, she gave him the limelight.
"Now I remember!" he cried, grinning one of his hundred-watt smiles, "I was totally gone for a while…" A few people nodded their heads knowingly. "I was looking at this little dude here," He motioned to Matt, who suddenly felt a foreshadowing of doubt. "I thought he looked familiar! Yo, Matt! How's it going, buddy?"
Matt cringed. Kate pushed through the crowd to stand beside Claire. "Well, well, well. Look what we have here. I haven't seen you around very much, Matt." Kate put a hand to her mouth mockingly. "Maybe it's because you don't even go to this school. But, it so happens your sister does."
As if on cue, Lizzie and Gordo burst through the crowd. Lizzie was blinded by anger, and didn't even notice everyone standing around her brother in wonder and bemusement. Gordo seemed to become aware of the people around him, but he didn't say anything. He was struck by awe and total mystification.
Lizzie bit her lip so hard that it bled. "I saw it from across the room, Matt. You know," she put on a fake laugh, "I thought maybe I was seeing things. Maybe I was just losing my head. But no. No. Of course, I couldn't trust you! Of all people! I thought that this was different! I thought that this dance was enough for you! What do you want from me, Matt? No. You know what? I'm not doing anything for you. Sell the pictures to hell for all I care!"
"Lizzie…" Gordo started, frowning, "What's going on?"
But Lizzie wasn't finished. "You were a decent brother! It's a good thing Miranda caught you with the pictures before you could show anyone else… I can't believe it! You used me! For what purpose, Matt? Your sick-minded, emotionless pleasure?" Miranda cringed, feeling the blow to her heart. This was partly her fault.
Matt gulped, feeling the tears clinging to the corners of his eyes. "Lizzie… please…"
The crowd around them was staring at the soap opera playing out before them. This was better than good. This was classic.
"I don't want to listen to you, Matt McGuire! I've had enough of you! You aren't even good enough to be called my brother, I should –,"
"Lizzie, listen to him," said a voice. Lizzie turned to the unexpected source, flailing her arms irritably.
"Miranda, why should I listen to him?"
"Because…" She eyed the expectant crowd. Even Kate and Claire were leaning forward obsessively, waiting for the next argument to occur. With an annoyed sigh, she motioned for Matt, Lizzie, and Gordo to follow her outside into the secluded hallway. They trailed her, each feeling apprehensive and confused in their own separate ways. When they reached their destination, Gordo crossed his arms and frowned stubbornly.
"I absolutely refuse to stay out here if I don't receive explanation. What does this have to do with me, anyway?"
Lizzie's smile was forced. "Gordo," she said through her teeth, "It has everything to do with you."
Eyes widening, Gordo looked around and chuckled nervously, not used to being the center of attention.
"This is just one huge scam, isn't it?" he asked reasonably, nodding his head pointedly at Lizzie, asking for reassurance. "Right? How can I be part of this? I didn't do anything wrong, did I? And why is Matt here?" He sounded slightly hysterical. Lizzie gulped and looked away from his wild-eyed pursuit of answers.
"Gordo…" started Miranda, "I don't know how to say this… but…"
Lizzie shut her eyes tightly and clenched her fists. Miranda looked over at her best friend. "Matt took some pictures of you and Lizzie…um… kissing."
Gordo's mind went blank as a whiteboard, erased of all thoughts and emotions. How should he feel? Mortified? Angry? Reassured? Nervous? His head was whirling faster than his brain could think, and it was making him feel vaguely nauseous. How had this happened? How had he let this happen? Gordo shut his eyes painfully. This was entirely his fault. Yes. He hadn't stopped Lizzie from kissing him. Truth be told, he kissed her back.
Someone shook his arm. "Gordo?" Lizzie looked at him, baffled. "Gordo? Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I –" Gordo managed a feeble smile. "I'm fine."
There she was. She was staring at him with that way of hers that could captivate his very soul and hold it tight within her grasp. It was the soft, tender smile that was directed towards him always, and no one else. It was entrancing. It was magical. It was eerie. And it was one of the many characteristics that made Gordo turn into a hypnotized blob of gelatin every single time she graced his path.
Lizzie continued to ask Gordo if he was feeling okay, and each time, he would just nod his head robotically. Lizzie's sympathetic smile twisted into a grimace as soon as she turned around to glare at her shamefaced brother.
"Explain," she spat, her temper precariously balanced on the edge of chaos. Matt glanced at Miranda.
"I – we…" he began, stressing the word 'we'. He thought for a second, acting as if the time before he spilled the secret was the last of his young life. "We…" he sighed, "We set you guys up."
Lizzie and Gordo glanced at each other and blushed. Lizzie, however, didn't believe this.
"Matt, why would you, of all people, want to do this?" she asked, frowning and crossing her arms, "And what do you mean, we? The only slippery backstabber I see here is you." She glared.
Miranda hung her head. "Uh, Liz? You forgot me."
Gordo and Lizzie snapped their heads around. Gordo was speechless.
"What?!" Lizzie cried, her mouth agape, "My own best friend! Miranda…" She looked hurt. "That… that's horrible. I thought you cared…"
Matt stepped in for her, glimpsing her watery eyes. "Lizzie… Miranda just wanted to see you happy…" Lizzie's eyes widened, and Miranda sent Matt a gracious, dilute smile. Matt continued. "She knew you two belonged together. S-she really cared, you know? If you should hate someone, hate me."
With renewed energy, Matt straightened his shoulders. "Remember that first night when Gordo and Miranda came over to visit you? It started then. Miranda visited me as soon as you and Gordo fell asleep. She made me a deal. If I could get something, anything, that showed that you two were more than just friends, she would award me. Of course, this was great. Awesome. I mean, how many times are you able to scam your sister and get away with it? I eagerly accepted. Miranda said she'd do the rest.
Then, every time you two were alone, I would watch and listen. But, " He raised his eyebrows. Gordo and Lizzie were staring at him intently. "I got more than I bargained for. I caught you guys kissing. Imagine how surprised I must have been! I didn't care about getting you two together – that was Miranda. I was in for the money. In a matter of fact, I didn't even expect anything interesting to happen. I was just going to try."
Matt shook his head. "Then it got out of hand." He gave Lizzie a sidelong glance. "Lizzie said… something, and I realized that this was not such a small deal after all. I was getting into something major. But, I jumped at the chance… And now…"
He looked caught between feeling sorry for himself, or feeling sorry for Lizzie and Gordo.
Miranda took a deep breath. "Matt's right. I'm so sorry Liz… Gordo… I love you both so much. I just," She smiled sadly. "I was desperate…" Tears began to stream down her face.
Lizzie grabbed Miranda's shoulders. "It's okay, it's okay… Don't beat up on yourself… Remember? We're always here for one another. You just wanted to make us happy… that's nothing to be ashamed of…"
"No!" Miranda broke away from Lizzie's embrace. "You don't understand, Liz! I was forcing you together! I was obsessed! How does that make me look?" She felt humiliated and angry with herself. "I could've ruined everything!"
Matt shuffled his feet. "Er… Liz… this may not to be the best time… but…"
Lizzie rounded on him. "What?" Her eyes were filled with resentful anger.
"You see… there's this one wee problem." Miranda let out a little whimper.
Gordo, who hadn't said anything for the whole conversation, turned his gaze on Matt. But Lizzie was quicker.
"Spit it out, Matt."
"Our mother and father have the pictures."
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"Nooooo…" Lizzie wailed. With a strange grunt, she smacked her head against the wall. "Nooooo…"
"What are you trying to do, Liz? Give yourself a migraine?" asked a voice from the doorway. Lizzie hid her blotchy face, and turned her head away.
"Go away Gordo," she ordered with a sniffle. "You're not supposed to be in the girl's bathroom."
"I don't see anyone who can do anything about it." He leaned on the doorway, and smiled. Lizzie, however, wasn't watching him. She wiped her tears, and began to shake.
Suddenly, she burst into a wail. "My parent's will kill me, my parent's will kill me…" she chanted, rocking on the balls of her feet. Tears were streaming down her face. Gordo's expression softened, and walked over next to her. Resisting the urge to touch her, he knelt down and looked straight at her.
"Hey, cheer up. You didn't do anything wrong."
"Didn't do anything wrong? DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG?! Gordo, I kissed you!" She sniveled, "You're my best friend! I can't just do that whenever I feel like it!"
"Lizzie, I already said -,"
"Don't try to make me feel better, David Gordon!" She looked at her hands. "I kiss you, I dance with you, and then, Matt and Miranda say that everything was one huge conspiracy! Were you playing along too?" She began to cry again, her shoulders quivering vulnerably.
Gordo's eyes filled with concern. "Of course not, Liz."
"What?" Lizzie looked up from her arms.
"Lizzie, I wasn't pretending. Ever."
The small smile that had left her face flew back with a flourish. "Do you mean it?"
Gordo took her hands and pulled her up gently. "Would I do this if I hated you?" he asked. In one swift motion, he wrapped his arms around her in a warm embrace. He held her snugly next to him, and Lizzie smiled into his shoulder. Her arms crept to his back, and she hugged him tightly and securely, as if she were afraid he would vanish into thin air.
Grinning, Gordo whispered into her ear, "Dance with me?"
*Hides behind a bed and holds up shield* Okay, I really didn't want this chapter to end here, but I have about five million other stories to work on… (well, actually, it's about five. But, hey!) And well, I *really* didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer. Sorry.
*coughs* But doesn't that make you go, "awww…" every time Gordo comforts Lizzie? I'm writing it, and I'm all giggly and stuff. It's really weird. But, that's me.
And, omg, thanks for the wonderful reviews! They are inspiring and comforting, they really are. I can't even say how much I appreciate them. I *would* write out my responses, but I'm too lazy right now. Lol. ^^ Just know that I welcome and adore everything you guys say.
Yours truly,
Tic-Tac
Oh… And don't you just love that excerpt from "Wake Up, Little Suzy"? It reminded me *so* much of Lizzie and Gordo; I was practically glowing with happiness. lol
