009 - VM: Sticks & Stones
Title: Sticks & Stones
Fandom: Veronica Mars
Characters: Veronica, Logan, mentions of Lilly.
Rating: PG-13 (language, harassment, porn mag )
Summary: Set pre-Pilot, after Lianne Mars leaves Keith and Veronica. Veronica lives with the choice she made to stick with her father after Lilly died.
"So, Ronnie. How's life at home? Everything swell?" Logan taunted Veronica in the halls one day between classes. He had cornered her by her locker and started yet another one of his insult fests. A few of his 09er friends watched from a distance, all waiting for the moment when she'd breakdown. "I heard your mom's not too happy with your dad losing his job, is that right?"
She turned towards her locker, rummaging through it for books she didn't need. She just needed to get away from him. She couldn't bare to see the hate in his eyes anymore and she couldn't bare hear what he was going to say. She stuffed her math book into her bag, and shut the locker door with a loud bang.
"Ooohhh, looks like someone's getting a little ticked off!" Dick yelled behind her and laughed his obnoxious laugh.
She tried to walk away from them, but Logan grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back. Her back hit the lockers with a thud, and pain shot up her spine. He leaned on the lockers next to her and bent his head to her level.
"Hey, there's no need to be rude, Ronnie. The boys and I just wanted to chat with an old friend - see how things are going since we don't talk as much as we used to," he explained in a serious tone, but the look in his eyes said something completely different. It said: I'm going to make your life miserable. I'm going to bring you down. I'm going to make you break.
She could feel the prick of tears forming in her eyes, but she refused to let them see her cry. Logan leaned in closer, "Now where was I? Oh yes! I was asking about your mom." Her head snapped up and her eyes locked with his.
"No, don't," she pleaded in a whisper, knowing what he was about to say. Her voice was barely audible, but she knew he heard her. His grin fell for a moment, but was soon replaced with a concerned look.
She held back tears as he continued to speak. "Is it true your mom ran out on you guys?" he asked in mock disbelief. "That must be so devastating..." he trailed off, and ran a finger down her jaw line. She closed her eyes as he let his hand drop a little to run through her long blonde hair. He twirled a strand around his finger and grinned down at her. "You know, you look just like her. It must suck to look in the mirror and just see her."
Veronica suddenly swatted his hand away and pushed past him towards the girls' bathroom. She had had enough - he had crossed the line. She could hear his laughter echoing through the halls as she locked the door behind her, and ran into the nearest stall. Sitting on the toilet lid, she dropped her head into her hands and broke down in sobs.
Everyday Logan's insults got worse and worse. Whenever she thought he couldn't be any more cruel, he surprised her. She couldn't believe they used to be friends only a short while ago. It just didn't seem possible. She wished his words didn't bother her so much. She knew she should stand up for herself and not let them beat her down, but she wasn't sure if she could. She wasn't sure if she was strong enough for this.
She thought of Lilly, like she always did when she was sad, and remembered how she used to tease her for being too soft. Lilly would have wanted her to be strong and not take any of this shit. She wished Lilly was still alive, so that this whole mess her life was in right now, would just disappear. So she wouldn't have to deal with the pain anymore. So she wouldn't have to face Logan's hate everyday. So she wouldn't have to do what she was about to do.
---
After school that day, she stood in front of the mirror after her shower and stared at the girl that looked back at her. Her wet hair hung loosely around her face and stuck to her bare shoulders. She wrapped the towel around her middle tighter and walked over to the cabinet. She rummaged through the drawers till she found what she was looking for.
Back in front of the mirror, she studied herself again. Making up her mind, she grabbed a handful of hair and raised the scissors up to her jaw line. With a quick snip, she let the hair fall into the sink. She grabbed another handful and cut it off the same length as before. She kept on cutting until it was all gone and a pile of blonde hair lay in the sink.
She stared at herself in the mirror again, and sucked in a breath. She couldn't back out now, the deed was done. Putting down the scissors, she ran her hands through her freshly cut locks. Her head felt lighter, like the hair in the sink was a weight she didn't know she was carrying. It would need to be professionally fixed up, but she had a feeling this would be one decision she wouldn't regret.
A small smile spread across her lips for the first time in months. She put on her clothes quickly, dumped the hair from the sink into the garbage and went to her room. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror when she passed her vanity and she grinned again. She grabbed the phone and dialed a few numbers.
"Hello, this is Veronica Mars. I'd like to make an appointment for a trim today if I can," she said into the receiver. After a short pause she lit up. "Oh you can? Yeah, 5:30 sounds great. I'll be there. Thanks so much."
Hanging up, she grabbed her purse, left a note for her dad on the fridge saying she'd be back by dinner time, and left the apartment. She sun still shone brightly down on her as she walked down to her hair dresser's. She knew she probably looked insane walking into the shop with her hair unevenly cut and half wet, half dry, but she didn't care. Something had changed in her. It wasn't just the hair, even though it looked great after it was reshaped and styled, it was something else altogether. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something inside of her was different.
---
As she stepped foot on Neptune High grounds, she felt a shift in the winds. Her dad had dropped her off, after a long lecture about telling him before she was going to do anything drastic again - like getting a tattoo or crazy piercings. She had decided to finally wear those black boots Lilly had given her for Christmas. They seemed to go well with her denim skirt that came to mid thigh and a plain black t-shirt. She walked down the halls and the crowds seemed to part for her. She got many looks of disgust but she really didn't care anymore. She liked her new look, and it didn't matter if everyone hated it. She did spot a few people that gave her a look of awe, and it gave her new hope.
Making her way down the hall, she passed Logan who had his back to her, talking to Caitlin Ford. She body checked him roughly, sending his books flying everywhere, and is coffee onto a screaming Caitlin.
"What the fuck?!" he yelled, turning towards her, an infuriated look on his face, ready to kick someone's ass but stopped dead. He had expected to see someone else, but all he saw was a smug girl staring innocently up at him. It took him a moment to realize it was Veronica, only with a new look.
She grinned up at him, and said in her best sarcastic voice, "Whoops! I guess I should be more careful next time." He still said nothing - just a dumbstruck look on his face. She continued down the hall to her locker, ignoring Caitlin's yelling. She got the books she needed and headed off to class.
The look on Logan's face, alone would get her through the day.
---
To her surprise, it took Logan four days to retaliate after her bump into him in the halls. She had expected him to rail on her with full force after that, but instead he only shot her death glares in the halls which she responded to with bright smiles. He seemed to be confused as to how to continue. Up till now, she had merely been a passive subject he could insult and torment at his will. He hadn't ever expected her to fight back - it was so unlike her.
She knew he had finally figured out a reasonable way to get her back when she saw Vice Principal Van Clemmons standing in front of her locker. He instructed her that the administration was implementing random locker searches and that she was not being singled out - she was simply one of the random people on his list.
Veronica rolled her eyes, but opened up her locker anyway, knowing she had nothing to hide. To her horror, a pile of porn magazines fell out onto the floor, scattering everywhere around her. Naked women in chains and men with penises the size of an elephant's trunk looked up at her from the covers of the magazines. Students in the hall gasped in shock when they saw the pictures while some snickered and others made disgusted faces at her.
Clemmons paled and cleared his throat, "Ms. Mars, would you like to explain these, er, adult magazines?"
The old Veronica would have turned bright red and burst into tears on the spot, but she caught herself and looked him in the eye. In a steady voice she said, "Those do not belong to me, but I'm sure Logan Echolls would be happy to answer that question for you."
He nodded in understanding and bent to pick up the magazines. He stuffed them awkwardly into his portfolio and looked at her sternly. "Whether Mr. Echolls had anything to do with this or not, I don't want to see anything like this again, do you understand?"
She smirked at him and nodded. "Sure thing, sir." She knew he didn't actually think they belonged to her, but he had to keep up appearances. After he walked away, she slammed her locker door shut and muttered under her breath, "Random locker search, my ass."
She could feel eyes on her, and when she turned around, Logan was leaning against the wall, a smirk on his face. "Wow, you never cease to amaze. Who would have thought that sweet, innocent Veronica Mars was obsessed with bondage and men with giant penises?!" he said it loud enough for the passers by to hear him. He leaned towards her and stage whispered, "You know, they have self-help groups for that kind of thing."
She rolled her eyes, totally annoyed with his immature behaviour and began walking back to class. She wasn't really in the mood to talk to him. She had more important things to do, like plan how to get him back for this slightly embarrassing little stunt he pulled.
"So what? You're too good for them, is that it? Just because your mom couldn't get proper help, doesn't mean you're a lost cause," he called after her mockingly. He just loved twisting the knife didn't he?
Veronica stopped in her tracks, and took a deep breath before turning back to him. She could feel the tears trying to escape but she swallowed them back down. "Fuck you, Logan," she said slowly so he could hear every word clearly. When he laughed to himself she just shook her head and said something she knew would get to him. "Lilly would be so disappointed in you if she knew what you've become."
He stopped laughing abruptly and she let the words sink in, then slowly started walking away. His face fell slightly, but he tried to maintain his composure. He didn't say anything back to her and just watched her walk away from him, her head held high and a new confidence in her step.
It wasn't till she reached english class that she realized she had really hit him hard. She knew it was a fairly low blow to pull the Lilly card, but after how he had treated her, she was more than eligible to use it. The stunned look on his face made her realize that he wasn't as tough as he made himself out to be. She opened up her text book and followed along with the reading, a small smile spreading across her lips. Twirling a piece of her now short hair around her finger, she contemplated things.
Maybe this whole 'standing-up-for-yourself' deal wasn't so bad. Maybe she could handle this year after all.
Maybe.
Fandom: Veronica Mars
Characters: Veronica, Logan, mentions of Lilly.
Rating: PG-13 (language, harassment, porn mag )
Summary: Set pre-Pilot, after Lianne Mars leaves Keith and Veronica. Veronica lives with the choice she made to stick with her father after Lilly died.
"So, Ronnie. How's life at home? Everything swell?" Logan taunted Veronica in the halls one day between classes. He had cornered her by her locker and started yet another one of his insult fests. A few of his 09er friends watched from a distance, all waiting for the moment when she'd breakdown. "I heard your mom's not too happy with your dad losing his job, is that right?"
She turned towards her locker, rummaging through it for books she didn't need. She just needed to get away from him. She couldn't bare to see the hate in his eyes anymore and she couldn't bare hear what he was going to say. She stuffed her math book into her bag, and shut the locker door with a loud bang.
"Ooohhh, looks like someone's getting a little ticked off!" Dick yelled behind her and laughed his obnoxious laugh.
She tried to walk away from them, but Logan grabbed her by the arm, pulling her back. Her back hit the lockers with a thud, and pain shot up her spine. He leaned on the lockers next to her and bent his head to her level.
"Hey, there's no need to be rude, Ronnie. The boys and I just wanted to chat with an old friend - see how things are going since we don't talk as much as we used to," he explained in a serious tone, but the look in his eyes said something completely different. It said: I'm going to make your life miserable. I'm going to bring you down. I'm going to make you break.
She could feel the prick of tears forming in her eyes, but she refused to let them see her cry. Logan leaned in closer, "Now where was I? Oh yes! I was asking about your mom." Her head snapped up and her eyes locked with his.
"No, don't," she pleaded in a whisper, knowing what he was about to say. Her voice was barely audible, but she knew he heard her. His grin fell for a moment, but was soon replaced with a concerned look.
She held back tears as he continued to speak. "Is it true your mom ran out on you guys?" he asked in mock disbelief. "That must be so devastating..." he trailed off, and ran a finger down her jaw line. She closed her eyes as he let his hand drop a little to run through her long blonde hair. He twirled a strand around his finger and grinned down at her. "You know, you look just like her. It must suck to look in the mirror and just see her."
Veronica suddenly swatted his hand away and pushed past him towards the girls' bathroom. She had had enough - he had crossed the line. She could hear his laughter echoing through the halls as she locked the door behind her, and ran into the nearest stall. Sitting on the toilet lid, she dropped her head into her hands and broke down in sobs.
Everyday Logan's insults got worse and worse. Whenever she thought he couldn't be any more cruel, he surprised her. She couldn't believe they used to be friends only a short while ago. It just didn't seem possible. She wished his words didn't bother her so much. She knew she should stand up for herself and not let them beat her down, but she wasn't sure if she could. She wasn't sure if she was strong enough for this.
She thought of Lilly, like she always did when she was sad, and remembered how she used to tease her for being too soft. Lilly would have wanted her to be strong and not take any of this shit. She wished Lilly was still alive, so that this whole mess her life was in right now, would just disappear. So she wouldn't have to deal with the pain anymore. So she wouldn't have to face Logan's hate everyday. So she wouldn't have to do what she was about to do.
---
After school that day, she stood in front of the mirror after her shower and stared at the girl that looked back at her. Her wet hair hung loosely around her face and stuck to her bare shoulders. She wrapped the towel around her middle tighter and walked over to the cabinet. She rummaged through the drawers till she found what she was looking for.
Back in front of the mirror, she studied herself again. Making up her mind, she grabbed a handful of hair and raised the scissors up to her jaw line. With a quick snip, she let the hair fall into the sink. She grabbed another handful and cut it off the same length as before. She kept on cutting until it was all gone and a pile of blonde hair lay in the sink.
She stared at herself in the mirror again, and sucked in a breath. She couldn't back out now, the deed was done. Putting down the scissors, she ran her hands through her freshly cut locks. Her head felt lighter, like the hair in the sink was a weight she didn't know she was carrying. It would need to be professionally fixed up, but she had a feeling this would be one decision she wouldn't regret.
A small smile spread across her lips for the first time in months. She put on her clothes quickly, dumped the hair from the sink into the garbage and went to her room. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror when she passed her vanity and she grinned again. She grabbed the phone and dialed a few numbers.
"Hello, this is Veronica Mars. I'd like to make an appointment for a trim today if I can," she said into the receiver. After a short pause she lit up. "Oh you can? Yeah, 5:30 sounds great. I'll be there. Thanks so much."
Hanging up, she grabbed her purse, left a note for her dad on the fridge saying she'd be back by dinner time, and left the apartment. She sun still shone brightly down on her as she walked down to her hair dresser's. She knew she probably looked insane walking into the shop with her hair unevenly cut and half wet, half dry, but she didn't care. Something had changed in her. It wasn't just the hair, even though it looked great after it was reshaped and styled, it was something else altogether. She couldn't put her finger on it, but something inside of her was different.
---
As she stepped foot on Neptune High grounds, she felt a shift in the winds. Her dad had dropped her off, after a long lecture about telling him before she was going to do anything drastic again - like getting a tattoo or crazy piercings. She had decided to finally wear those black boots Lilly had given her for Christmas. They seemed to go well with her denim skirt that came to mid thigh and a plain black t-shirt. She walked down the halls and the crowds seemed to part for her. She got many looks of disgust but she really didn't care anymore. She liked her new look, and it didn't matter if everyone hated it. She did spot a few people that gave her a look of awe, and it gave her new hope.
Making her way down the hall, she passed Logan who had his back to her, talking to Caitlin Ford. She body checked him roughly, sending his books flying everywhere, and is coffee onto a screaming Caitlin.
"What the fuck?!" he yelled, turning towards her, an infuriated look on his face, ready to kick someone's ass but stopped dead. He had expected to see someone else, but all he saw was a smug girl staring innocently up at him. It took him a moment to realize it was Veronica, only with a new look.
She grinned up at him, and said in her best sarcastic voice, "Whoops! I guess I should be more careful next time." He still said nothing - just a dumbstruck look on his face. She continued down the hall to her locker, ignoring Caitlin's yelling. She got the books she needed and headed off to class.
The look on Logan's face, alone would get her through the day.
---
To her surprise, it took Logan four days to retaliate after her bump into him in the halls. She had expected him to rail on her with full force after that, but instead he only shot her death glares in the halls which she responded to with bright smiles. He seemed to be confused as to how to continue. Up till now, she had merely been a passive subject he could insult and torment at his will. He hadn't ever expected her to fight back - it was so unlike her.
She knew he had finally figured out a reasonable way to get her back when she saw Vice Principal Van Clemmons standing in front of her locker. He instructed her that the administration was implementing random locker searches and that she was not being singled out - she was simply one of the random people on his list.
Veronica rolled her eyes, but opened up her locker anyway, knowing she had nothing to hide. To her horror, a pile of porn magazines fell out onto the floor, scattering everywhere around her. Naked women in chains and men with penises the size of an elephant's trunk looked up at her from the covers of the magazines. Students in the hall gasped in shock when they saw the pictures while some snickered and others made disgusted faces at her.
Clemmons paled and cleared his throat, "Ms. Mars, would you like to explain these, er, adult magazines?"
The old Veronica would have turned bright red and burst into tears on the spot, but she caught herself and looked him in the eye. In a steady voice she said, "Those do not belong to me, but I'm sure Logan Echolls would be happy to answer that question for you."
He nodded in understanding and bent to pick up the magazines. He stuffed them awkwardly into his portfolio and looked at her sternly. "Whether Mr. Echolls had anything to do with this or not, I don't want to see anything like this again, do you understand?"
She smirked at him and nodded. "Sure thing, sir." She knew he didn't actually think they belonged to her, but he had to keep up appearances. After he walked away, she slammed her locker door shut and muttered under her breath, "Random locker search, my ass."
She could feel eyes on her, and when she turned around, Logan was leaning against the wall, a smirk on his face. "Wow, you never cease to amaze. Who would have thought that sweet, innocent Veronica Mars was obsessed with bondage and men with giant penises?!" he said it loud enough for the passers by to hear him. He leaned towards her and stage whispered, "You know, they have self-help groups for that kind of thing."
She rolled her eyes, totally annoyed with his immature behaviour and began walking back to class. She wasn't really in the mood to talk to him. She had more important things to do, like plan how to get him back for this slightly embarrassing little stunt he pulled.
"So what? You're too good for them, is that it? Just because your mom couldn't get proper help, doesn't mean you're a lost cause," he called after her mockingly. He just loved twisting the knife didn't he?
Veronica stopped in her tracks, and took a deep breath before turning back to him. She could feel the tears trying to escape but she swallowed them back down. "Fuck you, Logan," she said slowly so he could hear every word clearly. When he laughed to himself she just shook her head and said something she knew would get to him. "Lilly would be so disappointed in you if she knew what you've become."
He stopped laughing abruptly and she let the words sink in, then slowly started walking away. His face fell slightly, but he tried to maintain his composure. He didn't say anything back to her and just watched her walk away from him, her head held high and a new confidence in her step.
It wasn't till she reached english class that she realized she had really hit him hard. She knew it was a fairly low blow to pull the Lilly card, but after how he had treated her, she was more than eligible to use it. The stunned look on his face made her realize that he wasn't as tough as he made himself out to be. She opened up her text book and followed along with the reading, a small smile spreading across her lips. Twirling a piece of her now short hair around her finger, she contemplated things.
Maybe this whole 'standing-up-for-yourself' deal wasn't so bad. Maybe she could handle this year after all.
Maybe.