Chapter 20: A Realization

******Wednesday******

Parker was in the food court eating a snack and doing some homework when Duncan saw her sitting alone. He debated on whether or not he should stop and say hi. He'd moved on. Valentine's had been very nice with Kayla. She was fun and knew how to have a good time. She was exactly what he needed. If he ignored Parker now, she might think he was mad or something. They were both finally at a point where they could be friends, so he stopped.

"Hi," Duncan said, smiling down at her.

Parker looked up and mentally groaned. Duncan was the last person she wanted to see right now. Having him smile at her in such a friendly way didn't help. "Hi," she said coolly. Then she looked back down at her books.

Duncan frowned, noticing her coldness. Parker was never cold. "So how have you been? Did your weekend go well?" he asked, trying to make conversation. Then he winced when he realized asking her about Valentine's was not a good idea.

She looked up at him in surprise. "You're actually asking me how my weekend with Piz went?" she asked.

"Well, sure. I mean I was just trying to make small talk," he said, feeling awkward.

"It was fine," she said. "Not as good as yours, though, I'm sure." Then she wanted to kick herself. Why did she say that? The last thing she wanted to hear was how he was doing with his new girlfriend.

"Mine was good," he said, puzzled by her behavior.

She snorted. "So I heard," she said. Then she closed her book, gathering up her stuff. There was no way she was continuing this. She couldn't shut up, and she so didn't want him to talk to her about his new girlfriend.

Duncan looked at her in surprise. "What did you hear?" he asked, frowning.

Parker put her books in her bag and stood up. "As I hear it, Kayla isn't shy about telling her friends how great you are in bed," she said with a grimace. Then she walked quickly away, disgusted with herself for making things worse.

It took Duncan a full minute to realize what she said. He was flattered for a moment. Then he realized how bothered Parker obviously was by him and Kayla. Why did she care? Determined to find out, he raced after her. She had just made it outside when he grabbed her arm to stop her.

"Wait, Parker!" he called out, turning her toward him.

"I have class, Duncan," she lied.

Since Duncan had no idea what her schedule this semester was, he released her. "I just wanted to know why you were so bothered by the idea of me with Kayla," he asked, just as cool as she'd been with him.

Parker felt her face flush in embarrassment. She wasn't ready to have this conversation. "I could care less who you spend your time with!" she insisted.

Duncan examined her a moment, feeling his own temper rise. "Yeah, well, you made that abundantly clear when you went back to Piz without so much as pause in my direction," he said harshly.

Parker flinched at his words. He'd never used that tone with her. She didn't know what to say. Her eyes filled with tears as she gazed at him in silence. She'd been the one to break them. Why did she expect anything different?

Duncan couldn't believe how upset she was. He frowned in confusion. Then he reached out to touch her, but she took a step back. "I have to go," she said weakly. Then she all but fled.

What the hell?

*****Faces*****

Logan rubbed his eyes, trying to make himself focus. He'd come into work after being sick the past two days. Veronica's continued good health only served to irritate him. However, she had been very sweet as he suffered in loud volume. Work, though, was forcing him out of the house when classes didn't. They had to make a decision about the expansion. Dick, Mac, and Trina had been arguing for the past twenty minutes. Well, mostly it was Dick and Trina. At first, Mac tried to play mediator.

"I vote no and nothing you say is going to change my mind!" Dick finally yelled.

"Dick, this isn't about my son!" Trina said not for the first time. "I'm not going to take my baby away from everyone who loves him!"

"Like we can trust you!" Dick said hotly.

"Dick, that's enough!" Logan finally said. "Trina has been a great mom and has done nothing to earn your distrust."

"Just the entire years I've known her, she's only done what's good for her," Dick said with a snort.

Trina was hurt by Dick's words. She thought they had become friends. "I guess my baby was the only thing you liked about me! Stupid me actually thought we were friends," she said, her hurt apparent.

Mac glared at Dick, knowing he was going too far. Dick cringed, reading her mind. "I'm sorry, Trina. I know you've been good. Little Richie may be the best thing about you, but he's not the only thing I like about you," Dick said with a smirk.

"Gee, I'm touched," Trina said sarcastically.

"That's enough Dick. This is getting us nowhere," Logan said grimly. "The Goldsmiths want this to happen. We've argued every point. We should just vote. Is expanding the best thing for the company? We can't make it about Richie, Dick, and you know it."

"Excuse me if I'm not a ruthless business man!" Dick said hotly. "Give me a few years!"

Mac reached over and took his hand. "I like that you're all heart," she said softly.

"So we have two votes—the Goldsmiths—for the New York office. Only one of us as to agree with them to carry it. Majority rules," Logan said flatly, knowing nothing he did would be right. If he voted yes, he'd upset Dick and possibly Veronica. Voting no would crush his sister who wanted this so badly. So he'd treat it solely like a business decision. It was the only way to get through it.

"All in favor raise your hand," he said. He and Trina raised their hands. Trina's vote didn't count officially. Only Logan's made the difference. "All opposed?" Dick and Mac raised their hand.

Dick looked at Mac in surprise and adoration. He knew she only voted no as a sign of support.

"So an expansion it is," he said. He turned to his sister. "Congratulations, sis. I know you'll do great!"

Trina jumped up and hugged him, her excitement tangible. "I won't let you guys down!" she vowed. Then she looked at Dick, who looked upset. "It'll be okay, Dick. You'll see."

"Not if you move to New York and take Richie with you," Dick said in disgust.

Trina sighed and got up. "I'll call and tell the Goldsmiths," she said.

Dick gave Logan a betrayed look. "Not cool, dude. Broes before hoes and sisters who used to be hoes!" he said.

"This was a business decision, Dick. It was the only way I could vote fairly," Logan replied, ignoring his comment.

"We have to trust that she's really changed," Mac said, squeezing his hand.

A knock on the door, interrupted them. It opened when they all three said, "Come in."

"Duncan? What are you doing here?" Dick asked in surprise. Duncan never came by their work.

"Is everything okay with Lily?" Mac asked, frowning.

"She's fine," Duncan said. "I just thought I'd stop by and talk to my guys. Do you want to get some dinner?"

"I need to finish up some work, so I'll let you guys hang out without me," Mac said getting up.

"I'll see you later, babe," Dick said. He tugged her over and kissed her. "Thanks," he whispered.

She smiled and slipped out of the room.

"So what's up?" Logan asked.

"I heard you had a real good time V-day weekend," Dick said with a leer.

Duncan frowned. "I can't believe the gossip on campus," he said. "I ran into Parker, and even she'd heard about it!"

"Oooh! Did it bother her?" Dick asked eagerly. Then he turned to Logan and flashed him a smug look. "I told you it was only a matter of time!"

Logan raised an eyebrow and looked at Duncan. "So the thought of you with another woman upset her?"

"I guess so," Duncan said, confused. "I mean, she was cool to me when I said hello. Then she told me she heard about it and looked really upset. When I reminded her she had no right to be bothered, she was practically in tears."

"Interesting," Logan remarked with a grin.

Duncan sat down in a chair. "I'm not sure what's going on in her head. I mean she has told me over and over she's in love with Piz, and she and I can't be anything. I finally move on, and she wants to act like I've betrayed her! That's insane!" Duncan complained.

"Chicks be crazy!" Dick said with a snicker.

"Maybe she's not so ready to let go of you," Logan said. "I was dating Parker when I saw Veronica kiss Piz. I felt like my insides had been ripped out."

"Yeah, but that was because you were in love with Veronica. Parker isn't in love with me," Duncan said sourly.

"Maybe she is," Logan said.

"Totally, dude," Dick agreed. "She's a smart chick. You're so much better than the Pisster. The reality of what she's stuck with is setting in. I'd cry, too, if I were her!"

Logan laughed. "On that note, I could use some food. I've not really ate for two days. I'm finally gotten my appetite back," Logan said.

"And you look like you could use a drink!" Dick said knowingly.

Duncan smiled. It was good to have friends.

*****Friday*****

Lauren woke up with a groan. She had trouble falling to sleep because she knew that tonight she'd be going on her double date with Brad, Ryan, and Kristen. She'd complained to Ryan about it. However, he didn't see what the big deal was. They were all friends, so Ryan just thought they could hang out like that. It didn't matter what misconception Kristen was under. Lauren was afraid to tell him that she really did like Brad. Not only would he freak, but then the entire night would be awkward and even more embarrassing.

She felt stiff as she sat up in bed. When she stood up, she winced. She was sore like she'd ran a marathon the day before. Since she'd not done any P. E. since her first diagnosis with cancer, she knew that wasn't the case. She shrugged it off. She must've slept wrong. Now was a perfect time to use the Jacuzzi bathtub!

Kristen surprised her at school by insisting the guys would meet them at her place because Kristen wanted to help her get ready for their date. Lauren was uncomfortable with the suggestion, but Kristen obvious enthusiasm quelled her protest. It seemed Kristen had been seriously insecure about Lauren's relationship with Ryan after all. Thinking Lauren liked Brad and not Ryan made her relax and view Lauren in a much friendlier way.

Kristen arrived at her house about an hour before they were supposed to arrive.

"Hey!" Kristen said, smiling. "Are you ready for the big date?"

"Does Brad know this is a date?" Lauren asked wryly.

"Well, Ryan probably didn't put it in those words, but since you won't be paying for anything, we'll call it a date!" Kristen said happily. "So what are you thinking of wearing?"

Lauren took her to her room, showing her the closet. Kristen riffled through her clothes like a woman with a mission. She pulled out a pair of black leggings.

"This will be really comfortable for bowling," she commented. "Get a nice form fitting sweater and boots. Do you have some black boots?"

"Won't we be wearing bowling shoes?"

"Not until we're bowling. First impressions matter," Kristen said confidently. "We want to make sure Brad is seeing you as more than Ryan's pseudo-sister."

Lauren would really love that, so she followed Kristen's suggestions. She even let Kristen curl her hair, clipping the left side of it up.

"That looks great!" Kristen said in satisfaction. "Now for some make-up."

"I don't really wear much," Lauren admitted.

"Well, you're looking a bit pale today," Kristen said, eying her critically. "Even a bit off color. You're not sick are you?"

"No. I feel fine. A bit tired. I didn't sleep well and woke up a bit achy," Lauren admitted. "But I'm good."

"Luckily, I brought my make-up kit," Kristen said. "We'll put on some powder and blush to give you some color. Nothing too shocking. We want accent your features, not overwhelm them."

Lauren smiled as Lauren worked on her face. "You know a lot about this," she observed.

"Well, my big sister taught me a lot," she said. "Don't you have older sisters?"

"Yeah, two. Madison is the sister I was raised with. But she never really taught me anything," Lauren said. "Mac, Ryan's sister, isn't really into this kind of thing. She's great, though."

"I've met her," Kristen said. "She's very different from Ryan. But she does look a lot like you."

Lauren smiled, feeling happy to have someone notice that. "She's the reason I'm alive, you know," she said softly.

Kristen blinked, not expecting that. "Huh?" she asked, frowning.

"I didn't know about the baby switch until Mac approached my parents when she heard I was sick. She wanted to be tested for a bone marrow match," Lauren shared. Ryan didn't like to talk about her sickness, so she wasn't surprised Kristen didn't know the details. "We were a match, so she gave me her bone marrow. It worked."

"Wow! That's amazing!" Kristen said. "She didn't even know you, and she just did that. I'd do it for my sister, but I don't know if I'd do it for a stranger."

"She knew we were sisters even if I didn't," Lauren said.

"You're lucky. You gained another sister and a brother," Kristen said.

"Yeah, Ryan's been great ever since I met him. He never treated me like a freak," Lauren said.

Kristen's phone beeped. She looked down at it. "The boys are on their way. I'm going to go freshen up," Kristen said. "You're all set."

"Hey, thanks for doing this," Lauren said sincerely. Kristen wasn't that bad. Ryan could do a lot worse.

Kristen smiled and went into the bathroom with her make-up kit. She felt a bit guilty for being so negative about Lauren. It was easy to forget the girl had almost died. If it wasn't for her and Ryan's sister, she may not be here it all. It was a disturbing thought that Kristen didn't want to think about. Death was so depressing.

Lauren waited in her room for Kristen, examining herself critically in the mirror. She really did look nice. Smiling, she felt anticipation build. This was going to be okay after all.

******Mac's******

Madison tapped her foot impatiently as Daisy inspected the final room, the kitchen. She was so glad this assignment was over. If she had to spend another minute with Daisy Gonzalez, she didn't know what she'd do. The woman was even worse than Veronica Mars. A fact she would've sworn impossible until spending time with Daisy. Unlike, Veronica, Daisy was much more subtle with her insults.

"Well, I suppose this will do," Daisy said with a sniff.

"Gee, thanks," Madison said dryly. She handed her a piece of paper. "So will you fill out my course evaluation for it? I've already taken the before and after shots that were required."

Mac came into the room, looking around. "This looks great, Madison!" she said, smiling.

"Thanks," Madison said, giving Daisy a smug look.

"Doesn't it look great?" Mac asked Daisy.

"That's just what I told her," Daisy said easily.

Madison snorted. "Yeah, I blushed from her praise," Madison said with an eye roll.

The doorbell rang. They heard Parker call out that she had the door. Mac figured it was Piz, who was due to arrive.

"We really appreciate all you've done," Mac said to Madison. "Thanks again."

"Thanks for letting me use your house," she said, surprisingly gracious. She gave Daisy a sickening sweet smile. "I hope you can get that form filled out and back to me by Monday."

"I'll do my best," Daisy said with an equally fake smile.

Madison said goodbye and went through the doors to the living room. Mac followed. She smiled at Piz, who was sitting next to Parker on the couch.

"Hey, Piz! How was the drive?" Mac asked, sitting down in the recliner as Madison saw herself out.

"It was fine. I listened to a tape of my show. Skye's always bugging me to do that. I didn't have an excuse not to with the drive," Piz said with a rueful grin.

"Skye's the girl you do the show with, right?" Mac asked.

"Yes. She's great! Parker met her last week," Piz said, smiling at his girlfriend.

"She seems that way to me," Parker said easily. "Piz goes by Stosh at the station. It's the Stosh and Skye show."

"Hey, alliteration works," Mac said, smiling.

"Yeah," Piz said. "It was weird at first, but I've gotten used to it."

"So are you staying until Sunday?" Mac asked.

"That's the plan," Piz said. Then he notices the ring on Mac's finger. "Did you and Dick get engaged?"

"Not exactly. He gave me a promise ring for Valentine's. Wallace got one for Thea, too. None of us plan on getting really engaged until we graduate," Mac said. "But we're committed to each other."

Piz grabbed Parker's hand and winked. "Maybe that'll be us someday, hon," he told her.

Parker gave him a smile, feeling sick inside. Her eyes met with Mac's, who gave her a sympathetic look. How was she going to get through this weekend?

*****The Bowling Alley*****

Lauren flushed with happiness. The night had been going perfectly. Brad played the role of interested suitor so well, it was hard to remember that he wasn't interested in her that way. He'd paid for her pizza at Cho's. They'd had fun at dinner. Brad told some Ryan stories that not even Lauren had heard before. She laughed a lot. When they left the restaurant to go to the car, Brad reached out and grabbed her hand. When she looked at him in surprise, he'd just winked at her. Even though Lauren knew it was an act, she couldn't help but feel excited. Being near him made her feel so good inside. It was an incredible feeling.

Now they were bowling. The first game was couple against couple. So far she and Brad were winning. When her first roll had guttered, he'd put his arms around her to show her how best to do the shot. Lauren thought she was going to melt. It was the best moment ever.

Ryan was watching the two of them with a frown. Brad whispered something to Lauren, causing her to giggle. Seeing Brad really flirt with Lauren was making him uncomfortable. He had known Brad his whole life. He knew how insincere he could be and how charming. Lauren may know the date wasn't real, but it didn't mean she might not start thinking Brad was serious.

"Aren't they cute together?" Kristen said, smiling at them.

"Maybe," Ryan said. "But I'm not sure this was a good idea."

"Why not? She likes him, and he's your best friend," Kristen said.

"I'm not sure she really likes him. I mean they're friends," Ryan said. "We're all friends."

"Oh, she likes him," Kristen said confidently. "I can tell these things."

"He's never had a real girlfriend," Ryan pointed out. "I'm not sure having Lauren as a first is the best idea I've had." He knew he couldn't confess this was an act to Kristen, but he also wasn't able to hide his real misgivings either.

"Well, sometimes a guy is just waiting for the right girl," Kristen said. "Didn't you tell me that your sister's boyfriend Dick was a real man-slut until he started dating your sister? Now he's like the most perfect boyfriend ever."

"But that's in college. Not high school. She hated him in high school," Ryan said.

"Even I've heard about Logan Echolls and Veronica Mars, your sister's best friends. Logan dated or slept with like dozens before he fell for Veronica. It can happen," Kristen pointed out.

"I hope you're right," Ryan said, unsure. He had only been trying to teach Kristen a lesson and be there for Lauren when he'd suggested the Valentine's movie night. It hadn't occurred to him that Lauren might actually like Brad. She was so serious and thoughtful. Brad was the opposite. He was fun-loving and laid back. He also had a strong philosophy about not getting serious in high school, determined to not follow his parents' example and marry his high school sweetheart no matter how happy his parents were. Brad was planning to have a good time in college, sowing as many wild oats as possible. He didn't want to be a heartbreaker—he was genuinely a nice guy. However, he never wanted to settle down either—not until he was closer to thirty. He'd shared this with Ryan and their friends more than once. It didn't keep girls from trying to win him over, but he'd never stay interested for long.

Ryan watched Lauren carefully the rest of the evening. Ryan had never seen her smile so much. She seemed truly happy. It was clear that Brad was the one making her that way. By the end of the night, he couldn't deny it.

Lauren really did like Brad.

He felt guilty as the thought kept circling his mind. This was not going to end well for any of them.

******Chapter End******