Veronica started talking before the heavy mahogany door had swung all the way open. "Hiya, Jackie," she greeted the other girl angrily. "Mind explaining last night?"
Jackie sighed heavily and fell against the door. "Veronica, I don't wanna deal with this right now. Some idiot called my cell at 9:00 this morning. It woke me up and now I have a killer hangover. So if you'll excuse me?" She made to shut the door, but Veronica threw out a hand to stop it.
"Nope, sorry, you're not excused. That phone call was probably from Mrs. Fennel, wondering if you'd seen her missing son." Off Jackie's stunned if slightly uncomprehending look, Veronica continued, "Yeah, that's right. Wallace didn't come home last night. You broke his heart, Jackie. He could be anywhere and all you can think about it your hangover."
Jackie a step closer, infuriated. "Listen, Barbie, you're not exactly Little Miss Perfect, either. The way people talk about you, it makes Paris Hilton look like a saint. And you treat Wallace like your servant. You say jump, he jumps. You say come, he comes. What makes you so special that you can walk all over him like that?"
Veronica crossed her arms across her chest. For the first time since she got there, her mask of anger gave way, revealing her pain. "Don't you think I know that? I know I haven't been a great friend to Wallace. And he deserves better. He stuck by me last year when no one else would. I haven't figured out how to be a good friend yet. I haven't to be one in so long. But at least I'm trying. You just treat him like dirt and think nothing of it." Veronica turned and started to storm off, but Jackie's voice stopped her in her tracks.
"According to that psychic, you got pretty friendly with your last best friend's boyfriend. Guess you weren't such a great friend to her, either. Maybe that's why you can't remember how to be a friend. Because you never were one."
Veronica was fuming. If it was possible for steam to stream from her ears, it would have happened. But she was also hurting. She wouldn't be able to stand losing her best friend. Not again. She marched back up to Jackie's door and stared the ice queen herself in the eye. "I loved Lilly," she declared. "She was more than just my best friend. She was like my sister. The day I lost her, I felt a pain that I wouldn't wish on anyone. No, not even you. You didn't know Lilly and you sure as hell don't know me…or Wallace…" Veronica faltered for a moment before adding in a cracking voice, "I can't go through that again. I won't go through that again."
Jackie's eyes were trained downwards. They didn't move even when she finally spoke. "Look, Veronica, I'm not gonna lie. I don't like you and I know you don't like me, but we both care about Wallace." Veronica made a noise of disbelief and Jackie finally lifted her eyes. "Yes, I do care about Wallace and, contrary to your belief, I do know him. And I want to find him just as much as you do. Let me help you?" she finished with a pleading look.
The ringing of Veronica's cell phone cut off any possible reply Veronica may have given. "Hello? Wallace?" she answered. "Oh, hi Mrs. Fennel…You did? When?...He's where with who?...Are you sure he's all right?...Yeah, I'll be right over. I'm just taking care of some business first…See you in a bit." Veronica disconnected the call and turned to Jackie. "Looks like you won't have to act like you care anymore. Wallace called his mom a little while ago and left a message on her answering machine. He's in Chicago with his father for a while."
"His father?" Jackie asked in confusion.
"Yeah, his father. Guess you don't know him after all, huh." With that, Veronica turned on her heel and walked off, leaving behind a stunned Jackie and wearing a slightly smug smile that contradicted the tears glistening in her eyes. Her best friend was safe and she had managed to call out his Bitcherella, but said best friend was still gone. She wished she had someone to talk all this over with, but that person was in Chicago. He was gone momentarily and curiously, that hurt almost as much as knowing Lilly was gone forever.