The next day at school Gordo made Lizzie, Miranda and Larry promise to not say anything about his current condition.
"I don't want everyone making a huge deal out of something that's probably nothing anyhow." Were Gordo's words; all through out the day Lizzie watched kids in her class going on about their business as if everything in the world was perfect. Lizzie used to feel that way, but at that moment she felt the complete opposite. During lunch Lizzie got herself a plate of spaghetti and meatballs but only picked at it. Half way through lunch Gordo set down his sandwich and put his hand on Lizzie's back, she felt his hand in a nice comforting way.
"You really should eat Lizzie." Gordo said gently, resting his chin on Lizzie's shoulder.
"I'm not hungry." Lizzie pushed her food away just as Miranda and Larry came out of the lunch line.
"Why are you not eating?" Miranda asked in a motherly tone as she and Larry took two seats across from Lizzie and Gordo.
"Do you really have to ask that?" Lizzie asked shortly.
"You not eating and making yourself sick aren't going to help matters." Miranda was always this honest with Lizzie when she was concerned for her. That's the kind of friend she strived to be, honest and caring. Lizzie had always done the same for Miranda.
"It's not like I'm trying to not eat, I'm just not hungry. You would be too under the circumstances." Lizzie hated this. She didn't want to pretend that nothing was wrong. How could she? All day she had just wanted to lock herself in one of the stalls and cry. She had almost done that, but Kate had come in to freshen up and talk Lizzie's ear off about the next football game.
"Promise that when you get hungry you'll eat; even if it's just ice cream?" Miranda asked, giving Lizzie a knowing look.
"Mmm…ice cream doesn't sound that bad." Lizzie admitted.
"I'm coming over tonight with a pint and you're eating half of it." Miranda said, taking a bit of her own plate of food.
"What about us guys? Or is this a night for the gals?" Larry asked, exchanging looks with Gordo.
"I think this should be a girl's night only. And you and Gordo can have a guy's night." Miranda suggested. Larry smiled broadly and Gordo shrugged.
"Sounds fine to me; just as long as after the girls and guys night are done having their own nights; then we can resume to the guys with the girls night." Gordo smiled mischievously, Lizzie kissed his cheek and laughed.
"Like I would include a night of fun without you." She said sweetly.
"Well of course you wouldn't exclude the boy toys if you wanted to have a good night." Gordo teased Lizzie's neck with his tongue and she giggled.
"Hehe, Gordo! Ms Ungermeyer might see you."
"So?" Gordo asked into Lizzie's ear, kissing her neck now.
"OK Gordo, now you are making me lose my appetite." Larry sighed.
"Hey now, he doesn't have to be the only guy at the table doing something." Miranda said to Larry raising an eyebrow at him. But the bell rang before Larry could initiate anything. Besides they were in the lunch room, someone would have given them detention for sure.
"Hey Lizzie, can I walk you to Calculus?" Gordo's face darkened at the sound of Ethan Craft's voice. Lizzie and Miranda exchanged a glance.
"Um, sure Ethan." Lizzie gave Gordo a long hard kiss on the mouth and she felt his tension ease.
"He's jut walking me to class. Not proposing." Lizzie said to Gordo as she got up.
"I love you Lizzie." Gordo said squeezing her hand.
"I love you too Gordo." And with that Lizzie left the lunchroom with Ethan.
"So I see things are back to normal between you a prince charming?" Ethan said making sure that he walked really slowly so Lizzie had to as well.
"They have to be." Lizzie sighed then cringed after realizing what she had just said. Ethan gave her a curious look.
"And why is that?" He asked truly intrigued.
"Promise you won't say anything?" Lizzie couldn't believe she was about to relay this to Ethan Craft.
"Promise on my car." Ethan said seriously. Lizzie took a deep breath.
"Not here, let's ditch the rest of the day and just go to the park or something." Lizzie's suggestion caught Ethan off guard but he nodded.
"Ok, let's go." They made a sharp left and turned down the hallway that led to the student parking lot. Making sure none of the faculty was around they made a mad dash for Ethan's car.
"Buckle your seatbelt." Ethan told her as he sped out of the school parking lot.
"Slow down." Lizzie demanded.
"I will, just need to get out of range of the teaches." Ethan explained. Once he had driven a few blocks down he slowed to a steady speed.
"So what's going on?" Ethan asked, once they were cruising smoothly down the road.
"Gordo might be dying." Lizzie's voice cracked; Ethan stepped on the breaks and pulled the car over.
"What?" He asked his eyes full of disbelief.
"Please don't make me say it again." Lizzie looked away so Ethan wouldn't see the tears that were running down her face.
"Lizzie…I don't know what say. I'm so sorry. What's wrong with him?" Ethan took Lizzie's hand is his, she didn't resist. She needed a hand holding her own at that moment.
"He might have cancer." More hard to say words.
"But he might not." Ethan added.
"What?"
"You said that he might have cancer. Well might having cancer is a difference between having cancer. When does he find out?" Ethan asked his eyes soft and full of concern.
"Next week." Lizzie heaved a sigh.
"Then don't worry about it until you find out. Because he might be fine and you could be doing all of this worrying for nothing." Ethan did have a point but Lizzie refused to hear it.
"I love him, Ethan. If we find out he's ok then thank god. I will never have to cry again. But if we do find out that something is wrong with him then I will have to live with pretending that I never cared that something is wrong with him." Lizzie explained.
"Gordo doesn't want you this upset." Ethan told her.
"I can't help it. The thought of losing him absolutely terrifies me." Lizzie said, feeling Ethan's hand tighten on hers.
"Lizzie, you have to look at the fact that he is with you right now. You have to cherish that. Because if you spend all of this time grieving him before he's gone then you won't even be able to appreciate the fact that he's still here in front of you." Ethan's words were beautiful and true. Lizzie knew this, but how could she ignore the pain she was in.
"Thanks Ethan." Lizzie said smiling at him.
"Any time." Ethan pulled Lizzie in a friendly hug and she hugged him back.
"You want to go watch a movie at my house or something? Get your mind off of things?" Ethan asked. Lizzie was about to decline when she realized that she really didn't want to be alone right now. So she nodded.
"Sure, as long as it's something funny." She said as Ethan started his car back up.
"You got it."