"…Hi?"

"Hey." There was that catch in his voice. Like he made sure to finish crying beforehand.

Veronica hadn't bothered. Silly man. "Hi."

"What're you doing?"

"Looking at pictures," she admitted, one in her hand, stained by cola. Lilly was kissing Veronica on the cheek. It was her 12th birthday.

"Did that last night."

"Oh."

"What're you doing later?"

"Well, I planned on crying." It was supposed to be funny.

More like pathetic, Lilly taunted.

Logan snickered softly. At least someone was amused. "Pretty sure that's on all of our agendas."

"Have you talked to Duncan?" The words were out of her mouth before she could reconsider.

Inside, her heartbroke a little more. Technicolor memories flooded her senses, and she dropped the photo on to the heap in front of her. She had sorted them by year.

He was silent on the other end for a while, which startled her. Veronica checked to see if the call was still active, before Logan muttered, "He's not talking."

"What?"

"His parents said he was in … I don't know. Some kind ofcatatonia … thing."

Veronica felt her heart stop at half a beat. "Is he going to be okay?" Duncan, Duncan, Duncan…

"Probably. Guess it just … hit him harder," Logan mumbled. "Lucky. He gets to miss all the fun."

She felt her chest relax. It made sense. If he was there … "Do… you know anything?"

"What anything?"

"I-I don't know." And honestly, Veronica didn't. She had no clue what was coming out of her mouth, just knew it felt better to be saying something than nothing - and getting something from someone in return. Another voice that wasn't hers and wasn't the makeshift-Lilly that devoted itself to her mind since seven-fifteen AM. "Just… anything?"

Maybe he understood. Or maybe he was just being an ass. "I know my ABC's. And, oh," he mock-gasped, "how to tie a shoe."

"Congratulations. Well done."

"I know." And he did, didn't he?

Veronica fell silent, and so did Logan on the other end. She shuffled her piles, never picking up anything. Just touching.

Something had to be done about this. "Why did you call me, anyway?" She meant to sound nonchalant. It didn't come out that way.

"Thought I'd make sure the rest of the world was still here, I guess."

And here she hadn't even thought about that. "Well, we're all fine here."

"Are you?"

It felt like a scab being picked at.

"Veronica?"

Answer him, dummy! Why was she still here? Why here?

"…Yeah. We're good."

"Come by later?"

And he's moving on already, Lilly scoffed. I tell ya, so not regretting dropping him, V.

Do you?

"I—there's … a possibility." Was that even an answer?

"Right," he sounded bored – or fed up. Or both. "Well, if you decide to come by—"

"I'll call," she finished for him.

Logan snorted. "Actually, I was going to say 'bring some Jack', but as if I should expect that from you."

Her eyes rolled, and a smirk crept up, however fleetingly. "You're so witty, Logan. However can I compare?"

"You just can't, Mars."

I've got mad skills!

I know, Lilly.

"I should go." Silence. "Call Duncan for me?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks, Logan." She had no idea that by this time next week, he'd hate her with every ounce of passion in him. Every bit that had been devoted to Lilly would belong to Veronica and her demise.

For now, she could feel him smile on the other end. "No problem, Mars."

Click!