And when the door begins to crack, it's like a stick across your back.
**
The fine spray permeated the air around Logan as he attempted to swat away Lilly's latest fragrance, "I don't want to wear it."
Veronica sighed in amused disgust, "She's just gonna rub it all over you anyway. What's the difference?"
"It's less fun this way," he suggested with a cocked eyebrow.
Veronica slid herself into one of the seats across from Lilly at their lunch table, "Where's Duncan?"
Lilly shrugged in response, "Mom sent him on a 'trip'."
Veronica looked worried, "Is he okay?"
"This is Duncan, he's probably conspiring with world leaders as we speak," Logan chuckled.
"Please? Conspiring? Like he'd know 'bad' if it bit him on the ass!" Lilly protested.
"There's an experiment for you Veronica," he smirked.
"You're an ass," she blushed.
Logan's smirk flourished into a full grin, "Love you too."
"Guys, guys, please. We're a man down – this means appropriate compensation needs to be taken this weekend," Lilly interrupted.
"We have to party for Duncan?" Veronica anticipated.
"I'll drink for him."
"You already drink for three small communes," Lilly swatted at his arm.
"It's a good cause," he shrugged.
*
"Where is everyone?"
"Party doesn't start for another two hours," Lilly informed.
"So… Do we have to set up or something?"
Lilly skipped a little down the hall, proffering a large bottle of Dom Perignon from the bright pink tote hanging off her shoulder, "Veronica, chill. This is Logan's, there are, like, people to do that for us. We are simply here to get the party started – nice and early."
*
"How could any part of that not be embarrassing to you?"
Lilly shrugged, "It was funny."
"Oh, yeah, hilarious," drawled Logan.
"What?" she slapped his arm, "the look on your face was classic. Totally hilarious."
He scowled at her, obviously not happy.
Veronica stood, ready to join the rest of the party again. "Okay, I'm gonna… go. You guys coming?"
"One of us already did," Logan grumbled under his breath causing Veronica to flush a bright pink when she overheard.
Lilly's grin was wicked when she reprimanded, "Don't sulk Logan, it's not pretty on you."
*
Logan was perched on the edge of the sideboard, a beer in his lap, "Sorry."
"For what?" Veronica looked up, snapped from her daze.
He raised his eyes in reference to the earlier event.
"Oh. It's okay."
"Alright, just," he sighed, "she's such a bitch sometimes."
"Lilly?"
"Said she'd locked the door."
"I don't think she meant for me to walk in. I was just looking for the bathroom."
"V, how many times have you been here?"
"Your doors all look the same when they're closed!"
He smiled, melting into a soft chuckle, "At least my doors match."
"Hey, my house is fine, thank you very much."
As she finished an overtly drunk 09er peered over the back of Veronica's seat, leering down at her as he replied, "It's not the only thing."
"Hey, man, you wanna back off?"
"She's not yours is she?"
"No, but I think you'd feel a whole lot more comfortable if you took three steps back and fucked off."
"Okay, okay, dude. Man, what's your trip?" he muttered, backing away.
With a short, relieved sigh Veronica looked up from her drink with a small smile, "Thanks."
"S'okay."
"Hey," she gestured across the room, "Lilly's back."
"Cool, I'll catch you later."
"Sure," she gave him a little wave as Logan disappeared into the crowd to meet Lilly half-way.
*
"Veronica, what is that?" Lilly flounced back to her recliner by the pool.
Veronica barely looked up, "Homework?"
"It's summer, that is so not the time for homework – look, you're not even at home!" she gestured to her own expansive garden.
"I got bored," Veronica justified, "at least this way it'll be done by the time Duncan gets back."
"Flawed logic because I am much more fun than Duncan."
"Well, I'd have to ask Logan 'cause I never see you anymore, Lilly," Veronica mumbled into her notebook.
"That's so not true, Veronica. But if it was you could totally still come hang with us."
"And watch you guys make out?"
"It's not going to kill you. You'd think I was like permanently attached to his face or something," Lilly rolled her eyes.
"You are! I'm not being your third wheel. It's not fun."
"Fine," she sighed dramatically, "but Logan's not even here right now is he?"
"Maybe he'll turn up when you learn how to lock a door," she mumbled offhandedly.
"What?" Lilly didn't look impressed.
"I don't know, Lilly. You're just…" Veronica floundered helplessly trying to find the right words.
"I'm just what, Veronica?"
Softly she let her gaze fall to the ground, "I don't want to argue with you."
"What am I, Veronica?" Lilly demanded.
"You're just… different. Ever since you… y'know," her eyes went wide, trying to gesture.
"This is so about the party isn't it?"
"Not just the party."
Lilly rolled her head back on her neck, "Look, Veronica, it was an accident!" She leaned over conspiratorially, "Plus, it's not like seeing Logan naked would mentally scar you. Believe me."
"This is exactly what I'm talking about," Veronica's features were tight.
Lilly started, genuinely surprised, "I was just joking."
"But it's not funny."
"Well, okay, I'm sorry."
*
"Lilly's not here, Logan."
"Yeah, I know," he shuffled a foot on her front step. "Wanna go to the beach?"
Veronica squinted slightly, pulling the door closed behind her, "Did you guys break up?"
"I don't know. Maybe."
"I really don't think she means it – a lot of the stuff she does," she tried to justify her best friend.
"Sure," he agreed skeptically.
There was a thick, quiet moment between the two before Veronica's voice broke through, "You still wanna go to the beach? We could bring Back Up."
"If I wanted to bring a bitch then Lilly would be in the back seat."
Veronica scowled at his remark, but managed to let it pass for the most part, "Back Up's not a she."
"Well, then I only want to go if we can bring Back Up," he grinned, "God, Veronica, I need some intelligent company while we're there."
"You're so sexist!"
He rolled his eyes, sighing deeply, "It's not my fault that girls have cooties. In fact, I think you should ride in the trunk – make sure I don't catch anything."
She stuck her tongue out smartly, "Not such a threat, your trunk's bigger than my car."
He just shook his head at her as Veronica collected Back Up and climbed into the passenger side of Logan's car.
"Did Lilly spill perfume back there?" she almost gagged, "It stinks of her in here."
Logan cast her a sideways glance, keeping his eyes mostly trained on the static road in front of them, "Yeah, well. I bet a lot of guys' cars smell like Lilly."