Hotel Paper Chapter 11: Why Can't I?, a lizzie mcguire fanfic

Disclaimer: I don't own Lizzie McGuire or anything related to it. I own all the new characters. The song 'Why Can't I?' belongs to Liz Phair.

Chapter 11. Why Can't I?

Lizzie sighed happily, looking out by Jay's window. The streets were all covered with snow, and she truly liked the sight of it. Shivering a little, she turned back to Jay, Callie and Ryan, smiling.
"Omigosh, guys... I thought I'd be sad because I'd be away from home, but this... this feels like it," she whispered. Callie smiled brightly as Lizzie wrapped her arms around herself.

"Jay, we're all freezing," Callie pointed, as Lizzie sat by Ryan and he tried to warm her up gently. "And Lizzie isn't used to this kind of weather!" Jay's head poked out from the kitchen.

"Ry, would you mind lighting the fire?" he asked. Ryan let go off Lizzie and lit the fireplace, while the girls gathered around it. Jay finally joined them and passed along some cups. "Okay, should we exchange gifts? It's almost time" Lizzie nodded enthusiastically and grabbed two wrapped up gifts.

"I'll go first! Okay, Ry... I knew you've been wanting this for a while, so..." she started. He opened a gift, tearing the paper, and smiled at her. It was an original Rolling Stones vynil. He hugged her friendly.

"Thanks a lot, Liz. It's great," he said, while Jay leaned down to look at it. Lizzie smiled and nodded again, giving Callie the other present. She opened it slowly and squealed. Inside was the pretty green Prada scarf she had wished for a long time. The girls hugged tightly and Jay turned to her.

"You didn't get me a present?" he asked. She shook her head and grabbed his hand, leading him to his room. He stared into her eyes longingly, then pulled out something from his jacket. "I'll give you yours first... Open it" She gasped at the sight of a Tiffany's box and opened it shakily, staring at a silver heart necklace, with two parts to divide.

"Jay... Omigosh..." she whispered, amazed, staring at it. She couldn't hold it any longer and brushed her lips against his, throwing her arms around his neck. He enjoyed her soft touch for a couple of seconds, until she came back to her senses and pulled apart, blushing. "Oh... sorry... Here's your present" She opened his closet and gave him a nicely wrapped guitar. He stared at it wide-eyed, then smiled at her, opening it.

"Lizzie, this is amazing..." he whispered back. She smiled shyly, looking down, and he tested it slowly. "It-It is amazing" She giggled a little.

"You already said that," she pointed. He nodded as she stared at her necklace, then turned around and held up her hair, while he nervously clasped it around her neck, caressing her soft skin. "It's beautiful. I love it" He led her back to the other room, where Callie and Ryan were waiting.

"Awesome!" Callie exclaimed, looking at Jay's white guitar. Lizzie watched him as he played it slowly.

"You're really good at it," she complimented him. He smiled at her, while Callie and Ryan exchanged glances. Jay grabbed Lizzie's hands gently and placed them over the chords, guiding her.

"C'mon, try it," he said. She giggled and tried to focus, while his green eyes fixed on her.
···
Lizzie stared at her half-heart, groaning. It only brought her memories of the times she and Jay had spent together, not so long ago. Tammy walked in slowly and stared at her.
"I miss him, Tam-Tam..." Lizzie whispered. Tammy sat on her side and they hugged tightly. "Why can't I forget him? He's still inside of my freakin' heart..."

"Don't say that, Liz..." Tammy whispered back. "You truly loved him" Lizzie let some tears stream freely down her face, before her sister gently wiped them off. Tammy squeezed her hand comfortingly.

"Why are you so dressed up?" Lizzie asked, changing the subject abruptly. Tammy let out a tiny smile. She was wearing a cute pale-pink tube top with a dark blue jean mini-skirt, plus her hair neatly combed in two low ponytails on both sides of her face and ending with a nice curl.

"I've got a date. With Adam," she said. Lizzie smiled. "He wouldn't come up to me, so I asked him. I guess the McGuire's are the strong ones, right? He said he never approached because he was afraid of Matt" Lizzie giggled and looked down.

"Yep, I guess we are. Why are you up here? I only came to... try and get Jay off my mind for a while, though it's obviously not working," Lizzie said. Tammy shrugged and placed her arm around her sister's waist, as they headed down. Lizzie was just in a pair of comfy dark-blue sweatpants, with a red and white shirt and her hair in a messy ponytail. Soon enough, the doorbell rang and Matt rushed to get it. The girls exchanged glances as a confused looking teen stood on the front porch. Lizzie pulled Matt back, allowing Tammy to face Adam.

"Hi," Tammy said, smiling shyly. He managed to smile back. "I'll go get my... keys" He nodded and she walked back in, with Lizzie, then grabbed her jacket and keys.

"Don't. Leave your jacket home," Lizzie whispered, throwing it to the couch. Tammy gave her a confused look as Lizzie pushed her out of the door. "Have fun!"

"Be back by ten," Matt warned, staring at the nervous voice. Lizzie smacked him on his head as they walked out.

"Y-You look pretty," Adam commented. Tammy blushed a little and looked down, a smile on her face.

"Thanks," she said. "You look good too..."
···
"Jay! You haven't cleaned up this place in weeks!" Callie exclaimed, walking through Jay's messy department. He was lying down on his couch, a bottle of beer in his hands.

"What a wasted man I've become..." he muttered, watching as his two best friends slowly approached to him. "And broken. Cals, I miss her..." Callie nodded and sat on his side to hug him.

"I know, J... I know," Callie whispered, caressing his hand. He rested his head on her shoulder, as Ryan sat on their side and grabbed the bottle from Jay's hands. Callie started fixing the room a little, until her eyes stopped in the silver half-heart lying on the counter. She pursed her lips and said nothing, while continuing to clean his table.
···
"Hey, Liz. Whatcha doin'?" Bella asked later that night, as Lizzie sat on her (old) bed wearing her pink pyjama bottoms and a simple white top. Lizzie shrugged and closed her notebook, looking out by the window. Bella and Gordo were having dinner, as usual, at her parents'.

"Nothing really. Just writin' stuff... Tammy had her first date, and not a group date," Lizzie commented, hating to have the attention on herself. Bella smiled and sat on her side. "How are they acting towards you now?" Bella made a face.

"Like if I was about to break. Gordo really surprises me," Bella muttered. Matt walked in, knocking the door.

"Hi, Mattie," Lizzie said, in a baby voice. He smirked at her. "Don't worry about Tammy, she'll be fine. She's been taught by the best" Bella laughed, while Matt managed to smirk again. "Ooh, here they come!" They all peeked out by the window. Tammy and Adam were walking really close, smiling at each other, and she had his jacket wrapped around her shoulders. Bella gave her a look.

"You did your jacket trick?" Bella asked. Lizzie giggled and nodded. That 'no jacket' trick had served her lots of times. Tammy played with her golden locks and they stood in front of her door, staring into each other's eyes. She was wearing a pink cowboy hat that looked great with her whole outfit. "Awww... cute hair"
·
"Well... I had a great time. I would've asked you out sooner, but... your brother seems a bit overprotective," Adam nervously said. Tammy giggled.

"I had a great time too. Thanks for letting me borrow your jacket... and for the hat," Tammy said, her blue eyes sparkling. She walked a little closer to him and brought his lips closer to hers for a couple of seconds. They pulled apart slowly and exchanged another shy smiles. "I-I should go in now. Bye, Adam" He nodded and she started to walk away, but he grabbed her by her arm and made her turn around, having their lips to meet again.

"Bye, Tammy," he whispered, watching her as she walked to the front door slowly and waved at him. He just stood there, a grin on his face, until she closed the door.

End of chapter.

"Get a load of me, get a load of you
Walkin' down the street, and I hardly know you
It's just like we were meant to be

Holding hands with you when we're out at night
Got a girlfriend, you say it isn't right
And I've got someone waiting too

What if this is just the beginning
We're already wet, and we're gonna go swimming

Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you
Why can't I speak whenever I talk about you
It's inevitable, it's a fact that we're gonna get down to it
So tell me
Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you

Isn't this the best part of breakin' up
Finding someone else you can't get enough of
Someone who wants to be with you too

It's an itch we know we are gonna scratch
Gonna take a while for this egg to hatch
But wouldn't it be beautiful

Here we go, we're at the beginning
We haven't fucked yet, but my heads spinning

High enough for you to make me wonder
Where it's goin'
High enough for you to pull me under
Somethin's growin'
out of this that we can control
Baby I am dyin'

Why can't I breathe whenever I think about you
Why can't I speak whenever I talk about you

AN: Okay, this is really a bonus chapter. LGFever is writing her own one-shot Christmas story, so she allowed me to upload this chapter. The first part is kind of like a flashback to a Christmas Lizzie spent in New York... and her relationship with Ryan grew closer. I know I never wrote it, but the necklace Jay gave her was divided in between them.
Besides, I decided I hadn't written Tammy in a while and I liked her character, just like Matt's.
The song... I think it was mainly because both Lizzie and Jay long for each other. I'm not sure.

Merry Christmas!
LyG4ever.

PS: I'm writing my own Christmas story (7 chapters), though it will come out off-season... better late than never, right?