Sleigh bells ring, are you listenin', in the lane, snow is glistin',
a beautiful sigh, so happy tonight, walking in a winter wonder land! That
was my lovely way of saying thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed!
You're all so awesome and great! If you like what you're reading, click
that little review button and send your thoughts!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Lizzie squeezed her hands together, tempted to leave. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she reached out and rang the bell. Snowflakes fell in front of her. The perfect large white flakes slowly covered everything, making a beautiful waterscape.
For several seconds, she feared no one was home. It seemed like the vast white house always stood empty any more. She started to take a step backwards when the door opened.
She felt her heart jump, a grin quickly took over her face. Gordo was standing in the doorway, his curly hair rumpled, the side of his face slightly red.
"Hey," he smiled.
A smile, a good sign.
"Come on in," he stated, standing aside.
Lizzie stepped into the small hallway. She pulled off her beanie and shook the snow off. Gordo smiled softy as he watched her.
"What's up?" he asked. He lead the way into the living room, his barefoot padding across the floor.
Lizzie nodded and followed him into the living room, she sat down on the large, overstuffed couches. Gordo sat down next to her and leaned back.
"What's up?"
A lock of hair was across his forehead and Lizzie was half tempted to reach across and brush it away. Restraining herself, she sighed. "What's going on?"
"Not much," he stated, shrugging his shoulders. "Parents are out, it's a Friday night, and a week until the Christmas performance."
"That's not what I mean, Gordo, I mean, what's going on that you're not telling me?"
Gordo shrugged. "Nothing."
Slowly, she lifted her hand and her fingertips grazed his forehead as they pushed the stray hand back into place. They continued their journey downward, until she gently had her hand resting against the side of his face. His hand reached up and covered hers, holding it tenderly against the side of his face. "Are you mad at me for something?" she asked softly. There was nothing he could be mad at, she didn't feel that he was angry, but maybe she could get something out of him this way.
"I could never be mad at you," he answered gently. "But this scares me."
"What does?" Lizzie asked, twisting her fingers in his and lowering their hands down so they were resting gently against her leg.
He closed his eyes for only a moment, then raised his eyes to look at her. "I don't want you to fall in love with me."
Lizzie wrinkled her eyebrows, trying to absorb what he had just said.
"We're only in high school," he stated, pulling his hand away to run it through his hair. A smile crossed his face. "And I know I'm a pretty irresistible guy."
Lizzie smiled and leaned back against the couch, a laugh bubble forth from her lips. The intensity of the moment was broken, but she felt no regrets, she loved the playful smile written across his face. Once she finally contained her giggles, she turned towards him. "Let's call Miranda and go ice skating."
Gordo considered this for a moment, and for not the first time recently, Lizzie wished she knew what was going on behind those dark eyes. "All right," he decided. "I'll go get some warmer clothes on and you go call Miranda."
Lizzie nodded as she walked into the kitchen and grabbed the extension off the wall. Quickly, she made the plans with Miranda to meet her at the skating rink.
"Ready?" she called, leaning against the banister, smiling as he walked down.
He nodded. "Did you drive?"
Lizzie nodded. The ride was quick, Gordo chattering excitedly about the upcoming production. Lizzie parked the car at the rink them climbed out. The large flakes still drifted gently from the sky. She waved her arm to Miranda who was leaning against a post. "Hey," the dark haired girl smiled. Her hair sparking with flakes. The trio rented their skates and quickly laced them up.
They quickly made their way onto the ice, and were surrounded by other eager skaters.
Lizzie giggled as she crashed to a stop against a wall.
"You okay?" Miranda asked.
Lizzie leaned back against the wall. "I'm fine."
Gordo slid stop next to her. "What happened?" he questioned, rubbing the side of his head.
"I managed to actually stay on my feet," Lizzie smiled.
"Oh, so you almost fell," Gordo nodded, attempting to smile, but instead it came out more like a wince.
"What's wrong?" Lizzie asked, briefly letting go of the bar.
"N-nothing," he replied, his breathing coming out in short gasps.
"Gordo," Lizzie replied, firmly. "Let's go sit down."
"I'll go get some hot chocolate," Miranda replied, skating swiftly off the ice.
"Let's go," Lizzie repeated, her arm firmly grasping his elbow.
Gordo gently pulled away. "I'm okay, Lizzie. Let's skate."
He slid away from her. Lizzie sighed. Why couldn't guys just admit when they needed a break?
Her breath locked in her throat as she watched Gordo. There was no one in front of him, nothing around his feet, but he was suddenly falling. His body fell limply to the ice.
"Gordo!" Lizzie shrieked, the blades of her skates dug into the ice as she propelled herself across the rink. She dropped to her knees and grabbed Gordo's shoulder.
An attendant of the rink hurried over to him. Everything became a wild blur. Miranda had her arm around her. Sirens whirled. The rink was cleared of people. Paramedics rushed onto the scene. The lifted Gordo's lifeless body.
Somehow, Miranda had led Lizzie to the car, then they were inside the hospital. They weren't alone. Soon they were joined by Gordo's parents and their own.
Lizzie paced the room, wringing her hands. This wasn't happening, it wasn't almost Christmas and she wasn't in the emergency waiting room. She took a deep breath as Mr. and Mrs. Gordon came back into the room, she hadn't even realized they were gone.
"Lizzie, Miranda," Roberta stated softly. "He would like to see you now."
Lizzie nervously looked down at her watch, over three hours. What had happened, what had taken so long?
Taking deep breaths, she struggled to calm herself down. She was going to see him. Roberta pushed open the door, holding it open for them. The girls looked at each other, then walked into the room.
Lizzie's felt her hand fly up and cover her mouth. Gordo's face was pale, his breathing ragged. A small thin oxygen tube coming from his nose, the steady plink of a heart machine. An IV lead down to his hand. His eyes were open, he was in a slight sitting position.
"Gordo," she gasped, sitting down next to him, grasping the hand without the IV. Tears stung her eyes as his hand squeezed.
"Hi," he stated, his voice whispery.
Lizzie leaned up and hugged him. His arm gently wrapped around her and he held her tight, until his arm slid down. He smiled at Miranda who was hanging back and held out his arm. Miranda quickly filled the void and hugged him close.
"Miranda," he stated, softly. "I want you to make me a promise."
"Anything," she replied.
"No matter what happens," he paused, briefly closing his eyes. "No matter what Tudge knocks over, no matter what Kate says, no matter what happens period, you will get up there, and you will sing "Silent Night" and it will be the most beautiful anyone has ever heard."
Miranda was obviously struggling with tears Lizzie as she bit her bottom lip and nodded. "I promise, Gordo."
He smiled weakly and took a deep gasping breath, closed his eyes, then stared at both of them. "I have to tell you both something."
Lizzie squeezed her hands together, tempted to leave. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she reached out and rang the bell. Snowflakes fell in front of her. The perfect large white flakes slowly covered everything, making a beautiful waterscape.
For several seconds, she feared no one was home. It seemed like the vast white house always stood empty any more. She started to take a step backwards when the door opened.
She felt her heart jump, a grin quickly took over her face. Gordo was standing in the doorway, his curly hair rumpled, the side of his face slightly red.
"Hey," he smiled.
A smile, a good sign.
"Come on in," he stated, standing aside.
Lizzie stepped into the small hallway. She pulled off her beanie and shook the snow off. Gordo smiled softy as he watched her.
"What's up?" he asked. He lead the way into the living room, his barefoot padding across the floor.
Lizzie nodded and followed him into the living room, she sat down on the large, overstuffed couches. Gordo sat down next to her and leaned back.
"What's up?"
A lock of hair was across his forehead and Lizzie was half tempted to reach across and brush it away. Restraining herself, she sighed. "What's going on?"
"Not much," he stated, shrugging his shoulders. "Parents are out, it's a Friday night, and a week until the Christmas performance."
"That's not what I mean, Gordo, I mean, what's going on that you're not telling me?"
Gordo shrugged. "Nothing."
Slowly, she lifted her hand and her fingertips grazed his forehead as they pushed the stray hand back into place. They continued their journey downward, until she gently had her hand resting against the side of his face. His hand reached up and covered hers, holding it tenderly against the side of his face. "Are you mad at me for something?" she asked softly. There was nothing he could be mad at, she didn't feel that he was angry, but maybe she could get something out of him this way.
"I could never be mad at you," he answered gently. "But this scares me."
"What does?" Lizzie asked, twisting her fingers in his and lowering their hands down so they were resting gently against her leg.
He closed his eyes for only a moment, then raised his eyes to look at her. "I don't want you to fall in love with me."
Lizzie wrinkled her eyebrows, trying to absorb what he had just said.
"We're only in high school," he stated, pulling his hand away to run it through his hair. A smile crossed his face. "And I know I'm a pretty irresistible guy."
Lizzie smiled and leaned back against the couch, a laugh bubble forth from her lips. The intensity of the moment was broken, but she felt no regrets, she loved the playful smile written across his face. Once she finally contained her giggles, she turned towards him. "Let's call Miranda and go ice skating."
Gordo considered this for a moment, and for not the first time recently, Lizzie wished she knew what was going on behind those dark eyes. "All right," he decided. "I'll go get some warmer clothes on and you go call Miranda."
Lizzie nodded as she walked into the kitchen and grabbed the extension off the wall. Quickly, she made the plans with Miranda to meet her at the skating rink.
"Ready?" she called, leaning against the banister, smiling as he walked down.
He nodded. "Did you drive?"
Lizzie nodded. The ride was quick, Gordo chattering excitedly about the upcoming production. Lizzie parked the car at the rink them climbed out. The large flakes still drifted gently from the sky. She waved her arm to Miranda who was leaning against a post. "Hey," the dark haired girl smiled. Her hair sparking with flakes. The trio rented their skates and quickly laced them up.
They quickly made their way onto the ice, and were surrounded by other eager skaters.
Lizzie giggled as she crashed to a stop against a wall.
"You okay?" Miranda asked.
Lizzie leaned back against the wall. "I'm fine."
Gordo slid stop next to her. "What happened?" he questioned, rubbing the side of his head.
"I managed to actually stay on my feet," Lizzie smiled.
"Oh, so you almost fell," Gordo nodded, attempting to smile, but instead it came out more like a wince.
"What's wrong?" Lizzie asked, briefly letting go of the bar.
"N-nothing," he replied, his breathing coming out in short gasps.
"Gordo," Lizzie replied, firmly. "Let's go sit down."
"I'll go get some hot chocolate," Miranda replied, skating swiftly off the ice.
"Let's go," Lizzie repeated, her arm firmly grasping his elbow.
Gordo gently pulled away. "I'm okay, Lizzie. Let's skate."
He slid away from her. Lizzie sighed. Why couldn't guys just admit when they needed a break?
Her breath locked in her throat as she watched Gordo. There was no one in front of him, nothing around his feet, but he was suddenly falling. His body fell limply to the ice.
"Gordo!" Lizzie shrieked, the blades of her skates dug into the ice as she propelled herself across the rink. She dropped to her knees and grabbed Gordo's shoulder.
An attendant of the rink hurried over to him. Everything became a wild blur. Miranda had her arm around her. Sirens whirled. The rink was cleared of people. Paramedics rushed onto the scene. The lifted Gordo's lifeless body.
Somehow, Miranda had led Lizzie to the car, then they were inside the hospital. They weren't alone. Soon they were joined by Gordo's parents and their own.
Lizzie paced the room, wringing her hands. This wasn't happening, it wasn't almost Christmas and she wasn't in the emergency waiting room. She took a deep breath as Mr. and Mrs. Gordon came back into the room, she hadn't even realized they were gone.
"Lizzie, Miranda," Roberta stated softly. "He would like to see you now."
Lizzie nervously looked down at her watch, over three hours. What had happened, what had taken so long?
Taking deep breaths, she struggled to calm herself down. She was going to see him. Roberta pushed open the door, holding it open for them. The girls looked at each other, then walked into the room.
Lizzie's felt her hand fly up and cover her mouth. Gordo's face was pale, his breathing ragged. A small thin oxygen tube coming from his nose, the steady plink of a heart machine. An IV lead down to his hand. His eyes were open, he was in a slight sitting position.
"Gordo," she gasped, sitting down next to him, grasping the hand without the IV. Tears stung her eyes as his hand squeezed.
"Hi," he stated, his voice whispery.
Lizzie leaned up and hugged him. His arm gently wrapped around her and he held her tight, until his arm slid down. He smiled at Miranda who was hanging back and held out his arm. Miranda quickly filled the void and hugged him close.
"Miranda," he stated, softly. "I want you to make me a promise."
"Anything," she replied.
"No matter what happens," he paused, briefly closing his eyes. "No matter what Tudge knocks over, no matter what Kate says, no matter what happens period, you will get up there, and you will sing "Silent Night" and it will be the most beautiful anyone has ever heard."
Miranda was obviously struggling with tears Lizzie as she bit her bottom lip and nodded. "I promise, Gordo."
He smiled weakly and took a deep gasping breath, closed his eyes, then stared at both of them. "I have to tell you both something."