Third Chapter, not a moment too late. A little more exploring the common theme of this story than the actual action of the story (although there is story in this too, don't worry). That'll come soon enough, don't you worry, for now, read this chapter.
By the way, I had some trouble with converting this story, so some apostrophies or quotation marks may be missing. If you find any, let me know, okay? Thanks.
The sound of a heart in love and the sound of a heart in lust are two different things, despite how closely they are related. The question is, does love derive from lust, or does lust derive from love? Any romantic person would state that love comes first, which is understandable. For example, Person A and Person B have known each other since they were very young. They have grown to love each other, but would have never thought about the acts of lust they would engage in unless they hadn't fallen in love first. However, it can work the other way as well, to the dismay of many hopeless romantics. Person C sees a very attractive Person D on the street, and is struck with said beauty. In a lustful moment, Person C musters up whatever courage is available, and asks Person D on a date. They get to talking, and fall very much in love. Has lust become love?
Perhaps one does not stem from another. Perhaps they are two processes that run along side each other, parallel in birth, but connected through experience and situation. Are they infinitely bound, one not existing without the other? Can one over take the other; can one be a dominant trait? That would explain the expression 'love is blind,' in which a person loves, and so lusts for a person, despite their description of beauty. It would also explain how husbands and wives could leave their partners of years, and have an affair with someone young and sensual, in an act of unbridled lust. Perhaps lust, any sort of lust, is an afterthought of past love. Perhaps Person C only lusts for Person D because C had loved a person in his or her past, and regarded their looks as beauty.
We find ourselves at the beginning of the circle again. Who is it to say where love and lust truly come from? Who is it to say they are one, or they are separate? Who is it to say anything regarding the two deep-rooted feelings from past and present? We can only say that intellect is needed to understand and accept the two, and it is either one or both that gives you that tingly feeling in your hands when you think about someone you adore.
Gordo swung around the back of her chair, saying, "You're cute when you burp and try to cover it up." He sat down and began to eat the rest of his pizza.
Wait.
Did Gordo just call Lizzie cute?
He almost choked on his pizza as the thought set in. His head snapped up. Lizzie was blushing profusely, and Miranda looked like she had swallowed a bug, or some reasonable facsimile. He could feel his own face heating up; he had never meant for that comment to slip out. The slice of pizza slipped from his hand and landed back in the plate with a resounding slap. He was panicking and didn't know what to do. Tell her youre sorry! Express your undying love for her! Punch her!; these and other such scattered thoughts filled his head, but one miraculous monotone melody from his pocket saved him from listening to any of them. "Oh, my cell phone, hold on guys." He barely spat out, as he grabbed his phone and stepped outside. "Hey, mom? Hey mom, whats up?" He went through the motions with the conversation, but he was more interested in what was going on inside. He looked through the glass doors, to see Lizzie and Miranda talking but he couldn't make out a thing they said. He could only make out some facial expressions which could either have been astonishment or anger. "Yeah...alright...huh? Yeah!" He suddenly burst, obviously excited over some part of the conversation. "Yeah mom, that'll be fine, don't worry about it. Uh-huh, yeah, good...you too, bye." He hung up the phone and burst through the door triumphantly, abruptly ending the conversation Miranda and Lizzie were having.
"Who was that?" Lizzie asked, no longer shell shocked.
"My mom, you guys aren't going to believe this. My parents are going out tonight, to my aunts. She had an allergic reaction, and shes all puffy, but thats besides the point. They're not going to be back until tomorrow night, which means I'm going to be free from all parental control for 24 hours."
"No way, theyd let you stay alone that long?" Miranda buzzed.
"Yeah, they said Im old enough to stay home alone for a night."
"But did they say you were old enough to stay with two girls for a night?" Lizzie playfully moved her eyebrows up and down.
"What they dont know wont hurt them." He smirked, crossing his arms.
"Alright! We have a way!" Lizzie exclaimed. "Now, you should probably head home Gordo, and grab your stuff. You too Miranda."
"Um, wait, how're we going to sneak him into your room? Its not just like he could walk in the door." Miranda pursed her lips.
"Hm...your dad has a ladder, right Lizzie? Couldn't I just climb in through the window?"
"Well, you could, but how would we get the ladder away afterwards?" Lizzie tapped her fingers uneasily.
"I can sneak in first, and you guys could put the ladder away afterwards and then come up." Gordo tilted his head, urging them to question his suggestion.
"Oh sure, make us do all the work." Miranda shot him a look.
"Do you have a better idea?" Gordo asked, letting a silence hang.
"I guess not, it'll have to do." She gave up.
"Alright, cool, Im going to get my stuff, I'll meet you guys behind Lizzies garage around 5." He stated plainly. The girls nodded and he was on his way. As he quickly walked home, Gordo couldn't help but focus on his words. It was no secret to him that he had a crush on Lizzie, but he had never let his emotions fall out of his mouth before. What if Lizzie knew about how much he loved her? What if she was appalled. What if she wanted nothing to do with him?
He stopped and let out a shudder. He was overreacting. He only called her cute, it was nothing to worry about. The only thing he should be concerned with at this point was the sleepover with Lizzie. A wave of tingles ran up and down his entire body.
Wait.
Lizzie.
Sleepover.
Same room.
Right next to each other.
Fuse officially blown, about a half hour late.