A/N: Actually, believe it or not, Ethan serves a purpose in this story.
Disclaimer: I do not own Lizzie McGuire
Chapter Fifteen
~Lizzie~
Ethan stood there waiting for an answer from Lizzie, but Lizzie didn't answer. She'd been asked that question by Miranda as well, but from Ethan it was different. Since when did he have to come in and try to change her lifestyle? Since when was he so smart? It was like him talking about it gave her a new perspective.
He approved. Everyone approved. What was the problem here? She had to answer that.
"I don't know," she said, "I guess I am just scared."
"Why?" Ethan said.
"I guess I'm scared I might hurt him or something."
"Oh," he said, sitting down, "Like you did with him before?"
Lizzie nodded. There was something about Ethan that made her want to be honest. It wasn't like she could trust him or anything, but she had to admit, despite his flaw, he was a good guy. He made mistakes and she of all people should understand. She did the same. Which was probably why she could listen to what he had to say, "I guess I don't want anything to happen. I loved him before and I love him now, but there was a time when I stopped loving him."
"Look, Lizzie," Ethan said, "all I'm trying to say is that maybe you should give him a chance. Don't ruin this, Lizzie. I ruined it once, but I don't want to know that you ruined it without giving it another chance. This would be good for you, Lizzie."
Lizzie sighed. He, like Miranda and her parents and herself, deep inside, was right. She just found it easier hiding from everything because dealing with it was hard, "I don't know," she said, persistently. She still didn't want to blow the opportunity.
"Lizzie," Ethan said, putting his hand on her shoulder, "I could ask you to find Gordo and talk to him, but I can't make you do that," he continued, "But I can tell you the facts. Gordo is also hurting."
"How do you know?"
"Lizzie," Ethan said, "I know for a fact that Gordo has moved away to find you. I know for a fact that Gordo is currently living in this town hoping that he will find you and give you another chance."
Tears developed in Lizzie's eyes. Why was she listening to this? How did he know all this, "How do you know where he is?"
Ethan sighed, "Miranda told me."
"Oh," Lizzie said, "I see. So, Miranda sent you to come talk to me? Is that how it works?"
"No," Ethan said, "That's not at all how it works. She, like me, was very worried about you. You ran away from your own life, Lizzie. Don't you think that's a little harsh?"
"I know," Lizzie said, close to tears, "but I think that's how it is supposed to be. Lizzie has a good thing, Lizzie ruins a good thing…it's all a cycle. I don't know how to break it."
"Lizzie," Ethan said, sighing, "You break it by giving yourself another chance. You break it by giving Gordo a chance. It's all a part of life and figuring out how to deal with it."
Lizzie sunk her head into Gordo's shoulder, letting herself cry, "I know, I know," he said, and she took a deep breath, "And I think maybe now is the time to deal with it."
"That's my girl," he said, and he carefully stood up, "Are you going to be okay? I mean, I have to go home now."
Lizzie nodded her head and smiled, "Yeah, I'll be fine."
"Good night," he said, walking to the door.
"Ethan?" Lizzie called as Ethan pulled her apartment door open, "Thanks."
"You're welcome, Liz," and with that, Lizzie heard the door shut and continued to sob her heart out as she decided to sort her mind out. Gordo had followed her out here. He could find her any minute. What would she say?
~~~
~Gordo~
On that same night, Gordo was taking a walk home from catching a late dinner and as he walked toward a building, he could have sworn he saw a familiar person walk out of the building. As he came closer, he realized who it was. He thought about not saying something, and convincing himself that it was a figment of his imagination, but he knew he should say something for his own sake.
"Ethan!" he called, quickening his pace as he walked toward his old friend.
Ethan looked in the direction of his voice being called, and when he saw who it was coming from, he jumped back a little, showing some surprise, "Gor-don! My man! Fancy seeing you here!"
"Yeah, well…" Gordo said. He didn't know what Ethan knew, but he wasn't about to tell him what was going down.
"So, you live here, now?" Ethan asked.
"Yeah," Gordo said, shrugging, "I guess I do."
"Ahh," Ethan said, "It's a nice little city. Small, quaint, far away from your hometown."
Gordo laughed a little. What was Ethan up to, anyway? "Yeah, so what brings you here?"
Ethan shrugged, "Someone told me that I needed to help an old friend, so I came to visit that old friend."
"Hm," Gordo said, not realizing that the old friend might be Lizzie. Gordo wasn't that quick in putting two in two together, even if the two were very obvious. This was a small town. How many people could one person know?
"But, I'm glad I ran into you," Ethan said, nodding his head. Both of them realized that this was pretty awkward, "Hey, Gordo, would you like to have a cup of coffee or something?" Ethan offered, figuring it wouldn't hurt to talk to this guy and see if he could knock some sense into David Gordon as well.
Gordo had to admit he was suspicious of Ethan, although he knew Ethan was harmless, "Sure," he said, "It's good to see some old blood around here."
Ethan nodded his head and they went to find the nearest coffee shop and sat down. To say it was awkward was an understatement. Gordo had no idea what was going on in Ethan's world and Ethan didn't know what he was supposed to know versus what he did know.
"So," Ethan said, "How's life?"
Gordo shrugged, "It goes on."
Ethan nodded his head. He then asked something daring, "So, how's Lizzie?"
Gordo looked at Ethan and then it occurred to him of something. Maybe Ethan was here to see Lizzie. Or maybe Ethan thought that he was now with her or something like that. He could only with they were going out. He would have also accepted the something like that with Lizzie, but it just wasn't happening. "I don't know," Gordo answered honestly.
"You don't?" Ethan asked, "But doesn't she live here?"
So he did know something, Gordo decided. But what? "Yeah, I think she does. But I haven't seen her."
Ethan nodded his head, "That's too bad."
Gordo squinted at Ethan, "Listen, Ethan, I know you are here for a reason. Why are you here?"
Disclaimer: I do not own Lizzie McGuire
Chapter Fifteen
~Lizzie~
Ethan stood there waiting for an answer from Lizzie, but Lizzie didn't answer. She'd been asked that question by Miranda as well, but from Ethan it was different. Since when did he have to come in and try to change her lifestyle? Since when was he so smart? It was like him talking about it gave her a new perspective.
He approved. Everyone approved. What was the problem here? She had to answer that.
"I don't know," she said, "I guess I am just scared."
"Why?" Ethan said.
"I guess I'm scared I might hurt him or something."
"Oh," he said, sitting down, "Like you did with him before?"
Lizzie nodded. There was something about Ethan that made her want to be honest. It wasn't like she could trust him or anything, but she had to admit, despite his flaw, he was a good guy. He made mistakes and she of all people should understand. She did the same. Which was probably why she could listen to what he had to say, "I guess I don't want anything to happen. I loved him before and I love him now, but there was a time when I stopped loving him."
"Look, Lizzie," Ethan said, "all I'm trying to say is that maybe you should give him a chance. Don't ruin this, Lizzie. I ruined it once, but I don't want to know that you ruined it without giving it another chance. This would be good for you, Lizzie."
Lizzie sighed. He, like Miranda and her parents and herself, deep inside, was right. She just found it easier hiding from everything because dealing with it was hard, "I don't know," she said, persistently. She still didn't want to blow the opportunity.
"Lizzie," Ethan said, putting his hand on her shoulder, "I could ask you to find Gordo and talk to him, but I can't make you do that," he continued, "But I can tell you the facts. Gordo is also hurting."
"How do you know?"
"Lizzie," Ethan said, "I know for a fact that Gordo has moved away to find you. I know for a fact that Gordo is currently living in this town hoping that he will find you and give you another chance."
Tears developed in Lizzie's eyes. Why was she listening to this? How did he know all this, "How do you know where he is?"
Ethan sighed, "Miranda told me."
"Oh," Lizzie said, "I see. So, Miranda sent you to come talk to me? Is that how it works?"
"No," Ethan said, "That's not at all how it works. She, like me, was very worried about you. You ran away from your own life, Lizzie. Don't you think that's a little harsh?"
"I know," Lizzie said, close to tears, "but I think that's how it is supposed to be. Lizzie has a good thing, Lizzie ruins a good thing…it's all a cycle. I don't know how to break it."
"Lizzie," Ethan said, sighing, "You break it by giving yourself another chance. You break it by giving Gordo a chance. It's all a part of life and figuring out how to deal with it."
Lizzie sunk her head into Gordo's shoulder, letting herself cry, "I know, I know," he said, and she took a deep breath, "And I think maybe now is the time to deal with it."
"That's my girl," he said, and he carefully stood up, "Are you going to be okay? I mean, I have to go home now."
Lizzie nodded her head and smiled, "Yeah, I'll be fine."
"Good night," he said, walking to the door.
"Ethan?" Lizzie called as Ethan pulled her apartment door open, "Thanks."
"You're welcome, Liz," and with that, Lizzie heard the door shut and continued to sob her heart out as she decided to sort her mind out. Gordo had followed her out here. He could find her any minute. What would she say?
~~~
~Gordo~
On that same night, Gordo was taking a walk home from catching a late dinner and as he walked toward a building, he could have sworn he saw a familiar person walk out of the building. As he came closer, he realized who it was. He thought about not saying something, and convincing himself that it was a figment of his imagination, but he knew he should say something for his own sake.
"Ethan!" he called, quickening his pace as he walked toward his old friend.
Ethan looked in the direction of his voice being called, and when he saw who it was coming from, he jumped back a little, showing some surprise, "Gor-don! My man! Fancy seeing you here!"
"Yeah, well…" Gordo said. He didn't know what Ethan knew, but he wasn't about to tell him what was going down.
"So, you live here, now?" Ethan asked.
"Yeah," Gordo said, shrugging, "I guess I do."
"Ahh," Ethan said, "It's a nice little city. Small, quaint, far away from your hometown."
Gordo laughed a little. What was Ethan up to, anyway? "Yeah, so what brings you here?"
Ethan shrugged, "Someone told me that I needed to help an old friend, so I came to visit that old friend."
"Hm," Gordo said, not realizing that the old friend might be Lizzie. Gordo wasn't that quick in putting two in two together, even if the two were very obvious. This was a small town. How many people could one person know?
"But, I'm glad I ran into you," Ethan said, nodding his head. Both of them realized that this was pretty awkward, "Hey, Gordo, would you like to have a cup of coffee or something?" Ethan offered, figuring it wouldn't hurt to talk to this guy and see if he could knock some sense into David Gordon as well.
Gordo had to admit he was suspicious of Ethan, although he knew Ethan was harmless, "Sure," he said, "It's good to see some old blood around here."
Ethan nodded his head and they went to find the nearest coffee shop and sat down. To say it was awkward was an understatement. Gordo had no idea what was going on in Ethan's world and Ethan didn't know what he was supposed to know versus what he did know.
"So," Ethan said, "How's life?"
Gordo shrugged, "It goes on."
Ethan nodded his head. He then asked something daring, "So, how's Lizzie?"
Gordo looked at Ethan and then it occurred to him of something. Maybe Ethan was here to see Lizzie. Or maybe Ethan thought that he was now with her or something like that. He could only with they were going out. He would have also accepted the something like that with Lizzie, but it just wasn't happening. "I don't know," Gordo answered honestly.
"You don't?" Ethan asked, "But doesn't she live here?"
So he did know something, Gordo decided. But what? "Yeah, I think she does. But I haven't seen her."
Ethan nodded his head, "That's too bad."
Gordo squinted at Ethan, "Listen, Ethan, I know you are here for a reason. Why are you here?"