Siv- Yes, I would definitely take Calculus II over Chemistry! I took chemistry in high school and chem. 101 and 102 in college, and I hated every single minute of it! Good luck!
Juan Pablo- Thanks so much for your praise about the flashbacks- I actually didn't put as many flashbacks in the last version of this story, so it's good to know people like them! It is an LG- as you will certainly see in this chapter- so don't worry about that!
Neithan- I'm so glad that you've enjoyed my story so far- it only gets better from here! Also, welcome to the site- I hope that if you like the Lizzie section enough you will write your own fiction some day- there aren't enough on this site and I absolutely love these two characters. Hope to continue hearing your feedback!
KittyDoggyLover- Thanks for your continued praise on my story- this chapter is my favorite so I hope you like this one just as much!
Yet another note to everyone- I changed the rating of the story up to T because of this chapter. I wasn't sure if it was overstepping the boundaries, so I thought I'd better be safe than sorry!
Chapter 5- All Grown Up
"Uh… Are you sure about this room Gordo?" Lizzie held her bag carefully against her chest, afraid to put it down on the comforter that looked like a brownish shade of green.
"I'm sorry it's not the Plaza Lizzie but we have a long trip ahead of us with limited funds… At least we got a room with two beds." Gordo sighed and began rummaging through his bag.
Lizzie eyed the bed warily before uneasily sitting down on the edge of it. It made a loud creek. "Okay, but if I see anything else living in this room tonight besides us, I'm sleeping in the car."
Gordo just rolled his eyes. "I'm headed down to the pool." He pulled his swimsuit out from his bag and went to change in the bathroom.
"Whatever." She jumped off the bed and grabbed her cell phone out of her bag and turned it on. It had been a long day of driving, Gordo taking the whole day because she didn't know how to drive the clutch. After their blow-up that morning, Gordo didn't mention trying to teach her again. A moment later she heard the soft click of the door, indicating he had left.
Her phone beeped, signaling her she had new messages. She flipped it open and read the display: 8 new voicemails. Her stomach clenched and she quickly dialed her answering service to get them. The first two was from Jay, scolding her for being late. Guilt filled her stomach as she realized the third was her mother, yelling at her for not telling Jay where she was going. After hearing two more from Jay, each one louder than the next, she flipped her phone shut. Trying to push away all thoughts of Jay and Gordo and her mom and the driving they needed to do the next day, Lizzie began to flip through the channels of the miniscule TV that was sitting in the corner.
She saw 3 channels worth of news, the weather channel, a documentary on the mating habits of the red-faced warbler birds of North Dakota, and 3 channels of static before it started over at the first channel. Lizzie rolled over and exasperatedly turned off the television. "32 bucks a night and no HBO?"
She stared at the ceiling for a few moments, debating. The last thing I want to do is go down and hang out with HIM at the pool… Rolling over again she checked the time on the clock on the night table next to the bed… only 9:43. She quickly ran over a check list of things she could do… call someone… but who? She could call her mom to apologize for not telling Jay, but she didn't want to risk waking her father up.
She finally decided to give her friend Jackie a call, flipping her phone open and finding her name in the address book. It rang a few times before she actually picked up.
"Heello?" her speech sounding slurred. Lizzie inwardly groaned realizing that Jackie was smashed.
"Uh… hey Jackie… it's Lizzie…" she said.
"Lizzie! How aree you?!" she practically yelled into the mouthpiece. Lizzie held the phone away from her ear.
"I'm doing well…" she said nervously… "I'm in Phoenix right now actually" uncertain of what to say.
"You should totally come to this amazing party tonight at Andrew's! His parents are giving us free beer!" She giggled. Lizzie was quiet.
"Uh, yeah I'll try and stop by later Jackie…" Lizzie softly spoke, knowing she wouldn't remember this conversation in the morning anyway.
"Awesome!" She slurred and music began to blare loudly in the background. Lizzie flipped her phone shut, not caring if she said goodbye or not.
"What great friends I have" she whispered, pulling her knees up to her chest.
Continuing to go through a check list in her head she went over the options for the night. She could read… the phone book lying on the table in the corner… scratch that. She could play solitaire… except she didn't bring cards. Scratch that. There always was that documentary on the mating habits of red-faced warbler birds in North Dakota…
She stood up and walked over to the window that was facing the courtyard and glanced down at the pool. No Lizzie, no way…
Ten minutes later Lizzie quietly opened the gate to the pool entrance and let her eyes fall on Gordo, who was doing laps in the pool. She placed her towel next to his on a chair and debated on actually getting in. Coming to a decision that she wouldn't, she took off only her flip-flops and sat on the edge of the pool, letting her feet get wet.
From this closer standpoint she was able to get a better look at Gordo. She hadn't seen him without a shirt on in a few years and for some reason she assumed he would look exactly the same. Looks like I was wrong about that… she felt her cheeks redden but was unable to look away from his toned chest and shoulders. Granted he was still lanky from growing so quickly in such a short time and he wasn't even close to a muscle builder- but he definitely wasn't 14 anymore. Not noticing the fact that she was obviously staring at him, she quietly watched him take laps back and forth across the pool, his strong arms slicing gracefully through the water.
He reached the end of one side and stopped, pulling her out of her trance. She looked away quickly. A moment later she could hear him swimming over to her.
"Getting in?" he asked coolly. She allowed her eyes to fall on his face, making sure she didn't look any lower.
"I'm good" she shook her head, wondering if he could hear the uneasiness in her voice. Why am I suddenly nervous about Gordo of all people?
She leaned back on her hands and stared up at the sky, anxious to look away from him in his bathing suit. "The stars are gorgeous out here" she commented.
"They should, we are in the middle of nowhere" he pulled himself out of the pool and sat himself down next to her. She could hear the water dripping off of his body and hair. There was a pause. Does he have to be so close?
"I haven't stopped to look at the stars in so long…" she lamented, trying to fill the silence.
"Why?" he sounded puzzled. Lizzie knew growing up that star gazing was one of his favorite pastimes besides film-making. Forgetting her plan not to look at him Lizzie turned and found herself staring into his eyes.
"You know… busy recording and performing and dance practice and promo-shots…" she trailed off, still unable to look away. He was silent for a moment. His hair was beginning to curl into little tendrils around his face. She tried not to notice the fact that the water from his hair was dripping onto his chest.
"I guess if that is where your passions lie" he quietly stated, obviously deciding not to go into what he attacked her for that morning. She shifted her eyes to the pool now.
"So do you remember where Orion is?" he questioned, trying to break the awkward silence that constantly seemed to envelope them.
"Wow, it's been so long…" Lizzie looked back up into the sky.
"Four years" he interjected. She stopped to look at him… not sure of what to say next.
"Yeah…" there was a beat and now they both looked away from each other, him to the pool and her back up into the sky again. Lizzie felt a heat spread through her cheeks. "Let me see if I remember… the three bright ones there in the middle there are his belt… yes, it's right there" she pointed over his shoulder to the direction. She was careful not to touch him but couldn't stop herself from reaching across him as she pointed.
"It took me like 3 years to teach you that one" he remarked, laughing. She leaned back.
"More like 3 months you over-exaggerator" she exclaimed, punching him the shoulder. He winced, rubbing the spot where she hit him.
"You always could throw a punch" his lower lip pouted out.
"Grow up with my brother and you learn the best ways to inflict pain, plus it also helps that you're such a big wimp" she smiled and tried not to focus on his lip, which was still pouted out. Get a grip Lizzie!
He peered over at her and looked as if he was forming an idea in his mind, "A wimp huh? …Oh wow" he glanced at his watch, "You'll never guess what time it is!" He exclaimed.
She peered down at his watch, "What?"
"It's time for Lizzie to take a swim in the pool!" he exclaimed evilly, lunging towards her.
Lizzie screamed and pulled back quickly, right out of his grasp. She jumped from her spot and began running the other way around the pool. "Don't even think about it!" she exclaimed, bare feet pounding against the pavement. She laughed loudly as she turned her head, thinking she had escaped danger. She, however, underestimated his knowledge of her movements because he was a step behind her. In one moment he had wrapped his arms around her whole body and they both fell into the pool together. Lizzie felt his warm arms envelop her for a second before the cold water splashed around them.
They both came up quickly and Lizzie acted on her first instinct, to inflict as much pain possible on her perpetrator. Lunging at him with a shriek she dunked him under the water, kicking and punching the whole way. "I can't believe you did that!" she half laughed, half growled. His eyes were shining with laughter as he darted across the water towards the deeper end of the pool. She followed, struggling to swim while wearing actual clothes, but caught him in the corner of the deep end.
"You're cornered now Mr. Gordon" she said with half a laugh, treading the water to keep afloat. She darted towards him and saw his eyes calculating her movements. She kept moving towards him though, causing him to panic and try to escape to her right. One step ahead, she met him along the wall and pushed his shoulders against it with both arms. "I don't think so" she smiled as her hands tingled at the contact of his bare skin.
"You're forgetting one thing Ms. Maguire" he said coyly, not looking the least bit worried.
"Yeah, what's that?" she stilled had him pinned, a feat while being forced to tread water.
"I remember how ticklish you are" his free arms started towards her midsection. Her eyes widened in horror as she realized the gravity of the situation.
His arms worked quickly across her stomach, and she was doubled over in the water before she had a chance to stop him. He held one arm around her back to keep her still and close to him while using the other hand to attack her stomach with. She was laughing loudly, playfully attempting to kick him away until he grabbed her feet and began tickling them as well. This movement caused her to take a mouthful of water. Immediately she began to cough and he stopped for a moment. She grinned and took that opportunity to take hold of his arms and push him back against the pool wall.
"Mercy is a sign of weakness Mr. Gordon" she eyed him evilly. She felt her stomach perform a few flips at the feeling of his biceps under her touch.
He smiled widely at her and in one swift movement he pushed against her stronghold and wrapped his arms around her body while he swung them both around the other way. Before she knew it she was turned around so he was the one pushing her up against the pool wall. "It's a good thing I have enough strength to make up for it" he whispered back into her face, equally as evil.
There was a pause and Lizzie was suddenly acutely aware at that moment just how warm the pool was. She was pressed up with her back against the wall with his own body pressed onto hers from on the other side. She suddenly wished she weren't wearing such a heavy shirt overtop of her bathing suit. He shifted his hands, which were lying on her shoulders, slowly down her arms and Lizzie forgot to breathe for a moment. They landed on the sides of her stomach and Lizzie felt a warm tingle spread throughout her body. She fought the urge to move her own hands, which were still clutching tightly to his shoulders, to his chest.
She could feel yet another drop in her stomach when she noticed how close his face was. His intense blue eyes were focused intently on her face leaving Lizzie breathless. Her face instantly flushed as she realized she could feel the warmth of his breath against her lips, sending, if it was possible, more tingles throughout her body. Hearts pounding wildly, both teens stared into each other eyes, unsure of what to say or even do next.
"We should go to bed" she whispered after few moments.
"Yeah" he whispered this, staring at her, but seemed to break out of the trance quickly and looked away. He pulled himself away from her and Lizzie felt the cold water flood her body at their loss of contact. She turned around, pulled herself out of the pool and grabbed her towel, wanting to leave as quickly as possible.
"Lizzie—wait" His voice stopped her at the gate. His voice sounded rough. She turned around slowly.
"What?" He had pulled himself out of the pool and was standing a few feet away from her.
He hesitated, pulling his hand through his dark wet hair. "Nothing…"