Chapter Seven: Realizations of Love
A/N: Oh, just guess what this is about! Kind of gives it away, huh...? So many reviews! I'm so grateful! Thanks so much! And now that I finished After Rome, I'm probably going to update more often. But only a few people read it!
***
Gordo's POV
It's not like I was anti-social. I had two best friends, Lizzie and Miranda. (Kate had become popular over the summer.) And I had a normal life. I didn't *need* to have a girlfriend.
And then Brooke came along.
At first, I really liked her. It was hard, though, waiting by her locker, paying for her lunch, but I eventually caught on. I thought things were just great between us. But then, I don't know... something happened that made me realize that Brooke wasn't the girl for me.
Lizzie was.
***
"And I don't know why they would do that, David! I thought they were your friends. And why would I be using you...?" We were at the park, and Brooke was chattering away on how outrageous it was for Lizzie and Miranda to spy on us.
And all I could think about was... Lizzie.
She looked so cute when she collided with that waiter and went tumbling to the ground. Something inside told me that if Brooke wasn't there as my date, I probably would have helped her up.
I remembered her weary smile when she knew that we had caught her, the flash of sadness in her eyes. But why sadness? Was she jealous that I was going out with Brooke? Was that possible? Did she like me as more than a friend?
Her hair was perfectly blonde, and it shined when the light hit it. I wonder what conditioner she used... and I wondered what she did to make it so perfectly groomed.
And her lips... was it just me, or was her lip gloss done by a makeup artist or something? They looked so wet, so shiny, so craving... I didn't have much trouble imagining kissing her. I mean, whoa! Talk about amazing.
And then, as if she could read my mind, I felt lips against mine. It took me a split second to realize that these weren't *Lizzie's* lips, but Brooke's. I kissed back, although not passionately, and frowned to myself.
Was I insane? I mean, here I was, kissing my girlfriend, and all I could think about was Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie! Lizzie was a best friend. BEST. FRIEND. My best girl friend. Friend that happened to be a girl. Not my girlfriend. To like her was way out of line, even for someone like me.
I tried to drain the image out of my head, but all I could see was Lizzie. Lizzie and her eyes. Lizzie and her lips. Lizzie and her everything that made her the Lizzie I knew and loved.
Loved?
I didn't love Lizzie.
At least... I didn't *think* I loved Lizzie.
I might.
But I didn't.
I couldn't.
Brooke was my girlfriend. Then why wasn't I thinking about her like this? Why couldn't I see us together twenty years from now, married, happy?
But I could see me and Lizzie.
I was trying to settle down the kids while I walked in through the front door. She grinned and exclaimed, "Gordo's home!" and ran toward me. I greeted her with a kiss, and gave her a box of chocolates. She hugged me, and we kissed again until one of our kids shouted ,"Eww, gross, stop it!"
I looked at Brooke... and I couldn't imagine anything of that sort.
Brooke and I broke apart, and she blushed, and then started up about how obnoxious my friends were. I continued to tune her out and got lost in my own thoughts. Lizzie, Lizzie's hair, Lizzie's smile, Lizzie's eyes... everything about her that I had never noticed before.
It took me a while to figure it out, but then suddenly I came to the conclusion-
I liked Lizzie.
***
"I'm sorry, okay? I just-can't do this. It's too hard for me... and anyway... It-it just wouldn't be... fair." I whispered.
Brooke looked at the ground solemnly. "So I guess we're broken up now?" She asked.
"Yeah, you could say that." I frowned. "But we're still friends, right?"
She grinned. "Yeah."
I kissed her softly on the cheek. "Sorry it had to happen." I said, and then vanished.
It had been hard, but I had broken up with Brooke. Why? Because I was a guy with dignity, and I respected other people's feelings. I didn't want to secretly like Lizzie while I was dating Brooke! It would feel as if I were cheating on her, and that's the number one thing I didn't want to do.
So I had broken up with her, and even though it felt so wrong... it felt so right.
Now I could dream about Lizzie in peace.
As soon as I left, I knew were I was going next. Lizzie's house. I had to tell her that Brooke an I had broken up. Maybe she would get the hint... maybe, just maybe, she would. Maybe then we could go out. Maybe then I could kiss her. Maybe...
I'd just have to wait.
A/N: Now he goes to Lizzie' house and they have the apology)
***
(A/N: After the apology)
What was I thinking!?
Lizzie liked Ethan, not me! What had infected my brain so my thoughts were processed this way? I mean, duh! Lizzie was obsessed by Ethan. Ethan the perfect man. Good hair. Reputation. Expensive clothes. Big house. Good looks. A way with girls. He was everything I wasn't.
Last year, she had made it crystal clear that we weren't boyfriend and girlfriend. So I knew she didn't want us together. It stunk like a skunk.
I kicked a rock as I turned onto my street.
At least we were all friends again. That was a start. I made up some lame reason on how much work it was to be a boyfriend. As if. If it were Lizzie, I'd be doing those things for her right away.
It surprised me how much I liked her now. I had just figured out that I liked her, and now she was all that I could think about.
Oh, well. It was just a silly crush. Crushes went away. It wasn't like I was going to end up marrying Lizzie someday. They were no big deal. You forgot them in a month or so.
But the thing was, it didn't go away, and I didn't forget about it.
A/N: Oh, just guess what this is about! Kind of gives it away, huh...? So many reviews! I'm so grateful! Thanks so much! And now that I finished After Rome, I'm probably going to update more often. But only a few people read it!
***
Gordo's POV
It's not like I was anti-social. I had two best friends, Lizzie and Miranda. (Kate had become popular over the summer.) And I had a normal life. I didn't *need* to have a girlfriend.
And then Brooke came along.
At first, I really liked her. It was hard, though, waiting by her locker, paying for her lunch, but I eventually caught on. I thought things were just great between us. But then, I don't know... something happened that made me realize that Brooke wasn't the girl for me.
Lizzie was.
***
"And I don't know why they would do that, David! I thought they were your friends. And why would I be using you...?" We were at the park, and Brooke was chattering away on how outrageous it was for Lizzie and Miranda to spy on us.
And all I could think about was... Lizzie.
She looked so cute when she collided with that waiter and went tumbling to the ground. Something inside told me that if Brooke wasn't there as my date, I probably would have helped her up.
I remembered her weary smile when she knew that we had caught her, the flash of sadness in her eyes. But why sadness? Was she jealous that I was going out with Brooke? Was that possible? Did she like me as more than a friend?
Her hair was perfectly blonde, and it shined when the light hit it. I wonder what conditioner she used... and I wondered what she did to make it so perfectly groomed.
And her lips... was it just me, or was her lip gloss done by a makeup artist or something? They looked so wet, so shiny, so craving... I didn't have much trouble imagining kissing her. I mean, whoa! Talk about amazing.
And then, as if she could read my mind, I felt lips against mine. It took me a split second to realize that these weren't *Lizzie's* lips, but Brooke's. I kissed back, although not passionately, and frowned to myself.
Was I insane? I mean, here I was, kissing my girlfriend, and all I could think about was Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie! Lizzie was a best friend. BEST. FRIEND. My best girl friend. Friend that happened to be a girl. Not my girlfriend. To like her was way out of line, even for someone like me.
I tried to drain the image out of my head, but all I could see was Lizzie. Lizzie and her eyes. Lizzie and her lips. Lizzie and her everything that made her the Lizzie I knew and loved.
Loved?
I didn't love Lizzie.
At least... I didn't *think* I loved Lizzie.
I might.
But I didn't.
I couldn't.
Brooke was my girlfriend. Then why wasn't I thinking about her like this? Why couldn't I see us together twenty years from now, married, happy?
But I could see me and Lizzie.
I was trying to settle down the kids while I walked in through the front door. She grinned and exclaimed, "Gordo's home!" and ran toward me. I greeted her with a kiss, and gave her a box of chocolates. She hugged me, and we kissed again until one of our kids shouted ,"Eww, gross, stop it!"
I looked at Brooke... and I couldn't imagine anything of that sort.
Brooke and I broke apart, and she blushed, and then started up about how obnoxious my friends were. I continued to tune her out and got lost in my own thoughts. Lizzie, Lizzie's hair, Lizzie's smile, Lizzie's eyes... everything about her that I had never noticed before.
It took me a while to figure it out, but then suddenly I came to the conclusion-
I liked Lizzie.
***
"I'm sorry, okay? I just-can't do this. It's too hard for me... and anyway... It-it just wouldn't be... fair." I whispered.
Brooke looked at the ground solemnly. "So I guess we're broken up now?" She asked.
"Yeah, you could say that." I frowned. "But we're still friends, right?"
She grinned. "Yeah."
I kissed her softly on the cheek. "Sorry it had to happen." I said, and then vanished.
It had been hard, but I had broken up with Brooke. Why? Because I was a guy with dignity, and I respected other people's feelings. I didn't want to secretly like Lizzie while I was dating Brooke! It would feel as if I were cheating on her, and that's the number one thing I didn't want to do.
So I had broken up with her, and even though it felt so wrong... it felt so right.
Now I could dream about Lizzie in peace.
As soon as I left, I knew were I was going next. Lizzie's house. I had to tell her that Brooke an I had broken up. Maybe she would get the hint... maybe, just maybe, she would. Maybe then we could go out. Maybe then I could kiss her. Maybe...
I'd just have to wait.
A/N: Now he goes to Lizzie' house and they have the apology)
***
(A/N: After the apology)
What was I thinking!?
Lizzie liked Ethan, not me! What had infected my brain so my thoughts were processed this way? I mean, duh! Lizzie was obsessed by Ethan. Ethan the perfect man. Good hair. Reputation. Expensive clothes. Big house. Good looks. A way with girls. He was everything I wasn't.
Last year, she had made it crystal clear that we weren't boyfriend and girlfriend. So I knew she didn't want us together. It stunk like a skunk.
I kicked a rock as I turned onto my street.
At least we were all friends again. That was a start. I made up some lame reason on how much work it was to be a boyfriend. As if. If it were Lizzie, I'd be doing those things for her right away.
It surprised me how much I liked her now. I had just figured out that I liked her, and now she was all that I could think about.
Oh, well. It was just a silly crush. Crushes went away. It wasn't like I was going to end up marrying Lizzie someday. They were no big deal. You forgot them in a month or so.
But the thing was, it didn't go away, and I didn't forget about it.