Lizzie sat straight up on her desk, trying to catch her breath. Gordo's expressions of his love for her had her heart racing with deep excitement, anticipation, and, joy. She couldn't stop from smiling if her life depended on it. Every time that Gordo typed "I love my best friend," Lizzie's heart would open up just that much further, and surely, if slowly, the idea of Gordo as someone more than a friend inched that much closer to feeling *real.*
No one's ever made me feel like this before, not even Stewart, thought Lizzie. Please don't stop, keep going . . .
Adam continued: But, now, I think it's too late.
Oh? What does he mean by that?
Hilary: Too late? For you and your best friend?
Adam: Well, Hilary, to be honest, up until, oh, six months ago, I always believed that one day, my friend and I would end up together. But, I don't believe that anymore.
Lizzie's face lit up for a flickering moment. You did??? You always thought we'd end up together? I didn't know you were so romantic, Gordo . . . that's so sweet.
Then her heart started to sink when the last sentence of Adam's message sunk in. Ohhh, no. . . wait, does he mean by that. . . does he mean that he used to love me but doesn't love me anymore? I *need* to know!
Hilary: you don't believe you'll end up together, Adam? That's so sad. What happened? Don't you love her anymore?
Lizzie held her breath anxious for Gordo's response.
Adam: No, no! Oh my god, I am still so deeply and madly in love with her, Hilary. But . . .
Lizzie let out a sigh of relief. Then she thought to herself, waitaminute, Lizzie, you really do want Gordo to be in love with you, don't you? As Lizzie typed her response, she began to intently ponder the meaning of that thought.
Hilary: but what, Adam?
Adam: But, being in love with my best friend is driving me insane, especially since I haven't spoken with or seen her in six months, and even worse, it sounds like she's really happy with this guy she's been seeing for a couple years. So, that's why I don't think things will ever happen between her and me, because it's hard to be with someone when she's going out with another guy, you know?
The smile from Lizzie's face disappeared as she began to remember the details of her fight with Gordo six months ago. She had been deeply hurt by Gordo's refusal to accept her relationship with Stewart.
Hilary: I'm really sorry, Adam.
For everything, whispered Lizzie.
Adam: Thanks, Hilary. That means a lot to me. These six months have been absolutely awful. Not being with her, not being able to even hear her voice, it's like I'm missing a piece of my self. I just really miss her, Hilary, I just really miss her.
Lizzie closed her eyes and breathed in Gordo's pain. She could literally feel his longing for her jumping off from the computer screen and diving deep inside her heart.
Lizzie then began to think to herself about the things that happened since her fight with Gordo. A few months after the fight, she had broken up with her boyfriend Stewart for cheating on her. But, even though she desperately wanted to talk to Gordo about everything that happened and to feel his caring and support, she couldn't face up to telling him that he had been right all along about Stewart. She felt too ashamed of herself, too ashamed for not listening to the advice of her best friend. She just needed some space, to sort out her feelings, to grieve the loss of her relationship, and some time to give her the strength to eventually rebuild her friendship with Gordo.
Lizzie briefly thought about telling Gordo who she really was, but . . .not yet, thought Lizzie, not yet. Still, she wanted to tell "Adam" that she was missing him as well.
Hilary: Adam, I'm sure she misses you, too. I know she does, trust me, I know how women are.
Adam: Really? You think? Because I was thinking she still absolutely hates my guts, and is totally into her boyfriend and has completely forgotten about me.
It hurt Lizzie to think that Gordo would *ever* think that she would forget about him, or that she would hate him. Yes, she was very angry and hurt six months ago, but she never hated him, even while they were having their fight.
I miss you so much, Gordo, now, more than ever, whispered Lizzie to herself. Lizzie's heart wanted nothing more than to reach through the computer screen, grab Gordo by his collar and hold on to him tightly as if both their lives depended on it, and whisper into his ear how much he means to her, how much she has missed him, and how she couldn't imagine a life without him in it.
Hilary: No, trust me, Adam, even though she may have wanted some space with you, I'm sure she's wondering about you, about how you're doing, thinking and feeling loving thoughts about you.
After Lizzie had just typed in her last message, she wondered, what? What did I just say? I said I'm feeling loving thoughts about Gordo? Is that true, thought Lizzie? *Am* I feeling loving thoughts for Gordo? Well, yeah, but loving in a best friend way. Right? Right?
Adam: I really hope you're right, Hilary. And I hope that she'll want to talk with me again, because what I really want to do is tell her how sorry I am for the way I acted six months ago, and as much as I hate to admit it, that I was wrong for trying to tell her how she should live her life. It took me six months, and a talk with a strange old man on a park bench in Washington D.C. to figure this out, but I really wasn't being a friend to her, and now I feel so disappointed in myself, for letting my friend down when she needed me, for letting myself down.
As Lizzie's eyes began to well up, she began to briskly twirl her long blonde hair, something she always did when she began to feel as if her emotions were about to overwhelm her heart. Oh thank you, Gordo, thank you. It means so much for me to hear you say those things, you're such a good friend, you're such a good friend and I love you so much . . .
No one's ever made me feel like this before, not even Stewart, thought Lizzie. Please don't stop, keep going . . .
Adam continued: But, now, I think it's too late.
Oh? What does he mean by that?
Hilary: Too late? For you and your best friend?
Adam: Well, Hilary, to be honest, up until, oh, six months ago, I always believed that one day, my friend and I would end up together. But, I don't believe that anymore.
Lizzie's face lit up for a flickering moment. You did??? You always thought we'd end up together? I didn't know you were so romantic, Gordo . . . that's so sweet.
Then her heart started to sink when the last sentence of Adam's message sunk in. Ohhh, no. . . wait, does he mean by that. . . does he mean that he used to love me but doesn't love me anymore? I *need* to know!
Hilary: you don't believe you'll end up together, Adam? That's so sad. What happened? Don't you love her anymore?
Lizzie held her breath anxious for Gordo's response.
Adam: No, no! Oh my god, I am still so deeply and madly in love with her, Hilary. But . . .
Lizzie let out a sigh of relief. Then she thought to herself, waitaminute, Lizzie, you really do want Gordo to be in love with you, don't you? As Lizzie typed her response, she began to intently ponder the meaning of that thought.
Hilary: but what, Adam?
Adam: But, being in love with my best friend is driving me insane, especially since I haven't spoken with or seen her in six months, and even worse, it sounds like she's really happy with this guy she's been seeing for a couple years. So, that's why I don't think things will ever happen between her and me, because it's hard to be with someone when she's going out with another guy, you know?
The smile from Lizzie's face disappeared as she began to remember the details of her fight with Gordo six months ago. She had been deeply hurt by Gordo's refusal to accept her relationship with Stewart.
Hilary: I'm really sorry, Adam.
For everything, whispered Lizzie.
Adam: Thanks, Hilary. That means a lot to me. These six months have been absolutely awful. Not being with her, not being able to even hear her voice, it's like I'm missing a piece of my self. I just really miss her, Hilary, I just really miss her.
Lizzie closed her eyes and breathed in Gordo's pain. She could literally feel his longing for her jumping off from the computer screen and diving deep inside her heart.
Lizzie then began to think to herself about the things that happened since her fight with Gordo. A few months after the fight, she had broken up with her boyfriend Stewart for cheating on her. But, even though she desperately wanted to talk to Gordo about everything that happened and to feel his caring and support, she couldn't face up to telling him that he had been right all along about Stewart. She felt too ashamed of herself, too ashamed for not listening to the advice of her best friend. She just needed some space, to sort out her feelings, to grieve the loss of her relationship, and some time to give her the strength to eventually rebuild her friendship with Gordo.
Lizzie briefly thought about telling Gordo who she really was, but . . .not yet, thought Lizzie, not yet. Still, she wanted to tell "Adam" that she was missing him as well.
Hilary: Adam, I'm sure she misses you, too. I know she does, trust me, I know how women are.
Adam: Really? You think? Because I was thinking she still absolutely hates my guts, and is totally into her boyfriend and has completely forgotten about me.
It hurt Lizzie to think that Gordo would *ever* think that she would forget about him, or that she would hate him. Yes, she was very angry and hurt six months ago, but she never hated him, even while they were having their fight.
I miss you so much, Gordo, now, more than ever, whispered Lizzie to herself. Lizzie's heart wanted nothing more than to reach through the computer screen, grab Gordo by his collar and hold on to him tightly as if both their lives depended on it, and whisper into his ear how much he means to her, how much she has missed him, and how she couldn't imagine a life without him in it.
Hilary: No, trust me, Adam, even though she may have wanted some space with you, I'm sure she's wondering about you, about how you're doing, thinking and feeling loving thoughts about you.
After Lizzie had just typed in her last message, she wondered, what? What did I just say? I said I'm feeling loving thoughts about Gordo? Is that true, thought Lizzie? *Am* I feeling loving thoughts for Gordo? Well, yeah, but loving in a best friend way. Right? Right?
Adam: I really hope you're right, Hilary. And I hope that she'll want to talk with me again, because what I really want to do is tell her how sorry I am for the way I acted six months ago, and as much as I hate to admit it, that I was wrong for trying to tell her how she should live her life. It took me six months, and a talk with a strange old man on a park bench in Washington D.C. to figure this out, but I really wasn't being a friend to her, and now I feel so disappointed in myself, for letting my friend down when she needed me, for letting myself down.
As Lizzie's eyes began to well up, she began to briskly twirl her long blonde hair, something she always did when she began to feel as if her emotions were about to overwhelm her heart. Oh thank you, Gordo, thank you. It means so much for me to hear you say those things, you're such a good friend, you're such a good friend and I love you so much . . .