Almost Easy

Zack's POV

It was like watching the climactic scene of a movie unfolding before your eyes, knowing the explosion was coming when the car crashes or the cigarette ash falls in to a puddle of gas, was how I felt watching everyone arrive to Brian's house so we could carpool to the club. The car rides over were even more agonizing.

Matt hadn't been home when Brian and I went to try to talk to him, apparently he was out talking to some contacts to get us a last minute table tonight. Which he successfully did. Jacky hadn't surfaced since this morning's... blowout, and it was almost nice not having to worry about her drama and only focus on the drama lurking beneath the surface currently between Matt and Liz.

How old can that saying get? The Matt and Liz tornado was about to hit a category five or however that system worked.

Liz had already managed to leave Danny's side and migrate to Michelle and Lacey, and that's when it started. Matt's sweet talking to Danny. He was at his side, shoulder smacking and laughing away. I was disgusted with myself that I couldn't make Liz believe this was a bad idea. Brian had even told her and she waved him off, saying we all needed to get out and mingle on no ones home turf.

"Zack get your ass over here!" Matt called me towards him and Danny. I gave him a glare and made my way over, "You can tell Danny how wild Lizzy used to be-"

"I don't think that's my place to say." I eyed him, clearly they were both drunk, "Shouldn't we have talked about who was driving home before we all started getting trashed?" I asked, gesturing to the glass, nearing empty, in his hands.

"Oh, yeah no it's fine. I'm going to call a car for the three of us." He gestured to himself and Danny, then off to where Liz was with the girls.

"The three of you?" I asked, "Is that smart?"

"Of course it is." Danny nodded, "He's just as welcome to stay at the beach house as we are."

"Oh." I nodded and moved away from them towards Brian, "This is going to explode, so hard, in all our faces."

"And to think you're going to fuck up your marriage because of it." Johnny sipped his drink and looked at me, "Jacky called Lacey flipping out. She thinks you're done."

"I am." I grabbed Brian's whiskey and downed it, "I'm done with the drama. Jacky and Liz have always had drama, ever since they first met and Jacky called Liz out on..."

"Yeah." Brian mumbled, "I remember that like it was yesterday."

"Feels like it was." Johnny signaled the waitress to bring more drinks.

"Tell my body that." I laughed and looked at the screen of my phone, glancing up and realizing Liz was missing, "Hello?"

"Hey, I think we got locked out the back door." She was giggling, "The door by the bathroom. We went out so Michelle could sneak a cigarette."

"I'm coming." I rolled my eyes and excused myself, walking to the door past the VIP bouncer and opened the door to the outside balcony, "Liz, it just sticks.." I pointed at the door.

"Oh, oops." She winked and pulled me out, shutting the door, "So. Tell me, what do you think of Danny?"

"I think he's dumb." I watched her face shift, "He's not smart, he's not catching on to the bullshit Matt's pulling and that's not what you need. You needed someone to sniff that bullshit out a mile away."

"Wow, Zack, really? Are you still stuck on the idea Matt's doing this with malicious intent?" Liz crossed her arms over the dress she borrowed from Michelle, "Maybe he's just trying to make some sort of relationship with him since he's going to be, and already is, a big part of Colt's life." She rolled her eyes, "Move on, Zack. Move on from always playing big brother and focus on saving your own family."

"You are my fucking family," I pointed directly at her face, "Don't you ever fucking forget that, Elizabeth. Your last name may be Heely but it will always go back to Baker."

"It's never going back." She hissed and looked around at the people staring at us now, not realizing before there were other people enjoying the weather on the balcony, "Jesus can we all just enjoy one night together? Please? Like old times?"

"Oh, you're about to get old times." I looked at Michelle, who was biting her lip behind Liz, a defeated look on her face, "Come on Lizzy, lets go do shots."

"Zack what are you doing?" Michelle asked, "I thought you-"

"She wants old times. I recall a time when Liz used to dance in parking lots drinking whiskey." I winked and yanked her hand back to the building, "We need a round of Jack!"

"Coming up." The shot girl smiled and disappeared towards the bar.

"Keep them coming!" I shouted after her and grabbed a drink from the table, handing it to Liz and taking one for myself, "To the old days."

"The old days?" Matt and Danny appeared at the table beside us, Matt giving me a confused look.

"The old days." I nodded and tossed the drink back, watching Liz do the same, "Baker for fucking life."

"Bitch." She smirked at me and began clapping as the shot girl returned, everyone grabbed shots and raised them, "What are we toasting? We have to toast."

"Let's toast to Liz moving back to California!" Michelle shouted.

"Wait, hold on, what?" Danny stared at Liz, "Doing what?"

"No," Liz shook her head and looked between Danny and Michelle, "She's joking, that's not happening. Jesus let's toast something real like... The good old days."

We all clinked our shot glasses together and I watched as Liz and Matt made eye contact, tipping their glasses back and downing the liquid. Before we could set them down another tray arrived, "Fucking yea!" Brian shouted and grabbed one, "Here's to having the dynamic Baker duo back to bring the party!"

"Here's to dancing in the parking lot!" Liz laughed, "And the memories of cramming in to that shitty van on Warped Tour!"

"Oh that van." I laughed as we took the shots, another round showed up.

By roud four Liz was on top of the VIP table, holding the entire bottle of Jack in her hands. I smiled and looked at Michelle. She had been skipping out on shots since becoming a mother had depleted her alcohol tolerance back to zero. She walked over and threw her arm over my shoulder, "She needs this."

"I know." I smiled, "She doesn't even know how badly."

"I think we should take this party to the beach house since Colton is at our place for the night with Brian's parents." Michelle elbowed my ribs, "It'll be easier for us all to pass out. There's plenty of booze in the basement."

"I don't know, you guys were all so ready for a club night." I rolled my eyes.

"Who wants to take our old asses back to the beach house and get trashed?!" Michelle shouted and Liz screamed.

"Beach drunk!" She toppled off the table in to Danny's arms, "Thanks baby." She smiled and kissed him, "Let's go back, we can just drink until we pass out. I haven't drank myself in to a coma in so long."

"Let's go!" Matt held his hands up and left to go settle up with the club manager who he was conveniently friends with.

We all made our way out to the cars, Michelle and Lacey were sober enough to still drive so we took our own cars back to the beach house.

"Ok, I'm going to go get the booze." Liz leapt from the car as we pulled in to the driveway, "Basement?" She asked as we all followed her eager gait up to the door.

"Yeah, I'll come help." Matt rushed to beat her to the door and opened it with his spare key. I eyed him as he walked in with Liz, Danny was in a drunk conversation with Johnny about sports, completely ignoring his wife, wasted, scampering in to the house with her ex-husband.

"Help me start a fire?" I asked Michelle and she followed me to the back yard, "You don't think he's being shady?" I asked, "Like... you think he's being a good guy?"

"Zack, I can't read someone's mind but..." She shrugged and handed me the stove lighter as I threw some wood on to the fire pit, "He seemed pretty legitimate about wanting to show her he's ready to be Colton's dad, and a good dad at that."

"I'm just really hoping that you're right." I shrugged and lit the fire, turning as the back door opened and Liz stumbled out with Matt behind her, trying to steady her, they were laughing incessantly.

"Where are the other losers? It's time to rage!" LIz held up a bottle of Jack, "Fuck me, I haven't had whiskey in so long before tonight." She cracked the seal and took a chug, sighing, "My old friend."

"Why haven't you drank it?" Matt asked, "You used to live for whiskey. Especially Jack."

"Because the smell of it reminded me of here." She shrugged, "Dumb reason, but it helped me completely block out missing it... which I did. Deep down." She mumbled until the back door opened and the rest of the crew rolled out.

"Here's the party!" Matt high fived Danny, "She's drinking whiskey, it'll get fun from here."

"Well I'm not sure I'll get to see it," Danny yawned, "I don't drink often, this might be an early night for me."

"Are you shitting me?!" Brian laughed, "Oh come on, have a few more and get your party on!"

"I'll try." Danny laughed as Liz passed him the bottle of Jack, he took a drink and shivered, "Ugh, I don't know how you all do that."

"Easily." Liz took another drink, "Develop an underage drinking problem by nineteen."

We all watched as she put the bottle to her lips and raised it, letting the liquid flow until the bottle was nearing halfway gone. She put it down and inhaled heavily, "Welcome back." Matt smirked at her and patter her shoulder.