A/N: I do not own the song "Wrong Impression" by Natalie Imbruglia.
~ ~ ~
Chapter Ten: Wrong Impression
The doorbell rang. Gordo ran to get it. "Coming!" he shouted.
He opened the door.
"Lizzie," he said. He smiled. "What's up? Come in."
Lizzie scratched the back of her neck. "Um, actually Gordo, I was wondering if we could talk." She shook her head and laughed at herself. "I mean, we could talk inside, too. It makes no difference to me."
"Okay," said Gordo. "Wanna go up in my room?"
There was a glimmer in her eye as she carefully planned out what she going to do. "Sure."
Gordo let Lizzie in and they went upstairs. Lizzie smiled as they walked through the halls. The smell of this house was as familiar to her as the smell of her own house. It smelled like Mr. Dr. Gordon's pipe smoke (A/N: Mr. Dr. and Mrs. Dr. is to determine who is who) and the chi Mrs. Dr. Gordon lit to help her patients clear their minds. Lizzie sucked in the scent, which was a peculiar one indeed, but it was so comforting to her.
They entered Gordo's room. He sat down at his desk, she on his bed. By that time, Lizzie had everything planned at ready. She would attack. No prisoners.
~Calling out, calling out, haven't you wondered why I'm always alone when you're in my dreams~
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Gordo asked in the calm, collected way that he hadn't been able to use with Lizzie in a long time. It somehow came easy at the moment.
Lizzie picked up a hackysack ball on the bedside table and tossed to Gordo in a friendly way. "Well, I don't know how to approach it."
Gordo began hitting it with the instep of his feet. "Shoot."
Lizzie bit her lip sideways until it hurt. She went over her battle plan again slowly in her mind's eye.
"First off," she said cautiously, picking up rubix cube (A/N: or however it's spelled) off the floor and playing with it, trying to act casual, "why did you walk out of Miranda's house that quickly?"
Gordo looked up at Lizzie, eyes strained. The hackysack ball fell to the floor. He stiffened up. Panic rushed through him. The casual style of talk that had resurrected a second ago evaporated again.
~Calling out, calling out, haven't you wondered why you're finding it hard just looking at me~
"Oh," he got out through a tight mouth. "That."
Lizzie looked at the floor. 'Don't back down; be upfront,' she told herself. She took a deep breath.
"Did it have anything to do with the kiss?" she asked in one swift breath.
~I want you but I want you to understand I leave you. . . I love you~
Gordo's breath caught in his throat. He stuttered. "I. . . uh. . . you. . . um, Rome. . . well, uh. . . kiss. . ."
~Didn't want to leave you with the wrong impression. Didn't want to leave you with my last confession of love~
Lizzie took another breath. She was ready. She had been ready for a long time.
"Gordo, did that kiss mean anything to you at all?"
Gordo looked down at the ground. "Sorta," he mumbled.
"Sorta?" she repeated in a loud tone, egging him on. "Just sorta?"
A lump formed in Gordo's throat. "Well, I mean, sure, it was nice. But, you know, it didn't mean anything."
Lizzie stood up. "Didn't mean anything to me or didn't mean anything to you?"
Gordo looked up into Lizzie's eyes, realizing what she had just said had never occurred to him.
~Wasn't trying to pull you in the wrong direction. All I wanna do is try and make a connection of love~
"Did it mean something to *you*?" Lizzie asked, guessing the answer but not sure how it would come out or even if it would come out at all. Gordo was infamous for backing down from expressing his feelings.
"Sorta," Gordo repeated, standing up, playing with his hands like he always did when he tried to get something out of his system. He moved in closer to Lizzie's face.
"What are you doing?" she asked him.
"Your mascara is all smudged," he answered, taking her hand and pulling her into his bathroom. "I'll help you get it off."
He dabbed a washcloth underneath the running faucet, turned it off, and rubbed underneath her eye, unaware that she needed makeup remover.
"So," he asked slowly and insecurely, "did the kiss mean anything to you?" He leaned back and looked sincerely – not desperate or hopeful, just sincere and patient and understanding like always – into her eyes.
~Falling out, falling out, haven't you wondered if this was ever more than a crazy idea~
Lizzie tilted her head and took Gordo's hand with the washcloth in it. She made it brush underneath her eye again. "Maybe," she said in a faraway voice.
Gordo tried to read her eyes. They had a vacuous look to them, not the dreamy kind, just glazy. She rubbed her fingers against his index finger as she continued to move his hand. Neither said anything. Just silence.
Finally Lizzie asked in a soft tone, "Is it off?"
Gordo pulled his hand away slowly and answered, "No." Her leaned back on his heels and just stared into her eyes.
~Falling out, falling out, haven't you wondered what we could've been if you'd only let me in~
"That kiss was just a thank you kiss," she said, again taking his hand and doing the same thing. "At least, that's what I thought. And the second I did it, it all changed. It was, I don't know, magic."
Gordo took the washcloth and brushed a piece of hair out of her face. His hand froze behind her ear. He felt naked, as if Lizzie could see right through him.
~I want you but I want you to understand I miss you. . . I love you~
"Well, you're a good kisser," he said in an even, low tone but with his Gordo sense of humor behind it.
Lizzie giggled. "Really?"
Gordo laughed, too. "Yea, and you're not the only girl I've ever kissed."
Lizzie cupped her hand over his, still behind her ear. "And that puts me at the top of a list of what, two?"
They both laughed. Suddenly, music started coming from the living room. It was "Have I Told You Lately," the Drs. Gordon's wedding song. Lizzie and Gordo smiled at each other.
~Didn't want to leave you with the wrong impression. Didn't want to leave you with my last confession of love. Wasn't trying to pull you in the wrong direction. All I wanna do is try and make a connection of love~
They just stood there smiling for a while, his hand and the wet washcloth in hers behind her ear. Then came Lizzie's favorite part of the song: "*Have I told you lately that I love you? Have I told you there's no one above you?*"
Suddenly but slowly, as if time was standing still, Gordo leaned in and kissed her. It was the most refreshing and waited-for moment of both of their lives. To Gordo, he had just confessed to her his feelings, and in a way better than he ever could have planned.
Lizzie kissed him back. This wasn't her original battle plan; it was even better. For once, things evened out. Their feelings were mutual.
~I need you. . . I love you~
Hey everyone! Sorry that that was so short and that it might have sucked a little. Also, sorry I haven't updated in a while but I was on vacation. While I was there, though, I was struck by inspiration for the sequel and actually began writing it. I want to get done this one fast now (it might be 19 chapters because I screwed up with the songs and stuff). But you know notebook drafts always suck, but I have most of the songs.
And to anyway who read "She's a Fox, Alright" (much love to you, btw) I made a mistake with Kathleen's mother's name, which was Cecilia, not Susan. Oh well. She's Amara Susan Fox, end of story.
Thanks to all my reviewers, especially guitarplayingirl. Peace girl.
Keep it Heavenly,
(* Goddess4LiFe
~ ~ ~
Chapter Ten: Wrong Impression
The doorbell rang. Gordo ran to get it. "Coming!" he shouted.
He opened the door.
"Lizzie," he said. He smiled. "What's up? Come in."
Lizzie scratched the back of her neck. "Um, actually Gordo, I was wondering if we could talk." She shook her head and laughed at herself. "I mean, we could talk inside, too. It makes no difference to me."
"Okay," said Gordo. "Wanna go up in my room?"
There was a glimmer in her eye as she carefully planned out what she going to do. "Sure."
Gordo let Lizzie in and they went upstairs. Lizzie smiled as they walked through the halls. The smell of this house was as familiar to her as the smell of her own house. It smelled like Mr. Dr. Gordon's pipe smoke (A/N: Mr. Dr. and Mrs. Dr. is to determine who is who) and the chi Mrs. Dr. Gordon lit to help her patients clear their minds. Lizzie sucked in the scent, which was a peculiar one indeed, but it was so comforting to her.
They entered Gordo's room. He sat down at his desk, she on his bed. By that time, Lizzie had everything planned at ready. She would attack. No prisoners.
~Calling out, calling out, haven't you wondered why I'm always alone when you're in my dreams~
"So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Gordo asked in the calm, collected way that he hadn't been able to use with Lizzie in a long time. It somehow came easy at the moment.
Lizzie picked up a hackysack ball on the bedside table and tossed to Gordo in a friendly way. "Well, I don't know how to approach it."
Gordo began hitting it with the instep of his feet. "Shoot."
Lizzie bit her lip sideways until it hurt. She went over her battle plan again slowly in her mind's eye.
"First off," she said cautiously, picking up rubix cube (A/N: or however it's spelled) off the floor and playing with it, trying to act casual, "why did you walk out of Miranda's house that quickly?"
Gordo looked up at Lizzie, eyes strained. The hackysack ball fell to the floor. He stiffened up. Panic rushed through him. The casual style of talk that had resurrected a second ago evaporated again.
~Calling out, calling out, haven't you wondered why you're finding it hard just looking at me~
"Oh," he got out through a tight mouth. "That."
Lizzie looked at the floor. 'Don't back down; be upfront,' she told herself. She took a deep breath.
"Did it have anything to do with the kiss?" she asked in one swift breath.
~I want you but I want you to understand I leave you. . . I love you~
Gordo's breath caught in his throat. He stuttered. "I. . . uh. . . you. . . um, Rome. . . well, uh. . . kiss. . ."
~Didn't want to leave you with the wrong impression. Didn't want to leave you with my last confession of love~
Lizzie took another breath. She was ready. She had been ready for a long time.
"Gordo, did that kiss mean anything to you at all?"
Gordo looked down at the ground. "Sorta," he mumbled.
"Sorta?" she repeated in a loud tone, egging him on. "Just sorta?"
A lump formed in Gordo's throat. "Well, I mean, sure, it was nice. But, you know, it didn't mean anything."
Lizzie stood up. "Didn't mean anything to me or didn't mean anything to you?"
Gordo looked up into Lizzie's eyes, realizing what she had just said had never occurred to him.
~Wasn't trying to pull you in the wrong direction. All I wanna do is try and make a connection of love~
"Did it mean something to *you*?" Lizzie asked, guessing the answer but not sure how it would come out or even if it would come out at all. Gordo was infamous for backing down from expressing his feelings.
"Sorta," Gordo repeated, standing up, playing with his hands like he always did when he tried to get something out of his system. He moved in closer to Lizzie's face.
"What are you doing?" she asked him.
"Your mascara is all smudged," he answered, taking her hand and pulling her into his bathroom. "I'll help you get it off."
He dabbed a washcloth underneath the running faucet, turned it off, and rubbed underneath her eye, unaware that she needed makeup remover.
"So," he asked slowly and insecurely, "did the kiss mean anything to you?" He leaned back and looked sincerely – not desperate or hopeful, just sincere and patient and understanding like always – into her eyes.
~Falling out, falling out, haven't you wondered if this was ever more than a crazy idea~
Lizzie tilted her head and took Gordo's hand with the washcloth in it. She made it brush underneath her eye again. "Maybe," she said in a faraway voice.
Gordo tried to read her eyes. They had a vacuous look to them, not the dreamy kind, just glazy. She rubbed her fingers against his index finger as she continued to move his hand. Neither said anything. Just silence.
Finally Lizzie asked in a soft tone, "Is it off?"
Gordo pulled his hand away slowly and answered, "No." Her leaned back on his heels and just stared into her eyes.
~Falling out, falling out, haven't you wondered what we could've been if you'd only let me in~
"That kiss was just a thank you kiss," she said, again taking his hand and doing the same thing. "At least, that's what I thought. And the second I did it, it all changed. It was, I don't know, magic."
Gordo took the washcloth and brushed a piece of hair out of her face. His hand froze behind her ear. He felt naked, as if Lizzie could see right through him.
~I want you but I want you to understand I miss you. . . I love you~
"Well, you're a good kisser," he said in an even, low tone but with his Gordo sense of humor behind it.
Lizzie giggled. "Really?"
Gordo laughed, too. "Yea, and you're not the only girl I've ever kissed."
Lizzie cupped her hand over his, still behind her ear. "And that puts me at the top of a list of what, two?"
They both laughed. Suddenly, music started coming from the living room. It was "Have I Told You Lately," the Drs. Gordon's wedding song. Lizzie and Gordo smiled at each other.
~Didn't want to leave you with the wrong impression. Didn't want to leave you with my last confession of love. Wasn't trying to pull you in the wrong direction. All I wanna do is try and make a connection of love~
They just stood there smiling for a while, his hand and the wet washcloth in hers behind her ear. Then came Lizzie's favorite part of the song: "*Have I told you lately that I love you? Have I told you there's no one above you?*"
Suddenly but slowly, as if time was standing still, Gordo leaned in and kissed her. It was the most refreshing and waited-for moment of both of their lives. To Gordo, he had just confessed to her his feelings, and in a way better than he ever could have planned.
Lizzie kissed him back. This wasn't her original battle plan; it was even better. For once, things evened out. Their feelings were mutual.
~I need you. . . I love you~
Hey everyone! Sorry that that was so short and that it might have sucked a little. Also, sorry I haven't updated in a while but I was on vacation. While I was there, though, I was struck by inspiration for the sequel and actually began writing it. I want to get done this one fast now (it might be 19 chapters because I screwed up with the songs and stuff). But you know notebook drafts always suck, but I have most of the songs.
And to anyway who read "She's a Fox, Alright" (much love to you, btw) I made a mistake with Kathleen's mother's name, which was Cecilia, not Susan. Oh well. She's Amara Susan Fox, end of story.
Thanks to all my reviewers, especially guitarplayingirl. Peace girl.
Keep it Heavenly,
(* Goddess4LiFe