Two hours later she found herself in front of Duncan's door again. She heard voices from inside and she thought she could distinguish the difference between the footsteps. She remembered Weevil with his casual lunging steps, Wallace with his light, hesitant stride, and Duncan always slow and taking his time, but most of all, she remembered Logan with his cocky faltering walk, a little boy in a man's shoes. If she listened long enough, she might be able to hear their fears and joys. She knocked hesitantly.

"There's my girl!" bellowed Weevil as the door shot open and a large bear like man enveloped her.

"Weevil, hey!...Okay…Oh God, I can't breath," he laughed and set her down.

"Come on in and tell your friends what you've been up to for the last six years."

When she woke up the next morning, Veronica was surprised to find herself on Duncan's couch, a pillow under her head, covered in a blanket and surrounded by four snoring men. She smiled to herself; in high school she'd have been called a five letter word for something like this. Avoiding stepping on the wine bottles, she padded into the kitchen- someone had taken off her sneakers too- and after searching through the refrigerator poured herself a glass of orange juice from a carton with an acceptable expiration date.

"Good morning," said Logan rubbing his eyes and running his fingers through his ruffled hair.

"Morning," silently she handed him a glass and the carton. "Thanks, by the way." He looked at her questioningly and Veronica gestured toward the room."

"My girl doesn't sleep on the floor," he said quietly. My girl…The sound of crashing glass and Spanish obscenities came from the other room.

"I am never drinking again!" yelled Weevil. He stepped onto a piece of glass. "Yaaahhh! NEVER!"

"I hate wine," murmured Wallace from the floor.

Veronica heard someone outside yell something that sounded a lot like, "I am a golden God." Someone has seen "Almost Famous" way too many times, she thought amused. She heard the person yell again and the voice seemed mildly familiar.

"Dang it!" she ran outside where Wallace was standing on the roof overlooking the pool waving his arms and yelling emphatically.

"I am a Golden God!" the crowd cheered.

"Wallace!" yelled Veronica.

"Veronica!" He yelled back cheerfully.

"What are you doing?"

"I am a Golden God!" the crowd cheered again.

"Wallace, come down now!" A look of worry crossed his face, he nodded and then he was flying through the air and crashing into the pool. She saw a flash of yellow and Logan dived in after him.

"I hate wine." Said a dripping Wallace as Logan carried him inside "I hate wine."

Logan opened the trashcan and poured in the six bottles of wine. Geez, did we really drink that much? It had taken about an hour, but Duncan's house was regaining the semblance of clean. Duncan walked over casually and leaned on the counter.

"So, uh dude, it must be weird for you." he paused, "You know with Veronica and all?" Logan raised an eyebrow and Duncan threw up his hands. "Come on man. I've been patient for six years, you gotta tell me." Logan was silent. "Dude?"

"There isn't anything to say. She was here and then she wasn't. End of story," he stabbed the buttons on the dishwasher. "Except of course for the fact where my father made her leave." He punched the machine angrily.

"What!"

"My dad, made her go away. Told her she wasn't any good for me and that she should go. Don't know why she listened, but she did and she left. I didn't find out till it was too late. Three years after she stopped calling and my life was hell again."

"That's freaking insane."

"You tell me," he whispered, "But I have Amber now."

"Yeah, you have Amber." Duncan swallowed. Neither of them was very convinced.

"Well sweetie. The church wasn't available till next March. I had to take it for the twentieth."

"But Amber, that's like, two weeks." She pouted.

"But we love each other right?" Amber pushed herself up against him. He nodded. "Then why wait?" Yeah, why wait…Logan gave her his best attempt at a smile. "Then its set. I'll start getting every thing ready." She squeaked and then, planting a wet glossy kiss on his cheek skipped, out of the room. "Love ya!" she waved.

"Love you too." He answered and the door slammed. "I'll get started on those calls."

The phone still clutched in her hand, she settled onto the couch for a nice long session of Friday Night Standup. The wedding was in two weeks, two weeks. She didn't know how she was going to handle that. Was she going to go? She had to go, she and Logan were friends now, right? How did things get so screwed up?

"You have to leave," he slurred. Mr. Echolls had arrived out of nowhere stinking of gin and a cigarette clamped precariously in his hand

"I'm sorry?" she asked confused.

"You have to leave. Logan. You have to leave him."

"Why?" Veronica was starting to get angry.

"You have to. Or I-" he stopped.

"You'll what? Hurt me? Or him maybe? I'm not scared of you."

"You'll ruin his life. You've already ruined his life." Aaron Echolls wasn't attractive when he snarled. "He's going to give up everything for you. He's already turned down Harvard for you." He said he didn't get in. "Your bad news, like your mother and you'll only kill his future." Veronica looked over at Logan joking around with a group of his friends. He felt her eyes and looked up; his smile nearly broke her heart.

She hadn't wanted to listen to him, had almost decided not to, but she was seventeen and she loved Logan more than anyone else in her life. She had no one to ask, her father was dead, her mother in a psychiatric unit in New Orleans and her friends could hardly be impartial. He doesn't need this, she had thought, he'll be better off without me. The next morning he put her on a train and she watched him disappear in the crowd.

"Visiting my mother..." Veronica laughed bitterly. She was always good at making up stories.