It's been two years since Steve and Soda had last heard from Lizzy. They both were getting worried that something bad had happened. Steve wasn't sure if she was dead or alive, he remembered her mom telling him that Lizzy was perfectly fine and living on her uncle's farm. He was happy that he had that much at least, but she wouldn't give him the phone number so he could talk to Lizzy for himself to give him peace of mind. He slammed the phone down after talking to Lizzy's mom for the tenth time that week and still not getting anyway.
"Damn it, she still won't give me the number to where Lizzy's at," Steve grumbled, as he sat down on the couch. His body shaking in anger, not knowing if Lizzy was okay or what was going on feeling unnerved and on edge. "I need to go to her, see if she's okay. See her with my own eyes."
"No, you can't, you need to work and keep the payments up to date," Soda told him being the rational one out of the two. Steve sighed in defeat, he knew Soda was right. He couldn't leave to go find Lizzy; he had car insurance he had to keep paid and up to date and other bills since his old man was not helping at all with them.
"I know, I'm just worried about her," Steve told his best friend, as he made his way into the kitchen to get a couple of pops. He took one out to Soda, which he took it with a nod in thanks.
"We're all worried that something happened, but you gotta think positive, Steve, just think that she's at the farm enjoying the sunshine and riding horses or picking wild flowers," Soda replied. Steve chuckled but nodded, knowing that Lizzy loved to pick wild flowers whenever she saw them on the side of the road.
"Well, we should head to work, Sodapop, before Buck calls or comes and drags us to work," Steve told his best friend who chuckled again in reply.
Soda got up with Steve behind them and they went to work to try to get their minds off Lizzy. But, they both knew that wouldn't happen anytime soon.
Lizzy was sitting in her and her daughter's room, getting her daughter, Veronica, ready for her bath. Veronica was throwing a huge fit about taking a bath, she hated to take a bath, unless she was allowed to play first or play with her toy ducks while mommy washed her up.
"Veronica, please, you need a bath, you're all muddy and dirty from playing with the pigs today," Lizzy breathlessly told her daughter. Veronica finally allowed her mom to undress her and take her to the tub, which was in the bathroom next to their room.
Steve and Soda were sitting at Buck's waiting for a car to come, or even customers to show up to give them something to do; when Buck came in and got them each a pop.
"So...Any news on Liz?" Buck asked concerned.
"Just that she's living with her uncle on a farm," was all Steve told him. Buck nodded and went back to the kitchen area to do up the few dishes.
Soda and Steve finally ended their day; and even made it better when they had hardly anyone there at the bar, which was a good thing, Steve thought, since he really wasn't up for working.
Later that night Steve, Evie, Soda and Sandy all went to the movies to hang out. Soda thought it would help Steve relax more, but Soda saw how uncomfortable Steve was with Evie, He seemed detached from the world, he was in his own world; obviously thinking about Lizzy. He sighed, knowing that he would soon make up an excuse and leave. He didn't know what else to do for his friend, the only way he would ever be ok would be if Lizzy came back home.
A couple days later Steve was at Soda's house passed out on the couch. Soda and Darry come out of their rooms and saw Steve passed out with a beer in his hand. Darry took the bottle from Steve's hand, and taking it to the kitchen dumping the remainder into the sink.
"He's wasted and upset, not a good combination," Soda softly told his older brother. He was upset that his friend would turn to drinking over a girl. Darry nodded in reply, upset that one of the guys were this badly bent out of shape when the girl's been gone for a couple years now.
Lizzy, Veronica and Scott were all hanging out at the pond on her uncle's farm. Veronica was tossing stale bread into the pond to feed the fish. She'd giggle every time a fish would eat one of the bread crumbs. There were a few ducks on the pond eating the bread crumbs that went their way also.
"Ducks!" Veronica called cheerfully to her mom.
"Cool baby girl, just be careful and stay away from the edge okay," Lizzy called to her daughter. Veronica stepped back a few steps away from the edge and smiled at her mommy.
"She's adorable, does her dad know about her?" Scott asked his good friend, Lizzy.
"No, I never got the chance to call, not just because Uncle Mike won't let me, but every time I tried to call I would get scared that he would have moved on or even he had forgotten about me," Lizzy told him in reply.
"Oh, that sucks," Scott told her, watching Veronica run around chasing the butterflies now.
"Big time," Lizzy replied, as she stretched out onto her stomach allowing the nice warm sun to start tanning her back a little since she had on a bathing suit top on with her shorts. She glanced over and saw Scott take his shirt off and lay down next to her.
"So...what all do you wanna do today?" Scott asked, glancing over at her. She shrugged in reply. "We could just lay here in the sun and enjoy the day?"
"Sounds better than going back into the house right now," Lizzy replied. Veronica came over with a hand full of flowers.
"For you," Veronica told Lizzy with a smile. Lizzy took the flowers with a smile.
"Awe, thank you baby girl, they are pretty," Lizzy told her daughter, as they hugged.
"Welcome mommy," Veronica told her in reply then ran around giggling, as the butterflies and the bugs flew or jumped up around her.
Steve, Soda, Pony and Darry were all sitting around the house, watching TV and playing poker.
"Man, tonight's not a great night," Steve spoke up hearing the thunder roll from outside.
"Yeah, this weather isn't good, we should get candles around just in case the power goes out," Darry told them. They all nodded, got up and started searching for candles and hurricane lamps just in case the power goes out.
A few minutes later Two-Bit and his kid sister Melody came in, and as the door shut, the power went out.
"Good one Two-Bit, close the door and shut the power off," Melody joked with her older brother, receiving laughter from all the guys in the room. Darry, Soda and Pony lit all the candles and hurricane lamps so there's light. They all, even Melody, sat there and played some cards, as they waited for the power to come on, or sleep to overcome them.