Oye! I'm such a bad author! I haven't updated in like… eons! Well, a month… but still! I'm so sorry guys, I'm such a bum. But please continue to read and review! I really appreciate it!
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
ON THE WAY DOWN
Chapter 11
Lizzie ordered a pizza and then changed out of her work clothes. As she was pulling her blonde hair back into a ponytail, she remembered there was a bottle of champagne in her fridge. She hurried back downstairs and located three wine glasses in a cabinet. Champagne was always a great way to celebrate something.
The doorbell rang a few minutes later, and Lizzie hurried to let Gordo and Miranda in. "Hey, you guys!" she exclaimed.
Gordo looked at her curiously. "Why are you so bubbly?" he asked. Miranda elbowed him, and he let out a small 'oof!'
"Today is a happy day," Lizzie replied, then looked at them both expectantly. Neither said anything, so she bit her tongue to keep from saying what she really wanted to. That she wanted Gordo for herself. That was selfish. "I know what you guys are going to tell me, and I think it's just the best idea in the world!"
"You do?" Gordo asked, after a brief pause.
"Of course! I don't know how I didn't see it coming; it was bound to happen to one of us, since we've always been so close!" Lizzie raved.
"What does us being close have to do with Gordo coming to stay with you?" Miranda asked.
Both Lizzie and Gordo looked at Miranda in surprise. Gordo because he had expected that Miranda would give him a chance to say it himself, and Lizzie because she was utterly and completely confused.
"But if you guys are dating, why would he stay with me?" she asked, her brow furrowed. Gordo and Miranda looked at her in shock.
"Us? Dating? What the hell are you talking about?" The words escaped both of their mouths at the same time, and Lizzie wondered briefly if they'd rehearsed that.
"Isn't that what you came over here to tell me? I mean, you came over here together, and said you had to talk to me… that's the only possible reason! And you don't have to hide it from me, I promise I'm not mad. Things will be different I suppose, but that's not a bad thing," Lizzie clamored.
"Liz. Shut up," Miranda commanded.
"Lizzie, we came over here because I've been staying with Miranda… and she really needs her privacy back. I don't want to impose, but I… well… I need to… um…" Gordo stuttered. He couldn't seem to make the words come out. How could he tell her this? He looked at Miranda helplessly.
"Gordo needs a place to live until he can find a job and a place of his own," Miranda blurted out. Gordo rolled his eyes. That wasn't the help he'd hoped for.
Lizzie's eyes shifted from Miranda to Gordo, and shock registered. "I thought you had a place, in Jacksonville," she said.
Gordo shook his head. "No… well, I did. I had an apartment, a disgusting, tiny apartment. And I got evicted because I couldn't afford it. I had no choice but to ask Miranda if I could stay with her for a while, but I haven't been able to find any work," he said, feeling the heat rise in his cheeks. He stared at the floor.
"Oh my gosh, Gordo! Why didn't you tell me?! You know perfectly well that you can come to me for anything!" Lizzie exclaimed, her voice shaky. She swallowed hard. She would not cry. This was not something to cry about. Oh, but poor Gordo! She felt so horrible.
"Liz, I was ashamed. I didn't want you thinking I was just some washed up, crappy director who can't pay his bills. Look at you; you've got this big beautiful home, a nice car, amazing, beautiful things… I couldn't compare with that, and I didn't want you to be embarrassed by me," Gordo responded.
Lizzie was quiet for a moment, then reached out and smacked the back of his head. Gordo's eyes flew open in surprise, and he reached up to rub the spot. "Ow! What the hell did you do that for?!"
"Because damn it, Gordo! You know better than that! You've been the closest person to me, for my entire life!" Lizzie looked at Miranda, "You, too, Mir. But Gordo, I've known you my entire life. You should know by now that you have nothing to hide from me, and nothing to be ashamed of. I don't give a shit about what you are, it's WHO you are that matters to me."
Gordo silently continued to stare at the floor, and Miranda signaled to Lizzie that she'd be outside, so they could have some time to talk. Lizzie nodded, then turned her attention back to Gordo. The front door clicked shut, and she stepped closer to him. His gaze didn't shift, so she lightly touched his chin to focus his attention on her face.
"Gordo… why, Gordo? Why didn't you just come to me, and tell me you needed help? It almost hurts my feelings that you went to Miranda instead of me," she said softly. Gordo's eyes roamed the room, looking everywhere but into Lizzie's. She snapped her fingers in his face. "Damn it, David, look at me."
At the mention of his given name, Gordo's gaze finally rested on her own, and she could see the tears welling up in his eyes. "Lizzie, I just couldn't. I didn't want you to think of me as a failure. That's all there is to it. I was afraid you'd find dismay in my misfortune, and think less of me," he said.
Lizzie sighed. "You spent all of junior high, and most of high school trying to convince me that what others thought didn't matter, Gordo. You of all people, should not be worrying about what I think of you. Because damn it, even if you were that kind of person, I would never think that of you. You're not a failure, Gordo. You had some bad luck. Big deal. Everyone does at some point. I don't care! I'm your best friend. I'm gonna love you no matter what you do."
By the time Lizzie finished speaking, tears were rolling down Gordo's face. She looked at him and swore she felt her heart break in two. Without a second's hesitation, she opened her arms and pulled him into a tight embrace. He clung to her like a lost child who'd just been found. Lizzie spoke softly to him. "It's going to be fine, Gordo… I'm here, and this is now your home, too… there's nothing to worry about… everything's gonna be just fine."
A/N: Cookies for everyone who reviews! Hehehe!
