Chapter 4

Isn't it amazing how much someone's life can change in just a few seconds? Veronica mused as she took her books out of her locker.

A few seconds that's how long the kiss she shared with Logan had lasted and now, because of those few seconds, her life was irrevocably different from how it had been the day before.

Yesterday she would have thought nothing could touch the way she felt about Duncan. Nor would she have believed she would have done anything to jeopardize her friendship with Lilly.

She sighed. Lilly. Lilly who wants her help in finding the 'bitch who has been fucking her boyfriend.'

God, how would she react when she found out that the girl who had swayed Logan's affections was in fact Veronica? True they hadn't engaged in anything quite as lewd as Lilly suggested, but Veronica knew that that one kiss would hurt Lilly more than if Logan had been sleeping with countless of other nameless sluts.

She always said; Chicks before Dicks. And even though she said it to mock Dick Casablancas who often loved to recite the 'guy code' counterpart– Bros before Hos– she knew how seriously Lilly believed in friendship coming before romance.

Damn it. Veronica slammed her locker with such force she got a few looks from the other people in the hallway. She gave the gawkers a tight, sheepish smile and slunk off.

None of this would be happening if Lilly hadn't given me that stupid dare. What kind of person dares their best friend to kiss their boyfriend? What the hell was she thinking?

Gee, Veronica, said the other side of her brain, pretty ballsy of you to make out with your best friends boyfriend and then put the blame on her for it, don't you think?

She sighed, knowing that the latter, more rational, part of her mind was right; Lilly wasn't to blame for this. She may have made that dare, but what happened last night was definitely not part of any game.

No, it sure wasn't. That was made all the more clear by the fact that Logan had gone and broken up with Lilly right afterward.

Veronica still couldn't believe that. Sure, it had been and incredible and intense kiss but, was it worth throwing a long-term relationship away over?

Veronica became even more troubled when she couldn't think of an answer for that question.

Was she supposed to break up with Duncan now? Is that what Logan was expecting?

Her stomach twisted at the thought. She still loved Duncan, one kiss wasn't going to change that no matter how amazing. But when she thought about kissing Duncan in comparison to kissing Logan... She had to wonder if Logan's lips had ruined all other lips for her.

Her eyes closed automatically as she remembered the feel of his lips on hers, the taste of them, the way his tongue had slipped into her mouth and skillfully danced with her own.

NO! Stop that! She berated herself. Thinking about the kiss is not going to help you think any clearer.

In face quite the opposite was true.

She shook her head, eyes clenched, to clear the image away.

Okay, she thought on trying a rational objective approach, so it was the best kiss you've ever had, so what? What is one great kiss in comparison to what you have with Duncan? I mean it's Duncan– whom you love. Duncan, the kindest, sweetest, most caring guy you know. Duncan the guy who–

Is headed your way right this very second.

Oh crap.

She froze in her tracks, panicked. She was so not ready to face him yet. Not until she had a better hold on her feelings. The encounter with Lilly had been painful enough.

Oh god, oh god. She had to get out of there before he noticed her.

Too late. She gulped as her eyes met Duncan's and she saw the little flicker of recognition in them.

Her stomach sank with the now hopeless inevitability of the situation. She mustered up a small smile and lifted her hand to wave. But before she was even able to raise her hand fully, Duncan made an abrupt turn and zoomed down a different corridor.

Veronica was stunned. She just stood there her frozen, hand at half-mast, blinking in confusion.

What the...?

She knew Duncan had seen her. So why would he pretend he didn't?

Why would Duncan try to get away from me?

She could only think of one possibility

Her eyes narrowed in anger.

Maybe, Lilly wasn't the only Kane Logan paid a visit to last night.

" 'First say to yourself what would be; and then do what you have to do.' - Epictetus."

Veronica was ready to scream in frustration as she angrily punched her phone off on Logan's damn daily inspirational quote.

She usually thought they were funny, but right now they were annoying as hell.

Damn it, Logan.

She needed to talk to him, needed to find out if her horrible suspicion was true; that he told Duncan about them.

Why would he do that? That question had been wracking her brain since she saw Duncan. She couldn't imagine what Logan would be thinking telling him, he obviously didn't tell Lilly.

Maybe it went back to that damn guy code; maybe he confessed to Duncan out of some loyalty to friendship. If that were the case Veronica didn't know if she could blame him.

But if he did tell Duncan he could have at least had the decency to give me a heads up. But, wait this is Logan I'm talking about here; decency? Ha!

And on top of everything the jackass was being cowardly by not showing up today and avoiding her calls.

Right now she couldn't believe that even for a moment she had entertained the idea of wanting Logan over Duncan. And now that she thought about it maybe that kiss wasn't as tremendous as she had thought. She was just so tired last night, her brain was fuzzy.

Sleep deprivation; that's what it was.

She punched the redial button on her cell. It rang three times then Logan's voice mail picked up again.

"Ugh!"

Veronica hung up.

She couldn't wait for school to end to see Logan. But the terms of her grounding clearly stated she was to come strait home after school was finished.

But as to where she was to be during school hours, that wasn't specified.

Keith Mars hadn't thought to make precautions for that little loop-hole.

Veronica bit her lip. She hadn't skipped school since seventh grade; she and Lilly had taken the bus to go see 'My pretty pony' at a record signing at a mall in L.A.

Her parents had been clueless about the excursion. But Veronica had felt sick with guilt and when Keith asked her over dinner that night 'if anything special happened today?', she had confessed the whole thing.

She didn't think her resolves were quite as weak as they were then, and skipping study hall and gym to go a few miles to Logan's house, wasn't quite as severe as ditching the whole day and going to L.A.

And these were desperate times.

Stomach flip-flopping with her decision, Veronica turned on her heel and changed her course toward the parking lot.

She nearly tripped over her feet when she saw Logan yucking it up with Dick Casablancas by the exit.

So he did show up after all. Veronica thought, blood simmering. Just not for third period. Which to Veronica was the damning proof that it was her he was avoiding.

Clenching her jaw and balling her fist, Veronica began stomping toward him, but stopped suddenly realising she couldn't have it out with him in front of Dick, or anyone else. She had to do this in private.

She bit her lip, scanning the hall. Her eyes fell on the convenience of the girl's bathroom and she quickly ducked inside. Thankfully, it was empty. She cracked the door open just enough to keep an eye on Logan and Dick. The bell rang, but neither of the boys made a move to get to class.

She sighed impatiently.

Finally, the pair shared some secret guy handshake – at which Veronica rolled her eyes– then Dick took off out of the door and Logan started down the hall.

Veronica shrank back so she wouldn't be noticed and when Logan came within her reached, she whipped the door open and yanked him inside.