Note: The song lyrics in this chapter are from "Something to Sleep To" by Michelle Branch. Updated note: Oops, wait, no they're not. Because the man always gets you down.

Parker sat alone in a booth at High Street, drinking coffee and picking at a banana muffin. She sighed heavily, staring dreamily through the glass windows. Miranda approached the booth, refilling Parker's cup.

"I get off in about ten minutes," she said. "And then we'll go somewhere. I thought we'd take a look at that new club downtown."

"Sounds great," Parker replied half-heartedly. Miranda tried to give a comforting smile as she walked away.

School started in two days. Parker was ready for it; she needed a distraction. She had already agreed to start seeing Miranda, hoping that would distract her from everything, but even that wasn't enough. She couldn't stop thinking about Gordo. She kept wishing things weren't so complicated. Why couldn't she and Gordo just be together, the way they had been before, without all the fluff and heavy emotions?

She wanted to be with Gordo, but she didn't want to be in love. If things got serious like that, she wouldn't be in control any more. Things could go wrong. People could get hurt. Parker liked it better when you just love whoever you wanted whenever you wanted, without chaining yourself to one single person or ideal. No one got hurt that way.

But that's a lie, she thought to herself. People did get hurt. Gordo got hurt. Lizzie got hurt. I got hurt. Even Miranda got hurt. I wish things could just be the way they were before!

Parker sipped her coffee and thought about the incident from the day before. She had been walking in the mall looking for new school clothes when she saw Gordo and Lizzie together. Arms wrapped around each other, walking with their heads in the clouds, looking at shoes together. It was the Kodak-moment thing Gordo and Parker would always make fun of when they were together.

Of course, Lizzie was completely wrapped up in it. She tugged on Gordo's arm lovingly and jumped up and down with excitement as she pointed out the "it" pair of shoes. Could Gordo even care less? Parker had wondered to herself as she watched them enviously. Or maybe Gordo did like things like that. Maybe Gordo really was better off with someone who was normal like Lizzie than with someone who lived in her own little world, like Parker. Parker chuckled bitterly at how easily Lizzie had forgiven Gordo. Lizzie just wanted to get on with their happy perfect life, and push the memory of Parker the weirdo hippie-whore out of their minds.

'Listen to me when I tell you that YOU DON'T LOVE ME.' That was what she told him. It gave her a pain in her stomach to think about it. She wasn't in love, right? It should be easy to just get over it and move on.

But it wasn't. She did want to be with Gordo, she did want the fluffy-cake dream. She wanted to be foolish and romantic and believe in something as moronic as love. That was why it hurt so much. 'Parker the Heartless has actually fallen for someone.' She smiled sadly at Miranda's words. She realized how much easier it was when she didn't have to worry about things like emotions and love and choices.

"All right," said Miranda, taking off her apron as she approached Parker's table. "Let's blow this popsicle stand."

Parker smiled half-heartedly and left the diner. She watched through the windows as Miranda drove them, but she wasn't paying attention to where they were going. She was still lost in thoughts, trying without avail to convince herself that she didn't care about things like love. She tried to convince herself that she would be just fine. After all, who better to serve up the fairy tale than Lizzie McGuire? Gordo and Lizzie; those were the kinds of people meant for that stuff. Not Parker. No, she told herself miserably, not Parker.

Miranda pulled in someplace and suddenly they were parked. Parker looked around for a moment, after coming out of her daze, and realized that they were downtown at all. They were down at the park, right next to the gazebo.

"What the...?" said Parker, getting out of the car. She froze for a moment when she saw Gordo standing in the gazebo. She looked to Miranda with curiosity.

"I asked him to come," said Miranda simply. "Come on." Parker followed Miranda into the gazebo, confused and awed. Gordo looked at the two of them, equally confused.

"I just wanted to apologize to both of you guys," said Miranda. She laughed softly. "And you know how much I hate apologizing, so you've got to know that I really mean it. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I guess it wasn't really my place to interfere. I don't know what the right thing to do is, but I think I at least owe you guys a chance to figure it out on your own." She looked back and forth between the two of them. They didn't say anything. Miranda sighed and walked out of the gazebo.

Parker and Gordo just looked at one another, unsure.

"I'm sorry," said Gordo.

"For what?" said Parker.

Gordo shrugged. "I don't really know. It just seems like the thing to say. Something must have gone wrong somewhere... I just feel like I should apologize for whatever that was."

Parker sighed. "This is just way too confusing for me," she said plainly. "I'm really not used to all this freaking effort for something as simple as dating. I'll tell you one thing, though. This isn't anybody's fault. No one should have to say they're sorry. Stuff just happens... at least, that's how I've always thought of things."

"So... what now?"

Parker looked at the ground, then up at Gordo. She walked towards him, and took his hand in hers. "Do you still want to try? I mean, for real this time."

Gordo intertwined his fingers with Parker's. He took in a deep breath, thinking for a moment. Then he looked up at Parker, and smiled. "I think we'd be stupid not to. I mean, it never hurts to try."

Parker smiled and nodded. "Yeah."