The decision to go to the kegger was unanimous. And Lizzie loved the fact that Gordo had loosened up enough to want to go to what he had once called "A pathetic attempt of the upper middle class' youth to create a situation mimicking what they see on MTV and in the movies, where the only point was to get drunk and sleep around." Chris was hoping that she would be able to get at least a little drunk with out bringing David's second life into question. And Gordo was hoping no one would pass him a joint because he didn't know if he would be able to say no.

Lizzie of course dragged Chris up into her room with the excuse of "You couldn't possibly of brought the right clothes for this" and she was right. Chris had brought an extra pair of jeans and a couple shirts. Lizzie's wardrobe on the other hand seemed able to accommodate anything. Chris stood and marveled at the huge closed full of clothes. And while Lizzie wasn't the neatest person her closet was so organized that Chris was astounded.

Lizzie was looking the girl over. Thinner then her, but not so much that they couldn't wear the same sizes, same basic colouring, though Chris had tanner skin. Lizzie's hazel eyes inspected the other girl in her boyfriend's life and was almost terrified to realize that they looked so similar. Chris did have a different shaped face, more triangular then Lizzie's still childishly round one. And Chris had more scars on her body, and was less certain of her body then Lizzie. She observed how Chris hid almost in the loose shirts she wore, where as Lizzie wore bright colours to draw attention to herself. Lizzie had always felt stupid compared to Gordo, and Miranda, whose academic and artistic excellence had always left her in the dust. With that one exception of Rhythmic gymnastics, but Lizzie never gave her self enough credit.

She could see that Chris was in almost the same position as Lizzie was. They were both meeting the other girl in Gordo's life. Lizzie thought about how much she had changed since Gordo left, she was friends with Kate and Ethan, not just the quasi friendships but real friends. Ethan wasn't as stupid as he acted, he had a really bad life and his way of dealing was acting stupid. He'd told her all this during one of his keggers where he was hiding from the party and knew Lizzie would listen. So she assumed that Gordo had changed. Something had certainly changed. Chris called him David. Something that only his grandmother did.

As Lizzie dressed Chris up for the party, sadly noting that her clothing was a little loose on the girl. She asked her "Why do you call Gordo David?" She smiled.

"Well the first day of class he comes in and introduces himself as Gordo, and the Latino kids laughed at him."

Lizzie smiled, she remembered that Gordo had been shocked in seventh grade when Miranda told him "gordo" meant "fat" in Spanish.

"And so the next day he comes in, curses them out in Spanish and his name was David after that. I never did learn where he learned those words" She laughed.

"He probably called our friend Miranda in Mexico" Lizzie smiled. "That seems like something she would teach him."

"It was so funny to see those putas all silenced by what he said" She smiled as Lizzie tackled her long blonde hair, pulling it back in a way that made her face less sharp, yet not babyish. "You gunna be a hair dresser?" Chris asked.

"Oh no, my parents would flip if I didn't want to go to college!" Lizzie smiled. "So where are you going next year?" She asked patting her shoulder to let Chris know her hair was done. Chris stood up, shrugging.

"I dunno, its not really in the cards for me right now. What with my sister and all." She smiled. "Where are you headed?"

"State school." Lizzie smiled blushing. "I've always been kind of an average student. So I'm not even setting myself up for the failure of not getting in." She said. "Gordo still passionate about NYU?" Lizzie smiled

"Its all he talks about at school" Chris smiled, it was true. When they actually were in school and David was passing all the tests like he always did then it was all he talked about. When they were on the fire escape all he could talk about was Lizzie, and the present. Chris smiled. She wasn't jealous of Lizzie and Gordo. It wasn't that simple she decided. It was complicated, she didn't mind Lizzie having Gordo, but she sometimes wondered, when they were stoned and the world was hazy and wonderful why she couldn't have David. But Lizzie was free to have Gordo.

Lizzie stood in front of the mirror, staring at her reflection. "What does Gordo really say about me?"

Chris leaned against a door, smiling "He talks about you all the time Lizzie. Sometimes he worries he can never be who you need, and he nearly cries in frustration." Chris smiled, "He told me about the trip to Rome, he talked about you like you were the only good thing in the world." She bit back telling her about how when he was stoned he would lean down against the metal railing and kiss Chris' forehead telling her about his amazing girlfriend who was so far above anything they could see that she wouldn't know of it. She regretted not telling Lizzie about the desperation in David's eyes when he came out onto the fire escape with a new bruise or gripping his arm in pain. About how afterwards all he said was that he wished he was back with Lizzie. "You're his world." She whispered softly.

Because it was true, no matter how much Chris sometimes wanted to be the girl in David's life she knew Lizzie was. Lizzie had a part of David, Gordo, that she never would. And she hoped one day that Gordo would let Lizzie know David. And she hoped to God that Lizzie loved David as much as she did Gordo.

"So Ethan drinks a lot?" She asked Lizzie.

"Yeah, but its more of a coping thing then anything else." Lizzie said carefully. "And these parties are mainly for drinking." She paused "Do you think Gordo will mind if I drink?" She asked "I mean he used to hate it when I would even drink at New Years!" She laughed.

"No, I don't think David will care" Chris smiled easily.

Lizzie laughed, starting to pull clothes off hangers, seemingly at random. She stared into the mirror with an intensity that Chris could only think to match with that of the evil queen staring at the magic mirror of the Snow White fairy tales. She moved over behind Lizzie "Mirror Mirror on the wall whose the fairest of the them all" She whispered softly, her newly glossed lips mouthing the words.

Lizzie smiled and laughed "Ethan will love you" She smiled softly, an outfit held in her hand.

Gordo was sitting downstairs, worried.

He worried that upstairs his life was unraveling, he worried that Chris and Lizzie were comparing notes. And Lizzie was finding out that she only knew half the story. He put his nervous energy at first into brushing his hair. Then he turned it into pacing. But an hour into it he had given up, sitting down harshly on the sofa where he and Lizzie had first ventured into second base in the ninth grade.

As soon as he gave up he heard the door open upstairs, Chris walked down the stairs. He didn't bother to stand up, knowing she would walk over to him and curl into his side. He looked up at her as she stood in front of him, "Hey" Chris whispered.

Lizzie had put her in a tight dark blue shirt and a pair of more fitting jeans. A white men's shirt that Gordo recognized as one of his from his younger days was pulled on over the tee shirt which read "Ciao Venice!" In black.

"You look good" He smiled as she curled into his side. David grinned, feeling her forehead against his shoulder. "So what did you ladies gossip about?"

"You" She smiled "Lizzie wanted to know if you'd be mad that if she drank, I said no, and you better not! You hate hypocrisy, and David drinks. I don't care what you say. No holding Lizzie to a double standard. Also this means you can drink some" She said.

"I just don't like to think of my Lizzie getting drunk." Gordo whispered. "I know she probably does when I'm in LA but I don't want to think of her doing anything like that."

"You should tell her" Chris whispered "she's gunna find out. And if she finds out because you take a puff of a joint with out coughing , and act normal she'll figure it out."

"Then I won't" He said.

"David!" Chris sat up. "That girl loves you. And I know you love her! Stop being an idiot! Tell her the truth! She deserves it!"

David sighed. "I know, but what if she doesn't accept me for it." He gulped. "You know I didn't even want to tell you."

"Its hard to keep secrets on the fire escape" Chris smiled "We hear all"

Lizzie smiled opening the door and Gordo stood up to watch her come down the stairs, looking amazing as she did so. Her outfit was a little odd, a little more goth then normal. But Chris smiled. The deep purple bodice she wore over a pair of tight jeans, with a rhinestone apple on a necklace. It was all in reference to the Snow White fairy tale.

She smiled over David's shoulder mouthing to her "The fairest" as she bowed her head.

Author's notes: Oh we're almost near the plot! I did a lot of introspective stuff in this chapter. I think its important to note that Chris and to a point Lizzie see David and Gordo as two separate people who neither knows both, so this puts them both in the weird position that they are in. here's a hint for the next chapter… Chris and Ethan in a closet.