A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this one up. It's another long one, though, so hopefully that makes up for it ;) Enjoy!
Ch.10 - Halloween Hijinks
Another Sunday night in the library. What I wouldn't give for a more exciting work-study job. Oh well, I suppose it's better than working in the cafeteria. At least I can have friends visit without having to stand in line.
Veronica perked up when she saw Mac enter the library. It had been dead all night and she was in desperate need of human interaction.
"Mac Attack, what brings you here?" she greeted her friend warmly.
"A poly-sci term paper" she responded.
"You don't take poly-sci" Veronica noted.
"No, but apparently a lot of cheaters do."
"Ah, so Max is hard at work" she inferred.
"Yep. And as riveting as it is to watch him help people cheat, I'd rather hang out with you. In the library. I'm pathetic."
"Then we're both pathetic. I picked up this shift" Veronica admitted.
"So Logan's not back yet?"
"Nope. His morning class got cancelled, so he probably won't be back until morning knowing him and Dick."
"I still can't believe you turned down the opportunity to crash their surfing trip" Mac said sarcastically.
"I don't know what possessed him to ask me if I wanted to go with them. Like I want to spend any more time with Dick than I already have to. Although, I must say, it felt good to be asked."
At first, Veronica had been skeptical of the invite, but Logan had seemed so sincere about it. She had told him, honestly, that surf trips were his thing, not hers, and that she was fine with that. His reaction wasn't upset or relieved by her decision, he just accepted it. She still wasn't quite sure what it meant, but it felt like a good thing.
"So, speaking of asking you things, I've got a question for you. Do you think I could invite Parker to Dick's Halloween party?" Mac asked cautiously.
"Sure, if you think she'd want to come" Veronica replied skeptically.
"She will. I told you, she doesn't care that you and Logan are back together. She's totally over it" Mac insisted.
"You say that; but I've been in this dorm room a lot since school started back, and I still haven't seen her" Veronica noted suspiciously.
"Coincidence. I swear. She's not avoiding you. You'll see" Mac insisted again.
"If you say so. I'll have to double check with Logan, but I'm fine with it" Veronica assured her.
"Thanks, Veronica. I was glad when Parker agreed to be roommates again this year. I didn't want to have to get used to someone else. You two getting along makes my life much less stressful."
"Oh, you know me. I get along with everyone" she joked.
Honesty. It's like ripping off a band aid. It's not that bad once it's over, but it's so hard to work up the nerve to do it.
Veronica and Logan were eating lunch outside when he brought up Dick's party. She decided she should tell him about inviting Parker sooner, rather than later. She wasn't sure how he was going to react, or even how she wanted him to react. Yep, it was best to just get it over with.
"So, Mac wants to invite Parker. I told her that I don't have a problem with it, but I'll tell her not to if it's weird for you" she blurted out.
"It's cool," he replied without hesitation, "Mac can invite her. Besides, it's Dick's party - not mine."
"Yeah, but you live there. That kind of makes it your party, too" she pointed out.
"If you say so," he said as Wallace approached them, "The more the merrier. That's my motto, right Wallace."
"Sure, why not? Are you talking about the party?" he asked, addressing them both.
"How'd you guess? You're still coming right?" Veronica inquired.
"I said I would, didn't I? Anyway, that's what I came to talk to you both about" he began, "I was wondering if I could bring Piz. I know he's been kind of a jerk lately, but I think getting out and having fun would do him some good."
"As long as he's not rude to my girlfriend again" Logan answered.
"Might as well," Veronica seconded. "He's your friend, after all. But I'm giving Logan permission to punch him in the face if he acts like a jackass again."
"That's totally understandable" Wallace conceded.
"Well. If nothing else, at least this party should be entertaining" Logan said, looking pointedly at Veronica.
"Parker's coming, too" she explained to Wallace.
"You're right," he replied. "This will be an interesting party. I'll catch you guys later."
"Are you ready, Mac?" Veronica called in the direction of the closet.
"Voila!" Mac exclaimed, popping out from behind the door.
"Really? That's not a costume" Veronica said, rolling her eyes. "You're a trekkie every day."
"Yeah, well. What are you supposed to be? Little Bo Peep?" she shot back playfully.
"No, I'm Jane. As in Tarzan and Jane" she explained defensively.
"So Logan's going to be in a loin cloth and you're going to be in that?" asked a voice from behind.
"Holy crap, you scared me! I didn't hear you come in" Veronica said, turning around.
"Well hello to you, too" laughed Parker. "You're seriously wearing that to the party?"
"Why not?" she asked. "Jane wears a yellow dress. This is a yellow dress. I don't see the problem."
"The problem is, it's totally frumpy. Take it off. Mac, get me some scissors" she commanded.
"You can't just cut up my dress" Veronica protested.
"Oh come on, if you don't think that what I do is a vast improvement, then I'll give you the five bucks I'm sure you paid for it."
"Fine," she said, taking off the dress and tossing it to Parker, "but it was seven dollars."
"Ha! You won't regret it" she said triumphantly.
"What are you going as Parker?" Mac asked, wondering how long it was going to take her to get ready and alter Veronica's costume.
"Wonder Woman, of course" she answered, holding up a skimpy looking, store-bought costume.
"Ah yes, of course. I should have known" Mac answered dryly, shaking her head.
"Here," Parker said, tossing a makeup case across to Mac's bed. "You two accessorize while I finish this dress and get my costume ready."
"Wow. You're really into Halloween, aren't you?" Mac observed, going through the contents of the bag.
She took out some flesh colored putty and sculpted it into two pointed tear-drop shapes. She pulled her hair back and stuck them on top of either ear.
"How's that? Now I'm a Vulcan."
"Much better" Veronica laughed.
What is it about Halloween that always makes a girl feel exposed? Oh yeah, I almost forgot, my boyfriend's ex-girlfriend just chopped my costume in half. I am exposed.
Veronica fought the urge to tug at her dress as they entered the party. She immediately scanned the room, looking for Logan. She spotted him in the kitchen making a drink. She had to admit, Parker's changes to her costume certainly made her coordinate with Logan's costume a bit better. Of course, he had never had much of a problem with exposing himself. Although to be fair, with a body like that, who could blame him?
"Hey Tarzan, is that for me?" she asked, walking over to him.
"What happened to your costume?" he asked, wide-eyed.
"Oh... well... Parker..." she started and then fell silent.
"Remind me to send her a fruit basket" he muttered under his breath.
"What?" she asked, amused.
"You look good" he clarified. "Damn good."
"Oh," she said, blushing. "Thanks."
He poured her a drink, draped an arm around her shoulders, and guided her back toward her friends. They reached the girls just as Wallace and Piz walked in. Logan waved them over to avoid any extra awkwardness.
"Hey. What's going on?" Wallace greeted the group.
"Again with the costumes that don't count" Veronica said, motioning to Wallace's basketball uniform.
"What she means to say is, hi Wallace, hi Piz" Logan joked.
"Here" said Parker, pulling out an eyeliner that was hidden who-knows-where in her costume and drawing under both his eyes. "Now you're a zombie basketball player."
"And I say again, you really are into Halloween, aren't you? How did I not know this before?" Mac marveled.
"Yo what's up, party people?" Dick called, walking over to the group. "Parker, you're looking mighty fine tonight. And Logan, who's your hot friend? I expected you to be with Veronica."
Veronica turned around, slightly creeped out - but also flattered - that Dick called her hot.
"Damn, V! I didn't even recognize you. You're going to have fun tonight, dude. You can never go wrong with a little role-playing" he said to Logan, putting his hand up for a high five.
Logan returned it quickly and muttered an apology for Dick to Veronica under his breath.
"Sooo... drinks are that way." Logan pointed toward the kitchen, trying to diffuse the awkwardness.
Dick just wandered off, chatting with everyone along his path, oblivious to his uncanny way of making an uncomfortable situation even worse.
Mac was startled when her phone vibrated in her pocket. She glanced at the message and sighed quietly to herself as she put the phone away again. Her actions, however slight, did not go unnoticed by her best friend.
"So how late is Max going to be?" Veronica asked knowingly.
"Well, he'd have to actually show up in order to be late" she said, disappointment clear in her voice.
"He's bailing? Why?"
"The usual. He says he has too much work to do."
"Forget about him, Mac. You're too good for him," Parker chimed in. "Besides, you've got your girls by your side tonight."
Mac and Veronica exchanged a look and then laughed. Then, as if summoned by fate, Logan glided over.
"Hello, ladies. I need to borrow Veronica for a while, if that's okay" he said, adding in his best caveman voice: "Tarzan need Jane!"
Veronica gave Mac an apologetic look and let herself be led away by her boyfriend.
"And then there were two" Mac deadpanned.
"So what's up?" Veronica asked Logan as he walked her across the living room.
He stopped them outside his bedroom door and turned to face her.
"You are entirely too hot tonight, you know that? It's really not fair."
"I could say the same thing to you" she replied, suddenly feeling self-conscious again with all the people around.
"You know, I've got a room in this hotel..." he hinted.
"Yeah, and there's a party going on it" she reminded him.
"Not behind that door there's not."
"Yeah, but... wait a minute, you're serious aren't you?" she asked, incredulous.
"Nobody will miss us for an hour or two" he said with a wink.
She looked around for a second, carefully considering her decision. "You've got thirty minutes" she said sternly before disappearing behind the door.
"What is it about him that all you girls find so appealing?"
Parker was startled to hear a male voice in her ear, but she didn't let it show. She had been trying to hide the fact that she was watching Veronica and Logan's interaction, but apparently she hadn't done that great of a job. Max had called Mac a mere twenty seconds after Veronica left with Logan, leaving Parker with nothing to do but watch 'the show'. She wasn't about to let Piz, of all people, know he had caught her off guard, though.
"You mean, besides the obvious?"
"Yes. Beyond his good looks and bad boy charm, what is there?"
"Well," she started thoughtfully, "he's exciting, and funny, and he has this uncanny way of making you feel like the most important person in the world... until you remember that he will only ever love Veronica. Of course, even that's kinda hot in a strange way."
"Hmph. Sorry I asked" Piz muttered.
"What? Girls aren't allowed to find anyone else attractive, ever?" she teased him.
"No. I mean, yes. It's just..." he finished lamely.
"Look, Piz, you just have to accept that those two are a lost cause and get on with your life. You're a hot guy; you'll bounce back if you try a little."
Piz tried to push Veronica's face out of his mind and actually looked at Parker. She definitely wasn't Veronica, but she did have a point. He needed to give other girls a chance. Girls who were available. Girls who thought he was hot.
"Hey, do you wanna get out of here?" he asked impulsively.
"Your place or mine?" she replied seductively.
"Yours" he said, trying to suppress his shock. He had been thinking late night pizza run, but this sounded a lot more promising.
"I'll tell Mac. Meet me in the hall in five" she instructed.
He thought about going to tell Wallace not to expect him home tonight, but Wallace was chatting up a cute brunette in the corner, and he didn't want to intrude. He walked into the hallway in a half-daze. He didn't really do this sort of thing, but he had to do something to get him out of his funk. Besides, Parker had liked him before she liked Logan. He really liked that about her. She came through the door confidently and led him to her car. They were getting ready to enter her dorm room when she turned to face him.
"I just have one favor to ask."
"Okay" he said warily.
"You've got to tell me who's better in bed, me or Veronica" she said confidently, as though she already knew what the answer would be.
"I... well... we..." he stammered, "I won't be able to tell you because I never had sex with Veronica."
"Oh," she said in surprise, "so the sex tape wasn't real?"
"No, unfortunately the tape was real. We just weren't actually having sex" he explained.
"Oh. Well, never mind then. You may enter" she said, opening the door for him.
"Can I ask you a favor?" he asked as he went into the room.
"Sure."
"Please don't compare me to Logan. At least, not out loud."
Parker laughed deviously as she closed the door.
Veronica and Logan tried to re-enter the party on the sly, per Veronica's request, only to be accosted by Mac the second they closed the door behind them.
"Mac, I'm sorry I abandoned you" Veronica began a hasty apology.
"What? I'm fine. Don't worry about it. I don't need a babysitter. But I do need to tell you both something."
"What?" Veronica asked, worried.
"Parker left with Piz. She took him back to our dorm room" Mac informed them.
"Hmmm..." Logan intoned, looking at Veronica to gauge her reaction.
"So, you need a place to crash?" she asked, seemingly unfazed by the new information.
"Uh, now that you mention it, I guess I do" Mac answered slowly, a bit perplexed by her reaction.
"You can stay here" offered a familiar voice nearby.
"Geez, Dick. Eavesdrop much?" Veronica said.
"Hey, it's my party. I can join any conversation I want" he defended himself.
"You're not going to see your boyfriend?" Logan asked, stressing the word boyfriend and looking pointedly at Dick when he said it.
"Nah. He ditched me tonight. Payback's a bitch" she explained nonchalantly.
"Then, for once, Dick's right. You'll stay here" Logan said, ignoring Dick's smug look that the girls couldn't see.
"Right. So that's settled. Let's get a drink" Veronica said, leading Mac away from Dick.
"Don't worry, I'll prop a chair up under his doorknob so he can't escape tonight" she laughed, once they were out of earshot.
"Thanks," Mac laughed, "but seriously, did you even hear the part about Parker and Piz?"
"Yeah" she said rolling her eyes, "Did you think it would upset me?"
"Honestly? Yes."
"Well, it doesn't" she stated simply.
"Good. It is a little weird, though, right?"
"It's Neptune, what do you expect? Weirdness abounds."
She motioned to Dick and Logan on the other side of the room, obviously arguing about something, but neither looking angry about it. Every few seconds, one or the other would look in the girls' direction.
"Whatever that is, it can't be good" Mac determined.
"A chair and a pack of attack dogs" Veronica amended to her previous statement.
Mac nodded in agreement and the two went off in search of Wallace. The night wasn't over yet.