Holding On
Chapter 6- Haunting Past
"Are you sure your alright with this, Maggs?" Lizzie asked her daughter, worriedly. Maggie sighed, tired of this question. It was Saturday, the night of Lizzie's date with Jake. Being nervous, Lizzie had looked for a way out of the date by trying to see if Maggie was upset with her going. But so far it wasn't working.
"Mom, we've been over this already- I don't care!" Maggie said, exasperated. Lizzie was surprised at her reaction. She seemed angry and her reply had, what Lizzie felt, too much rudeness for a three-year-old. But Maggie had always been strangely mature for her age. She understood situations people were in and most other children as young as Maggie weren't like that. She was also smart. Smarter than girls at her age normally were? Lizzie didn't know, but she thought Maggie was special. Sometimes, Lizzie believed Maggie didn't always have a grip on reality. She supposed that was normal for someone Maggie's age, but it still made her worry.
"Don't worry Lizzie, we'll have fun. Right, Maggie?" Angela said cheerfully. Maggie nodded. Lizzie had asked Angela to watch Maggie for the evening while she went out with Jake. The thought of leaving her daughter with someone she barely knew was unthinkable.
"I really appreciate this, Angie." Lizzie muttered, taking her friend aside "But-"
"Listen, you should start dating again." Angela said, reading Lizzie's thoughts. "It's not like he is going to come back."
Lizzie knew she was right, but she couldn't bring herself to it. Jake marked the end of Gordo's involvement in her life that she accepted (although she knew that it had really ended the day he left). She was still thinking of a way out of the date when Jake arrived.
"Are you ready?" He asked her.
"Yeah." She replied. "Bye, Maggie. Be good." She told her daughter, kissing her on the forehead.
"I will." Maggie promised, turning to see her mother leave.
Once Lizzie and Jake left they decided to go to a movie and get dinner after. At the movies Lizzie saw something that had been haunting her for years. Inside the theater, Lizzie quietly watched the coming attractions, but there was one in particular that she paid attention to:
The screen read in super-script, 'His life was wonderful' then there were shots of the man looking happy. 'Until fortune tore his world apart.' Some disturbing shots followed. 'A film by David Gordon' the narrator said. Lizzie went numb. Her head was spinning and she heard someone in the theater scream. It wasn't until Jake looked at her that she realized she was the one screaming.
Outside in the hallway she felt like a little kid who had just seen a scary movie and needed to be comforted. Jake comforted her.
"Are you okay?" he asked, utterly perplexed.
"No." Lizzie answered, feeling sick. "I know-" she swallowed, thinking she was going to vomit. "that this is strange, but- you have to let me explain."
"Okay." Jake agreed. "Let's just go to dinner then." Lizzie nodded, eager to get out of the theater.
At dinner Lizzie tried to explain what had happened earlier. "I- know the director of that movie. He's someone I never thought I'd hear of again. And when I did, it brought back a lot of things I never wanted to see again." She said.
"Why?" Jake asked, curious.
"Uh, he was a friend" Lizzie explained. "And then some" she muttered.
Jake paused, as if debating what to say. "Maggie's father?" he finally asked. Lizzie stiffened. "I'm sorry." he said quickly. "That's none of my business."
"Yes." Lizzie lied. "Maggie's father." Jake stared, wondering if he dared venture further. Lizzie helped him. "He left, to pursue his career. But.he doesn't know about Maggie."
"I see." Jake replied, and changed the subject.
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Back at home later Lizzie wondered about her conversation with Jake. 'Why did I lie?' she thought. 'Why? Why? Why? Gordo isn't Maggie's father, but he knows about her. Miranda told him shortly after I moved. She said he had called and she told him. So why did I lie?'
Trying to forget the evening she said goodnight to Angela and checked on Maggie. She was soundly asleep in her bed. She looked so beautiful, and Gordo knew about her. If he knew why didn't he come find her, Lizzie wondered. Then she had an awful thought- what if he had already moved on. She had never really believed it was over between them. Even when Jake had asked to see her again earlier, she still thought of Gordo. Lizzie loved and hated him. Loved him for the years they were together. Hated him for leaving her. Getting ready for bed herself she decided to see Gordo's movie when it came out.
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"Hello?" Miranda said, answering her phone. There was a moment of silence where the caller considered hanging up. Deciding against it, he spoke.
"Miranda, I need your help." Gordo blurted out. Miranda went into a shocked silence, she hadn't heard from Gordo in three years. Now he was just calling out of the blue. Why?
"Gordo?" She whispered.
"Yeah, it's me. Will you help me?" he asked quickly.
"What do you need?"
"Tell me Lizzie's address and number." He demanded. Miranda thought for a moment as to why she should give him Lizzie's address. What did he really want?
"Why?" she asked suspiciously.
"Just do it!" he ordered.
"No." She said, her temper rising. "Why should I? You desert her. We don't hear from you in three years and suddenly you want to know where she lives! Well I'm not giving any information. She has a life now and it doesn't include you."
"Why don't you give me her number so she can decide that for herself!" Gordo shouted, angry. Miranda didn't answer, but hung up, disgusted.
"I will find it!" Gordo said to the dead line.
After the call Miranda debated whether or not to call Lizzie and tell her what happened. In the end she decided against it. Some things are better unsaid. But in the end Lizzie would find out.
OK sorry that took so long to post but I went on vacation and was busy. REVIEW and tell me what you think.
PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chapter 6- Haunting Past
"Are you sure your alright with this, Maggs?" Lizzie asked her daughter, worriedly. Maggie sighed, tired of this question. It was Saturday, the night of Lizzie's date with Jake. Being nervous, Lizzie had looked for a way out of the date by trying to see if Maggie was upset with her going. But so far it wasn't working.
"Mom, we've been over this already- I don't care!" Maggie said, exasperated. Lizzie was surprised at her reaction. She seemed angry and her reply had, what Lizzie felt, too much rudeness for a three-year-old. But Maggie had always been strangely mature for her age. She understood situations people were in and most other children as young as Maggie weren't like that. She was also smart. Smarter than girls at her age normally were? Lizzie didn't know, but she thought Maggie was special. Sometimes, Lizzie believed Maggie didn't always have a grip on reality. She supposed that was normal for someone Maggie's age, but it still made her worry.
"Don't worry Lizzie, we'll have fun. Right, Maggie?" Angela said cheerfully. Maggie nodded. Lizzie had asked Angela to watch Maggie for the evening while she went out with Jake. The thought of leaving her daughter with someone she barely knew was unthinkable.
"I really appreciate this, Angie." Lizzie muttered, taking her friend aside "But-"
"Listen, you should start dating again." Angela said, reading Lizzie's thoughts. "It's not like he is going to come back."
Lizzie knew she was right, but she couldn't bring herself to it. Jake marked the end of Gordo's involvement in her life that she accepted (although she knew that it had really ended the day he left). She was still thinking of a way out of the date when Jake arrived.
"Are you ready?" He asked her.
"Yeah." She replied. "Bye, Maggie. Be good." She told her daughter, kissing her on the forehead.
"I will." Maggie promised, turning to see her mother leave.
Once Lizzie and Jake left they decided to go to a movie and get dinner after. At the movies Lizzie saw something that had been haunting her for years. Inside the theater, Lizzie quietly watched the coming attractions, but there was one in particular that she paid attention to:
The screen read in super-script, 'His life was wonderful' then there were shots of the man looking happy. 'Until fortune tore his world apart.' Some disturbing shots followed. 'A film by David Gordon' the narrator said. Lizzie went numb. Her head was spinning and she heard someone in the theater scream. It wasn't until Jake looked at her that she realized she was the one screaming.
Outside in the hallway she felt like a little kid who had just seen a scary movie and needed to be comforted. Jake comforted her.
"Are you okay?" he asked, utterly perplexed.
"No." Lizzie answered, feeling sick. "I know-" she swallowed, thinking she was going to vomit. "that this is strange, but- you have to let me explain."
"Okay." Jake agreed. "Let's just go to dinner then." Lizzie nodded, eager to get out of the theater.
At dinner Lizzie tried to explain what had happened earlier. "I- know the director of that movie. He's someone I never thought I'd hear of again. And when I did, it brought back a lot of things I never wanted to see again." She said.
"Why?" Jake asked, curious.
"Uh, he was a friend" Lizzie explained. "And then some" she muttered.
Jake paused, as if debating what to say. "Maggie's father?" he finally asked. Lizzie stiffened. "I'm sorry." he said quickly. "That's none of my business."
"Yes." Lizzie lied. "Maggie's father." Jake stared, wondering if he dared venture further. Lizzie helped him. "He left, to pursue his career. But.he doesn't know about Maggie."
"I see." Jake replied, and changed the subject.
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Back at home later Lizzie wondered about her conversation with Jake. 'Why did I lie?' she thought. 'Why? Why? Why? Gordo isn't Maggie's father, but he knows about her. Miranda told him shortly after I moved. She said he had called and she told him. So why did I lie?'
Trying to forget the evening she said goodnight to Angela and checked on Maggie. She was soundly asleep in her bed. She looked so beautiful, and Gordo knew about her. If he knew why didn't he come find her, Lizzie wondered. Then she had an awful thought- what if he had already moved on. She had never really believed it was over between them. Even when Jake had asked to see her again earlier, she still thought of Gordo. Lizzie loved and hated him. Loved him for the years they were together. Hated him for leaving her. Getting ready for bed herself she decided to see Gordo's movie when it came out.
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"Hello?" Miranda said, answering her phone. There was a moment of silence where the caller considered hanging up. Deciding against it, he spoke.
"Miranda, I need your help." Gordo blurted out. Miranda went into a shocked silence, she hadn't heard from Gordo in three years. Now he was just calling out of the blue. Why?
"Gordo?" She whispered.
"Yeah, it's me. Will you help me?" he asked quickly.
"What do you need?"
"Tell me Lizzie's address and number." He demanded. Miranda thought for a moment as to why she should give him Lizzie's address. What did he really want?
"Why?" she asked suspiciously.
"Just do it!" he ordered.
"No." She said, her temper rising. "Why should I? You desert her. We don't hear from you in three years and suddenly you want to know where she lives! Well I'm not giving any information. She has a life now and it doesn't include you."
"Why don't you give me her number so she can decide that for herself!" Gordo shouted, angry. Miranda didn't answer, but hung up, disgusted.
"I will find it!" Gordo said to the dead line.
After the call Miranda debated whether or not to call Lizzie and tell her what happened. In the end she decided against it. Some things are better unsaid. But in the end Lizzie would find out.
OK sorry that took so long to post but I went on vacation and was busy. REVIEW and tell me what you think.
PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
