As Gordo stood there, in the middle of the McGuire's living room, feeling
paralyzed, he watched Lizzie march out the door to her car, which was
parked just outside the garage. What was happening was all very surreal to
Gordo, because it looked as if Lizzie was walking in instant replay slow
motion.
This is just a bad dream, rationalized Gordo. It's not really happening. I haven't really been in contact with a 28 year old version of me, because that's just not possible, and there's no way Lizzie is going to die tonight. That can't happen, no way, nuh-uh, because I am in love with her, and there's no way that I'm going to lose the love of my life before we even have a chance to build a life together. This is all a dream, that's it, this is all a dream, and I'm going to wake up from this nightmare any time now . . .
As Gordo was about to completely lose touch with what was going on before his eyes, he suddenly heard a voice intruding into his sleepy, hypnotic haze. It was a firm, determined voice, a voice that was trying to wake him up. The voice sounded a lot like his own, but it felt like it was a voice that was coming from the outside somewhere, and it was much deeper than his own voice. The voice exuded a confident urgency, and it kept saying to him, wake up, wake up, move, move, move, move, save Lizzie, save Lizzie, save Lizzie, *move* Gordo, move!
As he listened intently to the *Voice* exhorting him to action, an earth shattering loud boom pierced every fiber in Gordo's being. It felt as if his entire body had hit by a bulldozer.
Whoa! Whispered Gordo. The thunderous noise woke Gordo from his helpless trance. He shook his head violently, trying to wipe away the cobwebs from his mind. What the hell am I doing? Wake up Gordo, and move, move, move, move!!! You've got to stop Lizzie!!
A surge of energy rushed through his body, propelling him out the door and into the driving rain. As soon as he stepped out of the house, Gordo felt like he was being pelted with thousands of wet, bitterly cold, piercing, stinging little pebbles. Gordo could hardly see as black sheets of rain completely shrouded and obscured his vision. As he peered out into the rain drenched, pitch black night, his eyes caught her slowly but steadily heading towards her car, which was parked out on the street.
As he ran towards Lizzie, he almost felt himself slip on the wet grassy lawn in front of the McGuire's house, but he was able to maintain his balance and reach Lizzie before she got to her car. He quickly grabbed her left arm. Lizzie instantly whirled around and peered straight into Gordos eyes.
Her hair was completely soaked, as rain and tear drops hastily flowed down her face. Gordo was startled by the expression on Lizzie's face, as a fiercely determined mix of anger and sadness peered back at him. She looked weary and worn down, and Gordo's heart ached at seeing the deep sadness in Lizzie's eyes.
As soon as their eyes met each other, her eyes sharpened into a sharp, furious, stare. She snapped her arm away from Gordo's grip as she yelled, "Let go of me, Gordo!"
Gordo was stunned by Lizzie's anger. It was so weird to be with Lizzie when she was so upset with him.
He shook off her anger and said, "Lizzie, please don't go. Let's go back inside the house and talk about what happened!" Gordo was yelling at the top of his lungs, but he could barely hear himself as the heavy rainfall smashing into the grass and pavement made everything so difficult to hear.
"No, Gordo, we've got nothing to talk about. Okay? Now, just let me go!" Lizzie began to turn away from Gordo to walk away to her car, but Gordo again reached for her arm.
"Lizzie please please listen to me . . ."
Lizzie again whipped her arm away from Gordo's grip. "Get off of *me* Gordo! Okay! Just get off of me!" screamed Lizzie, with pure venom in her eyes and voice. "Can't you understand, I just don't want to be anywhere near you right now! I can't stand the sight of you, Gordo, so *just* *leave* *me* alone!!"
Lizzie again began to march to her car, and Gordo, without thinking, reached out, grabbed a hold of her with both of his arms. Just as he had his arms around her, Gordo slipped on the wet grass, and his momentum pushed both of them towards the ground. Gordo quickly realized what was happening, and he began twisting his body so that his body would hit the ground first to make sure that Lizzie would fall safely on top of him.
He succeeded with his body contortions, and he cringed as his body smack into the wet grass. He then felt Lizzie's body fall on top of him. Oooffff.
Even though he was in intense pain, Gordo made sure to hold tightly onto Lizzie with both his arms, to make sure she didn't hurt herself.
Lizzie was now laying on top of him, with his arms still firmly wrapped around her body. Her face was but a breath's length away from Gordo's, as their noses were nearly touching each other. She stared straight into his eyes, took a deep breath, then said, "Gordo, what are you doing?? Let me go!" Lizzie squirmed, trying to get away. But Gordo just wouldn't let go.
"No, Lizzie, I'm not gonna let you," said Gordo, as rain drops dripped from Lizzie's face straight into Gordo's eyes. As he felt his back begin to soak with water, he looked at Lizzie's face, and while he completely terrified over what was happening, for a brief moment, everything become absolutely still and quiet, as if the rain's sound had been turned off. He gazed into Lizzie's rain soaked face and hair, and marveled at how absolutely beautiful she was. Her sadness only gave her face more character. In the cold, wet darkness, her beauty seemed so pure, so raw, so real, thought Gordo. Oh my god, she takes my breath away. . . .
As Gordo was beginning to fall into a dreamy daze, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right thigh. "Ouch!" screamed Gordo. Lizzie had taken her knee and rammed it into Gordo's leg. The sudden shock of the pain forced Gordo to release his hold of Lizzie, and Lizzie immediately took advantage by jumping up off of him. As Gordo tried to reach out and grab hold of her again, she realized what he was trying to do and quickly stomped her foot into Gordo's stomach. She hated to do it, but she knew she had to in order to get free. She tried not to put all her force into it, because she didn't want Gordo to get hurt, but she put enough force to prevent Gordo from grabbing a hold of her again.
"Oww!!"
"Serves you right, Gordo!" said Lizzie as she sprinted to her car.
"No, Lizzie, wait!" yelled Gordo from the ground. He sat up straight, tried to shake off the pain in his leg and stomach, then got up to go after Lizzie once more.
Lizzie had reached her car door. She was fumbling with her keys, desperately trying to find the key that would let her inside her car.
Gordo was able to reach her before she could open her car door. He grabbed hold of her arm once again, but Lizzie realized what he was trying to do and she pushed her body back into Gordo's body, forcing him to slip and fall onto the wet grass. She had no idea why Gordo was behaving this way. Why won't he just leave me alone?
Lizzie opened her car door and climbed inside the driver's seat. She was drenching wet, but she didn't care. She flipped on the headlights and turned on the ignition. The car roared to life. As she was about to put her car into drive, she was barraged with a pounding on her car window. She turned to her left and saw Gordo, slamming his fists into the window, trying desperately to get Lizzie's attention. "Lizzie! Please don't go! Please!! I'm so sorry for everything I said! Lizzie!!" Gordo's voice was muffled, and she could barely hear what he was saying. He was relentless, as he kept pounding on the window as if he were a perpetual motion machine.
Lizzie looked at Gordo, and she could see the pure fear and intensity in Gordo's eyes. What's wrong with him, she wondered? She suddenly began to feel anxious, as Gordo's anxiety and fear seeped through the window and into her heart. Why is Gordo acting this way? What's gotten into him?
She thought about just driving away, but she hesitated, and even though she didn't want to, she pushed the button and had the window come down half way. In opening her window, the absolutely deafening sound of the pouring rain crashed into her face. She looked at Gordo, and said as calmly as she could, "Gordo, I'm only going to ask you once. Step away from the car and just let me go, okay?" pleaded Lizzie.
"No, no, no, Lizzie, you can't go, you can't go!! Please, please, for me, Lizzie, just get out of the car, and let's go back inside, okay? Please?"
Lizzie gazed into Gordo's rain drenched face as he pleaded with her, and he saw an expression on his face that she had only seen once before . . . it looked like Gordo was. . . .grieving; it looked like Gordo was in mourning, as if he had lost someone dear to him. No, no, that's not quite it, thought Lizzie. It's more like he knows he's about to lose someone he loves, forever. It was a look of anticipated loss, of anticipated loneliness and suffering. It was the same look on his face that he had when he had just learned that his grandfather had terminal cancer and had only a few months to live.
And, upon seeing his face, for a moment, for but a brief moment, her heart opened up again, and she wanted to reach out, hug Gordo, and comfort him. But, that feeling lasted but a half-second, and then she remembered, in vivid detail, all the things Gordo had said to her just a few moments ago, and once again, her only desire was to get away as far as she could from her best friend.
"No, Gordo," snapped Lizzie. "You are so awful, Gordo, I hate you so much right now!! I just need some space, okay? Let me just think things over and I'll see you in a little bit. Okay?" said Lizzie, as she pushed the button to raise her car window up. As the window went up, the intensity in Gordo's face increased exponentially. "No, no, no, wait, wait, wai-" Gordo's last word was rendered mute as the window closed completely. Lizzie averted her eyes away from Gordo, shifted her car from park into drive.
Gordo saw what was happening, and everything in him completely snapped. He lost control of all his emotions. He began pounding on the car window with a furious passion, and he screamed at the top of his lungs, "Lizzie, please don't go please don't go!! Stop the car right now Lizzie! Stop the car right now! Please please please I know I screwed up and I know you're upset with me and I deserve it but please listen to me right now you have to! If you go off right now I know something terrible is going to happen, I just know it!!" Gordo stopped talking momentarily to gasp for some air. But he never took his eyes off Lizzie. Their eyes made contact, and he could see that what he was saying was reaching her. He took another big gulp of air then let loose his passion once again.
But, just as he was about to speak, he could feel the car moving away from him. He was absolutely dumbfounded. Oh no, oh no, oh no . . . . As the car slowly inched away from him, Gordo shook off the paralysis that was trying to subdue him, and began running to keep up with the car. As the car was about to leave the drive way, he pounded his fists on the window with even greater urgency.
Lizzie turned again to see Gordo's face at her window, and a feeling of sheer exasperation and frustration engulfed her. Why won't he leave me alone????
Lizzie kept driving, but she did so very slowly, almost as if to let Gordo keep up with her and continue pleading with her. She closed her eyes, then put the brakes to her car. She was going to give Gordo one more chance to convince her not to go.
"Lizzie, oh my god Lizzie, please don't go! You have to listen to me! Lizzie, I don't know what I would do if I lost you! I can't live without you, I just can't!" Gordo's emotions were completely free and loose, and he was now talking from his heart, and not his mind. "I'm so sorry, Lizzie, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean anything I said, you've got to believe me! I want you and need you in my life Lizzie, I can't imagine my life without you. So you can't *go*, Lizzie, you just can't!!!" screamed Gordo.
"Because I love you Lizzie McGuire, I'm in love with you!!!"
As Gordo said those words he had been longing to say for as long he could remember, the night was suddenly bombarded by the loudest thunder of the night. It felt like the night sky was about to rip in half, and the thunder had the ground shaking as if it were about to explode into a million thousand pieces.
Because of the thunder, Lizzie couldn't hear what Gordo was saying to her. But, even though she couldn't hear his words, what she could see was the passionate emotion in Gordo's face . . . there was such an intense urgency in his eyes, a deep sense of concern for her, a deep sense of . . .*love* for her, for Lizzie McGuire. And she knew he was crying, even though the rain on his face was making it difficult for her to tell. It was an odd feeling seeing her best friend Gordo crying. She couldn't remember the last time that had happened.
This night has been so strange, thought Lizzie, as she put her car into drive and started to drive away into the night . . . .
This is just a bad dream, rationalized Gordo. It's not really happening. I haven't really been in contact with a 28 year old version of me, because that's just not possible, and there's no way Lizzie is going to die tonight. That can't happen, no way, nuh-uh, because I am in love with her, and there's no way that I'm going to lose the love of my life before we even have a chance to build a life together. This is all a dream, that's it, this is all a dream, and I'm going to wake up from this nightmare any time now . . .
As Gordo was about to completely lose touch with what was going on before his eyes, he suddenly heard a voice intruding into his sleepy, hypnotic haze. It was a firm, determined voice, a voice that was trying to wake him up. The voice sounded a lot like his own, but it felt like it was a voice that was coming from the outside somewhere, and it was much deeper than his own voice. The voice exuded a confident urgency, and it kept saying to him, wake up, wake up, move, move, move, move, save Lizzie, save Lizzie, save Lizzie, *move* Gordo, move!
As he listened intently to the *Voice* exhorting him to action, an earth shattering loud boom pierced every fiber in Gordo's being. It felt as if his entire body had hit by a bulldozer.
Whoa! Whispered Gordo. The thunderous noise woke Gordo from his helpless trance. He shook his head violently, trying to wipe away the cobwebs from his mind. What the hell am I doing? Wake up Gordo, and move, move, move, move!!! You've got to stop Lizzie!!
A surge of energy rushed through his body, propelling him out the door and into the driving rain. As soon as he stepped out of the house, Gordo felt like he was being pelted with thousands of wet, bitterly cold, piercing, stinging little pebbles. Gordo could hardly see as black sheets of rain completely shrouded and obscured his vision. As he peered out into the rain drenched, pitch black night, his eyes caught her slowly but steadily heading towards her car, which was parked out on the street.
As he ran towards Lizzie, he almost felt himself slip on the wet grassy lawn in front of the McGuire's house, but he was able to maintain his balance and reach Lizzie before she got to her car. He quickly grabbed her left arm. Lizzie instantly whirled around and peered straight into Gordos eyes.
Her hair was completely soaked, as rain and tear drops hastily flowed down her face. Gordo was startled by the expression on Lizzie's face, as a fiercely determined mix of anger and sadness peered back at him. She looked weary and worn down, and Gordo's heart ached at seeing the deep sadness in Lizzie's eyes.
As soon as their eyes met each other, her eyes sharpened into a sharp, furious, stare. She snapped her arm away from Gordo's grip as she yelled, "Let go of me, Gordo!"
Gordo was stunned by Lizzie's anger. It was so weird to be with Lizzie when she was so upset with him.
He shook off her anger and said, "Lizzie, please don't go. Let's go back inside the house and talk about what happened!" Gordo was yelling at the top of his lungs, but he could barely hear himself as the heavy rainfall smashing into the grass and pavement made everything so difficult to hear.
"No, Gordo, we've got nothing to talk about. Okay? Now, just let me go!" Lizzie began to turn away from Gordo to walk away to her car, but Gordo again reached for her arm.
"Lizzie please please listen to me . . ."
Lizzie again whipped her arm away from Gordo's grip. "Get off of *me* Gordo! Okay! Just get off of me!" screamed Lizzie, with pure venom in her eyes and voice. "Can't you understand, I just don't want to be anywhere near you right now! I can't stand the sight of you, Gordo, so *just* *leave* *me* alone!!"
Lizzie again began to march to her car, and Gordo, without thinking, reached out, grabbed a hold of her with both of his arms. Just as he had his arms around her, Gordo slipped on the wet grass, and his momentum pushed both of them towards the ground. Gordo quickly realized what was happening, and he began twisting his body so that his body would hit the ground first to make sure that Lizzie would fall safely on top of him.
He succeeded with his body contortions, and he cringed as his body smack into the wet grass. He then felt Lizzie's body fall on top of him. Oooffff.
Even though he was in intense pain, Gordo made sure to hold tightly onto Lizzie with both his arms, to make sure she didn't hurt herself.
Lizzie was now laying on top of him, with his arms still firmly wrapped around her body. Her face was but a breath's length away from Gordo's, as their noses were nearly touching each other. She stared straight into his eyes, took a deep breath, then said, "Gordo, what are you doing?? Let me go!" Lizzie squirmed, trying to get away. But Gordo just wouldn't let go.
"No, Lizzie, I'm not gonna let you," said Gordo, as rain drops dripped from Lizzie's face straight into Gordo's eyes. As he felt his back begin to soak with water, he looked at Lizzie's face, and while he completely terrified over what was happening, for a brief moment, everything become absolutely still and quiet, as if the rain's sound had been turned off. He gazed into Lizzie's rain soaked face and hair, and marveled at how absolutely beautiful she was. Her sadness only gave her face more character. In the cold, wet darkness, her beauty seemed so pure, so raw, so real, thought Gordo. Oh my god, she takes my breath away. . . .
As Gordo was beginning to fall into a dreamy daze, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right thigh. "Ouch!" screamed Gordo. Lizzie had taken her knee and rammed it into Gordo's leg. The sudden shock of the pain forced Gordo to release his hold of Lizzie, and Lizzie immediately took advantage by jumping up off of him. As Gordo tried to reach out and grab hold of her again, she realized what he was trying to do and quickly stomped her foot into Gordo's stomach. She hated to do it, but she knew she had to in order to get free. She tried not to put all her force into it, because she didn't want Gordo to get hurt, but she put enough force to prevent Gordo from grabbing a hold of her again.
"Oww!!"
"Serves you right, Gordo!" said Lizzie as she sprinted to her car.
"No, Lizzie, wait!" yelled Gordo from the ground. He sat up straight, tried to shake off the pain in his leg and stomach, then got up to go after Lizzie once more.
Lizzie had reached her car door. She was fumbling with her keys, desperately trying to find the key that would let her inside her car.
Gordo was able to reach her before she could open her car door. He grabbed hold of her arm once again, but Lizzie realized what he was trying to do and she pushed her body back into Gordo's body, forcing him to slip and fall onto the wet grass. She had no idea why Gordo was behaving this way. Why won't he just leave me alone?
Lizzie opened her car door and climbed inside the driver's seat. She was drenching wet, but she didn't care. She flipped on the headlights and turned on the ignition. The car roared to life. As she was about to put her car into drive, she was barraged with a pounding on her car window. She turned to her left and saw Gordo, slamming his fists into the window, trying desperately to get Lizzie's attention. "Lizzie! Please don't go! Please!! I'm so sorry for everything I said! Lizzie!!" Gordo's voice was muffled, and she could barely hear what he was saying. He was relentless, as he kept pounding on the window as if he were a perpetual motion machine.
Lizzie looked at Gordo, and she could see the pure fear and intensity in Gordo's eyes. What's wrong with him, she wondered? She suddenly began to feel anxious, as Gordo's anxiety and fear seeped through the window and into her heart. Why is Gordo acting this way? What's gotten into him?
She thought about just driving away, but she hesitated, and even though she didn't want to, she pushed the button and had the window come down half way. In opening her window, the absolutely deafening sound of the pouring rain crashed into her face. She looked at Gordo, and said as calmly as she could, "Gordo, I'm only going to ask you once. Step away from the car and just let me go, okay?" pleaded Lizzie.
"No, no, no, Lizzie, you can't go, you can't go!! Please, please, for me, Lizzie, just get out of the car, and let's go back inside, okay? Please?"
Lizzie gazed into Gordo's rain drenched face as he pleaded with her, and he saw an expression on his face that she had only seen once before . . . it looked like Gordo was. . . .grieving; it looked like Gordo was in mourning, as if he had lost someone dear to him. No, no, that's not quite it, thought Lizzie. It's more like he knows he's about to lose someone he loves, forever. It was a look of anticipated loss, of anticipated loneliness and suffering. It was the same look on his face that he had when he had just learned that his grandfather had terminal cancer and had only a few months to live.
And, upon seeing his face, for a moment, for but a brief moment, her heart opened up again, and she wanted to reach out, hug Gordo, and comfort him. But, that feeling lasted but a half-second, and then she remembered, in vivid detail, all the things Gordo had said to her just a few moments ago, and once again, her only desire was to get away as far as she could from her best friend.
"No, Gordo," snapped Lizzie. "You are so awful, Gordo, I hate you so much right now!! I just need some space, okay? Let me just think things over and I'll see you in a little bit. Okay?" said Lizzie, as she pushed the button to raise her car window up. As the window went up, the intensity in Gordo's face increased exponentially. "No, no, no, wait, wait, wai-" Gordo's last word was rendered mute as the window closed completely. Lizzie averted her eyes away from Gordo, shifted her car from park into drive.
Gordo saw what was happening, and everything in him completely snapped. He lost control of all his emotions. He began pounding on the car window with a furious passion, and he screamed at the top of his lungs, "Lizzie, please don't go please don't go!! Stop the car right now Lizzie! Stop the car right now! Please please please I know I screwed up and I know you're upset with me and I deserve it but please listen to me right now you have to! If you go off right now I know something terrible is going to happen, I just know it!!" Gordo stopped talking momentarily to gasp for some air. But he never took his eyes off Lizzie. Their eyes made contact, and he could see that what he was saying was reaching her. He took another big gulp of air then let loose his passion once again.
But, just as he was about to speak, he could feel the car moving away from him. He was absolutely dumbfounded. Oh no, oh no, oh no . . . . As the car slowly inched away from him, Gordo shook off the paralysis that was trying to subdue him, and began running to keep up with the car. As the car was about to leave the drive way, he pounded his fists on the window with even greater urgency.
Lizzie turned again to see Gordo's face at her window, and a feeling of sheer exasperation and frustration engulfed her. Why won't he leave me alone????
Lizzie kept driving, but she did so very slowly, almost as if to let Gordo keep up with her and continue pleading with her. She closed her eyes, then put the brakes to her car. She was going to give Gordo one more chance to convince her not to go.
"Lizzie, oh my god Lizzie, please don't go! You have to listen to me! Lizzie, I don't know what I would do if I lost you! I can't live without you, I just can't!" Gordo's emotions were completely free and loose, and he was now talking from his heart, and not his mind. "I'm so sorry, Lizzie, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean anything I said, you've got to believe me! I want you and need you in my life Lizzie, I can't imagine my life without you. So you can't *go*, Lizzie, you just can't!!!" screamed Gordo.
"Because I love you Lizzie McGuire, I'm in love with you!!!"
As Gordo said those words he had been longing to say for as long he could remember, the night was suddenly bombarded by the loudest thunder of the night. It felt like the night sky was about to rip in half, and the thunder had the ground shaking as if it were about to explode into a million thousand pieces.
Because of the thunder, Lizzie couldn't hear what Gordo was saying to her. But, even though she couldn't hear his words, what she could see was the passionate emotion in Gordo's face . . . there was such an intense urgency in his eyes, a deep sense of concern for her, a deep sense of . . .*love* for her, for Lizzie McGuire. And she knew he was crying, even though the rain on his face was making it difficult for her to tell. It was an odd feeling seeing her best friend Gordo crying. She couldn't remember the last time that had happened.
This night has been so strange, thought Lizzie, as she put her car into drive and started to drive away into the night . . . .