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Let me know what you think of the next chapter!
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Gordo and saw Lizzie crossing the courtyard. He felt his heart jump. Not here, he couldn't talk to her right now.
He looked away then started at a jog after Kate. Dashing inside the doorway, he glanced back out the window. Lizzie stood in the spot he'd just been standing in, her head was dropped, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. She was staring at the doors.
For a second, he pushed against the door. What had she wanted to say to him? Why had she come over to talk to him? Then he should his head, he could not give in. If he gave into Lizzie, he'd never be able separate himself from her.
That was one of the things that terrified him the most about the relationship he held with her. He hated to see her unhappy, and would do anything for a smiled. But not this time. For once, he was going to do what he wanted, just because he wanted to. He was going to be selfish and not try to please anyone.
He glanced back out the window and saw her slowly begin towards the school. He quickly ducked into the janitor's closet. He couldn't come face to face with her now, or his whole resolution, his whole idea to become a different person would come crashing down. All because he couldn't begin to describe how much he missed her smile.
The race was only a couple of days away, he knew that he had a lot of work to do on his car, he chose that as a focal point. The bell rang and he waited until he heard silence in the hallway, then quickly slinked out of the closet and out of the school doors. His next class wasn't important, it was just something to fill up time, he could miss it.
He hurried to his car. After unlocking the doors, he flipped through some papers in the passenger seats until he found the telephone number he'd been looking for.
The school nerd, Larry Tudgeman, wasn't only a brain when it came to computers, but he was a connoisseur with cars. Gordo climbed inside his car and glanced at the small digital clock. He knew that Larry often left at the same time Lizzie did, so he might be home by now.
Turning the key, he put the car into reverse and backed out of the parking lot. He would just stop by and see if Larry was home.
***
"Tudge," Gordo called, parking the car next to the curb and getting out.
Larry came out of the small mechanics' shop wiping his hands on a rag. "You called?"
Gordo restrained a laugh, Larry seemingly hadn't changed since middle school, except now he changed his shirt more frequently.
Gordo shoved his hands inside his pants pockets, and walked closer to the garage. "I was wondering how good you are with cars."
"The best you'll find in the Hillridge area," Larry replied. "Why?"
Gordo stopped and glanced back at his car. "Can you make that ready to race by Friday?"
"Race for what?"
"Dark Hill," Gordo stated.
Larry raised his grease smudged eyebrows. "You serious?"
Gordo nodded.
Larry rubbed his hands together and walked down closer to the car. "How old is it?"
"Bout four years old," he replied.
"Can you pop the hood?"
Gordo walked back over to the car leaned in pulled the lever, after propping it up, he stepped back. Larry leaned in, examining the engine and other aspects of the car. "I can get it ready," he stated, standing up.
"How much is it going to cost?" Gordo asked.
Larry slammed the hood down and turned to face Gordo, for several moments they just stared at each other. Gordo assumed Larry was calculating the numbers in his head. Finally, he nodded slowly.
"What?" Gordo exclaimed.
"I'll do the work, for free and all you have to do is buy the parts," Larry stated slowly. "I'll order them for you, and you can get them at a fraction of the cost of what it would cost anywhere else."
Gordo felt slight shock setting in. "Why would you do that?" he asked.
Larry shrugged. "Because I remember a time when id didn't have any friends, someone helped me out. I remember another time, I wanted to change and you did that too." He nodded, pulling the rag back out of his pocket. "Leave the keys and I can have it ready for you to pick up by Thursday morning."
Gordo realized how quick that would be and how fast Larry would have to work. He pulled out his wallet and placed all the money he had into Larry's hand along with the keys. "Don't let me down, Tudgeman."
***
Thursday came quickly and Gordo had already made up his mind that he wouldn't go to school that day so he could drive around and get used to the car's new handling. He walked quickly to the garage.
Outside sat his car, he smirked when he realized Tudge had also washed and waxed it. He opened the door and found the keys underneath the seat like they'd agreed. He climbed inside then felt an enormous degree of satisfaction when he heard the car rumbled to life.
Slowly, he made his way towards Dark Hill. He wasn't sure of the rout he race on, but he knew it was secluded enough here that he could get used to the terrain and his car at the same time.
He glanced at the clock on the dashboard. In just over twenty four hours, he would be racing all over this strip, and finally prove that he wasn't just boring old Gordo, finally he would be someone exciting.
Gordo and saw Lizzie crossing the courtyard. He felt his heart jump. Not here, he couldn't talk to her right now.
He looked away then started at a jog after Kate. Dashing inside the doorway, he glanced back out the window. Lizzie stood in the spot he'd just been standing in, her head was dropped, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. She was staring at the doors.
For a second, he pushed against the door. What had she wanted to say to him? Why had she come over to talk to him? Then he should his head, he could not give in. If he gave into Lizzie, he'd never be able separate himself from her.
That was one of the things that terrified him the most about the relationship he held with her. He hated to see her unhappy, and would do anything for a smiled. But not this time. For once, he was going to do what he wanted, just because he wanted to. He was going to be selfish and not try to please anyone.
He glanced back out the window and saw her slowly begin towards the school. He quickly ducked into the janitor's closet. He couldn't come face to face with her now, or his whole resolution, his whole idea to become a different person would come crashing down. All because he couldn't begin to describe how much he missed her smile.
The race was only a couple of days away, he knew that he had a lot of work to do on his car, he chose that as a focal point. The bell rang and he waited until he heard silence in the hallway, then quickly slinked out of the closet and out of the school doors. His next class wasn't important, it was just something to fill up time, he could miss it.
He hurried to his car. After unlocking the doors, he flipped through some papers in the passenger seats until he found the telephone number he'd been looking for.
The school nerd, Larry Tudgeman, wasn't only a brain when it came to computers, but he was a connoisseur with cars. Gordo climbed inside his car and glanced at the small digital clock. He knew that Larry often left at the same time Lizzie did, so he might be home by now.
Turning the key, he put the car into reverse and backed out of the parking lot. He would just stop by and see if Larry was home.
***
"Tudge," Gordo called, parking the car next to the curb and getting out.
Larry came out of the small mechanics' shop wiping his hands on a rag. "You called?"
Gordo restrained a laugh, Larry seemingly hadn't changed since middle school, except now he changed his shirt more frequently.
Gordo shoved his hands inside his pants pockets, and walked closer to the garage. "I was wondering how good you are with cars."
"The best you'll find in the Hillridge area," Larry replied. "Why?"
Gordo stopped and glanced back at his car. "Can you make that ready to race by Friday?"
"Race for what?"
"Dark Hill," Gordo stated.
Larry raised his grease smudged eyebrows. "You serious?"
Gordo nodded.
Larry rubbed his hands together and walked down closer to the car. "How old is it?"
"Bout four years old," he replied.
"Can you pop the hood?"
Gordo walked back over to the car leaned in pulled the lever, after propping it up, he stepped back. Larry leaned in, examining the engine and other aspects of the car. "I can get it ready," he stated, standing up.
"How much is it going to cost?" Gordo asked.
Larry slammed the hood down and turned to face Gordo, for several moments they just stared at each other. Gordo assumed Larry was calculating the numbers in his head. Finally, he nodded slowly.
"What?" Gordo exclaimed.
"I'll do the work, for free and all you have to do is buy the parts," Larry stated slowly. "I'll order them for you, and you can get them at a fraction of the cost of what it would cost anywhere else."
Gordo felt slight shock setting in. "Why would you do that?" he asked.
Larry shrugged. "Because I remember a time when id didn't have any friends, someone helped me out. I remember another time, I wanted to change and you did that too." He nodded, pulling the rag back out of his pocket. "Leave the keys and I can have it ready for you to pick up by Thursday morning."
Gordo realized how quick that would be and how fast Larry would have to work. He pulled out his wallet and placed all the money he had into Larry's hand along with the keys. "Don't let me down, Tudgeman."
***
Thursday came quickly and Gordo had already made up his mind that he wouldn't go to school that day so he could drive around and get used to the car's new handling. He walked quickly to the garage.
Outside sat his car, he smirked when he realized Tudge had also washed and waxed it. He opened the door and found the keys underneath the seat like they'd agreed. He climbed inside then felt an enormous degree of satisfaction when he heard the car rumbled to life.
Slowly, he made his way towards Dark Hill. He wasn't sure of the rout he race on, but he knew it was secluded enough here that he could get used to the terrain and his car at the same time.
He glanced at the clock on the dashboard. In just over twenty four hours, he would be racing all over this strip, and finally prove that he wasn't just boring old Gordo, finally he would be someone exciting.