Almost Easy

Liz’s POV

Jeff and I had drank a few more drinks than we should have and were giddier than I had remembered being in a while, without being completely trashed. We climbed in to my car after the restaurant and began driving away, Jeff had been letting me ignore his earlier proposition the entire time we ate. But I assumed now was the time to strike. He knew I was weakened by Jack and Coke.

“So,” He smirked at me, gesturing to the radio, “Shall we listen to some rock and prepare you for this weekend?”

“Come on.” I groaned, “Listen... I don’t want to ok?” I watched the annoyance in his eyes, “You Heely boys really show those emotions on your faces huh?”

“Obvious?” He asked as I slowed down at a crosswalk for a group, “I mean I just think you’d-… HOLY SHIT LIZ!”

“What?!” I asked, looking around as my vision caught up with my head, “I stopped, I didn’t hit any-… of them.”

“That’s fucking-”

“I know!” I screamed and watched from behind my tinted windshield as-

“That’s Avenged Sevenfold!” Jeff’s eyes widened as the boys crossed in front of us, instantly my stomach leapt in to my mouth at the sighed of Jimmy waving at us, a thank you for actually stopping unlike the cars beside us, “Pull over! Liz pull over!”

“No!” I shouted and locked the car doors so Jeff couldn’t rampage them, as soon as they passed I sped off “No way! That’s so weird!”

“Liz!?” He shouted and stared at me, “We just came THIS close to meeting celebrities!” He held his fingers pinched together, “Are you dense!”

“Would you want to be bothered while you’re walking?!” I asked, my hands now shaking on the wheel of the car, the image of the five of them burning in my eyelids, “No way.”

“Pull over I’m going back! Come on!” He shook my arm, “Liz? Liz what the hell is wrong?”

“What?” I asked, Jeff put his finger up to my cheek and retracted it soaking wet, “Oh-”

“Why are you crying?”

“It’s fine.” I wiped my cheeks furiously, watching the wetness lightly coat the fabric of my sweater sleeve, “I think I drank too much I should go home and take a nap.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Jeff mused, still staring at me, “Is everything ok? Listen, I’m sorry for pushing about the concert... But it would have been cool to meet them-”

“They’re not all they’re cracked up to be.” I mumbled before realizing the words were audible, “Fuck.”

“You sound pretty sure of yourself there Liz.” Jeff crossed his arms and looked at me, “What’s going on? I know Danny said you aren’t cool with your past and family but-”

“I see the lightbulb from here.” I mumbled as Jeff stopped mid thought, “Did you put it together?”

“Baker?” He asked, I raised my finger in a bell-ringing fashion, “Fucking shit.”

“So there goes me living in secrecy.” I huffed heavily, “I couldn’t have imagined it would last forever unless I married in to a family who lived under a rock.” I rested my head in my hand as I continued driving, willing the buzz to go away in my head, “Can you not freak out-”

“You’re fucking related to Zacky Vengeance? Liz, come on, I love their music this is-”

“Nothing, this is nothing ok?” I swiveled in my seat and pointed at him while keeping my eyes on the road, “Yeah, he’s my older brother ok? I left California for a reason.”

Jeff was silent the rest of the car ride, but I could smell the smoke coming off his brain as we pulled in to his driveway, where Danny’s car was waiting. I sighed and cut my engine, turning to Jeff as he opened his mouth then shut it again, reading my face.

“Just ask.” I huffed, “Before Danny comes out.”

“Is it Matt?” He asked, I nodded silently, “I can see it.”

“Colton can’t know. He’s too young. All he knows is Danny.”

“Can we take him?” Jeff asked.

“No.” I shook my head, “No because they know I’m here.” I watched him squint at me slightly, “I uhm, I got a social media and last week I noticed in my suggested friends section... Well, one of my old friends. Someone who’s friends with my brother.”

“Oh.” Jeff nodded, “But isn’t all your stuff super private?”

I slapped my hand to my forehead before nodding, “But Danny’s isn’t.”

“Oh.”

I threw open my car door after cutting the engine and followed Jeff, who was rushing just as much as I was, up to the front door. He opened it and I pushed in, “Danny?” I asked loudly, hearing him answer me from the living room, “Babe-?”

“I figured catching you here first would be easier,” He held his phone out to me, “I know it’s probably the last thing you want to see but I didn’t know what to say.”

I took hold of his phone and instantly felt dizzy. There was a good chance it was the buzz still sitting in the back of my head or the words opened on his Facebook messenger. I was betting money on the latter.



“Hi, you might know who I am or you might not. But my name’s Zack Baker and I’m Elizabeth’s brother. I don’t know how much she’s told you, but I’d really like to be able to talk to you and hopefully her. Please reach back to me, she’s evaded all of our tries of contact for five years, she disappeared off the face of our Earth and my heart is broken. Please beg her on my behalf, or show her this, and please let her know how much she means to me.”

I breathed heavily and held my chest, it was from less than five minutes ago.

“Do you think they saw you?” Jeff was reading over my shoulder and at this point I didn’t care. I shook my head silently, staring at the small icon in the corner that was bound to telling Zack that Danny had in fact read his message.

I handed the phone back and paced, hands held over my face, looking up at the ceiling and breathing through tight lips. This wasn’t happening, no. “I have meticulously kept my life hidden from them, all of them, for five whole years. Now suddenly, suddenly all at once it’s crumbling. It’s happening,” I could feel my chest tightening as the thoughts cascaded around me, “The drama, the bullshit, it’s coming. I... I know it-”

“Liz you need to calm down,” Danny reached for my arm, “You’re going to give yourself an anxiety attack.”

“I can’t, I just... Colton doesn’t need that. He has a stable family. He has stability and they can not offer stability in the slightest. Children need stability not constant separation and distance!” I braced the counter in front of me, “They... they have no right.”

“He has every right, Elizabeth.” Danny stood in front of me, staring me dead in the eye now, “I don’t know him from shit, I don’t know who he is as a person but I do know one thing about him and I know it pretty personally: He’s Colton’s dad. I’ve been around Colton for five years and he’s an incredible kid, and you’re being selfish keeping that from his father. I love you Liz, I love you with my entire being and heart and soul but... I think you’re really being dramatic and selfish.”

I blinked a few extra times and settled my rear against the opposite counter, crossing my arms over my chest, “Alright. Dramatic?” I smirked a little and Jeff audibly gulped, I could feel a spark in my veins as pointed to Danny’s phone, “Tell him we’ll see them tomorrow night. Jeff?” I turned, “We’re all going. And don’t worry about my ticket, I’ll get myself in.”