Chapter 19: Farewell
A/N: Oh, I bet you can guess what will happen in this chapter without even looking. It kind of gives it away. This is just really brief and short, though.
Ha! He doesn't kiss her in the last chappie! Whatcha gonna do... sue me? Trust me, though, it's L/G. Lots of L/G!
***
Lizzie's POV
I stared at him intently, swinging as if his life depended on it.
It had been three weeks since Kate's party, and ever since, Gordo had been avoiding me like oil to water. Miranda was due to be back next week, and I still hadn't told her. It was moving day. In less than three hours, I'd be on my way to my new home... Italy.
I knew that I would miss him terribly, but I knew I had made the right decision. I mean, after I was rich and famous, I could come visit Gordo and Miranda whenever I wanted. And there was always e-mail. And I'd make new friends.
But a tear still stung my eye as I watched his hair bounce up and down, up and down with the move of the swing. I knew he couldn't see me. But I could see him, and it was bad enough.
Animated Lizzie: Just get it over with!
I took a deep breath and continued walking toward the Gordon's house.
"Hey." He mumbled when he saw me approaching.
"Gordo, do you want to come to the airport with us?" I asked softly. "Because if you don't, I understand."
He smiled. "Why wouldn't I want to go?" He said, looking as if he were talking about going to my funeral instead of my farewell party.
I smiled back at him and watched as his smiled disappeared. "Come on then."
"Now?" He looked shocked.
I nodded.
"You're-you're going now?" He stammered, looking at his shoes. "Already?" He whispered.
I blinked as a large gust of wind made me shiver.
"Here." He took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. "Something to remember me by."
I tear trickled down my cheek and he followed me down the streets, to my house, to the place I was leaving forever.
***
We didn't exchange a word the entire word there, except once.
"Did you tell Mirada?"
"No."
"That means I'll have to tell her."
"Sorry... I didn't have the guts."
"It's okay."
The rest of the car ride was silent; even Matt and Melina didn't say anything. Everyone was being so quiet... as if... as if who knows what? It was so strange, watching Gordo looking out the window. I could've sworn I once saw a tear trickle down his cheek, but I blinked and it was gone. I pulled his jacket tighter around me.
When we got to the airport, I didn't move a muscle. I didn't want to go... at least not yet. Gordo was mad at me. I could tell. A few years ago, when he was mad at me, he'd be all mean and rude, but lately... lately when he got mad he was just quiet all the time, and never looked me in the eye, as if to show me how disappointed in me he was. And I knew it. He was mad.
He had a right to be. I was leaving him. I knew he'd expected me to stay... but I couldn't live my life the way he wanted it, you know? I couldn't make everyone happy.
"Bye." He said quietly, avoiding eye contact. "I'll miss you."
"I'm not going yet." I pointed out, swinging my backpack onto my shoulder.
He smiled, and I knew for sure that this time I saw a squeeze through his eye.
It made me feel so guilty. As if I had made the wrong decision or something. It was the last thing I wanted... to hurt Gordo. He had this poor, sensitive soul, that just made you feel so mad at yourself when you upset him. I usually didn't see Gordo this miserable, but it hurt so much.
"Promise me, Gordo. Promise me that even though we'll be in different countries, that..." I started, but Gordo cut me off.
"I've got your back, McGuire." He said.
I grinned. "Thanks."
And as my family gathered all of their gear, we stepped into the airport.
"Lizzie... I'll miss you." Gordo said, and pulled something out of his backpack. "Sorry if it's a little smushed, but..." He held it out to me.
It was a rose. A single red rose. My face lit up as I saw it, and took it from his fingers. "Oh, Gordo..." I sighed. "I'll miss you too."
"I'll e-mail you every single day."
"I'll let you be the first one to hear my album."
"I'll come see you."
"I'll come see *you*."
"I'll get accepted to a college in Italy."
"I'll... I'll miss you." I said, smiling and clutching my rose.
***
Gordo's POV
'Do it, Gordo, do it!' a voice urged inside my head. I tried everything I could to make it shut up, but it kept talking to me, begging for me to kiss her.
I wanted to, you'll have to understand that. If I didn't... I'd never know if she liked me or not. But I couldn't risk it... I didn't want our friendship to end... especially after all these years... and now, when she was leaving forever...
But if I didn't kiss her now, then I'd spend my whole life wondering what would've happened if I did. And I couldn't take that idea.
I studied her. I couldn't believe she was going. I mean, this entire time, I had somehow thought that she... that she wouldn't pick Rome. It seemed so out of the question that I didn't even consider it. I didn't give it a second thought. It seemed so obvious that she'd stay here at first... but that party, oh, that party...
I wasn't going to see her ever again. She had to go in a few minutes. If I didn't kiss her... I don't know what would happen, but if definitely wouldn't have been good.
So I gathered up all my wits, pushed aside my questions that were still burned on my brain about the *last time* this happened, put my hand to her cheek and kissed her.
A/N: Oh, I bet you can guess what will happen in this chapter without even looking. It kind of gives it away. This is just really brief and short, though.
Ha! He doesn't kiss her in the last chappie! Whatcha gonna do... sue me? Trust me, though, it's L/G. Lots of L/G!
***
Lizzie's POV
I stared at him intently, swinging as if his life depended on it.
It had been three weeks since Kate's party, and ever since, Gordo had been avoiding me like oil to water. Miranda was due to be back next week, and I still hadn't told her. It was moving day. In less than three hours, I'd be on my way to my new home... Italy.
I knew that I would miss him terribly, but I knew I had made the right decision. I mean, after I was rich and famous, I could come visit Gordo and Miranda whenever I wanted. And there was always e-mail. And I'd make new friends.
But a tear still stung my eye as I watched his hair bounce up and down, up and down with the move of the swing. I knew he couldn't see me. But I could see him, and it was bad enough.
Animated Lizzie: Just get it over with!
I took a deep breath and continued walking toward the Gordon's house.
"Hey." He mumbled when he saw me approaching.
"Gordo, do you want to come to the airport with us?" I asked softly. "Because if you don't, I understand."
He smiled. "Why wouldn't I want to go?" He said, looking as if he were talking about going to my funeral instead of my farewell party.
I smiled back at him and watched as his smiled disappeared. "Come on then."
"Now?" He looked shocked.
I nodded.
"You're-you're going now?" He stammered, looking at his shoes. "Already?" He whispered.
I blinked as a large gust of wind made me shiver.
"Here." He took off his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. "Something to remember me by."
I tear trickled down my cheek and he followed me down the streets, to my house, to the place I was leaving forever.
***
We didn't exchange a word the entire word there, except once.
"Did you tell Mirada?"
"No."
"That means I'll have to tell her."
"Sorry... I didn't have the guts."
"It's okay."
The rest of the car ride was silent; even Matt and Melina didn't say anything. Everyone was being so quiet... as if... as if who knows what? It was so strange, watching Gordo looking out the window. I could've sworn I once saw a tear trickle down his cheek, but I blinked and it was gone. I pulled his jacket tighter around me.
When we got to the airport, I didn't move a muscle. I didn't want to go... at least not yet. Gordo was mad at me. I could tell. A few years ago, when he was mad at me, he'd be all mean and rude, but lately... lately when he got mad he was just quiet all the time, and never looked me in the eye, as if to show me how disappointed in me he was. And I knew it. He was mad.
He had a right to be. I was leaving him. I knew he'd expected me to stay... but I couldn't live my life the way he wanted it, you know? I couldn't make everyone happy.
"Bye." He said quietly, avoiding eye contact. "I'll miss you."
"I'm not going yet." I pointed out, swinging my backpack onto my shoulder.
He smiled, and I knew for sure that this time I saw a squeeze through his eye.
It made me feel so guilty. As if I had made the wrong decision or something. It was the last thing I wanted... to hurt Gordo. He had this poor, sensitive soul, that just made you feel so mad at yourself when you upset him. I usually didn't see Gordo this miserable, but it hurt so much.
"Promise me, Gordo. Promise me that even though we'll be in different countries, that..." I started, but Gordo cut me off.
"I've got your back, McGuire." He said.
I grinned. "Thanks."
And as my family gathered all of their gear, we stepped into the airport.
"Lizzie... I'll miss you." Gordo said, and pulled something out of his backpack. "Sorry if it's a little smushed, but..." He held it out to me.
It was a rose. A single red rose. My face lit up as I saw it, and took it from his fingers. "Oh, Gordo..." I sighed. "I'll miss you too."
"I'll e-mail you every single day."
"I'll let you be the first one to hear my album."
"I'll come see you."
"I'll come see *you*."
"I'll get accepted to a college in Italy."
"I'll... I'll miss you." I said, smiling and clutching my rose.
***
Gordo's POV
'Do it, Gordo, do it!' a voice urged inside my head. I tried everything I could to make it shut up, but it kept talking to me, begging for me to kiss her.
I wanted to, you'll have to understand that. If I didn't... I'd never know if she liked me or not. But I couldn't risk it... I didn't want our friendship to end... especially after all these years... and now, when she was leaving forever...
But if I didn't kiss her now, then I'd spend my whole life wondering what would've happened if I did. And I couldn't take that idea.
I studied her. I couldn't believe she was going. I mean, this entire time, I had somehow thought that she... that she wouldn't pick Rome. It seemed so out of the question that I didn't even consider it. I didn't give it a second thought. It seemed so obvious that she'd stay here at first... but that party, oh, that party...
I wasn't going to see her ever again. She had to go in a few minutes. If I didn't kiss her... I don't know what would happen, but if definitely wouldn't have been good.
So I gathered up all my wits, pushed aside my questions that were still burned on my brain about the *last time* this happened, put my hand to her cheek and kissed her.