Author's Note: Thanks for the reviews!! Here's the next chapter, from
David's POV. Please, please, please, read and review!! Thanks. HM.
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David anxiously paced around his living room, deeply mired in thought. He kept checking his watch, waiting, wondering when Gordo would contact him again and tell him that everything was alright, because Lizzie was still alive.
Although he had looked as watch only a few minutes ago, he again felt the urgent need to see what time it was . . .7:13 p.m. Almost time, almost time . .
David kept walking around in nervous circles for a few minutes, then realized how hungry and thirsty he was since he hadn't eaten all day. He walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed the container of orange juice. As he was pouring the orange juice into a glass, a sharp pain startled his head, forcing him to lose grip of both the juice container and the glass. The plastic container bounced several times on the kitchen floor, finally settled down, and then began letting the liquid pour away onto the kitchen floor. The glass fell, shattering into several orange juice tainted pieces of glass.
David, however, didn't even notice the orange juice on the floor running in and around his feet, as both his eyes and mouth were wide open with what was transpiring in his mind. He didn't have to wait for Gordo to tell him what happened, because he was seeing everything transpire in his head. David was seeing his life history change before his eyes. He was beginning to "remember" memories of his new past, a past that of course was completely new to him. And each new moment in his life was unfolding one moment at a time . . . it's like I'm watching a movie of my own life, thought David, as he began to see himself walking out of his house 15 minutes before 7:30 p.m. and heading towards the McGuire's residence.
David was completely mesmerized and hypnotized by the images that were popping into his head. What was even stranger was that David's old memories did not disappear, they weren't being replaced by his new memories; but instead, both old and new stood side by side in his mind. It's like those sci-fi stories about alternative universes, thought David. He always wondered what life would've been like if things had turned out differently, if Lizzie had lived, if he and Lizzie got together; he always loved to play the "what if" game in his mind. Now, he didn't have to imagine "what if," because he was about to see his alternative life reveal itself right before his eyes.
As the orange juice started to settle right next to feet, David finally extricated himself from the kitchen floor, wiped his feet off in the bathroom, then wandered towards the living room couch. As he flopped onto the couch, he could see Gordo reaching the McGuire residence. The door was ajar, and as he saw Gordo walk up to the door, he saw Gordo stop dead in his tracks.
David abruptly sat up on the couch. Oh no, oh my god, no. Jimmy's still there! He grabbed the sides of his head with both his hands, reeling from shock. What's he still doing here? What's going on? Why hadn't he left already? David looked at his watch, which read 7:27 p.m. He should've been gone by now, he should've been gone! Then, at the same moment that Gordo realized their mistake, David realized it too . . .oh, man, Jimmy left when he did because I had gotten there to interrupt them! So, now because Gordo arrived later, it means Jimmy and Lizzie kept on talking.
Dammit, I should've realized that possibility. It's my fault, it's my fault, muttered David, It's going to be deja vu all over again.
David was right. He watched his younger version of himself stand there in front of the doorway, listening intently to Jimmy and Lizzie talk, and kiss, and David could feel a part of himself dying, once again.
Ohmigod, I have to go through this again, I have to go through this again . . .
David sat there, watching himself eavesdrop in on Jimmy and Lizzie for the second time. What he heard between Jimmy and Lizzie was slightly different from what had happened originally, but the differences only made David's suffering that much more painful. Oh great, I get to feel my heart get ripped out in two similar but unique ways. Oh, if there's a God, you sure know how to come up with creative ways to make us all suffer.
But, even though Lizzie's interactions with Jimmy were slightly different, Gordo's emotional response to their conversation was exactly the same in both timelines. For David, it was even worse, because not only was he feeling the emotions Gordo was feeling, since he was Gordo, but, he was also suffering and empathizing with his younger self, agonizing and beating himself up because Gordo was going through the same thing he had gone through, even though this all could've been prevented with some better foresight.
I'm sorry Gordo, I messed up, I messed you, you shouldn't be having to go through this. Please forgive me . . .
David continued to sit on his couch, watching the movie of his life. The darkened sky outside made the inside of his house pitch black, but he didn't care, he didn't even notice. Tears started to stream from his eyes, as he saw himself sitting there on the couch, eating pizza with Lizzie. Oh, she looks so beautiful, whispered David. He could see Lizzie as if she was sitting there right next to him, because Gordo was gazing so intently at her, concentrating on all of Lizzie's minute features and movements; David took in images and sounds of her deep, hypnotic eyes, her graceful blonde hair, the adorable smacking sound she made when she licked her fingers clean after she had finished off a pizza slice, the occasional heart-melting smile that she would throw Gordo's way, and the lyrical, enchanting sound of her voice. It was amazing to see Lizzie again, to be with her again; it was as if he was right there with her, it was as if she was alive, once again.
The images were too much for David to handle. I've missed you so much, Lizzie . . . and David buried his hands in his face and begin to weep, completely overcome with grief.
He also was weeping because he could feel Gordo desperately trying to control his emotions, to not let his jealousy make history repeat itself. He could feel Gordo's internal conflict, the turmoil beating him up from the inside. And all David could do was watch things happen. C'mon Gordo, you can do it, you can do it, keep it together man, keep it together, this for Lizzie, remember? Her life depends on it!
But, deep down, David felt a growing sense of helplessness, as he began to feel like they were doomed against the unrelenting force of fate. A sudden dark realization creeped into his consciousness. . . ohmigod, it's going to happen all over again. With that thought, he saw the Wizard of Oz begin to play on television, and he closed his eyes and braced himself for the worst.
And it did to start to happen, once again. Gordo and Lizzie began fighting. . .
As David continued to watch his memories, he noticed that the tenor of the fight was somewhat different from the original fight, as Lizzie seemed less angry and more in despair at what was taking place between her and Gordo. Either way, David knew what was coming, and he knew that for Gordo, the emotions would be exactly the same. . .
David felt the energy drain out of him, as feelings of hopelessness started to engulf his entire being. I don't get it, he thought. Why would God, the Universe, or whomever, give me the chance to change history only to make sure everything turned out exactly the same? Why? Is this some cruel sick twisted cosmic joke? Am I going to have to live through Lizzie's death again?
No, no, no, no!! This is not FAIR!! This is not RIGHT!!! screamed David at the top of his lungs. Yet, his cries seemingly went unheard by the universe, as around 9:00 p.m., he saw Lizzie grab the car keys and march outside to her car in the driving rain. He also saw Gordo standing in the living room, just watching Lizzie walk out the door, as if his feet were rooted into the floor . . .
It's deja vu all over again, muttered David, awash in despair . . . .
David's moment of blackness came to an abrupt end when the crackling sound of thunder boomed loudly outside and startled him awake from his depressed trance state. No, no, it's not going to happen again. He shook his head, curled his fist with determination, and muttered to himself, okay, Gordo, I don't know if you can hear this, but *wake up, man!* Don't just stand there, go after her, now! We can do this Gordo, we can do this, we can make everything right again, we can make it the way it should be, with Lizzie going on to live the life she deserves to live. Come on now, get up the strength, get up the courage, move your feet, dammit! This is for Lizzie, Gordo, this is for Lizzie, we have to do this for Lizzie, now move, move, move, MOVE!!
With that last thought, with that last attempt to give his younger self the courage to act, David sat back on the couch, and waited, with a small sense of hope, to see what would happen next. . . .
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David anxiously paced around his living room, deeply mired in thought. He kept checking his watch, waiting, wondering when Gordo would contact him again and tell him that everything was alright, because Lizzie was still alive.
Although he had looked as watch only a few minutes ago, he again felt the urgent need to see what time it was . . .7:13 p.m. Almost time, almost time . .
David kept walking around in nervous circles for a few minutes, then realized how hungry and thirsty he was since he hadn't eaten all day. He walked over to the refrigerator and grabbed the container of orange juice. As he was pouring the orange juice into a glass, a sharp pain startled his head, forcing him to lose grip of both the juice container and the glass. The plastic container bounced several times on the kitchen floor, finally settled down, and then began letting the liquid pour away onto the kitchen floor. The glass fell, shattering into several orange juice tainted pieces of glass.
David, however, didn't even notice the orange juice on the floor running in and around his feet, as both his eyes and mouth were wide open with what was transpiring in his mind. He didn't have to wait for Gordo to tell him what happened, because he was seeing everything transpire in his head. David was seeing his life history change before his eyes. He was beginning to "remember" memories of his new past, a past that of course was completely new to him. And each new moment in his life was unfolding one moment at a time . . . it's like I'm watching a movie of my own life, thought David, as he began to see himself walking out of his house 15 minutes before 7:30 p.m. and heading towards the McGuire's residence.
David was completely mesmerized and hypnotized by the images that were popping into his head. What was even stranger was that David's old memories did not disappear, they weren't being replaced by his new memories; but instead, both old and new stood side by side in his mind. It's like those sci-fi stories about alternative universes, thought David. He always wondered what life would've been like if things had turned out differently, if Lizzie had lived, if he and Lizzie got together; he always loved to play the "what if" game in his mind. Now, he didn't have to imagine "what if," because he was about to see his alternative life reveal itself right before his eyes.
As the orange juice started to settle right next to feet, David finally extricated himself from the kitchen floor, wiped his feet off in the bathroom, then wandered towards the living room couch. As he flopped onto the couch, he could see Gordo reaching the McGuire residence. The door was ajar, and as he saw Gordo walk up to the door, he saw Gordo stop dead in his tracks.
David abruptly sat up on the couch. Oh no, oh my god, no. Jimmy's still there! He grabbed the sides of his head with both his hands, reeling from shock. What's he still doing here? What's going on? Why hadn't he left already? David looked at his watch, which read 7:27 p.m. He should've been gone by now, he should've been gone! Then, at the same moment that Gordo realized their mistake, David realized it too . . .oh, man, Jimmy left when he did because I had gotten there to interrupt them! So, now because Gordo arrived later, it means Jimmy and Lizzie kept on talking.
Dammit, I should've realized that possibility. It's my fault, it's my fault, muttered David, It's going to be deja vu all over again.
David was right. He watched his younger version of himself stand there in front of the doorway, listening intently to Jimmy and Lizzie talk, and kiss, and David could feel a part of himself dying, once again.
Ohmigod, I have to go through this again, I have to go through this again . . .
David sat there, watching himself eavesdrop in on Jimmy and Lizzie for the second time. What he heard between Jimmy and Lizzie was slightly different from what had happened originally, but the differences only made David's suffering that much more painful. Oh great, I get to feel my heart get ripped out in two similar but unique ways. Oh, if there's a God, you sure know how to come up with creative ways to make us all suffer.
But, even though Lizzie's interactions with Jimmy were slightly different, Gordo's emotional response to their conversation was exactly the same in both timelines. For David, it was even worse, because not only was he feeling the emotions Gordo was feeling, since he was Gordo, but, he was also suffering and empathizing with his younger self, agonizing and beating himself up because Gordo was going through the same thing he had gone through, even though this all could've been prevented with some better foresight.
I'm sorry Gordo, I messed up, I messed you, you shouldn't be having to go through this. Please forgive me . . .
David continued to sit on his couch, watching the movie of his life. The darkened sky outside made the inside of his house pitch black, but he didn't care, he didn't even notice. Tears started to stream from his eyes, as he saw himself sitting there on the couch, eating pizza with Lizzie. Oh, she looks so beautiful, whispered David. He could see Lizzie as if she was sitting there right next to him, because Gordo was gazing so intently at her, concentrating on all of Lizzie's minute features and movements; David took in images and sounds of her deep, hypnotic eyes, her graceful blonde hair, the adorable smacking sound she made when she licked her fingers clean after she had finished off a pizza slice, the occasional heart-melting smile that she would throw Gordo's way, and the lyrical, enchanting sound of her voice. It was amazing to see Lizzie again, to be with her again; it was as if he was right there with her, it was as if she was alive, once again.
The images were too much for David to handle. I've missed you so much, Lizzie . . . and David buried his hands in his face and begin to weep, completely overcome with grief.
He also was weeping because he could feel Gordo desperately trying to control his emotions, to not let his jealousy make history repeat itself. He could feel Gordo's internal conflict, the turmoil beating him up from the inside. And all David could do was watch things happen. C'mon Gordo, you can do it, you can do it, keep it together man, keep it together, this for Lizzie, remember? Her life depends on it!
But, deep down, David felt a growing sense of helplessness, as he began to feel like they were doomed against the unrelenting force of fate. A sudden dark realization creeped into his consciousness. . . ohmigod, it's going to happen all over again. With that thought, he saw the Wizard of Oz begin to play on television, and he closed his eyes and braced himself for the worst.
And it did to start to happen, once again. Gordo and Lizzie began fighting. . .
As David continued to watch his memories, he noticed that the tenor of the fight was somewhat different from the original fight, as Lizzie seemed less angry and more in despair at what was taking place between her and Gordo. Either way, David knew what was coming, and he knew that for Gordo, the emotions would be exactly the same. . .
David felt the energy drain out of him, as feelings of hopelessness started to engulf his entire being. I don't get it, he thought. Why would God, the Universe, or whomever, give me the chance to change history only to make sure everything turned out exactly the same? Why? Is this some cruel sick twisted cosmic joke? Am I going to have to live through Lizzie's death again?
No, no, no, no!! This is not FAIR!! This is not RIGHT!!! screamed David at the top of his lungs. Yet, his cries seemingly went unheard by the universe, as around 9:00 p.m., he saw Lizzie grab the car keys and march outside to her car in the driving rain. He also saw Gordo standing in the living room, just watching Lizzie walk out the door, as if his feet were rooted into the floor . . .
It's deja vu all over again, muttered David, awash in despair . . . .
David's moment of blackness came to an abrupt end when the crackling sound of thunder boomed loudly outside and startled him awake from his depressed trance state. No, no, it's not going to happen again. He shook his head, curled his fist with determination, and muttered to himself, okay, Gordo, I don't know if you can hear this, but *wake up, man!* Don't just stand there, go after her, now! We can do this Gordo, we can do this, we can make everything right again, we can make it the way it should be, with Lizzie going on to live the life she deserves to live. Come on now, get up the strength, get up the courage, move your feet, dammit! This is for Lizzie, Gordo, this is for Lizzie, we have to do this for Lizzie, now move, move, move, MOVE!!
With that last thought, with that last attempt to give his younger self the courage to act, David sat back on the couch, and waited, with a small sense of hope, to see what would happen next. . . .