A/N: I've made my decisions, but I'm not sure you were clear on what you were voting for. Whatever they think will be what they think the moment the kiss happens. This will be carried in to when they think about it later, but you have to take into account that they have at least a week here. It's a little confusing right now, but maybe as the story happens, it will all get a little clearer.
As for reality TV, this is my opinion, but with a lot of reality TV, I have to question the reality of it, but this isn't my "anti-reality TV" statement (this story, anyway) Actually, some of the shows are fun to watch every now and then. I tried to make the premise of the show I am writing about as real as possible without targeting a specific show. If you see a show like this in the future or now, I apologize. In some ways, this story will make fun of reality TV, but there's a real story to it.
Also, in case you are wondering, Lizzie and Gordo are Tory and Daniel (Danny) when they are supposed to be in character. Lizzie and Gordo express thoughts.
Chapter Nine
That day's competition, which involved a three-mile hike up a nearby mountain, caused a few troubles within the couples. The couples were told to establish themselves on the hike, and with this, came a fight.
Right as they were leaving, Greg [producer] pulled Daniel and Tory aside and told them that there had been a slight change of plans. Greg wanted Tory to start complaining about the hike about halfway up the mountain and have the complaining become more and more apparent as they continued up, and finally, when there about a half a mile away from the top, have Tory stop and make Daniel stop. After resting a few minutes, Tory will be ready to give up and take a disqualification, but Daniel, who wants to get it over with, offers to carry Tory on his back the rest of the way.
Upon hearing this, Lizzie and Gordo looked at each other, Lizzie rolled her eyes and Gordo sighed. If one thing was for certain, the producers were not making this easy for the former couple. After Lizzie walked away, Gordo stayed behind and said, "This means we don't have to kiss tonight, right?"
Greg gasped, "You know, I forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me. Yes, I think you two should kiss tonight," he said, smiling, like this was his most devious idea yet.
"Are you sure? I mean, will it really seem real if we kiss after I carry her?"
"Danny," Greg said, putting his arm on Gordo's shoulder, "We want you to be happy to carry Tory the rest of the way. You are a gentleman and carrying her the rest of the way would not only be romantic but it would probably impress her."
Impress her? Who was he trying to impress? Despite not wanting to do this, he decided refusing wasn't worth the chance of having to leave without money. He went to catch up with Lizzie, who was watching James and Elizabeth. "Quit staring," he said, coming up from behind her. This caused Lizzie to jump.
Lizzie looked at Gordo and rolled her eyes, "Why do you care?"
"Whoa. . .no need for the rudeness. Believe it or not, I was trying to get us out of having to kiss tonight."
"Really?" Lizzie said, developing a smile, "And. . ."
"We're still kissing," Gordo said, quickly wiping the smile off of Lizzie's face.
"Ugh," Lizzie said, pulling her hair back, "Why me?" She asked to no one in particular.
"It could be worse," he offered, "They could have us jump in the bed tonight or something."
Lizzie shrugged, "Yeah, thank God that's not happening."
". . .Yet," Gordo added, just to further get on Lizzie's nerves.
Lizzie opted not to respond as she placed her attention back on Elizabeth and James. Elizabeth was talking and smiling with James, "I thought they were supposed to be complaining about their trailer," Lizzie said.
"Yeah, when the cameras are rolling. We can do anything we want to when they aren't."
Lizzie rolled her eyes. Not that she didn't agree with him, but she wanted to give him the impression that simply the sound of his voice disgusted her. However, this only further egged Gordo on, "Might we say that a certain person is developing a crush on James?"
Lizzie ignored him. Well, at least she tried to make it seem as if she was ignoring him. In real life, she knew that for her, having a crush on anyone was a joke. After her thing with Gordo ended (the thing that lasted almost four years) she decided to take a break from guys in general. The break became a way of life to her. She knew that everyone she dated would have to compare to Gordo and as much as she hated him, deep down, she kind of still loved him.
Gordo didn't have time to pester Lizzie anymore about this, as Ryan Philips appeared and cameras were cued. Everyone listened to Ryan as he explained what would happen and everyone prepared to start the hike. "There are two parts to this mission, and speed is only a small part of it. A true connection involves a lot of elements. The element we will be focusing on today is strength," Ryan explained and went on to explain more things. .
A few minutes later, they started. Each couple had their own route to take. Lizzie almost forgot what Greg told her until they reached the half-way point, when Gordo, who was a few steps ahead of her looked back and said, "How are you feeling, Tory?"
"Okay," Lizzie started to say, but then remembered the game, "I mean, my feet are killing me, but I'll live."
"Okay," he said. He didn't know what else to say.
The trip was pretty much silent, with the occasional Tory's complaint about her feet, but Danny kept encouraging her. Finally, as if on cue, right when they reached the 2.5 mile mark, Tory stopped and sat and dropped to the ground, "Hold on," she said.
Danny looked back and looked worried, "Are you okay?" he said rushing to her side.
"Yeah," Tory said, holding her feet, "But my feet feel really bad. Can we rest for a few minutes?"
Danny nodded his head, "Yeah, of course," he knelt down next to her as Tory took her shoes and socks off. To Gordo, they looked fine, but he knew that wasn't something he should say.
Tory looked as if she was in pain, "See those blisters," she said showing him the sides of her feet.
Of course, nothing was wrong with her feet, but Gordo went along, "Yeah, those look pretty nasty."
"Yeah, and they hurt a lot."
"Well, what do you want to do?" Daniel asked.
Tory shook her head, "I don't know. I don't know if I can take the pain much longer. I can hardly walk. Maybe we should just stop."
"Stop? But were almost there! Here, why don't you let me carry you?" he said.
"Are you sure about that?" Tory asked.
Daniel started getting up and offered her his hand. Tory took it and stood up. She hopped on Daniel's back as she carried her shoes and socks in her hands. Luckily for Gordo, Lizzie wasn't heavy and carrying her for a half a mile wasn't as strenuous as he thought it would be. It slowed them down a little, but they got there. When they reached the top, the other couples were already there, waiting for them. They weren't far behind, but Jane and Thomas won. Their prize was a PDA system as well as a romantic evening together that night away in the special dining room while the rest had a barbecue together.
They were driven off the mountain and back to their head quarters. By the time they got back, it was late in the afternoon and they had about an hour to kill before they were supposed to meet up for drinks and dinner.
In this time, Lizzie and Gordo went back to their hut to take showers and dress up for the evening. They were told to dress in collared shirts and casual dresses. The cameras didn't follow them as they were taking showers and getting dressed, but in the last twenty minutes they had to kill, cameras appeared "just for footage of them getting ready" and before they knew it, it was time to go to the barbecue.
Cameras filmed them as they walked to the barbecue area and started to meet the other couples, including Jane and Thomas, for drinks. Jane and Thomas would later go off and share a romantic dinner.
When asked what they wanted for drinks, Gordo ordered a scotch and Lizzie ordered mineral water, which surprised Gordo, "Don't you want to get hammered before we have to kiss?" he whispered.
Lizzie rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time for him that day, "As tempting as that is, and believe me it's tempting, I don't drink alcohol."
"Oh, well excuse me," he said, taking a sip of his scotch and putting it down on the table, "Two can play that game."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," Gordo said, "I am not going to make an ass out of myself and get drunk while you sit and laugh at me, soberly. Besides, too much alcohol can be dehydrating."
Lizzie shrugged, "Fine with me."
Gordo looked over and noticed the cameras pointing at them. Taking quick action, he took Lizzie by the waist and led her to sit down on one of the chairs. He sat down next to her and said the first thing that came to his mind, "So, do you like baseball?"
Lizzie knew what he was up to because she noticed the cameras and nodded her head, "Baseball is okay. Do you play any sports?"
After engaging in pointless talking for a few minutes, Mary, followed by George, approached them, "Mind if we join you?" Mary asked, sitting down in a chair across from Lizzie.
Lizzie smiled, somewhat thankful that she wouldn't have to be stuck conversing with Gordo all night, pleasantly, no less. Eventually, the other couples joined in.
After talking for a while, enjoying the conversation, Lizzie and Gordo sort of lost track of time. It wasn't until Gordo excused himself to go to the restroom that Greg approached him and told him he better start making a move. "Remember, the kiss should be passionate and come from the heart."
Gordo returned, not really knowing what to do. He sat down in his chair and eyed Lizzie. How was he supposed to do this? It had to be gradual, right? Slowly, he reached over and placed his hand on Lizzie's knee. Looking at the expression on her face, Gordo could tell she didn't really like it. She smiled at him, somewhat forced and put her hand over his and rubbed his hand. She suspected he was "coming on to her" in preparation for the kiss. She knew this wasn't his fault, but he found this really annoying. While she wished she didn't have to do this at all, the other part of her just wanted to get it over with.
After a few more minutes, Lizzie, as she was paying attention to another person talk, looked over at Gordo and squeezed his hand tightly. Gordo took the signal and leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Let's just get this over with."
To anyone looking at them, it looked like he was whispering something sweet or nice into her ear, but what Gordo said had neither sweet or nice intentions. Lizzie looked at him, smiled, and nodded her head, "Okay."
Both of them started to get up, "And where do you think you two are going?" George asked.
Lizzie looked at Gordo and panicked. They already knew where they were going. "Off for a little rendezvous?" Jane added. The rest of the people laughed.
Gordo smiled and clapped his hands together; "Actually, Tory and I are going for a walk if you'll excuse us."
"Sure," George said, and the other five laughed, "Well, have fun, you kids."
Gordo rolled his eyes and took Lizzie's hand as they walked off. Of course, a camera was following them wherever they went. Once they were at the side of the mansion, Gordo stopped and paused. He slowly turned to Tory and smiled. Everything he did and said right now had to be perfect and believable. Tory smiled back and looked down, and then back at Daniel.
"So," Daniel said, "How are your feet?"
Lizzie couldn't help but laugh. "Nice opening," she said, trying to stay in character.
"Yeah," Daniel said, smiling back, "what can I say? I'm a charmer."
"They're fine," Tory said, "A lot better."
Gordo took a deep breath. He knew he couldn't keep the conversation, "You know, Tory, you look really beautiful tonight." He took both her hands, "You're not at all what I expected you to be. In fact, you're even better."
Tory smiled and looked into his eyes, "Thanks. You aren't so bad yourself. I'm glad I get to spend this experience with you."
Daniel tucked a piece of Tory's hair behind her head and took one step closer to her and moved his hands to around her waist. Then, he slowly leaned in and she did the same and kissed. It was really awkward on a personal level for the both of them, but somehow, it wasn't like either of them expected.
For Lizzie, she expected it to be gross. Not because Gordo was a gross person, but because of their past. Instead, though, it wasn't as bad as she thought. As much as she hated him, kissing him brought back memories. . .good memories. "Wow," she thought, "Why am I liking something I am supposed to hate? I'll admit that I always thought Gordo was a great kisser, but this feels amazing! Whoa. . .that is so not something I am supposed to be thinking."
Gordo didn't really know what to expect when he leaned in, but he had to admit: kissing Lizzie after all these years felt good. As someone who hadn't seriously dated anyone since Lizzie, this kiss was incredible. As his lips continued touching hers, it felt more and more natural and comfortable. It was almost like old times, and Gordo remembered the old times very well . . .Lizzie was an amazing kisser, "All right," he thought, "If Lizzie wants to, maybe we can end up as friends . . .with benefits. Okay, Lizzie would definitely not go for that but still, she is a damn good kisser and if I remember correctly, Lizzie is not bad at the whole sex thing either."
After several seconds had passed, Lizzie heard a soft moan and when she realized the moan was coming from her, she quickly broke the kiss, suddenly feeling even more nervous than before. She had to play it off and smile, but inside she felt confused. What ever happened to just simply hating Gordo?
Gordo was sort of lost in his own thoughts as he kissed Lizzie. When she broke it off, it sort of surprised him at first, but then he remembered it was Lizzie: the one girl he wasn't supposed to like. In a way, today gave him a different perspective of Lizzie.
^~^~^~^~^~^~
A/N: What did you think?
Honestly, I don't have a question for the chapter that you can vote on. The next chapter should be up by Friday, but hang in there if it takes a little longer
As for reality TV, this is my opinion, but with a lot of reality TV, I have to question the reality of it, but this isn't my "anti-reality TV" statement (this story, anyway) Actually, some of the shows are fun to watch every now and then. I tried to make the premise of the show I am writing about as real as possible without targeting a specific show. If you see a show like this in the future or now, I apologize. In some ways, this story will make fun of reality TV, but there's a real story to it.
Also, in case you are wondering, Lizzie and Gordo are Tory and Daniel (Danny) when they are supposed to be in character. Lizzie and Gordo express thoughts.
Chapter Nine
That day's competition, which involved a three-mile hike up a nearby mountain, caused a few troubles within the couples. The couples were told to establish themselves on the hike, and with this, came a fight.
Right as they were leaving, Greg [producer] pulled Daniel and Tory aside and told them that there had been a slight change of plans. Greg wanted Tory to start complaining about the hike about halfway up the mountain and have the complaining become more and more apparent as they continued up, and finally, when there about a half a mile away from the top, have Tory stop and make Daniel stop. After resting a few minutes, Tory will be ready to give up and take a disqualification, but Daniel, who wants to get it over with, offers to carry Tory on his back the rest of the way.
Upon hearing this, Lizzie and Gordo looked at each other, Lizzie rolled her eyes and Gordo sighed. If one thing was for certain, the producers were not making this easy for the former couple. After Lizzie walked away, Gordo stayed behind and said, "This means we don't have to kiss tonight, right?"
Greg gasped, "You know, I forgot about that. Thanks for reminding me. Yes, I think you two should kiss tonight," he said, smiling, like this was his most devious idea yet.
"Are you sure? I mean, will it really seem real if we kiss after I carry her?"
"Danny," Greg said, putting his arm on Gordo's shoulder, "We want you to be happy to carry Tory the rest of the way. You are a gentleman and carrying her the rest of the way would not only be romantic but it would probably impress her."
Impress her? Who was he trying to impress? Despite not wanting to do this, he decided refusing wasn't worth the chance of having to leave without money. He went to catch up with Lizzie, who was watching James and Elizabeth. "Quit staring," he said, coming up from behind her. This caused Lizzie to jump.
Lizzie looked at Gordo and rolled her eyes, "Why do you care?"
"Whoa. . .no need for the rudeness. Believe it or not, I was trying to get us out of having to kiss tonight."
"Really?" Lizzie said, developing a smile, "And. . ."
"We're still kissing," Gordo said, quickly wiping the smile off of Lizzie's face.
"Ugh," Lizzie said, pulling her hair back, "Why me?" She asked to no one in particular.
"It could be worse," he offered, "They could have us jump in the bed tonight or something."
Lizzie shrugged, "Yeah, thank God that's not happening."
". . .Yet," Gordo added, just to further get on Lizzie's nerves.
Lizzie opted not to respond as she placed her attention back on Elizabeth and James. Elizabeth was talking and smiling with James, "I thought they were supposed to be complaining about their trailer," Lizzie said.
"Yeah, when the cameras are rolling. We can do anything we want to when they aren't."
Lizzie rolled her eyes. Not that she didn't agree with him, but she wanted to give him the impression that simply the sound of his voice disgusted her. However, this only further egged Gordo on, "Might we say that a certain person is developing a crush on James?"
Lizzie ignored him. Well, at least she tried to make it seem as if she was ignoring him. In real life, she knew that for her, having a crush on anyone was a joke. After her thing with Gordo ended (the thing that lasted almost four years) she decided to take a break from guys in general. The break became a way of life to her. She knew that everyone she dated would have to compare to Gordo and as much as she hated him, deep down, she kind of still loved him.
Gordo didn't have time to pester Lizzie anymore about this, as Ryan Philips appeared and cameras were cued. Everyone listened to Ryan as he explained what would happen and everyone prepared to start the hike. "There are two parts to this mission, and speed is only a small part of it. A true connection involves a lot of elements. The element we will be focusing on today is strength," Ryan explained and went on to explain more things. .
A few minutes later, they started. Each couple had their own route to take. Lizzie almost forgot what Greg told her until they reached the half-way point, when Gordo, who was a few steps ahead of her looked back and said, "How are you feeling, Tory?"
"Okay," Lizzie started to say, but then remembered the game, "I mean, my feet are killing me, but I'll live."
"Okay," he said. He didn't know what else to say.
The trip was pretty much silent, with the occasional Tory's complaint about her feet, but Danny kept encouraging her. Finally, as if on cue, right when they reached the 2.5 mile mark, Tory stopped and sat and dropped to the ground, "Hold on," she said.
Danny looked back and looked worried, "Are you okay?" he said rushing to her side.
"Yeah," Tory said, holding her feet, "But my feet feel really bad. Can we rest for a few minutes?"
Danny nodded his head, "Yeah, of course," he knelt down next to her as Tory took her shoes and socks off. To Gordo, they looked fine, but he knew that wasn't something he should say.
Tory looked as if she was in pain, "See those blisters," she said showing him the sides of her feet.
Of course, nothing was wrong with her feet, but Gordo went along, "Yeah, those look pretty nasty."
"Yeah, and they hurt a lot."
"Well, what do you want to do?" Daniel asked.
Tory shook her head, "I don't know. I don't know if I can take the pain much longer. I can hardly walk. Maybe we should just stop."
"Stop? But were almost there! Here, why don't you let me carry you?" he said.
"Are you sure about that?" Tory asked.
Daniel started getting up and offered her his hand. Tory took it and stood up. She hopped on Daniel's back as she carried her shoes and socks in her hands. Luckily for Gordo, Lizzie wasn't heavy and carrying her for a half a mile wasn't as strenuous as he thought it would be. It slowed them down a little, but they got there. When they reached the top, the other couples were already there, waiting for them. They weren't far behind, but Jane and Thomas won. Their prize was a PDA system as well as a romantic evening together that night away in the special dining room while the rest had a barbecue together.
They were driven off the mountain and back to their head quarters. By the time they got back, it was late in the afternoon and they had about an hour to kill before they were supposed to meet up for drinks and dinner.
In this time, Lizzie and Gordo went back to their hut to take showers and dress up for the evening. They were told to dress in collared shirts and casual dresses. The cameras didn't follow them as they were taking showers and getting dressed, but in the last twenty minutes they had to kill, cameras appeared "just for footage of them getting ready" and before they knew it, it was time to go to the barbecue.
Cameras filmed them as they walked to the barbecue area and started to meet the other couples, including Jane and Thomas, for drinks. Jane and Thomas would later go off and share a romantic dinner.
When asked what they wanted for drinks, Gordo ordered a scotch and Lizzie ordered mineral water, which surprised Gordo, "Don't you want to get hammered before we have to kiss?" he whispered.
Lizzie rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time for him that day, "As tempting as that is, and believe me it's tempting, I don't drink alcohol."
"Oh, well excuse me," he said, taking a sip of his scotch and putting it down on the table, "Two can play that game."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean," Gordo said, "I am not going to make an ass out of myself and get drunk while you sit and laugh at me, soberly. Besides, too much alcohol can be dehydrating."
Lizzie shrugged, "Fine with me."
Gordo looked over and noticed the cameras pointing at them. Taking quick action, he took Lizzie by the waist and led her to sit down on one of the chairs. He sat down next to her and said the first thing that came to his mind, "So, do you like baseball?"
Lizzie knew what he was up to because she noticed the cameras and nodded her head, "Baseball is okay. Do you play any sports?"
After engaging in pointless talking for a few minutes, Mary, followed by George, approached them, "Mind if we join you?" Mary asked, sitting down in a chair across from Lizzie.
Lizzie smiled, somewhat thankful that she wouldn't have to be stuck conversing with Gordo all night, pleasantly, no less. Eventually, the other couples joined in.
After talking for a while, enjoying the conversation, Lizzie and Gordo sort of lost track of time. It wasn't until Gordo excused himself to go to the restroom that Greg approached him and told him he better start making a move. "Remember, the kiss should be passionate and come from the heart."
Gordo returned, not really knowing what to do. He sat down in his chair and eyed Lizzie. How was he supposed to do this? It had to be gradual, right? Slowly, he reached over and placed his hand on Lizzie's knee. Looking at the expression on her face, Gordo could tell she didn't really like it. She smiled at him, somewhat forced and put her hand over his and rubbed his hand. She suspected he was "coming on to her" in preparation for the kiss. She knew this wasn't his fault, but he found this really annoying. While she wished she didn't have to do this at all, the other part of her just wanted to get it over with.
After a few more minutes, Lizzie, as she was paying attention to another person talk, looked over at Gordo and squeezed his hand tightly. Gordo took the signal and leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Let's just get this over with."
To anyone looking at them, it looked like he was whispering something sweet or nice into her ear, but what Gordo said had neither sweet or nice intentions. Lizzie looked at him, smiled, and nodded her head, "Okay."
Both of them started to get up, "And where do you think you two are going?" George asked.
Lizzie looked at Gordo and panicked. They already knew where they were going. "Off for a little rendezvous?" Jane added. The rest of the people laughed.
Gordo smiled and clapped his hands together; "Actually, Tory and I are going for a walk if you'll excuse us."
"Sure," George said, and the other five laughed, "Well, have fun, you kids."
Gordo rolled his eyes and took Lizzie's hand as they walked off. Of course, a camera was following them wherever they went. Once they were at the side of the mansion, Gordo stopped and paused. He slowly turned to Tory and smiled. Everything he did and said right now had to be perfect and believable. Tory smiled back and looked down, and then back at Daniel.
"So," Daniel said, "How are your feet?"
Lizzie couldn't help but laugh. "Nice opening," she said, trying to stay in character.
"Yeah," Daniel said, smiling back, "what can I say? I'm a charmer."
"They're fine," Tory said, "A lot better."
Gordo took a deep breath. He knew he couldn't keep the conversation, "You know, Tory, you look really beautiful tonight." He took both her hands, "You're not at all what I expected you to be. In fact, you're even better."
Tory smiled and looked into his eyes, "Thanks. You aren't so bad yourself. I'm glad I get to spend this experience with you."
Daniel tucked a piece of Tory's hair behind her head and took one step closer to her and moved his hands to around her waist. Then, he slowly leaned in and she did the same and kissed. It was really awkward on a personal level for the both of them, but somehow, it wasn't like either of them expected.
For Lizzie, she expected it to be gross. Not because Gordo was a gross person, but because of their past. Instead, though, it wasn't as bad as she thought. As much as she hated him, kissing him brought back memories. . .good memories. "Wow," she thought, "Why am I liking something I am supposed to hate? I'll admit that I always thought Gordo was a great kisser, but this feels amazing! Whoa. . .that is so not something I am supposed to be thinking."
Gordo didn't really know what to expect when he leaned in, but he had to admit: kissing Lizzie after all these years felt good. As someone who hadn't seriously dated anyone since Lizzie, this kiss was incredible. As his lips continued touching hers, it felt more and more natural and comfortable. It was almost like old times, and Gordo remembered the old times very well . . .Lizzie was an amazing kisser, "All right," he thought, "If Lizzie wants to, maybe we can end up as friends . . .with benefits. Okay, Lizzie would definitely not go for that but still, she is a damn good kisser and if I remember correctly, Lizzie is not bad at the whole sex thing either."
After several seconds had passed, Lizzie heard a soft moan and when she realized the moan was coming from her, she quickly broke the kiss, suddenly feeling even more nervous than before. She had to play it off and smile, but inside she felt confused. What ever happened to just simply hating Gordo?
Gordo was sort of lost in his own thoughts as he kissed Lizzie. When she broke it off, it sort of surprised him at first, but then he remembered it was Lizzie: the one girl he wasn't supposed to like. In a way, today gave him a different perspective of Lizzie.
^~^~^~^~^~^~
A/N: What did you think?
Honestly, I don't have a question for the chapter that you can vote on. The next chapter should be up by Friday, but hang in there if it takes a little longer