Gimme One Reason.

The time had arrived. Jeremy was in the driver's seat of the van, the AC cranked up high, the radio blaring already.

Liz was teary eyed, embraced in a hug with her brother as he was also crying now. Everyone was, they couldn't hide it.

"It.. It's not like, bye see you in a few weeks..." Jimmy sniffled as he took Liz from Zack's arms, himself and Leana embracing her "You're actually moving away.."

"It's not that far." Liz laughed, trying to hide her own tears in Jimmy's chest "At least it's not New York or something like that far."

"It may as well be, it's not like just LA." Leana retorted as Liz laughed.

Hugs were passed around, until it came to Matt. Liz stared up at him, his eyes wet. Liz could see more than just separation in his eyes. But she pushed it aside and hugged him tight. His lips pressed against the top of her head.

"I'm going to miss you so much Lizard." He mumbled in to her vanilla shampoo scented hair, it was still slightly damp from her recent shower this morning.

"I'm going to miss you too Matty." She whispered in to his shirt, he held tight against her frame, not wanting to let go of her.

Their bond had become so much from the first time they met. That memory flashed through both their minds simultaneously, neither of them realizing the other was thinking.


Liz was around seven years old, Zack brought home a friend from school, they were ten. She was playing out back in the yard in her tree house. Zack and his new friend Matt ran out side, NERF guns in hand, trying to find her.

"My little sister is around here somewhere." Zack announced, Liz caught on to them and rolled her small green eyes.

She heard the ladder to the tree house creak, and Zack not so quietly hushing Matt as they ran up. She had avoided them at snack time inside, she didn't want to play with them. She was in the denial stage that her older brother was so weird.

"GOTCHA!" Zack's head was first through the opening, pinning her with a sticky NERF bullet as he popped up, Matt second.

Liz screeched and used the slide to get down, running for the door. But something hit the back of her head and she turned. Matt was staring wide eyed, his bullet had veered and hit her in the head. The one rule Mrs. Baker gave was no head shots because you could take an eye out. And especially with Liz.

"I'm sorry Liz, I didn't..." She advanced towards an apologizing Matt. Her hands grabbed the NERF gun from his hands. Tossing it in the pool.

"Whatcha gonna do now?" She crossed her arms over her chest and stared as Zack snickered. Matt looked at him for help but Zack raised his arms in defeat.

"I'm sorry Liz, I didn't mean to... It moved, I was trying to shoot your back.." He defended. Liz smirked and walked away, but not before pushing Matt backwards on to his ass.

"Don't mess with a Baker." She huffed and walked in to the house to go tell her mother what had happened.

"You're screwed now." Zack smirked as Mrs. Baker came out to reprimand both boys. Liz smirked at Zack as he stared in awe at her, she tattled him out too. Matt just laughed slightly at Zack getting yelled at as Liz smiled at him, holding up the NERF bullet in her hand. Mouthing to him.

"It's on." Her mouth formed in silence as Matt laughed to himself.

"Matt..." Liz pulled back and sighed, staring up at the man in front of her. How they'd been friends for ten years was crazy. "I have to go now. Before Zack breaks again." She laughed.

"Liz." He sighed "Stay... Please stay with us.."

"Matt that's not an option." She laughed.

"What if I gave you a good reason?" He asked, raising his shoulders in question as she shook her head "Please."

"There's no turning back, Matty." She smiled sadly, Matt could see past her eyes this time "It's going to be ok... You guys got this."

"I'm gonna miss you little Baker." He sighed and hugged her one last time before she turned to climb in the van.

She climbed up the step, and shut the door behind her. Staring out the window at the sunglasses clad men, waving as the girls wiped their eyes. Liz waved back, wiping her own eyes as Jeremy began driving.

"You ready for this!?" He shouted, turning the music down. He was almost as excited as Liz should have been.

"Yah... Lets do it." She smiled, turning in her seat and facing forwards. Soon the highway was in her vision and she kicked her seat back, smiling as her phone rang out, Matt's name splashing across her screen.

"I got your number, and you got mine... Call me any time..."

She smiled and texted him back "Ok, and you have to call me too.." She put her phone down and focused on the drive ahead. The were going to take turns. But the first leg was Jeremy's, which Liz was thankful for. She had slept like shit the night before.

She sighed and kicked the radio dial to a different station, letting it land on an old station. Her smile widening at the song coming on.

"I don't want no one to squeeze me, they might take away my life
I don't want no one to squeeze me, they might take away my life
I just want someone to hold me and rock me through the night
This youthful heart can love you and give you what you need
This youthful heart can love you and give you what you need
But I'm too old to go chasing you around
Wasting my precious energy"

Her eyes shut lightly as she hummed along with the music, knowing that eventually she things would be ok again. Things would work out. She would be comfortable. She wouldn't be scared or nervous. She had this.. She had this, she would do it alone.

"I got this.." She whispered to herself below the music, letting her heart ease down into the thought of her new life.

Her new life alone.