"Hello Mom"

"Gordo" David's mom was surprised to see him there. No more surprised then David was to be there though.

"Hello Mrs. Gordon" Lizzie said cheerfully.

"Oh I go by Levey now, its my maiden name" She said "And its wonderful to see you both again. Come on it."

The mood was not that of a joyful reunion or anything remotely close to it. David slunk into his house, the smell wasn't quite familiar and there were key items he knew his father didn't have that were missing.

"So what are you two doing?" she smiled in a way that made David raise his eyebrow.

"Well Gordo came down to visit me this weekend and..." Lizzie started.

"Why didn't you want me?" Gordo asked looking up suddenly.

"What?" His mother looked concerned, only as Gordo realized her forehead didn't move so easily.

"You got botox?" He asked shaking his head. "And why didn't you want me?"

"Well it made more sense for your father to take you" She said, professionally, David shook his head.

"No it doesn't. Why does it make sense to take me from school, its senior year!"

"I thought you would like LA, you always complained that Hillridge was so boring. Its LA, full of excitement."

"Mom, I complained when I was like ten!" David looked over at her, "and I hate LA! I hate everything about the city. I wanted to stay at home, here!"

Lizzie stood back, reaching out for Gordo's hand, her eyes were full of tears as she shook her head.

"Mom, do you even care about me?" He snapped. "Why would you divorce dad and send me with him if he was so horrible."

"I had an affair Gordo" She said looking at her son. "I divorced your father and kept everything. I'm a bad woman, what more do you want?"

"I want to leave LA!" He said "Are you blind? Can you not see how miserable I am? I go to a school where no one notices if you're there or not! My school has one person besides me who will be going to college!"

"You'll get more scholarship money." She said coldly.

"I'll need it! Dad's working a crap job" He said "we're broke all the time!"

"Well your father has been able to deal thus far."

David stood, staring at his mother, he knew the bruises on his face weren't gone, that people at the party the night before had noticed and his mother didn't. "Mom, do you have any idea how fucked up my life is?"

"David, calm down, it can't be that bad."

"Ms. Levey," Lizzie started. "Are you blind?"

"Lizzie, with all due respect I don't think this is a conversation you need to be privy too." David's mother said, her voice remaining calm.

"Thats odd, because I think I'm the only one who will say it. Gordo, stop skirting around the issue."

David looked over at her. After months of keeping things secret, and years of suburbian "don't tell" his life was suddenly becoming very very public.

"Lizzie, I understand that you and my son are still involved, but that doesn't give you any right to but in."

"I think it does!" Lizzie snapped "You abandoned Gordo, you left him with his father, and you've done nothing to help him!" She turned to David, her eyes full of tears. "You must be blind."

"I never wanted to be a mother Lizzie, my mother practically forced me to get married and have children. Its better David is with his father."

"Lizzie" David whispered. "Its not going to change anything." He said pulling her to the door.

"Are you blind!" Lizzie sobbed out. "Are you? Are you so heartless?"

"Lets go" David whispered as Lizzie clung to his arm, sobbing silently as he lead her to the car.

"Why didn't you say anything?" She gulped. "She would have to do something."

"She didn't want to see." He said softly. "She wants to move on. Didn't you see, there weren't any pictures of me, anywhere."

"I don't want you to go back." Lizzie whispered looking up at him as they walked to her house, Gordo's arm around her waist supporting her. "I don't."

"Well, I can't stay with my mom." He said softly kissing her forehead. "Its not so bad, only a few more weeks, then I'll come down all the time to see you before college"

"Stay with me" Lizzie whispered looking up at him.

"What?"

"I'll tell my parents, they love you. Stay with me."

Author's notes: Wee! New chapter! So the story is coming to a close, we know why David is with his father, and we learn soon what is going to happen with the rest of his life!