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and let me know what you think of this chapter!
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Lizzie down the aisle, she glanced impatiently at the stage. "Larry!" she bellowed, staring at the various lists on the clipboard in her hand. .
"Yeah?" he answered a tone of irritation in his voice.
"Have you fixed the lights?"
"Lizzie, you asked me that exactly two minutes and thirty six, no, thirty seven seconds ago, and between answering your questions, no, I haven't gotten them working yet, when I do, you'll be able to tell because they will light up," he replied.
Lizzie shot him a glare then glanced up at the stage. "What are you all waiting for? There's a show in a matter of days people, it's not time to stand around and gawk."
She knew her behavior was unexplainable but with her mind stuck on Gordo, there wasn't much else she could think about At least with the choir, it gave her something to focus on, unfortunately, every minor incident set her off completely. Her eyes raked over the choir members, there was one missing. "Has anyone seen Miranda?"
Suddenly, the door to the auditorium slammed shut. Whirling around, Lizzie saw her friend walking quickly towards her. She felt relieved to see her, then irritation took over. "Where have you been?"
Miranda didn't miss the tone and watched Lizzie as she set down her back. "I had stuff to do."
"What do you mean you had stuff? What about the play?" Lizzie demanded, keeping her voice low, she didn't want everyone to know she was on the brink of a break down. After hearing Gordo's secret that he'd kept so long, she couldn't bear to think that Miranda would also be keeping secrets.
"It's fine, I'm here now," the raven hair girl answered, running up onto the stage.
Lizzie stared up at the ceiling, taking deep breaths.
She saw the door open again. Slowly, a small figure walked through and made his way towards her.
Once Lizzie realized it was Gordo, she rushed up the isle to meet him. "What are you doing here?"
He smiled thinly. "I had to check on the progress of the play," he answered.
Lizzie bit down firmly on the inside of her bottom lip. She would not cry, not here, not now. "Take it from 'Jingle Bells,'" she commanded the chorus. Someone cued the music and the members began the perfect harmony. Lizzie stayed close to Gordo's side as they walked towards the front. "Are you sure you should be here?"
His hand wrapped around her own. "This is the only place I want to be," he answered, locking eyes with her.
Lizzie smiled. His beautiful eyes, everything that caused her to like him, she could find its source in his eyes. The twinkle, the kindness, the gentleness.
She broke the gaze to turn towards the choir. "That sounded fantastic! Next song!" Her new found motivation relayed to the chorus and her energy was quickly picked up. The group sang every song with precision, the notes were hit, the harmonies were perfect.
"Wow," Lizzie called, clapping as she stood up. "That was great everyone! Read over the songs tonight, and we'll go over it tomorrow!"
No one knew about Gordo, they all gave him the same goodbye they usually did, cheerful calls of 'see you tomorrow' echoed off the walls. No one knew how different everything way. Then Lizzie realized that in all reality, the only thing that had changed was her knowledge. Gordo had had his illness since the start of the show. It was amazing what a piece of knowledge could change. ***
Once the auditorium was cleared, Lizzie sat down beside Gordo, placing her clipboard beside them.
Gordo knew what he was had to talk to her about wouldn't be easy. He knew she wouldn't take it well, but he had to do it all the same.
Sighing softly, he looked up at her. Their gazes met. Thirty different ways he could start this conversation raced through his mind, but the most straightforward one flew from his lips. "Lizzie, how do you feel about me?"
She was silent for several antagonizing seconds. "I hate that you're sick," she replied. He quickly realized that she thought he was talking about.
"No, not the leukemia. Me, Gordo, with or without the leukemia, just plain me."
She watched him, her eyes shining. Suddenly, she wiped at her eyes. "I-I have to go," she stammered, running out the door.
As much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn't have chased after her. Defeated, he sat back dejectedly in his seat. His hands partly shaded his view of the stage, but he clearly saw the figure of a girl step onto the stage.
'No, no, no,' he muttered to himself. 'Not her, not Kate Sanders.'
His fears were confirmed by the look on her face. "You've got what?" she asked.
The fear he harbored of everyone knowing suddenly overflowed and turned into anger. Anger that he was sick, anger at his body, anger at Lizzie for running away, anger at the doctors for their helplessness, anger at Kate for overhearing a private moment, all burst forth. "What you didn't hear it while you were eavesdropping?"
"I-I forgot my purse," she stuttered, she looked down at her feet, then looked back up at him. "Are you okay?"
"No, I'm not," he barked. "Because you know, the last person I wanted to know what was happening in my life just had to listen in."
"Gordo, I-"
"No! Don't you dare try to give me any sympathy," he commanded. "Don't even think about it! Fifteen minutes ago you would have screamed in my face for looking at you the wrong way. You know, I don't want, and I don't need your sympathy, Kate. So, when you walk out, just forget what you weren't meant to hear. Because I don't want your pity. Okay? Keep it, save it, give it to someone else, because I don't want it."
Kate stared at him, the popular girl for once was completely shocked into silence.
Gordo let out a loud frustrated sound from this throat. He quickly shook his head and strode quickly up the aisle.
"Gordo!" she exclaimed quickly, then ran up and grabbed his arm. Shocked, he whirled around and stared at her. Kate quickly jerked her hand away. "I-I'm not going to say anything to anyone."
He looked at her, silently. He didn't trust her, never had he been given a reason to trust her. He was furious that she knew, but there was nothing he could do. He let out another sigh and walked quickly out the doors, letting them slam behind him.
Out in the hallway, Gordo sighed and leaned back against the wall. He ran his hand through his hair. Life was definitely working against him.
Lizzie down the aisle, she glanced impatiently at the stage. "Larry!" she bellowed, staring at the various lists on the clipboard in her hand. .
"Yeah?" he answered a tone of irritation in his voice.
"Have you fixed the lights?"
"Lizzie, you asked me that exactly two minutes and thirty six, no, thirty seven seconds ago, and between answering your questions, no, I haven't gotten them working yet, when I do, you'll be able to tell because they will light up," he replied.
Lizzie shot him a glare then glanced up at the stage. "What are you all waiting for? There's a show in a matter of days people, it's not time to stand around and gawk."
She knew her behavior was unexplainable but with her mind stuck on Gordo, there wasn't much else she could think about At least with the choir, it gave her something to focus on, unfortunately, every minor incident set her off completely. Her eyes raked over the choir members, there was one missing. "Has anyone seen Miranda?"
Suddenly, the door to the auditorium slammed shut. Whirling around, Lizzie saw her friend walking quickly towards her. She felt relieved to see her, then irritation took over. "Where have you been?"
Miranda didn't miss the tone and watched Lizzie as she set down her back. "I had stuff to do."
"What do you mean you had stuff? What about the play?" Lizzie demanded, keeping her voice low, she didn't want everyone to know she was on the brink of a break down. After hearing Gordo's secret that he'd kept so long, she couldn't bear to think that Miranda would also be keeping secrets.
"It's fine, I'm here now," the raven hair girl answered, running up onto the stage.
Lizzie stared up at the ceiling, taking deep breaths.
She saw the door open again. Slowly, a small figure walked through and made his way towards her.
Once Lizzie realized it was Gordo, she rushed up the isle to meet him. "What are you doing here?"
He smiled thinly. "I had to check on the progress of the play," he answered.
Lizzie bit down firmly on the inside of her bottom lip. She would not cry, not here, not now. "Take it from 'Jingle Bells,'" she commanded the chorus. Someone cued the music and the members began the perfect harmony. Lizzie stayed close to Gordo's side as they walked towards the front. "Are you sure you should be here?"
His hand wrapped around her own. "This is the only place I want to be," he answered, locking eyes with her.
Lizzie smiled. His beautiful eyes, everything that caused her to like him, she could find its source in his eyes. The twinkle, the kindness, the gentleness.
She broke the gaze to turn towards the choir. "That sounded fantastic! Next song!" Her new found motivation relayed to the chorus and her energy was quickly picked up. The group sang every song with precision, the notes were hit, the harmonies were perfect.
"Wow," Lizzie called, clapping as she stood up. "That was great everyone! Read over the songs tonight, and we'll go over it tomorrow!"
No one knew about Gordo, they all gave him the same goodbye they usually did, cheerful calls of 'see you tomorrow' echoed off the walls. No one knew how different everything way. Then Lizzie realized that in all reality, the only thing that had changed was her knowledge. Gordo had had his illness since the start of the show. It was amazing what a piece of knowledge could change. ***
Once the auditorium was cleared, Lizzie sat down beside Gordo, placing her clipboard beside them.
Gordo knew what he was had to talk to her about wouldn't be easy. He knew she wouldn't take it well, but he had to do it all the same.
Sighing softly, he looked up at her. Their gazes met. Thirty different ways he could start this conversation raced through his mind, but the most straightforward one flew from his lips. "Lizzie, how do you feel about me?"
She was silent for several antagonizing seconds. "I hate that you're sick," she replied. He quickly realized that she thought he was talking about.
"No, not the leukemia. Me, Gordo, with or without the leukemia, just plain me."
She watched him, her eyes shining. Suddenly, she wiped at her eyes. "I-I have to go," she stammered, running out the door.
As much as he wanted to, he knew he couldn't have chased after her. Defeated, he sat back dejectedly in his seat. His hands partly shaded his view of the stage, but he clearly saw the figure of a girl step onto the stage.
'No, no, no,' he muttered to himself. 'Not her, not Kate Sanders.'
His fears were confirmed by the look on her face. "You've got what?" she asked.
The fear he harbored of everyone knowing suddenly overflowed and turned into anger. Anger that he was sick, anger at his body, anger at Lizzie for running away, anger at the doctors for their helplessness, anger at Kate for overhearing a private moment, all burst forth. "What you didn't hear it while you were eavesdropping?"
"I-I forgot my purse," she stuttered, she looked down at her feet, then looked back up at him. "Are you okay?"
"No, I'm not," he barked. "Because you know, the last person I wanted to know what was happening in my life just had to listen in."
"Gordo, I-"
"No! Don't you dare try to give me any sympathy," he commanded. "Don't even think about it! Fifteen minutes ago you would have screamed in my face for looking at you the wrong way. You know, I don't want, and I don't need your sympathy, Kate. So, when you walk out, just forget what you weren't meant to hear. Because I don't want your pity. Okay? Keep it, save it, give it to someone else, because I don't want it."
Kate stared at him, the popular girl for once was completely shocked into silence.
Gordo let out a loud frustrated sound from this throat. He quickly shook his head and strode quickly up the aisle.
"Gordo!" she exclaimed quickly, then ran up and grabbed his arm. Shocked, he whirled around and stared at her. Kate quickly jerked her hand away. "I-I'm not going to say anything to anyone."
He looked at her, silently. He didn't trust her, never had he been given a reason to trust her. He was furious that she knew, but there was nothing he could do. He let out another sigh and walked quickly out the doors, letting them slam behind him.
Out in the hallway, Gordo sighed and leaned back against the wall. He ran his hand through his hair. Life was definitely working against him.