Who knows how long I've loved you
You know I love you still
--I will, The Beatles
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Monday morning as Veronica pulled into a parking spot Logan ran up beside her and tapped the side of the car.
"Hey you." Veronica said as she shut off the engine, "It's good to see a friendly face."
"You're father isn't too happy I'm guessing?"
"He's grounded me. I've been ordered to go strait home after school to walk Backup and then to the office where I will file papers and do my homework. Then it's back home where I am not allowed to chat online or talk on the phone."
"And what about the whole, us, dating issue?"
"He's forbidden me to even be alone in the same room with someone of the opposite sex until I'm 30."
"At least he's not being unreasonable."
"Right."
"Come on. Let's get inside." Logan slid his hand into hers and they began to walk hand and hand across the parking lot.
As they got to the front of the building Veronica stopped suddenly when she heard someone from behind calling out her name.
"Veronica!" Mac called again as she and Cassidy hurried up to them.
"Mac, hey." Veronica let go of Logan's hand, looked up at him and asked, "Can we have a minute?"
"Sure." Logan said and then motioned to Cassidy, "Come on Beav, let's leave the ladies alone for a bit."
As the guys walked into the school Mac turned to Veronica and smiled slightly.
"So I'm guessing that what Lilly told me was right."
"Yeah. I was going to tell you Friday but things got all kinds of hectic at home…"
"Veronica, I understand why you didn't tell me."
"You do?"
"Yeah. I mean things between you and Logan didn't go that well the first time around and you the Logan-Veronica 2.0 relationship to go better than that. So you took things slow, you didn't want to go rushing around telling everyone. I would have found out when the time was right. Am I right? "
"Pretty much. "
"That's what I thought. But Lilly seemed pretty upset about it all."
"I'm not surprised."
Suddenly the school bell began to ring.
"Listen." Veronica said with a sigh, "Don't worry about Lilly. I'll take care of her. Okay?"
"Alright."
The girls walked into school and went separate ways as soon as they got to the main office. Veronica continued to walk aimlessly down the hall until she finally came across Lilly.
"We need to talk." Veronica whispered into Lilly's ear as she grabbed her arm pulling her away from the group of guys she was talking to and into a nearby bathroom.
"What?" Lilly asked leaning up against a sink.
"Why did you want me to be with Troy so bad?"
"You know V; we really don't have time for this." Lilly began to head towards the door but Veronica grabbed her wrist and spun her around.
"We have all the time in the world." She told her best friend as she pulled out a stack of tardy slips out of her pocket.
"How'd you…"
"Wallace is my boy." Veronica said with a smile, "Now answer the question."
"Why did I want you with Troy? What reason do you want?"
"What reason do you have?"
"What reason do you---"
"Lilly we don't have time for this. Just answer my question."
"Because he's not Logan."
Veronica looked at Lilly with her eyebrows raised and a confused look on her face.
"Que?"
"He's not Logan." Lilly repeated.
"What does Logan have to do with this?"
"He has everything to do with this. Or have you forgotten? Well let me just refresh your memory then. Once upon a time there was a group of four friends. They were inseparable. And then one day one of the girls caught the other girl's boyfriend kissing some skanky girl. Then girl one did the right thing and told girl two. Then girl two proceeded to breakup with her dumbass cheating boyfriend…"
"Lilly stop."
"And then girl one's boyfriend broke up with her and what does she do? She goes running strait into the arms of her best friend's dumbass cheating ex-boyfriend even before either one of their relationships has time to decompose!"
"Lilly I was there; you don't have to remind me about it."
"You were my best friend. You were Duncan's ex-girlfriend. Logan screwed me over and you went back to him. Twice!"
"I know."
"And because of that the bond that the four of us had is over! We're never going to be friends again. Not like we were before. I mean, I can't even really talk to my brother anymore because I choose you over him."
"And if I had dated Troy that would change?"
"Yes!"
"How?"
"Because Troy isn't Duncan's best friend. He isn't my ex. The awkwardness won't be there."
"I'd like to think that but I think we both know that that's not going to happen." Veronica pulled a pen out of her bag and began to fill out a tardy slip, "Go to class."
That afternoon Logan and Veronica walked out to the lunch patio.
"What are you looking for?" Logan asked as Veronica scanned the crowd.
"Lilly."
"Over there." Logan pointed his index finger towards the large group of 09-ers which Lilly was in the middle of.
"Come on."
Veronica made her way towards Lilly, took her by the arm and pulled her away from the group while Logan followed closely behind.
"Second time in one day Veronica. Second time." Lilly whispered.
"I just wanted to let you know that I'm sorry. And that I'm trying to make amends."
"What are we doing?" Logan asked as they walked towards the table that Duncan and Meg were sitting at.
"Having lunch." Veronica said matter-a-factly.
"Hey guys." Meg said with a smile as the group got up to the table, "What's going on?"
"Nothing." Veronica said with the same smile, "I was just wondering if we could eat lunch with you today."
"Sure. Right Duncan?"
"Yeah." Duncan said apprehensively, "That's fine."