A/N: So much reviewage makes for a very happy Ultra :-) Here comes more high drama and laughs as well...
(For disclaimer, etc. - see chapter 1)
Chapter 4 - Class Divided
Time ticks by slowly when there's nothing to say or do. Since the argument between Veronica Mars and Principal Clemmons and the consequent desk overturning incident, nobody had wanted to be the next one to speak for fear of suffering the wrath of either party.
In the silence, Logan watched Veronica stare off into space looking intensely thoughtful, wondering himself on this whole weird situation. Weevil experimented with new tattoo designs, scribbling onto the empty spaces on his arms, whilst Dick leant back on his chair recounting the ceiling tiles for about the twentieth time, coming up with a different number every single time. Mac stared down at her paper a long time, considering whether to start writing her essay or not, glancing around the room and deciding against it but then not knowing what else to do with her time and feeling increasingly out of place here in detention.
Minutes turned to hours and the overly bored students heads crept closer to the desktops until one by one they dozed off in various awkward positions, at least until the Principal walked in and yelled at them. Strangely, though all apparently asleep, every one of the five raised their hand when asked if they needed to use the bathroom. Anything was apparently preferable to sitting and staring at four walls, and four other people you didn't really know and never really cared to.
It was soon past ten, and Clemmons had since gone back into his office. Logan could stand the slow agonising waste of time no longer and dared to get up from his seat, going over to one of the shelving units and pretending to look thoughtful as he stared at row upon row of books.
"What are you looking for?" asked Mac, her voice so small she barely heard herself, wondering now why she'd ever even opened her mouth.
"I'm sorry, does anyone else hear a mouse squeaking?" asked Logan as he turned to look at the others, "Hmm, maybe we're losing our minds..." he said absently.
"Speak for yourself" replied Weevil with a roll of his eyes.
"You think I'd speak for you?" asked Logan cuttingly, "I don't even speak your language, amigo" he snapped, making the Mexican seethe as he knew he would, "Oops!" he said then, throwing a book over his shoulder, "My bad!" he called as another followed, coming close to clocking Dick in the head, "Would that it were Mr Clemmons head" he said with a flourish as he eyed a third book, then drop-kicked it away so hard it skimmed the edge of the desk where Weevil sat.
Again he glared at the rich white boy, wishing he dared to go over there and knock his teeth down his throat. Of course that would not end well, more detention and most likely criminal charges given the way these 09ers played their games.
"Hey, Weev" Veronica called his attention, knowing what he was thinking and the trouble he'd get into if he actually acted on the impulses that were fast trying to take him over, "Can you give me a ride home tonight?" she asked, glad when he tore his eyes off Logan and what he was doing and looked her way.
"Sure thing, V" he agreed easily, "I got time, so long as we move fast, gotta meeting with the guys tonight" he explained.
"You fixing for a rumble, isi?" she asked him, putting on a voice akin to a Mexican gangsta as she often did when she was joking around with him.
She never failed to make Weevil at least smirk at her ridiculous attempt.
"Ain't even like that" he told her with a smile, "Actually, we're headed out for Felix's Birthday. Bikers do know how to party, y'know" he explained, much to the surprise of those around him.
"I don't doubt it" replied Veronica, even as Mac's eyes went wide and Dick's ears perked up at the sound of the word 'party'.
It hadn't occurred to either of them that guys like Weevil and his gang would be interested in celebrating anything much, certainly not having Birthday parties for each other. It was odd how you could so easily forget that beneath the leather and attitude, these guys were still people, human beings who sometimes did normal things like everybody else.
"You can come along if you want" said Weevil then, apparently offering Veronica to join in the party his friends would be throwing.
She looked like she was at least going to consider it, and even opened her mouth to give some kind of answer to his offer when Logan shut a book loudly and caught everyone's attention. A brief chuckle emanated from his lips before he tossed aside the volume in his hands and wandered over to where Veronica and Weevil were sat.
"I really mean this" he said with his hands over his heart in fake sweetness, "Aaaw"
"Get lost, Logan" snapped Veronica, already sick of his crap and so much of the day was still to be endured.
He never used to be like this, or he did but on a much smaller scale. He said a few thoughtless and hurtful things but usually they were never meant the way they came out. Now it was as if he lived to wound her and anybody else who crossed his path. With her at least he believed he had a reason, though they'd never once talked about it.
"C'mon, if you two are trying to get it together, at least share that joy with the group" he said with over-the-top flourishes of his arms as he gestured between Veronica and Weevil then out towards himself, Dick, and Mac who were interested in what was going on but trying not to draw attention to themselves right now.
"What's the matter, Echolls?" the biker couldn't resist the smirk that rose on his lips, "Jealous?" he asked, one eye brow raised.
He knew Logan and Veronica had been tight back in the day, and he knew why it fell apart. To his mind, they only fought so hard because they never quite got over how much they liked each other underneath it all. He never said a word about it to V, but he'd take any opportunity to get this guy hoppin' mad!
"Jealous?" Logan echoed, as if disgusted by the thought, "Of you" he pointed, "and that?" he said nastily, making Veronica seethe on the inside, and cry a little too if she were honest, though not a hint of emotion showed on her face as she leant back in her chair, one foot propped on the desk in front, rocking herself back and forth.
"Y'know, I'll bet my Dad would let me borrow his gun" she said thoughtfully, forming her hand into the shape of said weapon and aiming it across her arm with one eye closed in concentration, "if I had a real good reason" she added dangerously as she pointed her 'gun' at Logan and 'fired'.
Logan seemed to remain unfazed, though he could not entirely hide his feelings from Veronica. Her barb stung as much as his, she saw the flash of it in his eyes before the mask fell back into place, and the psychotic jackass was back.
"Ah, Miss Mars and her bumbling former-Sheriff father" he said, clapping his hands together, "How cute?" he faked a grin that made her want to smack his face, though Weevil was quick to cut in before the blonde said or did something they might all live to regret.
"Now I know he's jealous of that" he said, as Logan turned to look his way, "Ain't an 09er kid whose parents spend time" he shook his head, "only cash, right?"
"What the hell do you know?" it was Dick who yelled those words, stunning everybody since he'd said next to nothing so far today.
Mac wondered how a famed 09er like Mr Casablancas could be so out of place, when usually he was in the thick of it all. He had so many friends, so much confidence apparently, and yet here, unless something really mattered to him a lot, he barely spoke, hardly made eye contact with anyone. It was strange to realise that here he was as a much an outsider as she was in so many ways, in fact they all were...
"Was I talking to you?" Weevil snapped, looking past Logan at his fellow 09er, "I don't remember saying your name, dude"
"I don't get along with my parents either" Mac found herself saying, not sure why she was throwing herself into the middle of a veritable war zone but deciding she ought to be safe enough, "I mean, I swear I must be adopted, it's like they just don't get me at all" she explained, perhaps just hoping that agreeing with the fact few kids got along with their folks might just earn her points with one side of the battle or the other.
Logan looked unamused at her busting in on his fight and turned too slowly to look sideways at her as he dropped into a seat between her row and Dick's own.
"What did they want?" he asked, "A freak without a brain"
"Logan!" immediately Veronica snapped at him, in an angry ton he recognised too well, "For God sakes, be a human being for five seconds" she urged him, "She has a name" she told him, as if he didn't know, her tone softening consideribaly as her eyes moved to the brunette across the room, "It's Mac, right? You fix computers" she said, almost smiling at the girl now.
"Yeah" she nodded, not sure if she liked this situation better or worse knowing that Veronica Mars would have her for an ally given half the chance, "Although Mac is actually short for Mackenzie" she explained, tucking a strand of blue-streaked hair back behind her ear, "Cindy Mackenzie"
"Cindy?" Logan practically exploded with laughter as he repeated her name, "Like the cheap ass doll that's not as hot as Barbie?" he teased her nastily.
"Yeah, 'cause Logan, that's the most stylish name ever" Weevil rolled his eyes, wondering how this kid could be quite so dumb.
Names were names, not a big deal. Your parents gave you the name they wanted you to have, you learned to love it and that was it. Sure he had a nickname he preferred but it didn't bother him none to have people know his real handle. It was just about the only thing his parents ever gave him, and he wouldn't part with it for the world.
"Says the guy they named Weevil" pointed out Logan as he looked his way, "Isn't that like a bug or something?" he asked with a wave of his hand, but Weevil let it go, knowing it wouldn't matter to Echolls even if he did explain where his biker name had come from, "And then we have Veronica" he said, overdoing her name as he hopped to his feet and simultaneously clapped his hands as if he were about to lead a cheer, "Well, at least Elvis Costello liked you" he said as he walked around her as if stalking pray then hopped up to sit on the desk a row in front of the blonde, "Of course his Veronica was a crazy person... huh, he must've known you" he told her.
With a too-pleasant smile, Veronica flipped him off, uncaring what he said anymore, or what he thought about her.
"Ooh, obscene finger gestures, and from a girl who used to be so sweet and innocent" he said with a waggle of his eyebrows that only made her more mad.
"That was a long time ago" she said flatly, knowing as well as he did this was dangerous ground to wander into, but when he got into this kind of mood, Logan had no fear.
"Yeah, from what I hear, not so virginal anymore, Ronnie" he baited her, "No more white wedding dreams, huh?" he said with a sigh as if he were disappointed on her behalf, heart broken because she had been.
"Like I'd tell you about my love life, Logan" she shook her head, arms folded across her chest as she looked away.
"You don't have to" he said, deliberately following her eyeline, getting in her face even when she wished he would just get lost, "Everybody already read it on the bathroom wall" he smirked.
She looked stunned for a moment but not for the reasons he thought at all.
"Oh my God" she gasped, a hand going to her chest, "You can read?" she asked, as if astonished, but Logan was quick to react and already had his mouth open, ready to throw another clever insult.
"Can I hit this guy yet?" Weevil cut in before he ever got a chance to continue the battle of wits, but Logan refused to be outdone just because he was fighting two on one here.
"Hey, the tough guy woke up" he said, looking unamused to have Weevil back in the mix.
"Just shut your mouth, Echolls" he said too seriously as he got up out of his seat now, "or I'll shut it for you, got it?" he warned
The way he and Logan were now squaring up to each other made Mac wish she could hide under her desk and not come out til this day was over. She wondered if Dick felt the same, after all the two who would tear lumps out of each other were much closer to his desk than hers.
"You and how many hog-riding buddies?" was Logan's clever reply, but smart-ass comments and witty retorts would mean nothing if Weevil really decided to hurt him.
"Just me and you, man" the biker warned, "Two hits. Me hittin' you and you hittin' the floor" he threatened, one fist pounding the opposite hand as he refused to back down.
Veronica looked between them, knowing the only end to what they'd started was going to be a nasty one. She knew it took a lot for Weevil to really lose it, but when he did, you didn't want to be around for the consequences. He didn't like to hear his friends dissed, and they had got to be friends this past while. Then there was Logan, who always had to be right, always had to be the big man and prove something. She knew why, though she'd never tell.
When he laughed that almost maniacal laugh, she knew he didn't mean to make a joke, wasn't going to let this go and be nothing. Weevil was mistaken to think about backing down and moving back towards his seat. The second he lost concentration, Logan's laughter was gone, in place an angry yell as he ran and tackled the biker who would dare to threaten him.
They wrestled around for all of thirty seconds, before the crackling and clicking sound of Mr Sparky, Veronica's trusty taser, had them leaping apart. She'd use it, they both knew she would and it wasn't worth it. The three stood there in an oddly violent triangle, throwing nasty looks but no punches, at least for now.
Mac was only glad the action was over, never more so than when she heard the rattle of a cleaning lady's trolley and turned around from the violent scene behind her to see Mary arriving. She was a lunch lady during school hours, but from talking to her Mac had learned she also did cleaning and helped out the janitor some evenings and weekends for extra cash.
The others clearly knew nothing about this lowly staff member beyond her job title. They hadn't spent time getting to know her, not least because actually talking to her would get them nowhere. Mary was evidentally deaf, as the others learned when she waved to Mac and they began a conversation with their hands.
"What is she doing?" asked Dick, not really meaning to verbalise the thought but it fell out of his mouth without a care.
"Sign language" said Veronica, as she stared along wit the rest of the group, "She must be deaf" she added, realising she had never once paid enough attention to the woman to realise this before.
"Hey, Mac" called Dick, probably the first time he had ever used her name or said anything that was really meant for her ears, "What's she sayin'?" he wanted to know, as Mac excused herself from her conversation with Mary to listen to him and answer his question.
"Not much, just asked why I was here" she shrugged, then telling Mary what Dick's question had been.
"Can you ask her a question for me?" asked Logan then, and Mac glanced his way, wary of the smirk on his face.
Still, she figured she was safe. Logan wouldn't know what she was saying, in fact it was unlikely anyone in the room would know but herself and Mary.
"Sure" she agreed easily, quickly explaining to Mary that the 'jackass' had a question for her.
She smiled amusedly at that and turned to look at Logan as he spoke.
"How does a person become a school cleaning lady?" he asked, and though she had half an idea what he was saying from reading his lips, it helped to have Mac sign the question out straight after.
Her fingers quickly formed a reply and all four onlookers were waiting for Mac to explain.
"She wants to know why you're asking" she said, looking back to Logan who only smiled for a moment.
"Because I think it'd make a great job for Weevs" he chuckled, dodging away from the biker who was shooting him an evil look.
The 09er knew damn well that Weevil's grandma was a cleaner, in the Echolls house no less. Most of the Navarro family and those connected to them had fairly menial jobs, and though he was not ashamed of the world he came from, Eli could use not having his face rubbed in it.
"Mary says you're a fool" said Mac then, catching everyone's attention, but Logan's most especially, "You hate people for being different, but in the end, we're all the same" she recited, reading each movement of the Mary's hands, and laughing lightly and what came next, "And that clock is twenty minutes fast" she said, pointing to the timepiece in question above their heads.
As the boys reacted with anger and disbelief, Veronica could only smile.
To Be Continued...