While I enjoy writing M/Gs, I needed a change of pace and I wanted to do a different couple. I've been wanting to do a K/G for awhile now and it seemed like the perfect time. I do have more M/Gs, and some other pairings, that I'm working on and they'll be posted when they're ready.

Disclaimer - Disney owns Lizzie McGuire. Everything else is mine.

A/N – "Thoughts" , Gordo is 17 and Kate is 18 , The first part of this is set during the summer between their junior and senior years

Chapter 1 - Cracking The Mask

Gordo walked out of the Bay View Hotel and slowly made his way down the street. He had been in San Francisco for about a week and was already bored.

His mother had taken an adjunct teaching position at the University of San Francisco for both summer sessions. (A/N - An adjunct is a college teacher who does not have a PhD. Usually they're a professional in the field they're teaching.)

Even though his father had to stay behind in Hill Ridge to tend to his psychology practice, both of his parents had decided that instead of just hanging around the house all summer or working, it would be a good experience for him to go with his mother to San Francisco. It cemented his fate even more, when Miranda and Lizzie were hired as counselors at Camp Meadowlark. A summer camp for elementary age children. The girls would be gone all summer. In theory, it had been a good idea. But after the first few days, Gordo quickly grew bored having no one to hang out with.

He looked both ways and quickly crossed the street. Across the street, where he was heading, was a small convenience store. Gordo was going to grab some junk food and then head to Golden Gate Park.

Kate walked through the isles of the same convenience store, looking for junk food as well. Letting out a tired sigh, she looked through the various types of chips they had on the rack.

Kate had been literally shipped off for the summer to her father and stepfamily who lived in San Francisco. After divorcing when Kate was eleven, Mr. Sanders left Kate with her mother and moved to San Francisco. Then three years ago, he married a wealthy socialite, Annie Ross. They currently had a two year old daughter, Kate's stepsister, Julie Sanders.

During any break in the school year, when Mrs. Sanders didn't want to be bothered by her daughter, she would ship her off to San Francisco. While Mr. Sanders did care about his eldest daughter, he rarely showed it. It didn't help that Annie saw her as the bastard child from her husband's first marriage. She also made sure that Julie was spoiled with everything she wanted, even if it came at Kate's expense.

This afternoon, Kate had left her step-family's penthouse early, before anyone else was up. After just a week, Kate was already bouncing off the walls. At least at home, where her mother could care less about her, she was left alone and could do what she wanted. But here, she was supposed to be at the every whim of her stepmother and stepsister.

As she walked down the aisle browsing the chips, Kate suddenly walked into someone. Turning to the person, she was about to say sorry, when she realized who she was looking at. After regaining his balance, Gordo looked at who walked into him. "Oh god," he mumbled under his breath. "Kate."

Kate really wasn't sure why, but the pent-up anger just came out. "Watch where you're going you dork," she snapped at him.

Gordo recoiled a little bit but then Kate watched as anger flashed in his eyes. "You walked into me," he growled and then walked away. As he did, Kate could hear him mumble, "Stupid bitch."

Kate looked back at the chips and was suddenly hit with guilt. She didn't know why but she regretted snapping at her ex-friend. It was getting harder to remember why she stopped being friends with three of them.

As Kate went to take a step to walk out of the store, everything started spin and she started to stumble. Then suddenly her legs gave out. Stiffening, expecting to hit the floor hard, she was surprised to feel a pair of arms wrap around her waist and hold her in mid-air.

"Kate?" Looking up over her shoulder, she saw it was Gordo who had caught her. "You ok?" he asked and Kate was surprised by the actually sound of concern in his voice.

Sighing, she tried to steady herself on her wobbling legs. "Think so." Gordo kept an arm around her waist in case her legs gave way again. As she closed her eyes, to try to get the room to stop spinning, Kate's stomach rumbled. "Kate, when was the last time you ate anything?"

"I had an apple on my way out this morning," she answered still her eyes were closed. "It was like seven or somethin."

She heard Gordo sigh behind her. "You collapsed because you haven't eaten anything in like seven hours." Gordo let go of her as she appeared to steady herself. As Gordo watched her, "I can't believe I'm actually going to be nice to Kate." Taking a deep breath, "Why don't you let me take you out to get something to eat."

Kate tuned slightly and looked at him in a mix of surprise and curiosity. "I..." she didn't know what to answer. "What the hell Kate. Not like you have anything else to do." "Ok," she said softly, a little unsure of herself.

They walked outside in silence and back to Gordo's hotel; on the main floor of hotel was a restaurant. About a half an hour later, they were sitting at a table in the restaurant. Gordo watched in amusement as Kate was tearing into a double cheeseburger and french fries.

In between bites, Kate looked up and saw Gordo watching her. "What?" she said with a mouthful of french fries.

Gordo laughed and shook his head. "I just never thought I see the Princess wolfing down a double cheeseburger, much less at mach two."

Kate blushed a little but laughed too. "I'm hungry," she said shrugging.

After taking a bite out of his grilled cheese sandwich, "Why are you in San Francisco?"

Sighing, she put down her cheeseburger. "I'm spending the summer with my father."

Gordo nodded; aside from the exact details, he understood what she was talking about. He knew that Kate and her mother didn't get along and that she often got shipped to her father's.

"What about you?" Kate asked him, trying to change the subject.

"My mother's teaching at USF this summer and with Liz and Rand gone for the summer, my parents figured I should come here too. Actually, I've been bored out of my mind."

Kate looked at him shyly. "If you're bored. Then, maybe, you'd like to do something? With me?"

Gordo looked at her for a moment, not sure if she was serious or not. "Alright."

"How about we take that trip to Golden Gate Park like you were talking about," Kate said trying to hide the over eagerness in her voice.

Not exactly sure what was happening, Gordo had this gut feeling that he was dealing with a different Kate. Not the spoiled snob he usually dealt with in school, but it was like the old Kate had suddenly emerged after a five-year absence. "What the hell." Still a little wary, "Sure. We can go when we're finished."