Disclaimer: I don't own Lizzie McGuire or the characters. Disney does.
Gordo. She had just kissed Gordo. Albeit- it was only on the cheek. It could be described as a playfully friendly photo moment.
However, after having read Gordo's yearbook message, it seemed a very clear answer that she hadn't even known she wanted to give. Luckily, Gordo didn't know that she had read the message yet, and hopefully wouldn't read too much into the kiss.
They luckily lost each other in the crowd as it dispersed. Lizzie grabbed her stuff, including the yearbook and hurried to the girls bathroom to gather herself.
She was panicked, sure, but the red in her cheeks betrayed her excitement, even if she did not quite yet understand exactly how she felt about all this.
Knowing that the buses would soon be arriving, she reluctantly stepped out into the halls and headed toward her locker to gather all of her belongings.
She had just opened her locker when a familiar voice spoke, "Uh, Lizzie?"
She spun around, forgetting that the locker door was there and smacked into it, proceeding to fall on her ass.
"Gordo!" Lizzie's voice came out far too high.
"Jesus, are you okay? Lizzie?" Gordo hurried forward, bending down beside her, grasping her arm.
Lizzie blinked into Gordo's surprisingly close eyes, and blushed, smiling nervously, "Yeah, I uh…you surprised me- can you help me up?"
"Oh, yeah," Gordo grabbed onto her other arm and stood, pulling her up with him.
Lizzie, feet firmly on the ground, shifted nervously as Gordo remained close and didn't remove his hands from her bare arms. "Umm…"
"Oh! Sorry, you 'right now?"
"Yeah."
Lizzie stepped back as she was released and gave a shaky smile, turning back to her locker.
Gordo hovered around behind her until she finished and then appeared at her side as they walked down the corridor.
"So…junior high's over, you sad?"
Lizzie shrugged, "Yeah, I mean, there are some good memories and I'm-"
"-used to it?" Gordo finished, grinning at her knowingly.
Lizzie blushed, "Yeah. What about you?"
"I'm just excited for everything that's about to happen."
"Yeah…" Lizzie sighed at the reminder of so much change.
There was an awkward silence for a moment before Gordo blurted out, "You didn't read the yearbook message from me yet did you?"
"No!-I…no, not yet, why?"
Gordo exhaled a deep breath of relief and smiled, shaking his head, "Oh no reason, come on, we don't wanna miss the bus."
Gordo was back to his usual self on the way home, thinking that Lizzie had no idea about his 'feelings'.
"So…uh," Gordo started, awkwardness returning in his voice as they started walking toward their homes. "The class photo will be…uh-interesting."
Lizzie faked a carefree laugh, "Oh, yeah, by the way, sorry for getting moist all over you, I guess I was feeling sentimental…you know, we've been friends a long time…"
"Oh…no, yeah, it's fine-didn't bother me…" Gordo's voice sounded tight.
The awkwardness was heavy as they luckily neared Gordo's house.
"So, I've got to get home and do some chores," Gordo said clumsily.
But Lizzie wasn't about to call out any lie at the moment, so she smiled dumbly and nodded her head, "Okay, See you soon."
"Bye," Gordo muttered, before spinning around and hurrying into his house.
Lizzie went home and straight up to her room and just stared at that damn message. She must have stared at it for some time, because a familiar voice startled her, asking, "Are you alright Lizzie? We haven't seen you since you got home."
"I'm fine," Lizzie answered quickly, her chest tight in the fear at being found out. But something made her look up, look up at her mother- her wise, non-judgmental, advice giving mother. Before she even knew it she was saying, through teary eyes, "I don't know what to do."
Her mom hurried into the room and sat beside her, gathering her in her arms, "Oh honey, what's wrong?"
Lizzie buried her face in her mothers shoulder and pointed a finger at the message scrawled untidily across a page.
Lizzie listened nervously as her mother first sighed, "how lovely", then cooed, and then let out an undignified, utterly stunned, "Oh!"
"Yeah," Lizzie said miserably.
"Gordo?" her mother asked in surprise.
Lizzie nodded.
"David Gordon has feelings for you."
Lizzie nodded.
"David Gordon finally actually told you!"
Lizzie started to nod and then sat up quickly, "What!? What do you mean?!"
Her mother cupped her face, "Oh Lizzie, haven't you noticed, Gordo has adored you for as long as I can remember. I actually should have seen this day coming."
Lizzie stared at her mother, confused, overwhelmed, scared, and with that ever present butterfly in her stomach.
Her mother held her hands, stroking them calmingly, "What did you say to him?"
"I told him I hadn't read it."
"Lizzie," her mother sighed, "You can't hide away from this. You have to tell Gordo one way or another. I mean, if you don't feel the same way…"
Lizzie bit her lip and shook her head.
"What? What do you mean? Do you feel the same way?" Her mother actually sounded a bit surprised at this news.
Lizzie blushed bright red as she shrugged.
"Oh, goodness, you do!"
"No-I-I mean, I don't know!"
"Oh, honey, you have to think on this and decide. But whatever you decide, you should let Gordo know."
"How?!" Lizzie cried.
Her mother sighed, "Well, I know it's difficult, you two have been best friends your whole lives, and whatever decision you make, still changes things. But change doesn't have to be a bad thing. You never know if you don't take a chance."
Lizzie's hands started shaking as she imagined telling Gordo her answer. "But, how do I know if I like Gordo like that? I mean, maybe it's just because he's my best friend that I feel like that."
"Like what?" Her mother questioned curiously,
Lizzie started blushing bright red, "I dunno, I like being with him…and when I'm not, I want to be…and I guess I like being close to him…I feel a bit funny when I am. And reading his note and realizing how he felt…kinda made me feel weird."
"What were those funny/ weird feelings?"
Lizzie blushed, "I dunno…my stomach feels all funny and my skin."
"Well, honey," her mother started, smiling joyfully, "Those feelings don't sound like best friend feelings to me."
"But that's the thing, we are best friends, what if we ruin that? What if those funny feelings are my bodies way of telling me that this is a bad idea? Maybe my stomach clenches, my blushing are because of fear or embarrassment of feelings that I don't return. What if-"
"Lizzie," her mother interrupted sternly, "don't ignore what you're gut is telling you, listen carefully. You're scared, and you have every right to be, but don't let the fear make the decision."
Her mother gave her a kiss on the forehead and stood to leave her alone, "I'm sure that you'll make the right choice. You're much braver than you give yourself credit Lizzie."
It took her only half an hour to finalise her decision, and another 20 minutes to work up the courage to call, and then another five after her first hang up.
Suddenly, she found herself on the phone with Gordo. After stunted hello's she practically whispered it. "I read your message."
"Oh," Gordo whispered back shakily.
Lizzie was silent as she struggled with what to say, "Um…I-uh…can we meet tomorrow morning and…talk?"
"Okay."
"Okay, um, we'll meet at the park…"
"Okay."
"10 o'clock?"
"Okay."
"…Okay, well, that's all, goodnight Gordo."
"Night Lizzie," Gordo said softly.
Lizzie stayed on the line for a few moments afterward, pressing the phone to her ear. Then she hung up and sat for a moment to gather herself before heading downstairs.
She was filled with a nervous energy, one that left her subconsciously smiling every so often- something she only noticed when her mother smiled proudly back at her.
Lizzie woke up early, having had a rather disrupted night's sleep. She ate a quick breakfast in the still silent house and then had a shower and attempted to get dressed.
First she tried a summer dress, but when she looked in the mirror she knew, "Too much, way too much."
Then she tried a pair of jeans and a tank top, "Okay, and this is too casual."
She was downstairs sifting through the washing basket when her mom walked into the room in her robe and bed hair. "Morning honey."
Lizzie grunted, going through the clothes again and huffing in frustration when she couldn't find anything.
"Watcha lookin for? And why are you up so early- you're on vacation."
"Uhm, I'm…meeting Gordo," Lizzie mumbled, turning quickly away.
"Oh-Oh!You're meeting Gordo.I see. What time?"
Lizzie sighed and plonked her butt down in the middle of the scattered clothes, "Ten."
Her mother clapped her hands together, "Well, it's a quarter to eight, we have plenty of time to get you into the perfect outfit."
Lizzie stared up at her mother, who walked over and offered her hand. Lizzie accepted it and followed her up the stairs, smiling, "Thanks Mom."
"So…" her mother started, a small grin on her face, "You're meeting Gordo."
Lizzie blushed and glared at her mother, saying tightly, "Yes."
"Well…?"
"None of your business," Lizzie lifted a blouse as if looking at it, to hide her red face.
"Oh, come on! Just give me a hint! Am I gonna be getting a new son in law?"
"Mom!! Don't even joke about that!!" Lizzie shrieked. She dropped the blouse to cover her face and groan in despair.
"Oh, come on, I was just joking. How about this skirt- this is pretty."
Lizzie brushed the blouse off and looked at the garment her mother was holding, she bit her lip, tilting her head and slowly smiled. "Perfect," she grabbed it, holding it up to herself in the mirror. "And I know just the blouse and sandals that go with it."
She knew it was him immediately, even without the giveaway mess of dark curls on his head. She knew he was near because her anxiety kicked up five gears, she changed her mind about everything that she'd decided, and she had the insistent urge to run.
But she forced her legs to keep moving along the path.
"Hi Gordo."