By that time, Gordo was walking up the steps to the McGuire's house. He'd taken a walk to help clear his brain. He opened the door, and stepped inside. Heart skipped a beat, as he smelled the scent of smoke.
The hairs on his arm stood up, and he ran toward the smell. He stopped at the kitchen, and saw the great flame spreading.
Suddenly he spotted Lizzie lying motionlessly on the ground. "Lizzie!" he yelped. She was just inches from the flames. A burning cookbook lie near her. It had fallen off of the counter, hit her on the head, and knocked her out.
He rushed over to her, the heat intense. He grabbed her hand, and dragged her far away from the fire. "Lizzie! Lizzie wake up!" He managed to say through his fear. She stirred groggily in her unconsciousness. Her eyes fluttered, and then closed again.
By this time, Jo was rushing down the stairs of her home, Matt close behind her with the phone in his hand. "What's going on?!" Jo demanded, as smoke started billowing from the kitchen. She saw the fire, and gasped.
Matt stared in disbelief, and the phone dropped from his hand. Wide-eyed, he picked it back up. He briefly told Lanny that he'd call him back later, hung up, and dialed 9-1-1.
With Jo's help, Gordo got Lizzie up off the ground. "Wha..." She managed to say. Opening her eyes, she looked at the kitchen. Very alert now, she said, "We've got to get out of here!" She coughed from the smoke, still in shock.
Jo grabbed a fire extinguisher from a closet, and motioned for the kids to go outside. Lizzie didn't want to leave her behind, but Jo promised she'd been out there soon. Gordo, still holding onto Lizzie's hand, rushed along with her and Matt out the front door.
Back inside, trying hard not to breathe in much smoke, was Jo getting the fire somewhat under control with the extinguisher. She heard the sounds of sirens, and wiped the sweat off her forehead with relief. She ran outside, and saw firemen running up to the house with a long hose.
They managed to put out the fire before it had spread to the next room, and Jo smiled wearily at them when they came out. "I don't know how to thank you enough!" She burst out.
Lizzie realized with surprise all what had just happened. Gordo saved my life! She thought, and turned her head. She looked into his wonderful eyes. "Gordo... I should be the one saying thank you. Y-you saved me!" She gave him a long hug.
Once they pulled apart, Gordo wasn't quite sure what to say. He looked down at the ground, and then back up at Lizzie. "I'm glad you're okay. And, hey. Your house made it through a fire. It's your lucky day."
She smiled at him. Gordo smiled back. He was forgetting all about being angry with her now!
"Hate to, uh, interrupt this moment (Not actually caring at all if he interrupted it), but when Dad finds out about this..." Matt whistled a low note.
Annoyed, Lizzie muttered to him, "Go find someone else to pester."
"Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you!" Matt replied, before leaving the two alone. There was an awkward silence, and it broke when Jo rushed over to them, one hand on her stomach.
"Mom, are you okay?" Lizzie asked with a worried frown.
"Yes, honey I'm fine, thanks. And I'm glad you're okay, too. But I want to know just how this fire got started!" She demanded. "Your father is going to have a fit when he finds out about this."
"It was my fault." Lizzie explained what had happened, especially adding the part about Gordo's brave effort.
Jo gave Gordo a pleased smile. "Gordo, thank you so much. If it weren't for you..." She didn't continue, not wanting to think about what might had happened. Gordo nodded, his ears turning slightly pink.
Curious neighbors who had come out of their houses to see what was going on sighed with relief when they saw the fire truck leave the McGuire's home without it's siren on.
Gordo's parents, who had gone out driving to look for a new job for Mr. Gordon, pulled into the driveway a few minutes later. The smell of smoke still lingered in the air, and as they stepped out of their vehicle, they looked at Jo worriedly. She came over to them, and assured them that everything was okay.
"Lizzie just had a... clumsy moment." She told them. She suggested that they stay at a motel for the next or so because of the smell. The Gordon's agreed, and Jo called Sam with the cell phone that was in her pocket. Her call lasted a while, as she re-told the story al over again to him.
Thirty minutes later, and they were all at a motel. They picked up some pajamas and such for the night at a local store on the way there, since they couldn't go into the McGuire's home to get their own.
Sam, who did get upset at Lizzie for almost burning his house down, finally managed to cool down once he started reading one of his gnome magazines.
The McGuire's check into room 223, and the Gordon's checked into one a couple rooms down. Gordo sat down on his bed, thinking mainly about Lizzie. I just don't know why she doesn't like me. I mean... I'm not tall, but I'm taller than I used to be. And I'm not the worst looking guy on the planet.
He sighed and leaned back against the wooden headboard. I've always tried to impress her by what's in my mind instead of how I look, but she's just not impressed by it! If only I could just get her to realize how much I really do like her.
When he went to sleep that night, his dreams were a mix of Taylor, fires, and Lizzie. And in the dream, Taylor rescued Lizzie from the fire, not Gordo.
The next morning, he woke up, trying to forget about his dream. He yawned, and realized with gladness that it was a Saturday. He looked at the clock. It was a good thing it was Saturday, because he would have been late for school if it weren't. It was already 10:00!
Gordo thought happily to himself that he could be with Lizzie without having to do any schoolwork. Little did he know that he wasn't going to spend time with Lizzie that day.
"Yeah, Taylor. That'd be great." Lizzie said excitedly from the motel room she was in. Her parents were down at the continental breakfast. They'd slept in, like Gordo.
Lizzie was talking to Taylor on the motel phone to see if he wanted to do something that day. She'd had a pretty good time with him when they'd eaten lunch together at school.
"See you in a few!" Taylor told her. They hung up, and Lizzie smiled broadly. Her and Taylor planned to meat each other at the Digital Bean. When Jo and Sam came back from breakfast, Lizzie told Jo about her date.
"Oh." Was all Jo said. She was disappointed. She thought that Lizzie liked Gordo now. She dropped her off at the D.B. "Well... bye Lizzie." She left with a sigh.
Lizzie waved to her, and spotted Taylor inside by the computers. "Hi!" She said to him.
"Hello, Lizzie." He said, smiling at her. "How about we get a snack? My treat!"
"Sure, thanks." Lizzie replied.
Toon Lizzie: Hanging out with a cute guy, and food? I could get used to that! (Slurps a smoothie)
Back at the motel, Gordo knocked on the McGuire's door. Matt looked through the peephole, and opened it. "Hey, Gordo. Lizzie's not here."
"She's not?" He asked, very disappointed. "Where is she?"
"At the Digital Bean." Matt said, knowing Gordo would be jealous. He snickered under his breath.
"With Miranda?" Gordo replied, starting to get a bad feeling about this.
"No. She said something about, uh... going on a date with a dude named Taylor." Matt told him, practically seeing steam come out of Gordo's ears.
"Thanks." Gordo said to Matt through gritted teeth. He went back to the motel room he was staying in, and sulked for the rest of the afternoon.
The hairs on his arm stood up, and he ran toward the smell. He stopped at the kitchen, and saw the great flame spreading.
Suddenly he spotted Lizzie lying motionlessly on the ground. "Lizzie!" he yelped. She was just inches from the flames. A burning cookbook lie near her. It had fallen off of the counter, hit her on the head, and knocked her out.
He rushed over to her, the heat intense. He grabbed her hand, and dragged her far away from the fire. "Lizzie! Lizzie wake up!" He managed to say through his fear. She stirred groggily in her unconsciousness. Her eyes fluttered, and then closed again.
By this time, Jo was rushing down the stairs of her home, Matt close behind her with the phone in his hand. "What's going on?!" Jo demanded, as smoke started billowing from the kitchen. She saw the fire, and gasped.
Matt stared in disbelief, and the phone dropped from his hand. Wide-eyed, he picked it back up. He briefly told Lanny that he'd call him back later, hung up, and dialed 9-1-1.
With Jo's help, Gordo got Lizzie up off the ground. "Wha..." She managed to say. Opening her eyes, she looked at the kitchen. Very alert now, she said, "We've got to get out of here!" She coughed from the smoke, still in shock.
Jo grabbed a fire extinguisher from a closet, and motioned for the kids to go outside. Lizzie didn't want to leave her behind, but Jo promised she'd been out there soon. Gordo, still holding onto Lizzie's hand, rushed along with her and Matt out the front door.
Back inside, trying hard not to breathe in much smoke, was Jo getting the fire somewhat under control with the extinguisher. She heard the sounds of sirens, and wiped the sweat off her forehead with relief. She ran outside, and saw firemen running up to the house with a long hose.
They managed to put out the fire before it had spread to the next room, and Jo smiled wearily at them when they came out. "I don't know how to thank you enough!" She burst out.
Lizzie realized with surprise all what had just happened. Gordo saved my life! She thought, and turned her head. She looked into his wonderful eyes. "Gordo... I should be the one saying thank you. Y-you saved me!" She gave him a long hug.
Once they pulled apart, Gordo wasn't quite sure what to say. He looked down at the ground, and then back up at Lizzie. "I'm glad you're okay. And, hey. Your house made it through a fire. It's your lucky day."
She smiled at him. Gordo smiled back. He was forgetting all about being angry with her now!
"Hate to, uh, interrupt this moment (Not actually caring at all if he interrupted it), but when Dad finds out about this..." Matt whistled a low note.
Annoyed, Lizzie muttered to him, "Go find someone else to pester."
"Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you!" Matt replied, before leaving the two alone. There was an awkward silence, and it broke when Jo rushed over to them, one hand on her stomach.
"Mom, are you okay?" Lizzie asked with a worried frown.
"Yes, honey I'm fine, thanks. And I'm glad you're okay, too. But I want to know just how this fire got started!" She demanded. "Your father is going to have a fit when he finds out about this."
"It was my fault." Lizzie explained what had happened, especially adding the part about Gordo's brave effort.
Jo gave Gordo a pleased smile. "Gordo, thank you so much. If it weren't for you..." She didn't continue, not wanting to think about what might had happened. Gordo nodded, his ears turning slightly pink.
Curious neighbors who had come out of their houses to see what was going on sighed with relief when they saw the fire truck leave the McGuire's home without it's siren on.
Gordo's parents, who had gone out driving to look for a new job for Mr. Gordon, pulled into the driveway a few minutes later. The smell of smoke still lingered in the air, and as they stepped out of their vehicle, they looked at Jo worriedly. She came over to them, and assured them that everything was okay.
"Lizzie just had a... clumsy moment." She told them. She suggested that they stay at a motel for the next or so because of the smell. The Gordon's agreed, and Jo called Sam with the cell phone that was in her pocket. Her call lasted a while, as she re-told the story al over again to him.
Thirty minutes later, and they were all at a motel. They picked up some pajamas and such for the night at a local store on the way there, since they couldn't go into the McGuire's home to get their own.
Sam, who did get upset at Lizzie for almost burning his house down, finally managed to cool down once he started reading one of his gnome magazines.
The McGuire's check into room 223, and the Gordon's checked into one a couple rooms down. Gordo sat down on his bed, thinking mainly about Lizzie. I just don't know why she doesn't like me. I mean... I'm not tall, but I'm taller than I used to be. And I'm not the worst looking guy on the planet.
He sighed and leaned back against the wooden headboard. I've always tried to impress her by what's in my mind instead of how I look, but she's just not impressed by it! If only I could just get her to realize how much I really do like her.
When he went to sleep that night, his dreams were a mix of Taylor, fires, and Lizzie. And in the dream, Taylor rescued Lizzie from the fire, not Gordo.
The next morning, he woke up, trying to forget about his dream. He yawned, and realized with gladness that it was a Saturday. He looked at the clock. It was a good thing it was Saturday, because he would have been late for school if it weren't. It was already 10:00!
Gordo thought happily to himself that he could be with Lizzie without having to do any schoolwork. Little did he know that he wasn't going to spend time with Lizzie that day.
"Yeah, Taylor. That'd be great." Lizzie said excitedly from the motel room she was in. Her parents were down at the continental breakfast. They'd slept in, like Gordo.
Lizzie was talking to Taylor on the motel phone to see if he wanted to do something that day. She'd had a pretty good time with him when they'd eaten lunch together at school.
"See you in a few!" Taylor told her. They hung up, and Lizzie smiled broadly. Her and Taylor planned to meat each other at the Digital Bean. When Jo and Sam came back from breakfast, Lizzie told Jo about her date.
"Oh." Was all Jo said. She was disappointed. She thought that Lizzie liked Gordo now. She dropped her off at the D.B. "Well... bye Lizzie." She left with a sigh.
Lizzie waved to her, and spotted Taylor inside by the computers. "Hi!" She said to him.
"Hello, Lizzie." He said, smiling at her. "How about we get a snack? My treat!"
"Sure, thanks." Lizzie replied.
Toon Lizzie: Hanging out with a cute guy, and food? I could get used to that! (Slurps a smoothie)
Back at the motel, Gordo knocked on the McGuire's door. Matt looked through the peephole, and opened it. "Hey, Gordo. Lizzie's not here."
"She's not?" He asked, very disappointed. "Where is she?"
"At the Digital Bean." Matt said, knowing Gordo would be jealous. He snickered under his breath.
"With Miranda?" Gordo replied, starting to get a bad feeling about this.
"No. She said something about, uh... going on a date with a dude named Taylor." Matt told him, practically seeing steam come out of Gordo's ears.
"Thanks." Gordo said to Matt through gritted teeth. He went back to the motel room he was staying in, and sulked for the rest of the afternoon.