THE RETURN 40-Four 1/2 [Ensemble] R
Title: The Return 40-Four [Pt I]
Rating: R
Word Count: 14,162 (both parts)
Characters/Pairings: Lilly I, Weevil, Parker, Piz, Veronica, Mac, Logan, Wallace, Dick, Madison, OMC (mentions: Celeste and Jake Kane, Duncan Kane, Trina Echolls, Aaron Echolls, OFC, Lilly II and Keith Mars)
Spoilers: All episodes (from 1.01: Pilot to 3.20: The Bitch Is Back. Just to be sure) Although this is obviously AU and there are obviously going to be some alterations to events and especially some in the last couple of episodes.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Literally, nothing. So don’t sue me over this, because you won’t get anything. It all belongs to Rob Thomas and if I had owned it when it was still on the last season would have been way different.
1: Awake/ 2: Homecoming/ 3: Forgive/ 4: Arrival/ 5: Reconnect/ 6: Belong/ 7: Bets/ 8: Fight/ 9: Battle/ 10: Retreat/ 11: Push/ 12: Sound/ 13: Potential/ 14: More/ 15: Storytime/ 16: Understanding/ 17: Piggyback/ 18: Sinners/ 19: Drama/ 20: Dinner/ 21: Armor/ 22:Mingle/ 23:Bubbly/ 24:Awkward/ 25:Closing/ 26: Drunks/ 27: Logan/ 28: Wallace/ 29: Mac/ 30: Parker/ 31: Duncan/ 32: Lilly/33: Piz/ 34: Weevil/ 35: Dick/ 36: Veronica/ 37: One/38: Two/39: Three
The Return
40
Four
Hour 1
18 January 2008 - 3:00pm
~Lilly~
She didn’t seek him out. In fact she’d been actively avoiding him for the last two and half months, but there’s only so much effort one can put into avoiding someone else when there’s so much to do. She had assumed that the campus was big enough for her to meet her friends for a late lunch and not run into the one single person she was avoiding. Unless it was the simple act of avoiding him - if avoiding him was at all simple - that made the universe conspire against her by shoving her into his path. Literally. She’d probably have a bruise from the encounter of his shoulder slamming into hers.
“Oh, I’m sor-” Weevil began before cutting himself off and staring into her face for a moment. “Lilly? You go here now?”
She was still a little stunned at her poor luck. Poor timing? She didn’t know which to blame for this, probably both, but she would probably take it out on Veronica later. After all, if Veronica wasn’t so insistent that they meet on campus instead of at a restaurant this never would have happened. “Huh?” Oh God. It just slipped out, the dumb reply as if she hadn’t heard him, understood. It was almost automatic these days, her uttering a small ‘huh’ before the question or statement fully set in. It’s like how Dick always seems to say ‘what?’ immediately after you finish speaking and then rushes on as if that had never happened.
“Oh, I asked if you started going to Hearst? The new semester just started and…” He trailed off as she started to shake her head.
“No, I was supposed to meet Veronica thirty minutes ago. I’ve been standing here, feeling a bit ridiculous. I think I’ve been stood up.” She explained and wished, for the hundredth but now more desperately, that Veronica would hurry up and get here.
“Okay, well… I’ll see you around Lilly.” Weevil said, awkwardly, before continuing on his way.
Lilly turned to watch him leave, she rested her hand on the side of her purse and felt the familiar buzzing of her cell phone. She pulled it out and saw a text message from Veronica. She’d gotten a mani-pedi that morning so she’d put her phone on silent and never took it off. It was the fourth text from her best friend and there were also two missed calls as well. The voicemails said she’d be late, but the texts, which had come after, said she’d have to push the lunch to a dinner because she was in the middle of something with her professor. Lilly texted back that she’d meet her at Mamma Mia’s pizzeria at 7 and not to be late.
“Weevil! Wait up!” Lilly called before common sense could set in and she changed her mind. He stopped and turned and, to his credit, didn’t look at all annoyed or confused. No impatience either, merely waited for her to catch up to him. “It turns out that Veronica can’t make it for even a late lunch and we’re meeting up later. You want to get some coffee? Catch up?”
It was a bad idea and she couldn’t believe she’d gone through with it, asked him for coffee where she’d have to spend at least a few very awkward minutes ‘catching up’ with him. She prayed that he’d say no, that he was still working. Or was meeting someone. Or had an appointment. Anything, she just needed him to have a little common sense even if she’d lost all hers today.
“Sure. There’s a coffee cart and a bench not too far from here.” Weevil suggested starting to walk in the direction of said cart and bench before turning to look at her. “Unless you want to go in to the food court, get some there?”
“No. The cart is great.” She was dumbfounded that he’d so readily agreed. After the last time they’d been near each other she’d have expected him to take the out and turn down the coffee. He’d never been one to bother with niceties, didn’t care about being polite or sparing her feelings.
“Great. It’s not too far from here.” He led the way and they walked in awkward silence for a minute or two. She was quietly dying inside, the embarrassment of this walk coursing through her.
Oh, God. I hope he doesn’t think I was asking him out. Isn’t this how college kids date? Going for coffee? Technically, even though they were on a college campus, neither of them were actually in college. But they were ‘college age’ right? This is how people their age start dating, how adults begin a relationship. A cup of coffee today and dinner and sex tomorrow. I can’t do that, I’m celibate for at least another three and a half months.
She was panicking and jumping, like, five hundred steps ahead of herself and him but she didn’t think the whole thing through first. From this point on she was going to have to have Veronica vet every single thing she did, make sure that she wasn’t unintentionally asking someone out. Was it even unintentional? Hadn’t she been daydreaming about running into him even as she avoided it so diligently?
“Their coffee is really good, plus they’ve got this biscotti and these scones that a great afternoon tide-you-over kind of thing. I know what you’re thinking, but I stop here most days after my shift for a cup of coffee and a scone for the drive home or to the garage or whatever.” Weevil told her as he handed over cash to the guy at the cart and waited for his order. Did she miss him ordering? Panicked right through the walk and his ordering and everything?
“Yeah, a scone is kind of manly - in London - but… Biscotti, Weevil?” Lilly teased, trying to mask her discomfort and confusion and misplaced panic. He couldn’t think it was a date because he hadn’t paid for her and it was more her accompanying him, following him, on a coffee run he made almost everyday.
“I know, but Veronica actually started me on them. We met up for coffee a few times last year and it’s at that point of day where she’d had lunch and it wasn’t even close to dinnertime so she can’t justify eating a whole meal so she buys a bunch of snacks. She shares… sometimes.” Weevil explained and she could have sworn he was blushing a little. She didn’t know if he was embarrassed about liking and ordering biscotti or if it was about meeting Veronica for coffee. Those meetings couldn’t have been a date though, because she had never mentioned going on coffee dates with Weevil. But she did mention how Weevil and her would meet up so he could help her out on cases.
“So you help Veronica with her cases a lot, huh? That’s cool. I haven’t gotten the chance yet, but all this spy stuff sounds like a lot of fun.” Lilly joked, still somewhat uncomfortable, as she followed Weevil to an empty bench.
“It sounds fun, but trust me, it’s not exactly a laugh a minute. Veronica doesn’t always get herself involved in the safe and easy cases. A lot of the time they’re way more dangerous than she makes them sound.” It was weird, he sounded like he was both scolding her for thinking what Veronica did was ‘fun’ and talking her best friend up. It sounded like he was a little in awe of her badassery. It’s funny, but she seemed to have this affect on every single one of their friends, Logan more than anyone. She had always known that there was more lurking beneath the cotton candy surface of her best friend. Strapless red satin. An edgy haircut and taser in her purse.
“Trust me, I probably won’t be invited on a stake out or anything anytime soon. Apparently I talk too much and I’m a bit of a distraction. Plus I don’t think I’m what Logan had in mind when he said that she had to have someone there for protection on the dangerous cases. Although I think I could probably do a lot more damage than if she brought Piz along. He doesn’t look like he does fisticuffs very well.” Neither did she for that matter, but she could scratch and pull hair with the best of them.
“So how’ve you been?” Weevil asked, apparently done with the subject of Veronica and her spy work.
“Good, real good. I’ve been taking and completing equivalency exams for the Neptune public school district. They give me all this course work to study and then I take what would’ve been the end of the year exams for you after a couple weeks. My parents have hired tutors and, while my mother hates the fact that I’ve moved into a house with a bunch of college girls, they’ve all been really helpful with helping me with it all. Especially Mac and Veronica, who actually took the classes I’m trying to pass. In fact, Veronica is the one my mother hates but she’s been the most helpful in getting me through the coursework and everything. Turned out she still had her notes from high school for me to study off of. I still have to do a bunch of these projects for different classes and, while she doesn’t have the physical project anymore she does have all the notes and instructions and stuff, so it’s been great. She won’t let me cheat or anything, but she’s been way more helpful than the tutors Celeste hired.” She was rambling, she knew that. He was probably less than interested in how her school work was going. According to Veronica he’d passed all his classes only to be arrested at graduation.
“So you’re adjusting?” She saw him glance at his watch, although it was discreet, as he asked the question.
“Yeah, pretty well.” She took a deep breath, maybe she had been avoiding him but there was something she had been needing to say. “Look, I’m sorry about the last time we were… you know, around each other.”
“You mean the road trip from hell?” Weevil asked and she swore she saw a hint of a smile.
“Yeah, that. I know I was a total bitch and completely impossible in that backseat and it wasn’t like any of it was your fault. I mean, a VW Bug has what? The smallest backseat in the world? But after the entire trip and everything, that ride home was just… it was bad and I was upset and I felt completely justified for taking it all out on you.” She had felt ashamed of this fact for the last couple months, regretting that she couldn’t even sit in a backseat and behave like a normal twenty-one year old. She acted like a spoiled sixteen year old and, while Logan and Veronica and Duncan hadn’t blamed her for her stunted maturity level, she knew that the others did. She was older than they were and they hadn’t known her they way those three had, they didn’t understand her personality or why she did the things she did. Mac and Dick had probably understood more than most but the only ones she got any leeway with weren’t in that car and didn’t witness her behavior.
“You know, it was a really stressful trip and it wasn’t exactly fun and relaxing for me as V had promised it would be. I don’t think anyone came back from that trip in a happy place. Besides Echolls and V because if there are any two people that can turn a melodramatic and miserable trip into a romantic getaway for two it’s them.” Maybe Logan and Veronica weren’t the only ones that let her get away with things because they knew exactly how hard this was for her. Maybe Weevil understood her a little better than she ever thought he did.
“It’s just… I want you to know that I’m sorry for it. The way I acted and the way I treated you in that car. I made a promise that I was going to change and grow up and not even twenty-four hours later I was acting like the same old brat. It wasn’t fair to you and I know that.” She felt sick to her stomach now. She hadn’t gotten all that used to apologizing and this felt wrong, that he should be saying he was sorry to her for going off and sleeping with that girl but he wasn’t and he shouldn’t be because it’d been years and he was over her and she had no right to expect any different from him.
“It’s fine Lilly, it’s done and over and we can just forget it.” He said it like he was passed the whole thing, but she’d seen his entire attitude toward her change the moment she had said she was sorry. She’d always stopped just short of apology with everyone else, except Veronica because she never did play that game, because she thought it was a sign of weakness. The admitting you’re wrong thing always seemed like such a copout, that if you did something then you should stand behind it 100% and not apologize for it but, apparently, if you’re wrong and you say you’re sorry the other people actually appreciate it.
“So, what have you been up to? Anything interesting?” This was another new concept that she’d been working on. She’d always shown just enough interest in other people to entertain her but not enough to actually become invested. The only people she ever remembered listening to when they talked was Duncan and Veronica, and sometimes Logan. That’s where Weevil surpassed Logan in the ‘who did she mistreat more’ contest. She had cheated on Logan but kept Weevil a dirty secret to torture her mother with at a later date, but she had actually listened to Logan when he spoke to her. She hadn’t even bothered with Weevil most of the time because he wasn’t supposed to be important, he was just a weapon in her pointless war against her mother.
“Well, it’s not really all that interesting being a part of the maintenance crew at Hearst College. Maybe a little more interesting than most since this college involves murdered deans and has a girl detective as a student, but mostly it’s just replacing light bulbs and that kind of crap. I work at my Uncle Angel’s garage a bit after shifts and stuff, sometimes on the weekend. My car is pretty crappy but I’ve been rebuilding this old Mustang on the side, Angel lets me take parts and stuff if I help out a bit.”
She had never realized he had an affinity for cars, just assumed that he’d always be on a bike and never thought that, maybe, being a biker wasn’t what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He’d never talked about anything else, never mentioned school or college or any kind of goal so she just assumed he didn’t have any. “So are you a muscle car aficionado now?”
“Not really, I just don’t want to be driving a shitty car forever. I’m pretty good at the whole garage thing though, and I don’t exactly want to be a janitor for the rest of my life. But it’s good for now, I have to have a job for my parole and V went through all this trouble to get me the job. I actually helped the Sheriff out with some of the P.I. stuff for a couple days last year. I was pretty good at it, liked it, but I screwed up. Now I just help V with her stuff.” She could see where he’d be good at the spy stuff, knowing the criminal mind the way he does.
“I bet you were real good the detectiving stuff. It’s so weird thinking about you helping out Mr. Mars, or hanging out with Veronica. Back before I, you know, I don’t think you guys even knew each other existed.” It was so strange to think of her best friend who wore nothing but pastel cotton hanging out with her secret lover who wore nothing but black leather. The leader of a biker gang and the cotton candy princess of Neptune High, friends. Life had turned out more different than she could ever have imagined it would.
“Yeah, well, she helped me out with some stuff.” He scuffed his foot along the ground and stared at the lid of his coffee cup. “And I did know who she was. Before. It was hard not to hear about her in that school, even before. She was your best friend and the Sheriff’s daughter and one of the most popular girls in school. At Neptune High she was famous, just like you were. It wasn’t just the fact that you were 09ers, it was a matter of the fact that everyone was obsessed with you and her and your whole little clique.”
Her eyebrows raised involuntarily, shocked that he had paid any attention to gossip back then. That he had known exactly who her best friend was and that he seemed to have a tiny crush on her, even back then.
“Listen, Lilly, I have to get going. Like I said, I help out at Angel’s after my shift here so if I don’t get going now I’m going to be late.” He stood and stared at her awkwardly for a minute, waiting for her to… what? “Uh… I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah, I’m going to wait for Parker to get out of class, but we should do this again sometime. You know, hang out. Like friends.” Of course that was never going to happen because she was going to die of embarrassment as soon as he left.
“Yeah, that sounds good.” He agreed awkwardly, but he gave her a slight smile before he turned and hurried toward what she assumed was his ‘shitty’ car.
She pulled out her phone and glanced at the time before shooting Parker a quick text about where to meet her when she got out of class. It was four so she had another fifteen minutes to wait, that was fine. She still had almost a whole cup of coffee and a scone to get through.
Hour 2
21 May 2008 - 8:00pm
~Parker~
“I’m bored.” Lilly complained, once again, from beside her on the couch. It wasn’t like this was concept for the two of them, they’d been complaining of boredom for the last three hours. Three hours ago they had started homework and studying and now, three hours later they were just as bored but without homework and neither could study anymore than they already had.
“We could go out.” Parker suggested, again.
“Oh yes, lets go out and find a party and… wait, what exactly is there to do at eight on a Wednesday night?” Lilly shot down the suggestion just as easily as Parker knew she would. Wednesday wasn’t a night for parties and fun, it was a night they usually sat home with Mac and Veronica and watched television. America’s Next Top Model had already wrapped up last week and now their television viewing options were limited to reruns and News channels, so Mac and Veronica had ditched them in favor of their boyfriends.
“We don’t have to go to a party. We could go to a movie or bowling or something.” Even as she made the suggestions she knew that there was no chance either of them would be doing either of these things. There wasn’t anything new in theaters that they hadn’t already seen except for the recently released biopic of Aaron Echolls, written and produced by Trina Echolls. Parker had never met Trina, even when she was dating Logan, but he never had anything all that nice to say about her and Lilly talked about her like she was a joke and Veronica just changed the subject whenever she came up. According to her friends though, this move was highly unlikely to be anything any of them would enjoy. Secretly though, she and Piz had plans to go see it tomorrow night when all their friends were busy and they could get a glimpse at this great tragedy that has touched all their lives. Then they would never speak of it again.
“A movie? We could go see Into the Breaking Point, the true story about the rise and fall of movie star Aaron Echolls. God, I can’t believe Trina actually went through with that crap.” Lilly shook her head in annoyance. Logan and Veronica had seemed to brush off this particular brush with fame, they didn’t’ seem to care all that much. In fact Logan seemed to expect that his sister had made a movie about how wonderful their father was and how all these things had conspired against him in the end, before he was brutally murdered in his hotel room after being acquitted of two counts of attempted murder, assault charges and a whole other slew of charges that Parker couldn’t remember. Lilly on the other hand raged against it at every possible opportunity and belittled Trina whenever Logan wasn’t in the room.
“Okay, no movie but we could go bowling or mini-golf or something.” Parker was desperate to get off the subject of the Aaron Echolls movie. Maybe she and Piz shouldn’t go and see it. She knew what happened - basically - back then, she’d been filled in on most of the major details by various members of the group. She still wanted to see the movie though. It was like a train wreck, a tragedy that was just so big and gory, she just couldn’t not go and stare at it for a couple hours. She remembered reading about it in the tabloids, and when she’d finally realized at the end of that first year at college that she was not only going to school with but friends with two of the major players she’d barely stopped herself from calling every friend she had in high school and gossip about it. Then she’d realized how that would look to them, even though she had broken up with Logan and wasn’t on the greatest of terms with Veronica by then, it would still look pretty bad if she went bragging about how she knew and dated Logan Echolls, son of movie star and attempted murderer.
“I can’t believe that people actually went to see that movie. Number one at the box office last weekend! Can you believe that? And Logan and Veronica keep telling me to just ignore it but how can someone ignore an entire movie about what a slut they are? You know that’s what Trina made it seem like, and I know that the girl’s name isn’t Lilly Kane, but come on! Rose Lane? Everyone knows what she was getting at, everyone knows who that’s supposed to be. Veronica actually thinks it’s funny that the pseudonyms are so basic.” Lilly continued to rant. Parker had heard that Lilly and Veronica and Logan had all refused to sign the release so Trina could use their names, so Trina had had to change all their names, although Logan was supposedly really difficult about it. Rose Lane. Vanessa Mercury. Landon Echolls.
“Lilly! Bowling? Golfing? Pick something.” Parker interrupted, unable to focus on the movie anymore. She wouldn’t go. She’s the one that had talked Piz into it so he’d probably be more relieved than put out. Her curiosity didn’t extend far enough to deal with the fallout if any of her roommates found out about her voyeuristic need to see the movie based on their lives.
“Neither. I’ve never bowled in my life and I am so not boring enough to golf. No matter how bored I am.” Lilly sat back in the couch and let out a huff of either annoyance or boredom, Parker didn’t know but she mimicked the sound.
“Then I’m out of suggestions. What do you got?” There was a time when she was the life of the party and, according to legend, Lilly too. They were supposed the fun ones and now here they were, home alone and bored, boyfriendless. “How is it that we don’t have boyfriends? That we’re single?”
“I don’t know. We’re the only ones in the groups not currently involved. Except for Piz..” Lilly groused, turning to flop against the armrest of the couch and swinging her feet up onto Parker’s lap. “Maybe we should call into Piz’s radio show and harass him about it, meet up with him afterwards? I don’t know if he’ll have anything better to do than just hang out but bugging him will give us something to do.”
“Actually, no. We could call and bug him on the radio, but he’s dating this girl named Nikki. They’re going out after his show tonight.” Parker informed Lilly as she lifted the stereo remote and flipped it on, it was already tuned to the college station. Piz’s voice came through the speakers.
“Whatever, I’m calling and bugging him anyway.” Lilly decided as she sat up and looked around for her phone. “What’s he talking about tonight?”
“I don’t know… give it a second.” Parker turned the radio up for a second, listening to Piz. He’s in the middle of a sentence about women’s rights in the current presidential election and how these topics seem to be rolled out for election years and then practically forgotten while in term.
“Excellent.” Lilly said evilly, doing an incredible Mr. Burns impression as she snatched up her phone off the coffee table and pressed her speed dial for the station. This had become her habit, calling in to harass Piz on whatever topic he had chosen for the night. Most times she actually got on the radio and sometimes Piz cut off the call when he realized it was Lilly on the other line. Last week she had taken on a fake British accent when Piz had the misfortune of discussing the upcoming Aaron Echolls biopic. According to Piz his producer had basically demanded that it be that night’s subject and Lilly had had a field day with it until they went to commercial and Piz had disconnected her.
“You know, I think I’ll play, too.” Parker announced sliding her own phone out of her pocket. She didn’t call in as often as Lilly did but Piz hung up on her way less than he hung up on Lilly.
“It’s ringing.” Lilly whispered as she turned the radio down. Parker heard Lilly go through the introduction as she spoke to the show producers and was put through to the call list. Lilly almost always got through to the call list, it wasn’t until she was actually on the radio that she got cut off. Parker often wondered if the producers liked to torture Piz with Lilly calls, if they warned him at all. Probably not if his groan every time her voice came over the line was any indication.
“Hi.” Lilly’s voice came from both beside her and over the stereo speakers.
“Hi Lilly.” Piz groaned out over the speakers just as Parker’s call was answered on the other line, a faceless voice greeting her.
“Hey. I’m calling about the women’s rights discussion on Piz’s show.” She explained, the same way Lilly did sometimes. Sometimes Lilly just called and said her name and she was put through.
“I’ll put you through to the call list but I don’t know how long it’ll be before he gets to the call. Can I get your name?” The guy asked and she smiled as Lilly got more and more worked up in her discussion with Piz.
“Parker Lee.” She told the him and he switched her over to hold. Parker always liked being put on hold for the college station because they played the show while you waited to be put on the air. No boring muzak for their callers.
“Parker, you’re on the air.” Piz said in her ear, to the average listener they would think she was just any other caller but to her - and all their friends - they could hear his annoyance with both of them and the hope that maybe she’d be able to reign Lilly in a bit. No chance. “Maybe you can clarify for Lilly that I was not doubting the importance of women’s rights but really saying that trotting them out for election year could be deemed insulting.”
Parker returned Lilly’s grin, she took a deep breath and began. “Actually, the part I find insulting is the insinuation that during the three term years that are not an election year this subject is forgotten. It isn’t though, we’re always having to defend our rights to our own bodies and our say in what happens to them. We are always dealing with the objectification of women, on a daily basis, it’s only because you don’t have to personally deal with it that you don’t notice it.”
“Did he cut me off?” Lilly whispered to Parker, her hand covering the mouthpiece of her cell phone. Parker shook her head, she didn’t think that Piz had cut Lilly off.
“That’s not what I meant-” Piz started but was quickly interrupted by Lilly.
“That’s what it sounded like, that you think that the subject goes away just because it’s not headline news at the moment. For women though, the subject is never far from the surface.” Lilly told him, her voice raising an octave by the time she reached the end of her statement.
“It’s not something you have experience with, obviously, because you’re not a woman and yet you continue to discuss the issue as if you have first hand knowledge. As a white male, you’re what society is built around, you’re what society helps to succeed. Women, on the other hand, while they can depend on intelligence to a point, it’s suggested in media and in day to day life that what really helps a woman is if she’s pretty. The pretty ones are the ones that get the jobs because a pretty girl gets all the breaks.”
“So basically, what you’re saying, Parker, is that if I want to be a scientist I should look no further than the porn shop where I can buy a sexy scientist outfit?” Lilly asked, now too caught up in what she was saying to remember to keep her volume in check and Parker could hear Lilly’s voice echo on the radio as it traveled through both her cell phone and Parker’s.
“Are the two of you sitting next to each other?” Piz asked as Parker got up and moved into the kitchen.
“No. But that wasn’t what I was saying, exactly, it’s just that if you’re pretty you have an added edge. Studies have shown that men, when the candidates are equally qualified, they’ll choose to hire the ‘prettier’ one instead of the one they’d deem most competent.” Parker explained.
“Are you saying that women never let a pretty face affect their judgment?” Piz challenged.
“I’m saying that women aren’t as known for letting it affect their professional judgment as men are. It’s a much more common occurrence for men to do hire the pretty girl than it is for women to hire a pretty boy. It’s only in our personal lives that we let sexual attraction supersede our judgment.” She heard Piz sigh and Lilly take a deep breath at the same time.
“I’d have to agree with Parker, to a point. It’s true that men let the little head do most of the thinking whether in the professional or the personal realm, but women judge attraction on a different level. Women are more likely to go with the competent man because women are, inherently, attracted competency. They’re attracted to a type of man that can, potentially, take care of them.” Lilly argued back.
“But the point is, ladies, that the issue of abortion rights is brought up most specifically during election year. It has been consistently and it’s not the only issue that gets top billing during the campaign period, keep that in mind. A big hot topic this year is the issue of gay rights and same-sex marriage, almost eclipsing the abortion issue.” Piz shot back over the radio, obviously desperate to get off the subject of women and objectification. It was probably a good thing because at some point in this conversation either her or Lilly were going to bring up the fact that he and Wallace are often found staring at the sunbathers on the southeast lawn. Disgusting.
“Are you discussing that disgusting piece of legislature? Prop Hate? Because I’ve written in about this.” Lilly demanded and Parker shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Piz should have known better than to bring up gay rights to Lilly. She was actively participating in the protests against Prop 8 and she had dragged all them to protest meetings at some point or another.
“I know you’ve written in about it Lilly. And as soon as you’re a student here at Hearst I’d be happy to have you on the show to talk about your views, but you’ll have to wait until then.” Poor Piz, Parker thought. She could hear the exasperation in his voice.
“You know Piz, you don’t have to have Lilly on to put it out there. There’s several on campus groups and organizations that arrange protests and the like. Not to mention the there’s a group on campus that I’m sure would be more than happy to participate in an on-air debate for your show.” Parker suggested, now trying to become the mediator between the two. Piz and Lilly had been arguing about this for weeks, about his refusal to pander to Lilly’s requests to go on air to publicly bash the legislation just because she’s a friend.
“Thank you, Parker. I think that’s a great idea. I could put you into contact with several members of the on-campus gay rights organization that I’m involved in, despite the fact that I am not yet a student.” Lilly offered with such a syrupy sweetness that Parker knew that every listener had to know what she did: that it was feigned sweetness. She was getting what she wanted with an on-air debate, but she obviously still thought she was the most qualified to lead the pro side of the gay rights debate on Hearst campus radio.
“Thank you, Lilly, I’d appreciate that.” Piz was obviously not going to acknowledge the challenge in Lilly’s tone. He was finally learning. “We’re going to go to commercial and then a small music break before we continue taking callers.”
Parker heard the sound of a familiar PSA for the campus safe ride program start up and she returned to the living room.
“Is there really nothing else the two of you can do on a Wednesday night than to call and harass me?” Piz complained over the phone. They weren’t on-air any longer but obviously still connected to the station.
“Actually, I plan my entire week around your show Piznarski. I mean, how are you going to finally let me on your show if I don’t show my dedication week after week?” Lilly asked, her taking on that sweet tone that rang so completely false to anyone that really knew her at all.
“Plus I can’t just let you on here to rail against something for an hour. It would only be fair for me to invite Campus Christians for a Pure America to the show to share their point of view.” He couldn’t leave it there, could he? Parker thought as she heard Lilly gear up for another rant.
“Stosh Piznarski, don’t you dare bring those religious nut jobs on there. All they do is quote the bible and anything you have to say against them is either not Christian or they say God will sort you out come judgment day. There’s no middle ground for them, everything is either their way - which they claim is God’s way - or it’s hell for you.” Lilly yelled into her phone and Parker felt Piz’s cringe as well as her own at the use of his full name. It was funny how Lilly preferred to use someone’s first and last names when she addressed them.
“She has a point Piz, the CCPA isn’t exactly capable of a decent debate because they don’t allow for any deviation from what they perceive as God’s plan, you might want to try one of the less extreme organizations on campus.” Parker suggested, again relegated to the role of mediator.
“I’ll think about it.” It was the best they were going to get from Piz tonight. No matter how much he tried to hide it, the fact was that he was annoyed at both of them for calling in with such frequency. These were topics that they debated as a group, often, and he probably didn’t think it was totally necessary for them to call in and practically take over his show. The one thing he had outside the group. “I’m disconnecting you both now. I’ll have five or ten minutes of show left after the commercials and song and I’d like to give the other callers a chance to vent their own opinions about the subject matter of tonight’s show.”
Parker winced at the formality of his words, of his tone. They’d probably get a call from him later, after the show but before his date, where he’d attempt to bitch them out. It never really worked out for him, though. Lilly always found it so funny when he yelled, she said it was like watching an angry puppy: cute but not at all intimidating. Still, Parker hated it when they made him mad. It was never really her intention to upset him, and it was probably mostly Lilly that did the upsetting, but she always felt guilty that he was upset and they couldn’t just let him have this one thing away from them. They couldn’t just let him escape them and their opinions and let him go be whoever he wanted to present to his listeners.
She and Lilly hung up their phones at the same time and glanced at each other before Lilly leaned forward for the stereo remote. For all the teasing they did, and they did a lot of teasing, they enjoyed Piz’s show for the most part. Sometimes he went off on tangents about things none of them really cared about, bands that none of them had ever heard of, and his topics weren’t always something they felt strongly about, but in the end they all supported him. They all listened. Mac and Veronica might be with their boyfriends right now, and Wallace with Tamsin, but Parker knew that they were all tuned in and listening to their friend. It’d taken them all a while but they were a unit now, friends and supporters and allies. Weevil was probably even listening while he worked on that old car in his garage.
Lilly flopped back into the couch cushions before looking over at Parker. “So Parker Lee, what do we do now?”
40: Four Pt II
Rating: R
Word Count: 14,162 (both parts)
Characters/Pairings: Lilly I, Weevil, Parker, Piz, Veronica, Mac, Logan, Wallace, Dick, Madison, OMC (mentions: Celeste and Jake Kane, Duncan Kane, Trina Echolls, Aaron Echolls, OFC, Lilly II and Keith Mars)
Spoilers: All episodes (from 1.01: Pilot to 3.20: The Bitch Is Back. Just to be sure) Although this is obviously AU and there are obviously going to be some alterations to events and especially some in the last couple of episodes.
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Literally, nothing. So don’t sue me over this, because you won’t get anything. It all belongs to Rob Thomas and if I had owned it when it was still on the last season would have been way different.
1: Awake/ 2: Homecoming/ 3: Forgive/ 4: Arrival/ 5: Reconnect/ 6: Belong/ 7: Bets/ 8: Fight/ 9: Battle/ 10: Retreat/ 11: Push/ 12: Sound/ 13: Potential/ 14: More/ 15: Storytime/ 16: Understanding/ 17: Piggyback/ 18: Sinners/ 19: Drama/ 20: Dinner/ 21: Armor/ 22:Mingle/ 23:Bubbly/ 24:Awkward/ 25:Closing/ 26: Drunks/ 27: Logan/ 28: Wallace/ 29: Mac/ 30: Parker/ 31: Duncan/ 32: Lilly/33: Piz/ 34: Weevil/ 35: Dick/ 36: Veronica/ 37: One/38: Two/39: Three
The Return
40
Four
Hour 1
18 January 2008 - 3:00pm
~Lilly~
She didn’t seek him out. In fact she’d been actively avoiding him for the last two and half months, but there’s only so much effort one can put into avoiding someone else when there’s so much to do. She had assumed that the campus was big enough for her to meet her friends for a late lunch and not run into the one single person she was avoiding. Unless it was the simple act of avoiding him - if avoiding him was at all simple - that made the universe conspire against her by shoving her into his path. Literally. She’d probably have a bruise from the encounter of his shoulder slamming into hers.
“Oh, I’m sor-” Weevil began before cutting himself off and staring into her face for a moment. “Lilly? You go here now?”
She was still a little stunned at her poor luck. Poor timing? She didn’t know which to blame for this, probably both, but she would probably take it out on Veronica later. After all, if Veronica wasn’t so insistent that they meet on campus instead of at a restaurant this never would have happened. “Huh?” Oh God. It just slipped out, the dumb reply as if she hadn’t heard him, understood. It was almost automatic these days, her uttering a small ‘huh’ before the question or statement fully set in. It’s like how Dick always seems to say ‘what?’ immediately after you finish speaking and then rushes on as if that had never happened.
“Oh, I asked if you started going to Hearst? The new semester just started and…” He trailed off as she started to shake her head.
“No, I was supposed to meet Veronica thirty minutes ago. I’ve been standing here, feeling a bit ridiculous. I think I’ve been stood up.” She explained and wished, for the hundredth but now more desperately, that Veronica would hurry up and get here.
“Okay, well… I’ll see you around Lilly.” Weevil said, awkwardly, before continuing on his way.
Lilly turned to watch him leave, she rested her hand on the side of her purse and felt the familiar buzzing of her cell phone. She pulled it out and saw a text message from Veronica. She’d gotten a mani-pedi that morning so she’d put her phone on silent and never took it off. It was the fourth text from her best friend and there were also two missed calls as well. The voicemails said she’d be late, but the texts, which had come after, said she’d have to push the lunch to a dinner because she was in the middle of something with her professor. Lilly texted back that she’d meet her at Mamma Mia’s pizzeria at 7 and not to be late.
“Weevil! Wait up!” Lilly called before common sense could set in and she changed her mind. He stopped and turned and, to his credit, didn’t look at all annoyed or confused. No impatience either, merely waited for her to catch up to him. “It turns out that Veronica can’t make it for even a late lunch and we’re meeting up later. You want to get some coffee? Catch up?”
It was a bad idea and she couldn’t believe she’d gone through with it, asked him for coffee where she’d have to spend at least a few very awkward minutes ‘catching up’ with him. She prayed that he’d say no, that he was still working. Or was meeting someone. Or had an appointment. Anything, she just needed him to have a little common sense even if she’d lost all hers today.
“Sure. There’s a coffee cart and a bench not too far from here.” Weevil suggested starting to walk in the direction of said cart and bench before turning to look at her. “Unless you want to go in to the food court, get some there?”
“No. The cart is great.” She was dumbfounded that he’d so readily agreed. After the last time they’d been near each other she’d have expected him to take the out and turn down the coffee. He’d never been one to bother with niceties, didn’t care about being polite or sparing her feelings.
“Great. It’s not too far from here.” He led the way and they walked in awkward silence for a minute or two. She was quietly dying inside, the embarrassment of this walk coursing through her.
Oh, God. I hope he doesn’t think I was asking him out. Isn’t this how college kids date? Going for coffee? Technically, even though they were on a college campus, neither of them were actually in college. But they were ‘college age’ right? This is how people their age start dating, how adults begin a relationship. A cup of coffee today and dinner and sex tomorrow. I can’t do that, I’m celibate for at least another three and a half months.
She was panicking and jumping, like, five hundred steps ahead of herself and him but she didn’t think the whole thing through first. From this point on she was going to have to have Veronica vet every single thing she did, make sure that she wasn’t unintentionally asking someone out. Was it even unintentional? Hadn’t she been daydreaming about running into him even as she avoided it so diligently?
“Their coffee is really good, plus they’ve got this biscotti and these scones that a great afternoon tide-you-over kind of thing. I know what you’re thinking, but I stop here most days after my shift for a cup of coffee and a scone for the drive home or to the garage or whatever.” Weevil told her as he handed over cash to the guy at the cart and waited for his order. Did she miss him ordering? Panicked right through the walk and his ordering and everything?
“Yeah, a scone is kind of manly - in London - but… Biscotti, Weevil?” Lilly teased, trying to mask her discomfort and confusion and misplaced panic. He couldn’t think it was a date because he hadn’t paid for her and it was more her accompanying him, following him, on a coffee run he made almost everyday.
“I know, but Veronica actually started me on them. We met up for coffee a few times last year and it’s at that point of day where she’d had lunch and it wasn’t even close to dinnertime so she can’t justify eating a whole meal so she buys a bunch of snacks. She shares… sometimes.” Weevil explained and she could have sworn he was blushing a little. She didn’t know if he was embarrassed about liking and ordering biscotti or if it was about meeting Veronica for coffee. Those meetings couldn’t have been a date though, because she had never mentioned going on coffee dates with Weevil. But she did mention how Weevil and her would meet up so he could help her out on cases.
“So you help Veronica with her cases a lot, huh? That’s cool. I haven’t gotten the chance yet, but all this spy stuff sounds like a lot of fun.” Lilly joked, still somewhat uncomfortable, as she followed Weevil to an empty bench.
“It sounds fun, but trust me, it’s not exactly a laugh a minute. Veronica doesn’t always get herself involved in the safe and easy cases. A lot of the time they’re way more dangerous than she makes them sound.” It was weird, he sounded like he was both scolding her for thinking what Veronica did was ‘fun’ and talking her best friend up. It sounded like he was a little in awe of her badassery. It’s funny, but she seemed to have this affect on every single one of their friends, Logan more than anyone. She had always known that there was more lurking beneath the cotton candy surface of her best friend. Strapless red satin. An edgy haircut and taser in her purse.
“Trust me, I probably won’t be invited on a stake out or anything anytime soon. Apparently I talk too much and I’m a bit of a distraction. Plus I don’t think I’m what Logan had in mind when he said that she had to have someone there for protection on the dangerous cases. Although I think I could probably do a lot more damage than if she brought Piz along. He doesn’t look like he does fisticuffs very well.” Neither did she for that matter, but she could scratch and pull hair with the best of them.
“So how’ve you been?” Weevil asked, apparently done with the subject of Veronica and her spy work.
“Good, real good. I’ve been taking and completing equivalency exams for the Neptune public school district. They give me all this course work to study and then I take what would’ve been the end of the year exams for you after a couple weeks. My parents have hired tutors and, while my mother hates the fact that I’ve moved into a house with a bunch of college girls, they’ve all been really helpful with helping me with it all. Especially Mac and Veronica, who actually took the classes I’m trying to pass. In fact, Veronica is the one my mother hates but she’s been the most helpful in getting me through the coursework and everything. Turned out she still had her notes from high school for me to study off of. I still have to do a bunch of these projects for different classes and, while she doesn’t have the physical project anymore she does have all the notes and instructions and stuff, so it’s been great. She won’t let me cheat or anything, but she’s been way more helpful than the tutors Celeste hired.” She was rambling, she knew that. He was probably less than interested in how her school work was going. According to Veronica he’d passed all his classes only to be arrested at graduation.
“So you’re adjusting?” She saw him glance at his watch, although it was discreet, as he asked the question.
“Yeah, pretty well.” She took a deep breath, maybe she had been avoiding him but there was something she had been needing to say. “Look, I’m sorry about the last time we were… you know, around each other.”
“You mean the road trip from hell?” Weevil asked and she swore she saw a hint of a smile.
“Yeah, that. I know I was a total bitch and completely impossible in that backseat and it wasn’t like any of it was your fault. I mean, a VW Bug has what? The smallest backseat in the world? But after the entire trip and everything, that ride home was just… it was bad and I was upset and I felt completely justified for taking it all out on you.” She had felt ashamed of this fact for the last couple months, regretting that she couldn’t even sit in a backseat and behave like a normal twenty-one year old. She acted like a spoiled sixteen year old and, while Logan and Veronica and Duncan hadn’t blamed her for her stunted maturity level, she knew that the others did. She was older than they were and they hadn’t known her they way those three had, they didn’t understand her personality or why she did the things she did. Mac and Dick had probably understood more than most but the only ones she got any leeway with weren’t in that car and didn’t witness her behavior.
“You know, it was a really stressful trip and it wasn’t exactly fun and relaxing for me as V had promised it would be. I don’t think anyone came back from that trip in a happy place. Besides Echolls and V because if there are any two people that can turn a melodramatic and miserable trip into a romantic getaway for two it’s them.” Maybe Logan and Veronica weren’t the only ones that let her get away with things because they knew exactly how hard this was for her. Maybe Weevil understood her a little better than she ever thought he did.
“It’s just… I want you to know that I’m sorry for it. The way I acted and the way I treated you in that car. I made a promise that I was going to change and grow up and not even twenty-four hours later I was acting like the same old brat. It wasn’t fair to you and I know that.” She felt sick to her stomach now. She hadn’t gotten all that used to apologizing and this felt wrong, that he should be saying he was sorry to her for going off and sleeping with that girl but he wasn’t and he shouldn’t be because it’d been years and he was over her and she had no right to expect any different from him.
“It’s fine Lilly, it’s done and over and we can just forget it.” He said it like he was passed the whole thing, but she’d seen his entire attitude toward her change the moment she had said she was sorry. She’d always stopped just short of apology with everyone else, except Veronica because she never did play that game, because she thought it was a sign of weakness. The admitting you’re wrong thing always seemed like such a copout, that if you did something then you should stand behind it 100% and not apologize for it but, apparently, if you’re wrong and you say you’re sorry the other people actually appreciate it.
“So, what have you been up to? Anything interesting?” This was another new concept that she’d been working on. She’d always shown just enough interest in other people to entertain her but not enough to actually become invested. The only people she ever remembered listening to when they talked was Duncan and Veronica, and sometimes Logan. That’s where Weevil surpassed Logan in the ‘who did she mistreat more’ contest. She had cheated on Logan but kept Weevil a dirty secret to torture her mother with at a later date, but she had actually listened to Logan when he spoke to her. She hadn’t even bothered with Weevil most of the time because he wasn’t supposed to be important, he was just a weapon in her pointless war against her mother.
“Well, it’s not really all that interesting being a part of the maintenance crew at Hearst College. Maybe a little more interesting than most since this college involves murdered deans and has a girl detective as a student, but mostly it’s just replacing light bulbs and that kind of crap. I work at my Uncle Angel’s garage a bit after shifts and stuff, sometimes on the weekend. My car is pretty crappy but I’ve been rebuilding this old Mustang on the side, Angel lets me take parts and stuff if I help out a bit.”
She had never realized he had an affinity for cars, just assumed that he’d always be on a bike and never thought that, maybe, being a biker wasn’t what he wanted to do with the rest of his life. He’d never talked about anything else, never mentioned school or college or any kind of goal so she just assumed he didn’t have any. “So are you a muscle car aficionado now?”
“Not really, I just don’t want to be driving a shitty car forever. I’m pretty good at the whole garage thing though, and I don’t exactly want to be a janitor for the rest of my life. But it’s good for now, I have to have a job for my parole and V went through all this trouble to get me the job. I actually helped the Sheriff out with some of the P.I. stuff for a couple days last year. I was pretty good at it, liked it, but I screwed up. Now I just help V with her stuff.” She could see where he’d be good at the spy stuff, knowing the criminal mind the way he does.
“I bet you were real good the detectiving stuff. It’s so weird thinking about you helping out Mr. Mars, or hanging out with Veronica. Back before I, you know, I don’t think you guys even knew each other existed.” It was so strange to think of her best friend who wore nothing but pastel cotton hanging out with her secret lover who wore nothing but black leather. The leader of a biker gang and the cotton candy princess of Neptune High, friends. Life had turned out more different than she could ever have imagined it would.
“Yeah, well, she helped me out with some stuff.” He scuffed his foot along the ground and stared at the lid of his coffee cup. “And I did know who she was. Before. It was hard not to hear about her in that school, even before. She was your best friend and the Sheriff’s daughter and one of the most popular girls in school. At Neptune High she was famous, just like you were. It wasn’t just the fact that you were 09ers, it was a matter of the fact that everyone was obsessed with you and her and your whole little clique.”
Her eyebrows raised involuntarily, shocked that he had paid any attention to gossip back then. That he had known exactly who her best friend was and that he seemed to have a tiny crush on her, even back then.
“Listen, Lilly, I have to get going. Like I said, I help out at Angel’s after my shift here so if I don’t get going now I’m going to be late.” He stood and stared at her awkwardly for a minute, waiting for her to… what? “Uh… I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah, I’m going to wait for Parker to get out of class, but we should do this again sometime. You know, hang out. Like friends.” Of course that was never going to happen because she was going to die of embarrassment as soon as he left.
“Yeah, that sounds good.” He agreed awkwardly, but he gave her a slight smile before he turned and hurried toward what she assumed was his ‘shitty’ car.
She pulled out her phone and glanced at the time before shooting Parker a quick text about where to meet her when she got out of class. It was four so she had another fifteen minutes to wait, that was fine. She still had almost a whole cup of coffee and a scone to get through.
Hour 2
21 May 2008 - 8:00pm
~Parker~
“I’m bored.” Lilly complained, once again, from beside her on the couch. It wasn’t like this was concept for the two of them, they’d been complaining of boredom for the last three hours. Three hours ago they had started homework and studying and now, three hours later they were just as bored but without homework and neither could study anymore than they already had.
“We could go out.” Parker suggested, again.
“Oh yes, lets go out and find a party and… wait, what exactly is there to do at eight on a Wednesday night?” Lilly shot down the suggestion just as easily as Parker knew she would. Wednesday wasn’t a night for parties and fun, it was a night they usually sat home with Mac and Veronica and watched television. America’s Next Top Model had already wrapped up last week and now their television viewing options were limited to reruns and News channels, so Mac and Veronica had ditched them in favor of their boyfriends.
“We don’t have to go to a party. We could go to a movie or bowling or something.” Even as she made the suggestions she knew that there was no chance either of them would be doing either of these things. There wasn’t anything new in theaters that they hadn’t already seen except for the recently released biopic of Aaron Echolls, written and produced by Trina Echolls. Parker had never met Trina, even when she was dating Logan, but he never had anything all that nice to say about her and Lilly talked about her like she was a joke and Veronica just changed the subject whenever she came up. According to her friends though, this move was highly unlikely to be anything any of them would enjoy. Secretly though, she and Piz had plans to go see it tomorrow night when all their friends were busy and they could get a glimpse at this great tragedy that has touched all their lives. Then they would never speak of it again.
“A movie? We could go see Into the Breaking Point, the true story about the rise and fall of movie star Aaron Echolls. God, I can’t believe Trina actually went through with that crap.” Lilly shook her head in annoyance. Logan and Veronica had seemed to brush off this particular brush with fame, they didn’t’ seem to care all that much. In fact Logan seemed to expect that his sister had made a movie about how wonderful their father was and how all these things had conspired against him in the end, before he was brutally murdered in his hotel room after being acquitted of two counts of attempted murder, assault charges and a whole other slew of charges that Parker couldn’t remember. Lilly on the other hand raged against it at every possible opportunity and belittled Trina whenever Logan wasn’t in the room.
“Okay, no movie but we could go bowling or mini-golf or something.” Parker was desperate to get off the subject of the Aaron Echolls movie. Maybe she and Piz shouldn’t go and see it. She knew what happened - basically - back then, she’d been filled in on most of the major details by various members of the group. She still wanted to see the movie though. It was like a train wreck, a tragedy that was just so big and gory, she just couldn’t not go and stare at it for a couple hours. She remembered reading about it in the tabloids, and when she’d finally realized at the end of that first year at college that she was not only going to school with but friends with two of the major players she’d barely stopped herself from calling every friend she had in high school and gossip about it. Then she’d realized how that would look to them, even though she had broken up with Logan and wasn’t on the greatest of terms with Veronica by then, it would still look pretty bad if she went bragging about how she knew and dated Logan Echolls, son of movie star and attempted murderer.
“I can’t believe that people actually went to see that movie. Number one at the box office last weekend! Can you believe that? And Logan and Veronica keep telling me to just ignore it but how can someone ignore an entire movie about what a slut they are? You know that’s what Trina made it seem like, and I know that the girl’s name isn’t Lilly Kane, but come on! Rose Lane? Everyone knows what she was getting at, everyone knows who that’s supposed to be. Veronica actually thinks it’s funny that the pseudonyms are so basic.” Lilly continued to rant. Parker had heard that Lilly and Veronica and Logan had all refused to sign the release so Trina could use their names, so Trina had had to change all their names, although Logan was supposedly really difficult about it. Rose Lane. Vanessa Mercury. Landon Echolls.
“Lilly! Bowling? Golfing? Pick something.” Parker interrupted, unable to focus on the movie anymore. She wouldn’t go. She’s the one that had talked Piz into it so he’d probably be more relieved than put out. Her curiosity didn’t extend far enough to deal with the fallout if any of her roommates found out about her voyeuristic need to see the movie based on their lives.
“Neither. I’ve never bowled in my life and I am so not boring enough to golf. No matter how bored I am.” Lilly sat back in the couch and let out a huff of either annoyance or boredom, Parker didn’t know but she mimicked the sound.
“Then I’m out of suggestions. What do you got?” There was a time when she was the life of the party and, according to legend, Lilly too. They were supposed the fun ones and now here they were, home alone and bored, boyfriendless. “How is it that we don’t have boyfriends? That we’re single?”
“I don’t know. We’re the only ones in the groups not currently involved. Except for Piz..” Lilly groused, turning to flop against the armrest of the couch and swinging her feet up onto Parker’s lap. “Maybe we should call into Piz’s radio show and harass him about it, meet up with him afterwards? I don’t know if he’ll have anything better to do than just hang out but bugging him will give us something to do.”
“Actually, no. We could call and bug him on the radio, but he’s dating this girl named Nikki. They’re going out after his show tonight.” Parker informed Lilly as she lifted the stereo remote and flipped it on, it was already tuned to the college station. Piz’s voice came through the speakers.
“Whatever, I’m calling and bugging him anyway.” Lilly decided as she sat up and looked around for her phone. “What’s he talking about tonight?”
“I don’t know… give it a second.” Parker turned the radio up for a second, listening to Piz. He’s in the middle of a sentence about women’s rights in the current presidential election and how these topics seem to be rolled out for election years and then practically forgotten while in term.
“Excellent.” Lilly said evilly, doing an incredible Mr. Burns impression as she snatched up her phone off the coffee table and pressed her speed dial for the station. This had become her habit, calling in to harass Piz on whatever topic he had chosen for the night. Most times she actually got on the radio and sometimes Piz cut off the call when he realized it was Lilly on the other line. Last week she had taken on a fake British accent when Piz had the misfortune of discussing the upcoming Aaron Echolls biopic. According to Piz his producer had basically demanded that it be that night’s subject and Lilly had had a field day with it until they went to commercial and Piz had disconnected her.
“You know, I think I’ll play, too.” Parker announced sliding her own phone out of her pocket. She didn’t call in as often as Lilly did but Piz hung up on her way less than he hung up on Lilly.
“It’s ringing.” Lilly whispered as she turned the radio down. Parker heard Lilly go through the introduction as she spoke to the show producers and was put through to the call list. Lilly almost always got through to the call list, it wasn’t until she was actually on the radio that she got cut off. Parker often wondered if the producers liked to torture Piz with Lilly calls, if they warned him at all. Probably not if his groan every time her voice came over the line was any indication.
“Hi.” Lilly’s voice came from both beside her and over the stereo speakers.
“Hi Lilly.” Piz groaned out over the speakers just as Parker’s call was answered on the other line, a faceless voice greeting her.
“Hey. I’m calling about the women’s rights discussion on Piz’s show.” She explained, the same way Lilly did sometimes. Sometimes Lilly just called and said her name and she was put through.
“I’ll put you through to the call list but I don’t know how long it’ll be before he gets to the call. Can I get your name?” The guy asked and she smiled as Lilly got more and more worked up in her discussion with Piz.
“Parker Lee.” She told the him and he switched her over to hold. Parker always liked being put on hold for the college station because they played the show while you waited to be put on the air. No boring muzak for their callers.
“Parker, you’re on the air.” Piz said in her ear, to the average listener they would think she was just any other caller but to her - and all their friends - they could hear his annoyance with both of them and the hope that maybe she’d be able to reign Lilly in a bit. No chance. “Maybe you can clarify for Lilly that I was not doubting the importance of women’s rights but really saying that trotting them out for election year could be deemed insulting.”
Parker returned Lilly’s grin, she took a deep breath and began. “Actually, the part I find insulting is the insinuation that during the three term years that are not an election year this subject is forgotten. It isn’t though, we’re always having to defend our rights to our own bodies and our say in what happens to them. We are always dealing with the objectification of women, on a daily basis, it’s only because you don’t have to personally deal with it that you don’t notice it.”
“Did he cut me off?” Lilly whispered to Parker, her hand covering the mouthpiece of her cell phone. Parker shook her head, she didn’t think that Piz had cut Lilly off.
“That’s not what I meant-” Piz started but was quickly interrupted by Lilly.
“That’s what it sounded like, that you think that the subject goes away just because it’s not headline news at the moment. For women though, the subject is never far from the surface.” Lilly told him, her voice raising an octave by the time she reached the end of her statement.
“It’s not something you have experience with, obviously, because you’re not a woman and yet you continue to discuss the issue as if you have first hand knowledge. As a white male, you’re what society is built around, you’re what society helps to succeed. Women, on the other hand, while they can depend on intelligence to a point, it’s suggested in media and in day to day life that what really helps a woman is if she’s pretty. The pretty ones are the ones that get the jobs because a pretty girl gets all the breaks.”
“So basically, what you’re saying, Parker, is that if I want to be a scientist I should look no further than the porn shop where I can buy a sexy scientist outfit?” Lilly asked, now too caught up in what she was saying to remember to keep her volume in check and Parker could hear Lilly’s voice echo on the radio as it traveled through both her cell phone and Parker’s.
“Are the two of you sitting next to each other?” Piz asked as Parker got up and moved into the kitchen.
“No. But that wasn’t what I was saying, exactly, it’s just that if you’re pretty you have an added edge. Studies have shown that men, when the candidates are equally qualified, they’ll choose to hire the ‘prettier’ one instead of the one they’d deem most competent.” Parker explained.
“Are you saying that women never let a pretty face affect their judgment?” Piz challenged.
“I’m saying that women aren’t as known for letting it affect their professional judgment as men are. It’s a much more common occurrence for men to do hire the pretty girl than it is for women to hire a pretty boy. It’s only in our personal lives that we let sexual attraction supersede our judgment.” She heard Piz sigh and Lilly take a deep breath at the same time.
“I’d have to agree with Parker, to a point. It’s true that men let the little head do most of the thinking whether in the professional or the personal realm, but women judge attraction on a different level. Women are more likely to go with the competent man because women are, inherently, attracted competency. They’re attracted to a type of man that can, potentially, take care of them.” Lilly argued back.
“But the point is, ladies, that the issue of abortion rights is brought up most specifically during election year. It has been consistently and it’s not the only issue that gets top billing during the campaign period, keep that in mind. A big hot topic this year is the issue of gay rights and same-sex marriage, almost eclipsing the abortion issue.” Piz shot back over the radio, obviously desperate to get off the subject of women and objectification. It was probably a good thing because at some point in this conversation either her or Lilly were going to bring up the fact that he and Wallace are often found staring at the sunbathers on the southeast lawn. Disgusting.
“Are you discussing that disgusting piece of legislature? Prop Hate? Because I’ve written in about this.” Lilly demanded and Parker shut her eyes and took a deep breath. Piz should have known better than to bring up gay rights to Lilly. She was actively participating in the protests against Prop 8 and she had dragged all them to protest meetings at some point or another.
“I know you’ve written in about it Lilly. And as soon as you’re a student here at Hearst I’d be happy to have you on the show to talk about your views, but you’ll have to wait until then.” Poor Piz, Parker thought. She could hear the exasperation in his voice.
“You know Piz, you don’t have to have Lilly on to put it out there. There’s several on campus groups and organizations that arrange protests and the like. Not to mention the there’s a group on campus that I’m sure would be more than happy to participate in an on-air debate for your show.” Parker suggested, now trying to become the mediator between the two. Piz and Lilly had been arguing about this for weeks, about his refusal to pander to Lilly’s requests to go on air to publicly bash the legislation just because she’s a friend.
“Thank you, Parker. I think that’s a great idea. I could put you into contact with several members of the on-campus gay rights organization that I’m involved in, despite the fact that I am not yet a student.” Lilly offered with such a syrupy sweetness that Parker knew that every listener had to know what she did: that it was feigned sweetness. She was getting what she wanted with an on-air debate, but she obviously still thought she was the most qualified to lead the pro side of the gay rights debate on Hearst campus radio.
“Thank you, Lilly, I’d appreciate that.” Piz was obviously not going to acknowledge the challenge in Lilly’s tone. He was finally learning. “We’re going to go to commercial and then a small music break before we continue taking callers.”
Parker heard the sound of a familiar PSA for the campus safe ride program start up and she returned to the living room.
“Is there really nothing else the two of you can do on a Wednesday night than to call and harass me?” Piz complained over the phone. They weren’t on-air any longer but obviously still connected to the station.
“Actually, I plan my entire week around your show Piznarski. I mean, how are you going to finally let me on your show if I don’t show my dedication week after week?” Lilly asked, her taking on that sweet tone that rang so completely false to anyone that really knew her at all.
“Plus I can’t just let you on here to rail against something for an hour. It would only be fair for me to invite Campus Christians for a Pure America to the show to share their point of view.” He couldn’t leave it there, could he? Parker thought as she heard Lilly gear up for another rant.
“Stosh Piznarski, don’t you dare bring those religious nut jobs on there. All they do is quote the bible and anything you have to say against them is either not Christian or they say God will sort you out come judgment day. There’s no middle ground for them, everything is either their way - which they claim is God’s way - or it’s hell for you.” Lilly yelled into her phone and Parker felt Piz’s cringe as well as her own at the use of his full name. It was funny how Lilly preferred to use someone’s first and last names when she addressed them.
“She has a point Piz, the CCPA isn’t exactly capable of a decent debate because they don’t allow for any deviation from what they perceive as God’s plan, you might want to try one of the less extreme organizations on campus.” Parker suggested, again relegated to the role of mediator.
“I’ll think about it.” It was the best they were going to get from Piz tonight. No matter how much he tried to hide it, the fact was that he was annoyed at both of them for calling in with such frequency. These were topics that they debated as a group, often, and he probably didn’t think it was totally necessary for them to call in and practically take over his show. The one thing he had outside the group. “I’m disconnecting you both now. I’ll have five or ten minutes of show left after the commercials and song and I’d like to give the other callers a chance to vent their own opinions about the subject matter of tonight’s show.”
Parker winced at the formality of his words, of his tone. They’d probably get a call from him later, after the show but before his date, where he’d attempt to bitch them out. It never really worked out for him, though. Lilly always found it so funny when he yelled, she said it was like watching an angry puppy: cute but not at all intimidating. Still, Parker hated it when they made him mad. It was never really her intention to upset him, and it was probably mostly Lilly that did the upsetting, but she always felt guilty that he was upset and they couldn’t just let him have this one thing away from them. They couldn’t just let him escape them and their opinions and let him go be whoever he wanted to present to his listeners.
She and Lilly hung up their phones at the same time and glanced at each other before Lilly leaned forward for the stereo remote. For all the teasing they did, and they did a lot of teasing, they enjoyed Piz’s show for the most part. Sometimes he went off on tangents about things none of them really cared about, bands that none of them had ever heard of, and his topics weren’t always something they felt strongly about, but in the end they all supported him. They all listened. Mac and Veronica might be with their boyfriends right now, and Wallace with Tamsin, but Parker knew that they were all tuned in and listening to their friend. It’d taken them all a while but they were a unit now, friends and supporters and allies. Weevil was probably even listening while he worked on that old car in his garage.
Lilly flopped back into the couch cushions before looking over at Parker. “So Parker Lee, what do we do now?”
40: Four Pt II