The Reason

Summary: A story full or romance, action, drama, and suspense. You'll just have to read it to find out. PLEASE give it a chance. I guarantee you won't be disappointed and I promise I'll make you cry. L/G eventually.

Chapter 1- It was her all along.

March 21st, 2004
She has always been the center of my world. Ever since I met her. She was gorgeous and smart and everything I wanted in a girl. Man, I must be smart too because I had her pegged when we were three. We've never really been together . . .We've kissed a few times here and there. Those were the most magical times I can remember. We've also both dated others. Her other boyfriends would come more often than my girlfriends. But that was Lizzie. Never on the same subject for a very long period of time, until now I guess. She's got Jeff. You're typical football stud that every girl wants to be with, and he chooses Lizzie. My Lizzie. It's been two months. Lizzie's longest relationship yet, and I can see it going the distance. She just has a different look in her eye, a different bounce to her step. She also seems to find less and less time for me. Supposedly her best friend. . .God, I miss her so much. I rarely ever talk to her anymore and when I do it's just a 'Hi, how you doing?' kind of thing. She avoids me at school. . .so I walk to class alone, eat alone, and drive home alone. Miranda's long gone. She joined the cheerleaders about a year ago. Never thought it would be Miranda. Always figured if any of us did it'd be Lizzie. But anyways, Miranda doesn't associate with anyone other than her squad members. So I'm the loner of the group. The odd man out. . .always kind of was, being the only guy in our three amigos. We're all seniors now. . .and we'll be going off to college next year. So I guess it isn't really a bad thing we split our friendship now, we'd have to do it sometime right? It's only March though. I can't take this loneliness for the rest of the year. I'll just have to find someone else to hang out with. . .

"Hey Lizzie." Gordo spoke softly to her as she passed him in the hallway. Lizzie looked around to see who was talk to her and finally spotted him leaning against the lockers.
"Oh, hi." Lizzie let go of Jeff's hand and told him to hang on a minute.
"Thanks for sparing me a minute." Gordo thought bitterly. "Um. . .Listen I kinda wanted to talk to you. Maybe go for ice cream after school?" Gordo looked into her blue green eyes searching for a positive vibe. But all he really found was venom.
"Um. . .Jeff and I are busy after school." Lizzie shifted uncomfortable.
"What about tomorrow then?"
"Um. . .We're busy tomorrow too." Lizzie smiled weakly and started to walk away but Gordo grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"When are YOU not busy?" Gordo whispered so Jeff couldn't influence her answer.
"I'm pretty much ALWAYS going to be busy Gordo." Lizzie detached herself from him and continued down the hall with Jeff, stealing a kiss from him every five steps. Gordo felt the tears sting his eyes. He wasn't going to cry. NO! Not at school. Not in front of all these people he would LIKE to call his friends. He pulled himself together quickly and headed towards the lunchroom. He walked through the doors and stopped dead. His little conversation with Lizzie and detained him from getting his own table and now there was not a single one empty. He searched desperately for a friendly face. He saw Miranda, Jeff and Lizzie, Kate, Claire, the football table, the geeks, and the chess team. Once again tears stung his eyes but he violently pushed them away. When had he become so vulnerable? He searched the room one more time and his eyes rested on a guy sitting alone. It was Ethan Craft. He wasn't the dumb jock everyone had known in middle school. He had since turned Rebel, and that meant he joined the gang 'Rebels'. Gordo slowly approached Ethan. He set his backpack on the chair.
"Can I sit here?" Gordo asked like a scared kindergartener.
"What do you want Gordon? You wouldn't be the first person to approach me." Ethan sneered at him.
"Well you're the only one in this whole school besides myself who doesn't have a full lunch table to eat with everyday. And you are the only one in this school who isn't rude to me because you obviously don't say much to anybody." Gordo was fed up with the rude people in his school.
"You mean, you aren't scared of me?" Ethan asked a little gentler.
"No." Gordo stared him right in the face.
"Have a seat. I'm kind of glad for the company." Ethan pushed his lunch tray over to make room for his new friend.
"Thanks a lot." Gordo sat down and looked Ethan over. He was wearing all black and had added a tattoo to his arm and two earrings to his ears. "So how have you been?" Gordo asked stupidly. He really didn't want to hear all the details of Ethan's gang.
"We'll I can't wait to get out of the hell hole. And I've been with the Rebels for about two years now and man they saved my life." Ethan looked tired. He had dark circles around his eyes. Gordo wondered how drug dealing, violent, gang could save someone's life.
"Saved your life?"
"Yeah. When Kate broke up with me for the new transfer football player, I lost it. I almost committed suicide. But then I met Kenny, who introduced me to the Rebels. Man, when I had NO friends in this whole &#! #% school he befriended me. Now I'm with Cassie, also a member of the Rebels, we've got one in the oven together." Ethan smiled. "They all go to Central."
"Wow, sounds about the same boat I'm in. Except I still don't have friends." Gordo silently cursed Lizzie and Miranda for making him resort to this.
"Yeah what about. . .Um. . .Miranda and. . .Lizzie?" Ethan fought hard to remember things through his thoroughly stoned brain. Gordo grimaced, wishing Ethan hadn't brought them up.
"They've both moved on."
"Even Lizzie? Everyone thought you guys would get hitched or something."
"Well, she had other plans." Gordo sat silently for a moment.
"Hey Gordon, how about you come with me tonight. The Rebels have a meeting and you can see if you like it or not. We're not going to beat you up if you don't join." Ethan smiled stupidly.
"Um. . .I don't know." Gordo didn't want to join a gang. By finding new people to hang out with he didn't mean drugs dealers, and of course if you do drugs you take drugs.
"Look, this is like the only offer you'll ever get to join us. If you pass it up it will never come around again. Besides, who else do you have to turn to?" Gordo looked around the lunchroom in search of someone to save him from answering. No luck.
"Okay, Ethan, I'll come with you. But I'm not into drugs, so don't push me." Gordo smiled slightly waiting for his answer.
"Okay. Deal."