Disclaimer: I don't own any of the original Lizzie McGuire characters in this story. Hey, wouldn't you know it! I own something. I own Tara, Jack, and Ben. And well...Jack is gone now! Haha! I killed my own character. Bad Sarah!

A/N: This Lizzie fanfic is a sequel to my story "Everything at Once."

Chapter 22

LIZZIE'S POV:

ONE YEAR LATER:

I jumped into my car and started up the engine. I needed to pick up Gordo from work and then we were going out to dinner. Just as I started backing down the driveway, Isabella ran out of the door.

"You forgot your coupons," she said.

"Thanks," I said.

"You're gonna love this restaurant; it's the best! When Chris took me out, the food was delicious!" she exclaimed.

Chris was Isabella's boyfriend. They met about two months before school got out. They went out one night and then started going out more frequently. Chris was Isabella's first boyfriend since Paolo. She had remained her many years in America single, until she met Chris. Now he was all she talked about. Chris this, Chris that.

"He's taking me out to a movie tonight," she said, "it's going to be so great!"

"Well then you'd better get moving," I said. "Don't want to be late for Chris like I'm late for Gordo." Then I checked my watch. "Gosh! I'm really late for Gordo. Gotta go. Talk to you later, sis!" Poor Gordo. I was always at least ten minutes late wherever I was meeting him. Oh well, he was probably used to it by now. I drove down the driveway and was on my way.

----------------------

"What took you so long?" asked Gordo.

"Oh, the norm. I was brushing my hair, teeth, nails, and on the way out Isabella gave me the coupons that I almost forgot," I said.

"So where are we eating tonight?" he asked.

"I thought that we'd try the new Italian restaurant down the street. Isabella went there with Chris the other night and said that their food was delicious," I said.

"Of course. She'd say that about any place that Chris would take her. Heck, she'd say that about McDonald's!" he exclaimed.

"True, true," I laughed. "But she should know good Italian food. After all, she did live there for a number of years. In Italy I mean."

Ever since the past year (and since Gordo got a good paying job), we began going out to dinner once a week. It made a good date, especially if the place had good food. A couple of other nights a week, we'd make dinner for each other. Our parents got used to the idea of seeing even more of us than normal, and were fine with it. We had solidly been going out for at least two years, and now we spent almost everyday together. It was summer vacation, and in the fall we would be going off to college. Then who knows what from there.

"Uh, Lizzie? Did you just miss the turnoff?" Gordo asked.

"Oh yeah. Sorry about that! I'll just make a U-turn up here," I said. Then I looked to make sure all was clear, and then got into the far left lane.

"Look at the sign," said Gordo pointing, "it says no U-turn."

"C'mon, Gordo. People do it all the time," I said.

"And then they wonder why there are accidents," he mumbled.

"You're just little mister safety has to follow the rules all the time," I said. "If we had followed the rules, we wouldn't be together, right? Best friends aren't supposed to be together."

"Says who?" asked Gordo.

"It just doesn't seem like the natural thing," I said.

"It seemed natural to me," said Gordo.

"Well, you're different," I said. "You like to set your own path." I watched all of the cars zoom by until there was a big break and I thought that everything was clear. I did the turn, and this car came speeding up behind me and almost rear-ended me.

He beeped the horn and then switched lanes. He sped up right next to me and then yelled, "Hey, lady! Watch what you're doing!" and then sped away.

"People," I said shaking my head, "they just don't know how to drive nowadays."

"Yeah, Lizzie," said Gordo. "What did I tell you about that turn? You could've gotten us killed!"

"And what was that driver's problem?" I asked.

"Just be happy that 'Hey, lady! Watch what you're doing!' is all you got," he said.

"What? You've gotten worse? You being the most concentrated driver on the planet?" I asked in shock.

"Just keep your eyes on the road," he grumbled. Ah. Gordo had more secrets than I thought.

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"Hello. I'm Antonio, and I'll be your waiter today. May I start you off with drinks?" asked the waiter.

"I'll have a lemonade, please," I said.

"Diet Coke," said Gordo.

"Very well. I'll be back in a moment to take your orders," he said.

"Seems like a friendly atmosphere," I said. "And the food looks just as good."

"I'm going to have the Angel Hair pasta with Alfredo sauce," said Gordo. "It's not often that I get a good meal."

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "I cook you good food."

"You try all this low-cal stuff on me," he said.

"You know that I'm trying to keep my weight down. It's all for you," I said. Ever since Jack had kidnapped me, I lost a lot of weight. Then, I gained just enough back to where I didn't look like I was starved. But I was lighter than my former self before I got kidnapped.

"You look fine," said Gordo. "You eat a lot of pasta and still stay beautiful."

"But you'd like me no matter what I look like, right?" I asked.

"You know I do," he said. I grabbed his hand from under the table.

"I love you, Gordo," I said.

"I love you too," he replied.

"May I take your order?" asked Antonio.

"I'll have the Angel Hair pasta in Alfredo sauce," said Gordo.

"And for the lady?" asked Antonio.

"I'll have the same," I said.

"I'll go get that for you," said Antonio.

"I'm going kill Isabella if the food doesn't taste good. This place is expensive!" exclaimed Gordo.

"Gordo!" I said. "Don't I mean more to you then money?"

"Of course," he said.

"Isabella should have fun at that movie tonight," I said.

"What movie are she and Chris seeing?" he asked.

"I don't know. She was just so ecstatic about it," I said.

"And I bet that no matter what the movie, it will be the best that she's ever seen," he said.

"Give her a break. She's excited about Chris. After all, he is her first boyfriend in the states. I just wish that she wouldn't take him too seriously yet. They haven't known each other for very long, and I'd hate to see her get hurt," I said.

"Do you sense something in him?" asked Gordo.

"No...well maybe. It's just that...he doesn't seem to be who she thinks he is," I said.

"You don't think that he'd be another Paolo, do you?" asked Gordo.

I jumped back. "Oh, heavens no! I'm just saying that he seems to be not all that great of a person. He's handsome, not as handsome as you, nice, and really cool, but he doesn't seem trustworthy."

"You'll have to keep an eye on her," said Gordo.

"I intend to. I'll keep two eyes as often as I can spare them," I said. "I just haven't wanted to tell mom and dad and get them worried. He's ok though."

"Yeah," agreed Gordo, "he seems really cool."

"I wish you could come with me on my trip," I said to Gordo.

"What trip?" he asked.

"I'm leaving tomorrow morning to go visit Tara and Ben. It should be fun," I said.

"When did this happen?" he asked.

"Oh, I've been planning for about a couple of days. Tara just called and it turned out that the best time for the both of us was for me to leave tomorrow," I said.

"How long are you staying?" he asked.

"Until she and Ben get sick of me," I said, "which might be only two days. Really, I think that I'll stay about a week at the least. Maybe more. They really want me to visit."

"Where do they live?" he asked.

"Colorado. They live in some run down place in the mountains. I know that's rude of me to say, but it's so true. You should come! I'd love for you to meet them. They are the ones that saved me from Jack," I said.

"Then I'd love to meet them," said Gordo grabbing my hand.

"Can you?" I asked excitedly.

"I'll talk to my cousin later," he said. Gordo's cousin ran the business he worked for. It was a good way for Gordo to make money for college.

"We'll be driving out there tomorrow morning then!" I said.

"On one condition," said Gordo.

"Anything, dear," I said.

"That I drive," he laughed.

"I'll go for that," I agreed. I'd go for anything just as long as Gordo could be there with me. All I needed was parental permission, and I'd be good, but I knew that Tara wouldn't mind.

A/N: IMPORTANT: Just so that there is no confusion, in my story, Lizzie lives in California. Yes, I know, going to Colorado again (as in my story "Moving On."). Lizzie is still 17, and hasn't had her 18th birthday yet, but she will soon. It's the summer before the gang heads to college in the fall. I decided to skip a year, since I don't want to go through every single day of their lives.

I'm leaving on vacation on Thursday, and will be gone for a couple of weeks. But then I'll be back. I'll probably update once more before I go leave. I might update tomorrow since I'm half finished writing the next chapter. So check back soon! Thanks, and please review!

Nemo456: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you like my story so much.

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Ginny Wealsy: Nope, it's not the end yet. I'll probably continue this story for a while.

Jersey Princess: Thanks, for reviewing! My b-day is on the 30th of July. I'll be turning 17! Eeek!

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