Curly Moran was a dead end. Eli and Norris had beaten him for information, and got nothing in return except a blubbering middle aged man. He was about to say something when a car started honking at them and the PCHers fled the scene. Eli had planned on following up with Curly, but the next day on the news they reported that his body had washed up on the shore.

Eli never planned on telling Veronica about his interrogation with Curly, based solely on the fact that it would make him and Norris that last people to see him alive. However he didn't have to worry about it, because Veronica was mad at him for something else.

"So did you get your shipment in?" She snapped, coming up beside him and the rest of his crew. He looked at her confused, not in the mood for a round of let's accuse Eli.

"What?"

"See that's what I said, when some little rich boy came up to me and asked me if my old man had gotten his eight ball in." Eli's eyes widened, "You guys are selling drugs now?" Eli led her away from the group, before she had the chance to yell at him any more in front of the guys. He had an image to uphold, and being yelled at by a little white chick didn't help. "Well, what do you have to say about that?"

Eli glared at her, "I say keep your fucking voice down." Her eyes widening in surprise, "Now first if you're gonna come at me with accusations like that you don't do it with a fucking audience." She had the sense to look slightly ashamed, "We don't sell drugs, never have."

"Someone is." She said firmly. "And until you figure out who it is, I can't be a part of—"

"Of what?" He snapped, knowing where this was heading. She was breaking up with him, and they hadn't even gotten back together. Hadn't even talked about it, just always seemed to be in eachother's company. Hell she hadn't even kissed him since the day before Hector died. "You're not a part of anything, V. For that you'd actually have to choose a side instead of sitting on that fucking fence you seem to like so much."

She blinked at him, "Well don't hold back, Weevil." She said, "Tell me what you really think."

Eli's body shook with rage, and he knew whatever was about to come out of his mouth would be devastating to whatever progress they had made, but it was too late, "Okay Ronnie, I think that you shouldn't have coddled Hector's murderer. I feel like you should have been just a little appreciative that we saved Echolls life instead of blaming my 'vengeance' for Hector's death. And I think maybe you should go back to your old toys, because I'm personally getting tired of getting played with and then shelved."

Veronica didn't say anything, but stared at him for a minute. He didn't say anything to stop her as she sighed sadly, and walked the opposite way. And just like that, they were back on the outs. "Should have waited til Echolls got here." Norris said from behind him.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" He muttered.

"If you want V to run to him so bad, wait til he's around when you say shit like that." Norris didn't wait for a response, before walking after Veronica. Eli joined the rest of the crew, who were wisely talking about things like cars and bikes, not Eli or his girl drama.

It was three days later when he ran into Veronica in the hall again and he had yet to cool down. By her snarky quips, she hadn't either, "What's with the hoops, Vato, if I rub your head do I get three wishes."

"You do that, you might want to make seeing tomorrow your first wish." He spat, ignoring the glare Norris sent him. Veronica looked like he had hit her, and he tried to ignore the guilt riding up in his chest, "You need a minute?" She had to know he would never actually hurt her.

"Where's that disco ball you normally wear?" She demanded randomly, why she cared about his earrings he had no clue.

"I don't know, it's probably in some girl's shag carpet." She frowned slightly, and he wondered if she knew how much of a lie that was, he hadn't been with a girl since the summer, and that was when she and Logan were doing there fling.

"Or it's in an evidence bag down at the Sheriff's station." It was where? Eli suddenly remembered Curly Moran grabbing onto his piercing while him and Norris beat him, he had barely felt it pull out and forgot about it soon after. He nodded for the others to walk away and she continued to talk, "So you wanna tell me why your earing was found on the body that washed up on shore with my name on him."

"What?" Eli asked, he had her name on him? Was Curly planning on hunting her down when the PCHers had found him.

"Guys body washes up on shore, has my name written on his one hand your earing in the other, now explain." She hissed.

"He was alive last time we saw him." He admitted.

"What did he do to piss you off so bad?" She asked.

"I got a phone call from someone, saying that Curly planted the bomb…for Aaron Echolls, I went to talk to him about it." He didn't like the way she paled at the revelation that Aaron Echolls might have been behind the bus crash.

"Did he say anything useful?" She asked, and he was shocked she hadn't lectured him about his interrogation skills.

"No, someone stopped us before I could get him talking." It was obvious that their conversation was done now. He had told her what she needed to know, and she would no doubt run off in the opposite direction. He turned to leave when her voice stopped him.

"It was because of me." She whispered. "They all died because of me." Before he could turn back around she was halfway down the hall, leaving him to stand there, guilt gnawing at his stomach.