"Hey, Gordo."
I looked up to find Larry Tudgeman staring back at me.
"Where is Lizzie?" he asked, scanning the room.
"Don't ask."
"It's not like I did not see the whole thing. I told you not to eat that garlic fettucine at dinner."
I quickly did a breath test, and replied. "My breath is not bad."
"Sure."
"Are you always like this? Why do you think that you are such the expert on love?"
"Because, unlike you, I have a girlfriend."
I glared at Larry for a second, fuming because of what just happened, and the fact that I did not want to talk to him in a time like this. But soon I realized that I could probably use his advice.
"Well, what do I do now?"
"Go talk to her. Apologize."
"I don't even know where she is."
He glanced over to the girl's bathroom.
"I am not going in there."
As I looked over there, a tear-streaked Lizzie opened the door and ran out to the back door.
"Go get your girl, Gordon."
I took a deep breath, and walked towards the back door.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I took a deep breath, and I opened the door. For a second I did not know where to go, but I ran towards the back door anyways.
As I exited the school, I scanned my surroundings. I saw the old elementary school playground in the distance.
As I sat down on the swingset, I looked in the distance to see Gordo running out the back door of the school, towards me.
Great.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I saw Lizzie sitting on an abandoned swingset. As she saw me, she turned her head away sharply.
I sat down on the swing next to her.
"We really need to talk."
Before I could start, she began to talk.
"Gordo, we agreed on this. We promised, and shook hands on it. We are just friends. Remember all of that jealousy crud with Jeremy? We are better off just being friends."
"Lizzie, stop talking, and let me explain myself."
I took a deep breath, and began my piece.
"I really like you. I mean...you are beautiful, and you don't even know it, and that makes you even more....amazing."
"My life, ever since I moved here, has not been, great. Watching my dad, my hero, suffer for three years of cancer, leaving my home of my whole life, coming here....Lizzie, I was born in Seattle. I learned to talk, walk, and ride a bike there. I won't lie to you, Lizzie, I hate it in Hillridge."
"The sun always shines in Hillridge, when it always rains in Seattle. There are no Starbucks here. It is not really my kind of place. And the people here, no offense, are snobs. Most of them looked down on me when I moved here. Most of them, except for you."
"You accepted me into your group of friends, even if I was that kid from Seattle. You made Hillridege feel like home to me. And when you were just my friend at first, I could not help but develop feelings for you."
"The day that we presented our project, when I looked into your eyes, I did not see the eyes of a friend. I saw the eyes of someone that I wanted to....that I loved. I watched you, wanting to make a move. But I was too scared, I could not."
"A lot of the things that I have wanted, have been taken away from me. I mean, next fall, I might not be going to the college of my choice. And you, and Jeremy, my best friends getting together. More was taken away from me, and I could not stand the sight of it."
"But, tonight, I am so sorry. I did not mean to kiss you tonight."
"So, I will give you a choice. Say the word, and we can be just friends again. If you do not say anything, I will take the hint. I will leave your life, and you don't have to see me ever again."
I looked at Lizzie's face. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and she sat on the swing, silent.
"I am sorry for wasting your time, Lizzie Mcguire."
I started to walk towards the front parking lot to get my car. But as I was walking, I heard my name called out.
"Gordo, wait."
Lizzie ran towards me the best that she could with her heels on.
"I mean...I don't want to be just friends."
We looked into each others eyes, and our lips met for a second time.
Except this time, she did not run away.
"I want to be more than friends."
We both smiled, as she placed her hand in mine.
"We were not supposed to fall in love. But fate plays crazy tricks on people sometimes."
"Lizzie, do you want to dance with me?"
We looked at the students filing out of the school.
"I think the dance is already over."
"No...out here."
She looked at me unsurely.
"I promise that I will not sing this time."
She smiled and laughed.
"I would love to, David Gordon."
I took her hand, and led her to the basketball court in the playground.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Once there was a way to get back homeward
Once there was a way to get back home
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullabye
Golden slumbers fill your eyes
Smiles awake you when you rise
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullabye
Once there was a way to get back homeward
Once there was a way to get back home
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullabye
I looked up to find Larry Tudgeman staring back at me.
"Where is Lizzie?" he asked, scanning the room.
"Don't ask."
"It's not like I did not see the whole thing. I told you not to eat that garlic fettucine at dinner."
I quickly did a breath test, and replied. "My breath is not bad."
"Sure."
"Are you always like this? Why do you think that you are such the expert on love?"
"Because, unlike you, I have a girlfriend."
I glared at Larry for a second, fuming because of what just happened, and the fact that I did not want to talk to him in a time like this. But soon I realized that I could probably use his advice.
"Well, what do I do now?"
"Go talk to her. Apologize."
"I don't even know where she is."
He glanced over to the girl's bathroom.
"I am not going in there."
As I looked over there, a tear-streaked Lizzie opened the door and ran out to the back door.
"Go get your girl, Gordon."
I took a deep breath, and walked towards the back door.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I took a deep breath, and I opened the door. For a second I did not know where to go, but I ran towards the back door anyways.
As I exited the school, I scanned my surroundings. I saw the old elementary school playground in the distance.
As I sat down on the swingset, I looked in the distance to see Gordo running out the back door of the school, towards me.
Great.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I saw Lizzie sitting on an abandoned swingset. As she saw me, she turned her head away sharply.
I sat down on the swing next to her.
"We really need to talk."
Before I could start, she began to talk.
"Gordo, we agreed on this. We promised, and shook hands on it. We are just friends. Remember all of that jealousy crud with Jeremy? We are better off just being friends."
"Lizzie, stop talking, and let me explain myself."
I took a deep breath, and began my piece.
"I really like you. I mean...you are beautiful, and you don't even know it, and that makes you even more....amazing."
"My life, ever since I moved here, has not been, great. Watching my dad, my hero, suffer for three years of cancer, leaving my home of my whole life, coming here....Lizzie, I was born in Seattle. I learned to talk, walk, and ride a bike there. I won't lie to you, Lizzie, I hate it in Hillridge."
"The sun always shines in Hillridge, when it always rains in Seattle. There are no Starbucks here. It is not really my kind of place. And the people here, no offense, are snobs. Most of them looked down on me when I moved here. Most of them, except for you."
"You accepted me into your group of friends, even if I was that kid from Seattle. You made Hillridege feel like home to me. And when you were just my friend at first, I could not help but develop feelings for you."
"The day that we presented our project, when I looked into your eyes, I did not see the eyes of a friend. I saw the eyes of someone that I wanted to....that I loved. I watched you, wanting to make a move. But I was too scared, I could not."
"A lot of the things that I have wanted, have been taken away from me. I mean, next fall, I might not be going to the college of my choice. And you, and Jeremy, my best friends getting together. More was taken away from me, and I could not stand the sight of it."
"But, tonight, I am so sorry. I did not mean to kiss you tonight."
"So, I will give you a choice. Say the word, and we can be just friends again. If you do not say anything, I will take the hint. I will leave your life, and you don't have to see me ever again."
I looked at Lizzie's face. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, and she sat on the swing, silent.
"I am sorry for wasting your time, Lizzie Mcguire."
I started to walk towards the front parking lot to get my car. But as I was walking, I heard my name called out.
"Gordo, wait."
Lizzie ran towards me the best that she could with her heels on.
"I mean...I don't want to be just friends."
We looked into each others eyes, and our lips met for a second time.
Except this time, she did not run away.
"I want to be more than friends."
We both smiled, as she placed her hand in mine.
"We were not supposed to fall in love. But fate plays crazy tricks on people sometimes."
"Lizzie, do you want to dance with me?"
We looked at the students filing out of the school.
"I think the dance is already over."
"No...out here."
She looked at me unsurely.
"I promise that I will not sing this time."
She smiled and laughed.
"I would love to, David Gordon."
I took her hand, and led her to the basketball court in the playground.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Once there was a way to get back homeward
Once there was a way to get back home
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullabye
Golden slumbers fill your eyes
Smiles awake you when you rise
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullabye
Once there was a way to get back homeward
Once there was a way to get back home
Sleep pretty darling do not cry
And I will sing a lullabye