X.

The place Lilly had taken her for lunch wasn't any of their usual hanging spots, but Veronica didn't mind too much. After all, those places were filled with ghosts of the four of them, eating, drinking, joking, laughing, so happy and so certain nothing would drive them apart. And even though Logan might act like the world came to an end every time Lilly blew him off, he'd be fine the next week and they could easily fall into their old patterns again. Life wasn't perfect – no, it'd never been perfect – but it'd been good. It had been more or less predictable, with just enough excitement to keep it interesting. These days, she longed for the kind of excitement that didn't make her teeth rattle.

She followed Lilly to the entrance of the dinner, one that had just opened its doors in Neptune, California. She wondered if they'd be able to compete with Woody's burgers across the street, but it seemed nice enough. It was decorated in 50s style, with red leather booths and posters of Elvis and Marilyn Monroe plastered on the walls. She didn't doubt the milkshakes came with actual cherries on top, too.

Lilly seemed to fit right in with her figure-hugging shorts and huge cat eye sunglasses, but Veronica felt anything but glamorous with her messy ponytail and wrinkled t-shirt. Obviously it didn't matter to the waiter, who smiled at the both of them (his eyes lingering a bit longer on Lilly, of course) and showed them to their table.

Lilly's eyes were glistening as they took in their surroundings, before turning towards her friend with a wide grin on her face. 'Well, what do you think, Sandra Dee? Isn't this awesome?'

She sighed dramatically. 'Really, I would've fitted perfectly in the fifties! Don't you think motorcycles are superhot? All the guys had one those days. And those leather jackets…'

'I guess I can see the appeal,' she answered sharply, the Logan's words about Lilly's affiliations with the local biker club burning in the back of her mind. Lilly didn't seemed to notice, and was already talking about which burger she would order.

Veronica gazed at the menu, but the words blurred before her eyes. She loved Lilly, she really did, but sometimes she wondered if their friendship would be going strong for much longer. She'd been dazzled by Lilly Kane when they'd first met, and Lilly easily outshone everyone around her. But she wasn't perfect. That was something she learned the hard way, over the years. Especially the last couple of months had left their scratches on their once so unbreakable bond.

Would they really be the best of friends after Lilly went to some Ivy League college on the east coast? She wanted to believe that, but knowing Lilly, she would get caught up in a college life of boyfriends and frat parties and Neptune would be the last thing on her mind. Lilly wasn't small town, she was cosmopolitan, and silly old Veronica Mars who didn't even know yet if she'd be able to afford college wouldn't be big city enough for her.

Surely that would be the way it'd go?

'Who'd have thought? Lilly Kane, gracing this humble dinner with her presence!' She looked up only to stare into the grinning face of Troy, the boy she met on the beach over a week ago. Lilly's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree.

'Troy Vandergraff!' she chirped. 'Well, this is a nice surprise!'

She got up from her seat and wrapped him in a tight hug, her hands roaming dangerously low on his back. 'Come on, sit with us. Troy, this is my best friend in the entire world…'

'Veronica.' He sat down and locked eyes with her from across the table. She had to resist the urge to roll her eyes. 'We've met.'

'Really?' Lilly's eyes were nearly popping out of her head. 'When? Ronica, you never told me!'

'It kinda slipped my mind,' she mumbled, a bit irritated; Lilly knew she had more important things on her mind, after all. But Lilly pretended not to notice.

'Troy's an old family friend.' She turned her attention towards Troy again. 'I thought you were in L.A.? What happened to the beach house? Please tell me your parents didn't sell the beach house.'

'Safe and sound, Lilly, safe and sound. But they've decided to settle in Neptune for at least a year. Think that uh… a change of environment might do me good.' He made a grimace, and Veronica's attention was caught. A bad boy, huh? So that's why Lilly likes you. 'So I'm going to attend Neptune High next year with you guys.'

'Oh my god! Then you're going to be in Veronica's class! Of course, she's light years ahead mentally…'

'I've just turned seventeen this August,' Veronica cut in. 'So I am actually older than most students in junior year.'

Troy stared at her, his lips twitched into an amused smile. 'So you're a genius? Straight A's, top of the class?'

'Something like that,' she answered truthfully. 'What about you?'

'Uh… not so much. School isn't really my thing.'

'Well, if you're parents are family friends of the Kane's, they can probably buy you into Harvard.' For the first time, she fully returned his grin, seeing how he seemed uncomfortable for the first time. Lilly's eyes grew even wider. 'No need to worry.'

'One of the benefits of being filthy rich, I'll admit,' he answered. Turning to Lilly, he added, 'I can see why you like her.'

Now it was her turn to be surprised. He smirked while observing her reaction. 'So, you know Duncan too, then? I take it you've had classes with him, since he's a junior this year as well.'

'Well… yeah. I know him.'

'She and Donut used to date, actually,' Lilly chimed in, apparently oblivious to Veronica's discomfort. 'They had this sickening sweet high school romance thing going, until he saw she was way out of his league and broke up with her. Which was awesome, because she became the cool rock chick that was just yearning to get out all this time.'

'One way to put it,' Veronica said, avoiding eye contact with Troy. She wasn't sure how she felt about Lilly telling this stranger about her love life, especially an old friend of Duncan's. She knew Lilly would paint her in the most positive way, but it still made her feel uncomfortable and exposed.

'She's still annoyingly modest, though. A simple compliment will have her blushing like a catholic school girl.'

'Of course Lilly Kane only blushes at convenient times.'

'You got it.' Lilly's eyes were sparkling from across the table and she didn't suppress her smile.

Troy had been observing their exchange with a lazy grin on his face. 'Well ladies, it's been a pleasure. We should do this more often. Lilly, Veronica.'

He winked at them before throwing a fifty dollar bill on the table and swaggering off. Lilly stared pointedly at his ass as he walked away. 'So Troy Vandergraff's in town. This is going to be an interesting year.'

She smiled sweetly at her best friend. 'You know what? I think he's into you.'

Veronica buried her face in her hands and groaned.

'Lilly Kane, you're impossible.'

'Don't I know it?'