Neptune Middle School Botany class

"Don't worry Veronica, we can do this. We need to show Madison and everyone else that we are a couple." Logan tugged Veronica toward the school building giving her an encouraging smile.

"I know but I'm nervous, it is hard to believe that everything will be ok." Veronica said staring as the building growing closer by the minute.

Veronica was relieved that her dad was too busy to drive her to school today. Logan met her around the corner and rode with her.

Logan chuckled linking her hand with his as they walked into the building. When they reached Veronica's locker he paused a wicked look in his eyes, "Let's give them something to talk about. You're my girlfriend, and I'm not going anywhere, time to make that crystal clear."

Veronica gasped as Logan pressed her against the lockers. He lowered his lips against hers and began to softly kiss her. Linking her arms around his back Veronica relaxed and tuned out everyone but Logan.

The bell forced them to end the kiss as their audience began moving toward their classes. Logan led Veronica to their first class Biology, he stopped to kiss her every few steps.

Veronica smiled looking bemused, "Logan I think it's clear to everyone that we're a couple now. You can stop groping me, at least in public anyway."

Logan laughed enjoying Veronica's flushed cheeks," It had better, any more of that and we'd cause a scene."

Veronica bumped into Logan as they walked into the class laughing as he stumbled slightly, "Don't worry I made sure none of the teachers were nearby for your little display."

Logan slide in the seat beside Veronica impressed by her foresight, "I'm glad one of us was paying attention. I tend to lose a few brain cells when you're around."

Veronica smiled teasingly, "You only have like five left so better take care of the remainders."

Dick turned around glaring at both of them, "Omg can you two cut it out. Watching you make out was hot Veronica; don't ruin it with needless talking."

Veronica smiled at Dick sweetly, "Dick are you upset that nobody wants to kiss you in the halls. See when you tell girls to shut up they tend to avoid you like the plague. It kinda works that way."

Miss Hazelwood breezed into the class, the scent of incense appearing before she even entered the room. "Hello everyone, we have a special treat today, we are having our botany lesson outside."

Lily leaned back and whispered to Veronica, "I bet you anything Joey fakes a seizure to get out of going outside. Ever since he started rocking his "inner vampire" he wears his pale skin like a badge of honor."

Suddenly Joey waved his hand in the air, "Miss Hazelwood I need to be excused. I got that weird skin diseased that if I went outside my skin will catch on fire, but I can stay here, please take the class."

Miss Hazelwood sighed looking at Joey skeptically, "The illness is called Xeroderma Pigmentosum a term you would know if you had it."

Miss Hazelwood opened the back door leading from the science lab to the nearby park. "Also Joey if you had the illness someone would have noticed you walking around in a space suit to block out the sun."

Joey reluctantly got in line slumping against the walls as the class assembled. Danny yanked Joey's folder out of his hands. "What do you need this for Joey, going to write more "the world is melting from my pain" emo lyrics? Dude Nirvana is dead move on."

Veronica yanked the folder back handing it to Joey, "Don't be silly Danny. Joey's just keeping notes about you. He'll need it for his future book deal when you go bat shit crazy in your future workplace."

Logan glared at Danny daring him to say a word. Mumbling about whipped men Danny went to the back of the line to hang out with his girlfriend Janet.

The teacher led them toward the school's sports field. The police finally reopened it after searching for the stolen charity money for days. Finally Miss Hazelwood stopped near a grove of trees.

"OK everyone today's lesson is special. I went to a teaching program over the summer designed to reconnect us with nature rather than study it like a disease in need of a cure."

She walked up to a tree and wrapped her arms around it, "Think of the history this tree has seen, it has been alive longer than anyone of us. What can this tree teach us?"

Logan shook his head whispering under his breath, "The tree is teaching us is that she spent teacher's camp enjoying "special" brownies during their drum circle. She's right we don't need to bother with useless information such as the type of tree, or the ecosystem connected to its survival."

Dick groaned making no effort to lower his voice, "Please tell me she's not getting the permanent job? I'll never get into Harvard with that whack job preparing us for the SAT science exams."

Lily laughed poking Dick in the arm, "Dick you never study so even if Steven Hawking was our teacher you'd still end up in a trade school or living off your trust fund."

Dick mumbled and let it go, there was no point taking on Lily, Duncan would defend his sister anyway. After that he knew Logan and Veronica would be on his back next.

Miss Hazelwood finally quieted the grumbling class, "One of the hardest things in the world is opening yourself up to new ideas once you reach a certain age. You guys are still young, it's not too late. OK everyone get into teams of four, find a tree. Afterward you'll do a presentation on what you learned from becoming in tune with your tree. "

Veronica, Logan, Duncan and Lily followed Logan to a Pine tree near the ball field. Dick drifted of to join a group with Madison, and two of her lackeys.

Logan looked at the tree and gave it a kick with his foot, "OK tree this is how it's gonna be. I need you to tell me everything you know or I'll turn you into firewood."

Veronica wrapped her arms around the tree, "Logan you're scaring Joe. That's its name by the way. It talks to me, and its telling me that it's full of ants, bird poop and squirrels doing the wild thing."

Duncan started climbing the tree, "Come on guys let's just get this done. Veronica you're the smallest so I want you up here with me, everyone else try to be useful."

Taking Duncan's hand Veronica climbed up the tree finally settling on a branch high in the canopy. Peeking out of a nook, she notices a small box. Curious she pulled it out to examine it.

Veronica recognized the device from her dad's electronics room at work. "Duncan what's a cell phone Jammer doing here?"

Duncan looked up finally noticing how high Veronica climbed, "those branches are not strong enough to hold me, you'll have to bring it down. Meet you at the base of the tree."

A few minutes later they stood around the tree looking at the device, Veronica turned to Lily, "Didn't you say the cell phones in the locker room were dead during the match?"

Lily pulled out her cell phone and checked her records, "Yes, see the date and time stamp? I tried calling before the match but couldn't get a signal. The calls were working by the time the game was over."

Veronica looked at the tree thoughtfully, "The tree told us one thing, the robbery wasn't a crime of opportunity but was orchestrated. That question is by whom, and how did the jammers help them?"

Duncan noticed the teacher gathering up the teams, "We still haven't finished the assignment. We need something good to hand in."

Logan smirked and pointed to the tree, "Don't worry, I have an idea for our project." Logan took out his phone taking a series of pictures of the tree.

A few minutes later they were back in the class room. Logan's team was called first to show the class their work. Logan projected from his phone a picture of a brown lizard blending into the bark of the tree. Everyone had to strain to see it because its color perfectly matched the bark.

Logan pointed to the lizard, "What my teamed learned from the tree is no matter how careful a disguise, if enough people look, you'll get caught. Lucky for the lizard it was seen by us not a predator."

Veronica looked carefully around the room. Somewhere among them was a thief hiding in plain sight. She knew she would catch them; Veronica was a motivated hunter and wouldn't give up. She was going to help her dad keep his job.

Veronica smiled at Logan squeezing his hand before turning to the class, "There's always a race in nature, the better the prey hides the better the hunter must be. That's something that never changes."

A few people shifted in their seat nervously. Logan leaned over and whispered in Veronica's ear, "We got their attention bobcat, I take it something's about to go down?"

Veronica's eyes gleamed as she looked at Logan, "Just follow my lead at lunch. No matter what happenes don't leave my side."

Logan smiled as they headed out the door to lunch. He wonder what his little pixy had in store.