Disclaimer: I don't own "Lizzie McGuire" or any of the characters you recognize from the show.
Ocean Front
Chapter 6
Lizzie hugged Matt goodbye.
"Ok, so I'll call when I get there," Lizzie reassured him. "Now, go back upstairs! It's one in the morning!"
"I will. And, Lizzie?" Lizzie turned around. She was about to get into the cab.
"Be careful," Matt cautioned. "I don't want you to get hurt again."
"Aww, Matt, thank you," she said, hugging him again. "Bye! See you in a week!" she said, waving to him as the cab started and pulled into traffic. Lizzie turned to look out the back and saw Matt waving until he became a small dot in the distance.
***
Lizzie let out a small sigh as the plane rose up into the air. She pressed her face to the window but all she could see was darkness. She knew it was two A.M. but she felt wide-awake. In a mere six hours, she would be back in California.
Lizzie reached into her bag that she had stashed underneath the chair and pulled out a magazine she had brought to read. It was the latest magazine about the relationship between Kate Sanders and David Gordon.
"Hmm, the latest issue of 'Celebrity Status,'" mused the man sitting to Lizzie's left. She detected a trace of a British accent. "I wouldn't expect a woman like yourself to be reading that."
Lizzie looked at him. He was about her age, with green eyes and a mop of brown hair. Kind of like Gordo's hair, but not as messy, Lizzie thought to herself. She wondered why she was thinking of Gordo at a time like this. She chalked it up to seeing him in the magazine. She suddenly realized that the man was still waiting for a response.
"For your information, I do not usually read these magazines," Lizzie replied haughtily. "I'm only prepping for my assignment."
"Assignment? Are you in the university?" he asked.
"No, I'm a journalist for Pure magazine."
"Well, that explains it," he said. "Nathaniel Williams."
Lizzie shook his outstretched hand. "Li- Brooke McIntire," she said.
"Pleased to meet your acquaintance, Brooke." With nothing better to do, the two chatted for a while, getting to know each other. Lizzie found out he was born and raised London, on his way back to Los Angeles
"Oh, she's adorable," Lizzie gushed, looking at the photo Nathaniel showed her. "How old is she?"
"When I left she was one. She's almost four now," he said ruefully. "This is the first time in a year I'll have seen her or Charlotte. My ex-wife," he explained.
"Wow, that's a long time. How come?"
"Well, to tell you the truth, I was a bit of a git," Nathaniel confessed. "I, er, cheated on her."
"A bit?" Lizzie said, her eyes flashing when she was reminded of the similar thing that had happened to her so many years ago.
"No, I was absolutely, completely horrible," said Nathaniel miserably. "I was stupid and and naïve. If I could, I would erase everything I did! I'm a terrible, rotten person." He sighed. "I just want to tell her I still love her and that I would never ever do anything like that again, and that I want her back…" He saw Lizzie gaping. "…and, I don't know why I just told you all of that," he apologized embarrassedly.
"No, no, I was just thinking," Lizzie protested, snapping out of her reverie. She could tell that Nathaniel was sincere. "You've got to get back together!" she cried. "Just tell her what you told me. She has to take you back!" Nathaniel just sighed and shook his head.
"So, what are going to LA for? I don't believe that it's simply for your 'assignment,'" he said knowingly, changing the subject. Lizzie opened her mouth to deny it, but she realized how stupid it would sound. She didn't know why, but she felt completely at ease with this stranger. Perhaps it was the fact that he had confessed his own thoughts that caused Lizzie to pour her heart out to him. She told him everything- the cheating, the moving, the breakup, the article.
"Wow, even worse than me, I think," Nathaniel said contritely. "I recommend the same advice- talk to him."
The two stopped talking when the flight attendant came over with headphones for the movie that would play later. Nathaniel took out his laptop and began to work. Lizzie covered herself with the blanket and rested on the pillow. She felt better after talking and releasing all her pent up anger. Lizzie finally drifted off to sleep.
***
Lizzie suddenly found herself
in a gray room. It was bare, except for a large window on one side. Lizzie
pulled at the doorknob but it was locked. She tugged vainly, but it didn't
budge. She spotted a person walking outside. Lizzie ran to the window.
"Help! I'm trapped!" she shouted, banging on the glass. The figure stopped. Lizzie gasped.
"Gordo! Gordo help me!" she cried. Gordo didn't say anything, his piercing blue eyes gazing at her. Lizzie began to feel suffocated.
"Gordo! Gordo, I miss you." She saw him place his hands on the glass, as if wanting to touch her. She saw his mouth form her name.
"Lizzie," he said, but he sounded far away.
"Gordo!" she sobbed.
"Lizzie."
"Gordo," Lizzie whispered, feeling weak.
"Brooke!"
Lizzie looked up, confused. Brooke?
***
"Brooke!" the voice said again. Lizzie opened her eyes. Nathaniel was gently shaking her. "Brooke, we're about to land."
Lizzie sat up shakingly, still troubled by the dream she had. A soft ding went off.
"This is your captain speaking. We will be descending in just a few moments. Please put up your trays, put your seats in an upright position, and buckle your seatbelts. We hope you had a nice flight. Thank you for flying with us and welcome to Los Angeles."
Lizzie buckled her seat belt and looked out the window. She saw that the sun was just beginning to rise.
"Excited?" Nathaniel asked her. She simply nodded.
Finally, the plane landed and passengers began to disembark.
"Well, it was really nice to know you," Nathaniel said.
"Yeah," Lizzie answered, getting her bag from the overhead compartment. "Good luck with your daughter and your wife." They exchanged email addresses, but Lizzie knew that she would never see him again.
*********
"Good morning Beverly Hills! It is now 6:30 AM on a gorgeous Tuesday morning! Today's forecast says blue skies and-"
David groaned and punched the snooze button of his alarm. "What imbecile set my alarm for 6:30?" he croaked.
"Me." David cracked open an eyelid. "I was going to set it for six, but I thought that would be too cruel."
"Paul, why are you here?" David mumbled.
"Because I knew you wouldn't wake up otherwise," Paul answered matter-of-factly. He went to the window and pulled open the drapes. David squinted as the bright sun flooded into his room. He moaned and buried his head in his pillow.
"Rise and shine, Gordon. You have an appointment at eight and an interview at 11:30," Paul said, checking the Palm Pilot.
"But I already gave a whole day of interviews yesterday," grumbled David.
"Which means everyone likes you," Paul said, going to the closet. "I, as your publicist, have an obligation to help you, basically, sell yourself."
David cursed himself for hiring such an overenthusiastic publicist.
"Ok, so what's happening today?" he said, yawning.
"As I said before," replied Paul impatiently, tossing David a shirt and some pants, "you have a dentist appointment at eight and then an interview with Brooke McIntire at 11:30. She's from Pure magazine."
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A/N: Thank for the reviews!!! Sorry it took so long for me to update, but I've been really busy!!! But good news- I made the final auditions for piano!! Hehehe, so anyways…And I know the chapter is kinda boring, but it's just the filler information before they meet! Which will be in either the next chapter or the one after that. So thanks for reading, and please review!!!