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Long Lost Friend

Chapter 3

Can't Happen

Lizzie stood up and faced her fiancé, Ethan. She said nervously, "Hi, Ethan…"

"Hey, Liz…" He looked at Gordo who was now standing slowly and caught his eyes.

"I can explain, Ethan."

Ethan stared at her, waiting for an explanation, "Well?"

"Well, see, we were trying to push the door open, you know how it gets jammed all the time." He nodded, "Suddenly it came free and we came flying in. I kind if landed on top of Gordo…" Ethan nodded again as Gordo stepped up and finished off the story, "and I know it looks like we were kissing, but she—she fell on me and it was really a coincidence that she fell like that…her lips kind of fell on mine…" Lizzie prayed that he believed their little lie.

"Well, I saw her fall from my car. In all the time it took me to get to the door, you didn't get off each other?"

"Oh, right…see, honey, I fell and so I was in a bit of shock, you know? And so by the time it registered in my in my mind that I had fallen on Gordo and it looked like we were kissing, you came up."

Gordo agreed, "Yeah, and I couldn't move because she was on top of me and I couldn't just throw her off. And like she said, I was in kind of a shock and didn't really process what was happening."

Ethan looked back and forth between Lizzie and Gordo. Lizzie was grateful she was a drama teacher and Gordo was a director, they both knew how to act. Finally Ethan said, "Well, alright. Liz, I just came by to see if you wanted to have dinner or something tonight. You didn't answer your phone…I guess I can see why…"

"Ethan, we," she motioned to Gordo, "went out to lunch to catch up, remember? I told you when you called earlier!" Ethan nodded and said, "Well do you want to go out now?"

"Well, Gordo and I came back here so I could show him my place, because he's leaving in a few days. We'll catch something here…I'm sorry, Ethan…you can stay if you want?" Ethan looked down at his shoes and said sadly, "No, that's okay. I wouldn't want to come between you guy's 'catching up' or whatever. See you later, Lizzie." He turned slowly and went back to his car, his shoulders hunched. Lizzie stared after him, the guilt starting to rise and bubble in her stomach.

"I can't tell if he believed that or not. Oh, God, Gordo…" She closed the door softly and turned to him.

"What?"

"I can't believe I kissed you…I'm engaged! What was I thinking?"

Gordo looked down at his feet. The truth was, he'd never gotten over his little crush on Lizzie. Meeting her again and talking to her, and now kissing her, brought back all of the old feelings plus newer, stronger ones. He wished he'd come back and bumped into her just one-year earlier. Maybe he'd be the one marrying her, and not Ethan Craft. He wouldn't have to stand here and listen to her go on about how it was the completely wrong thing to do.

"Look, I'm sorry, Liz."

"You're sorry? Gordo, this isn't your fault."

"How is it not my fault?"

"I landed on you. I kissed you."

"Yeah, but did I fight back? No, I just let it happen. I'm as much to blame as you are. More to blame."

"Gordo, you're really sweet. And you're nice, and you're funny. But I'm engaged. I…" her voice trailed off as she considered her next thought.

"You…what?"

She replied uncertainly, "I—I love Ethan…" As she said it, she knew it wasn't true. Kissing Gordo had pushed Ethan completely out of her heart and her mind and all she could think about was Gordo. She was so scared of these newfound feelings for Gordo.

"Okay, well, why are we standing here in the entry hall? Let's go sit in the living room."

He followed her to the living room and he sat down on the black couch. She sat on the other end, facing him.

"Why'd you have to come back now?"

Gordo turned and stared at her. How insensitive! He thought. He replied, "Excuse me?"

"Why couldn't you have come back a year ago?"

Okay, scratch that previous thought. She didn't mean it to sound so cruel… "What do you mean?"

"Gordo, you're supposed to be the smart one, remember?"

"I'm not following…"

"It mean, Gordo, that I feel terrible because I—I—I think I might like you a teensy bit…as more than a friend…but I'm engaged. If you'd come back last year, I wouldn't feel quite so guilty. I can't break up with Ethan now. Not after everything he's done for me. You and me can't happen."

"So you're just going to marry him because you'd feel guilty by not marrying him?"

"I guess so…"

"Lizzie, that's dumb!"

"Well if you're so smart, you come up with a better idea!"

"Me? Liz, you know if you do what I want you to do, you'd be calling Ethan right now and breaking it off with him for good." Lizzie looked down at her lap, "But I can't ask you to do that. If you love Ethan, then I won't stand in your way."

He got up and left the apartment before Lizzie could say another word. He drove off, not being able to believe the emotional roller coaster Lizzie McGuire was once again putting him on.

Lizzie was still sitting on her couch, replaying the conversation she'd just had with Gordo. She said out loud, "The problem is that I'm not sure I love Ethan anymore…" A tear slid down her face and hit her folded hands in her lap. Oh, I'm so goddamn confused. I want to marry Ethan…I mean, it's what I've dreamed of since I was fourteen! But now Gordo pops into the picture and all of a sudden I'm feeling like I want to be with Gordo. How can I want to be with Gordo? Hello! Earth to Lizzie! Wake up! You can't have them both! Who're you going to chose? And who's heart are you going to break?

The week went by. Gordo and Lizzie hadn't spoken to each other since Gordo walked out of he apartment. Lizzie called Ethan the day after and they arranged a date for Friday night. Friday, Lizzie thought, the day Gordo's leaving for three weeks…well, good riddance! He almost screwed up my marriage with Ethan! She glared at the wall of her apartment and then softened her expression. (A/N- The following is one of my favorite things to write. I call it "The Conversation with Your Other, And More Argumentative, Side." Other people call it a Schizophrenic attack. Anyway, that's what the below is. The first is the "Other Side" and the second is Lizzie.)

"Well, can you really blame him? I mean, come on, Lizzie…you're the one who kissed him remember?"

"Yeah…but he didn't stop kissing me, like he said!"

"What was he supposed to do? Throw the girl of his dreams off of him?"

"Yeah! I really just wish he'd call me…I miss not talking to him."

"Lizzie, be reasonable here. He liked you, you kissed him, and then you broke his heart."

"So?"

"So for one spectacular moment, all of his dreams were probably coming true and then you just stomped on them with some lame excuse about not wanting to hurt Ethan."

"Well, I don't want to hurt Ethan!"

"But you want to hurt Gordo?"

"Of course not!"

"Well that's precisely what you're doing by giving him this bull about not wanting to hurt Ethan. Face it, you screwed up big time."

"But—but—"

"But what? You missed your chance with Gordo."

"But why?"

"Because how on earth is he supposed to just forget what happened, huh?"

"I don't know."

"You're very confused, Lizzie McGuire…very, very confused."

Lizzie nodded and put her head down.

A/N-

Yeah, it's short. I'm SO SORRY! This chapter is terrible because 1) it's short 2) I haven't updated in like 2 and a half months (which I totally didn't know so im so sorry) 3) I won't be able to update until the end of July. I'M SO SORRY! I feel like a terrible author. This chapter was kind of sad. Don't worry, things will get better. I now come to this ultimate decision: Who should Lizzie choose? I have an idea, and I like my idea, but if all my readers are going the other way, then I'll ditch it. I want you guys to leave with a happy ending. I wanted to inform you that this story will probably end with like 6 chapters. That's so short for me, but I think I have to. I'm slowly losing all inspiration for this story and this saddens me. Of course it does make me kind of happy because that means I can post other stories. Anyway, please review!

Love,


DC