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Liz sat in the kitchen with Belly as she made her drink. The volleyball tournament was today and Belly was competing. Liz wanted to be happy and hyped for her, but her mood had been down ever since the conversation with Conrad.

"You're still coming to the game right?"

Liz looks up from her phone and gives a quick smile, "Of course, I wouldn't miss it." She says before she looks back down at her phone.

"Jeremiah and I kissed last night." Belly says quickly.

Liz's eyes widen as her head snaps up, "What?"

"Yeah." Belly chuckled

"Oh my god. How was it? How did it even happen?"

"It was good." Belly smiles. The girls heard footsteps, "As for how it happened, I'll tell you later." She whispers. Liz nods with a smile. Belly chuckles as she continues making her drink.

"Hey, Belly." Conrad says

"Oh, hey." She says. Conrad looks over at Liz who hasn't looked up.

"What's that?" He asks as he points to Belly's drink.

"My secret weapon." She nods

"Hmm. Feeling good about the tournament?"

"Yeah, I'm ready." She smiles

"If you stay ready, you won't have to get ready." He says hesitantly. Liz cringes as Belly laughs.

"Mm."

"That was cheesy." She says

"Yeah. You try, you try coming up with a motivational phrase with no cheese."

"Hmm." Belly says as she looks up to the ceiling, "I'm thinking. I'm thinking."

As she looks back down, the doorbell rings, "Oh, that must be Taylor." She says, "Be right back." She walks out as Conrad turns to Liz.

"Liz?" He says quietly. The girl looks up with a stoic expression.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry."

"For being cheesy?" She mutters as she looks back down at her phone.

"For being a jerk the other day and pretending like I don't remember when I remember everything." He rambles, "I just keep replaying it over and over again in my head."

"I-I don't know what to say." She shrugged as she looked up at him.

"I know. It's too little, too late. I get it. Um..." He says as he looks away, "Can I take you to the ball?"

"What?" She squints

"I mean, I think it would fun to go. Us being older now." He says

"Liz, River is here." Belly yells

Liz stands up from her seat, "Uh, I'll-I'll think about it."

"Think about it." He says as she walks out.

Liz sighs in relief as she sees River at the door, "Thank god." She says as she hugs her.

"What the hell is going on?" She says as she hugs her back.

"Too much." She says as she grabs River's hand and pulls her through the kitchen.

"Hey, River." Conrad says

"Hey." She says before Liz pulls her up the stairs.

•••

"Are you fucking kidding me?" River says

"Nope." Liz says as she sits on her bed. She just explained to River what happened with Conrad.

"Ugh. Oh my god." River says as she rolls her eyes. She plops down on the bed as she rolls over on her stomach, "This is exactly why I was trying to bring you on double dates."

"But then he comes back today and says how he's sorry and wants to take me to the deb ball."

"What?" River laughs

"I know. It's so confusing." Liz sighs.

River sighs as she lays down on her back, "I really don't know Lizzie. I would've let go a long time ago."

"Yeah, but it's not that easy." She mutters as she stands up. River watches her walk over to her vanity.

"Liz, is he really worth you feeling like this all the time?" She says as she sits up on her elbows.

"Honestly?" She says as she sits at her chair, "I don't know, but Conrad has been one of the only constant things in my life. I don't know how to just let that go."

"You don't have to let it go per se, but you could move on from it. Try being happy on your own."

Liz looks over at River who gives her a smile. Liz frowns and squints,"You talked to Dakota."

River sits up completely as she scoffs, "And what gave you that impression?"

"You're too happy."

"I definitely don't need a man to make me happy. You know me better than that Lizzie." Liz laughs as River stands up, "Why are you laughing?"

"You definitely talked to him." She smiled teasingly

"What did I just-"

Liz cuts her off, "Dakota is the only one who ever calls me Lizzie."

River huffs as she looks at Liz who gives her a playful look back. She walks over to the door as Liz laughs, "Let's go before I kick your ass."

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"Good afternoon. I'm Susannah Fisher, chair of the club's community service board, and I am delighted to welcome you to Play It Forward!" She smiles as the crowd cheers. The teens finally made it to the volleyball tournament that Susannah was hosting. Liz stood by Belly and River as Susannah continued.

"You know, as my mother used to say, if you're lucky enough to be at the beach, you're lucky enough. And we are very fortunate indeed..." Liz looks over as Conrad stands next to her. She turns back, "which is why, in the spirit of fun and friendly competition, it is time to open our hearts and our wallets and give back to those who may not be as fortunate. We have teams raising money for homelessness, women's shelters, environmental causes and many more. And Play It Forward will match pledges for the winner of the tournament!"

Dakota cheers loudly as he stands next to Jeremiah, "Pledge tables still open, so please donate generously. And with that, I say let the games begin!" She yells as the crowd cheers with her.

"That trophy is going to be mine." Belly says

"Watch out for those two." Conrad says pointing to the two girls on their left, "Her spike is lethal."

River rolls her eyes dramatically as he walks away. The girls not far behind him as Liz laughs.

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The games started and Taylor and Belly looked to be winning. At least, from what Liz could see, but she sucked at volleyball, so who knows? 

Everything was going okay, until Taylor fell when she dived for the ball. Liz frowned as she watched Belly helped her up.

"You okay, Taylor?" Jeremiah says

Taylor keeps talking with Belly before she turns to Jeremiah, "Can you sub, please?"

"Yeah. Yeah, yeah." He says as he hurries out to her.

"She definitely didn't hurt herself." River whispers.

Liz turns to her, "Definitely not."

Dakota comes up on the other side of River, "What are y'all talking about?"

"Taylor faking her injury." River says

"Again?" Dakota says as he leans on the railing.

"Again? What do you mean again?" Liz says

"She did it for me once. Remember when I was complaining to Belly about how I wanted to compete?"

"That's how you got in?" Liz says with raised brows

"Yup." Dakota nods. Liz turns back as Taylor is walking off the court, "Wow."

•••

The games went on with Belly's team taking the lead. It was their second game when Jeremiah started to mess up. Liz could tell Belly was getting frustrated as she took this very seriously and Jeremiah wasn't.

It was only a matter of time before Belly called for a time out. They watched as Belly sighed deeply. She said something to Jeremiah before turning to them.

"Conrad, I need you to sub in. Now." She says as Jeremiah walks over. Conrad looked to Liz who looked away. He went out and caught the shirt from Jeremiah.

"Nice game, Jere-Bear!" Susannah says

The game starts again and Belly and Conrad were taking over. Winning games left and right. Dakota cheering very loudly much to River's dismay. Earning smacks to his head and arms as he laughed like a little kid.

The final game came up and it was Belly and Conrad versus Shayla and Steven. The game went on tying up every so often. It was the last few seconds of the last game with Shayla and Steven up by one point. Conrad served and the teens watched as it went back and forth before Belly finally scored.

The crowd cheered as did the teens and the mom's. Liz smiled as she clapped for them. Dakota cheered obnoxiously in River's ear again causing her to turn and reach to hit him again. He backed away laughing as she went after him.

"And the winners are Isabel Conklin and Conrad Fisher!" Susannah says.

Liz goes out to the court as Belly smiles at her, "You guys were so good."

"Thank you." Belly laughed hugging her. Susannah then walked over with the trophy.

"You guys were incredible. Oh, you make such a great team." She hugged them as she smiled. She looked at Liz before turning to Conrad, "Did you ask her yet?"

"Ask who?" Belly says

"Liz."

"Ask me what?" Liz frowns

"To be your date to the ball. I told him he had to ask you since you said you didn't want to go alone."

Liz's smile drops as she looks towards Conrad. He goes to step toward her as Laurel walks up, "Congratulations!" She smiles as she hugs Conrad. Liz walks away as the mom's congratulate Belly and Conrad.

He watches her leave as he hugs Susannah.

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