To my readers/reviewers – Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad people are enjoying this story.

A/N – "Thoughts"

Chapter 4 - The Edge

Lizzie laid on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. It had been a few hours since her argument with Gordo and she was desperately trying to figure out a way to patch things up with him.

A knock interrupted her thoughts. Letting out an annoyed sigh, she sat up. "Who is it?"

"Ethan."

Getting up, Lizzie slowly walked over to the door and opened it. Stepping aside, Ethan walked into the room. "What's up Ethan?"

Sitting down in one of the chairs in the room, he studied her for a moment. "Do you know where Gordo is?"

"I haven't seen him since this afternoon." Lizzie pushed aside the nervous, worried feeling she got. "Why?" she asked cautiously, as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

Ethan leaned back in his chair. "A couple of hours ago, he came storming into his room. Grabbed a few things, then stormed out without saying anything."

"Oh."

"You know what set him off don't you?"

Lizzie sighed and flopped backwards onto the bed.

Ethan leaned forward, "Liz."

"I ticked him off. I don't know why but he just snapped," she answered as she draped an arm across her eyes.

Shaking his head, he rested his forehead in his palm. "What did you say?"

"I was sorry about Dana and how he deserved someone better. Next thing I know, he's jumping down my throat," Lizzie told him.

"Great," Ethan mumbled under his breath. "Look Liz, I know you mean well but you gotta let the man deal with this on his own."

"But why? He should let his friends help him," Lizzie snapped at him as she sat up.

"Liz. Gordo's very private; you of all people should know this. The harder you push him, the more he's gonna withdraw."

Lizzie opened her mouth to say something but a loud scream interrupted them.

Both of them jumped to their feet. "What the hell was that?" Ethan asked aloud.

"Sounded like it came from next door," Lizzie said as they made their way to the door.

Ethan's head snapped up, "Kate." Almost ripping the door of its hinges, Ethan ran into the hall. Lizzie was close behind and watched Ethan trying to force the door to Kate and Claire's room open.

"Ethan what's going on?" Claire asked him, as Danny and her came running up.

"Give me your key."

"Ethan,"

"The key!" Ethan barked. Claire opened her handbag and gave him the key.

Ethan threw the door open and charged in.

Quickly scanning the room, he spotted Kate cowering in a corner and Brian advancing on her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kate spotted him. "Ethan!"

Brian quickly looked over and saw Ethan charging him. Before Brian could react, Ethan punched him hard in the face and grabbing his shirt, he literally threw him across the room.

Before he could go after him again, Kate ran up to him and slammed herself into him. Ethan just reacted and wrapped her in a tight hug.

Brian pushed himself up and started to scramble for the door but Danny was blocking his path. Danny roughly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pulled him to him. "You mess with Kate again, you better hope to god I deal with you cause Ethan will rip your head off. Get out of here." He turned and shoved him into the opposite hall wall.

Claire and Lizzie, who were standing just inside the room, watched this, obviously stunned.

Ethan gently rubbed Kate's back. "I got you. Its alright."

Kate was crying now, "He tried to rape me."

"He will never touch you again, I promise."

Danny walked over to the girls. Standing next to Claire, he slipped his hand into hers and gently squeezed it.

Kate lifted her head slightly and looked at who else was in the room. Kate's eyes locked with Lizzie's.

"Liz," she called softly.

Taking a step closer, "Yea."

She took a deep breath, fighting back the tears. "Find David. Tell him how you feel. Don't let him go."

"But Kate,"

Kate interrupted her. "Damn it Liz! There are too many jerks out there and not enough of the good guys." As she finished, she took her hands off Ethan' s chest and put them around his waist, and gently squeezed. "Gordo is one of the good guys. Don't let him go without a fight." She then put her head back on his shoulder.

Lizzie slowly walked towards the door and paused. Looking back, she watched Ethan and Kate walk over to one of the beds and sit down. Claire sat down next to them and hugged Kate. Lizzie watched surprised, as Claire actually looked concerned about her. "Maybe I don't give their friendship enough credit."

A hand on her shoulder, snapped her out of her thoughts. Looking over, Danny gave her a weak smile. "She'll be alright. Ethan will take care of her."

Lizzie gave him a weak smile of her own and nodded. Walking out into the hall, her head was spinning.

Lizzie slowly walked down the hall, not knowing what to do next. She didn't even know where Gordo was, much less how to make up with him.

As she was walking down the hall, a door to one of the rooms opened. Lizzie could hear a party going on inside the room but was going to just keep walking, until she heard someone call her name.

"Yo Liz."

Lizzie looked over and saw Tara Reynolds leaning slightly against the doorframe. Tara was in a couple of Lizzie's classes and the two while not really friends, got along well.

"Hey Tara."

Reaching out Tara grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside. "Come party with us."

Lizzie reluctantly followed her inside. Tara led them over to a group of other girls that Lizzie kind of knew.

After a few awkward moments, a group of guys came over with a bunch of small plastic cups. Lizzie watched everyone started taking one.

Tara handed her one, "Here."

"What is it?" she asked looking at the cup. "Looks like jell-o."

The group laughed and Tara just grinned at her. "It's a jell-o shot," she said before swallowing her shot.

"What the hell. Not like it could make this day any better." Closing her eyes, in one motion she brought the cup to her lips and drank the shot.

"Wow," was all she could say as she felt the effects of the shot.

Tara laughed and handed her another one. In a quick motion, both girls drank the shots. Lizzie suddenly started to feel less tense and started to forget why she was really upset.

"I knew you just needed to relax a little," Tara told her, her words slightly slurred.

Lizzie just nodded and giggled slightly in response. She was enjoying this feeling and wanted to keep it going. Taking a third shot, "What's the worst that could happen."