A smile tugged at the corners of Veronica's mouth as her boyfriend came into view, a broad smile lighting up his own face. When he neared, she reached out and took his hand. "Hey, you," she greeted him with a kiss.
"Hi. Sorry I'm late," he apologized as Veronica handed him his ticket and they got in line. "Almost forgot my passport."
Veronica smiled again. "It's fine. I'm just glad you got here when you did otherwise I might have had to sit with Beav – I mean Cassidy, or worse. Dick." She pretended to stick her finger down her throat, causing him to grin.
"Guess you're lucky to have me, then."
"Oh, yeah," she answered, reaching up to kiss him. "Super lucky."
"Next," the airline employee called impatiently.
"Oops, I think that's us," Veronica said, stepping forward.
The woman looked irritated. "Maybe you two should just get a room and take a later flight. I'm pretty sure I speak for all the other passengers when I say no one wants to see you make out all flight."
Veronica's mouth opened indignantly. "Excuse me? Did you forget your Midol this morning or what?"
"You have to admit, Ronnie, you two are pretty sickening," a familiar voice said from behind them, a voice both Veronica and Duncan knew the owner of without having to turn around. Veronica's eyes closed in annoyance and she took a deep breath, but Logan went on before she could reply. "Miss, I apologize wholeheartedly for my friends' behavior and I will personally see to it that they behave themselves on the flight like the good little children they are."
The woman just rolled her eyes and waved Veronica and Duncan through. The couple boarded the plane as quickly as possible, trying to put as much space between them and Logan as they could. But of course, since the universe hated them, Logan appeared in front of them yet again only a few minutes later.
"46A, 46B," He indicated to the numbers by Veronica and Duncan's seats then waved his ticket before continuing, "What do you know? 46C. Is that a coin-ki-dink, or what?"
Veronica rolled her eyes and Duncan looked away in annoyance as Logan settled next to him.
"Guess I won't have any trouble keeping that promise to the stewardess, huh?" Logan snapped his fingers rudely. "Miss, peanuts would quite enjoyable right now."
Veronica leaned close to Duncan and whispered. "Why, oh why, did I join FBLA?"
"To be close to me?" Duncan suggested with a slight smile.
Veronica smiled back. "Yeah, but why could we both have joined pep squad or something?"
"I don't know if I could pull off those shorts, but I always liked them on you. I think we both lack the peppiness those pep squad girls have, though."
Veronica put on a look of mock disappointment. "Curse those plastic surgeons of theirs, making them feel good about themselves."
Duncan laughed and Logan glanced over.
"Secrets, secrets, are no fun unless you share with everyone," he sang out.
The other two rolled their eyes in unison and Veronica asked the stewardess for two pairs of headphones.
--x--
"Tell me again why Mr. Pope is making all of us FBLA-ers make a field trip to England."
Duncan shrugged. "He said the winner of that investment contest would get to pick out the field trip. Beaver won and this is where he chose."
"I so should have won. I'm still convinced Cassidy cheated," Veronica declared.
"Nah, that's a Dick thing."
"Yeah, if Dick was smart enough to think of it. Hence his finishing last, right under you," she teased. "Besides, if Dick had grown a brain and won we'd probably be in TJ right now, surrounded by strippers."
With a laugh, Duncan nodded his agreement and opened his mouth to answer when someone knocked into him and he almost fell over. "Hey, watch it!" he yelled after the dark-haired boy.
"Sorry," the boy called back before being shuffled away by two other people, a boy and a girl.
"Smooth, DK. Real smooth," Logan commented as he walked up next to them.
"Shove it," Duncan muttered. He grabbed Veronica's hand and led her away, leaving a smirking Logan behind.
After clearing it with Mr. Pope, the couple went off in search of a restaurant. Veronica pointed out a cute little bistro down the street and they walked towards it, but before they could reach it, the same dark-haired boy from before dashed in front of them and down a nearby alley. Veronica took a step forward to see where he was running to and her breath caught in her throat. The boy had drawn a wooden stick and curiously enough, sparks were shooting from the tip. A blast of red light shot out of it and hit a man clutching a stick of his own, knocking him over. The boy bent over him for a second and then straightened, holding the other man's stick. With loud pops, the boy's two friends appeared on either side of him. Both stared down at the prone figure, but the girl's eyes strayed to Veronica's stricken face and her own expression changed to mirror Veronica's.
"Harry," she said, pointing to Veronica. "I think we have a problem."