Chapter 11: Weevil Makes His Move

*****Same Friday Night Football Game*****

Dick had decided to go to the game and see Mac. Hanging out at his childhood home was a real drag. Dick preferred to always be in a good mood whenever possible. He knew that for the most part nothing made him happier than being with Mac. He also knew that he'd overreacted about Trina. He shouldn't have blamed Mac for that.

When he got to the stands, he looked around for Mac or any of his friends. Instead, he was spotted by his frat brother Chip. Unfortunately, Chip wasn't alone. Sean Sorokin was with him as well as Daisy. Daisy he didn't mind, but he wasn't in the mood to deal with Sean. However, it looked like he wasn't going to get a choice in the matter because the trio headed toward him.

"Hey, Dick!" Chip said. "I was wondering where you were. I saw your woman, but she was with your other non-Greek friends."

"Including Duncan Kane," Sean said with annoyance.

Dick ignored him and asked Chip, "Where are they sitting? I can't find them."

Chip pointed them out. "Cool. Thanks," Dick said. He started to go toward them when Sean moved in front of him to stop him. He was holding Daisy's hand, so Dick didn't want to start anything. He just waited.

"Since you're a brother, I wanted to do you a favor and advise you to distance yourself from Duncan Kane," Sean told him.

Dick looked at him like the man had asked him to start shopping at a yard sale. "I've been friends with Duncan my entire life. I don't abandon my friends," Dick said.

"But you're a Pi Sigma now," Sean reminded him.

"I've been a Pi for two years. I've been friends with Duncan for fifteen. You do the math," Dick said dismissively.

Chip and Daisy watched their interaction with wary eyes. Both were braced to step in between the two.

"Some might find that a reason to question your loyalty to the brotherhood," Sean said.

Dick gave a humorless laugh. Then he narrowed his eyes and dropped his pretense of humor. "My brothers all know that I have their backs. Anytime. But they also have learned to not make me choose between them and my friends. Logan and Duncan are my best friends. They have my complete loyalty, and so does the fraternity as long as they don't try to hurt my friends," Dick warned.

Chip stepped in and tried to make light of their talk. "Yeah, we know. We like your friends," he said. Then he looked at Sean. "Well, most of us do."

Both guys ignored him. Daisy suppressed a smile.

"Is there any limits to the lengths you'd go through for them?" Sean asked.

Dick looked him in the eyes and spoke clearly so that there would be no confusion. "No."

Daisy finally stepped in. "I'm getting bored. Let's go buy me a pretzel," she said to Sean, tugging on his hand. Sean smiled at her and said sure. He gave Dick one last look before he walked off with Daisy.

Chip looked after his stepsister and Sean in concern before speaking to Dick. "I'm worried," Chip said.

"You should be," Dick said. "Your stepsister is leading Sorokin by the hand like he's a harmless puppy. His brother, Gory, tried to kill Veronica and almost succeeded in killing Logan. And now Sean is here convinced one of us had his brother killed."

"Did you?" Chip inquired.

Dick grinned. "Like I'd admit it if one of us did," Dick replied. "But you can relax. The Chicago PD already interviewed and cleared all of us. No body has been found. He's probably in hiding."

"Who can blame him? He made an enemy out of Veronica Mars, Logan Echolls, and Duncan Kane. The man would have to be insane to show his face again!" Chip exclaimed.

Dick laughed. He knew exactly what Chip meant. Those three were not people you'd want to piss off. He said goodbye to Chip and headed in the direction that Chip had indicated his friends were at. The half-time was almost over, so he wanted to find them before the second half started.

When he finally made it up to his friends, there was two minutes left in the half-time. Mac was talking to Jazmin. She smiled in relief when she saw him. She closed the distance between the two of them. When she made it to him, she leaned up and whispered into his ear, "I'm sorry." Then she kissed him.

Dick wasn't one to hold a grudge and happily kissed her back.

******After the Game******

The gang headed to Cold Stone because Jazmin missed eating there. It was one of the few places Neptune had that she could find back home in Chicago. They were on the expensive side, but the ice cream was delicious. When everyone finally got their choices, Dick noticed that the new guy, Wallace's roommate, was sniffing around Jazmin. Jazmin was being friendly, but it was obvious to Dick that she was a bit uncomfortable with his open adoration. Dick whispered to Mac, "What's the deal with them?" He pointed to Jazmin and David.

Mac looked up. "David has a crush, and they went out to dinner before the game," she explained.

Dick's eyebrow went up. "I thought she had a thing for Weevil?" he wondered.

"She does, but he keeps not asking her out. She was upset," Mac said.

"Revenge dating, huh?" Dick asked with a grin.

"Don't say anything to embarrass Jazmin," Mac warned.

Dick didn't reply. He just got out his phone and sent a little text to Weevil. Feeling smug, he put away the phone. Hopefully, the night would end with a nice fireworks display.

*****Eli and Jason*****

Jason was restlessly flipping the channels on the TV while Eli was looking through a case file Nico had given him. "We should've gone to the game. This is crazy. We are both intelligent, attractive guys, and we're sitting here on a Friday night alone," Jason complained.

"We're not alone. We have each other," Eli teased. Then his phone beeped. He took it out to read the text. His expression darkened as he read.

"What's up?" Jason asked curiously.

"Dick just sent me a text that says that Jazmin's looking awfully cozy with her cowboy at Cold Stone," Eli answered grimly.

"And what are you planning on doing about it?" Jason asked.

"What are you planning on doing about the fact that Daisy is out with Sean Sorokin?" Eli said back.

"I won't be sitting idly by that's for sure," Jason assured him.

Eli put up the phone and got up. He knew that he couldn't sit back and watch Jazmin date yet another guy that wasn't him. Even though he thought it was still too early, he couldn't just let her slip away. Not when they'd come so far.

"I'll catch you later," he said to Jason. "Unless you want to go with me?"

"Don't cross any lines," Jason warned. "Don't go beating anyone up or getting arrested."

"Yes, Mother. I'll try to stay civil, but I'm not making any promises," Eli said. "So I take it you don't want to come?"

"No, I think I'll follow your good example," Jason said, grinning. He watched Eli leave and got out his cell phone. Using his GPS app that located people on his friends list, he looked to see where Daisy was currently at. It looked like she was traveling toward her place. Probably ending her date with Sean. Jason's stomach clenched at the thought that the two might be continuing their date in Daisy's room. However, he had to believe that Daisy didn't really care about Sean. Unfortunately, he knew that caring and sex didn't often go together. Jason got up and grabbed his keys, deciding to stake out her place and see for himself. After all, he was a P.I. now, so why should he sit at home obsessing?

*****Cold Stone Ice Creamery*****

Parker had ended up sitting next to Duncan's new friend Julie and across from Duncan. Wallace was across from Julie. It was obvious to Parker that Wallace was smitten. She smiled fondly at him. Then her expression clouded as she thought of Piz. She and Piz had spent a lot of time with Wallace.

Duncan noticed her pensive expression. "Are you okay?" he asked in concern.

"Yes. Sorry," she said and forced a smile. "So how's the project coming for you and Julie's business class?"

"Good, I think," Duncan said.

"It's great. I'm so glad I got partnered up with Duncan. Not very many freshmen take this class, so I was really worried. We're about done," Julie answered.

"Yes, I think one more study session should do it. Maybe on Sunday?" he suggested.

"Sure. You can come over to the dorms if you want," Julie told him.

Duncan winced. "Dorms aren't really conducive for studying. Why don't you just come by my place? Mom always takes Lily to Sunday brunch at her country club. I usually go with them, but it's not a big deal to skip it. Lily has so much fun being admired by all Mom's friends that she won't miss me. Mom won't have any problems keeping Lily out afterward. She loves to show Lily off whenever she can," Duncan said.

"That sounds good. I'll be glad to get it over with," Julie said.

"Why don't the four of us have lunch together tomorrow and catch a matinee?" Wallace asked hopefully.

Duncan, of course, loved that idea. He gave Parker a questioning look. "Are you game?" he asked.

Parker debated the merits of the outing. She was tired of sitting at home waiting for Piz to call her. He hadn't even emailed her. It'd been a month. Sighing, she made herself smile at Duncan. She did like him and was attracted to him. "Sure. I think that sounds like fun," Parker told him.

Duncan was pleased that she agreed. He knew she wasn't completely over Piz and wasn't going to push. However, he thought spending time together in small groups was a good start.

On the other side of Parker sat Jazmin. She was trying to come up with the words to tell David that she just wanted to be friends. He had sat down next to her and had been paying her a lot of attention. Her guilt was piling high. Finally, she found her courage and turned toward him.

"David, we need to talk. I've enjoyed getting to know you, but I think we should just be friends," she said.

David looked at her in surprise, his expression darkening. "Are you serious? But we have fun together. I'd treat you right," he said.

"I know you would, and yes, we did have a good time. It's not you. It's me. I shouldn't have said yes to you when I'm hung up on someone else," she explained.

David's eyes narrowed and his easy manner left him. He frowned. "Another guy? Wallace told me that you two were just friends," he said.

"He's right. We are. It's not him," Jazmin said weakly. This was even worse than she thought.

"Who?" he asked, clearly upset.

She realized that by having dinner with him she had made a huge mistake. Now things were going to be ugly and awkward. She didn't know if it would make things worse if she told him who or not. This was not a situation she had ever been in before. After what she did, how could she now justify things by lying to him? "It's Eli," she answered.

He looked shocked. "The wetback?" he asked incredulously.

His racist comment caused Jazmin's mouth to open in shock. "Excuse me? Did you just call a friend of mine a wetback?" she asked.

Her question caught the ear of her friends and everyone turned toward the two of them. Wallace looked at them in concern. "Is everything okay?" he asked them.

"No, it's not. I told David that I just wanted to be friends because I liked Eli, and he called Eli a wetback," Jazmin explained, upset.

Everyone looked at David in various degrees of shock and disappointment. He raised his hands in apology. "Look, I'm sorry. I meant no offense. That's a common used word for illegals back home," he said as if that it explained it.

"Eli's not illegal," Mac told him.

"Not that it would matter to us if he were. I'm Italian, David. Do you have a special term for Italians, too?" Jazmin demanded to know.

"Of course not! I didn't mean to offend you. I'm just upset because I think you're amazing, and you went out with me. But now you're telling me you like some guy that was nothing but rude to me when I met him and ruined your dinner. I just don't get it," David said in frustration.

Jazmin's anger was once again replaced with guilt. Her friends could see that she was uncomfortable with all their sudden attention, so they all quickly turned away to give them the appearance of privacy.

"I'm really sorry, David, that I've led you on in any way. I'm sorry if I hurt you. I hope we can find a way to be friends," Jazmin said weakly.

Before David could respond, Dick piped up and interrupted them. "Uh, Jaz, look who just came in," he said grinning.

Jazmin and everyone looked to see that the man in question just walked in. Eli spotted them and locked eyes on Jazmin. His heated looked caused all other thoughts to leave her mind. Her vision narrowed, and David was forgotten.

Eli walked toward the table Jazmin was sitting in. He dismissed David and focused exclusively on Jazmin. "What are you doing here?" she managed to ask him.

Instead of answering, he reached down and grabbed her hand and tugged her to her feet. She was so surprised that she didn't protest. Eli started to walk her away from the table when David jumped up in protest. "What do you think you're doing, man? She is here with me!" David told Eli.

"No, she's not. She's mine," Eli stated simply. Then he turned his back on David. David started to protest further, but Wallace intervened. "Don't, David. Let it be. Please," Wallace said.

While Wallace tried to talk David down, the rest of the group watched the interaction between Weevil and Jazmin with unabashed interest. The new girl, Julie, couldn't figure out who the rough looking guy holding Jazmin's hand was. Mac and Parker could barely contain their excitement as they both felt Weevil was finally going to make his move. Duncan was disgusted that his nemesis was actually going to get the girl. What was Jazmin thinking? And Dick was gleefully taking it all in.

After telling David that Jazmin was his, Eli pulled her away from the table and turned to face her. "I don't want you dating other guys, Jazmin. I want you to belong to me," he told her.

Surprised and a bit overwhelmed, she asked, "Are you sure?"

"I am," he said.

"Why now?" she wondered.

Eli put his arms around her waist and pulled her up against him. "Because I love you, and you deserve better from me than what I've given you," he said honestly. Without giving her a chance to reply, he placed a soft kiss on her lips. Then he pulled back and studied her reaction.

Jazmin felt both tears and unbelievable joy flood through her. She gave him a brilliant smile. Placing her arms around his neck, she said softly, "You've made me very happy."

"I will. I promise you," Eli vowed. He kissed her again. This time the kiss reflected the passion that was always simmering between. It went on and on, causing their onlookers to whistle and clap.

Parker fanned her face. "Is it hot in her or is it just me?" she asked Mac who laughed.

Dick looked at his girlfriend suggestively. "Are you ready to go home?" he asked her hopefully. She couldn't help but smile at the effect Weevil and Jazmin's kiss was having on him. Sometimes Dick had a one track mind.

The couple under observation was oblivious to their friends and the spectators. "Come home with me," Eli said, a question in his voice.

Jazmin took his hand and smiled her affirmation. The newly formed couple turned and walked out of the ice cream parlor without saying goodbye, completely wrapped up in each other.

******Jason and Daisy******

Jason made it to Daisy's dormitory about five minutes before she arrived. He managed to follow a group into the dorms, so he could wait down the hall from her dorm room. For some reason, he had to see for himself if she'd invite Sean in. He wasn't sure what he'd do if she did.

Out in the parking lot, Daisy pulled up with Sean. This was the part of the evening she was dreading. Normally, she wouldn't hesitate to sleep with a hot guy. However, this particular one was considered the enemy by her new friends. And his brother may be a murderer or almost murderer. She couldn't just take him to bed without considering the ramifications. Not to mention, he was a bit on the shallow side. She did like her men to be more than just a pretty face. Putting him off without angering him was a challenge. One that she knew she could handle. Then again, maybe she'd get more of a real response from him if she pissed him off.

She turned to him when he turned off the car. It was always best to put the guy on the defense first. "I'd love to ask you in, but I can't do that when you're going around threatening my friends," she told him.

He frowned. "I didn't threaten anyone. Duncan Kane threatened me first if you recall. You were there. Today I just told Dick to pick the right side," Sean said.

"Dick's girlfriend Mac is a good friend of mine. I don't have a lot of girlfriends," Daisy said. "Mac was nice to me even before Barbie decided to like me."

"Barbie?" Sean asked in confusion.

"That's what I call Veronica," Daisy said.

Sean's face darkened at the mention of her name. "Those so called friends of yours killed my brother," he told her grimly.

"You don't know that. But you probably do know that he hired a hit man to kill Veronica," Daisy pointed out.

Sean didn't deny it, so Daisy continued. "I don't know a lot, but I do know that actions have consequences. I hope you're here to find out answers and not to hurt my friends. I like you, but I can't date a man who is planning harm to my friends," she told him.

"I plan on getting answers. If your so called friends had my brother killed, you might want to rethink those friendships," Sean said.

"Maybe we should rethink our relationship instead," Daisy said. Then she got out of the car. Before she could turn around, she heard the squeal of tires. When she looked, she saw that Sean had driven off. She shrugged. It might be for the best. Although she enjoyed angering Jason, she knew that both Logan and Veronica were not happy that she was dating Sean. And now she knew for sure that he did have nefarious plans for them. Or at least his reaction and words strongly indicated that he wished them harm.

When she got to her dorm and put the key in the door, a male voice said, "Hey."

Daisy looked and saw Jason Jaleno a few feet away from her dorm room. "What are you doing here?" she asked. She pushed open her door and threw her purse inside. Turning back toward him, she waited for his reply.

Jason gave her a sheepish look. "I couldn't help myself. I wanted to see if you would invite Sean in," he confessed.

Daisy didn't know if she should be angry or flattered. She opted for annoyed. "Look, you're starting to be pathetic. Sulking in doorways? That should be beneath you," Daisy said.

Jason ignored her jab. Instead, he asked, "Did you get my flowers?"

Daisy had been surprised when she had got the flowers earlier that day. The note with them had said, "Think of me." He signed with his initials. She had been torn with wanting to march over to his house and chunk the flowers at him or savoring them. Since she rarely got flowers, she opted to not throw them away. A part of her hated her weakness for romantic gestures. There was no way she was going to let him know that, or she'd be completely defenseless. There was no doubt that he'd use it against her.

"I did, although I thought it was really tacky of you to send them," she said crossly.

"Can I come in? Or are you going to keep me standing out in the hallway?" Jason asked.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Daisy replied.

"Please," he asked, giving her a beseeching look.

Daisy didn't know why she found his look so effective. Sure he was rich, good-looking, brilliant, and ambitious. So okay, he kissed better than any guy she'd ever been with. But he had hurt her. He had made her feel bad about herself. And she hated girls who suffered from low self-esteem or needed constant attention or affection from a man. She didn't admire weak or needy women. She didn't want to be one of those women. However, he had apologized more than once. Daisy was beginning to believe that he meant it. Unfortunately, she also knew that he was the kind of guy who could break her heart. She had never really had her heart broken before except when her dad died. It wasn't an experience she cared to repeat.

"I just want to talk," he said.

She sighed in defeat, giving in. She stepped inside her room and allowed him to follow. "So talk," she ordered. She stepped out of her shoes and went to her dresser to pull out her night clothes.

"I'm glad you didn't invite Sean in," Jason said.

"He's been threatening my friends. I told him that as long as he was doing that we couldn't be any closer," she shared.

Jason couldn't help but grin. "Really? You dumped him?" he asked.

"That's not what I said. But we ran into Dick at the game, and he pretty much told Dick that if he knew what was good for him he'd distance himself from Duncan and Logan," Daisy said.

"So now he's getting bolder, huh?" Jason inquired.

"Yes. He is convinced Duncan Kane had his brother killed," Daisy said.

Jason remained silent. His silence spoke volumes.

Daisy raised an eyebrow in stunned surprise. "He did? Gory's dead?" she asked Jason.

"Do you really want to know?" Jason asked.

"No, I don't," Daisy answered quickly. She didn't want to contemplate what it would mean. Nor did she want to have to reevaluate all her relationships. Then again who was she to judge? If someone tried to kill her someone she loved, she may discover some hidden homicidal tendencies inside herself, too.

"I didn't say I dumped Sean. We just agreed to step back and think about what we both want," she clarified, turning the conversation.

"What do you want?" Jason asked as he stepped closer to her.

"I want to be valued and respected. Or even cherished like Logan reveres Barbie. That's what I want," Daisy said, giving him a look that dared him to ridicule.

"Do you think Sean can do that?" Jason asked.

"I don't know. But I know that you can't," she said sternly.

"I can," he said. "If you give me a chance."

"Why should I?" she questioned.

"Because you and I could be great together," Jason insisted. He reached out and grabbed her hand. He pulled her close to him.

"In bed, and then you'll dismiss me and move on to whatever else occupies your time. I would say another woman, but normally it's Jazmin and whatever crisis she's involved in," Daisy said dismissively, pulling her hand out of his.

Jason winced because he knew that she had a point. "I apologized, and I meant it," he said. "I want to make it up to you if you'll give me a chance."

Daisy could feel her resolve weakening. "I don't like being an afterthought or second fiddle. If a guy's with me, I want to feel special. I want to know that I matter," Daisy said.

"You do matter. I know I let things distract me last year. I hadn't been looking to meet someone like you. You took me by surprise," Jason admitted.

"Really? How so?" Daisy couldn't help but ask.

"You're sexy and sassy. And unbelievably intelligent. You know how to use words like a weapon. That's a trait I really admire," Jason said with a grin.

Daisy laughed at his confession. Jason took her smile as an indication that she was weakening. "Your smile is stunning. I wish you'd smile at me more often," he said with a frown.

"I wish you'd give me more of a reason to," Daisy answered.

"If you let me try, I will do my best," Jason said. He leaned down to kiss her. Daisy allowed him his kiss. He slipped his tongue inside her mouth tasting her. She tasted sweet. One kiss wasn't going to do it. He pulled her tightly against him, slanting his mouth over hers again and again, forcing her to respond.

Daisy fought the devastating effect his kiss had on her. She felt herself melting and leaning in to his embrace. Finally, she broke off the kiss and held up her hand to push him back. "Okay, so you know how to kiss. Congratulations," she said. She stepped out of his embrace.

"Don't be like that, Daisy. Don't dismiss what's between us. I really like you, and I think you could like me if you'd let yourself. If you'd trust me," Jason said earnestly.

Daisy sat down on her bed. How would she keep him at a distance now? He was too potent. "Okay, Jason. I'll give you a chance to show me that you are boyfriend material," she said.

He looked taken aback by the title. "Boyfriend?" he asked.

Daisy stood up and gave him an angry look. "Isn't that what you're talking about? Us being together as a couple?" she asked. "Because we already tried the little fling thing, and it didn't turn out so great. I'm not doing that again. At least not with you."

"No, I don't want a fling either. The label just surprised me. I've never really been anyone's boyfriend," he admitted.

Daisy's sudden anger warred with humor at the expression on his face. She really had thrown him for a loop. "I don't want to do casual with you, Jason. If that's all you're looking for, then you are wasting your time," Daisy said firmly.

"I don't want casual either. I hate to see you dating other guys," Jason replied.

"Why don't we start with coffee?" she suggested.

"Coffee?" he asked in confusion.

"Yes, I'm going to let you take me to get coffee. We'll see how it goes from there," Daisy suggested.

Jason smiled in pleasure. "That's great! You won't regret it," he assured her.

"I better not," she warned. She put her shoes back on and grabbed her purse. Jason took her hand and led her out the door.

"This will work out. You'll see," Jason said happily.

Daisy hoped he was right. If not, she may find a way to make his body disappear!

****More to Come****

Okay Daisy fans, don't think she's just rolling over for him. It will NOT be smooth sailing for Jason from here!