Hi everybody! Just to clarify, the Carlos that Miranda is seeing in the story is NOT her cousin. They are two different people with the same name. Enjoy and please continue to review!
Gordo's heart was racing as he parked Lizzie's Jetta in the Hillridge student parking lot. He got out of the car and wiped his sweaty palms on his T-shirt, pink fibers from Lizzie's furry magenta steering wheel cover clinging to his shirt. He pushed his curly hair out of his face as he heatedly stormed across the parking lot and through the famous glass double doors of Hillridge. Gordo took a right and flung open the heavy doors of the gymnasium, silently trying to calm himself down, but he was too angry to think straight. Who the fuck does Ethan think he is? he wondered furiously as he crossed the shiny wooden floors and entered the training room. He didn't even see Coach Fuller standing by the door and ran straight into him. Gordo cringed as he made contact with Fuller's sweaty gray Hillridge shirt. Gross.
"Well hey there, Gordo. You're sure in a hurry. What brings you to the training room? Urgent Presidential business?" Coach Fuller mused, looking down at him. Gordo was student body president, and every teacher and student at Hillridge knew who he was and respected him. Which made what he was about to do even more difficult.
"Uh, yeah. Kind of. I'm just here to deliver a message from the office," he lied. He spotted Ethan running on a treadmill and felt a surge of anger. Ethan shot him a cocky smile. Coach Fuller gestured towards the room and smiled at Gordo.
"Go ahead," he said generously, turning around to help a struggling freshman bench press. Gordo walked up to Ethan, enraged.
"You son of a bitch," he said angrily. "I can't believe you. I thought we were friends. You and Lizzie were friends. And then you fucking violate her?" Gordo was trying to keep his voice down because he didn't want to cause a scene and embarrass Lizzie. But it was hard. Ethan chuckled.
"What? You're just jealous because your girlfriend, The Virgin Mary, wanted to fuck me." Gordo lost control. He shoved Ethan off of the treadmill.
"What did you say!" he yelled.
"You heard me. She fucking wanted it," Ethan said. "She's the one who came into MY room." Gordo clenched his fists to keep from punching Ethan in the face.
"I swear to God, if you ever touch her again, I'll beat the absolute shit out of you," Gordo whispered, shaking with rage. He turned around and walked stiffly out of the training room. He got into his truck and drove back to Lizzie's house. Jo tearfully greeted him at the door.
"Lizzie explained everything," she said softly. As Jo embraced him in a hug, Gordo realized that he was crying, too.
"Lizzie's car is at the school," he told her. Jo nodded.
"Sam and I will go pick it up when he gets home from work. Lizzie's in her room. I'm sure she'd love to talk to you." Gordo wiped the final tears from his bloodshot eyes and headed upstairs. "And thank you for driving her home," Jo called. Gordo nodded in acknowledgement and gently opened the door to Lizzie's room. She was curled up in her bed with her teddy bear, Mr. Snuggles.
"Hey," she said, smiling weakly at Gordo. Gordo sat down next to her and slid his hand into hers.
"Lizzie, I just want you to know," he looked around the room, vowing not to let himself cry in front of her. "I'm here for you," he finished. Lizzie smiled and snuggled closer to Gordo.
"I know," she said, falling asleep. Two hours later, Lizzie's eyes fluttered open and she sat up, stretching. She saw Gordo sitting at her desk using the computer.
"Hey sleepyhead," he said, smiling at her. "Did you have a nice nap?" Lizzie groaned and stood up.
"I guess so. My head hurts from crying so much," she complained, sinking onto her window seat. Gordo frowned sympathetically. He went into her bathroom and found a bottle of Motrin.
"Here. Take these," he said, holding out two of the little orange pills and a tall glass of water. Lizzie accepted them gratefully.
The front door slammed and Matt stormed in, clutching a piece of paper. "What the fuck is this!" he shouted, waving it in the air. Jo looked up, startled, as Matt thrust the flier into her hands. She turned it over and recognized a picture she had taken of Lizzie, Gordo, and Miranda at Disneyland last year. Gordo and Miranda had been cut out of it and only Lizzie's face remained. She had a wide smile on her face and was wearing Mickey Mouse ears. Underneath the picture were the words "Easy McGuire." Jo began to cry as she looked at it.
"Who would do something like this?" she asked. Matt was visibly infuriated.
"There were a shitload of them taped to the walls at school," he told her. "What's going on? People have been saying shit to me about Lizzie all day, and asking me about 'what happened,' and I have no clue about any of it." Jo sat Matt down at the table.
"Matt, I don't know what you heard…" she was interrupted by Lizzie, who sauntered into the kitchen angrily.
"I'll tell him what happened," Lizzie volunteered. "Ethan Craft tried to rape me at a party this weekend. Miranda found out about it and made these goddamn fliers for everyone and their dog to see." Matt and Jo were stunned. Lizzie hardly ever used curse words. But it was understandable. Matt punched the table angrily.
"Why didn't you tell me!" he demanded. "I'll kick his ass." He ripped the paper in disgust. "And Miranda—that bitch. Why would she even do this!" Lizzie shook her head.
"I can't go back there," she told Jo. "It's humiliating. I'm like the school slut now." Jo grabbed the phone.
"I'm calling Principal Young right now," she said angrily, taking out the Hillridge Student Directory and looking up the phone number. Lizzie bit her lip as Gordo put his arm around her supportively. "Yes, this is Jo McGuire," Jo was saying tersely. "I need to schedule a conference with Principal Young immediately."