Almost Easy

Zack’s POV

“Ok did you pack enough underwear?” Liddy joked with me as I threw some of my bags in to the bus, we were loading up for the first leg of our winter tour. We decided a bus to start would be easier and then once the kids and wives started joining us we would disperse to planes.

“No, you know I use one pair and swap it inside out.” I smirked as she fake gagged, “I’m gonna miss you kiddo.”

“Miss you too Dad.” She smiled and hugged me as everyone else started showing up, I hadn’t spoken to Matt since the Liddy incident at Thanksgiving but I figured he’d need recoup time from Vegas.

“Hey!” I shouted and waved at him as he walked over, “What’s up man?” I asked as he gave LIddy a hug and hoisted her on to his back.

“Nothing much really, just got back from Oceanside. Spent a few weeks down there over the holiday.” He shrugged and I stared at Liddy, “What?”

“You told me you were in Vegas.” Liddy eyed him, “Liar!” She poked him.

“Obviously, I know you would narc to your parents.” He smirked, “Jason Berry was in Vegas, I wouldn’t go there over a holiday.”

“Oh.” I shrugged, “Great so you know she’s a narc now, how are we supposed to keep tabs on your dumb ass then?” I asked, crossing my arms as Jacky retrieved our spider monkey of a daughter.

“Well you lived without knowing right? That’s good enough.” He shrugged as Liddy retreated to greet the Haner clan that showed up.

“Yeah, I guess we did. How was Oceanside? Warm I’m assuming?”

“Zack,” Matt faced me straight on, “It was gorgeous. I literally laid in a chair and drank all day, every day, and didn’t once give a shit about being drunk the whole time. It was glorious. I didn’t leave the house, it was so peaceful. Reminded me why I used to go there so often.” He took a drink of the water in his hand and smiled, “Alone time is really what I need I think.”

“Really? Good. That’s good to hear because you’re not going to be getting much of it for the next three months.” I laughed under my breath as we walked over to the group forming around the bus to say goodbye.

.:.:.:.:.

“I don’t like the idea of having all of us in one bus for the whole thing.” Matt mumbled and glared over at Matt Berry, who was purposefully playing with a spare acoustic guitar and strumming it wildly out of tune, “Who the fuck didn’t specify we needed a separate bus for the assholes we call friends?” He laughed as Matt chucked a beer can at his namesake's head.

“Hey, listen I didn’t ask to be stuck on here with your whiny lame ass either alright? As soon as we hit Sacramento I’m going to rent a damn van and follow your ass.”

“Jason gonna tag with you or are we stuck with his awkwardly silent ass?” Jimmy threw a pillow towards the much more quiet of the two brothers, stirring him enough he grunted, “What’s up your ass?”

“Jesus, we’re leaving for tour and you’re all acting like you’re being brought to a slaughter house. What the fuck?” Brian asked, looking up from his phone, “Seriously, what happened when we all loved this shit?”

“I love it, I’m just not trying to start drama.” Jason mumbled, earning a side eye from his brother and a swift elbow to the rib.

“What was that?” I asked, “And what drama could you possible start? You’re a Berry and you’re being quiet, that’s the least drama possible.”

“Exactly.” He nodded and went back to the magazine in his hands, “I’m not even going there.”

“Suit yourself, so you’re getting out in Sacramento with Matty then,” Jimmy shrugged, “Prudes.”

“Am I the only one who’s curious what he has to say?” Brian asked, “What’s on your mind? You’ve been pretty low under the radar lately too. What secrets do you have little Berry?”

“Shut it.” Jason hissed back.

“Come on raspberry, lets go.” Jimmy leaned over and nudged Jason, “Out with it!”

“Stop Jim, seriously.” Jason argued back but Jimmy was persistent, we were all egging him on as he began poking and prodding at Jason whichever way he managed to turn or try to get away, “Jesus fuck fine! You wanna know? Do you all want the fucking semblance of peace we’ve found to come crashing down?!”

“Yes!” We all laughed in unison.

None of us mentally prepared for the words about to leave his mouth, none of us realizing how serious he was about the severity of drama about to unfold. None of us.

“I fucking saw her in Vegas.”

I looked at Brian with a raised eyebrow, “Who?”

“Who do you fucking think, Zack.” Jason glared at me and groaned, “Liz. I saw Liz in Vegas and it was fucking the weirdest thing ever.”

Matt projectile spit the water from his mouth and began choking, something I ignored as my jaw hit the floor, “Excuse me, you saw Liz and you thought it was cool to just hang on to this information for weeks?!”

“I didn’t know what the fuck to do! She ran out of the club so fucking fast-”

“What club?!” Brian asked and grabbed his phone as Jason gave him the name quickly, “Jesus... I bet we could have the security tapes pulled... They’re probably erased after forty-eight hours though.” He dropped his phone in defeat, “That happens.”

“Fuck.” I kicked the air and stood up, still ignoring a silently dying Matt in the corner, “Fuck! You didn’t think to call us?! While you were there?!”

“It was right after Thanksgiving! You guys were all busy with family and honestly it happened so fast, and I was so drunk and-”

“Who else was there? Did anyone else see her?” Matt asked suddenly, my eyes shut at the emotion in his voice, fuck.

This was the drama Jason was worried about.

“I was with some buddies from college, they were all up in VIP and I tried chasing her out of the room but she left with like three other girls-”

“She was with people? I... I can’t... You didn’t talk to her?” Matt asked.

“Matt,” Brian halted the conversation, “She ran out of the bar Jason said. She wasn’t sticking around to talk, he tried to stop her.”

“You should have fucking chased her!” Matt shouted, “Followed her to her fucking hotel!”

“And get arrested?!” Jason screamed, “No fucking way! I miss Liz just as much as you guys but I wasn’t going to chase a drunk girl from a club!”

“So.. How sure were you that it was Liz?” Jimmy asked quietly, holding his hands together and rubbing his thumbs at each other.

“Her hair was brown,” Jason squinted a little, “She was telling the bartender a name though and I’ve been trying to remember what it was because it wasn’t Baker.”

“What?” Matt asked, blinking a few times, “What do you mean not Baker?”

“I don’t know, I heard Baker but there was something else. It might have been the name of one of the girls she was with. They ran out first. I turned her and looked in her eyes though and it was Liz. I know it. She looked the exact same as always, I heard a girl on the dance floor screaming Liz Baker out loud or something and it caught my attention on my way back from the bar. I stopped and she looked like she saw a ghost and ran.”

“How many girls would have that reaction?” Johnny asked as Matt stood up, “Can you try to remember the name she said?”

“I’ve been trying dude, trust me.. It’s not happening, I was buzzed and honestly I’ve been struggling not telling anyone. I wanted to tell Zack but I wasn’t sure how. I didn’t want to say it like this though you assholes. It was Liz, what the fuck can we do now? I hate that I didn’t fucking get to talk to her..” He paused and looked down, “She looked mortified that I saw her.”

“She looked like she used to?” Matt asked, Jason nodded, “Chasing a five year old must keep her in shape.”

We all took a breath in as he retreated to the back of the bus. I sat and exhaled, “So next time someone has something they don’t want to talk about because of drama... let’s not torture it out of them.”

“Thanks,” Jason flipped Jimmy off, “Haven’t even hit our first town yet and we’re already driving Matt to drink. More.”

“It’ll be ok, just...” I looked at Brian as he nodded, “If you remember; tell me?”

“You’ll be the first don’t worry.” he shrugged and grabbed his phone out of his pocket, “Don’t you worry.”