Authors' Note: This is a little fic that I just came up with, while trying to figure out where to take the two other stories I'm currently writing. It's a diversion of sorts. Not sure if I'll continue with this story, especially since someone may have already done this before. Still, I think it'll be lots of fun to develop it. So, let me know if I should continue! If I continue, it'll definitely go the L/G route. So, read and review! Thanks! --hm. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------

Gordo woke up in the morning, greeted by the strangest headache he ever had in his life. It felt like there were millions of tiny little needles poking out from inside his head. Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow, said Gordo as he rubbed his temples.

His head ached, yet it didn't really hurt. He didn't feel any pain, he just felt . . .weird, off-kilter, not quite right. He shook his head violently hoping to whip his headache off of him. Nope, didn't work, head still being poked by little internal needles, muttered Gordo.

Gordo smiled, as he realized that, in a weird way, he liked what he was feeling. The sharp poking from inside his head felt oddly soothing and relaxing. It was an unusual feeling, to say the least, thought Gordo. Never felt this way before, maybe it was something I ate last night.

Oh well. I've just got to deal with it, hopefully my head'll clear up by lunchtime, thought Gordo as he slowly marched towards the bathroom for his morning shower.

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Gordo arrived at school, gazed upon the school building, sighed heavily, then thought to himself, I only have five more days of high school left, just fiive more days . . . Gordo had already been accepted at Stanford University, and a part of him was already itching to leave his high school years behind and start a new life and new adventure in college.

Yet, still, another part of him didn't want it all to end, because it would mean separating from Lizzie McGuire, his best friend, and the girl he loved with all of his heart. Upon her graduation from high school, she was off to the University of California at Los Angeles, which would mean, for the first time in his life, that Gordo would be separated from Lizzie. He had never known a life without Lizzie McGuire in it. So, whenever he imagined a future without Lizzie by his side, he would freeze up inside, absolutely terrified, completely afraid of a future he wasn't sure he wanted.

Thinking about a life without Lizzie compelled Gordo to begin to think about how he truly felt about Lizzie. Doing so made him feel deeply regretful that he had never told her how he really felt about her, how much he cared for her as someone more than just a friend, but as a girl he wanted to love fully, completely, mind, body, and soul.

A day didn't go by when Gordo considered telling Lizzie how he felt about her, but he never could summon up the courage to do so, always paralyzed by the fear of rejection, the fear of not having his feelings reciprocated by his best friend.

So, he kept his feelings to himself, waiting for that perfect moment, that right moment, to tell Lizzie that she meant the entire world to him.

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Gordo walked into his European History classroom and sat down in his desk. He noticed that the desk next to him was empty. Where's Lizzie, wondered Gordo? With that thought, Lizzie rushed in through the door and hastily sat her down at the desk next to Gordo's. "Hey Gordo!" said Lizzie, with a bright-eyed smile.

"Hey Lizzie!" Gordo's eyes lit up upon seeing his best friend. "What happened, why so late today, McGuire?"

"Oh, um, nothing, Gordo, I just overslept this morning, that's all."

"Oh. Sure, I've done that a million times before," responded Gordo, with caring and empathy in his voice.

**Oh great Lizzie, now you're lying to Gordo. Come on girl, tell him the truth!**

"What Lizzie? What'd you say? You're lying to me? Lying to me about what?"

Lizzie started blushing. "Uh, Gordo, I didn't say anything. And, ummmmmm, I don't know what you're talking about."

Gordo looked Lizzie straight in the eye, confused about what was occurring between them. "Uh, yeah, Lizzie, you did say something. You said you're lying to me, and you talked to yourself and told yourself to tell me the truth. So, spill it, McGuire, tell me the truth!"

**Ohmigosh, ohmigosh, how did Gordo know what I was thinking? How did he know? Okay, you'd better think of something really fast to tell him, right now! C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, think of something, think of something . . . **

"Gordo, I don't know what you're talking about. Honestly. Why would I lie to you? I'm your best friend, remember? Your best friend Lizzie McGuire, right? Hello? I wouldn't lie to you like that, okay?"

**Okay, I hope I hope I hope gordo believes me, please, please, please, oh please. . . .**

Gordo wondered silently to himself why Lizzie would tell him what she was thinking about, and why she would tell him that she was lying to him and trying to cover that fact up. It didn't make any sense at all . . . as he pondered deeply about his friend's behavior, he suddenly began to hear Lizzie say, **oohhhhh, ohmigosh, I really like the way Gordo looks when he's looking at me like I'm insane . . . all serious and introspective. It's soooo cute. Waitaminute, McGuire, what did you just say to yourself? That Gordo's cute??? He's your best friend, Lizzie, your best friend, that's it, that's all! Okay? That's it! So, get over it!! But, but, but, he still does look really cute!!**

Gordo's heart soared upon hearing what Lizzie was saying about him. She thinks I'm cute! His mind started to whirl with delight. As he was about to respond to Lizzie, he stopped himself, and began thinking about the odd way in which Lizzie was talking about him. Why was she talking to me in the third person? Man, it almost felt like she wasn't talking to me, but that I was reading her mind. . . .

With that thought, a sudden jolt raced through his body. He then stared intently at Lizzie, took in everything he heard, conducted a rigorous analysis of the situation in his head, and then came to the following startling but only rational conclusion . . .

Gordo, Gordo, Gordo, oh man, oh man, somehow, some way, you've been given the fantastical ability to read your best friend's mind. She's not saying all that stuff to you, she's *thinking it!*