Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Lizzie McGuire characters.

Chapter 8-Collapsing

Steve and Nancy had left the next day for their honeymoon. That morning Miranda came over to Lizzie's house. Lizzie told her about the ring Gordo had given her.

Miranda: "A promise ring! Oh, Lizzie, that's so romantic."

Lizzie: "When he gave it to me in the chapel, my heart almost stopped."

Lizzie held out her hand, allowing the ring to catch the light of the morning sun coming through her bedroom window.

Lizzie: "I'm never going to take it off."

Miranda: "This means your practically engaged. Are you sure you can wait to get married until you're out of college? That's years from now."

Lizzie: "I know, but Gordo should have a chance to play college ball and I really would like to have some kind of career. If you could have met Nancy and seen how cool she was, you'd understand. Besides, not that Gordo and I are sure that we want to get married, we can take our time about it. But you're right-it is going to be hard to wait." she added wistfully.

Miranda: "Well, I don't think it's fair for one person to have so much going for her. But…"

Miranda smiled at her.

Miranda: "If it has to be somebody, I'm glad it's you."

Lizzie: 'Thanks. What's hard for me now isn't thinking about college, but thinking about high school. I'm bored already, and my senior year hasn't eve started."

She hugged her knees to her chest and rested her chin on them.

Lizzie: "So how was your summer? Sorry we didn't get to hang out. And how did my job go? What was Jason like?"

Miranda wrinkled her nose.

Miranda: "It's ok, I know you had fun with Gordo. And as for the job and Jason, well, the best I can say about the whole experience is that I got a regular paycheck."

Lizzie: "Pretty dull, huh?"

Miranda: "Jason discovered Kate Sanders and spent the whole month of July trailing after her. It was disgusting! Don't guys have any self-respect?"

Lizzie giggled.

Lizzie: "Well at least that kept her away from Larry, didn't it?"

Miranda: "Yes, but…..It didn't give me a chance to have an adventure like you. And Jason is going home soon, but Kate will still be here. So, I guess it'll be another year of keeping her away form Larry."

Lizzie: "You can do it. I know you can."

Miranda made an outrageous face.

Miranda: "How's Gordo feeling?"

Lizzie: "Great actually. He's been working out this summer. Every morning he and his uncle would go to the gym."

Miranda: "I'm sure this whole mess is behind him."

Lizzie: "Me too."

She gazed down lovingly at the ring.

Lizzie: "Especially now, when we have so much going for us."

On Friday, Gordo and Lizzie had Miranda and Larry over to her house for an all-night movie marathon. Her father told the boys it was their last all-nighter. Football practice would be starting soon and he wanted them to be ready for it.

In a way, Lizzie resented the imposition of the schedule, but with Gordo looking so forward to resume playing, she kept her feelings to herself. Practices were called for three hours each morning and two hours for each afternoon at the nearby middle school field, which would be their temporary home field for the fall season. In the grueling August heat, Gordo was so exhausted he fell asleep early each night, leaving Lizzie to spent her time hanging out with her friends and getting ready for the start of the school year.

On Labor day, her father had his annual barbecue bash for all the players on his team. He fired up a massive grill in the backyard and fed over thirty guys, from incoming freshman to seniors. Gordo was clearly the hero of the day. A newspaper reporter showed up, interviewing him, took pictures of Gordo and the team, and told Gordo there'd be a front page story in Sunday's sport section.

Late in the afternoon, Gordo whisked Lizzie away to the high school and the football stadium, which was still under construction. They climbed up a new set of concrete bleachers and settled on the highest bleacher. Below, the field appeared green, with wispy strands of grass, but the underground sprinkling system had yet to be installed and the final sod hadn't been put down. Since the growing season was all but over, it would be spring before the new turf could be installed.

Gordo: "Too bad I won't get to play here."

Lizzie: "This time next year, you'll be throwing for some college. Dad says USC coach has contacted him about you."

Gordo: "USC and UCLA. I wish I could play for both of them."

Lizzie: "I've never seen dad so eager about the start of a new season. He's driving me and mom crazy with football talk."

Gordo puckered his brow.

Gordo: "Everybody's counting on me, Lizzie. I hope I don't let them down."

Lizzie: "You'll do great. Just make sure you don't get hurt."

He grinned.

Gordo: "Larry's my main man up front, and he says he'll take off anybody's head who sacks me."

Lizzie: "And if he doesn't, he'll have Miranda and me to face."

Gordo: "That'll keep him scared enough to do his job."

Lizzie: "It better."

She twined her fingers through his.

Lizzie: "I got a postcard from Steve and Nancy in Paris."

Gordo: "Me too. They sound like they're having fun."

Lizzie: "Nancy says she wishes we were with them and that when we take a honeymoon, we have to include Paris on our tour. What do you think?"

Gordo: "If we can afford it by then."

Lizzie: "Are you kidding? By then, you'll be a Heisman Trophy winner and a first round draft pick for the NFL."

Gordo: "I like the way you think, Lizzie."

He said with a laugh.

Gordo: "I never would have thought I would change mind about being a director in middle school but now things are different. I've dreamed about playing pro ball since I got a love for it in my freshman year. But I don't know."

Lizzie: "You still should."

He shrugged.

Gordo: "Let's face it, I may not be anyone's first choice anymore. Cancer has a way of scaring pro scouts off."

She linked her arm through his.

Lizzie: "You're my first choice."

He leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose.

Gordo: "Then get a good education, in case you end up supporting me."

She grimaced.

Lizzie: "Isn't it enough I get this from my mother? Do I have to get it form you too?"

Gordo: "She's on your case again about picking a college?"

Lizzie: "She's never gotten off my case. SO give me your top three choices and I'll tell her and she can start sending off for applications."

Gordo: "You're really serious about going where I go?"

Lizzie: "Of course. Unless you want to be separated for four years."

Gordo: "Not hardly."

He studied her face for a minute.

Gordo: "It's just that I want you to do what you really want, not feel tied down by promises you made to me."

She held out her hand.

Lizzie: 'Then this ring doesn't mean anything?"

Gordo: "It means I love you and want to marry you."

Lizzie: "That's what I want. And so going to a college far away from you isn't likely."

The sky was darkening, threatening rain.

Gordo: "We'd better head home before we get drenched." he said pulling her to her feet.

They hurried down the steps and onto the filed. The ground was lumpy and hard. Lizzie jogged ahead to the center of the field, stopped, and tried to imagine what it would be like to play a game with hundreds of people cheering and yelling her name. She couldn't. Yet for Gordo, she knew, it was a common occurrence.

Gordo came alongside, picked up a stick, tossed it high in the air, and caught it while she cheered.

Gordo: "Our first game is against Hammond next Friday. Your father thinks we'll wipe up the field with them."

Lizzie: "One thing my father knows is football. If he thinks we'll win, we probably will."

Gordo gazed over the field, letting his vision sweep from one end to the other.

Gordo: "Yeah…..this is going to be one great field."

He took the stick and scrawled symbols in the dirt. He made the letter I, drew a heart, and then scrawled the letter U. It was the same "I love you" message he'd carved on Lizzie's backyard the previous May.

Lizzie: "Don't let my dad see you marking up his field. Football players are supposed to be tough, not wimps who fall in love." she teased.

His eyes twinkled.

Gordo: "Is that what I am, a wimp?"

Lizzie: "Yup, a wimp." she said as large drops of rain began to splat against the ground.

Gordo: "You call me-a guy who's going to be on the front page of the sports section-a wimp?"

Playfully she stuck out her tongue and darted off. He chased her down and began tickling her sides.

Gordo: "Who's a wimp, huh?"

Lizzie shrieked with laughter and fell to the ground, rolling every which way to evade his fingers. Rain fell in sheets, stinging Lizzie's skin and soaking them both. In minutes they were streaked with mud, but Lizzie didn't care.

Pressing her to the ground with his body, Gordo pinned her arms over her head.

Gordo: "Beg for mercy." he said above the sound of the pouring rain.

Lizzie: "Never." she cried.

Water streamed off him and his eyes looked like glowing coals. Lizzie felt a surge of fire course through her body and was surprised that her skin wasn't sizzling with the heat.

Gordo: "Then suffer the consequences." he said.

He lowered his mouth to hers and kissed her long and deep while the rain washed over them and thunder clapped in the sky.

By the end of September, the Hillridge Warriors were 5 and 0 and ranked number one in their division in the state. Gordo got most of the credit for team leadership, while being lauded for keeping a cool head under pressure and for his golden throwing arm, and Lizzie had never seen her father more excited about a team.

Sam: "This team is the best. And Gordo is absolutely the finest player I've ever coached-one in a million." he'd say each morning after a victory.

Lizzie: "I agree dad. He's one in a million." she'd reply.

But for Lizzie, his stellar status had little to do with football. She loved him so much it was becoming increasingly difficult to think about waiting until they both finished college to get married.

Meanwhile her mother never left her alone about picking a college. To appease her, Lizzie sent off for applications to USC and UCLA.

Jo: "Why USC?" she asked.

Lizzie: "Why not? It's a great school."

Jo: "Well what course of study are you interested in taking? Some colleges concentrate on one area than another. If I know what you're interested in, I can search for schools on the internet that offer your area of interest and you can apply to them."

Lizzie: "I'm not sure. Isn't it enough I'm picking some colleges without having to determine the entire course of my college career before I even begin?"

Jo: "That's not what I meant."

Lizzie: "Can we just drop it, mom?'

Her mother studied her thoughtfully.

Jo: "I'm not stupid, Lizzie. I know you're ambivalent because you want to wait and see where Gordo chooses to attend."

Lizzie saw no reason to argue about it.

Lizzie: "So what? Only the best colleges are recruiting him, so it's not as if I'll pick a bad one."

Jo: "You need to pick a college based on your needs-not Gordo's."

Lizzie: "Mom, please, stop it. I'm doing the best that I can.'

Frusterated, her mother turned her back and swept from the room.

Lizzie was at the mall one Saturday afternoon when she ran into Gordo's mother. They went to the food court, ordered ice cream, and sat together to eat it.

Roberta: "I don't get to see much of you anymore. If it weren't for home games, I doubt I'd see you at all." she said between bites.

Lizzie: "I miss coming over. Blame my dad. He's so fixated on this season, he practically keeps the team under lock and key. It's so frustrating."

Roberta smiled.

Roberta: "You think you're frustrated. You should see Gordo pacing the floor wishing he could be with you."

The news thrilled Lizzie. She liked knowing Gordo missed being with her.

Lizzie: "He has a lot of pressure on him."

Roberta: "That's true, and I've mentioned to him he shouldn't be too intense, that the entire fate of the football season doesn't rest on his shoulders. It looks to me as if he's losing weight,, and I'm afraid he's worrying too much about the season."

Lizzie set down her spoon.

Lizzie: "But he's feeling alright, isn't he?"

Roberta: "He says he is."

Seeing Roberta's concern upset Lizzie.

Lizzie: "He told me his checkup went fine. It did, didn't it?"

Roberta: "I haven't heard otherwise."

Ironically, on the day Gordo had been scheduled to go to St. Paul's for testing, Roberta had work she couldn't miss and Lizzie had been scheduled to take her SAT exams. Gordo insisted that he could go through the routine without them and that if there were any problems with his blood work or bone scans, he'd be notified. The day after, the Warriors had played one of their top rivals and Gordo had led them to another victory.

Lizzie picked up her spoon and dug into her ice cream.

Lizzie: "Well I'm sure that if anything were wrong, you'd have been notified by Dr. Kessler."

Roberta: "You're right. Gordo says I shouldn't obsess about every little lost pound or sniffle he has."

Roberta smiled wanly.

Roberta: "I know he's right, but it's hard for me not to. Last winter and spring were the longest days of my life. I just couldn't believe Gordo was having such problems. He's always been perfectly healthy."

Lizzie: "We shouldn't think about those bad times. The important thing is that he's fine now and on the way to the rest of his life." she smiled.

Roberta laughed.

Roberta: "I don't know what he'd do without you, Lizzie. He's been crazy about you since he was a kid."

Lizzie: "That's nice of you to say. I'm crazy about him, too."

The food court tables had filled with the lunch crowd while they'd been talking, and the smells of fats food hung in the air. Roberta glanced nervously from side to side.

Roberta: "Um….I don't mean to pry, but I'm curious about some things."

Lizzie: "Ask me."

Roberta: "You and Gordo have discussed marriage, haven't you?"

Now it was Lizzie's turn to cast a nervous glance.

Lizzie: "I suppose we have."

Roberta: "Don't be concerned, I'm not against it. But I really want Gordo to go to college."

Lizzie: "He'll go. How can he not go with all these college football coaches after him?"

Roberta smiled and relaxed.

Roberta: "I'm so happy, Lizzie. I want so many things for Gordo, and he's so close to getting some of them."

Lizzie understood, and only wished her own mother could be as flexible as Gordo's.

Lizzie: "I won't take his dreams away."

Roberta: "Please don't think I'm prying or trying to tell you what to do. One of the things he wants-that he's always wanted-is you. And I won't interfere with any plans the two of you made."

Lizzie: "It's alright. Gordo and I plan to have it all." she insisted.

Roberta's round face broke into a broad smile.

Roberta: "And you will. I'm positive of that. With all that the two of you have going for you, you'll have everything life has to offer."

Lizzie was thankful of Roberta's approval, only wishing that Gordo was their to share it. That night, the Warriors would play their home game, and afterward, there was to be a dance in the gym. Gordo would be taking her and there'd be no early curfew, so she could spend hours with him.

Lizzie: "Sit with Miranda, Mom, and me at the game tonight."

Roberta: "I'd love to." she responded.

That night, the air was crisp and cold, perfect for playing football. The middle school stands were packed to overflowing, as the game was one of the biggest rivalries. TV cameras and newspaper photographers had special field passes and crews were set up along one end zone.

In the stands, behind the Warrior's bench on the fifty-yard line, Lizzie watched Gordo warm up on the field throwing passes as her father paced furiously along the sidelines.

Miranda: "So where do you think they are?" she asked, craning her neck at the crowds sitting behind them.

Lizzie: "Who?"

Miranda: "The college scouts! Larry said the stands would be full of them for tonight's game."

Lizzie's father had told her the same thing. But Lizzie wasn't interested in talking about scouts. She kept her gaze on Gordo, who seemed to be having trouble with his passes. Miranda followed her line of vision.

Miranda: "I'm sure he's just nervous. Wait until the game starts."

Yet, when the game started, Gordo didn't improve. Only a clever play by the defense kept the other team from going out in front during the second quarter. Lizzie anxiously twisted the blanket across her lap. Gordo couldn't blow it now. Not with so many important people watching.

She saw her father call Gordo to the sidelines and lecture him sternly. Gordo had ripped off his helmet and Lizzie could see that he was grimacing and sweating profusely.

Gordo: "I wish Dad would get off Gordo's case." she told her mother irritably.

Jo: "Never tell your father how to coach a game. One way or another he gets the best from his boys. And Gordo's his pride and joy."

Her mother's words didn't comfort Lizzie, whose mood only darkened when Gordo took a hard hit minutes before the half ended.

Lizzie: "Where was his protection?" she shouted, springing to her feet.

She glared down at Miranda.

Lizzie: "Larry's supposed to cover him!"

Miranda: "Don't yell at me!" she exclaimed.

Angry and agitated, Lizzie sat down, only to watch Gordo being helped off the field and taken to the locker room. The announcer commented about Gordo being shaken up on the play, and Lizzie's anger turned to anxiety. She longed to rush off to the gym, but knew she'd never get inside.

Roberta: "He'll be alright."

Mercifully the half ended and Sam jogged with his team off the field. The roar of the crowd dropped to a lull.

Jo: "Should I go get popcorn?" she asked.

Lizzie shook her head and snapped.

Lizzie: "How can you ask about popcorn when Gordo's hurt?"

Roberta: "I'll go with you." she said, heading off an argument.

Jo and Roberta stood, but didn't leave, because someone called their names. Lizzie turned to see Brett Welsh, on of the new freshmen on the team, hurrying toward them. He was in uniform, but because he hadn't played, his jersey was clean and unmarked.

Brett: "Coach sent me." he said climbing up the few rows to where they sat.

Lizzie: "What's wrong with Gordo?"

She asked but her heart thudded rapidly in her chest.

Lizzie: "I know something's wrong. Tell me."

Brett's eyes were wide as saucers and his skin looked pale, as if he'd had a great fright.

Brett: "Gordo collapsed in the locker room. He's being taken to the hospital." he finally said.

Roberta: "Which one?"

Brett: "St. Paul's."

Lizzie grabbed her purse and car keys, but her mother pulled them from her hands, then took both Lizzie and Roberta firmly by their elbows.

Jo: "Come on. I'll drive."

A/N: Here is another chapter. Thanks for the reviews guys, it's really inspiring to read all your kind words, thanks again! Please review more!!!!