A/N: Thank you guys for the reviews. Jen: This is an old story that I never finished. Chapters 1-10 were all re-written. From here on these are new chapters. If you are still confused let me know. I will try to help.
This next Chapter is long, but it is my favorite. I am posting 12 and 13 together cause they kinda go hand in hand. Enjoy and please review!
Chapter 12
"Gordo! Gordo! Where are you going?"
Gordo felt a tug on his arm and turned around to find a wide-eyed Parker
"We are getting ready to go home." Gordo saw her face go from happy to disappointed.
"Oh, o..ok."
"Oh, sorry. Here's for helping me out." Gordo pulled out a $100 bill and handed to Parker.
"But I thought we…"
"Sorry Parker." Gordo cut her off. "You are just to short for me." With that Gordo turned and left a shocked Parker standing in the doorway of the club. He had been waiting for years to be able to say that to her.
The limo full of half passed out guys pulled up to Ethan's house. The half-way sober guys helped drag the drunken ones up the stairs inside the house. Gordo held one of Tudgman's arms as Ethan held on to the other.
"Miranda is going to be mad at me." Tudgman slurred.
"No she's not." Gordo tried to reassure him.
"I drank way too much." He was struggling to walk up the stairs. Ethan and Gordo were trying to balance him and themselves.
"It's cool Tudge. Randa won't get mad." Ethan said as he was about to fall from holding Tudgman's weight. The two finally got him in the house and onto the couch.
"I think I will sleep here." He said as the fell backwards on the couch.
"Good idea." Gordo said as he slid a pillow underneath Tudgeman's head and Ethan draped a blanket over him.
"Thanks for the help Gor-Don."
"No problem Ethan." Gordo turned to see a couple of guys drag Rod in the door. He had passed out back at the bar, which Gordo was relieved of. That meant he probably wouldn't remember Gordo telling him that he still loved Lizzie. "I can give Rod a ride to Lizzie's."
"You sure?" Ethan asked with some concern on his face.
"Ya. It's cool…I'm cool." Gordo said trying to relieve some of Ethan's concern about Gordo and Lizzie. Ethan agreed and Gordo said his good-bys to everyone. Ethan helped get Rod into Gordo's and they left for Lizzie's house.
As Gordo rounded the corner and pulled onto Lizzie's street his stomach knotted up. Rod was slumped up against the passenger side door with his face plastered on the window. They hadn't said a word since they got in the car. Gordo felt sick when he pulled up in front of Lizzie's house. It felt like he was picking her up on their first date.
He stopped his car and took a deep breath. His sweaty hands seemed to be glued to the steering wheel. "What's wrong with you Gordo." He asked himself out loud. "It's just Lizzie. Your best friend for years." The 17 year old Gordo opened his car door and put his feet on the ground, and as he stood his felt his head become dizzy. It was the last week of summer before theirs senior year and Gordo finally asked Lizzie out on a date. The sun was still burning bright in the western sky, but there was nice breeze blowing in Gordo's face. He made his way to her front steps and rang the doorbell. For a couple years Gordo was just walking into the McGuire's house, but tonight he felt he should ring the bell. The door opened, and here stood Lizzie, beautiful as ever. He smiled the biggest smile he had ever smiled as her eyes lit up.
"Gordo, dude, I'm going to hurl!" Rod shook Gordo out of his deep thought.
"Not in the car man." Gordo leaned over and opened the passenger door and pushed Rod's head out of the door. He began throwing up on the sidewalk. Gordo got out of the car and walked over to Rod's side and helped him up out of the car after he was done. "Come on man. Lets get you inside." They walked up the front porch and Rod flopped down on the front step. "That's good. Just sit there." Gordo said getting annoyed with the drunken Rod. He stepped up to the door and rang the door bell then shoved his hands in his pockets. He did that when he got nervous. A few seconds went by until he heard the locks on the door unlocking. The door opened slowly, and as it happened over 5 years ago, Gordo looked into Lizzie's eyes. For a moment he thought he saw them light up.
"Rod! Are you ok?" Lizzie asked breaking eye contact from Gordo and pushing past him over to Rod's side. Gordo sighed and rolled his eyes and turned to find Rod lying down with is head buried in the lawn mulch. He had thrown up again, and this time on one of Mr. McGuire's lawn gnome. Gordo gave a little chuckle at the site. Lizzie was trying to pick Rod up of the ground so Gordo grabbed his other arm and began to help as well.
"I got it Gordo." Lizzie said in a very perturbed voice trying to bump him out of the way.
"Just let me help" Gordo said bumping Lizzie back.
"Gordo just move. You're making it harder."
"Lizzie! You can't get him in by yourself."
"I'VE HAD TO LEARN TO DO A LOT OF THINGS WITH OUT YOU!"
"Come on! Just stop."
"Lizzie. Just let him help." Rod said as he was being pulled in two different directions. "Gordo's a good man. He still loves you." Gordo's and Lizzie's mouths fell open and the stopped dead in their tracks. Gordo couldn't believe he just said that.
"Fine!" Lizzie shoved Rod onto Gordo who struggled to hold up all of his weight. Gordo got Rod up and into the house. Luckily the guest bedroom was on the first floor, just down the hallway. The two got Rod into the bed, and covered up, with a trash can beside the bed. Gordo watched as Lizzie kissed Rod on the forehead before she walked out. A stab guilt and jealousy hit him all at once. Once in the hallway Lizzie avoided Gordo's eyes at all cost.
"Thank you for driving him home Gordo." Lizzie said with one foot on the stairs up to her room. "Goodnight."
"Lizzie, wait." Gordo wasn't sure what to say, but he knew he didn't want to leave just yet. He just stood there staring at the floor, searching for the words to come out of the ground.
"Well…?" Lizzie said.
"I just…umm…I just wanted to say I'm sorry." Gordo finally said still staring at the floor. The silence was deafening to Gordo. He finally got the courage to look at her. He slowly lifted his head and met her eyes. They were like daggers piercing into him. Gordo couldn't help himself. He couldn't take it any more. Her eyes hurt him. Hurt him deep. He turned and ran out of the front door. He just ran. He didn't even remember that his car was right there. Rain had started coming down. He couldn't tell if it was the tears or the rain that was falling from his face. He slowed down. How long had he run? Did he hear his name? He stopped and listened. He could hear the rain fall all around him. The sky lit up with lighting, and a few seconds later a loud booming thunder came from above. The thunder made him jump, because he swore he could hear his name come from the clouds. "God? What are you trying to say to me?" Gordo said out loud looking up to the sky. The rain was beating at his eyes.
"GORDO!" The voice came from behind him. He turned and watched her running after him. Her hair was matted to her head, dripping with rain. Her face was as red as her eyes.
"What are you doing, Lizzie?"
"Stop running! Just stop." She said looking directly into his eyes. "You always run from your problems. JUST STOP!"
"I am stopped. I'm not moving." Gordo said sarcastically.
"I'm not talking about right now Gordo. I'm talking about you life. Why do you always run?" The rain came down hard on them. The thunder was becoming louder. Gordo didn't say anything, he just kept looking at her. "WHY GORDO?"
"I don't know Lizzie? It hurts, I guess." He said softly.
"It hurts who? You? What about everyone else? What about me, Gordo? How do you think I feel?"
"I know I hurt you, Lizzie. I can't do anything about it now."
"Yes you can Gordo. Stop running. That's what you can do. Stand up and face what you did. Face the consequences." Gordo looked deep in Lizzie's now softening eyes.
"I don't know how to, Lizzie. I don't know…" Lizzie's eyes seemed sad. She stepped closer to him. Gordo's heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest.
"You had so much going for you Gordo." Lizzie said in a very quiet voice. "You could have had anything Gordo. You still can."
"No. No I can't Lizzie."
"Yes you can Gor…"
"No I can't!" Gordo cut her off. "I can't have the one thing that I want. The one thing that I lost and I will never get back."
"What's that?" Gordo didn't say anything for a few seconds. He just looked at her. Rain droplets beaded on her eye lashes. Her skin was wet from head to toe. Her wet heavy cloths clung to her body. Lighting flashed which lit up her face as if she was standing in the sun light. Then as fast as the light came it was gone. Gordo's eyes readjusted and he opened his mouth, not sure if he should say it or not.
"You, Lizzie McGuire. I can't have you. That's why it hurts so much to look at you, because I still love you." He stood there with his body tensed from the cold rain and the expectance of a slap to his face. Lizzie's face showed no expression.
"I know you still love me Gordo. Because…I…still love you." She closed her eyes as if she didn't want him to hear what she just said.
"I…" She put her hand to his mouth.
"Shhh. It's too late for us Gordo. We had something special."
"I know we did. And I would give anything to get it back."
"We can't." Lizzie sighed. "I used to pray everyday that you would be safe."
"You didn't have to pray for me."
"I did to Gordo. Because I also always prayed that you would come back and sweep me off my feet. Now here you are, but you haven't changed a bit. You're still running."
"I'm sorry. I'm just…scared. I guess. I don't know. I don't know much about anything lately."
"I'm scared too, Gordo."
"Of me?"
"Of you coming back into my life, and me falling for you again, and then you just leaving me like before. I don't want to fall for you."
"Are you?"
"When I look in you eyes all I see is what we used to have. I don't want to get hurt. It's too late for us."
"You're right.
Maybe it is too late. But just know I will always love you."
"I
will always love you Gordo." Lighting lit the sky up again. It
flashed in both of their eyes, and as fast as the lighting the two
leaned forward and pressed their lips to each other. Gordo cupped
her face with his hands, while the rain tried to separate their lips.
The wind blew and Lizzie's hair wrapped around the two, her hands
exploring Gordo's back. Both of their hearts had stopped beating,
and they could no longer hear the rain or the thunder. They were
alone. After 5 years, they were alone.
Suddenly Lizzie pushed her hands against Gordo and broke their kiss. Gordo's eyes flew open. He looked at her, trying to figure out if it was pain or surprise on her face.
"Good night Gordo." She turned and started running toward her house. Gordo watched as she got smaller and darker. She then disappeared into the rain. Gordo thought about running after her, but he knew it would do no good. He turned and slowly made his way back home.
