A/N: Yet another chapter =) Hope you guys are all enjoying this one. Let
me know either way.
--Lizzie--
"So they'll be here any minute," Jo McGuire said, nodding in appraisal of her own speech.
"Mom- you- but- no- you- how- this can't be happening. . ." Lizzie stuttered.
"I'm so proud of you! My little girl is- is bringing home her first boyfriend and-"
"Mom- this is so NOT happening," Lizzie continued, still shell-shocked by the news her mother had unleashed upon her.
"Lizzie! It's happening and it's going to be great! I *knew* there was something between you and Gordo since- since the fourth grade!" Jo bubbled.
"Mo-om! You promised to never bring that up in conversation ever again!" Lizzie whined.
"Sorry," Jo replied, "now, just get on upstairs, get changed and be as- as gorgeous as always".
"No seriously, the joke is over now," Lizzie said flatly. Frankly, a meet- the-parents scenario wasn't something she was ready for; at least- not at that stage in her life.
"Lizzie we've been over this," Jo urged, being as parent-like as possible, "The Gordon's are coming 'round for dinner. As soon as I found out about you and Gordo, I told Mrs. Gordon and she thought it was great news too, so, we're having this little get together dinner party".
Sometimes, her mother tried so hard to do the right thing that it just didn't work out, "Mom, you don't understand. We're not-"
"Ready for things like this? Neither was I and that's why we're preparing you for things like this hun, besides. . .you and Gordo make a great couple," Jo interrupted, throwing in her own opinion which Lizzie candidly couldn't refute, whether she liked it or not.
She stood there for a moment, mouth open, wide-eyed. A plethora of questions raced through her mind.
What to wear?
What was on the menu?
What were Gordo's parents going to say?
What was Gordo going to say?
How the hell did her mother find out?
She pondered for a moment, the last question and figured it probably had something to do with Kate. Apparently, it was Kate's duty to rain down on Lizzie's life at every possible second available.
"Well come on!" Jo spurred, "get moving, they'll be here soon!"
Lizzie wasn't sure what to answer. Her mother's mind was made up. The plans were made. Everything was set. Nothing could stop the dinner from going ahead.
"Alright," Lizzie caved, lowering her voice, "but Mom, you can't mess in my affairs".
"I won't say anything about you guys," Jo replied easily.
Lizzie wondered how far that statement could go. She began to trek up the staircase slowly, attempting to play out the night in her mind. On all accounts, it seemed this was asking something *truly* big of Gordo, and herself. Regardless, it was set in stone. She would simply have to soldier on.
And that's when the bell rang.
Lizzie spun around, midway up the staircase. It was Gordo and his parents and she wasn't even *slightly* ready. Her father, Sam, had appeared from the lounge and headed to the door. So she raced up the remaining few steps and bolted into her room, slamming the door behind her.
Had she had the time to plan the night, everything would have been laid out perfectly on her bed, so despite how late she was running after showering, doing her hair and generally preparing, her clothing would be selected and ready for use.
On this occasion, she had to scrounge up whatever was at her disposal. Deciding what to wear was more of a ritual than a process. There was the ancient art of narrowing down what was available and then the progression to mixing and matching the various items of clothing, to find the perfect combination, that would appease the God's or in Lizzie's case, her parents and the social dictation of the season.
Fortunately, her best pair of jeans were hung neatly in her closet, which she grabbed along with a blue and white blouse, simplistic in design, but elegant and sophisticated. She changed in seconds flat. Tossing the clothes she had been wearing in various directions.
"Hey," came Gordo's familiar voice from the other side of the door, "are you decent?"
"No," Lizzie replied anxiously, buttoning her blouse, "just wait there".
"What's the plan, McGuire?" Gordo asked coolly. She hated that. They were about to put on a huge 'song and dance' for their parents and there he was, acting as if he hadn't a care in the world.
"Maybe," she began, "you've got something?"
She flicked her hair, starring at the door, waiting for his response.
"I've got an idea, it isn't fantastic, but it's something to go on," he answered slowly.
She immediately became sceptical. If Gordo wasn't confident in his plan, then there was no one that could be, "well. . .what is it?"
"How about the truth- for. . .I mean- like- for ev- how about the truth?" he asked, stumbling over his words and acting rather apprehensively.
She pulled the door towards her slightly, peeking out at him.
"What were you going to say. . .I- I mean really. . .what is it you were. . .you know. . ." she responded hesitantly. She had a feeling- an intuition that he had meant to say something else entirely.
"No! I- yeah- how about we get dinner?" he stuttered, running a hand through his hair.
She preferred not to enter any details, despite being intrigued by his sudden nervousness. It wasn't Gordo. Not the Gordo she knew at least. She decided on saving her questions for later.
"Yeah- yeah umm dinner sounds great," she answered, pulling the door away completely and following him down the stairs.
He stopped at the top of the flight for her, "Lizzie," he began, "I'm glad we're doing this together and not alone".
"Me too," she replied, looking over at him slightly, and then returning her gaze to the ground below them.
They paused for a moment before walking down together, in unison; Lizzie held the handrail and Gordo walked comfortably with one hand in a pocket and the other free.
Their parents caught notice of them and stopped their chatter, focusing their attention on their children, standing side by side at the entrance to the lounge.
"Now there's the happy campers," Sam smiled, motioning over to the pair.
"It's going to be one *long* night," Gordo whispered to Lizzie, out of the corner of his mouth.
"You two look like *such* a couple!" Jo bubbled, smiling proudly.
"One helluva long night," Lizzie whispered to Gordo in response.
--Lizzie--
"So they'll be here any minute," Jo McGuire said, nodding in appraisal of her own speech.
"Mom- you- but- no- you- how- this can't be happening. . ." Lizzie stuttered.
"I'm so proud of you! My little girl is- is bringing home her first boyfriend and-"
"Mom- this is so NOT happening," Lizzie continued, still shell-shocked by the news her mother had unleashed upon her.
"Lizzie! It's happening and it's going to be great! I *knew* there was something between you and Gordo since- since the fourth grade!" Jo bubbled.
"Mo-om! You promised to never bring that up in conversation ever again!" Lizzie whined.
"Sorry," Jo replied, "now, just get on upstairs, get changed and be as- as gorgeous as always".
"No seriously, the joke is over now," Lizzie said flatly. Frankly, a meet- the-parents scenario wasn't something she was ready for; at least- not at that stage in her life.
"Lizzie we've been over this," Jo urged, being as parent-like as possible, "The Gordon's are coming 'round for dinner. As soon as I found out about you and Gordo, I told Mrs. Gordon and she thought it was great news too, so, we're having this little get together dinner party".
Sometimes, her mother tried so hard to do the right thing that it just didn't work out, "Mom, you don't understand. We're not-"
"Ready for things like this? Neither was I and that's why we're preparing you for things like this hun, besides. . .you and Gordo make a great couple," Jo interrupted, throwing in her own opinion which Lizzie candidly couldn't refute, whether she liked it or not.
She stood there for a moment, mouth open, wide-eyed. A plethora of questions raced through her mind.
What to wear?
What was on the menu?
What were Gordo's parents going to say?
What was Gordo going to say?
How the hell did her mother find out?
She pondered for a moment, the last question and figured it probably had something to do with Kate. Apparently, it was Kate's duty to rain down on Lizzie's life at every possible second available.
"Well come on!" Jo spurred, "get moving, they'll be here soon!"
Lizzie wasn't sure what to answer. Her mother's mind was made up. The plans were made. Everything was set. Nothing could stop the dinner from going ahead.
"Alright," Lizzie caved, lowering her voice, "but Mom, you can't mess in my affairs".
"I won't say anything about you guys," Jo replied easily.
Lizzie wondered how far that statement could go. She began to trek up the staircase slowly, attempting to play out the night in her mind. On all accounts, it seemed this was asking something *truly* big of Gordo, and herself. Regardless, it was set in stone. She would simply have to soldier on.
And that's when the bell rang.
Lizzie spun around, midway up the staircase. It was Gordo and his parents and she wasn't even *slightly* ready. Her father, Sam, had appeared from the lounge and headed to the door. So she raced up the remaining few steps and bolted into her room, slamming the door behind her.
Had she had the time to plan the night, everything would have been laid out perfectly on her bed, so despite how late she was running after showering, doing her hair and generally preparing, her clothing would be selected and ready for use.
On this occasion, she had to scrounge up whatever was at her disposal. Deciding what to wear was more of a ritual than a process. There was the ancient art of narrowing down what was available and then the progression to mixing and matching the various items of clothing, to find the perfect combination, that would appease the God's or in Lizzie's case, her parents and the social dictation of the season.
Fortunately, her best pair of jeans were hung neatly in her closet, which she grabbed along with a blue and white blouse, simplistic in design, but elegant and sophisticated. She changed in seconds flat. Tossing the clothes she had been wearing in various directions.
"Hey," came Gordo's familiar voice from the other side of the door, "are you decent?"
"No," Lizzie replied anxiously, buttoning her blouse, "just wait there".
"What's the plan, McGuire?" Gordo asked coolly. She hated that. They were about to put on a huge 'song and dance' for their parents and there he was, acting as if he hadn't a care in the world.
"Maybe," she began, "you've got something?"
She flicked her hair, starring at the door, waiting for his response.
"I've got an idea, it isn't fantastic, but it's something to go on," he answered slowly.
She immediately became sceptical. If Gordo wasn't confident in his plan, then there was no one that could be, "well. . .what is it?"
"How about the truth- for. . .I mean- like- for ev- how about the truth?" he asked, stumbling over his words and acting rather apprehensively.
She pulled the door towards her slightly, peeking out at him.
"What were you going to say. . .I- I mean really. . .what is it you were. . .you know. . ." she responded hesitantly. She had a feeling- an intuition that he had meant to say something else entirely.
"No! I- yeah- how about we get dinner?" he stuttered, running a hand through his hair.
She preferred not to enter any details, despite being intrigued by his sudden nervousness. It wasn't Gordo. Not the Gordo she knew at least. She decided on saving her questions for later.
"Yeah- yeah umm dinner sounds great," she answered, pulling the door away completely and following him down the stairs.
He stopped at the top of the flight for her, "Lizzie," he began, "I'm glad we're doing this together and not alone".
"Me too," she replied, looking over at him slightly, and then returning her gaze to the ground below them.
They paused for a moment before walking down together, in unison; Lizzie held the handrail and Gordo walked comfortably with one hand in a pocket and the other free.
Their parents caught notice of them and stopped their chatter, focusing their attention on their children, standing side by side at the entrance to the lounge.
"Now there's the happy campers," Sam smiled, motioning over to the pair.
"It's going to be one *long* night," Gordo whispered to Lizzie, out of the corner of his mouth.
"You two look like *such* a couple!" Jo bubbled, smiling proudly.
"One helluva long night," Lizzie whispered to Gordo in response.