Thanks to everyone who's reviewed, your reviews are so much of an
encouragement. Every single person who has reviewed and related on some
level, from the strains of a friendship to the more serious medical part, I
wish you strength and support from the bottom of my heart.
Thank you for reading, and please review!
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Lizzie nervously paced the dressing room. She'd talked to Gordo last night, he didn't sound good and there hadn't been an answer this morning.
"Lizzie," Ethan Craft called running up to her. "Where's Gordo?"
"He's not going to be here," she replied softly.
"But today is the performance! He has to be here!"
Lizzie forced her bet director smile. "We've practiced several days without him and we've done great! This time won't be different. I know we have Gordo's support though."
"Okay, yeah," the jock replied, slowly nodding as he walked back to the other choir members.
The door to the dressing room opened and Miranda slid through. "Hi," she smiled. "How you doing?"
"Worried," Lizzie replied softly.
"He's not coming back."
"What?"
"I stayed in here my second bell, and Gordo came in. He's cleaned out his locker. He's not coming back to school."
Lizzie felt her heart wrench at this, but with a deep breath, she struggled to calm herself down. Since she finally told him how she felt, they'd connected on a mental and emotional level. He'd told her how hard things were, how he struggled to do things he normally did with ease. As much as she didn't want it to happen, she knew that what he was doing wasn't because he was giving up, it was because the pain as too much for him.
Miranda glanced at her watch. "An hour to go," she smiled.
Lizzie nodded and pulled out her cell phone quickly dialing a familiar number.
"Who you calling?"
"Matt," she answered, and greeted when her little brother answered his own phone. "How's the project coming?"
"Good, I've just got the camera to set up and hook up at the school, and then we're set."
"Thanks, you're the best," she replied sincerely.
Miranda stared questioningly at her best friend. "Your little brother is the best?"
"Underneath it all, yeah," she smiled.
"So, what's going on?"
"Since Matt is an expert at wiring things, he's going to set it up for Gordo that he can watch us tonight from the comfort of his own resting place," Lizzie smiled.
"Nice," Miranda stated.
Lizzie nodded and glanced at her watch. "Hurry and change we can get in one more rehearsal before show time."
***
Lizzie nervously called out different directions to everyone, parents, students, faculty and family members had filled the auditorium. Her eyes raked over everyone quickly, everything seemed to be all right. Her phone, set to silent and vibrate, went off in her pocket. Startled, she glanced quickly around then retrieved it, she was surprised to see Matt's number.
"Hey," she answered quickly, walking towards a back room. Miranda caught sight of her and hurried over.
"Lizzie," Matt called.
"Please don't tell me something's wrong equipment, Matt, we've got less than half an hour."
"No, Lizzie. It's Gordo. We're on our way to the hospital right now."
"No," she stated softly. "What's wrong?! What happened?"
"Don't know, his mom just called."
"I'm on my way," she stated hanging up the phone.
Miranda immediately picked up that something was wrong, her brown eyes were wide as she pulled her dress up and ran to keep up with Lizzie. "What's happened? Is it Gordo?"
"They're going to the hospital now," she replied breathlessly, running into the dressing room. "I don't know what happened, Matt didn't know. I have to go."
Miranda reached out for her coat, then her hand stopped. "I promised," she whispered.
"What?" Lizzie asked, searching the pockets of her coat. "Who did you promise?"
"Gordo! I promised him that I would sing tonight, but I have to go."
Lizzie suddenly stopped. "He knew," she breathed softly.
"What?"
"Today, he cleaned out his locker, he said it was his last day. He made you promise."
"Are you saying Gordo knew he would be going to the hospital tonight?"
"No, I don't know what I mean, I just have to talk to him," she replied, pulling her car keys out of her pockets. She looked at Miranda and hugged her fiercely. "Sing your heart out tonight. I'll tell him you wanted to come."
"He knows I would have, if he hadn't made me promise," Miranda replied, staring at the light to force away her tears.
Lizzie hugged her again, tightly. "Tell Mr. Escobar I left, and break a leg okay?"
Sniffling, Miranda nodded, then Lizzie hurried out the door.
The stars were shining brightly, a new dusting of snow covered the ground. Her feet crunched through the previously laid layer of rock salt until she made it into her car. Her heart pounded in her chest. "Please, let him be all right," she muttered softly, starting the car.
She had to carefully maneuver her car out of the lot, but was finally on the road and on her way to the hospital.
From within her purse the muffled sound of her phone rang. Keeping her eyes focused on the road, she pulled it out quickly. "Hello?"
"Hey, I've found a way that I hook up the TV in his room so he can still see the show," Matt answered quickly.
"Great," Lizzie answered. "Is he okay?"
"Don't know yet, we still haven't gotten to see him yet."
Lizzie sighed. "Where are his parents?"
"They're waiting with us."
"How are they?"
"Haven't said much."
"Matt, I have to get off here, the roads are too bad for me to drive one handed," she stated.
"Hurry," was his simple reply.
Lizzie hung up the phone, her heart still pounding. The snowflakes falling from the sky reminded her of feather from a pillow fight that went too far.
After what seemed like hours, she pulled her small car into a parking space and got out.
Facing the hospital she realized what could happen tonight. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her coat tighter and walked quickly into the hospital hoping she was ready to face what would happen.
Lizzie nervously paced the dressing room. She'd talked to Gordo last night, he didn't sound good and there hadn't been an answer this morning.
"Lizzie," Ethan Craft called running up to her. "Where's Gordo?"
"He's not going to be here," she replied softly.
"But today is the performance! He has to be here!"
Lizzie forced her bet director smile. "We've practiced several days without him and we've done great! This time won't be different. I know we have Gordo's support though."
"Okay, yeah," the jock replied, slowly nodding as he walked back to the other choir members.
The door to the dressing room opened and Miranda slid through. "Hi," she smiled. "How you doing?"
"Worried," Lizzie replied softly.
"He's not coming back."
"What?"
"I stayed in here my second bell, and Gordo came in. He's cleaned out his locker. He's not coming back to school."
Lizzie felt her heart wrench at this, but with a deep breath, she struggled to calm herself down. Since she finally told him how she felt, they'd connected on a mental and emotional level. He'd told her how hard things were, how he struggled to do things he normally did with ease. As much as she didn't want it to happen, she knew that what he was doing wasn't because he was giving up, it was because the pain as too much for him.
Miranda glanced at her watch. "An hour to go," she smiled.
Lizzie nodded and pulled out her cell phone quickly dialing a familiar number.
"Who you calling?"
"Matt," she answered, and greeted when her little brother answered his own phone. "How's the project coming?"
"Good, I've just got the camera to set up and hook up at the school, and then we're set."
"Thanks, you're the best," she replied sincerely.
Miranda stared questioningly at her best friend. "Your little brother is the best?"
"Underneath it all, yeah," she smiled.
"So, what's going on?"
"Since Matt is an expert at wiring things, he's going to set it up for Gordo that he can watch us tonight from the comfort of his own resting place," Lizzie smiled.
"Nice," Miranda stated.
Lizzie nodded and glanced at her watch. "Hurry and change we can get in one more rehearsal before show time."
***
Lizzie nervously called out different directions to everyone, parents, students, faculty and family members had filled the auditorium. Her eyes raked over everyone quickly, everything seemed to be all right. Her phone, set to silent and vibrate, went off in her pocket. Startled, she glanced quickly around then retrieved it, she was surprised to see Matt's number.
"Hey," she answered quickly, walking towards a back room. Miranda caught sight of her and hurried over.
"Lizzie," Matt called.
"Please don't tell me something's wrong equipment, Matt, we've got less than half an hour."
"No, Lizzie. It's Gordo. We're on our way to the hospital right now."
"No," she stated softly. "What's wrong?! What happened?"
"Don't know, his mom just called."
"I'm on my way," she stated hanging up the phone.
Miranda immediately picked up that something was wrong, her brown eyes were wide as she pulled her dress up and ran to keep up with Lizzie. "What's happened? Is it Gordo?"
"They're going to the hospital now," she replied breathlessly, running into the dressing room. "I don't know what happened, Matt didn't know. I have to go."
Miranda reached out for her coat, then her hand stopped. "I promised," she whispered.
"What?" Lizzie asked, searching the pockets of her coat. "Who did you promise?"
"Gordo! I promised him that I would sing tonight, but I have to go."
Lizzie suddenly stopped. "He knew," she breathed softly.
"What?"
"Today, he cleaned out his locker, he said it was his last day. He made you promise."
"Are you saying Gordo knew he would be going to the hospital tonight?"
"No, I don't know what I mean, I just have to talk to him," she replied, pulling her car keys out of her pockets. She looked at Miranda and hugged her fiercely. "Sing your heart out tonight. I'll tell him you wanted to come."
"He knows I would have, if he hadn't made me promise," Miranda replied, staring at the light to force away her tears.
Lizzie hugged her again, tightly. "Tell Mr. Escobar I left, and break a leg okay?"
Sniffling, Miranda nodded, then Lizzie hurried out the door.
The stars were shining brightly, a new dusting of snow covered the ground. Her feet crunched through the previously laid layer of rock salt until she made it into her car. Her heart pounded in her chest. "Please, let him be all right," she muttered softly, starting the car.
She had to carefully maneuver her car out of the lot, but was finally on the road and on her way to the hospital.
From within her purse the muffled sound of her phone rang. Keeping her eyes focused on the road, she pulled it out quickly. "Hello?"
"Hey, I've found a way that I hook up the TV in his room so he can still see the show," Matt answered quickly.
"Great," Lizzie answered. "Is he okay?"
"Don't know yet, we still haven't gotten to see him yet."
Lizzie sighed. "Where are his parents?"
"They're waiting with us."
"How are they?"
"Haven't said much."
"Matt, I have to get off here, the roads are too bad for me to drive one handed," she stated.
"Hurry," was his simple reply.
Lizzie hung up the phone, her heart still pounding. The snowflakes falling from the sky reminded her of feather from a pillow fight that went too far.
After what seemed like hours, she pulled her small car into a parking space and got out.
Facing the hospital she realized what could happen tonight. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her coat tighter and walked quickly into the hospital hoping she was ready to face what would happen.