Holding On

Chapter 5- Lost Dreams, New Lives

David Gordon sleepily rolled over in his bed and reached for the phone. Calls at 3:00 in the morning aren't usually good but he answered the phone. Luckily, the message was a good one.

"Dave? Is that you?" Asked Anthony, Dave's friend.

"Of course it's me. I live alone, who else could it be?"

"Right." Anthony said. "Anyway I have good news-"

"It better be good." Dave said threateningly "You woke me up at three in the morning."

"It's great news. The critics loved the 3rd movie. You did it again. You completed the trilogy flawlessly." Anthony exclaimed.

"That couldn't wait until morning?" Dave said, emotionless.

"No. This is big news, it means people will notice you. It won't be so hard to find another directing job now either."

"Good night, Ant. I've had a long day, I need some sleep." Dave said.

"But I-" Anthony started, but was cut off when Dave hung up.

He didn't feel like sleeping anymore. All day he had paced around his apartment, thinking of an idea for a script. He wanted to direct and write now. But his mind had gone blank; he had had so many ideas just a few years ago, but not now. 'If only Lizzie were here.' Dave thought. 'Then I could probably think up a wonderful idea.' Lizzie had always stimulated his mind, but whether she knew it or not Dave didn't know. All he knew was that he would give up anything-including his career- if he could start over with Lizzie.
But he hadn't talked to her in nearly three years, the day he last had been the last time she saw her. He had tried to call a year or so later, but found someone else living in the apartment, he had shared with Lizzie. Then he had called Miranda, and she told him Lizzie had moved to Boston a few months before. Devastated, he had tried to forget her, but he couldn't. Now he only wished he could connect with her somehow, to tell her how much he loved her. Staring at his computer he got an idea and nearly screamed in excitement. Sitting down and dating the top of the page as March 15, 2014 he began to write his life--as a script.
Since he already knew exactly what was going to happen he finished the script a few months later, in June. Selling it in December, production would start in March of 2015-with David Gordon as the director. The movie took 2 months to film, and was set to open in early November.

David was ecstatic. He thought maybe Lizzie might see the movie, and then he might be able to at least be able to talk to her again. He thought of calling her anonymously and telling he to go see the movie. Calling her parents and asking them to tell her to see it wasn't out of the question. All he knew was that if she saw his movie he might have a chance with her again because Lizzie would see how awful he felt. It was his last hope.

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Lizzie felt extremely proud of herself. Possibly even more proud then when she had left home with Maggie. Now that she had started the job she had anticipated for years, she could finally relax. Ever since she moved to Boston, Lizzie had been waiting tables to support herself and Maggie (although she had had some help from her parents). But now, having completed the first month of her new job, for the first time in her life, she wasn't dependant on anyone, and it felt wonderful.

On her way out to pick up Maggie from her pre-school, a man knocked her to the ground. Picking herself she and brushing off her clothes, she got a good look at the man. He was tall, about 6' 2'', with blue eyes and sandy hair.

"That didn't go as well as planned." The man muttered.

"What?" Lizzie inquired, curious.

"I wanted to meet you, but I've always been shy. Bumping into someone I wanted to meet used to work." The man explained. Lizzie laughed, amused. She was surprised he had wanted to meet her so badly to have to resort to adolescent tricks to get her attention.

"You could have just said 'hello'." Lizzie said, still laughing.

"Well, hello."

Her laughing ceased long enough to ask the man for a name. "Who are you?" She asked.

"Jake Brown, Room 101, and I know who you are. Lizzie McGuire, Room 106." Jake replied.

"You may know my name but I'll tell you something you don't know. I have to go pick up my daughter now, I'm already late." Lizzie shot back.

"You-" Jake began, but stopped.

"Don't worry, I'm not married." Lizzie said, seeing the look on his face.

"In that case," Jake said, recovering "would you go to dinner with me on Friday?"

"No." Lizzie said plainly "Friday nights I always sit down and watch a movie with my daughter, Maggie, and this week I believe we're watching Willy Wonka. But I'll go Saturday, if I can find a sitter."

"Alright" Jake said. They quickly exchanged phone numbers & addresses and Lizzie left.

On the way to Maggie school, she began to think, 'Why did I do that?'. She hadn't had a date since she was with Gordo. She wondered if she even trusted Jake, it had all happened so fast, she didn't even think. What would Maggie say? She probably wouldn't understand, after all, she was only three.
Then there was Gordo's memory. In a way, Lizzie still loved him, but had yet to forgive him for leaving her. But for a while after he left, she used to think that every phone would be him, but it never was.

Coming up on Maggie's school, she put a smile on her face and walked in. She found her daughter waiting her classroom, crying, with one of the teachers present. Lizzie ran to her daughter.

"I thought you forgot me." Maggie sobbed. Immediately Lizzie felt extreme guilt for staying to talk to Jake.

"No, no." Lizzie whispered, picking up Maggie "I had to talk to someone at work. I would never forget you." To herself Lizzie made a promise to never be late again.

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When they reached their apartment Lizzie made Maggie something to eat and then went to her room. There, she cried over a date that wasn't Gordo, and 3,000 miles away, Gordo, not David was crying over one of the saddest movies he had ever seen.

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