"Liz, honey, I know it's hard.It's hard on all of us. I know Erin meant a lot to you," said her mother as she moved next to her weeping daughter and comforted her. "She was my best friend in the whole world," wept Liz.
"I know baby. Everything will be ok."
"NO! Nothing will be the same! Don't you see half of me is gone?! Half of me is dead! Erin was my best friend in the whole world. And you don't know what it is like to lose your best friend." Liz yelled with pain flooding her voice. Just then the phone rang. Liz's mother got up to answer it. Liz looked up. Gazing out her window she felt Erin's presence. "Erin?"
She quickly arose and ran downstairs and out the door. She went on the front lawn to find nothing. She started to cry more. She whispered through her tears,"Erin, I love you." She thought she heard "I love you too, Liz, " blowing through the wind.
Liz's mother came running outside and wrapped her arms around her daughter. "Liz what are you doing?"
"I heard her. I saw her."
"Who?"
"Erin. She said she loved me."
"Liz, hon, you're scaring me. C'mon lets go inside."
"No. I wanna stay out here for a while. Maybe take a walk."
Liz's mother gave her a concerned expression. "Are you sure you're going to be alright?"
"Yes." With that, Liz started to walk down the street. She started to cry once again. She wasn't watching where she was going and ran into someone. She looked up and roughly apologized.
The person looked down at her and said,"It's ok. But are you ok?"
"Yeah. Im okay."
"Well, hi. My name is Taylor. Taylor Hanson." He held out his hand.
Liz took his hand with hers and they shook hands."Hi.. my name is Liz. I'm sorry I ran into you."
"It's nothing.. don't worry. Would you like to come over to my house? You can meet all my brothers and sisters."
"Yeah, sure. No, wait, aren't you Taylor Hanson?" she questioned.
"Shhhh. Not so loud. I don't want anyone to know. I'm trying to keep it on the down low." Taylor laughed at his own joke.
Liz gave a little smile. "Oh sorry."
"Nah. It's ok. I'm just glad your not one of those fans who scream when they realize who I am." They reached his house and went inside. "Hey Ike and Zac, come here!"
"And where would here be?" asked the voice.
"In the living room, dork." said Taylor.
"Oh. Well watch out cause here comes ZAC THE GREAT OWE MIGHTY!!!!!" yelled the voice.
"And ISAAC THE AWESOMEST PERSON IN THE WOLRD!!!" yelled Ike. Two boys jumped out from behind the couch. "Whoa! Who's the hot babe you brought home for us to feast on?" asked Zac.
Liz laughed. "Hi. I'm Liz."
Zac, in a hillbilly accent said, "Well Hi there Liz. I'm Zachary Walker Hanson and I'm very pleased to meet ya."
"And I'm Clarke Issac Hanson. The one and only.And pleased to meet ya too." Ike said in a hick voice.
Liz laughed a little bit more then frowned. Tay said, "Um.. would you like to have a seat?"
"Yeah.. sure."
They all walked over to the couch and Ike turned on the T.V. A newsanchor inturrupted the black silence with an "October 29th, 1998, is the day Erin Doutch died.The cause of her death has been identified as a suicide. Found hanging in her closet by a cloth rope . . ."
Liz burst into tears. Tay looked over and asked,"Liz are you ok?"
"Erin was my best friend," Liz sputtered through her tears.
Taylor put his arms around Liz and comforted her. "Aww Liz we're soo sorry for your loss. Would ice cream help you in anyway? I mean.. it always helps Zac when he's depressed." Ike did his best to comfort Liz.
Zac said,"Hey! Shut up! No one is suppose to know my secret to bein hyper all the time!" He laughed at his own dumb joke. "Sorry.. I just couldn't help myself."
Ike said,"Shut up Zac! That was not funny at all."
"Hey I resent that one Ike. You had no right in saying that. Now you must PAY!!! WAAAAAR!!!!" Zac shouted as he threw a pillow at Ike.
Tay shouted,"GUYSSSS!!! Do you mind?!? Liz is over here crying and all you can do it joke around?"
"Well sorry Tay. We were just trying to cheer her up." said Zac.
"Well do you think you could do it in a less violent way?" responded Tay.
"I guess we could TRY." said Zac. Zac and Ike both calmed down. "So Ikeypoo do you want some tea?" Zac asked in a woman's voice.
"Why yes. I would love some of your tea." said Ike in a woman's voice. Liz gave out a little laugh and said, "You guys, I am so sorry I broke down and started to cry."
"Hey it's no problem. You should see the fans at our concert." said Ike concietedly.
"But I should be going. It was really nice to meet you all."
"Yeah it was nice to meet you too." both Ike and Zac said in unison.
"Hey listen guys.. I'm gonna walk Liz home." said Tay.
"Alright. I'll tell mom where you went." said Ike.
"Ok thanks," said Tay. With that they were both gone. They finally reached their destiny.
"Hey thanks for walking me home."
"Yeah anytime. Are you going to be home tomorrow?"
"Yeah since of.... of... Erin."
"Well.. um.. if you don't mind.. would you care to go to my aunt and uncle's house with me Ike and Zac tomorrow?"
Liz sighed. "Sure, why not. It'd help me to get you-know-who off my mind."
"Great. So we'll pick you up around noon?" asked Tay.
"Yeah.. ok.. that's cool." said Liz. Tay gave Liz a small hug then left. Liz entered her house.