"Lizzi."
Lizzi looks at me. "Converse?"
"You ready?"
"Yeah."
We walk over to Lizzi's garage. "I have two bikes." She lifts the door and the air stenches of cigarettes. Lizzi grabs the bike and pushes it over to me.
I grab the red one.
"Why would you not skate?"
Lizzi looks at me. "Dangerous."
Woman of few words.
Ooookay.

She gets on the black bike. "Let's go." She says.
"Doesn't your mom need to know where you're going."
I swear I see her wince. "Nope."
"Cool, well I got ten bucks. Hopefully that will be enough for a new shirt or something."
Lizzi nods.

We get on the bikes and Lizzi leads the way because I'm guessing she bikes too.

"So, let's ask questions." I say.
"Okay, go."
I scoff, "Favorite color?"
"Black."
"Okay. Favorite animal?"
"Um, Opossums."
"Nice. Favorite memory?"
Lizzi doesn't anwser.
"Lizzi?"
"Sorry, I guess when my mom got out of the hospital."
"Okay."
"My mom had a stroke. She's not doing good."
"So why do you never go inside?"
Lizzi pushes the breaks so fast that I almost run into her. "What?"
"You're always outside."
"Yeah, I know."
"Why?"
Lizzi purses her lips and rolls her eyes.
"Because my step dad's there and he's not someone that you wanna be around."
"What about your mom?"
"She's in the hospital."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
"Lizzi. I_"
"Just drop it, Mel."
I shut up at that as we get to Goodwill.

We park our bikes then we walk inside. Lizzi won't look at me. She goes through the shirts while I look at the hats.

"I found one." Lizzi says to no one really.
I hand her the ten bucks and she goes and pays for it. She gives me the change and we go back outside.

"The silence is killing me." I say finally as she gets on her bike.
She looks at me. "Cool." She deadpans.
"Lizzi, I'm sorry that I brought up your life. I didn't mean too."
"Mel. All is well. Just don't do it again."
"Okay."
She gives me a half smile and then without warning she takes off her flannel shirt and slides on the shirt that she got.
It says: Alone.
It's a awesome shirt.
"That's cool."
"Thanks."
I nod then she takes off giving me no time to catch up.