a/n: i STILL own nothing guys
i also want to thank EVERYONE who left a review, and even those of you who read it and didnt review it, yall dont even kno how much it means to me, i didnt really expect any--but hey, i was wrong ;) thanks again guys!
oh yeah! i DO NOT have the rights to the CD "todo a su tiempo" or it's song "hasta ayer" thank u
Chapter 2:
Gordo, born David Zephyr Gordon, was the one who stood there on the other side of the door frame. The other best friend to Miranda. He was the one who got the full scholarship to New York University. The big apple attracted him, so he decided to move there and pursue his career in film making by majoring in Film/Cinema. Since he didn't have to pay for school, the money saved for his college education was now being used to pay for his apartment. He worked at an on-campus job during the fall/spring semesters, and worked on his filming during the winter/summer seasons. Being on his own was everything he ever imagined.
After the initial shock of seeing Miranda standing at the door, soaked from the rain and seeming as though it didn't bother her, he brought her inside and had her sit down with him on his couch.
"Miranda…what are you doing here?" he questioned.
She knew that was to be his first question, because it wasn't everyday that his best friend who lives in California showed up at his New York apartment unexpected. She simply shrugged her shoulders and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear saying, "would you believe, just passing by?"
"Miranda…come on, tell me, what are you doing here?"
"So, I wanted to see my best friend," she told him. "Things haven't exactly been going my way back home. I mean…things have just, changed."
"But what about Lizzie? I mean, if you wanted to see your best friend--"
Miranda cut him off. "What, a girl can't have more than one best friend? You don't want me to turn to you?" she questioned him sarcastically.
"You know what I mean. Why come all the way to New York when you have someone right at home?"
"I don't know…I just thought…" She sighed. "Forget it," she told him as she got up. "Maybe this was just a bad idea." She grabbed her suitcase and headed back for the door.
Gordo just watched her as made her way towards the exit. He knew he couldn't let her go. "Miranda, wait," he said to her as he grabbed a hold of her arm. "Um, I like the hair."
She looked at him puzzled. "What?"
"Uh, you're hair. You…cut it. I like it."
She couldn't help but to look at him and just laugh for his mentioning of now chin-length hair. "This is your sorry assed attempt to not let me leave?"
"Yeah, pretty much," Gordo told her as he shrugged, half smiling.
"Ay Gordo," she shook her head as she laughed. She smiled at him, letting go of her suitcase and asking, "what am I supposed to say to that?"
"I don't know what you should say, but…" he began as he took his arms and wrapped them around Miranda. "I'm glad to have my best friend here."
***
The next morning Gordo had woken up to an empty bed, which on any other occasion may have seemed normal, but the night before he and Miranda had agreed to share his bed because it had ample space and they believe that they had enough "self-control" to not let anything of the physical kind happen between them. So, with that in mind, he at least hoped to wake up to his best friend's face lying next to him that morning--but didn't.
He sat himself up in his bed and looked at the time on his alarm-radio; 10:57am. It was a complete surprise to Gordo that he was able to sleep in for so long; peaceful night's sleep was not something he encountered often enough to allow him to sleep in and enjoy an extended period of rest.
From his bathroom, he heard sounds that were quite un-pleasurable, floating into his bedroom. He knew that it had to be Miranda, but it sounded as though she were throwing up massive amounts of food in his very bathroom. Hearing her made him concerned as to why she could be in this condition and what might be wrong, but he didn't want to assume anything, especially when it could be really anything; from the common flu to a combination of bad foods. So he was not to jump to conclusions anytime soon.
Gordo heard her wash up and turn off the bathroom's lights. She was soon in his room, smiling at him and retreating back into the bed.
He looked at her for a second before he made his way out of the bed.
Shaking her head, Miranda sarcastically said, "Gordo, don't worry. I could contain my wild 'sexual urges' for you." She laughed.
"N-no, it's just…" Gordo began, " I…" He didn't finish his statement, but instead went into Miranda's suitcase, pulled out a pair of blue jeans, and a long-sleeved red shirt, and tossed both over to her on the best. "Get dressed. We're going out."
"Wait…what?" she asked in confusion. "Now? Gordo, since when did you become mister spontaneity?"
He just shook his head. "Yes now. And it's not really a spur of the moment thing anyway," he explained. "I want you to go meet a friend of mine. I've been wanting you to."
"Guy friend? Or…gi-girlfriend?"
"Girl friend Miranda. As in, a friend that happens to be of the female sex? Like you and me."
"Oh."
"Anyway, hurry up and change," he told her. "While you do that, I'll be in the kitchen cookin' up…cereal."
A slight smile came upon Miranda's face. "OK, OK. Give me a bit. I'm kind of tired." Gordo gave her a strange look for a second. She quickly added, "not a morning person Gordo!"
"Ok…but you don't want to miss my cookin'! No one pours the milk like I do!" he explained to her as her gave her an extremely cheesy facial expression.
"Yeah, yeah. Of course," she smiled as he left. He was just so…interesting sometimes.
***
"So where does this, female, friend of yours live?" Miranda asked Gordo as they were on their way out to visit his previously mentioned friend.
"You'll see," was what he said so simply as he opened his door.
"Don't I need like, some sort of jacket or something? I mean, it's December…and this isn't California."
"Nope."
"But--"
"Just come on," he told her as he finally got her outside in the building's hallway. He turned her around and asked, "you see that apartment?" Gordo was referring to the apartment right across from his own.
"Yeah…is that where we are headed?" Miranda's eyebrows immediately shot up. "Your lady friend lives right across the hall from you and you two have secret late night rendezvous!"
"There is no rendezvousing going on what-so-ever," he stated as he shook his head. "Now, you see that apartment? She doesn't live there…no rendezvousing. She lives in the apartment below that."
"Oh."
"Now come on, I want you two to finally meet."
They walked right passed the elevator and to the stairs. Miranda noticed and asked, "why no elevator? We'd get there quicker."
"The stairs, they give us more time to, talk," he explained. She just smiled back as she looked forward and took her first step down to the lower steps that followed. Hearing that reminded her how much she really did miss being able to talk to Gordo; it hadn't been the same since high school. So many times she wish she could just go back to when times were better, for her anyway. "Now…no pressure, but--you still haven't really told me what you're doing here."
Miranda shrugged. "Like I said, things haven't been exactly going too well lately," she began. "For one, Michael and I are over. Classic story you know? Guys meets some other girl he wants to fuck and girlfriend gets left in the cold. So yeah, he dumped me."
"You do realize that Michael was the complete utter eminence of an idiot, right?"
"Yeah," she chuckled.
"I never liked the guy. He…wasn't right for you. You are better off without him, because you deserve so much more," he said to her as he looked a little over his shoulder, since she was a step behind him.
"Yeah, yeah Gordo. I'd expect you to say that. Thanks though," Miranda thanked him giving him a half smile. She then sighed. "That's what a best friend would say…isn't it?"
"It's not what 'a best friend would say', it's the truth," he defended himself.
She just shook her head once again, sighed, and let out a small chuckle. "That's not even what I meant."
Seconds later they were already standing in front of Gordo's "mystery" lady friend's apartment. Gordo knocked several times until a young dark-haired woman, who was of about the same age as both he and Miranda, opened the door with a smile plastered on her face.
"Gordo! Hey, how are you?" she greeted him by giving him a kiss on the cheek.
He returned the greeting and then responded by saying, "Surprisingly, very well." He smiled. "I would like you to meet my best friend from California…Miranda…Miranda Sanchez. Miranda, this is Jenissa Reyes."
"Hey, it's nice to meet you," Miranda smiled.
Jenissa smiled and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek as she did with Gordo. "I'm glad to finally meet you! I've heard so much about you from Gordo over here," she giggled. She suddenly realized that since she had greeted the two, they had not yet come into the apartment. "Oh my god, guys, I'm so sorry. Come in! C'mon on in." Miranda followed Gordo as he walked into the apartment and made his way onto the couch. Jenissa closed the door behind her and made her way on the couch as well. "So…you're the famous Miranda huh? I don't even think I could begin to tell you how much I've heard about you!"
Miranda looked next to her side, over at Gordo, and then back at Jenissa. "Oh really? What have you heard?"
"Oh, he could not stop just going on and on about how he knows the amazing girl named Miranda, and how she was so full of life, and how she is just one of the most amazing people he's even knows, and…" Janissa smiled as she looked Gordo, whose eyes were focused on the carpeted floor rather than on either of the girls. "If I hadn't known any better, I would've thought…" She then laughed.
"OK! OK!" Gordo said, almost shouting, glad that Janissa did not finish that statement. "Can't blame a guy for talking about his best friend."
Miranda laughed. "I guess now I know what my friends have been going through when I keep telling them about Gordo."
"You go to school in California, right? UC…Berkeley?" Janissa asked. Miranda nodded. "Yeah, Gordo tells me that you are a music performance major and that you have an amazing voice."
"Gordo's just exaggerating. It's…good, I guess. Good enough to get me into UC Berkeley's music program anyway," Miranda explained humbly.
Janissa focused for a minute on Gordo, who sat there looking a bit uncomfortable. She decided that maybe they should bring up something about him, maybe something that might spark up his attention.
"So…" she began. "You have any embarrassing details you would like to share about Gordo?" she laughed.
"Oh…like you wouldn't believe," Miranda smiled. "Has he ever told you about the time that he was complete obsessed over this game, Dwarf Lords?" Janissa shook her head and laughed along with Miranda. "Well, then let me tell you…"
***
"Where were you?" Miranda asked back in the apartment, as Gordo entered with several envelopes in his hand. They were back from Janissa's, and Gordo was only glad that Miranda didn't completely embarrass him during her visit.
"Mail," he simply said as he sorted through the envelopes. "Hey, something from Lizzie…"
"Oh, Gordo, I think I--"
He cut her off when he noticed what it was; the wedding invitation. "She's getting married…" he trailed off as he read through the frilly pink invitation. "'Love is something to be cherished, and when you find it, it should be held on to and never have let go…Edward Curtis Thomas and Elizabeth Brooke McGuire would like you to share in their long awaited magical day…February 14th…7pm…' I can't believe it."
"Yeah…uh, she told me before I left…" Miranda started. "She's, um, pregnant too."
"Oh, wow. I-I-I didn't expect that." He took the invitation and put it back in it's envelope and then threw it on the coffee table. "That's…good for her."
"Gordo? What's wrong? You're not, you know? Feeling weird about Lizzie getting married, since you guys did go out once…are you?"
"Oh, no! No! That's not it. I mean, when we went out we both realized we'd rather just be friends…so it's not that."
"Then what is it?"
"It's just, the whole, 'love and marriage' thing," Gordo began. "I don't really believe in it too much."
"Why? How, could you not?" she questioned him.
"Just 'cause. I mean, look at your parents. They seemed so happy until a few years ago, and now they are divorced. And then my parents. Divorced like, a year after yours, and they can't even be civil about it. So why get into a relationship, fall in love, and set yourself up for heartache and heartbreak?"
"Gordo….how can you say something like that? Yeah you end up heartbroken sometimes, but, other times, it lasts, and it's beautiful," Miranda began. "Look at Lizzie's parents. Or, hell, look at Lizzie! She found Eddie, someone who she loves, and now they're having a baby and getting married. What, do you think that's just fake?"
"No, but if you want me to be honest, I don't think it'll last," he admitted.
Disbelief was what Miranda was in, because she couldn't comprehend at all how her best friend could just say that he didn't believe in love and how he doubts Lizzie and Eddie's marriage would last. "I don't even know how you could think something like that…"
"Look, I don't want to talk about this anymore, so could we just drop this?"
"Yeah, sure, whatever…" she sighed. "So, um…what's up with you and Janissa?"
"What do you mean, 'what's up' with me and Janissa? I just told you how I don't believe in love and--"
"Gordo, calm down…I'm not asking if you guys are 'in love' or whatever. I just want to know…" she paused for a second. "What's up with you guys?"
"Nothing. She's a friend, and she's in a lot of my classes, and…that's all."
"Would you like to…I don't know…get to know her more?" Miranda asked, thinking of something.
He looked a bit confused as he asked, "what do you mean?"
"Well…once sec," she said right before she walked into the bedroom, pulled out her Marc Anthony Todo A Su Tiempo CD from her suitcase, and walked into the living room. She took the CD and placed it in Gordo's stereo system, looked for number eight, "Hasta Ayer", and then set it on pause. "C'mon," she told him as she grabbed both of his hands.
"What are you doing?" he questioned.
"Don't you trust me?"
"Right now…no."
Miranda laughed. "Well, OK. While I was looking around her apartment I couldn't help but notice that she was a dancer. So…I decided, why not teach you some dance steps so you cold impress your lady friend with them?"
"Miranda, I'm not exactly the best dancer…and what ever happened to you being mad at me?" he asked.
"Please, I wasn't mad at you, I just didn't agree with you. I still don't. But that's not going to stop me from being a friend and teaching you a thing or two about dancing…salsa!" she explained to him as she hit the play button on the stereo system. The music began to play as she took Gordo's right hand, and placed it on her waist, then she took her left hand and placed it on his right shoulder, then took her right hand and his left and intertwined them.
"You are something else, you know that?"
"Yeah, I know," she laughed. "Now come on. Take your right foot forward, and I'll take my left foot back. Then, you take your left foot forward and then I'll take my right foot back. Then you take your right foot back and…" She went on to further explain the rest of the steps to Gordo as he tried to follow his best without stepping on her feet. They laughed tremendously as he tried his best to follow the steps she had taught him and keep pace with the music. To both her and his surprise, after awhile he was actually able to get pretty good.
"Hey, I'm actually getting hang of this," he laughed as he stepped forward.
"Yeah, you are! No more two left feet," she laughed as well. She stepped back and then forward once more, swinging her hips to the music, giggling as Gordo did the same. It took her seeing it to be able to believe it; how well her best friend was actually getting at dancing salsa, something that he had no clue of being able to dance, after just a few minutes. "Hmm, maybe you'll be able to teach Janissa a thing or two Gordo. She'll be, impressed." She swung him around. "I…I…" Suddenly she stopped and took her hand and placed it on her head, feeling a bit lightheaded.
"Miranda..?"
"I…" Unfortunately, she wasn't able to finish what she was going to say, when she collapsed, Gordo grabbing her before she could hit the ground.
"Miranda! Miranda!"
He got no response.
i also want to thank EVERYONE who left a review, and even those of you who read it and didnt review it, yall dont even kno how much it means to me, i didnt really expect any--but hey, i was wrong ;) thanks again guys!
oh yeah! i DO NOT have the rights to the CD "todo a su tiempo" or it's song "hasta ayer" thank u
Chapter 2:
Gordo, born David Zephyr Gordon, was the one who stood there on the other side of the door frame. The other best friend to Miranda. He was the one who got the full scholarship to New York University. The big apple attracted him, so he decided to move there and pursue his career in film making by majoring in Film/Cinema. Since he didn't have to pay for school, the money saved for his college education was now being used to pay for his apartment. He worked at an on-campus job during the fall/spring semesters, and worked on his filming during the winter/summer seasons. Being on his own was everything he ever imagined.
After the initial shock of seeing Miranda standing at the door, soaked from the rain and seeming as though it didn't bother her, he brought her inside and had her sit down with him on his couch.
"Miranda…what are you doing here?" he questioned.
She knew that was to be his first question, because it wasn't everyday that his best friend who lives in California showed up at his New York apartment unexpected. She simply shrugged her shoulders and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear saying, "would you believe, just passing by?"
"Miranda…come on, tell me, what are you doing here?"
"So, I wanted to see my best friend," she told him. "Things haven't exactly been going my way back home. I mean…things have just, changed."
"But what about Lizzie? I mean, if you wanted to see your best friend--"
Miranda cut him off. "What, a girl can't have more than one best friend? You don't want me to turn to you?" she questioned him sarcastically.
"You know what I mean. Why come all the way to New York when you have someone right at home?"
"I don't know…I just thought…" She sighed. "Forget it," she told him as she got up. "Maybe this was just a bad idea." She grabbed her suitcase and headed back for the door.
Gordo just watched her as made her way towards the exit. He knew he couldn't let her go. "Miranda, wait," he said to her as he grabbed a hold of her arm. "Um, I like the hair."
She looked at him puzzled. "What?"
"Uh, you're hair. You…cut it. I like it."
She couldn't help but to look at him and just laugh for his mentioning of now chin-length hair. "This is your sorry assed attempt to not let me leave?"
"Yeah, pretty much," Gordo told her as he shrugged, half smiling.
"Ay Gordo," she shook her head as she laughed. She smiled at him, letting go of her suitcase and asking, "what am I supposed to say to that?"
"I don't know what you should say, but…" he began as he took his arms and wrapped them around Miranda. "I'm glad to have my best friend here."
***
The next morning Gordo had woken up to an empty bed, which on any other occasion may have seemed normal, but the night before he and Miranda had agreed to share his bed because it had ample space and they believe that they had enough "self-control" to not let anything of the physical kind happen between them. So, with that in mind, he at least hoped to wake up to his best friend's face lying next to him that morning--but didn't.
He sat himself up in his bed and looked at the time on his alarm-radio; 10:57am. It was a complete surprise to Gordo that he was able to sleep in for so long; peaceful night's sleep was not something he encountered often enough to allow him to sleep in and enjoy an extended period of rest.
From his bathroom, he heard sounds that were quite un-pleasurable, floating into his bedroom. He knew that it had to be Miranda, but it sounded as though she were throwing up massive amounts of food in his very bathroom. Hearing her made him concerned as to why she could be in this condition and what might be wrong, but he didn't want to assume anything, especially when it could be really anything; from the common flu to a combination of bad foods. So he was not to jump to conclusions anytime soon.
Gordo heard her wash up and turn off the bathroom's lights. She was soon in his room, smiling at him and retreating back into the bed.
He looked at her for a second before he made his way out of the bed.
Shaking her head, Miranda sarcastically said, "Gordo, don't worry. I could contain my wild 'sexual urges' for you." She laughed.
"N-no, it's just…" Gordo began, " I…" He didn't finish his statement, but instead went into Miranda's suitcase, pulled out a pair of blue jeans, and a long-sleeved red shirt, and tossed both over to her on the best. "Get dressed. We're going out."
"Wait…what?" she asked in confusion. "Now? Gordo, since when did you become mister spontaneity?"
He just shook his head. "Yes now. And it's not really a spur of the moment thing anyway," he explained. "I want you to go meet a friend of mine. I've been wanting you to."
"Guy friend? Or…gi-girlfriend?"
"Girl friend Miranda. As in, a friend that happens to be of the female sex? Like you and me."
"Oh."
"Anyway, hurry up and change," he told her. "While you do that, I'll be in the kitchen cookin' up…cereal."
A slight smile came upon Miranda's face. "OK, OK. Give me a bit. I'm kind of tired." Gordo gave her a strange look for a second. She quickly added, "not a morning person Gordo!"
"Ok…but you don't want to miss my cookin'! No one pours the milk like I do!" he explained to her as her gave her an extremely cheesy facial expression.
"Yeah, yeah. Of course," she smiled as he left. He was just so…interesting sometimes.
***
"So where does this, female, friend of yours live?" Miranda asked Gordo as they were on their way out to visit his previously mentioned friend.
"You'll see," was what he said so simply as he opened his door.
"Don't I need like, some sort of jacket or something? I mean, it's December…and this isn't California."
"Nope."
"But--"
"Just come on," he told her as he finally got her outside in the building's hallway. He turned her around and asked, "you see that apartment?" Gordo was referring to the apartment right across from his own.
"Yeah…is that where we are headed?" Miranda's eyebrows immediately shot up. "Your lady friend lives right across the hall from you and you two have secret late night rendezvous!"
"There is no rendezvousing going on what-so-ever," he stated as he shook his head. "Now, you see that apartment? She doesn't live there…no rendezvousing. She lives in the apartment below that."
"Oh."
"Now come on, I want you two to finally meet."
They walked right passed the elevator and to the stairs. Miranda noticed and asked, "why no elevator? We'd get there quicker."
"The stairs, they give us more time to, talk," he explained. She just smiled back as she looked forward and took her first step down to the lower steps that followed. Hearing that reminded her how much she really did miss being able to talk to Gordo; it hadn't been the same since high school. So many times she wish she could just go back to when times were better, for her anyway. "Now…no pressure, but--you still haven't really told me what you're doing here."
Miranda shrugged. "Like I said, things haven't been exactly going too well lately," she began. "For one, Michael and I are over. Classic story you know? Guys meets some other girl he wants to fuck and girlfriend gets left in the cold. So yeah, he dumped me."
"You do realize that Michael was the complete utter eminence of an idiot, right?"
"Yeah," she chuckled.
"I never liked the guy. He…wasn't right for you. You are better off without him, because you deserve so much more," he said to her as he looked a little over his shoulder, since she was a step behind him.
"Yeah, yeah Gordo. I'd expect you to say that. Thanks though," Miranda thanked him giving him a half smile. She then sighed. "That's what a best friend would say…isn't it?"
"It's not what 'a best friend would say', it's the truth," he defended himself.
She just shook her head once again, sighed, and let out a small chuckle. "That's not even what I meant."
Seconds later they were already standing in front of Gordo's "mystery" lady friend's apartment. Gordo knocked several times until a young dark-haired woman, who was of about the same age as both he and Miranda, opened the door with a smile plastered on her face.
"Gordo! Hey, how are you?" she greeted him by giving him a kiss on the cheek.
He returned the greeting and then responded by saying, "Surprisingly, very well." He smiled. "I would like you to meet my best friend from California…Miranda…Miranda Sanchez. Miranda, this is Jenissa Reyes."
"Hey, it's nice to meet you," Miranda smiled.
Jenissa smiled and greeted her with a kiss on the cheek as she did with Gordo. "I'm glad to finally meet you! I've heard so much about you from Gordo over here," she giggled. She suddenly realized that since she had greeted the two, they had not yet come into the apartment. "Oh my god, guys, I'm so sorry. Come in! C'mon on in." Miranda followed Gordo as he walked into the apartment and made his way onto the couch. Jenissa closed the door behind her and made her way on the couch as well. "So…you're the famous Miranda huh? I don't even think I could begin to tell you how much I've heard about you!"
Miranda looked next to her side, over at Gordo, and then back at Jenissa. "Oh really? What have you heard?"
"Oh, he could not stop just going on and on about how he knows the amazing girl named Miranda, and how she was so full of life, and how she is just one of the most amazing people he's even knows, and…" Janissa smiled as she looked Gordo, whose eyes were focused on the carpeted floor rather than on either of the girls. "If I hadn't known any better, I would've thought…" She then laughed.
"OK! OK!" Gordo said, almost shouting, glad that Janissa did not finish that statement. "Can't blame a guy for talking about his best friend."
Miranda laughed. "I guess now I know what my friends have been going through when I keep telling them about Gordo."
"You go to school in California, right? UC…Berkeley?" Janissa asked. Miranda nodded. "Yeah, Gordo tells me that you are a music performance major and that you have an amazing voice."
"Gordo's just exaggerating. It's…good, I guess. Good enough to get me into UC Berkeley's music program anyway," Miranda explained humbly.
Janissa focused for a minute on Gordo, who sat there looking a bit uncomfortable. She decided that maybe they should bring up something about him, maybe something that might spark up his attention.
"So…" she began. "You have any embarrassing details you would like to share about Gordo?" she laughed.
"Oh…like you wouldn't believe," Miranda smiled. "Has he ever told you about the time that he was complete obsessed over this game, Dwarf Lords?" Janissa shook her head and laughed along with Miranda. "Well, then let me tell you…"
***
"Where were you?" Miranda asked back in the apartment, as Gordo entered with several envelopes in his hand. They were back from Janissa's, and Gordo was only glad that Miranda didn't completely embarrass him during her visit.
"Mail," he simply said as he sorted through the envelopes. "Hey, something from Lizzie…"
"Oh, Gordo, I think I--"
He cut her off when he noticed what it was; the wedding invitation. "She's getting married…" he trailed off as he read through the frilly pink invitation. "'Love is something to be cherished, and when you find it, it should be held on to and never have let go…Edward Curtis Thomas and Elizabeth Brooke McGuire would like you to share in their long awaited magical day…February 14th…7pm…' I can't believe it."
"Yeah…uh, she told me before I left…" Miranda started. "She's, um, pregnant too."
"Oh, wow. I-I-I didn't expect that." He took the invitation and put it back in it's envelope and then threw it on the coffee table. "That's…good for her."
"Gordo? What's wrong? You're not, you know? Feeling weird about Lizzie getting married, since you guys did go out once…are you?"
"Oh, no! No! That's not it. I mean, when we went out we both realized we'd rather just be friends…so it's not that."
"Then what is it?"
"It's just, the whole, 'love and marriage' thing," Gordo began. "I don't really believe in it too much."
"Why? How, could you not?" she questioned him.
"Just 'cause. I mean, look at your parents. They seemed so happy until a few years ago, and now they are divorced. And then my parents. Divorced like, a year after yours, and they can't even be civil about it. So why get into a relationship, fall in love, and set yourself up for heartache and heartbreak?"
"Gordo….how can you say something like that? Yeah you end up heartbroken sometimes, but, other times, it lasts, and it's beautiful," Miranda began. "Look at Lizzie's parents. Or, hell, look at Lizzie! She found Eddie, someone who she loves, and now they're having a baby and getting married. What, do you think that's just fake?"
"No, but if you want me to be honest, I don't think it'll last," he admitted.
Disbelief was what Miranda was in, because she couldn't comprehend at all how her best friend could just say that he didn't believe in love and how he doubts Lizzie and Eddie's marriage would last. "I don't even know how you could think something like that…"
"Look, I don't want to talk about this anymore, so could we just drop this?"
"Yeah, sure, whatever…" she sighed. "So, um…what's up with you and Janissa?"
"What do you mean, 'what's up' with me and Janissa? I just told you how I don't believe in love and--"
"Gordo, calm down…I'm not asking if you guys are 'in love' or whatever. I just want to know…" she paused for a second. "What's up with you guys?"
"Nothing. She's a friend, and she's in a lot of my classes, and…that's all."
"Would you like to…I don't know…get to know her more?" Miranda asked, thinking of something.
He looked a bit confused as he asked, "what do you mean?"
"Well…once sec," she said right before she walked into the bedroom, pulled out her Marc Anthony Todo A Su Tiempo CD from her suitcase, and walked into the living room. She took the CD and placed it in Gordo's stereo system, looked for number eight, "Hasta Ayer", and then set it on pause. "C'mon," she told him as she grabbed both of his hands.
"What are you doing?" he questioned.
"Don't you trust me?"
"Right now…no."
Miranda laughed. "Well, OK. While I was looking around her apartment I couldn't help but notice that she was a dancer. So…I decided, why not teach you some dance steps so you cold impress your lady friend with them?"
"Miranda, I'm not exactly the best dancer…and what ever happened to you being mad at me?" he asked.
"Please, I wasn't mad at you, I just didn't agree with you. I still don't. But that's not going to stop me from being a friend and teaching you a thing or two about dancing…salsa!" she explained to him as she hit the play button on the stereo system. The music began to play as she took Gordo's right hand, and placed it on her waist, then she took her left hand and placed it on his right shoulder, then took her right hand and his left and intertwined them.
"You are something else, you know that?"
"Yeah, I know," she laughed. "Now come on. Take your right foot forward, and I'll take my left foot back. Then, you take your left foot forward and then I'll take my right foot back. Then you take your right foot back and…" She went on to further explain the rest of the steps to Gordo as he tried to follow his best without stepping on her feet. They laughed tremendously as he tried his best to follow the steps she had taught him and keep pace with the music. To both her and his surprise, after awhile he was actually able to get pretty good.
"Hey, I'm actually getting hang of this," he laughed as he stepped forward.
"Yeah, you are! No more two left feet," she laughed as well. She stepped back and then forward once more, swinging her hips to the music, giggling as Gordo did the same. It took her seeing it to be able to believe it; how well her best friend was actually getting at dancing salsa, something that he had no clue of being able to dance, after just a few minutes. "Hmm, maybe you'll be able to teach Janissa a thing or two Gordo. She'll be, impressed." She swung him around. "I…I…" Suddenly she stopped and took her hand and placed it on her head, feeling a bit lightheaded.
"Miranda..?"
"I…" Unfortunately, she wasn't able to finish what she was going to say, when she collapsed, Gordo grabbing her before she could hit the ground.
"Miranda! Miranda!"
He got no response.