Disclaimer: "Lizzie McGuire" isn't mine. It's Disney's.
Author's Note: Wow...thanks for all the great reviews!!
Another Way - Chapter Ten By: Taygeta
David Gordon's mouth fell open slightly. The question surprised him, but not because she had said the word 'love'. The two had exchanged such a word many times before...many months before. What surprised him was that she had to ask.
"O-of course I love you," he said.
Gretchen smiled, "I know...I'm sorry I even had to ask."
They resumed their quiet morning, and Gretchen pretended to be happy and satisfied. David Gordon loved her, but she knew in heart that he wasn't in love with her. For now, Gretchen was willing to deceive herself. Lizzie McGuire was thousands of miles away. A phone call away, but Gretchen was the one who had Gordo at arms length.
~ * ~ * ~
The phone rang.
Lizzie put down her pencil and placed it on top of her keyboard. She picked up the phone.
"Lizzie speaking."
"Hi Lizzie," said Gordo.
She smiled leaning the receiver against her shoulder, "Hey...I'm working on the song."
"That's great."
He sat on the couch. Gretchen had left earlier, but he wondered at the events that had passed in the morning.
"Did you want to hear what I had so far?"
"Um...maybe when you're done with everything would be a better time to hear it," he said distantly.
She frowned slightly and shook her head, "Um...yea...I guess that would be better." With his silence she continued, "Gordo, is something wrong?"
He exhaled, "I got my long distance bill today."
"Oh...ooh..." she said with a grimace. "Was it bad? Is it because of me?"
"I don't care about the cost Lizzie...I just..."
"Gordo?"
"I love talking to you...catching up with you...but Gretchen was here this morning. She realized how much I've been talking to you."
"Oh."
"She says she doesn't mind...that it's my business, but - "
"But she's probably not too happy about it either," finished Lizzie. She stood up from her keyboard and sat on the couch, "Gordo...do what you think is right. I know that we're friends again...whether or not we don't talk to each tomorrow or not until next month. I don't want you to have to lose something - someone special like Gretchen - to be friends with me again."
She heard him sigh and say quietly, "But I don't want to lose having you in my life again."
The two sat in their individual couches in two different cities. For a few moments in time, each had nothing to say and just heard the other breathe.
"Maybe I should just call you when I finish with the song?" Lizzie said finally.
"Maybe that would be best."
She felt herself smile weakly, "Okay, then I'll talk to you at some random later time."
"I hope later is soon," he admitted before she heard the phone click.
She sat up and walked back to her electronic keyboard.
She missed him already; it was a perfect mood to write in.
~ * ~ * ~
It would be a week before Gordo would hear Lizzie's voice again.
It was a brief phone call to tell him that she had just mailed him and Gary CDs of the song. They got caught up about things, but the conversation was short. It was not because neither had nothing to say. Both were too afraid that it would bring them back to the days of daily phone calls, that saying too much might trigger something that would return them to a time that came close to hurting a very kind and loving woman.
The CD arrived within a few days and Gordo went about his evening activities of dinner and some television before placing it in his stereo system.
He sat down on his couch and pressed the 'play' button of his remote and leaned back on the coach, closed his eyes, and waited for a voice he missed.
The song began with the soft sounds of a keyboard that seem to drift in like a stream of smoke, and then her voice:
*Could it be that our time has passed us by? Could it be that the world just wasn't right...for you and I? That this love of ours must be denied. That this love of ours must only exist inside me. Could it be that the stars were not meant to shine down you and me? No, we...we cannot be.*
The song made a transition to the chorus:
*Why can't there another way? Another way to get to you. Another way into your arms. Another time spent lost in your eyes. Why can't there be another way...instead of good-bye.*
Gordo laid down on the coach and changed the song to put on repeat. He lowered the volume and closed his eyes again. He fell asleep listening to Lizzie sing.
Author's Note: Wow...thanks for all the great reviews!!
Another Way - Chapter Ten By: Taygeta
David Gordon's mouth fell open slightly. The question surprised him, but not because she had said the word 'love'. The two had exchanged such a word many times before...many months before. What surprised him was that she had to ask.
"O-of course I love you," he said.
Gretchen smiled, "I know...I'm sorry I even had to ask."
They resumed their quiet morning, and Gretchen pretended to be happy and satisfied. David Gordon loved her, but she knew in heart that he wasn't in love with her. For now, Gretchen was willing to deceive herself. Lizzie McGuire was thousands of miles away. A phone call away, but Gretchen was the one who had Gordo at arms length.
~ * ~ * ~
The phone rang.
Lizzie put down her pencil and placed it on top of her keyboard. She picked up the phone.
"Lizzie speaking."
"Hi Lizzie," said Gordo.
She smiled leaning the receiver against her shoulder, "Hey...I'm working on the song."
"That's great."
He sat on the couch. Gretchen had left earlier, but he wondered at the events that had passed in the morning.
"Did you want to hear what I had so far?"
"Um...maybe when you're done with everything would be a better time to hear it," he said distantly.
She frowned slightly and shook her head, "Um...yea...I guess that would be better." With his silence she continued, "Gordo, is something wrong?"
He exhaled, "I got my long distance bill today."
"Oh...ooh..." she said with a grimace. "Was it bad? Is it because of me?"
"I don't care about the cost Lizzie...I just..."
"Gordo?"
"I love talking to you...catching up with you...but Gretchen was here this morning. She realized how much I've been talking to you."
"Oh."
"She says she doesn't mind...that it's my business, but - "
"But she's probably not too happy about it either," finished Lizzie. She stood up from her keyboard and sat on the couch, "Gordo...do what you think is right. I know that we're friends again...whether or not we don't talk to each tomorrow or not until next month. I don't want you to have to lose something - someone special like Gretchen - to be friends with me again."
She heard him sigh and say quietly, "But I don't want to lose having you in my life again."
The two sat in their individual couches in two different cities. For a few moments in time, each had nothing to say and just heard the other breathe.
"Maybe I should just call you when I finish with the song?" Lizzie said finally.
"Maybe that would be best."
She felt herself smile weakly, "Okay, then I'll talk to you at some random later time."
"I hope later is soon," he admitted before she heard the phone click.
She sat up and walked back to her electronic keyboard.
She missed him already; it was a perfect mood to write in.
~ * ~ * ~
It would be a week before Gordo would hear Lizzie's voice again.
It was a brief phone call to tell him that she had just mailed him and Gary CDs of the song. They got caught up about things, but the conversation was short. It was not because neither had nothing to say. Both were too afraid that it would bring them back to the days of daily phone calls, that saying too much might trigger something that would return them to a time that came close to hurting a very kind and loving woman.
The CD arrived within a few days and Gordo went about his evening activities of dinner and some television before placing it in his stereo system.
He sat down on his couch and pressed the 'play' button of his remote and leaned back on the coach, closed his eyes, and waited for a voice he missed.
The song began with the soft sounds of a keyboard that seem to drift in like a stream of smoke, and then her voice:
*Could it be that our time has passed us by? Could it be that the world just wasn't right...for you and I? That this love of ours must be denied. That this love of ours must only exist inside me. Could it be that the stars were not meant to shine down you and me? No, we...we cannot be.*
The song made a transition to the chorus:
*Why can't there another way? Another way to get to you. Another way into your arms. Another time spent lost in your eyes. Why can't there be another way...instead of good-bye.*
Gordo laid down on the coach and changed the song to put on repeat. He lowered the volume and closed his eyes again. He fell asleep listening to Lizzie sing.