Chapter Eighteen: Forgive and Forget
A/N: Yay! Over 200 reviews! And I'm not even done yet! I hope you all like this chapter because I worked really hard on it, and it's much happier. The best part? It's LONG.
Someone, anyone, go see Win a Date With Tad Hamilton, because I'm badly grounded and can't see it! Bummer. I wanted to see this movie real bad so if anyone sees it tell me!! ~_~
***
Lizzie's POV
Alex Simmons. He was my new boyfriend now. I didn't need that lousy Gordo. It was my senior year in high school, and I had to face the fact that I had to let go of my childhood friends and memories.
Right.
The only reason I dated Alex is because I was so lonely I thought I'd commit suicide. No one knew that, though, not even myself. I thought Alex was amazing-and he was... but he was no Gordo. It was okay, though, dating him, since Gordo had hurt me so much. I didn't know that Lucy Carmichael was such a fraud, not until later, anyway.
I had met Alex while volunteering at a psychology center over the winter break. The people there said he had temper problems, but I hung out with him a lot and found the real Alex, the thoughtful, kind one. I forcefully convinced the people to let him stop taking those anger management classes, and after doing him such a wonderful favor, he wanted to thank me... and ever since we had been boyfriend and girlfriend.
Never had he acted like he was mad... I didn't understand what his temper problems were until a while later...
Gordo had been dateless since I'd dumped him. I didn't see much of him, and when I did, we would start fighting like cats and dogs. He was always so sad and lonely... I wished he could at least have a girlfriend or something, but no, he continued to occasionally hang out with Miranda, get good grades, and be the same person he had been since birth. He hated me, though.
Or so I thought.
***
"Alex..." I said, sighing, one day at lunch in the twelfth grade. "Don't you feel sorry for David Gordon?"
Alex raised his eyes. "No.. he's a total geek."
I didn't know how to answer to that. I didn't want to protest, or else he would think I was a geek, too. But I didn't want him to be insulting Gordo. I mean, he might've cheated on me, but he was still okay... and we had shared our lives together.
"But he's always so alone!" I exclaimed. "Poor guy."
"Yeah... he needs a girlfriend like you." Alex seemed like he knew what he was talking about, but rephrased it. "I mean, not *you*, but someone as good as you."
I giggled. "I get it."
We ate in silence for a few minutes as I observed Gordo eating. He was concentrating on his sandwich, not glancing up for even a split second to see what was happening around him. I guess it didn't matter to him. I mean, no friends, no girlfriend, what was there to pay attention to?
It was true I felt sorry for him, but I felt sorry for me, too. I missed him. Kind of. I liked him, even though he was a liar and a cheater. Everyone has their faults. No one's perfect. I was a year older now, wiser. But I should've made that decision before. Now I had a boyfriend, and Gordo had definitely forgotten about me.
"You know we used to be friends?"
"Who, you and Gordon?" Alex looked shocked. "When?"
"Since birth. He's only a week older than me, and we grew up together. We dated, last year, but I broke up with him because he cheated on me. He's a nice guy and all... just a little weird." I almost whispered, studying him. He hadn't changed a bit. Same eyes, same hair, same lips...
I shivered at the memory of kissing him.
Alex was looking at me in alarm. "You went out with him?"
"Yeah, I did." I said, glancing at him once again. "You know, wait here. I'm going to go talk to him."
***
Gordo's POV
I was perfectly intent on my baloney sandwich, when Lizzie came over and sat down right next to me.
I was confused. Usually, people just ignored me, like they did a ceiling tile. If you're really bored you stare at the ceiling, and that's what people did; when they were really bored, they'd talk to me. But never in about a year had anyone sat down next to me during lunch. Especially Lizzie, my ex.
"Lucy Carmichael kissed you, didn't she?" Lizzie whispered, staring at the pole next to our table. "It wasn't the other way around, was it?"
It was about time she noticed.
"Yeah..."
She turned to face me, her eyebrows scrunched together. "Yeah? Then why didn't you tell me?"
"You didn't listen." I shrugged, mixing up the fruit on the bottom with my yogurt.
"And you let me go just like that? You let me believe all this time that you were a rotten liar?" She said, mouth open. "Didn't you even love me?"
"Yeah, I did, Lizzie."
I still did.
I was madly in love with her... once true love starts, it can't be stopped. I'd spent the last year browsing through photographs; not necessarily us together, but just her. I needed to see her smiling face to keep myself alive. She was so beautiful, so kind, and no matter how many pictures you had, you couldn't live on them. I was close to going crazy, but seeing her at school was okay. Sure, she was with someone else, but I didn't care. I loved her. But of course, she couldn't know that.
"Lucy is so dead." She scowled, and then started staring at the pole and whispering again. "Do you hate me for not figuring this out earlier?"
"No."
"Are you mad?"
"No."
"Frustrated?"
"No."
"Do you even care about our relationship anymore?"
I hesitated, and searched for the right thing to say. I cared. Of course I did. But to tell her that or not... and how to word it...?
"We don't have one." I replied.
She rolled her eyes. "I mean, the one we had before."
I sighed. "Lizzie, just please let me eat my lunch in peace." And with that, I picked up my tray and moved to another empty table, leaving poor Lizzie dumbfounded.
***
Lizzie's POV
I frowned. Gordo was not supposed to ditch me like that! We were supposed to be friends! Or at least, I was hoping we could be friends. I was sick of this childish fight between us. It should've been resolved a year ago. We were in twelfth grade, hello! Just half a year and we'd be in college! If that's not mature, I don't know what is.
I got up, frowning.
Miranda would hear about this. Ever since me and Gordo broke up, she had been so determined that he still loved me and that we had to get together again. She was totally committed to get us in love all over again. But really... our relationship wasn't *love*. It was just two high-school kids making out all the time. Love doesn't necessarily consist of making out, but we thought it did. Sure, we bought each other gifts, giggled every now and then... it was so stereotype.
We had seen it everywhere, on TV, in the movies, in books, but really what love means, what a relationship is, is not all the things they show on TV. It's deeper, kind of hard to explain. And you can only fall in love once. So far, I was still at zero. I never loved Gordo, and I certainly didn't love Alex. I mean, sure, we were boyfriend/girlfriend, but that doesn't mean we have to love each other, right?
I shook my head and brought myself back to the table Alex was sitting at. I had to stop thinking so much. It was permanently damaging my brain.
"You still love him." Alex frowned, crossing his arms.
My eyes widened. Had I not just finished a long lecture about how I had never loved anyone, and that I probably wouldn't anytime soon?
"No, I don't!" I insisted. "Never!"
He shook his head at me and his nostrils flared angrily. "You can't stop loving someone!" He exclaimed. "It's not human."
"Alex, calm down..." I soothed. "I never loved him."
His eyes flickered. "Oh sure, then why did you talk to him? Huh? Huh?" He poked my shoulder.
"Because-I don't know, but I know I don't love him."
"Yes, you do." He sighed and resumed to eating.
***
"Oh, not this movie again!" I groaned. "Can we please see something else?"
Alex frowned. "No. I want to watch this."
I scowled. Ever since my date with Alex had began, he being so hostile and snobby. Everything had to be his way. First the dinner... he took us to this funky place where the food was terrible. He ordered everything he *knew* I didn't like. And he made me pay for it, which wouldn't have been so bad if the bill wasn't a hundred and fifteen dollars. Plus tax.
Then he dragged me to this boring movie that we had already seen. When we saw it the first time, he said it was the worst movie ever, and now he wanted to see it again? And was it necessary to buy everything at the concession stand and make me pay for it all again?
"Okay, but can you pay? I'm a little low on cash..." I said, smiling. "... and I'm saving for this killer pair of boots."
"I'm broke." He said flatly, and headed toward the theater, arms loaded with popcorn and soda and gummi worms and junior mints.
'I'm broke.' I mimicked under my breath as he disappeared, and paid the guy behind the counter. "Bye-bye boots." I murmured.
I trudged my way to the theater and sat down next to Alex. "Alex, why are you acting all nasty?" I whispered hastily.
His jaw dropped. "Me?" He exclaimed, his face scrunching up. It seemed like he was going to explode, but he took two deep breaths and smiled. "I mean... let's just rent a movie at my house."
I grinned. "No, my house."
"There's no one home at my house." He whispered.
I giggled. "Let's go!"
***
Gordo's POV
"Take a walk. It'll help you clear your thoughts."
That's what Phil had said.
Phil was one of my dad's co-workers. My dad had thought I needed psychological therapy ever since I broke up with Lizzie. And I couldn't blame the guy. I'd be concerned too, if my kid did nothing but sleep and do homework all day long. He was worried, and hated to shrink me himself, so he hired Phil to do it.
Phil was a pretty cool guy. He got stuff. He understood what I was going through. He actually was sympathetic. He said it is common for a 'young male' to go under depression at my age. It's part of adolescence. Like I didn't know that. But he helps. And today, after talking to Lizzie, I knew I had to use one of Phil's do-so-you-don't-commit-suicide techniques.
Walking.
So here I was, "gathering my thoughts".
The reason I was in therapy wasn't only because of Lizzie. She was only a fourth of it. I didn't know what my purpose was in life. What was I here to do? I wasn't good at anything, when everyone else was great at something. I felt like God had made me by accident, and the world would be the same if I wasn't there. I tried to think of ways that I'd influenced society, and came up with zilch. It was completely pointless.
I was completely pointless.
People would call this 'self-esteem issues', but I call it life. I respected myself. And my achievements. It's just that there wasn't much *to* respect. I lived for the sake of grades. I worked hard to get As, since that was the only thing that mattered in life anymore.
I mean, really. Does TV and movies and music matter? How is it going to help you in the long run? Why go to the beach? I mean, fun isn't necessary in life. Life was a race, and the people who stopped to have fun finished last. It was kind of corny, using all of these clichés to explain how I felt, but Phil said it was okay as long as I'm expressing my feelings.
It seems like I base my life on what Phil says.
It wasn't like I was in deep depression, either. I didn't drink, I didn't smoke, nor did I have the urge to. I hadn't caused any car accidents, or committed suicide or anything. I just wasn't happy. Bored, I guess.
I knew Lizzie could fix this all. If I got her back, this depression thing would all go away. She would definitely make things better for me. Much better.
So now I was walking.
Talking to Lizzie today had been terrifying. Miranda had said that she talked about me occasionally, and still seemed to want to be friends, but she didn't know how scary it was to speak to her after that break up. But, hey, at least now she knew that Lucy had kissed me. I wondered how she could've found out. Maybe a wild guess?
But Lizzie had Alex now, and even if she wanted to get back together with me, it couldn't happen. I couldn't love her anymore than a beetle can love a princess. Even if the princess tried to notice the beetle, she'd end up stepping all over-
My thoughts were interrupted by my cellphone. Who could be calling at 8 at night? Miranda, maybe? My parents?
"Hello?"
"...Gordo..."
Lizzie?
My eyes bulged. She was panting, gasping for air as if she were getting choked to death. Why was Lizzie calling me? Why was she breathing like that?
"Lizzie!?" I exclaimed. "What-are... where are... why are you calling?"
"Alex...." She wheezed. "...he's gonna kill me..."
I almost dropped the phone right then and there.
"WHAT!?" I exclaimed. "Lizzie, are you okay? What's going on?" I asked frantically.
He was going to kill her? What was up with that?
"495 Oakland Avenue. He's got a knife. Save me, Gordo, please come here and- "
I heard some muffled yelling in the background and the phone going dead.
I gasped.
Lizzie was in trouble.
I dialed 911 and sprinted for Oakland Avenue.
***
Lizzie's POV
"You love him, don't you?" He said, running the knife against my cheek. "Yes, you do..."
I squeezed my eyes shut. "Alex. Stop." I whimpered, feeling the blood drip down my face. "Don't."
"What's so wrong about me, huh?" He said, poking my other cheek lightly. "Why him?"
I shivered. "I don't love him." I tried to untie my hands in protest.
Now I knew why Alex was in a mental facility.
He was crazy.
He had tied me to a chair, tied up feet, and after he saw me call Gordo, he crushed my cellphone and tied my hands. He got a knife and started to question me, and not even listening to the answers, he'd make a small cut in my body with the knife every time. I was bleeding all over.
"SHUT UP!" He yelled. "You know you love him. Just admit it."
"I love you, Alex." I whimpered. So maybe that wasn't true, but this guy was killing me!
"NO YOU DON'T!" He said, whipping the knife across my wrists.
I screeched in pain. "You're hurting me." I sobbed, and started to cry.
I stared out the window. Where was Gordo? Wasn't he supposed to be here by now?
"It's supposed to hurt!" He said, and started yelling curse words again. "Now shut up before I tape up your mouth!"
I sniffled. "Okay."
And right then, I heard the faint sound of sirens. 'They're coming for me!' I thought to myself. 'Gordo's gonna save me! He's coming! He's coming! Thank you God, I love you so much! And whatever I did to deserve this, I am so utterly sorry and I will never do it again. Promise.' Suddenly, I heard the door banging down and people marching into the house.
Saved!
Ahead of everybody ran Gordo, and when he saw me his jaw dropped and he gasped.
"What did he *do* to you?"
The rest of the night was a blur. The police arrested Alex and whisked him off to jail, where he's be questioned. They said he'd probably have to go back to the mental institute, or spend a few years either in Juvi or jail. The firemen went back to their station, probably disappointed that they weren't needed. The ambulance whisked me to the hospital, and took Gordo along with them, who called my family and his. Everything went so fast that I could barely remember anything happened, but I do remember this one moment alone with Gordo at the hospital.
"You saved me." I said, as Gordo stroked my hair. "I don't know how to thank you."
He smiled. "Well, I wouldn't have forgiven myself if anything had happened to you and I wasn't there to stop it."
I blushed. "So, Gordo, um... I've been meaning to say this for a while, but it just kind of never came out..."
"What?"
"I love you."
His eyes widened. "Really?"
I nodded.
"I love you too." He said, and gently kissed me on the lips.
A/N: Yay! Over 200 reviews! And I'm not even done yet! I hope you all like this chapter because I worked really hard on it, and it's much happier. The best part? It's LONG.
Someone, anyone, go see Win a Date With Tad Hamilton, because I'm badly grounded and can't see it! Bummer. I wanted to see this movie real bad so if anyone sees it tell me!! ~_~
***
Lizzie's POV
Alex Simmons. He was my new boyfriend now. I didn't need that lousy Gordo. It was my senior year in high school, and I had to face the fact that I had to let go of my childhood friends and memories.
Right.
The only reason I dated Alex is because I was so lonely I thought I'd commit suicide. No one knew that, though, not even myself. I thought Alex was amazing-and he was... but he was no Gordo. It was okay, though, dating him, since Gordo had hurt me so much. I didn't know that Lucy Carmichael was such a fraud, not until later, anyway.
I had met Alex while volunteering at a psychology center over the winter break. The people there said he had temper problems, but I hung out with him a lot and found the real Alex, the thoughtful, kind one. I forcefully convinced the people to let him stop taking those anger management classes, and after doing him such a wonderful favor, he wanted to thank me... and ever since we had been boyfriend and girlfriend.
Never had he acted like he was mad... I didn't understand what his temper problems were until a while later...
Gordo had been dateless since I'd dumped him. I didn't see much of him, and when I did, we would start fighting like cats and dogs. He was always so sad and lonely... I wished he could at least have a girlfriend or something, but no, he continued to occasionally hang out with Miranda, get good grades, and be the same person he had been since birth. He hated me, though.
Or so I thought.
***
"Alex..." I said, sighing, one day at lunch in the twelfth grade. "Don't you feel sorry for David Gordon?"
Alex raised his eyes. "No.. he's a total geek."
I didn't know how to answer to that. I didn't want to protest, or else he would think I was a geek, too. But I didn't want him to be insulting Gordo. I mean, he might've cheated on me, but he was still okay... and we had shared our lives together.
"But he's always so alone!" I exclaimed. "Poor guy."
"Yeah... he needs a girlfriend like you." Alex seemed like he knew what he was talking about, but rephrased it. "I mean, not *you*, but someone as good as you."
I giggled. "I get it."
We ate in silence for a few minutes as I observed Gordo eating. He was concentrating on his sandwich, not glancing up for even a split second to see what was happening around him. I guess it didn't matter to him. I mean, no friends, no girlfriend, what was there to pay attention to?
It was true I felt sorry for him, but I felt sorry for me, too. I missed him. Kind of. I liked him, even though he was a liar and a cheater. Everyone has their faults. No one's perfect. I was a year older now, wiser. But I should've made that decision before. Now I had a boyfriend, and Gordo had definitely forgotten about me.
"You know we used to be friends?"
"Who, you and Gordon?" Alex looked shocked. "When?"
"Since birth. He's only a week older than me, and we grew up together. We dated, last year, but I broke up with him because he cheated on me. He's a nice guy and all... just a little weird." I almost whispered, studying him. He hadn't changed a bit. Same eyes, same hair, same lips...
I shivered at the memory of kissing him.
Alex was looking at me in alarm. "You went out with him?"
"Yeah, I did." I said, glancing at him once again. "You know, wait here. I'm going to go talk to him."
***
Gordo's POV
I was perfectly intent on my baloney sandwich, when Lizzie came over and sat down right next to me.
I was confused. Usually, people just ignored me, like they did a ceiling tile. If you're really bored you stare at the ceiling, and that's what people did; when they were really bored, they'd talk to me. But never in about a year had anyone sat down next to me during lunch. Especially Lizzie, my ex.
"Lucy Carmichael kissed you, didn't she?" Lizzie whispered, staring at the pole next to our table. "It wasn't the other way around, was it?"
It was about time she noticed.
"Yeah..."
She turned to face me, her eyebrows scrunched together. "Yeah? Then why didn't you tell me?"
"You didn't listen." I shrugged, mixing up the fruit on the bottom with my yogurt.
"And you let me go just like that? You let me believe all this time that you were a rotten liar?" She said, mouth open. "Didn't you even love me?"
"Yeah, I did, Lizzie."
I still did.
I was madly in love with her... once true love starts, it can't be stopped. I'd spent the last year browsing through photographs; not necessarily us together, but just her. I needed to see her smiling face to keep myself alive. She was so beautiful, so kind, and no matter how many pictures you had, you couldn't live on them. I was close to going crazy, but seeing her at school was okay. Sure, she was with someone else, but I didn't care. I loved her. But of course, she couldn't know that.
"Lucy is so dead." She scowled, and then started staring at the pole and whispering again. "Do you hate me for not figuring this out earlier?"
"No."
"Are you mad?"
"No."
"Frustrated?"
"No."
"Do you even care about our relationship anymore?"
I hesitated, and searched for the right thing to say. I cared. Of course I did. But to tell her that or not... and how to word it...?
"We don't have one." I replied.
She rolled her eyes. "I mean, the one we had before."
I sighed. "Lizzie, just please let me eat my lunch in peace." And with that, I picked up my tray and moved to another empty table, leaving poor Lizzie dumbfounded.
***
Lizzie's POV
I frowned. Gordo was not supposed to ditch me like that! We were supposed to be friends! Or at least, I was hoping we could be friends. I was sick of this childish fight between us. It should've been resolved a year ago. We were in twelfth grade, hello! Just half a year and we'd be in college! If that's not mature, I don't know what is.
I got up, frowning.
Miranda would hear about this. Ever since me and Gordo broke up, she had been so determined that he still loved me and that we had to get together again. She was totally committed to get us in love all over again. But really... our relationship wasn't *love*. It was just two high-school kids making out all the time. Love doesn't necessarily consist of making out, but we thought it did. Sure, we bought each other gifts, giggled every now and then... it was so stereotype.
We had seen it everywhere, on TV, in the movies, in books, but really what love means, what a relationship is, is not all the things they show on TV. It's deeper, kind of hard to explain. And you can only fall in love once. So far, I was still at zero. I never loved Gordo, and I certainly didn't love Alex. I mean, sure, we were boyfriend/girlfriend, but that doesn't mean we have to love each other, right?
I shook my head and brought myself back to the table Alex was sitting at. I had to stop thinking so much. It was permanently damaging my brain.
"You still love him." Alex frowned, crossing his arms.
My eyes widened. Had I not just finished a long lecture about how I had never loved anyone, and that I probably wouldn't anytime soon?
"No, I don't!" I insisted. "Never!"
He shook his head at me and his nostrils flared angrily. "You can't stop loving someone!" He exclaimed. "It's not human."
"Alex, calm down..." I soothed. "I never loved him."
His eyes flickered. "Oh sure, then why did you talk to him? Huh? Huh?" He poked my shoulder.
"Because-I don't know, but I know I don't love him."
"Yes, you do." He sighed and resumed to eating.
***
"Oh, not this movie again!" I groaned. "Can we please see something else?"
Alex frowned. "No. I want to watch this."
I scowled. Ever since my date with Alex had began, he being so hostile and snobby. Everything had to be his way. First the dinner... he took us to this funky place where the food was terrible. He ordered everything he *knew* I didn't like. And he made me pay for it, which wouldn't have been so bad if the bill wasn't a hundred and fifteen dollars. Plus tax.
Then he dragged me to this boring movie that we had already seen. When we saw it the first time, he said it was the worst movie ever, and now he wanted to see it again? And was it necessary to buy everything at the concession stand and make me pay for it all again?
"Okay, but can you pay? I'm a little low on cash..." I said, smiling. "... and I'm saving for this killer pair of boots."
"I'm broke." He said flatly, and headed toward the theater, arms loaded with popcorn and soda and gummi worms and junior mints.
'I'm broke.' I mimicked under my breath as he disappeared, and paid the guy behind the counter. "Bye-bye boots." I murmured.
I trudged my way to the theater and sat down next to Alex. "Alex, why are you acting all nasty?" I whispered hastily.
His jaw dropped. "Me?" He exclaimed, his face scrunching up. It seemed like he was going to explode, but he took two deep breaths and smiled. "I mean... let's just rent a movie at my house."
I grinned. "No, my house."
"There's no one home at my house." He whispered.
I giggled. "Let's go!"
***
Gordo's POV
"Take a walk. It'll help you clear your thoughts."
That's what Phil had said.
Phil was one of my dad's co-workers. My dad had thought I needed psychological therapy ever since I broke up with Lizzie. And I couldn't blame the guy. I'd be concerned too, if my kid did nothing but sleep and do homework all day long. He was worried, and hated to shrink me himself, so he hired Phil to do it.
Phil was a pretty cool guy. He got stuff. He understood what I was going through. He actually was sympathetic. He said it is common for a 'young male' to go under depression at my age. It's part of adolescence. Like I didn't know that. But he helps. And today, after talking to Lizzie, I knew I had to use one of Phil's do-so-you-don't-commit-suicide techniques.
Walking.
So here I was, "gathering my thoughts".
The reason I was in therapy wasn't only because of Lizzie. She was only a fourth of it. I didn't know what my purpose was in life. What was I here to do? I wasn't good at anything, when everyone else was great at something. I felt like God had made me by accident, and the world would be the same if I wasn't there. I tried to think of ways that I'd influenced society, and came up with zilch. It was completely pointless.
I was completely pointless.
People would call this 'self-esteem issues', but I call it life. I respected myself. And my achievements. It's just that there wasn't much *to* respect. I lived for the sake of grades. I worked hard to get As, since that was the only thing that mattered in life anymore.
I mean, really. Does TV and movies and music matter? How is it going to help you in the long run? Why go to the beach? I mean, fun isn't necessary in life. Life was a race, and the people who stopped to have fun finished last. It was kind of corny, using all of these clichés to explain how I felt, but Phil said it was okay as long as I'm expressing my feelings.
It seems like I base my life on what Phil says.
It wasn't like I was in deep depression, either. I didn't drink, I didn't smoke, nor did I have the urge to. I hadn't caused any car accidents, or committed suicide or anything. I just wasn't happy. Bored, I guess.
I knew Lizzie could fix this all. If I got her back, this depression thing would all go away. She would definitely make things better for me. Much better.
So now I was walking.
Talking to Lizzie today had been terrifying. Miranda had said that she talked about me occasionally, and still seemed to want to be friends, but she didn't know how scary it was to speak to her after that break up. But, hey, at least now she knew that Lucy had kissed me. I wondered how she could've found out. Maybe a wild guess?
But Lizzie had Alex now, and even if she wanted to get back together with me, it couldn't happen. I couldn't love her anymore than a beetle can love a princess. Even if the princess tried to notice the beetle, she'd end up stepping all over-
My thoughts were interrupted by my cellphone. Who could be calling at 8 at night? Miranda, maybe? My parents?
"Hello?"
"...Gordo..."
Lizzie?
My eyes bulged. She was panting, gasping for air as if she were getting choked to death. Why was Lizzie calling me? Why was she breathing like that?
"Lizzie!?" I exclaimed. "What-are... where are... why are you calling?"
"Alex...." She wheezed. "...he's gonna kill me..."
I almost dropped the phone right then and there.
"WHAT!?" I exclaimed. "Lizzie, are you okay? What's going on?" I asked frantically.
He was going to kill her? What was up with that?
"495 Oakland Avenue. He's got a knife. Save me, Gordo, please come here and- "
I heard some muffled yelling in the background and the phone going dead.
I gasped.
Lizzie was in trouble.
I dialed 911 and sprinted for Oakland Avenue.
***
Lizzie's POV
"You love him, don't you?" He said, running the knife against my cheek. "Yes, you do..."
I squeezed my eyes shut. "Alex. Stop." I whimpered, feeling the blood drip down my face. "Don't."
"What's so wrong about me, huh?" He said, poking my other cheek lightly. "Why him?"
I shivered. "I don't love him." I tried to untie my hands in protest.
Now I knew why Alex was in a mental facility.
He was crazy.
He had tied me to a chair, tied up feet, and after he saw me call Gordo, he crushed my cellphone and tied my hands. He got a knife and started to question me, and not even listening to the answers, he'd make a small cut in my body with the knife every time. I was bleeding all over.
"SHUT UP!" He yelled. "You know you love him. Just admit it."
"I love you, Alex." I whimpered. So maybe that wasn't true, but this guy was killing me!
"NO YOU DON'T!" He said, whipping the knife across my wrists.
I screeched in pain. "You're hurting me." I sobbed, and started to cry.
I stared out the window. Where was Gordo? Wasn't he supposed to be here by now?
"It's supposed to hurt!" He said, and started yelling curse words again. "Now shut up before I tape up your mouth!"
I sniffled. "Okay."
And right then, I heard the faint sound of sirens. 'They're coming for me!' I thought to myself. 'Gordo's gonna save me! He's coming! He's coming! Thank you God, I love you so much! And whatever I did to deserve this, I am so utterly sorry and I will never do it again. Promise.' Suddenly, I heard the door banging down and people marching into the house.
Saved!
Ahead of everybody ran Gordo, and when he saw me his jaw dropped and he gasped.
"What did he *do* to you?"
The rest of the night was a blur. The police arrested Alex and whisked him off to jail, where he's be questioned. They said he'd probably have to go back to the mental institute, or spend a few years either in Juvi or jail. The firemen went back to their station, probably disappointed that they weren't needed. The ambulance whisked me to the hospital, and took Gordo along with them, who called my family and his. Everything went so fast that I could barely remember anything happened, but I do remember this one moment alone with Gordo at the hospital.
"You saved me." I said, as Gordo stroked my hair. "I don't know how to thank you."
He smiled. "Well, I wouldn't have forgiven myself if anything had happened to you and I wasn't there to stop it."
I blushed. "So, Gordo, um... I've been meaning to say this for a while, but it just kind of never came out..."
"What?"
"I love you."
His eyes widened. "Really?"
I nodded.
"I love you too." He said, and gently kissed me on the lips.