Disclaimer: no one mentioned belongs to me, I guarantee it.
Author's note: this chapter is really short and really bad, so I apologize in advance. I had to move the story along somehow. I'll try to get the next one up soon.
~Animal Attraction~
Chapter Five: Feathers and Fur
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
"What's with her?" Lizzie asked, staring after Miranda.
"I thought you weren't talking to me," Gordo said, rolling his eyes. He knew how immature he was being, but he was at the point where he didn't really care.
"Well, this isn't about us anymore," she answered, looking at him pointedly. "It's about Miranda. I mean, obviously, something's wrong."
"Obviously."
"Oh, don't get all Gordo on me. What did you say to her?"
"What did *I* say to her? Why is it always my fault?"
"Well, maybe because you fly off the handle for no good reason."
"I happen to have a very good reason!" he said, his voice rising. "I happen to discover that my best friend suddenly doesn't think I'm worthy!"
"It's not like that!" she insisted. "I didn't mean for it to sound that way!"
"What way exactly did you mean for it to sound? *More* rude and hurtful? 'Cause I just don't think that's possible."
"Excuse me if I don't want to be soul mates with some Gloomy Gus!" she spat.
Gordo stared at her. He was angry, sure, but what she had just said was so bizarrely out of character that he couldn't control the giggle bubbling up in his throat. It erupted, and he fell against the table in laughter. Tensions being as high as they were, it was pretty much uncontrollable at that point.
Lizzie looked at him for a moment, her face expressionless, then suddenly she broke into a wicked grin and started laughing with him. They were banging their hands against the table, practically in tears, unable to stop laughing, even though it hadn't really been that funny.
Finally it subsided, and Lizzie wiped a tear from the corner of her eye before fixing him with a serious stare. "Listen, Gordo, I know what I said, and I know how it sounded, but you have to understand that I just blurted it out without thinking. You know me, it's what I do. And of *course* I think you're 'worthy,' 'cause you're my best friend in the universe, and I wouldn't hang out with you if you totally sucked. So I'm sorry, okay?"
Gordo's gaze was on his tray for a long time, digesting her apology. She sounded sincere. And he knew that she was sincere, because she was...well, she was Lizzie. She didn't apologize if she didn't mean it.
He sighed, and poked at his lunch with his spork. "Okay."
"Forgiven?" she said with a hopeful look.
"I guess so."
"Great. Now you can help me find something out."
He felt nauseous. She was just apologizing to get him to help her with something..? "Oh, no way are you dragging me into one of your stupid schemes," he said angrily. "If you want to find out what stupid animal Ethan is, count me out."
"Nooo," she drawled, looking offended that he'd even suggested such a thing. "I want to find out who's a red turtle."
"Red turtle?" he said.
"Yeah, a red turtle. Miranda's soul mate? I thought maybe that would cheer her up a little."
Yeah, and make me more miserable in the process, Gordo thought. Still, he couldn't really say no to Lizzie. He'd never been able to. Not when they were four and she wanted his extra cookie, not when they were fourteen and she wanted him to help her change her entire personality so that Ethan would like her.
"Fine," he said. "I'll help you find the red turtle." It sounded like a bad detective movie. 'Lizzie McGuire and the Hunt for the Red Turtle.'
What was he getting himself into?
Author's note: this chapter is really short and really bad, so I apologize in advance. I had to move the story along somehow. I'll try to get the next one up soon.
~Animal Attraction~
Chapter Five: Feathers and Fur
~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~ ~~~~~
"What's with her?" Lizzie asked, staring after Miranda.
"I thought you weren't talking to me," Gordo said, rolling his eyes. He knew how immature he was being, but he was at the point where he didn't really care.
"Well, this isn't about us anymore," she answered, looking at him pointedly. "It's about Miranda. I mean, obviously, something's wrong."
"Obviously."
"Oh, don't get all Gordo on me. What did you say to her?"
"What did *I* say to her? Why is it always my fault?"
"Well, maybe because you fly off the handle for no good reason."
"I happen to have a very good reason!" he said, his voice rising. "I happen to discover that my best friend suddenly doesn't think I'm worthy!"
"It's not like that!" she insisted. "I didn't mean for it to sound that way!"
"What way exactly did you mean for it to sound? *More* rude and hurtful? 'Cause I just don't think that's possible."
"Excuse me if I don't want to be soul mates with some Gloomy Gus!" she spat.
Gordo stared at her. He was angry, sure, but what she had just said was so bizarrely out of character that he couldn't control the giggle bubbling up in his throat. It erupted, and he fell against the table in laughter. Tensions being as high as they were, it was pretty much uncontrollable at that point.
Lizzie looked at him for a moment, her face expressionless, then suddenly she broke into a wicked grin and started laughing with him. They were banging their hands against the table, practically in tears, unable to stop laughing, even though it hadn't really been that funny.
Finally it subsided, and Lizzie wiped a tear from the corner of her eye before fixing him with a serious stare. "Listen, Gordo, I know what I said, and I know how it sounded, but you have to understand that I just blurted it out without thinking. You know me, it's what I do. And of *course* I think you're 'worthy,' 'cause you're my best friend in the universe, and I wouldn't hang out with you if you totally sucked. So I'm sorry, okay?"
Gordo's gaze was on his tray for a long time, digesting her apology. She sounded sincere. And he knew that she was sincere, because she was...well, she was Lizzie. She didn't apologize if she didn't mean it.
He sighed, and poked at his lunch with his spork. "Okay."
"Forgiven?" she said with a hopeful look.
"I guess so."
"Great. Now you can help me find something out."
He felt nauseous. She was just apologizing to get him to help her with something..? "Oh, no way are you dragging me into one of your stupid schemes," he said angrily. "If you want to find out what stupid animal Ethan is, count me out."
"Nooo," she drawled, looking offended that he'd even suggested such a thing. "I want to find out who's a red turtle."
"Red turtle?" he said.
"Yeah, a red turtle. Miranda's soul mate? I thought maybe that would cheer her up a little."
Yeah, and make me more miserable in the process, Gordo thought. Still, he couldn't really say no to Lizzie. He'd never been able to. Not when they were four and she wanted his extra cookie, not when they were fourteen and she wanted him to help her change her entire personality so that Ethan would like her.
"Fine," he said. "I'll help you find the red turtle." It sounded like a bad detective movie. 'Lizzie McGuire and the Hunt for the Red Turtle.'
What was he getting himself into?