Who is Laney?

Laney is a girl in Liz's class. Liz has decided that Laney is a terrible person, but she does not realize she is basing that on her jealousy in the fifth grade. Then, Laney still had a mother who cared about her. Laney likes Michael, but they do not go to prom together partly because Liz puts herself in the way. Though Liz does not consider Laney to be her friend, they have a few moments together on prom night. During that conversation, Laney asks if Liz is struggling without her mother's presence for all the milestones. She is one of the few who realizes that Liz would still be coping with grief after all these years. Liz comes to realize that she had been unfair, and that Laney is actually a kind person.