I own the rights to none of the characters in this story, even the characters that I created. If Disney wants to film this story and show it every year at Christmas, they have my permission.
Chapter rated R for language.
To Euir: "Maybe this Sam is like the show: clueless." Well, I hope that all of the characters here are "like the show" (keeping in mind that they're all two or three years older). If so, I'm doing my job. As far as Jo knowing what kind of person Kate is, I believe the worst thing Lizzie's parents think about Kate is that she's a snob, but I don't think that makes them clueless. Doesn't make them right, either. Concerning your theory: I go back and read the previous chapters, and I can see how you might have picked up on some of the clues to reach that conclusion, but no, no prostitution here, at least by any definition that I subscribe to. Didn't we just recently have an R-rated Lizzie posted here with a prostitution theme ("When Life Gives You Lemons"), at least judging by the story summary? I don't know, I haven't read it, but I wouldn't dream of posting a prostitution tale, so soon after another author. I don't think I'm going to confirm or deny any future theories, because eventually, someone will nail it, as the clues continue to get a little more straightforward. Sometime within the next three chapters, Gordo will start pulling the curtain back.
Previous chapters have been replaced with their html versions. No other changes.
Knight in Shining Armor
Chapter 4
They say life is a cabaret, but I guess "they" never lost a friend.
We were huddled together on the couch in Miranda's basement, watching "Sea Biscuit" and commiserating. On arriving at her house, we had cruised through the kitchen, looking for sustenance, and I readily traded my Swiss chocolates to Miranda for an unopened can of cashews. I was in a cashew mood.
So this movie was about a horse, I think, and it took place in the 1700's, or something. Okay, I know it was...later than that, I guess, but who cares? I mean, the point is, I wasn't watching it. I was watching Miranda. I was trying to pretend I was watching it, but I was sneaking peeks at Miranda.
What Lizzie's dad had said had been gnawing at me. Were we growing apart? Was all this natural? Three weeks from now, would Miranda and I be sitting on separate couches, in separate houses, going our separate ways? And would Lizzie be miles away, by then?
Lizzie had obviously made her decision. She had a chance to be with us, and she dumped us to join Kate's party. She didn't even bother to tell us; she just bailed. I tried not to be mad at her, but it was hard. I mean, we had a right to be angry. This was going to screw the group dynamic all to hell. If Lizzie wasn't going to hang, that meant it was just Miranda and me. Which was fine, in the short term, but...well, it would just be too weird, just Miranda and me, every afternoon, every evening on the phone, spending the night at each other's houses, we might as well be screwing, cause everyone's going to think it any--
"I want your penis, Gordo," Miranda told me, her eyes never leaving the screen.
I choked on my coke. "What?"
She turned from ogling Tobey to look at me. "I said I want your peanuts." She frowned and furrowed her brow. "Why? What did you think I said?"
I have got to get a girlfriend, before I ruin two perfectly good friendships.
"Cashews. They're cashews."
She shrugged. "Whatever." I held the can out to her. She lifted a handful and dropped two or three into her mouth. She used the remote control to pause the DVD, and studied the freeze frame. "What are we going to do, Gordo?"
I told her about my conversation with Mr. McGuire.
"That's bullshit, Gordo," Miranda responded. "So they want her to have more friends. No big. But she was excited about tonight. You know that. So why stand us up?"
"Miranda, she was excited, until Kate invited her over."
"Right!" Miranda agreed, missing the point. "She wanted to get together with us, not Kate."
I shook my head in confusion. "So, what are you saying? That Lizzie's dad was lying? That her parents made her go to Kate's party?"
"No," she hedged. "It's just that--"
"Look," I interrupted, ticking the points off on my fingers. "All I know is that Lizzie could have spent the night with us, or she could have gone to Kate's party. That her parents were fine with the former, and set against the latter. That she begged her parents to let her go to the party. And, Miranda, she didn't even. Bother. To tell us."
Miranda pointed at me and pressed the tip of her finger against my chest. "And all I know is that's. Not. Lizzie."
The next day was Saturday. I didn't hear from Lizzie and I didn't try calling her. I was making a sandwich for lunch on Sunday when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it!" I called to my parents, who were engaged in a game of backgammon in the den. I juggled the sandwich with a glass of milk as I opened the front door. Lizzie was on my porch.
"Hey, Gordo," she said tentatively, giving me a tiny, unsure smile, as if she were afraid of my reaction.
All of a sudden, the anger and hurt from Friday boiled to the front. "So," I seethed. "How was your new boyfriend?"
Her face fell, and she gave me a stunned look, as if I had slapped her, or slammed the door in her face, as if my response was the last she had expected, or the worst she had feared. Her hands covered her mouth, and she sobbed. I mean, she sobbed.
I don't know what I was expecting, but this wasn't it. I just wanted her to know I was angry, and she was acting like I wanted nothing to do with her. I frantically searched for something to do with the milk and sandwich, and settled on haphazardly placing them on the foyer table just inside the door. I quickly stepped through the threshold and placed my arms around her shoulders. "Hey," I tried to comfort her. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...." Well, I didn't know what I didn't mean to do. I felt like a shit, and I didn't know why. "Hey, look, uh, look, let's sit down." I steered her to the top step of the porch, and helped her sit, then I ducked back to the house, to shut the door. The last thing I needed was mom coming out and making a fuss.
I sat down next to her. She didn't say anything, just quietly sniffed, and wiped tears away with her hands. I didn't have a handkerchief, but I did have a napkin, and I handed it to her. "Thanks," she said, drying her eyes.
"Lizzie," I started. "I-I didn't mean to upset you."
She held up a hand to stop me. "No. I'm sorry. I was...looking forward to Friday night, but I....I'm sorry, I should have called." Hmmmmm. No apology for dumping us, but it was a start, I guess.
"Miranda and I are worried--"
"I know," she broke in. "You guys think that I'm replacing you with Kate." That wasn't what I was going to say, but I let her continue. She rubbed her nose with the napkin. "I'm going to have to tell Miranda the same thing, but, you know that I love you and Miranda more than anything, right?" I nodded. "And Kate is...Kate's just...." I tried to will her to finish the thought, but it just died on the air. "Gordo, I'm...going through some stuff. And, it's hard for me...."
"Well, let me help," I offered.
"Gordo." She tried several times to continue, her mouth opening, then closing again. "I just need you to be Gordo. That'll help."
"Well, I'm pretty good at that, McGuire," I assured her.
She smiled through her tears and hugged me, on the steps of my front porch. "David Gordon," she whispered in my ear. "You're my rock."
"I thought I was your knight in shining armor," I reminded her.
She sighed. "Just be my rock." And for once, I was perfectly content.