Kings Among Runaways - Chapter Two (Logan / Veronica) PG-13
Title: Kings Among Runaways
Author: Tina
Word Count: 7,866 so far
Rating: PG-13 to R (eventually)
Characters: Logan / Veronica
Summary: Pre-series. Even if Lilly had lived, things still would’ve been screwy.
Spoilers / Warnings: Set pre-season, but references to first season are fair game.
Disclaimer: Not mine. I’d probably break it.
AN: Finals are coming up, and while I'm going to try to keep this almost once a week posting up, I'm not sure how well it's going to work. I'm hoping I'll get at least one or two more chapters out before I go home for break, but I should have more time on my hands in another three weeks.
Previous Chapters
Chapter Two
“Lilly’s coming back tomorrow.” Veronica tried for casual, only glancing slightly away from the television to gage Logan’s reaction. It was less than she’d expected.
He shrugged. “So’s Duncan.” Veronica nodded. “You think it’s going to change anything?”
She looked at him, not sure what he was even asking her. “Like what?”
Logan cornered her character, and the remote began to vibrate in her hands.
She paused the game. “Like what, Logan?”
He stared at the screen for a moment longer, then put the remote down and turned to her.
“Like, are you going to go straight back to pining over Duncan?”
That question hadn’t been anywhere on her list of possibilities, and she gaped back at him. “Why?” she asked him. “Are you just going to go right back to tailing Lilly?”
He threw his controller at the floor. “You think that’s what I’ve been doing?” He pulled himself to his feet. “Damn it, Veronica, she treats me like a puppy; I know that.”
“You’ve always gone back,” Veronica returned, her voice quiet but not retreating. “How is it any different this time?”
He walked to his bed, his back to Veronica. “It was always the four of us before, wasn’t it? It is different this time.”
“We can’t fix it, can we?”
Logan shrugged, turning back to her and perching on the edge of the bed. “Don’t go after him, Veronica,” he told her. “He thinks he’s got his reasons, and he’s just going to keep hurting you.”
“Why do you care, Logan?’
He smiled, cracking the tension in the room. “Well, you are my friend, Mars. And you’re a whole lot cuter when you’re not dripping snot.”
…
“Veronica Mars, I know you’re in there,” Lilly called. She knocked on the front door again. “Come on. It’s back to school time, and I’m not shopping al-” Lilly’s words died off when the front door opened and she saw Logan standing in the Mars’s entryway. “Logan?” Lilly stepped back and surveyed the front porch. “No, I’m pretty sure this is the right house. What are you doing with my best friend?”
“She’s my friend too, Lilly,” Logan told her. “And veronica made me go school shopping with her. Apparently she thought I might neglect the essentials: paper, pencils, the rest.”
“Oh.” Lilly turned back to the street. “Did you walk here? I don’t see your car.”
“I made him park in the garage,” Veronica said, appearing at Logan’s shoulder. “I would’ve felt bad if he’d had to carry everything in from the street and all the way up to my room.” Veronica smirked at Logan, and Lilly’s brows knit together. “So, school shopping?”
Lilly snapped her attention back to Veronica. “Well, it is the best thing about starting school.”
Veronica shrugged her jacket on and turned to Logan. “Are you coming?”
“Shopping with you and Lilly?” Logan stepped into the front yard and put his palm to the ground.
“What are you doing?” Veronica asked as she locked the door behind her.
“Just checking to see if maybe hell had frozen over.” He shook his head. “I’m reading no.” He pulled Veronica in for a hug and headed toward the garage. “Lilly, is DK back too? I think I’m going to head to the beach.”
She shrugged, still unsettled by the new ease between Logan and Veronica. “Yeah, but our parents have him locked up. I think today he’s researching colleges.”
“Aren’t you the up-and-coming senior?” Veronica asked.
“Who am I to stand in the princess’s way?” She turned back to Logan. “Call his cell if you actually want to talk to him. I think Celeste is monitoring the house phone.”
…
“So what’s going on with you and Logan?” Lilly didn’t bother trying for discreet. She pulled another shirt from the rack and let the question fall however it would.
“Um. Nothing?” Veronica answered as if it might’ve been the dumbest thing she had ever heard. She skimmed through the rack aimlessly, ignoring almost everything.
“I’ve never seen him hug you before,” Lilly prodded. “And since when do you two go shopping?”
“Maybe since my best friend took off to Napa for the whole summer without a word to me,” Veronica tossed back, her voice listless. Truth be told, she had enjoyed spending the summer with Logan, and she was pretty sure it never would have happened if Lilly had been in town.
“You could’ve called me,” Lilly tossed back. “I was bored out of my mind. You should’ve come to visit. Mom was so pissed after Weevil came, though, she probably wouldn’t have let you.” Lilly grinned, and Veronica already felt her weakly placed walls falling. Being angry with Lilly didn’t do anything to her; it only made Veronica feel worse. Most of the time, fighting with Lilly just wasn’t worth it. “Well, after she found out, at least.”
“What?”
“The Napa house has a surprising affinity for hiding people. Mom didn’t even realize he was there for three days.”
Veronica gaped. “Are you kidding me? What about his bike? Or did you sneak him out there in your trunk?”
Lilly tried for a look of innocence, but it fell somewhere just short of predatory. “I might’ve given her the idea that it was the gardener’s.” Lilly laughed. “God, I don’t think I have ever seen her so red. She was pissed. I wish I could’ve gotten a picture, but with Weevil on top of me and all…”
Veronica cut her off. “Yep, got it, Lilly. That’s all the visual that I need for, um, forever.”
Lilly’s grin was Cheshire as she looped her arm through Veronica’s. “This year is going to be absolutely amazing Veronica! I can feel it.’
…
“Veronica!” Lilly honked the horn, rolling her eyes as Veronica appeared at the front door. “Come on, Mars. We can’t make an entrance if everyone’s already in class.”
“Lilly, class doesn’t even start for twenty minutes,” Veronica complained. “I’m sure we’ll get there early.”
Lilly just grinned and cranked the stereo.
…
“Weevil’s waiting for me out back,” Lilly told Veronica as she pulled into the parking lot.
“I knew there had to be a reason you wanted to get to school early,” Veronica said, rolling her eyes. “I guess I’ll see you at lunch then.”
Lilly smiled. “I might bring Weevil. Do you want to be my bestest friend ever and make sure Logan isn’t going to do something stupid?” Lilly didn’t wait for an answer before turning toward the side of the school, disappearing between the various cars in the parking lot.
Veronica shook her head. It was no use arguing with Lilly Kane.
Throwing her bag over her shoulder, Veronica turned toward the front of the school and almost immediately ran into Logan and Duncan, both climbing out of the Xterra.
“You’re actually showing up for school?” Veronica asked, once she realized that it was too late to hide behind another car. “And early?” Veronica shook her head. “This must be one of the signs of the apocalypse.” She turned to Duncan, offering him a small, “Hey.”
“Hey, Veronica.” She’d come to notice that Duncan didn’t make eye contact with her anymore. He’d stare at her nose, her chin, her forehead, but she might as well not have any eyes for how much he noticed them. It was becoming more than a little unnerving.
“Well,” Logan said, stepping between them, a smile on his face. “We’re upperclassmen, guys.” His smile abruptly fell. “Still feels like school.”
Heading toward the quad, they ran into a group of students practically buzzing with the whispers and sneers.
“What’s going on?” Veronica asked. She saw the flash of a camera, and stood on her tiptoes, trying to see over people’s heads. When Logan began to push through the crowd, she grabbed the strap of his backpack and followed. In the center, a boy had been duct taped to the flagpole, the word SNICH painted on his chest.
“Oh my god,” Veronica gasped. “Logan, give me your pocket knife.”
He was fumbling in his bag when Duncan walked up and grabbed Veronica’s arm. “What do you think you’re doing? The bikers put him up there.”
“So?” Veronica pulled her arm away. “We can’t just leave him there.” She snatched Logan’s pocket knife just as he pulled it out of the bag.
“Weevil’s going to be pissed.”
“Fuck Weevil,” Logan spat. “Cut him down, Veronica.”
She hadn’t needed his encouragement. “The show’s over,” Veronica called, carefully freeing the boy’s arms. “Feel free to move along.”
“You don’t need to be stupid and try to piss Weevil off because of him and Lilly,” Duncan told Logan, his voice kept carefully quiet. “He doesn’t care who you are, Logan. He’d be happy to beat the crap out of you.”
“Doesn’t have anything to do with Lilly,” Logan insisted. “And don’t worry, Duncan. We all know you didn’t have a thing to do with this. It’s all on us.”
Meanwhile, Veronica was carefully slicing the tape at the boy’s hip. “I’m Veronica,” she told him, then gasped at the bare skin she uncovered. “You’re not - there’s not - he took…” Her face flushed when the boy nodded.
“Yeah, he’s got my clothes. All of them. I’m Wallace, by the way. You might as well know that since I’m about to give you a peep show.”
“Logan,” Veronica called, stalling the building fight between him and Duncan. “Do you still have a pair of shorts in your car?”
“Yeah,” Logan said, still staring at Duncan. Then, processing her comment, he turned. “You mean he hasn’t got any…?” Veronica nodded. “Turn away, Veronica! I don’t think your eyes can handle the immodesty.” She rolled her eyes at him, her face flushing again. He pulled his polo off and threw it at Wallace. “I’ll go get you some pants, man.”
Wallace pulled the shirt over his shoulders, his modesty still preserved by the tape. “Thanks.” Logan was already halfway across the parking lot.
“So what did you do to get up there?” Veronica asked, her blush fading slightly as Wallace began to cover up.
“Pulled the silent alarm when a couple of the bikers lifted some 40s from the Sac ‘n’ Pac,” he told her. “Why’d you cut me down?”
She shrugged. “You didn’t belong up there.” She turned back to the parking lot when she heard Logan coming back. “Weevil won’t do anything to me.”
Logan passed a pair of board shorts to Wallace then turned to Veronica.
“Why don’t you go wait for us inside, Veronica?” he suggested. “This is going to hurt.”
She looked back at Wallace and her blush returned full force. “Yeah. I’ll see you later.”
…
“He duct-taped him to the flagpole, Lilly!” Veronica exclaimed. “Naked!”
Lilly was still laughing from the first time Veronica had told her, but she slowly calmed herself. “So what, Veronica? You should be excited. I heard he has a pretty nice body.” Lilly wiggled her eyebrows lasciviously. “And I also heard you got pretty close to that body.” She gasped. “Oh, Veronica, are you finally getting over Donut? Because I’m totally all for that. Ooh, and you’ve already seen him naked, so-”
“Lilly!” Veronica broke in. “Just please tell Weevil to back off.”
Lilly grinned. “Aw, that’s so cute. You’re, like, protecting him.” Lilly sighed. “Okay, I’ll tell him, but from now on you have to remember that you’re supposed to be the helpless one. They like to save you.”
“Yeah, Lilly,” Veronica said, deciding that it was best to let Lilly believe what she wanted about Wallace. “Since when do you play anyone’s damsel in distress?”
Lilly’s eyes flashed, and Veronica knew she had walked into something. “Oh my god, Veronica, you never let me tell you these stories! Okay, so Weevil has this pair of handcuffs…”
…
“Who are you?” Madison sneered, eyeing Wallace as he dropped his lunch bag on the table. “Did we say you could sit here?”
“His name is Wallace,” Veronica said, grabbing his wrist before he could leave. “And yes, I said he could sit here.” She looked at his lunch bag. “We’ve got pizza coming, if you want. There’s always too much.”
“He doesn’t have any Pirate Points,” Madison complained as Wallace tried to answer. “He shouldn’t get take-out.”
“Please.” Lilly rolled her eyes, dropping into the seat on Veronica’s free side. “Dick, Casey, and Logan don’t have any Pirate points.” She turned to Wallace. “Our boys are such bums; please tell me you do something.”
“Lilly, Wallace,” Veronica explained, gesturing between them. “Wallace, everyone.”
He nodded in her direction, and Lilly just smiled, her eyes darting between him and Veronica.
“I thought you were bringing Weevil for Lunch,” Veronica said, hoping to distract Lilly before she said something embarrassing. Logan and Duncan were still across the quad paying for the pizza, so she decided that it was a safe subject for the moment.
“Oh,” Lilly said, waving her hand dismissingly. “He’s being, like, psycho. He’s all pissy about this thing-” She gestured between Veronica and Wallace “-so I cut him off from all the Lilly-love.”
Veronica rolled her eyes, glancing at Wallace as she shook her head. “Lilly’s going to keep Weevil off your back,” Veronica whispered, hoping not to attract Lilly’s attention.
“Probably by spending lots of time on hers,” Logan added, turning up at Veronica’s elbow. She jabbed at him, but he skirted around the table and out of reach. He opened the box of pizza, and Veronica’s face almost immediately fell into a pout.
“You got mushrooms?” Veronica scowled. “I hate mushrooms.”
“But I love mushrooms,” Logan said, pulling a slice out of the box. When Veronica simply crossed her arms and continued to pout, Logan sighed, putting his slice back onto his plate. “Are you really just not going to eat?”
Veronica nodded. “I’m not eating mushrooms. They’re fungus.”
“But tasty fungus,” Wallace offered, taking a slice.
Logan shook his head, reaching back into his bag. “It’s a good thing I know you’re so nuts, then.” He dropped a take-out box of ravioli onto the table in front of her.
Veronica’s face broke into a grin, and Lilly narrowed her eyes, watching with something slightly darker than interest.
“Did you bring me anything?” she found herself asking, he face defaulting back to a flirty grin.
“Why?” Duncan asked, completely oblivious to the exchange between his best friend and his ex. “You love mushrooms.” Logan nodded at her, quickly dismissing her question.
Lilly rolled her eyes, but Wallace, unaware of the tension, changed the subject. “Hey, man,” he said to Logan. “Thanks again for the clothes. I owe you one.”
Logan shrugged. “It was no big deal. And when you’re done, feel free to burn them.” Lilly and Veronica raised questioning eyebrows, and Wallace just nodded while Duncan laughed to himself. “You can’t wash out another man’s commando,” Logan explained to the girls.
Veronica’s eyes widened, but Lilly’s frown just deepened. She hadn’t realized that Logan had been involved in Veronica’s little act of social defiance, and she certainly hadn’t liked the way he’d simply disregarded her. And when, moments later, she realized that, with the exception of running into him at Veronica’s house, she hadn’t heard from him all summer, a distinct feeling of unease fell over her.
This was not how she’d expected things to go.
She wasn’t used to anyone ignoring her, least off all Logan.
Lilly was on her feet before she’d fully formed a plan, and when Veronica asked what she was doing, she answered with the first thing she knew would hit everyone at the table.
“Promised Weevil a quickie on his bike,” she told them, loud enough for the table to hear. Veronica blushed crimson, and Logan paled to a paper white.
She walked away, satisfied that she’d reminded them that no one was immune to Lilly Kane.
Author: Tina
Word Count: 7,866 so far
Rating: PG-13 to R (eventually)
Characters: Logan / Veronica
Summary: Pre-series. Even if Lilly had lived, things still would’ve been screwy.
Spoilers / Warnings: Set pre-season, but references to first season are fair game.
Disclaimer: Not mine. I’d probably break it.
AN: Finals are coming up, and while I'm going to try to keep this almost once a week posting up, I'm not sure how well it's going to work. I'm hoping I'll get at least one or two more chapters out before I go home for break, but I should have more time on my hands in another three weeks.
Previous Chapters
Chapter Two
“Lilly’s coming back tomorrow.” Veronica tried for casual, only glancing slightly away from the television to gage Logan’s reaction. It was less than she’d expected.
He shrugged. “So’s Duncan.” Veronica nodded. “You think it’s going to change anything?”
She looked at him, not sure what he was even asking her. “Like what?”
Logan cornered her character, and the remote began to vibrate in her hands.
She paused the game. “Like what, Logan?”
He stared at the screen for a moment longer, then put the remote down and turned to her.
“Like, are you going to go straight back to pining over Duncan?”
That question hadn’t been anywhere on her list of possibilities, and she gaped back at him. “Why?” she asked him. “Are you just going to go right back to tailing Lilly?”
He threw his controller at the floor. “You think that’s what I’ve been doing?” He pulled himself to his feet. “Damn it, Veronica, she treats me like a puppy; I know that.”
“You’ve always gone back,” Veronica returned, her voice quiet but not retreating. “How is it any different this time?”
He walked to his bed, his back to Veronica. “It was always the four of us before, wasn’t it? It is different this time.”
“We can’t fix it, can we?”
Logan shrugged, turning back to her and perching on the edge of the bed. “Don’t go after him, Veronica,” he told her. “He thinks he’s got his reasons, and he’s just going to keep hurting you.”
“Why do you care, Logan?’
He smiled, cracking the tension in the room. “Well, you are my friend, Mars. And you’re a whole lot cuter when you’re not dripping snot.”
…
“Veronica Mars, I know you’re in there,” Lilly called. She knocked on the front door again. “Come on. It’s back to school time, and I’m not shopping al-” Lilly’s words died off when the front door opened and she saw Logan standing in the Mars’s entryway. “Logan?” Lilly stepped back and surveyed the front porch. “No, I’m pretty sure this is the right house. What are you doing with my best friend?”
“She’s my friend too, Lilly,” Logan told her. “And veronica made me go school shopping with her. Apparently she thought I might neglect the essentials: paper, pencils, the rest.”
“Oh.” Lilly turned back to the street. “Did you walk here? I don’t see your car.”
“I made him park in the garage,” Veronica said, appearing at Logan’s shoulder. “I would’ve felt bad if he’d had to carry everything in from the street and all the way up to my room.” Veronica smirked at Logan, and Lilly’s brows knit together. “So, school shopping?”
Lilly snapped her attention back to Veronica. “Well, it is the best thing about starting school.”
Veronica shrugged her jacket on and turned to Logan. “Are you coming?”
“Shopping with you and Lilly?” Logan stepped into the front yard and put his palm to the ground.
“What are you doing?” Veronica asked as she locked the door behind her.
“Just checking to see if maybe hell had frozen over.” He shook his head. “I’m reading no.” He pulled Veronica in for a hug and headed toward the garage. “Lilly, is DK back too? I think I’m going to head to the beach.”
She shrugged, still unsettled by the new ease between Logan and Veronica. “Yeah, but our parents have him locked up. I think today he’s researching colleges.”
“Aren’t you the up-and-coming senior?” Veronica asked.
“Who am I to stand in the princess’s way?” She turned back to Logan. “Call his cell if you actually want to talk to him. I think Celeste is monitoring the house phone.”
…
“So what’s going on with you and Logan?” Lilly didn’t bother trying for discreet. She pulled another shirt from the rack and let the question fall however it would.
“Um. Nothing?” Veronica answered as if it might’ve been the dumbest thing she had ever heard. She skimmed through the rack aimlessly, ignoring almost everything.
“I’ve never seen him hug you before,” Lilly prodded. “And since when do you two go shopping?”
“Maybe since my best friend took off to Napa for the whole summer without a word to me,” Veronica tossed back, her voice listless. Truth be told, she had enjoyed spending the summer with Logan, and she was pretty sure it never would have happened if Lilly had been in town.
“You could’ve called me,” Lilly tossed back. “I was bored out of my mind. You should’ve come to visit. Mom was so pissed after Weevil came, though, she probably wouldn’t have let you.” Lilly grinned, and Veronica already felt her weakly placed walls falling. Being angry with Lilly didn’t do anything to her; it only made Veronica feel worse. Most of the time, fighting with Lilly just wasn’t worth it. “Well, after she found out, at least.”
“What?”
“The Napa house has a surprising affinity for hiding people. Mom didn’t even realize he was there for three days.”
Veronica gaped. “Are you kidding me? What about his bike? Or did you sneak him out there in your trunk?”
Lilly tried for a look of innocence, but it fell somewhere just short of predatory. “I might’ve given her the idea that it was the gardener’s.” Lilly laughed. “God, I don’t think I have ever seen her so red. She was pissed. I wish I could’ve gotten a picture, but with Weevil on top of me and all…”
Veronica cut her off. “Yep, got it, Lilly. That’s all the visual that I need for, um, forever.”
Lilly’s grin was Cheshire as she looped her arm through Veronica’s. “This year is going to be absolutely amazing Veronica! I can feel it.’
…
“Veronica!” Lilly honked the horn, rolling her eyes as Veronica appeared at the front door. “Come on, Mars. We can’t make an entrance if everyone’s already in class.”
“Lilly, class doesn’t even start for twenty minutes,” Veronica complained. “I’m sure we’ll get there early.”
Lilly just grinned and cranked the stereo.
…
“Weevil’s waiting for me out back,” Lilly told Veronica as she pulled into the parking lot.
“I knew there had to be a reason you wanted to get to school early,” Veronica said, rolling her eyes. “I guess I’ll see you at lunch then.”
Lilly smiled. “I might bring Weevil. Do you want to be my bestest friend ever and make sure Logan isn’t going to do something stupid?” Lilly didn’t wait for an answer before turning toward the side of the school, disappearing between the various cars in the parking lot.
Veronica shook her head. It was no use arguing with Lilly Kane.
Throwing her bag over her shoulder, Veronica turned toward the front of the school and almost immediately ran into Logan and Duncan, both climbing out of the Xterra.
“You’re actually showing up for school?” Veronica asked, once she realized that it was too late to hide behind another car. “And early?” Veronica shook her head. “This must be one of the signs of the apocalypse.” She turned to Duncan, offering him a small, “Hey.”
“Hey, Veronica.” She’d come to notice that Duncan didn’t make eye contact with her anymore. He’d stare at her nose, her chin, her forehead, but she might as well not have any eyes for how much he noticed them. It was becoming more than a little unnerving.
“Well,” Logan said, stepping between them, a smile on his face. “We’re upperclassmen, guys.” His smile abruptly fell. “Still feels like school.”
Heading toward the quad, they ran into a group of students practically buzzing with the whispers and sneers.
“What’s going on?” Veronica asked. She saw the flash of a camera, and stood on her tiptoes, trying to see over people’s heads. When Logan began to push through the crowd, she grabbed the strap of his backpack and followed. In the center, a boy had been duct taped to the flagpole, the word SNICH painted on his chest.
“Oh my god,” Veronica gasped. “Logan, give me your pocket knife.”
He was fumbling in his bag when Duncan walked up and grabbed Veronica’s arm. “What do you think you’re doing? The bikers put him up there.”
“So?” Veronica pulled her arm away. “We can’t just leave him there.” She snatched Logan’s pocket knife just as he pulled it out of the bag.
“Weevil’s going to be pissed.”
“Fuck Weevil,” Logan spat. “Cut him down, Veronica.”
She hadn’t needed his encouragement. “The show’s over,” Veronica called, carefully freeing the boy’s arms. “Feel free to move along.”
“You don’t need to be stupid and try to piss Weevil off because of him and Lilly,” Duncan told Logan, his voice kept carefully quiet. “He doesn’t care who you are, Logan. He’d be happy to beat the crap out of you.”
“Doesn’t have anything to do with Lilly,” Logan insisted. “And don’t worry, Duncan. We all know you didn’t have a thing to do with this. It’s all on us.”
Meanwhile, Veronica was carefully slicing the tape at the boy’s hip. “I’m Veronica,” she told him, then gasped at the bare skin she uncovered. “You’re not - there’s not - he took…” Her face flushed when the boy nodded.
“Yeah, he’s got my clothes. All of them. I’m Wallace, by the way. You might as well know that since I’m about to give you a peep show.”
“Logan,” Veronica called, stalling the building fight between him and Duncan. “Do you still have a pair of shorts in your car?”
“Yeah,” Logan said, still staring at Duncan. Then, processing her comment, he turned. “You mean he hasn’t got any…?” Veronica nodded. “Turn away, Veronica! I don’t think your eyes can handle the immodesty.” She rolled her eyes at him, her face flushing again. He pulled his polo off and threw it at Wallace. “I’ll go get you some pants, man.”
Wallace pulled the shirt over his shoulders, his modesty still preserved by the tape. “Thanks.” Logan was already halfway across the parking lot.
“So what did you do to get up there?” Veronica asked, her blush fading slightly as Wallace began to cover up.
“Pulled the silent alarm when a couple of the bikers lifted some 40s from the Sac ‘n’ Pac,” he told her. “Why’d you cut me down?”
She shrugged. “You didn’t belong up there.” She turned back to the parking lot when she heard Logan coming back. “Weevil won’t do anything to me.”
Logan passed a pair of board shorts to Wallace then turned to Veronica.
“Why don’t you go wait for us inside, Veronica?” he suggested. “This is going to hurt.”
She looked back at Wallace and her blush returned full force. “Yeah. I’ll see you later.”
…
“He duct-taped him to the flagpole, Lilly!” Veronica exclaimed. “Naked!”
Lilly was still laughing from the first time Veronica had told her, but she slowly calmed herself. “So what, Veronica? You should be excited. I heard he has a pretty nice body.” Lilly wiggled her eyebrows lasciviously. “And I also heard you got pretty close to that body.” She gasped. “Oh, Veronica, are you finally getting over Donut? Because I’m totally all for that. Ooh, and you’ve already seen him naked, so-”
“Lilly!” Veronica broke in. “Just please tell Weevil to back off.”
Lilly grinned. “Aw, that’s so cute. You’re, like, protecting him.” Lilly sighed. “Okay, I’ll tell him, but from now on you have to remember that you’re supposed to be the helpless one. They like to save you.”
“Yeah, Lilly,” Veronica said, deciding that it was best to let Lilly believe what she wanted about Wallace. “Since when do you play anyone’s damsel in distress?”
Lilly’s eyes flashed, and Veronica knew she had walked into something. “Oh my god, Veronica, you never let me tell you these stories! Okay, so Weevil has this pair of handcuffs…”
…
“Who are you?” Madison sneered, eyeing Wallace as he dropped his lunch bag on the table. “Did we say you could sit here?”
“His name is Wallace,” Veronica said, grabbing his wrist before he could leave. “And yes, I said he could sit here.” She looked at his lunch bag. “We’ve got pizza coming, if you want. There’s always too much.”
“He doesn’t have any Pirate Points,” Madison complained as Wallace tried to answer. “He shouldn’t get take-out.”
“Please.” Lilly rolled her eyes, dropping into the seat on Veronica’s free side. “Dick, Casey, and Logan don’t have any Pirate points.” She turned to Wallace. “Our boys are such bums; please tell me you do something.”
“Lilly, Wallace,” Veronica explained, gesturing between them. “Wallace, everyone.”
He nodded in her direction, and Lilly just smiled, her eyes darting between him and Veronica.
“I thought you were bringing Weevil for Lunch,” Veronica said, hoping to distract Lilly before she said something embarrassing. Logan and Duncan were still across the quad paying for the pizza, so she decided that it was a safe subject for the moment.
“Oh,” Lilly said, waving her hand dismissingly. “He’s being, like, psycho. He’s all pissy about this thing-” She gestured between Veronica and Wallace “-so I cut him off from all the Lilly-love.”
Veronica rolled her eyes, glancing at Wallace as she shook her head. “Lilly’s going to keep Weevil off your back,” Veronica whispered, hoping not to attract Lilly’s attention.
“Probably by spending lots of time on hers,” Logan added, turning up at Veronica’s elbow. She jabbed at him, but he skirted around the table and out of reach. He opened the box of pizza, and Veronica’s face almost immediately fell into a pout.
“You got mushrooms?” Veronica scowled. “I hate mushrooms.”
“But I love mushrooms,” Logan said, pulling a slice out of the box. When Veronica simply crossed her arms and continued to pout, Logan sighed, putting his slice back onto his plate. “Are you really just not going to eat?”
Veronica nodded. “I’m not eating mushrooms. They’re fungus.”
“But tasty fungus,” Wallace offered, taking a slice.
Logan shook his head, reaching back into his bag. “It’s a good thing I know you’re so nuts, then.” He dropped a take-out box of ravioli onto the table in front of her.
Veronica’s face broke into a grin, and Lilly narrowed her eyes, watching with something slightly darker than interest.
“Did you bring me anything?” she found herself asking, he face defaulting back to a flirty grin.
“Why?” Duncan asked, completely oblivious to the exchange between his best friend and his ex. “You love mushrooms.” Logan nodded at her, quickly dismissing her question.
Lilly rolled her eyes, but Wallace, unaware of the tension, changed the subject. “Hey, man,” he said to Logan. “Thanks again for the clothes. I owe you one.”
Logan shrugged. “It was no big deal. And when you’re done, feel free to burn them.” Lilly and Veronica raised questioning eyebrows, and Wallace just nodded while Duncan laughed to himself. “You can’t wash out another man’s commando,” Logan explained to the girls.
Veronica’s eyes widened, but Lilly’s frown just deepened. She hadn’t realized that Logan had been involved in Veronica’s little act of social defiance, and she certainly hadn’t liked the way he’d simply disregarded her. And when, moments later, she realized that, with the exception of running into him at Veronica’s house, she hadn’t heard from him all summer, a distinct feeling of unease fell over her.
This was not how she’d expected things to go.
She wasn’t used to anyone ignoring her, least off all Logan.
Lilly was on her feet before she’d fully formed a plan, and when Veronica asked what she was doing, she answered with the first thing she knew would hit everyone at the table.
“Promised Weevil a quickie on his bike,” she told them, loud enough for the table to hear. Veronica blushed crimson, and Logan paled to a paper white.
She walked away, satisfied that she’d reminded them that no one was immune to Lilly Kane.