Hey all, okay well a few things to discuss.
I got very FEW reviews this time. Even though I say you DON'T have to review, I do like them, so maybe a few more this time, huh?
If it sucks, then send me some criticism. Or just flame me, whatever, I'm happy just getting YOUR input.
I'm gonna start working towards a chapter a week. I can't guarantee this, considering I have other crap to get done, but I will try hard, okay?
(9 days till the movie!) YAY!
Anywhoozle, on with the show!
Disclaimer: Nope don't own Lizzie McGuire- if I did, I would promote Adam as much as they promote Hilary, they have so many pictures of her EVERYWHERE! Holy freaking crap...eee.
Chapter 8 Breaking Up, Making Up-Falling Apart
~*~A Few Months Later~*~ "Lizzie! Be careful!" Jo McGuire snapped peevishly as another dish hit the soapy dishwater, sending suds everywhere.
"Sorry, Mom." She replied dully, it was Friday night, and she SHOULD have been out with Gordo somewhere, but oh no, he had called and canceled, AGAIN.
The phone rang suddenly, but Lizzie didn't make a reach for it, her hands were wet and she was in too foul a mood to politely answer.
RING!
"WILL SOMEONE GET THAT?!" Jo called exasperatedly. Her hands were too filled with leftover containers of casserole, noodles and potatoes to answer.
RRRRRIIIIIINNNNNGGG!
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD GET THE PHONE!" Lizzie hollered in disgust.
RRRRIIIIIIINNNNNGGGG!
"MATT GET THE FREAKING PHONE!" Lizzie screamed.
RRRRIII-"Hello?" Matt had scurried into the kitchen from his comfy spot watching TV in the Den. "Oh, hey Gordo...yeah hold on she's right here. Lizzie, it's Gordo." He held out the phone.
She grabbed a dish towel and quickly dried off her hands, and then snatched the cordless out of her brother's out-stretched hand.
"Hello?" she said quickly into the receiver as she marched out of the kitchen and into the hallway.
"Hey." His warm voice floated back to her.
Oh, how could she be mad at him? He was so sweet, and his voice! Oh his voice sounded so wonderful. (Especially after a long night of doing dishes.)
"Look, I want to apologize about tonight." He began.
"It's okay." She replied.
"No, it's not; I need to make it up to you."
"Well, we're still going for the boat ride on the lake next week, right?"
The boat had been Lizzie's idea. She had seen it at the park the week before, the magnificent Crystal Lake was having boat rides on their big ferry, complete with dinner, and dancing.
Gordo, who didn't mind being sappy and romantic for Lizzie had thought it dumb, till he saw how inexpensive it was.
"That's why I called..." he began slowly.
"Oh, what's up?"
"I have to cancel, I'm so sorry," he began, "My parents they sprung dinner on me..."
"Gordo that's the third time you've had to cancel this month!" Lizzie cried.
"I know, I know, and I'm sorry..."
"What, is it with the Felderman's again?" she asked disgustedly.
"Yeah, Lizzie I'm so sorry..." He tried to apologize.
"Yes well sometimes it gets to be a little too much!" she replied hotly. "Look, I don't care, you know I don't. Forget it; we just won't do anything ever again, EVER." And with that she hung up. "GAH!" she screamed, and left the phone on the small table by the large-white-oak door, then frustrated, pulled it open, stepping out into the clear July night.
Why was he being so unreasonable? Why did he keep canceling? And why couldn't he just get out of it?
She pushed her long blonde bangs out her hazel eyes and sat down on the stoop underneath the starry night sky.
Everything had been perfect just a couple of months ago, and now, suddenly...her whole life was messed up again.
The door opened behind her head, and she glanced over her shoulder: It was Matt.
"Hey." He said softly. "Mind if I sit down? It's really warm in there."
Lizzie smiled, "Sure." She moved over and he sat down next to her.
"It's really beautiful tonight, isn't it?" he remarked casually.
"Yeah..."
"So, how long have you been dating him?" Matt asked.
Lizzie looked over, how did he happen to know stuff like this? "It would have been three months on Wednesday."
"Would have been?" he asked.
"Yeah, would have been." She answered, her heart aching.
"Meaning...no longer?"
"Yeah...meaning no longer."
"I'm sorry Lizzie." Matt looked away. "I always thought that you two would be sort of...I dunno, cute together."
She could feel a tear trickling down her cheek, "Yeah..." she sniffed, "We were."
"What happened?" He asked, putting an arm around his sister's thin shoulders.
"H-he kept..." she kept sniffing at intervals, "He kept canceling our dates. Like...all...the time...he said, he had dinner...dinner Matt...Dinner with this family that his parents...kept inviting over. And I think there was a girl there...he mentioned her...a couple of times...and every time...he had a dinner...he'd cancel. And...I just told him no...no...no...no more, and that I...didn't want to do anything if he didn't stop canceling. Oh, Matt I feel so awful."
She turned and buried her head in her brother's shoulder.
"I was so afraid that it would end like this, us hating each other...no longer talking because we were in love and how it just wouldn't work...and..."
"Shhhhh, Lizzie, shh." Matt said soothingly. "Look, maybe it's all some big mistake..."
"No," she said pulling away in disgust, "It's not, and I just don't feel like talking about it."
"Look Lizzie, I know that you and Gordo have been best friends for a long time. And truth be told, we've been friends a long time too. He's one of the greatest guys I know. I mean Gordo is one of those people that would help you out no matter what happens. You're so lucky to have such a great friend. Why don't you just talk to him about it, give him a chance, Gordo would never intentionally hurt you."
Lizzie looked up at him, when did her little brother become so smart?
"Thanks Matt."
"What are brother's for?" he asked.
Just then, the door opened slowly behind them, it was Jo.
"I'm sorry...are you two actually, SPENDING TIME TOGETHER?" she demanded, staring in horror at her children.
"Matt gives some good advice sometimes Mom." Lizzie remarked, smiling at her little brother.
"Hmmm...Right" Jo answered suspiciously. "Well, Lizzie I just wanted to tell you that Gordo called, and he said that you're to meet him at the park tomorrow morning at 11:00"
Lizzie glanced at her brother, and he nodded lightly. "Okay, thanks Mom."
--
Lizzie's alarm went off at exactly 10:00 the next morning, and as she rolled out of bed, she couldn't stop thinking about a hundred things at one time. I mean, she knew that when she'd go to meet Gordo today something was going to happen. The only question was, would it be good? or bad?
She got dressed in a pair of comfy shorts and a cute blue sleeveless top. She threw on a matching pair of flip-flop thongs, and pulled her hair up into a bun with chop-sticks. All dressed and ready she left the house at a quarter till, her heart pounding so hard she couldn't see straight.
Hillridge Park was a large sunny place filled with gravely paths, and wide, sweeping, grassy areas, always open for people to play soccer, or throw a Frisbee or whatever. There were basket-ball, tennis, and hockey courts, and a large lake that was meant for skating in the winter, and swimming in the summer. It was a pretty beautiful place, but Lizzie and Gordo generally avoided it, simply because there were always too many people that they knew hanging out, and able to watch their every move.
She knew where he wanted to meet her at, he didn't need to tell her, it was a large oak at the every edge, a tree that they had discovered wasn't too hard to climb, even though both of their mothers were vehemently against tree-climbing.
She saw him, before he saw her, sitting cross legged on the arid ground, leaning against the burly trunk, his nose buried in a book.
"Hello." She said softly.
He looked up, his blue eyes like swimming pools that she just go lost in.
"I didn't know if you would show up." He said, closing his novel, Tess of the D'Urbervilles.
"I almost didn't, I'm just lucky enough to have a brother who cares." She answered almost scathingly.
"Look," he said, getting up off of the ground, and walking towards her, "I'm sorry I canceled so much...it's not even like I wanted to." He was looking at the ground, "God...this is so complicated."
"Gordo, this sounds sort of serious." Lizzie was starting to feel kind of bad.
"Remember me telling you about the Feldermans? And how I thought it was so strange that my parents wanted me to meet their daughter?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Well...I found out why, Sarah eaves-dropped on the conversation her mother had with mine and it turns out..." he started to laugh.
"Gordo, I hope you realize I don't find this funny at all." She said hotly.
"Sorry...they're trying to set us up Lizzie."
"What do you mean 'set you up'?" she asked.
"They think we'll hit it off or something, and end up getting married." He started to laugh again.
"WHAT? That's awful, Gordo, stop laughing!" she cried incredulously.
"Well, it is kind of funny isn't it? Complicated, yet funny." He was hoping that she'd laugh.
"Gordo, why didn't you tell me any of this sooner?" she demanded.
"Sarah figured it would be better if we didn't say anything, so we could "pretend" that something was happening, you know and maybe our parents would leave it at that. I mean Sarah HAS a boyfriend, Greg or something. But whatever. Look Lizzie, yeah I should have said something, but Sarah and I decided to keep our mouths shut."
She looked at his curly head of hair, and sighed. "Well you gotta re- schedule our boat ride."
Gordo smiled that big white, ear-to-ear grin and Lizzie started to laugh. He snatched her up around the waist and spun her in circles.
After a moment he sat her back down on the ground, and she looked up at him,
"So...where do we go from here?"
"I don't know." He answered thoughtfully. "But I know one thing."
"What's that?" she asked.
"I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat."
Lizzie rolled her eyes...ugh...BOYS!
--
~*Two years and 9 months later.*~
PLOP! The little white paper landed on top of Lizzie's desk, it was small and folded, and she looked at it hesitantly.
It had been a LONG time so Lizzie McGuire had gotten a note. Gordo never gave her any since they were in all but like three classes, and he was patient enough to wait and talk when class was over.
Who would send her a note? All folded up like a paper football, neat little edges tucked in so perfect, it was obviously from a girl, but she didn't really have any girlfriends, the only one she'd ever had had abandoned her.
It couldn't possibly be for her, maybe it had landed on her desk by mistake. She reached for the little white paper, with its little blue lines, and saw her name, written in swirly blue Jel Pen ink.
Lizzie looked up; her Integrated Math II teacher Mrs. Gilson had her back to the class scribbling something on the marker board.
She began unfolding the little edges, until she found inside a short little note, scribbled in curly writing:
Dear Lizzie, I was just wondering who you were going to prom with. Word around the halls is that it's David Gordon. What's the scoop?
Natalie
Natalie? Oh...Natalie Davies. She turned around and looked at the girl sitting behind her. Nat was of middle height, with mousy hair and dull brown eyes.
Lizzie shook her head to Nat and said, "I dunno yet."
Lizzie and Gordo had been dating, however secretly for almost 3 years now, and they went to almost ever School Social function together. Some people said it was because they were best friends, other's claimed it was because they WERE dating, or maybe they just couldn't get other dates.
It was a mystery (not to mention a scandal) in the halls of Hillridge High.
Lizzie sighed, she hadn't decided whether or not she wanted to go to Prom with him or not. They hadn't gone last year because Grandma Ruth, Gordo's beloved grandmother had invited them all out to stay at her home in the Cascades, Lizzie had been invited too, and she figured that this would be a LOT more fun than prom.
But this was SENIOR year. The biggest year of their Public-Education Years, and she kinda...sorta...okay REALLY wanted to go. But everybody would KNOW they were an item if they went together. You just don't go with you're best-friend to Senior Prom, unless you're more than friends.
She sighed and chewed on the end of her Bic Click-Pencil, whoever said High School was easy obviously was lying.
--
"Hey." She said.
Gordo looked up; he was digging in his locker for his Physics book, while shoving in his Calculus book, which was paper back. No one ever really WANTED to take Calc, until now everyone was required to take four years of Math instead of three. In years before there hadn't been much demand, so the school had gone with the cheaper, flimsy books.
"Ugh...how can you take this stuff?" she demanded, as she snatched the book out of his hand and began leafing through it.
"Trust me it's not like it was my choice." He replied.
She looked at his face, he seemed so, so...so TIRED. Maybe they did need to have a night out at Prom, maybe all this hiding and pretending they'd been doing for the past three years was just...too much.
"Look, I wanted to talk to you." Lizzie put the book back in the locker, as Gordo grabbed his stuff to go home.
"About what?" he asked.
"I'll tell you in the car."
--
"Well...yeah, I guess it would be sorta fun." He commented, as they turned out of the school parking lot and began heading towards Lizzie's house.
It was her turn to drive that week and the little Volkswagen Cabrio that Lizzie drove was warm from sitting in the sun. The top was down, and the radio was blasting Michelle Branch's, "Everywhere".
"Well I was just thinking, that you know, we could go and maybe talk to our parents about, well...us."
"One problem with that," Gordo said, "my parents still seem to think that I am in love with Sarah."
"Oh..."
"But what hell, it's Senior Prom. If you want to go, then we will." He reached over and grabbed her hand.
"REALLY?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, GORDO! THANK YOU! This means more than you will ever know."
"Anything for you, McG."
"What are we going to tell our parents?" Lizzie asked.
"We won't." he replied.
"Wait, what?"
"Well...don't you have a dress from your cousin's wedding last summer?"
"Well...yeah."
"Does it fit?"
"Yeah."
"Do you like it?"
"Well it's actually very pretty...but it's last season...and a bride's maid's gown. But ah, what the heck."
"And I have a tux from MY cousin Bat Mitzvah...so we're set."
"So, we're not even going to tell them?" she asked incredulously.
"Why not? They're only going to bombard us with questions, take HUNDREDS of pictures, and then cry that we're going to prom."
"Or yell because they think we're in love."
"Heh...yeah that too."
--
"Lizzie?" Mrs. McGuire's voice floated upstairs.
"WHAT?!" she hollered back.
"COME DOWN HERE!"
"UGH!" Lizzie was half way through 'Lucy's Wedding on '7th Heaven'. Was it so hard to just give her FIVE FREAKING MINUTES???!!!
She tumbled down the wooden stairwell, and rushed into the kitchen, "What?" Lizzie asked, out of breath, "Hurry up, Matt just showed up."
"Matt?" asked Mr. McGuire.
"It's on '7th Heaven' Dad, don't worry." She replied hurriedly. "Now, WHAT?"
"Lizzie my God, sometimes you act way too immature to be seventeen." Jo scolded lightly as she heated something up in the microwave.
"Yeah, I know. Now, WHAT?"
"We just wanted to tell you that this Friday, your Father and myself along with the Gordons will be going out to Lake Racetown, for a nice, peaceful get-a-way."
"When will you be back?" Lizzie asked.
"Sunday night." Sam answered, somewhat distractedly, a pile of French fries were sitting in front of him, and he was hitting the end of the glass Heinz Ketchup bottle furiously, attempting to get something out.
"Oh, so I guess I'll be babysitting the monster." At just that moment Matt skidded in, and then tripped falling on the wood floor.
"Ack..." he muttered, "I...I MEANT to do that...yeah...yeah...uh-uh." He muttered weakly from his face down position on the floor.
Lizzie rolled her eyes.
"No, actually Matt will be spending the weekend with Lanny." Jo answered, as she folded the dish rag neatly and laid it on the counter.
"So, wait I get the house to myself?" Lizzie was suddenly feeling excited.
"Lizzie don't get any ideas, you're not going to throw a party." Jo glared.
"Like, who would I invite?" Lizzie asked, thinking the very idea ridiculous.
"Just try not to tear the house apart, okay?" Jo replied.
"I won't. Now can I PLEASE go back upstairs and finish watching my show?" she demanded.
Jo nodded, just as Sam, who had turned the bottle upside down trying to see where the ketchup was exactly AT, gave it one last smack, and a whole glob of red hit him in the face.
"God Sam...and you were recovering so well too." She sighed.
--
A half-an-hour later '7th Heaven' had ended, and Lizzie was curled up on her bed talking to Gordo.
"So I thought maybe you could come over on Friday, or even Saturday, it doesn't matter, and we can just spend some alone time."
"Uh...Friday, Saturday we can go to the park, it's supposed to rain Friday night. But other than that, it sounds great." He answered, as he lay on his bed, looking at the ceiling, but nothing really in particular.
"Coolie." She answered happily.
"Ooh, I just thought of something." Gordo sat upright in his bed, an idea, a good one too, like always striking him last minute. "How bout we rent out the Star Wars Episodes I and II and just curl up on your couch eating popcorn and being lazy."
"Oh I like." She replied, thinking of Hayden Christensen.
"Actually, I may have the DVDs down stairs I'll bring them over." An image of Natalie Portman floating in his head.
"Lizzie, GET DOWN HERE!" it was Sam. "You need to pick up the kitchen."
"Ugh...I have to go." She said exhaustedly, "I'll talk to you later."
"Bye, Lizzie..." he paused, "I love you."
"I love you too Gordo. Gotta book, bye!" and she hung up. "It is SO nice having a boyfriend!" she said to no one but herself.
--
"Emergency numbers are by the phone, and flashlights in the cupboard and..."
"MOM! I got it! Have a good time; I'll talk to you on Sunday." Lizzie shoved her parents towards the door.
"I'm sorry honey; I've just never left you alone this long before!" Jo sniffed.
"Yeah, I know, now GO!" She yanked open the front door, only to find that it was pouring down rain.
"Oh, Sam...maybe we shouldn't go...I mean..." Jo looked hesitantly at the dark evening, and the heavy down pour.
"Sweetheart tomorrow's supposed to better now, come on let's go." Sam maneuvered his wife to the door, his hands loaded with suitcases and his rain jacket.
"Well...alright, be good sweetie," she gave Lizzie one last kiss and then hurried out the door, umbrella over head, Sam teetering nervously with all the luggage.
"Bye honey!" he yelled.
Lizzie watched them load things quickly and then yelled as the little blue Passat wagon started backing out of the driveway, "BYE! HAVE A GOOD TIME!"
Once she could no longer see the car, she closed the door, blocking out the sound of falling rain drops.
"Wow you're parents take FOREVER." Gordo commented, he was reclining on his, on the McGuire's couch, bowl of popcorn in hand.
"Only when it comes to leaving their "babies" at home." She replied. Lizzie glanced at the couch, there seemed to be no room for her to sit, so instead she came over and laid down, leaning against Gordo. He put his arms around her, and then grabbed the remote to start "Episode I: The Phantom Menace".
Lizzie loved the Star Wars movies, thanks to Gordo of course. He'd gotten her started on the original trilogy a long time ago, somewhere around the age of eight.
She felt his hands wrap around hers and she sighed peacefully, it was the perfect night to be inside, just with Gordo.
--
"I never can tell if I like the first one or the second one better." She commented, as two and half hours later Gordo was putting in the "Episode II: Attack of the Clones" DVD.
"Well now you can make a better decision." He answered as the two curled back up together underneath the afghan that was fetched right before the space ship landed on Tatouine.
"Thank you." She said as the original theme came blasting over the Television Speakers.
"For what?" he asked.
"This great idea. I mean as much as I like romantic boat rides and going ice-skating or bowling or out-to-eat...this was an even BETTER idea, it's nice it's quiet, I really like it." She tilted her back to smile at him, and he kissed her.
"Well I'm glad, too bad we can't do it too often." He chuckled softly.
She snuggled her head farther onto his chest and they continued to watch.
--
Two and half hours later both of them were sound asleep on the couch, it was almost 1:30 AM, and the movie was almost over.
The door of the McGuire house creaked open silently, but its opening brought in the sounds of the heavy storm outside.
"Can you believe," mused Jo as she rung out her umbrella, "that all the roads would be closed like that?"
"Five hours of driving!" Hannah threw her hands in the air.
"Let's all just go in, get something to eat, and thank you, again by the way Jo, Sam for letting us stay here." Adam said, in his usual rational voice.
"Well this way we can all get back up tomorrow and drive to the lake again...ugh or at least call and complain." Sam dropped his bags.
"Wait, do you hear that?" Jo asked.
"What?" Hannah looked around.
"The music..."
The two couples walked into the living room, and saw the TV screen, Anakin and Padme were kissing for the first time as Husband and Wife, to the music of "Across the Stars" the sweet love theme from the movie.
And then, horrified they also saw; sound asleep in each other's arms...
Thier children.
--
It was chaos, absolute screaming, eccentric, chaos.
"Just WHAT do you think you are doing?" demanded Sam, ripping the afghan off the top of the sleeping couple.
Lizzie opened her eyes groggily, until she saw her father's seething face before her, Sam's very face PURPLE with rage.
Well, she was awake now.
"What's going on her?" roared Adam.
Gordo got up off the coach, "I...I..." he began
"David, please tell me that what I'm seeing here is all a mistake, please don't tell me that we've wasted three years trying to arrange you and Sarah, please, PLEASE tell me..."
Her face was white, her hands shaking.
"Lizzie...what?" Jo was lost for words her eyes glassy.
She looked at her mother's scared face, her father's furious one, and she wanted to scream. She wanted to yell at the top of her lungs that she, she Lizzie McGuire loved David Gordon, that he was the most amazing person in her life, that only he could make her see stars when they kissed, only he could hold her hand and make the butterflies dance in her stomach, and that only he could make her laugh, like no one else could.
But she didn't.
She couldn't.
She couldn't even move.
Gordo looked at her, and she looked back. She stared into blue eyes that she'd known since child-hood, into a face that had changed only so little since they were small. She wanted to stop and kiss him in front of her whole God damned family.
But she didn't.
She couldn't.
There was no way.
"We're leaving." Adam said his voice thick with disgust. He grabbed Gordo's arm gruffly and dragged him towards the door.
"Jo, I hope you had nothing to do with this." Hannah looked at the woman she had been friends with for almost twenty years.
"No, I had no idea." She answered, "But I'll find out what's going on." She glared at Lizzie.
And then he was gone.
The door closed, and the sound of thunder rumbled outside of the McGuire house, but it was about to be rumbling inside too.
Lizzie looked at her parents. 'Oh...God...' she thought. 'Oh, my God.'
-- TA-DA!
Chapter 8 is done.WHOO HOO!
I got very FEW reviews this time. Even though I say you DON'T have to review, I do like them, so maybe a few more this time, huh?
If it sucks, then send me some criticism. Or just flame me, whatever, I'm happy just getting YOUR input.
I'm gonna start working towards a chapter a week. I can't guarantee this, considering I have other crap to get done, but I will try hard, okay?
(9 days till the movie!) YAY!
Anywhoozle, on with the show!
Disclaimer: Nope don't own Lizzie McGuire- if I did, I would promote Adam as much as they promote Hilary, they have so many pictures of her EVERYWHERE! Holy freaking crap...eee.
Chapter 8 Breaking Up, Making Up-Falling Apart
~*~A Few Months Later~*~ "Lizzie! Be careful!" Jo McGuire snapped peevishly as another dish hit the soapy dishwater, sending suds everywhere.
"Sorry, Mom." She replied dully, it was Friday night, and she SHOULD have been out with Gordo somewhere, but oh no, he had called and canceled, AGAIN.
The phone rang suddenly, but Lizzie didn't make a reach for it, her hands were wet and she was in too foul a mood to politely answer.
RING!
"WILL SOMEONE GET THAT?!" Jo called exasperatedly. Her hands were too filled with leftover containers of casserole, noodles and potatoes to answer.
RRRRRIIIIIINNNNNGGG!
"FOR THE LOVE OF GOD GET THE PHONE!" Lizzie hollered in disgust.
RRRRIIIIIIINNNNNGGGG!
"MATT GET THE FREAKING PHONE!" Lizzie screamed.
RRRRIII-"Hello?" Matt had scurried into the kitchen from his comfy spot watching TV in the Den. "Oh, hey Gordo...yeah hold on she's right here. Lizzie, it's Gordo." He held out the phone.
She grabbed a dish towel and quickly dried off her hands, and then snatched the cordless out of her brother's out-stretched hand.
"Hello?" she said quickly into the receiver as she marched out of the kitchen and into the hallway.
"Hey." His warm voice floated back to her.
Oh, how could she be mad at him? He was so sweet, and his voice! Oh his voice sounded so wonderful. (Especially after a long night of doing dishes.)
"Look, I want to apologize about tonight." He began.
"It's okay." She replied.
"No, it's not; I need to make it up to you."
"Well, we're still going for the boat ride on the lake next week, right?"
The boat had been Lizzie's idea. She had seen it at the park the week before, the magnificent Crystal Lake was having boat rides on their big ferry, complete with dinner, and dancing.
Gordo, who didn't mind being sappy and romantic for Lizzie had thought it dumb, till he saw how inexpensive it was.
"That's why I called..." he began slowly.
"Oh, what's up?"
"I have to cancel, I'm so sorry," he began, "My parents they sprung dinner on me..."
"Gordo that's the third time you've had to cancel this month!" Lizzie cried.
"I know, I know, and I'm sorry..."
"What, is it with the Felderman's again?" she asked disgustedly.
"Yeah, Lizzie I'm so sorry..." He tried to apologize.
"Yes well sometimes it gets to be a little too much!" she replied hotly. "Look, I don't care, you know I don't. Forget it; we just won't do anything ever again, EVER." And with that she hung up. "GAH!" she screamed, and left the phone on the small table by the large-white-oak door, then frustrated, pulled it open, stepping out into the clear July night.
Why was he being so unreasonable? Why did he keep canceling? And why couldn't he just get out of it?
She pushed her long blonde bangs out her hazel eyes and sat down on the stoop underneath the starry night sky.
Everything had been perfect just a couple of months ago, and now, suddenly...her whole life was messed up again.
The door opened behind her head, and she glanced over her shoulder: It was Matt.
"Hey." He said softly. "Mind if I sit down? It's really warm in there."
Lizzie smiled, "Sure." She moved over and he sat down next to her.
"It's really beautiful tonight, isn't it?" he remarked casually.
"Yeah..."
"So, how long have you been dating him?" Matt asked.
Lizzie looked over, how did he happen to know stuff like this? "It would have been three months on Wednesday."
"Would have been?" he asked.
"Yeah, would have been." She answered, her heart aching.
"Meaning...no longer?"
"Yeah...meaning no longer."
"I'm sorry Lizzie." Matt looked away. "I always thought that you two would be sort of...I dunno, cute together."
She could feel a tear trickling down her cheek, "Yeah..." she sniffed, "We were."
"What happened?" He asked, putting an arm around his sister's thin shoulders.
"H-he kept..." she kept sniffing at intervals, "He kept canceling our dates. Like...all...the time...he said, he had dinner...dinner Matt...Dinner with this family that his parents...kept inviting over. And I think there was a girl there...he mentioned her...a couple of times...and every time...he had a dinner...he'd cancel. And...I just told him no...no...no...no more, and that I...didn't want to do anything if he didn't stop canceling. Oh, Matt I feel so awful."
She turned and buried her head in her brother's shoulder.
"I was so afraid that it would end like this, us hating each other...no longer talking because we were in love and how it just wouldn't work...and..."
"Shhhhh, Lizzie, shh." Matt said soothingly. "Look, maybe it's all some big mistake..."
"No," she said pulling away in disgust, "It's not, and I just don't feel like talking about it."
"Look Lizzie, I know that you and Gordo have been best friends for a long time. And truth be told, we've been friends a long time too. He's one of the greatest guys I know. I mean Gordo is one of those people that would help you out no matter what happens. You're so lucky to have such a great friend. Why don't you just talk to him about it, give him a chance, Gordo would never intentionally hurt you."
Lizzie looked up at him, when did her little brother become so smart?
"Thanks Matt."
"What are brother's for?" he asked.
Just then, the door opened slowly behind them, it was Jo.
"I'm sorry...are you two actually, SPENDING TIME TOGETHER?" she demanded, staring in horror at her children.
"Matt gives some good advice sometimes Mom." Lizzie remarked, smiling at her little brother.
"Hmmm...Right" Jo answered suspiciously. "Well, Lizzie I just wanted to tell you that Gordo called, and he said that you're to meet him at the park tomorrow morning at 11:00"
Lizzie glanced at her brother, and he nodded lightly. "Okay, thanks Mom."
--
Lizzie's alarm went off at exactly 10:00 the next morning, and as she rolled out of bed, she couldn't stop thinking about a hundred things at one time. I mean, she knew that when she'd go to meet Gordo today something was going to happen. The only question was, would it be good? or bad?
She got dressed in a pair of comfy shorts and a cute blue sleeveless top. She threw on a matching pair of flip-flop thongs, and pulled her hair up into a bun with chop-sticks. All dressed and ready she left the house at a quarter till, her heart pounding so hard she couldn't see straight.
Hillridge Park was a large sunny place filled with gravely paths, and wide, sweeping, grassy areas, always open for people to play soccer, or throw a Frisbee or whatever. There were basket-ball, tennis, and hockey courts, and a large lake that was meant for skating in the winter, and swimming in the summer. It was a pretty beautiful place, but Lizzie and Gordo generally avoided it, simply because there were always too many people that they knew hanging out, and able to watch their every move.
She knew where he wanted to meet her at, he didn't need to tell her, it was a large oak at the every edge, a tree that they had discovered wasn't too hard to climb, even though both of their mothers were vehemently against tree-climbing.
She saw him, before he saw her, sitting cross legged on the arid ground, leaning against the burly trunk, his nose buried in a book.
"Hello." She said softly.
He looked up, his blue eyes like swimming pools that she just go lost in.
"I didn't know if you would show up." He said, closing his novel, Tess of the D'Urbervilles.
"I almost didn't, I'm just lucky enough to have a brother who cares." She answered almost scathingly.
"Look," he said, getting up off of the ground, and walking towards her, "I'm sorry I canceled so much...it's not even like I wanted to." He was looking at the ground, "God...this is so complicated."
"Gordo, this sounds sort of serious." Lizzie was starting to feel kind of bad.
"Remember me telling you about the Feldermans? And how I thought it was so strange that my parents wanted me to meet their daughter?" he asked.
"Yeah."
"Well...I found out why, Sarah eaves-dropped on the conversation her mother had with mine and it turns out..." he started to laugh.
"Gordo, I hope you realize I don't find this funny at all." She said hotly.
"Sorry...they're trying to set us up Lizzie."
"What do you mean 'set you up'?" she asked.
"They think we'll hit it off or something, and end up getting married." He started to laugh again.
"WHAT? That's awful, Gordo, stop laughing!" she cried incredulously.
"Well, it is kind of funny isn't it? Complicated, yet funny." He was hoping that she'd laugh.
"Gordo, why didn't you tell me any of this sooner?" she demanded.
"Sarah figured it would be better if we didn't say anything, so we could "pretend" that something was happening, you know and maybe our parents would leave it at that. I mean Sarah HAS a boyfriend, Greg or something. But whatever. Look Lizzie, yeah I should have said something, but Sarah and I decided to keep our mouths shut."
She looked at his curly head of hair, and sighed. "Well you gotta re- schedule our boat ride."
Gordo smiled that big white, ear-to-ear grin and Lizzie started to laugh. He snatched her up around the waist and spun her in circles.
After a moment he sat her back down on the ground, and she looked up at him,
"So...where do we go from here?"
"I don't know." He answered thoughtfully. "But I know one thing."
"What's that?" she asked.
"I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat."
Lizzie rolled her eyes...ugh...BOYS!
--
~*Two years and 9 months later.*~
PLOP! The little white paper landed on top of Lizzie's desk, it was small and folded, and she looked at it hesitantly.
It had been a LONG time so Lizzie McGuire had gotten a note. Gordo never gave her any since they were in all but like three classes, and he was patient enough to wait and talk when class was over.
Who would send her a note? All folded up like a paper football, neat little edges tucked in so perfect, it was obviously from a girl, but she didn't really have any girlfriends, the only one she'd ever had had abandoned her.
It couldn't possibly be for her, maybe it had landed on her desk by mistake. She reached for the little white paper, with its little blue lines, and saw her name, written in swirly blue Jel Pen ink.
Lizzie looked up; her Integrated Math II teacher Mrs. Gilson had her back to the class scribbling something on the marker board.
She began unfolding the little edges, until she found inside a short little note, scribbled in curly writing:
Dear Lizzie, I was just wondering who you were going to prom with. Word around the halls is that it's David Gordon. What's the scoop?
Natalie
Natalie? Oh...Natalie Davies. She turned around and looked at the girl sitting behind her. Nat was of middle height, with mousy hair and dull brown eyes.
Lizzie shook her head to Nat and said, "I dunno yet."
Lizzie and Gordo had been dating, however secretly for almost 3 years now, and they went to almost ever School Social function together. Some people said it was because they were best friends, other's claimed it was because they WERE dating, or maybe they just couldn't get other dates.
It was a mystery (not to mention a scandal) in the halls of Hillridge High.
Lizzie sighed, she hadn't decided whether or not she wanted to go to Prom with him or not. They hadn't gone last year because Grandma Ruth, Gordo's beloved grandmother had invited them all out to stay at her home in the Cascades, Lizzie had been invited too, and she figured that this would be a LOT more fun than prom.
But this was SENIOR year. The biggest year of their Public-Education Years, and she kinda...sorta...okay REALLY wanted to go. But everybody would KNOW they were an item if they went together. You just don't go with you're best-friend to Senior Prom, unless you're more than friends.
She sighed and chewed on the end of her Bic Click-Pencil, whoever said High School was easy obviously was lying.
--
"Hey." She said.
Gordo looked up; he was digging in his locker for his Physics book, while shoving in his Calculus book, which was paper back. No one ever really WANTED to take Calc, until now everyone was required to take four years of Math instead of three. In years before there hadn't been much demand, so the school had gone with the cheaper, flimsy books.
"Ugh...how can you take this stuff?" she demanded, as she snatched the book out of his hand and began leafing through it.
"Trust me it's not like it was my choice." He replied.
She looked at his face, he seemed so, so...so TIRED. Maybe they did need to have a night out at Prom, maybe all this hiding and pretending they'd been doing for the past three years was just...too much.
"Look, I wanted to talk to you." Lizzie put the book back in the locker, as Gordo grabbed his stuff to go home.
"About what?" he asked.
"I'll tell you in the car."
--
"Well...yeah, I guess it would be sorta fun." He commented, as they turned out of the school parking lot and began heading towards Lizzie's house.
It was her turn to drive that week and the little Volkswagen Cabrio that Lizzie drove was warm from sitting in the sun. The top was down, and the radio was blasting Michelle Branch's, "Everywhere".
"Well I was just thinking, that you know, we could go and maybe talk to our parents about, well...us."
"One problem with that," Gordo said, "my parents still seem to think that I am in love with Sarah."
"Oh..."
"But what hell, it's Senior Prom. If you want to go, then we will." He reached over and grabbed her hand.
"REALLY?"
"Yeah."
"Oh, GORDO! THANK YOU! This means more than you will ever know."
"Anything for you, McG."
"What are we going to tell our parents?" Lizzie asked.
"We won't." he replied.
"Wait, what?"
"Well...don't you have a dress from your cousin's wedding last summer?"
"Well...yeah."
"Does it fit?"
"Yeah."
"Do you like it?"
"Well it's actually very pretty...but it's last season...and a bride's maid's gown. But ah, what the heck."
"And I have a tux from MY cousin Bat Mitzvah...so we're set."
"So, we're not even going to tell them?" she asked incredulously.
"Why not? They're only going to bombard us with questions, take HUNDREDS of pictures, and then cry that we're going to prom."
"Or yell because they think we're in love."
"Heh...yeah that too."
--
"Lizzie?" Mrs. McGuire's voice floated upstairs.
"WHAT?!" she hollered back.
"COME DOWN HERE!"
"UGH!" Lizzie was half way through 'Lucy's Wedding on '7th Heaven'. Was it so hard to just give her FIVE FREAKING MINUTES???!!!
She tumbled down the wooden stairwell, and rushed into the kitchen, "What?" Lizzie asked, out of breath, "Hurry up, Matt just showed up."
"Matt?" asked Mr. McGuire.
"It's on '7th Heaven' Dad, don't worry." She replied hurriedly. "Now, WHAT?"
"Lizzie my God, sometimes you act way too immature to be seventeen." Jo scolded lightly as she heated something up in the microwave.
"Yeah, I know. Now, WHAT?"
"We just wanted to tell you that this Friday, your Father and myself along with the Gordons will be going out to Lake Racetown, for a nice, peaceful get-a-way."
"When will you be back?" Lizzie asked.
"Sunday night." Sam answered, somewhat distractedly, a pile of French fries were sitting in front of him, and he was hitting the end of the glass Heinz Ketchup bottle furiously, attempting to get something out.
"Oh, so I guess I'll be babysitting the monster." At just that moment Matt skidded in, and then tripped falling on the wood floor.
"Ack..." he muttered, "I...I MEANT to do that...yeah...yeah...uh-uh." He muttered weakly from his face down position on the floor.
Lizzie rolled her eyes.
"No, actually Matt will be spending the weekend with Lanny." Jo answered, as she folded the dish rag neatly and laid it on the counter.
"So, wait I get the house to myself?" Lizzie was suddenly feeling excited.
"Lizzie don't get any ideas, you're not going to throw a party." Jo glared.
"Like, who would I invite?" Lizzie asked, thinking the very idea ridiculous.
"Just try not to tear the house apart, okay?" Jo replied.
"I won't. Now can I PLEASE go back upstairs and finish watching my show?" she demanded.
Jo nodded, just as Sam, who had turned the bottle upside down trying to see where the ketchup was exactly AT, gave it one last smack, and a whole glob of red hit him in the face.
"God Sam...and you were recovering so well too." She sighed.
--
A half-an-hour later '7th Heaven' had ended, and Lizzie was curled up on her bed talking to Gordo.
"So I thought maybe you could come over on Friday, or even Saturday, it doesn't matter, and we can just spend some alone time."
"Uh...Friday, Saturday we can go to the park, it's supposed to rain Friday night. But other than that, it sounds great." He answered, as he lay on his bed, looking at the ceiling, but nothing really in particular.
"Coolie." She answered happily.
"Ooh, I just thought of something." Gordo sat upright in his bed, an idea, a good one too, like always striking him last minute. "How bout we rent out the Star Wars Episodes I and II and just curl up on your couch eating popcorn and being lazy."
"Oh I like." She replied, thinking of Hayden Christensen.
"Actually, I may have the DVDs down stairs I'll bring them over." An image of Natalie Portman floating in his head.
"Lizzie, GET DOWN HERE!" it was Sam. "You need to pick up the kitchen."
"Ugh...I have to go." She said exhaustedly, "I'll talk to you later."
"Bye, Lizzie..." he paused, "I love you."
"I love you too Gordo. Gotta book, bye!" and she hung up. "It is SO nice having a boyfriend!" she said to no one but herself.
--
"Emergency numbers are by the phone, and flashlights in the cupboard and..."
"MOM! I got it! Have a good time; I'll talk to you on Sunday." Lizzie shoved her parents towards the door.
"I'm sorry honey; I've just never left you alone this long before!" Jo sniffed.
"Yeah, I know, now GO!" She yanked open the front door, only to find that it was pouring down rain.
"Oh, Sam...maybe we shouldn't go...I mean..." Jo looked hesitantly at the dark evening, and the heavy down pour.
"Sweetheart tomorrow's supposed to better now, come on let's go." Sam maneuvered his wife to the door, his hands loaded with suitcases and his rain jacket.
"Well...alright, be good sweetie," she gave Lizzie one last kiss and then hurried out the door, umbrella over head, Sam teetering nervously with all the luggage.
"Bye honey!" he yelled.
Lizzie watched them load things quickly and then yelled as the little blue Passat wagon started backing out of the driveway, "BYE! HAVE A GOOD TIME!"
Once she could no longer see the car, she closed the door, blocking out the sound of falling rain drops.
"Wow you're parents take FOREVER." Gordo commented, he was reclining on his, on the McGuire's couch, bowl of popcorn in hand.
"Only when it comes to leaving their "babies" at home." She replied. Lizzie glanced at the couch, there seemed to be no room for her to sit, so instead she came over and laid down, leaning against Gordo. He put his arms around her, and then grabbed the remote to start "Episode I: The Phantom Menace".
Lizzie loved the Star Wars movies, thanks to Gordo of course. He'd gotten her started on the original trilogy a long time ago, somewhere around the age of eight.
She felt his hands wrap around hers and she sighed peacefully, it was the perfect night to be inside, just with Gordo.
--
"I never can tell if I like the first one or the second one better." She commented, as two and half hours later Gordo was putting in the "Episode II: Attack of the Clones" DVD.
"Well now you can make a better decision." He answered as the two curled back up together underneath the afghan that was fetched right before the space ship landed on Tatouine.
"Thank you." She said as the original theme came blasting over the Television Speakers.
"For what?" he asked.
"This great idea. I mean as much as I like romantic boat rides and going ice-skating or bowling or out-to-eat...this was an even BETTER idea, it's nice it's quiet, I really like it." She tilted her back to smile at him, and he kissed her.
"Well I'm glad, too bad we can't do it too often." He chuckled softly.
She snuggled her head farther onto his chest and they continued to watch.
--
Two and half hours later both of them were sound asleep on the couch, it was almost 1:30 AM, and the movie was almost over.
The door of the McGuire house creaked open silently, but its opening brought in the sounds of the heavy storm outside.
"Can you believe," mused Jo as she rung out her umbrella, "that all the roads would be closed like that?"
"Five hours of driving!" Hannah threw her hands in the air.
"Let's all just go in, get something to eat, and thank you, again by the way Jo, Sam for letting us stay here." Adam said, in his usual rational voice.
"Well this way we can all get back up tomorrow and drive to the lake again...ugh or at least call and complain." Sam dropped his bags.
"Wait, do you hear that?" Jo asked.
"What?" Hannah looked around.
"The music..."
The two couples walked into the living room, and saw the TV screen, Anakin and Padme were kissing for the first time as Husband and Wife, to the music of "Across the Stars" the sweet love theme from the movie.
And then, horrified they also saw; sound asleep in each other's arms...
Thier children.
--
It was chaos, absolute screaming, eccentric, chaos.
"Just WHAT do you think you are doing?" demanded Sam, ripping the afghan off the top of the sleeping couple.
Lizzie opened her eyes groggily, until she saw her father's seething face before her, Sam's very face PURPLE with rage.
Well, she was awake now.
"What's going on her?" roared Adam.
Gordo got up off the coach, "I...I..." he began
"David, please tell me that what I'm seeing here is all a mistake, please don't tell me that we've wasted three years trying to arrange you and Sarah, please, PLEASE tell me..."
Her face was white, her hands shaking.
"Lizzie...what?" Jo was lost for words her eyes glassy.
She looked at her mother's scared face, her father's furious one, and she wanted to scream. She wanted to yell at the top of her lungs that she, she Lizzie McGuire loved David Gordon, that he was the most amazing person in her life, that only he could make her see stars when they kissed, only he could hold her hand and make the butterflies dance in her stomach, and that only he could make her laugh, like no one else could.
But she didn't.
She couldn't.
She couldn't even move.
Gordo looked at her, and she looked back. She stared into blue eyes that she'd known since child-hood, into a face that had changed only so little since they were small. She wanted to stop and kiss him in front of her whole God damned family.
But she didn't.
She couldn't.
There was no way.
"We're leaving." Adam said his voice thick with disgust. He grabbed Gordo's arm gruffly and dragged him towards the door.
"Jo, I hope you had nothing to do with this." Hannah looked at the woman she had been friends with for almost twenty years.
"No, I had no idea." She answered, "But I'll find out what's going on." She glared at Lizzie.
And then he was gone.
The door closed, and the sound of thunder rumbled outside of the McGuire house, but it was about to be rumbling inside too.
Lizzie looked at her parents. 'Oh...God...' she thought. 'Oh, my God.'
-- TA-DA!
Chapter 8 is done.WHOO HOO!
