Author's Note: Okay, I tried to get this out as fast as I possibly could, because I know that that was a really terrible ending to give you guys. I'm SOOOOOOOO sorry! But look! Lizzie gets bit by the Florence Nightingale bug!
Lizfan28: Thank you *so much*! And the kiss should be coming soon, I think. But I just sit down and write, I never really have a laid-out plan, I just try to steer things in the direction I want. Does that make sense? My muse controls me, I think... Anyway, I'm glad you like the story! Here's your fix... ;)
So, without further ado, here you all go!
~*~*~*~
Lizzie finally collected her wits well enough to realize something: she needed to know if Gordo had to go to the hospital or not.
"Gordo," she whispered urgently. No answer. "Gordo!" she said again, this time louder. He cracked open his good eye.
"What?" he asked, sounding a little annoyed.
Probably doesn't, she thought wryly. "Do you need to go to the hospital?" she asked, concerned.
"Ah..." Gordo trailed off. "Probably not," he muttered.
"Then you need to sit up," she ordered. "We need to clean you up and get you back to my apartment."
He just stared at her. "I don't think I wanna do that," he said slowly.
"What, come back to my apartment?" she asked, hurt.
"No, sit up," he explained.
"Come on," she encouraged. "We just need to get you upright and out to my car." She looked him up and down. "And dressed," she finished.
Gordo stared at her again, but Lizzie took a gentle hold on one arm and began pulling him into a sitting position. With a groan, he started helping her, propping his other arm underneath himself for some leverage. Finally, he was sitting upright, leaning back against the lockers behind him.
"Now," Lizzie began encouragingly, "let's get you seated on one of these benches." And with another sigh, Gordo allowed Lizzie to help him get up and sit down on the bench a couple feet away. After staring at him for a few seconds, she reached around to hug him. Gordo just closed his eyes and rested his chin on her shoulder, reveling in the feeling of having someone else take care of him. Not that he liked the circumstances, but... he couldn't change that.
After a long moment, she stood upright. "Which one is your locker?" she asked. She really *really* wanted to ask 'WHO THE HELL DID THIS TO YOU!!' but stopped herself. There would be time for that later.
"14C," Gordo replied dully.
"Is it unlocked?"
"Yeah."
Lizzie found the locker, the door open wide and his duffel bag spilled on the floor beneath it. She stooped to scoop his spilled belongings back in, setting aside the washcloth she found, and also a fresh t-shirt and sweatpants. Grabbing the washcloth, she walked to the bathroom area and wet it with warm water from the sink, then walked back over to Gordo, who was sitting in the same position she'd left him in. Crouching down in front of him, she gently began to clean the blood from his face, drawing in her breath sharply every time she passed over a bruise and he winced. Heartbroken, she finished up and threw the washcloth away. Very carefully, she helped him get his t-shirt over his head and pulled each of his arms through the sleeves and tugging it down. Then she kneeled in front of him and got first one foot, then the other, through his sweatpants. After fastening the velcro straps of his sandals, she helped him to stand up and pulled his sweatpants the rest of the way up. She hurried to get his duffel bag and slung it over her shoulder, then put an arm around his waist and pulled his arm over her shoulder.
"Let's get you home, Gordo," she whispered. Home, he thought hazily. Home was nice. Home had a bed where he could sleep forever.
"Yeah," he agreed softly, leaning against her heavily. Thank God her car was parked so close, she thought, otherwise she wasn't sure she'd be able to get him there. They staggered down the empty, echoing hallways, stopping every few minutes, but finally they arrived at her car. She opened the door and eased him inside, then opened her trunk and threw the duffel bag inside. Finally, she opened the driver's side door and sat down, inserting the key in the ignition and turning on the car. Within moments, they were flying out of the parking lot and heading back to Lizzie's apartment.
And Gordo sat silently in his seat, staring out the window and letting the scenery blur as it sped by....
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He'd already taken a quick shower and had just pulled on his boxers and sat down on the bench when Kevin finished dressing and sat down next to him.
"Hey man, that girlfriend of yours is pretty hot," he said with an idiotic smile and nudging Gordo in the side suggestively.
"Kevin," Gordo started. I mean, could Kevin be any dumber? he thought to himself. "For the *last* time, Lizzie is *not* my girlfriend."
"Oh." Kevin looked dumbfounded for a second, then he got a sly smile on his face. "So... can I have her phone number?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
Gordo stared at him for a second. Yes, he thought, Kevin could be a *lot* dumber. "No," he answered shortly.
Kevin's face darkened. "Well, if she ain't your girlfriend, then why can't I have her number?" he asked angrily.
"I doubt she'd be interested in you," Gordo answered, trying very hard to keep the sarcasm from his voice. During this exchange, the remaining members of the swim team had trickled out of the locker room.
"Listen, Gor-don," Kevin sneered, slamming him into a locker. "I want her number and I better get it soon," he growled threateningly. Gordo just rolled his eyes. In hindsight, he thought, wrong move. All of a sudden he saw, as if in slow motion, Kevin's fist flying toward his face. He couldn't back up, he couldn't duck, he could only wait for the impending blow. And *what* a blow.
Now, Gordo was a tall guy, but he still had the same slender build from his middle school days. So while Kevin might have been an inch or two shorter than Gordo, he was much bigger and stronger. Gordo felt that fist connect with his face and saw stars as he fell to the ground in a heap. After several vicious blows, one landing in his face and the rest in his gut, Kevin picked up his duffel bag and stormed out the locker room door.
Gordo curled up into a helpless ball and waited for... something, he wasn't sure....
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Gordo was shaken out of his memory and came back to the present as Lizzie stopped her car in front of her apartment building. He turned to look at her and found her already staring at him, tears forming in her beautiful hazel eyes.
"Hey," Gordo whispered. "I'll be okay. Just help me inside, alright?" Lizzie nodded, tears dripping down her chin. She got out of the car and walked around to help him out. Slinging his arm around her shoulder, and one of her arms around his waist, they made their way inside.
~*~*~*~
Author's Note: Okay, there we go! I felt so bad about leaving the ending like that, I just *had* to pump out the next chapter for you guys. So there you have it: two chapters in one night. Next will be posted tomorrow or the day after that. I'll be heading out of the angsty territory soon, guys, don't worry. And don't forget to review!
Lizfan28: Thank you *so much*! And the kiss should be coming soon, I think. But I just sit down and write, I never really have a laid-out plan, I just try to steer things in the direction I want. Does that make sense? My muse controls me, I think... Anyway, I'm glad you like the story! Here's your fix... ;)
So, without further ado, here you all go!
~*~*~*~
Lizzie finally collected her wits well enough to realize something: she needed to know if Gordo had to go to the hospital or not.
"Gordo," she whispered urgently. No answer. "Gordo!" she said again, this time louder. He cracked open his good eye.
"What?" he asked, sounding a little annoyed.
Probably doesn't, she thought wryly. "Do you need to go to the hospital?" she asked, concerned.
"Ah..." Gordo trailed off. "Probably not," he muttered.
"Then you need to sit up," she ordered. "We need to clean you up and get you back to my apartment."
He just stared at her. "I don't think I wanna do that," he said slowly.
"What, come back to my apartment?" she asked, hurt.
"No, sit up," he explained.
"Come on," she encouraged. "We just need to get you upright and out to my car." She looked him up and down. "And dressed," she finished.
Gordo stared at her again, but Lizzie took a gentle hold on one arm and began pulling him into a sitting position. With a groan, he started helping her, propping his other arm underneath himself for some leverage. Finally, he was sitting upright, leaning back against the lockers behind him.
"Now," Lizzie began encouragingly, "let's get you seated on one of these benches." And with another sigh, Gordo allowed Lizzie to help him get up and sit down on the bench a couple feet away. After staring at him for a few seconds, she reached around to hug him. Gordo just closed his eyes and rested his chin on her shoulder, reveling in the feeling of having someone else take care of him. Not that he liked the circumstances, but... he couldn't change that.
After a long moment, she stood upright. "Which one is your locker?" she asked. She really *really* wanted to ask 'WHO THE HELL DID THIS TO YOU!!' but stopped herself. There would be time for that later.
"14C," Gordo replied dully.
"Is it unlocked?"
"Yeah."
Lizzie found the locker, the door open wide and his duffel bag spilled on the floor beneath it. She stooped to scoop his spilled belongings back in, setting aside the washcloth she found, and also a fresh t-shirt and sweatpants. Grabbing the washcloth, she walked to the bathroom area and wet it with warm water from the sink, then walked back over to Gordo, who was sitting in the same position she'd left him in. Crouching down in front of him, she gently began to clean the blood from his face, drawing in her breath sharply every time she passed over a bruise and he winced. Heartbroken, she finished up and threw the washcloth away. Very carefully, she helped him get his t-shirt over his head and pulled each of his arms through the sleeves and tugging it down. Then she kneeled in front of him and got first one foot, then the other, through his sweatpants. After fastening the velcro straps of his sandals, she helped him to stand up and pulled his sweatpants the rest of the way up. She hurried to get his duffel bag and slung it over her shoulder, then put an arm around his waist and pulled his arm over her shoulder.
"Let's get you home, Gordo," she whispered. Home, he thought hazily. Home was nice. Home had a bed where he could sleep forever.
"Yeah," he agreed softly, leaning against her heavily. Thank God her car was parked so close, she thought, otherwise she wasn't sure she'd be able to get him there. They staggered down the empty, echoing hallways, stopping every few minutes, but finally they arrived at her car. She opened the door and eased him inside, then opened her trunk and threw the duffel bag inside. Finally, she opened the driver's side door and sat down, inserting the key in the ignition and turning on the car. Within moments, they were flying out of the parking lot and heading back to Lizzie's apartment.
And Gordo sat silently in his seat, staring out the window and letting the scenery blur as it sped by....
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
He'd already taken a quick shower and had just pulled on his boxers and sat down on the bench when Kevin finished dressing and sat down next to him.
"Hey man, that girlfriend of yours is pretty hot," he said with an idiotic smile and nudging Gordo in the side suggestively.
"Kevin," Gordo started. I mean, could Kevin be any dumber? he thought to himself. "For the *last* time, Lizzie is *not* my girlfriend."
"Oh." Kevin looked dumbfounded for a second, then he got a sly smile on his face. "So... can I have her phone number?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows.
Gordo stared at him for a second. Yes, he thought, Kevin could be a *lot* dumber. "No," he answered shortly.
Kevin's face darkened. "Well, if she ain't your girlfriend, then why can't I have her number?" he asked angrily.
"I doubt she'd be interested in you," Gordo answered, trying very hard to keep the sarcasm from his voice. During this exchange, the remaining members of the swim team had trickled out of the locker room.
"Listen, Gor-don," Kevin sneered, slamming him into a locker. "I want her number and I better get it soon," he growled threateningly. Gordo just rolled his eyes. In hindsight, he thought, wrong move. All of a sudden he saw, as if in slow motion, Kevin's fist flying toward his face. He couldn't back up, he couldn't duck, he could only wait for the impending blow. And *what* a blow.
Now, Gordo was a tall guy, but he still had the same slender build from his middle school days. So while Kevin might have been an inch or two shorter than Gordo, he was much bigger and stronger. Gordo felt that fist connect with his face and saw stars as he fell to the ground in a heap. After several vicious blows, one landing in his face and the rest in his gut, Kevin picked up his duffel bag and stormed out the locker room door.
Gordo curled up into a helpless ball and waited for... something, he wasn't sure....
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Gordo was shaken out of his memory and came back to the present as Lizzie stopped her car in front of her apartment building. He turned to look at her and found her already staring at him, tears forming in her beautiful hazel eyes.
"Hey," Gordo whispered. "I'll be okay. Just help me inside, alright?" Lizzie nodded, tears dripping down her chin. She got out of the car and walked around to help him out. Slinging his arm around her shoulder, and one of her arms around his waist, they made their way inside.
~*~*~*~
Author's Note: Okay, there we go! I felt so bad about leaving the ending like that, I just *had* to pump out the next chapter for you guys. So there you have it: two chapters in one night. Next will be posted tomorrow or the day after that. I'll be heading out of the angsty territory soon, guys, don't worry. And don't forget to review!