Hey everybody! Thanks for all the review! And thanks for all the input and
suggestions! I hope you like this new installation. They're not bowling
yet, but that's coming soon.
So all my wonderful reviewers, how about an M&M cookie this time? Sound
good? Then click that little review button at the bottom when you're
finished reading!
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By lunch, Lizzie still hadn't seen Gordo. Even though she was still mad at him, she knew it was unusual for him to miss school. Lizzie glanced down the hallway, fingers the keys in her hand.
She co-oped meaning she could leave school after the first three classes, most students worked, but Lizzie usually got her required hours in during two days of the week, leaving her plenty of free time and a steady flow of cash. Shaking her head, she finally made her way to her car.
She doubted he would be pleased to see her, but she wasn't going to let him start slacking off in school too. He could stay mad at her, but if he didn't anything to mess up his chances at graduation, she couldn't let that happen. She tried to reason with herself that she was overreacting. Gordo was sensible and this wasn't necessary, it was only one day he'd missed of school. But if she didn't act now, she might lose her nerve.
When she parked the small red car in front of his house, she took a deep reassuring breath, then climbed out of the car. She walked up to the door and grabbed the spare key from it's place at the bottom of a stack of flowerpots. Letting herself inside, she glanced in the living room, no Gordo. She listened for signs that he was in the house.
Kate was still at school, so he hadn't skipped with her.
What if she really was over reacting? What if he had gotten sick and was at home resting? Yeah right, Gordo sick? That just didn't happen.
Lizzie mounted the stairs and walked quickly up them. As she neared his bedroom door, she took a deep breath to calm herself. This was one of her best friends, so why was she so nervous?
Shaking her head as though to shake away the doubts, Lizzie turned the doorknob and bit her lips as she saw Gordo sprawled out on his bed, his eyes closed, he was wearing a pair of jeans, and his shirt tossed over a near by chair.
She reached out and grabbed his toe and shook his leg.
Gordo kept his eyes close and pulled his foot away. Lizzie rolled her eyes and pulled his foot harder. Still no response.
Smiling, she crossed the room and grabbed a collection of pop CD's from his shelf, she found a CD she'd bought him as a prank, placed it in the CD player, turned the volume up to the max and let the song he hated the most blast from the speakers.
Gordo's head popped up and he shot a glare in Lizzie's direction, then moaned and tried to cover his head. She snapped off the stereo.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he muttered, his voice muffled by the pillow over his head.
"What the hell am I doing here?" she echoed. "Um, let's see, I'm trying to be concerned that your lazy ass is skipping school to lie around in bed."
"Lizzie save it," he stated, trying to cover himself up.
"Excuse me?" she stated indignantly. "David Gordon, get your ass up and look at me."
He tossed the pillow off his head and turned to look at her. "What?"
Lizzie tilted her head back, trying to keep her patients. "What is going on inside that once fluffy head of yours?"
"Lizzie, if I wanted a lecture, I would have stayed at school."
Lizzie started to reply, but a letterhead on the floor caught her attention. She stooped down and grabbed it. California Coast Film Fest. Wasn't that the Film Festival Gordo had worked all summer to get his film into?
Lizzie felt her jaw drop, it sure was. She quickly read the letter.
"What are you doing?" Gordo demanded, jumping up out of the bed. Lizzie ducked away from him as he tried to grab the letter. "Give me that."
He realized his protest were useless then sat down on the edge of his bed. He propped his elbows on his knees, then cradled his head in his hands.
Lizzie felt a wave of emotion wash over her as she skimmed the reviews. He'd worked so hard on this film, theses reviews were horrible. Could this have anything to do with his actions?
"Gordo," she stated softly, letting her hand fall to her side.
"What?" he snapped.
Lizzie ignored the sharpness of his tone. "Is this why you've been acting like you have?"
He looked at her, Lizzie saw a glimmer of emotion, she was finally reaching him! She was going to get her Gordo back!
"No," he stated, his tone harsh. Lizzie tried not to let her disappointment show. There was still hope, he was still talking to her. "Can't you just see that I need a change? I'm nothing but boring, that's why the movie sucked. I'm sick of being the one everyone turns to. I'm like your and Miranda's own damn Dear Abby. Do you know it felt good that night just to dance with Kate. She didn't ask questions, she didn't want to know why I was doing it. She just let it flow. Would it be so hard for you and Miranda to do that one night?"
Lizzie knew that not matter how he denied it, the rejection of his film was the cause of it. But why was he taking it to this extreme. He'd always dealt with things better than anyone she knew. She couldn't even picture herself taking it to this extreme.
Rubbing her head, Lizzie chose her next words carefully. "Gordo, no matter what, you're my, and Miranda's best friend. And as your best friend, I'm telling you, you're not boring, these people from the reviews, they don't matter."
"It's not just about the reviewers, they've opened my eyes Lizzie. You know if I hadn't been so afraid of change, I would have graduated high school by now. But even in middle school, I couldn't stand to change, I went back."
That stung, that stung really bad. Lizzie remembered how lonely she had been without him, and for him to criticize himself.
"Everything has always been the same for me, I study, I make good grades, I watch you and Miranda have flourishing social lives."
"Gordo-"
"Don't bother with it, Lizzie. I don't know why you decided to stop by."
"I stopped by because I'm worried about you Gordo, you're changing for the worst. Yeah, we're all going to grow up and change, but you've done a complete three sixty," Lizzie exclaimed.
"And?" he asked.
Lizzie stared at him, his expression was cold, unforgiving, uncaring. She didn't say anything else, she grabbed her purse from the table by the door and took off at a run. As she slammed the door behind her, she heard his voice, "Lizzie wait!" his voice sounded different, small, pleading, but it was too late, she was inside her car and down the street before she'd even realized it.
By lunch, Lizzie still hadn't seen Gordo. Even though she was still mad at him, she knew it was unusual for him to miss school. Lizzie glanced down the hallway, fingers the keys in her hand.
She co-oped meaning she could leave school after the first three classes, most students worked, but Lizzie usually got her required hours in during two days of the week, leaving her plenty of free time and a steady flow of cash. Shaking her head, she finally made her way to her car.
She doubted he would be pleased to see her, but she wasn't going to let him start slacking off in school too. He could stay mad at her, but if he didn't anything to mess up his chances at graduation, she couldn't let that happen. She tried to reason with herself that she was overreacting. Gordo was sensible and this wasn't necessary, it was only one day he'd missed of school. But if she didn't act now, she might lose her nerve.
When she parked the small red car in front of his house, she took a deep reassuring breath, then climbed out of the car. She walked up to the door and grabbed the spare key from it's place at the bottom of a stack of flowerpots. Letting herself inside, she glanced in the living room, no Gordo. She listened for signs that he was in the house.
Kate was still at school, so he hadn't skipped with her.
What if she really was over reacting? What if he had gotten sick and was at home resting? Yeah right, Gordo sick? That just didn't happen.
Lizzie mounted the stairs and walked quickly up them. As she neared his bedroom door, she took a deep breath to calm herself. This was one of her best friends, so why was she so nervous?
Shaking her head as though to shake away the doubts, Lizzie turned the doorknob and bit her lips as she saw Gordo sprawled out on his bed, his eyes closed, he was wearing a pair of jeans, and his shirt tossed over a near by chair.
She reached out and grabbed his toe and shook his leg.
Gordo kept his eyes close and pulled his foot away. Lizzie rolled her eyes and pulled his foot harder. Still no response.
Smiling, she crossed the room and grabbed a collection of pop CD's from his shelf, she found a CD she'd bought him as a prank, placed it in the CD player, turned the volume up to the max and let the song he hated the most blast from the speakers.
Gordo's head popped up and he shot a glare in Lizzie's direction, then moaned and tried to cover his head. She snapped off the stereo.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he muttered, his voice muffled by the pillow over his head.
"What the hell am I doing here?" she echoed. "Um, let's see, I'm trying to be concerned that your lazy ass is skipping school to lie around in bed."
"Lizzie save it," he stated, trying to cover himself up.
"Excuse me?" she stated indignantly. "David Gordon, get your ass up and look at me."
He tossed the pillow off his head and turned to look at her. "What?"
Lizzie tilted her head back, trying to keep her patients. "What is going on inside that once fluffy head of yours?"
"Lizzie, if I wanted a lecture, I would have stayed at school."
Lizzie started to reply, but a letterhead on the floor caught her attention. She stooped down and grabbed it. California Coast Film Fest. Wasn't that the Film Festival Gordo had worked all summer to get his film into?
Lizzie felt her jaw drop, it sure was. She quickly read the letter.
"What are you doing?" Gordo demanded, jumping up out of the bed. Lizzie ducked away from him as he tried to grab the letter. "Give me that."
He realized his protest were useless then sat down on the edge of his bed. He propped his elbows on his knees, then cradled his head in his hands.
Lizzie felt a wave of emotion wash over her as she skimmed the reviews. He'd worked so hard on this film, theses reviews were horrible. Could this have anything to do with his actions?
"Gordo," she stated softly, letting her hand fall to her side.
"What?" he snapped.
Lizzie ignored the sharpness of his tone. "Is this why you've been acting like you have?"
He looked at her, Lizzie saw a glimmer of emotion, she was finally reaching him! She was going to get her Gordo back!
"No," he stated, his tone harsh. Lizzie tried not to let her disappointment show. There was still hope, he was still talking to her. "Can't you just see that I need a change? I'm nothing but boring, that's why the movie sucked. I'm sick of being the one everyone turns to. I'm like your and Miranda's own damn Dear Abby. Do you know it felt good that night just to dance with Kate. She didn't ask questions, she didn't want to know why I was doing it. She just let it flow. Would it be so hard for you and Miranda to do that one night?"
Lizzie knew that not matter how he denied it, the rejection of his film was the cause of it. But why was he taking it to this extreme. He'd always dealt with things better than anyone she knew. She couldn't even picture herself taking it to this extreme.
Rubbing her head, Lizzie chose her next words carefully. "Gordo, no matter what, you're my, and Miranda's best friend. And as your best friend, I'm telling you, you're not boring, these people from the reviews, they don't matter."
"It's not just about the reviewers, they've opened my eyes Lizzie. You know if I hadn't been so afraid of change, I would have graduated high school by now. But even in middle school, I couldn't stand to change, I went back."
That stung, that stung really bad. Lizzie remembered how lonely she had been without him, and for him to criticize himself.
"Everything has always been the same for me, I study, I make good grades, I watch you and Miranda have flourishing social lives."
"Gordo-"
"Don't bother with it, Lizzie. I don't know why you decided to stop by."
"I stopped by because I'm worried about you Gordo, you're changing for the worst. Yeah, we're all going to grow up and change, but you've done a complete three sixty," Lizzie exclaimed.
"And?" he asked.
Lizzie stared at him, his expression was cold, unforgiving, uncaring. She didn't say anything else, she grabbed her purse from the table by the door and took off at a run. As she slammed the door behind her, she heard his voice, "Lizzie wait!" his voice sounded different, small, pleading, but it was too late, she was inside her car and down the street before she'd even realized it.