For your reading pleasure!
Chapter 9: Working Through Things
******Monday******
Veronica went into school Monday morning feeling a variety of things. Wallace glanced at her. She was too quiet. "What's going on in that busy little brain of yours?" he asked as they got out of her car.
"Little?" she scoffed. "There's nothing little about my brain!"
Wallace grinned. "You're too quiet this morning. Is everything okay?" he asked.
"I think so. I'm happy Dad's coming back today," she said.
"But?" Wallace prodded.
"But Logan didn't call or text me all weekend," she shared.
"Did you call him?" he asked.
"No. He always calls," she said with a frown.
"Veronica Mars, I thought you of all women were not so old fashioned!" Wallace said in a scandalized tone. "Maybe he's tired of doing all the work. Didn't you tell him you needed space?"
She gave him a penetrating look. "How did you know that? I never told you that!" she said.
"Well, I talked to Jackie Saturday," he admitted. "She was sitting next to you guys at the game."
"You talked to Jackie? What are you doing talking to Jackie? Does Hannah know?" Veronica asked pointedly.
"There's no law against talking to another woman. Besides, I'm not going to let you change the subject," he said firmly.
Veronica looked away. "All this stuff with Cassidy and Dick has brought up things I was trying hard to forget. Logan's always looking at me with these guilt stricken eyes. He wants me to just be okay, and I'm trying. But when I see Dick, I want to commit real violence," Veronica shared.
Wallace sighed, hating that things were so hard for his best friend. "Dick's an idiot. You know that. Don't let him bother you," Wallace said. "I think he feels so guilty about the way he treated his brother that he's taking it out on you. Just stay away from him."
"That's the problem. I can't seem to do that since I'm dating his best friend," Veronica said glumly. They made it to the front of the school, and she felt more eyes on her than normal. There was a lot of whispering and even looks of sympathy from a few students. Then a guy walked by and said loudly to his friend, "'I was drugged!' is was the sluts are saying these days!" His friend laughed. Veronica gave the guy a sharp look. Suspicious, she headed to her locker.
Wallace trailed after her. Taped to her locker was a newspaper with the heading "From Victim to Rapist". Veronica ripped it off and scanned the article. There in black and white was her name in connection to Cassidy Casablancas. She groaned and showed it to Wallace.
Wallace read the article. "A source close to Veronica Mars was quoted as saying, 'Veronica is obviously devastated by what happened to her and would like to move on with her life,'" Wallace read aloud.
"What?" Veronica asked, grabbing the paper back from him and reading it more carefully. "Did a reporter talk to you?"
Wallace looked surprised. "No, of course not. I would've told you. I haven't seen any around," Wallace said.
"It wasn't a matter of public record until the deal was filed and sealed on Friday," Veronica shared.
She saw Logan walking down the hall talking to Jackie. He stopped when he saw her. "Hey. How's it going?" he asked.
"How's it going? How's it going?" Veronica asked twice, unable to wrap her mind around his cavalier behavior. "This is how it's going!" She shoved the paper at him. He gave her a puzzled look and read the article. Jackie leaned close and read over his shoulder.
Logan looked at her in concern. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"I don't know. I'm still in shock," she said with a grimace. She knew the news was bound to get out, but it still managed to surprise her somehow.
"Hey, Veronica!" a guy shouted. "We're having a party this weekend. Hope you can make it!" His friends laughed like he'd told the funniest joke.
Logan turned to the guy and started to charge him when Veronica grabbed his arm to hold him back. However, she didn't think to grab Wallace. He wasn't about to let her be harassed over her rape and went up to the guy, shoving him hard in the chest. The guy fell hard against a locker.
Logan pulled loose from Veronica and went to back up Wallace. Several guys in Letterman jackets were standing near the guy Wallace was arguing with.
"Steve, if you say another word about Veronica again, I'll make sure you can't wrestle the rest of the season," Wallace was saying to the guy.
The guy shoved Wallace back. "I'm not afraid of you, Fennel. You're a lightweight! Your pal Veronica likes to get drunk at parties and come on to any guy around. Then she has the nerve to cry rape! I was at that party. She wanted it, and everyone knew it! Dick's little brother would never rape a girl! He barely even talks to any!" Steve said angrily.
Before Wallace could respond, Logan inserted himself between the two men, standing toe to toe to the guy. "Listen up, you dumb meathead. That's my girlfriend, you're slandering!" Then Logan hit the guy hard in the stomach and another hit to his jaw. The fight was about to escalate before Duncan and Luke appeared and pulled the two guys apart. Duncan eyed the jocks. "I suggest you guys stop whatever crap you're starting with my friends," Duncan said.
"They're saying crap about Veronica and Beav," Logan said angrily.
Understanding, Duncan gave the guys a disgusted look. "I'd think very carefully, boys, before you start spreading any rumors or saying comments to Veronica," Duncan said coldly.
"You knocked up the Virgin Queen, Kane. Maybe we don't care anymore what you have to say," another guy said. There were a few murmured agreements.
Wallace, Duncan, and Logan were at a stand off with several members of the wrestling team when Dick and several more 09ers appeared. "Dudes, what's going on?" Dick asked. It was obvious that he knew the guys Veronica didn't. She knew faces but hadn't bothered learning any new names since Lilly died. At least not any more 09ers. The only jock worth knowing, in her opinion, was Wallace.
"Veronica Mars is crying rape, Dick. Your brother is a fall guy," one of the guys said. He shot Veronica a malevolent look.
Veronica stood off to the side watching the showdown in disbelief. Mac and Weevil appeared. Mac went to her side as Weevil stepped up to Logan. "Is there a problem?" Weevil asked him.
"Just some dumb jocks that don't know their place," Logan said with a scoff.
"Your reign's being challenged? And it's not even my birthday," Weevil said, grinning. Logan smirked at him and waited for Dick's response.
Dick looked at Logan and then glanced back at Veronica. His eyes, for once, were veiled. "Dudes, I appreciate the support, but it's okay. My brother admitted to what he did. He didn't know someone had slipped Ronnie a roofie, but he knew she was too out of it to give her permission. It wasn't cool. He's paying for it," Dick said. The guys looked surprised as did Veronica.
"You sure, dude?" one of the guys asked him.
Logan was getting pissed and stepped up. "I don't give a damn if he's sure or not! Anyone says another word to Veronica, and they'll answer to me!" Logan said angrily.
Weevil stepped up next to him and glared at the guys. "And me," he said.
The school as a whole was still coming to terms with Logan's new found friendship with the former PCHer. However, when the rest of the 09ers stood behind them, the wrestling team nodded at Dick and turned and walked off.
The 09ers started to disperse. Weevil gave Dick a dismissive look and walked toward Veronica.
"Don't take any crap from these assholes," he told her.
"I don't intend to but thanks," she told him. He nodded and reached for Mac's hand.
"I'll see you at lunch," Mac said to Veronica before walking off with Weevil.
Duncan told Dick that the news about Cassidy was in the paper. Dick nodded, not surprised. He walked toward Veronica, who braced herself for whatever he was going to say.
Jackie and Wallace were still watching the drama unfold as Dick stopped in front of Veronica.
"Dick," Logan said, warning Dick.
"Relax, dude. I get it. I know this isn't Ronnie's fault. It's mine and my dad's," Dick said. He looked at Veronica. "We never treated Beav very good and then that perv coach messed him up even more. I didn't realize how messed up he was. I swear I didn't believe he'd actually touch you that night at the party when I left him in that room with you. I know it can't change anything now, but I'm sorry for what he did and my part in it."
Veronica was surprised by Dick's sincerity but relieved. She didn't need to constantly fight with Logan's friend, not if she was going to date him. "Thanks for saying it," she told Dick. The bell rang. Wallace and Jackie turned to go to their lockers. Duncan slapped Dick on the shoulder and walked off, too. Dick turned to leave. "I'll be right back," Logan told Veronica, who nodded as she opened her locker to grab her books.
"Dick, wait up!" Logan called out. Dick stopped and looked at him. "Thanks, dude, for doing that."
"I'm sorry for being a pain," Dick told him. "I know that Duncan's your best friend, but you've always been mine. I don't want to lose you now that I've lost my dad and my brother. Things suck enough." Before Logan could figure out how to reply to that, he turned and walked into a classroom.
Logan slowly turned and walked back to Veronica, who was waiting at her locker.
"That could've been worse," Veronica said.
"Tell me about it," Logan said, smiling at her. "Friday, I told Dick that we couldn't hang out if he didn't stop making things worse for you."
Veronica gave him a small smile. "I don't need you to fight my battles, but I appreciate you dealing with Dick. I know he's your friend," she said.
"Yes, but he's not the one I'm in love with," Logan said, reaching for her hand and lacing their fingers together.
Her smile widened. "I thought maybe you were reconsidering that. I'm a lot of work," she said.
"True. I bore easily, though, so it works for me," he replied, giving her a wolfish grin.
Veronica laughed as the tardy bell rang. "We're late," she said.
"I don't care," he said, pulling her toward the girls bathroom. When they were inside, he glanced around to make sure it was empty. Then he wedged it shut and turned to face her. "I missed you this weekend."
"You didn't call," she said, a small note of accusation in her tone.
"You told me you wanted space," he reminded her.
She sighed. "I know I did. My emotions seem to be all over the place these days. I know I hate feeling pushed to be okay with everything. I know I hate when you hoover sometimes, but I don't want you to not be there. You matter too much to me," she said sincerely.
"I do?" he asked, boxing her in with one arm on her shoulder, the other on the wall behind her. He smiled down at her, glad she was opening up to him and not pushing him away.
"Yes," she said softly. "I'm not ready for things to be over with us."
"That's good because I have no intention of letting you get rid of me so easily," he said. Then he leaned down to fuse their lips together. Her arms went around his neck as he kissed her passionately, all his longing for her the past few days spilling out into the kiss. She returned the kiss with equal passion. She loved kissing him.
Eventually, he broke off for air and rested his forehead against hers, breathing heavy. "I guess we should go to class," he said reluctantly.
"We can continue this later," she told him smiling.
"Lunch?" he asked eagerly. She laughed and nodded. He kissed her one last, lingering time before letting her out of the bathroom. Reluctantly, she let go of his hand and walked to her first class.
*****Lunch*****
Logan made a point of ordering lunch for him and Veronica at the beginning of his class before lunch. He even used a promise of a hefty tip to have the lunch waiting by his car since it was so easy to spot in the land of convertibles in their school parking lot. When he went outside, he found Veronica sitting with Mac and Weevil. They were discussing the newspaper article.
"I haven't had any reporters talk to me," Mac was saying.
"I'm going by the newspaper's office after school and track down the writer of the article. I want to know who this so called source is," Veronica said in displeasure.
Logan sat down next her. "Just be glad the so-called friend didn't say anything else. The quote wasn't too bad," he said.
"It doesn't matter. I didn't say it to anyone. Someone presumed to speak for me and that really ticks me off," Veronica said.
Logan stood up and grabbed her hand. "Well, I have something that will put you in a better mood," he said, grinning. He looked at Mac and Weevil. "Sorry, guys. We'll catch you later!"
"Glad they're okay. Logan was like a lost puppy all weekend," Weevil said with a snicker.
"Why is that?" Mac asked.
"Veronica told him to give her space, so he didn't call, text, or email her for two entire days," Weevil said, grinning.
Mac laughed. "He actually lasted that long?" she asked in disbelief.
"I kept him busy working on my car," Weevil said smugly. "It's almost ready to drive."
"Logan is a mechanic?" Mac asked in surprise.
"No. I am. But he's a quick learner. He remembers everything I tell him. It's kind of uncanny," Weevil said in bemusement.
"Well, he reads a lot. I know his grades are not like Duncan's or Veronica's, but I think that's lack of caring more than ability," Mac said.
"Why are you not in contention for the Kane scholarship? V's wicked smart, but so are you," Weevil said.
Mac shrugged. "I don't kill myself trying to get all A's. I get A's in class I love and B's in the rest. I've always been okay with that. Test scores are what matter for the Ivy League schools anyway or for some of the biggest scholarships. I'm not too concerned," Mac said.
Weevil grinned. "I love that you're not uptight. I like Veronica, but I'd never want to date her. Logan's always half-crazed," Weevil said.
"Are you saying I can't make you crazy?" Mac asked, not sure how she felt about that.
"Oh, you make me crazy all right, but the good kind of crazy," he said, eying her lasciviously.
"Really?" she asked with interest.
Weevil leaned over and whispered in her ear exactly what he meant. Her face grew hot as she listened. When he stopped, she choked out, "Maybe we should find someplace where you can demonstrate."
Weevil quickly got to his feet. He didn't have to be told twice.
Logan had his mind in a similar spot. After Veronica inhaled the lunch from Lugi's, she gave him a happy grin. "Yum! You're right. That did put me in a better mood," she said.
"Mint?" Logan asked casually. She grabbed it and popped it in her mouth. Logan did the same and then got out of his front seat. Veronica gave him a puzzled look when he opened her passenger door.
"What's up?" she asked. He held out his hand in response. She followed him out of the car and then grinned in understanding when he opened the backdoor. "Ah, I see you have a plan!"
"Always," he said with a smirk as she laughed and crawled into the back of his Xterra. He joined her and wasted no time fusing their mouths together in a hungry kiss. When she pulled back breathing heavy, he held up his cell phone. "I set my alarm for five minutes before the bell rings!"
Veronica laughed. "I do love a man with a plan!" she exclaimed, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him on top of her as she laid down in the backseat.
*******After School*******
Veronica stood next to her car trying to saying goodbye to Logan, but he wasn't making it easy. She broke off the kiss yet again. "Logan, I really gotta go. I want to make dinner for my dad, and I need to stop by the newspaper's office," she told him.
"Okay," he said easily, but he kissed her again. When he felt her melting against him, he finally stopped and stepped back, smiling in satisfaction.
"You are entirely too good at that," Veronica remarked with a sigh. He waved as she got in her car.
A short time later, she pulled into the Neptune Herald's parking lot. Grabbing today's paper, she went inside. At the receptionist desk, she asked to speak to Julie Sterling, the author of the article. The receptionist pointed to a corner desk and Veronica marched over.
"Ms. Sterling, I'm Veronica Mars, and I'd like to ask you a question if I may," she said, using her sweetest voice that mostly worked with all adults who didn't know her.
"Veronica Mars? Really?" the reporter said with interest. "Have a seat," she said, pointing to the seat in front of her desk.
"I was hoping you'd be willing to tell me who your source was in the article," Veronica said, flashing her a winning smile.
"Maybe. If you give me a real quote," the calculating reporter replied.
"What's to say? It happened. It was awful. Cassidy is getting the help he needs," Veronica said simply.
"So you don't hate him?" the reporter asked.
Veronica didn't think talking to the reporter would end well for her, but she knew the wolves would keep coming. She shook her head. "No. I was surprised when I found out it was him. I always liked him and never truly considered him as the one who did it," Veronica said. There was no point in admitting his brother Dick had been her prime suspect.
"So you have no memories of the event?" the reporter asked.
"No, but I pieced it together and his brother found a written confession in his computer. He didn't deny it when we confronted him," Veronica said.
"How did it feel facing your rapist?" the reporter asked.
"I don't want to talk about it anymore. It wasn't a pleasant experience. Cassidy is pretty messed up," Veronica said, feeling uncomfortable with the conversation.
"Did he show remorse?"
Veronica pictured the gun Cassidy was holding up to his head that night. She nodded. "Yes. He was bullied into it more than anything else," she admitted.
"Bullied? Someone put him up to it?" the reporter asked, latching on to it.
"Well, I don't think anyone really hoped he'd do it or believed he would. It started out as a joke," Veronica said. "One that backfired."
"Hurting you," the reporter said in understanding.
"Okay, that's enough. Who did you talk to?" Veronica asked.
"I was at the basketball game and saw you with your boyfriend and another girl. I never could catch up to you. But I talked to the girl," the reporter said.
Veronica's eyes widened as realization hit her. "Was the girl African American?" she asked.
"Yes," the reporter replied.
Veronica stood to her feet. "Next time do a better job. I hardly know that girl. She knows very little about me or how I feel about anything," Veronica said. She thanked the reporter and left.
So Jackie thought she could talk to reporters on Veronica's behalf? Veronica got into car, throwing her bag into the passenger seat. Maybe Jackie needed to see what it felt like having her business out there for everyone to read.
******Chapter End******
It may be unlikely for Veronica to talk to a reporter, but there's a news coverage in my story that wasn't on the show. I thought it fit well enough. Hope it doesn't make you too crazy!. Reviews are greatly appreciated and the reason I write this tale! Thanks!
