A/N: This is my first fic and has not been beta'd. This is the result of an unhealthy obsession with VM and being trapped for eight hours in an accounting seminar where one will do anything to stay awake. Please let me know what you think.

Chapter 1: Staring At a Ghost

She thinks she prefers the way he treated her a year ago. Last year, the way he hated her, harassed her, generally made her life hell would be a welcome change from the total indifference he treats her with now. These days he does little more than look right through her. She's not sure how personally she should take it though as he behaves that way with everyone anymore. He no longer talks with Duncan or any of the rest of the 09ers. Like her, he was now exiled from the 09er crowd. Not that he probably even notices – he'd have to be aware of his surroundings to notice any changes. He glides silently through the halls, almost unnoticed, except for the occasional murmurings about his father. Logan Echolls had become little more than a ghost haunting the halls of Neptune High.

Veronica could hear Wallace talking to her but her gaze and attention was all centered on the lone figure across the courtyard. He sat alone with his books open apparently doing his homework. Since when did Logan do homework? What else about him had changed that she was no longer privy to? Did his hair seem a little longer, a little more unruly? Was it darker than it had been last spring?

While she hadn't seen or talked to him over the summer, she could tell that he'd spent a lot of time in the gym lifting weights. It didn't take a detective to figure that one out. One glance at his arms perfectly showcased in the short-sleeves he seemed prone to wear these days and it was obvious. She wasn't the only girl in school to notice it either.

While she had heard others speculate that he'd begun lifting weights in response to the beating he'd been subjected to the night his father was caught, she was sure that wasn't the case. She thought she understood him enough to know that it had more to do with punishing his body in order to escape the reality of everything happening around him.

When she confronted Weevil about Logan's mysterious attack, he admitted nothing but had looked guiltily away when pressed. He told her that he might have heard something along the lines that Logan had goaded his attackers on and then hadn't lifted so much as a finger to defend his body. He had just taken the beating without even a whimper. After hearing in court about everything Aaron had done to his son over the years, it wasn't much of a surprise that he hadn't cried out or begged for mercy.

Veronica had tried to visit him during his ensuing hospital stay only to be told by the nurse on duty that Mr. Echolls had left explicit instructions that if a Ms. Mars stopped by she was to be allowed nowhere near his room. She had been devastated but not particularly surprised. She thought about sneaking past the staff and into his room but was experienced enough to know that the best thing she could probably do for him at the time would be to respect his wishes for once.

She didn't even notice when Wallace quit talking and turned around to see what had put her in a near trance. With a sigh and a roll of his eyes, he turned back towards his BFF. He should have realized what had taken her away from their lunch. It had been like this since school started over 6 weeks ago. She seemed to spend half of her time staring at Logan or trying to antagonize him, anything to provoke a reaction. So far she'd been unsuccessful in getting him to show any outward signs of life.

From the time Wallace had shown up at her door the night Aaron Echolls had tried to kill her, he knew Veronica had been on edge over her relationship with Logan. She'd poured out the whole story about her suspicions, her betrayal of Logan's trust, the confrontation on the beach. While he understood why she'd done it (heck he probably would have done the same thing), he could also understand how Logan would feel betrayed. The girl he'd been crazy about, the girl he'd been willing to sacrifice his friends for had truly believed he was not only capable of but had actually committed the murder of another girl he had loved. Wallace wasn't sure how he would feel if the girl he loved thought he was capable of such a heinous crime. Both of them were in the right and yet both of them were in the wrong. Nevertheless, he was sick of watching her moon over Logan…enough was enough already.

"Veronica, Veronica. Veronica!"

"Huh, what Wallace?"

"Why don't you just go over there and talk to him already? It's amazing you haven't bored a hole through his head with your stare," he quipped.

Scowling, but not moving her gaze away from Logan, "Talk to whom? I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not staring at anyone."

"Uh-huh. Right…and I'm Rob Thomas."

Dragging her gaze away from Logan to glare into Wallace's sympathetic face, Veronica gave up the pretense of ignorance. With a sigh, her shoulders seemed to droop a little and her gaze dropped to her cold fries. "I've tried. He won't even acknowledge I exist much less listen to a word I say. Not that I can really blame him. I probably wouldn't talk to me either. Every time I try to say anything he just walks off or acts like I'm not there. How can I make him listen? How do I convince him to talk to me?"

"Maybe you should just take away his choice. Tie him to a chair or something. Use that infamous V mystique. I dare you," he joked.

Suddenly her head snapped up and her shoulders straightened. Her gaze narrowed and turned back to glare at Logan. "You're right."

"What?"

"Never thought I'd say it but you're right. I'm just going to have to make him listen." She slapped her hand on the table in exclamation and shot out of her seat. "I've had enough of the silent treatment."

"V! Veronica! Come back here, I was just kidding. You never listen to me. Now is not the time to start!" Wallace groaned and dropped his head to bang it on the table. It was too late. She was already halfway across the courtyard. Would he never learn? Veronica Mars was never one to back down from a fight or a dare. Raising his head and turning back towards Logan's table, Wallace figured he'd at least try to enjoy the floor show that was sure to ensue before the blood shed began.